TUNE-UPS NEWS + NOTES
JOHN CALE MAY have made have made his initial mark in the Sixties as a member of the seminal proto-punk legends the Velvet Underground, but that wasn’t the sum of his career by a longshot (His Twitter/X bio cheekily states, “Alright yes, the Velvet Underground... good, next”).
As a producer, collaborator and solo artist, he’s continued to push the boundaries of the musical avant-garde over the past few decades on soundtracks and albums like 1973’s Paris 1919 and 1982’s Music for a New Society right up through this year’s Mercy. The album mixes new/old beats with layers of swirling synths, strings and assorted drones topped off with Cale’s rich baritone.
Meanwhile, his groundbreaking work with the Velvets continues to inspire new bands to this day with his slashing, scything electrified viola and thunderous organ and bass playing on tracks like “The Black Angel’s Death Song” adopted as tonal touchpoints for countless neo-punk outfits.
caught up with Cale via email to ask about the songwriting inspirations on, artificial intelligence
