It’s a tall order to excite a music icon, but legendary King Crimson guitarist and sound wizard Adrian Belew is wildly enthusiastic about his professional audio multi-effects app FLUX:FX, a multi-effect audio processor app for the iPad that lets you ‘play’ your effects and manipulate any audio signal into something entirely new. Clearing a new slate in the possibilities of audio design and live performance, FLUX:FX is an innovative and, intuitive tool for the future of music, coming from the man who has influenced the music scene for the last 50 years alongside Zappa, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails and King Crimson.
We were blessed to get an interview at NAMM with Adrian, the man Trent Reznor called “the most awesome musician in the world,” as well as a live demo of FLUX:FX as he excitedly explains the randomization software, and how users can create a world of sound unavailable in other mediums.
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He also discusses an ambitious top-secret new project, something he’s quite clearly enormously excited about: “The thing that I’m working on for the next few months apart from continuing both Flux things is something I can’t even believe I’m doing,” he explained. “It’s something I’ve really wanted to do forever and ever, and I never thought I’d get a chance to do it with the people I’m doing it with. I’m starting at the top of the field I’m going to be working in.” Two things are certain: it isn’t a live-performance piece, and Trent Reznor is not involved.
Speaking of Reznor, Adrian also gave some promising updates regarding the material he recorded with Nine Inch Nails in their ultimately-scrapped collaborative project for NIN’s latest album Hesitation Marks. Check it out in our in-depth interview below:
On the scrapped Nine Inch Nails sessions and the possibility of the material being released:
“We recorded a lot of stuff that didn’t ever make it on any of those records,” Adrian explained, with a hopeful eye on the future. “They could surface on other tracks or other songs, I wouldn’t object to that in any way!”
As for the idea of future collaboration with Reznor, Belew had a bright outlook: “It didn’t work out for us to do a live tour together for a number of reasons… but I’m still good with Trent, I hope he’s still good with me, I like working with him,” he said. “It’s an open door. I don’t like to shut doors. I love what he does and I’m very impressed with the sounds he makes and the way he produces things… There probably will be another time for us to do something, but as you can tell I’m deeply busy (laughs)…”
Keep up with Adrian at his official site, and learn more at the official FLUX:FX site.
