In Conversation With Amon Tobin

join the amon tobin discord here: / discord Amon Tobin sits down with Beatport News for a rare on camera studio interview. It's not something you're likely to see again (and the same goes for that plunging V-neck.)
Follow Amon Tobin
Facebook: / amontobinofficial
Twitter: / amontobinhq
Soundcloud: / amon-tobin
Spotify: spoti.fi/2UFS5Jn

[@HunterRodrigez]

what i love about Amon Tobin is that he manages to make every new album sound so unique to the other albums, yet you recognize his style every time and his music is so experimental and different... yet it still generally sounds like music and not like a broken computer

[@krzeselko]

To me he's a Coen Brothers of music.

[@NicleT]

Absolutely. He makes what we can call _Music d’Auteur._

[@Myceliumification]

Actually a friend of mine once said Tobin's music reminds him of a hyper intelligent computer that has outlived man and is just watching the world around it fall away

[@TheValueOfN]

@@krzeselko That's a good metaphor. I agree with you. I'll enthusiastically search out for new releases by the Coens and Tobin because I know that their quirky, visionary creations are always somewhat leftfield and perfect for my taste.

[@joergesabeatbol2424]

If you ask me "wich artist is the greatest of the 21 century ?", my answer will stay the same, allways. This guy Amon Tobin is my reference when you ask me "what's good music ?". He is not a mentor or an god. He is an example. He is the incarnation of modesty and humility. That guy gave me curiosity about music and how it's working. He is not a popstar, you won't see him on TV show. But he still is much more a "creator" than any self-called "artist" you can see arround. This guy knows that sound is much more like a mater you can work, like sculpting it, than a beautifull esthetic shit that you can sell. He feels music, he think music, he lives music. He is music. Music is he. It's the fusion like it's allways the case about music. That's why I love his music so much and why I respect the man even more. Amon Tobin is what an artist should be all the time. He is rare and that's why he worth so much for me. Thanks you Amon Tobin and please keep goiing, allways.

[@Jack_War]

@borf he spelled my first and favorite song by him wrong

[@bl0xx688]

When I think of Amon Tobin, (since he is never mentioned around me) I am speechless. His whole body of work [that I have listened to] is beyond my entire comprehension.

[@glitch314]

I had the honor of listening to AT, kid koala and dj food on same night in nyc. It was an invaluable experience. He is a truly inspiring artist. I would never forget the moment he dropped roots from sepultura in the middle of his bloody mix that night.

[@johnsrome8459]

Sounds like a phenomenal gig! I’m glad you had the good fortune to have this doubtlessly “invaluable experience”, as you aptly described it. Tell me, though. I know Amon Tobin has lived & worked in the US for a long time but I’m given to believe he’s actually Brazilian. Going by this interview, the guy has the cleanest British accent I’ve heard in a long time (I’m UK based). It doesn’t matter a damn to me where anybody’s from but I must admit I’m curious - where did Amon start out? Cheers - hope you get more opportunities to take in the live experience again!

[@johnsrome8459]

@Fok Zoutub Thanks for the info. Your consideration for a stranger is noted! I wouldn't say the "best people" are from all parts of the world, though - I'm mixed race myself & like it that way - though I do appreciate the multicultural vibe you're going with. "Best" implies some sort of superiority over others and that makes me uncomfortable. Anyhoo, back to Amon Tobin, an inspirational character, wherever he's from originally. Cheers!

[@lukas_jay243]

What this man has done to my perception of music is a gift I could never repay. Thank you Amon.

[@mattstone1759]

Mr. Tobin gives excellent advice starting at 4:40 to all of those serious about becoming musical "artists" as opposed to musical "producers".

[@rt-uh6mt]

Along the same lines my advice is ... make music that really comes from within, even if it sounds nothing like your idols. I spent years trying to emulate my favorite musicians, but it just never felt right or sounded like I hoped it would.

[@davidbeddoe6670]

are you Thee matt stone?

[@mandyata]

I played Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and the music was soo fantastic I got all AT's albums. The rest is history. Better yet, the dude turned out to be a very likable humble guy.

[@vigilantslacker6039]

EnlightenMMC same chaos theory is what started my interest in Tobin's art

[@panagiotist47]

Yeah..chaos theory had the best soundtrack love hearing them.

[@bastiaanschouwink3562]

i think we can all agree it was the best ost there ll ever be for a stealth game, at least in my very humble opinion

[@v-trigger6137]

Chaos Theory has the best soundtracks in the whole series. thanks Mr.Tobin

[@saintd_ii]

CT is one of the greatest soundtracks ever made, not just in gaming.

[@Surfingonsinewaves]

Amon Tobin = Genius Level. As great as Aphex, Ae, Squarepusher... I remember clearly the first time i listened to "Dream Sequence" around 2001. I was blowned away...

[@Drone453]

Listened to his music for over 20 years but never thought to check for interviews (probably because YT didn't exist when I first started listening). What a humble and genuine guy. Almost how I'd have imagined him for some reason. I guess his music just reflects that.

[@meatflu237]

This guy is such a mood and inspiration. Love him.

[@TheSandvichTrials]

What a brilliant guy. I love his take on music and sound, it's truly refreshing when 95% of the music business is dominated by accountants who just want to find the next big catchy hit to milk. I also adore that fingerboard, I really really want one. But I suppose it'll have to wait a while since it's really expensive.

[@OmMachine7]

An Amon Tobin track a day keeps the doctor away! ;)

[@Learn2oo]

An Amon Tobin track a day keeps a song stuck in your head 24/7

[@sameerbay]

Been listening to his music since 2000. Always felt like he made his tracks just for me and I was the only one listening (naive). His comments/advice starting at the 5:13 mark are priceless. Thank you Amon!

[@Misksound]

the important thing is we both have the same mouse.

[@RapidBlindfolds]

I’m a visual artist but Amon is still one of my biggest creative heroes

[@rusamene]

and I wish they asked him about the drum parts he uses because the conception of rhythms he produced from various drum instruments is mindblowing

[@Amphior]

You are such a relaxed and down-to-earth individual. Thanks for this interview - big respect man.

[@VIsTheMusic]

Thank you for the reminders about "success" and "entertainment" VS you own "labour of Love". REMINDER Always needed. ALWAYS appreciated. 🙌

[@stasisfoil7540]

Love this guy, he’s so humble. Maker of some of the best beats I’ve ever heard. Put together at weird angles. That and the whole “found sounds” aspect really separates him from any other artist I know of. No one sounds like Tobin. Amazing artist/ producer. Huge respect from the UK 🇬🇧.

[@DJZaiaku]

I've been listening to your music for ages now...You are and will always be my favorite producer out of anyone else. Easy muffin Remains my #1 song for the past 12+ years. You are a great inspiration and the reason I make music now, maybe not on the lines of something similar to what you do, but most definitely changed my perspective on everything I work on especially ambiance and sound design. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and hope to hear more soon. Perhaps meet you one day.

[@shAiDawn]

SUCH a beautiful interview and what beautiful words... so much respect Amon... Sooooo so much..

[@charolemorse8356]

Wow I'm straight intrigued. His music so different. Slowly is on of my favorite. Your feeling get all involved with the music.

[@S4SK__1]

this guy is a pure legend..

[@billmossII]

Don't stop creating your masterpieces.

[@gamblemadman]

Lucky for us he likes making music.

[@vicegirlsusa]

Amon and Beatport... that's a strange combo.

[@S4SK__1]

thought the same.. beatport features crappy made music that sounds all the same and amon does exactly the opposite thing.

[@moumounebfs]

Merci à vous Amon.

[@LawrenceAaronLuther]

"Make a two fingers track in an afternoon" Jeezus

[@ismackedthatbitchand9283]

I never thought of splicing multiple layers to a single sound... that's why he's my favorite

[@Hologhoul]

An immense, incredible talent, yet what a warm, humble guy he is. Legend!

[@parduson5629]

Cant wait for the new album Amon! much respect for the wise words, keep doing your thing

[@slow1motion]

I think amon tobin's style would be nice for making movies music and effect sounds

[@2.7petabytes]

Amon Tobin is one of the best artists out there!! Such wonderful soundscapes! Love your work dude!

[@ascendantrobin3230]

Great video- played some of my favorites in the background. Been listening since Chaos Theory’s OST blew my mind. Amon is somewhere between experimental/ninjatune/drum n bass- his music takes me to another planet✨

[@anckorage]

I love Amon Tobin, I love the Continuum ... great video ! Thanks !

[@hitchiimthecat3499]

This is a good interview on a great artist like Amon Tobin. This is a Must to see...

[@brgimscht]

i salute you sir, you created splinter cell chaos theory's music.

[@yugang08]

one of the all time favorite artists. the first time i've listened to out from out where, it changed the way i listened to music forever (in the most positive way possible) :)

[@RohannvanRensburg]

Does he ever age? He's 50 now and looks the exact same. Deeply inspiring as always!

[@DeadSuspect]

always pushing the boundaries! thanks for your music Amon!

[@tinoschwarz3190]

Beautiful sounds and truely a labour of love.thank you for the sounds and visuals

[@AlexandreSoma]

You do what you love, i love what you do and i do it too my way because of the love of doing i see in people just like you. Thanks!

[@briancha7741]

"i'll make a two fingers track in an afternoon" erm..... what.... just 1 afternoon ._.

[@dani4ever]

Love how he interrupts himself every time he plays a note at around 4.10

[@omniufo7350]

Incredible legacy thank you.

[@boisterouspanda]

At 4:00, he's just interrupting himself :'D

[@demaloe]

+Jennifer C I noticed that too.. :D You know... Ding Ding.. You can.. ding.. you can.. ding ding.. :D

[@demaloe]

=D

[@sanjacobs6261]

A lot of musicians tend to do this, because they explain it better with sound than language, haha. Hans Zimmer does it a lot in his Masterclass, Jacob Collier does it a bunch

[@fernandosaint9859]

🤣🤣🤣

[@fernandosaint9859]

I can't explain how much i love his music

[@ViktorEnns]

My jaw dropped when I first heard bricolage in 97. And it kept on happening with each new release. I started playing with sound design and sampling shortly after and always looked to Amon for inspiration.

[@NMROSTA]

Amon Tobin is amazing! ♥

[@floki-man]

Great advice at the end there. Do what you love, and who cares what happens next.

[@rusamene]

absolutely love this artist

[@ideanumber42]

Living legend

[@jonathanbrouwer8795]

I'm starting to understand what he means at 5:06. It's kind of a paradigm shift, really. Quite liberating, too.

[@axcellzedd7101]

Truly inspiring! Since Cujo! Thank you!

[@Autogenification]

Getting famous with music is a spectrum between the right time in the right place sort of thing, which happens to a lot of the more unique sounding artists like Amon Tobin, or you shell yourself out into a business model, networking with DJs, bloggers, radio people, record label stiffs, making music to match the meta of the music charts or top artists in your field etc. It's a very weird experience, and I find myself a lot in conflict with this spectrum, but at ease when I don't give a shit about it. I'm at a place in my life where I'm about to make the decisions to build the framework for the rest of my life, and making music is a hobby. I know the music I make is way to leftfield for a mainstream audience but at the same time it would be awesome for it to fall on the right ears, but I hate that part of my mind cares about that. So I make the music I that I do because I think it's interesting and I don't want to care about meeting a criteria because the small audience that I do have really enjoy my stuff and that's enough for me.

[@johnsrome8459]

You’re bang on, my friend. Do it for yourself & your integrity will always be respected. 10 people. 1000 people. You made contact! Circumstances may carry you aloft or leave you on your butt. Who knows? Do it only for the money & you just wasted the time of everybody who gives a damn. 10 people. 1000 people. Gone. Don’t think so much!

[@cbparker44]

that continuum fingerboard looks amazing... one day

[@seren9936]

This guy is my ultimate role model rn damn.

[@amontobinmusic8370]

Thank you for this interview. We now want to hear what will come out from this studio!!!

[@Eli_B3000]

I was surprised to see such a compact studio, although really cool. I wasn't sure what the red and black keyboard was at first, but after some Googling it turns out to be a Haken Continuum Fingerboard, super cool touch control that I can definitely see being beneficial to his compositions.

[@she_wench9856]

There seems to be a noticeable pattern with good music producers that once they reach a certain status the music starts to become something else. It seems that usually after getting the deserved, recognition for producing something of quality they get musically derailed and start to change their style to accommodate the majority...knocking out album after album of increasingly, soulless, inferior music which is always massively disappointing. The best producers lay dormant for years between projects and the fans are always happy to wait.

[@heinzcatsoup]

hmm... Ferrari keys on the desk.. something tells me that Two Fingers are not the only way to vent the surplus energy :)

[@YulsayAlmaraz]

you're a wizard ♥

[@dacialuigi]

He is such a great artist!

[@TomnguyenX06]

yes yes the best sound on earth ! any details about new sound new music ??? your sound make me feel like im in another world

[@efryma]

Hey Amon Tobin, thanks for those few words. Intresting to hear and have I to say... Your music fully express your aproach to the music. It can be literally felt out of your albums. Thanks for already done great work and I am looking for new stuff as always!

[@jinjin530]

Hey mate DON'T SMOKE a lot , I wanna listen your music for another 100 years , everytime new .

[@MikeFoden]

This interview is amazing!

[@LawrenceAaronLuther]

Every once in a while I come back just to hear him say he makes a Two Fingers track in an afternoon. Helps me pick up the pace haha

[@lukisnootis5708]

Two Fingers is my favorite project of his

[@Systemthreefive]

Ur style is unique... i really hope that it would not be corrupted by trying to sell more stuff keep it up Amon!! i LOVE ur music ))

[@INDEXmusic]

what a guy. too cool

[@John-pw8is]

How refreshing to see and hear the man behind this fantastic music, and better still he,s very likeable, modest and clearly not interested in money, i wish the same could be said of other artists like Jamiroquai, who,s behavior back int he day was just pathetic, such a shame too because his music was good, but the man had clearly become corrupted.

[@kryptichands968]

Really dig his mind, intellectually gifted man

[@localhost4460]

I love that he just waves the lit cigarette over the $8K neoprene keyboard!

[@YgoryaniS]

Уважаю этого мужика, он обладает широким спектром восприятия музыки!

[@alexmeirelles7774]

Sou seu fã desde os primeiros discos.

[@MeiMusic]

you are fascinating

[@slyman190]

I like his thinking

[@YuvertaGouda]

my biggest hero and inspiration in life

[@MrBerard]

His accent is surprisingly british-english sounding, but he's Brazilisn IIRC? a true citizen of the world

[@ratlinggull2223]

huh he sounds english enough, didn't know that

[@MissGiaKat]

love this human

[@dazeofheaven]

beautifully put at the end

[@arscynica]

Please don't smoke, we need your music, not cancer.

[@aaronm.3581]

Have more reverence for your sacred equipment and you sacred body. Put down the cigarette you bloody fool.

[@evolve101]

Legend!

[@pugchesh]

Truly a unique IDM musician next to Aphex Twin.

[@alsleig]

The part where you say that there will always be Two Fingers makes me very happy.

[@AndrewJohnClive]

What a king!

[@tachyon108]

Amon and Lorn are the best music artists of the 21st century so far...

[@Bearxo17]

Perfection.

[@AntonShaplin]

Waves from Russia! I really impressed with that touch sensitive controller! awesome colors! But which DAW do you use?

[@AntonShaplin]

***** I'm not sure because of that white bar in the up of the screen I not seen in Cubase

[@-si2347]

***** I think he's using max/msp in that screen! not totally sure though

[@HenriqueVazzz]

***** It's Kyma... kyma.symbolicsound.com/

[@buhtak2]

So dope

[@tillzehnder2860]

You are the king!!

[@TheGreatPotato1025]

that was probably the best advice i've ever heard lol

[@arkh1730]

dude is a legend!!!

[@ylacorratube]

Great man

[@brightlights23]

Admire the purity of his though regarding his art.

[@CeeeX]

Just a question out of curiosity, but what kind of a device is he using at 2:31? That looks like a variant of the Seaboard grand. Great interview too, you strike to me as a mellow, calm person.

[@djsaeg]

***** thanx i was very curious too, but the way others use is very boring amon is a genius

[@LeeDuhon]

+CeeeX It's called a Haken Continuum. About $5,500 USD after everything is said and done. I believe he uses Kyma to alter and edit sounds.

[@Imunclean]

That not-a-keyboard-keyboard thing is amazing. I want iiitttt

[@NineHellHeaven]

Wise words

[@nawabkakkar7053]

I love Amon tobin