INTERVIEW: MUSICIAN EDEN MULHOLLAND

Musician and composer Eden Mulholland joins longtime collaborator Artistic Director Raewyn Hill to perform his original score live on stage during THE ZONE. We talk to Eden ahead of the show to find out how the collaboration process works, the vibe he creates on stage and what inspires him to be creative.

 

Welcome back to Perth, how many times have you collaborated with Raewyn now? Tell us a bit about how that collaboration process works!

It’s lovely to be back in WA! This will be the 4th or 5th project Raewyn and I have made and I’m honoured to be a part of THE ZONE. Raewyn and I have ongoing conversations about her vision for the new work, she shares imagery, music, art, thoughts and underlying philosophies behind her inspiration for the work. I’ll soak up these ideas and try to discover my own angle of approach to writing.

I spend a chunk of time composing pieces of music on my own, once I have a reasonable body of work, in varying states of development, I’ll take it in to the rehearsal room where I’ll spend the majority of my time with Raewyn and the dancers – continuing to sketch and develop new music on the spot, creating new basic textures, tones and various atmospheres when new dance material is devised. We make new discoveries all the time.

It’s a cool way to saturate the work in a sonic landscape from the get-go. Both Rae and I believe in this approach, music is a powerful mood setter and a crucial element of her work.

How would you describe the vibe you’re creating for THE ZONE?

Driving, collective, community, emotive, moving, quiet, intense, beautiful.

 

You will be performing live on stage for THE ZONE, how different is it being present on stage to recording music for a performance?

The main benefit of performing live is that the music lives and breathes with the dance. With recorded music there is no room for subtle variations in dynamic, speed and intensity. I believe live music adds another layer of complexity and nuance to dance. Raewyn’s work and dancers always move with intention, emotional motivation that is particular to the choreography, it is a living thing. I love to be a part of that energy on stage, there is nothing quite like being part of something so alive.

 

What inspires you to be creative?

I think I am driven to be creative by pressure. I find inspiration to be a slippery customer, I can never put a finger on it, inspiration to me is as simple as living, being a human, being in love, having a family – but the thing that motivates me to write is pressure; I’ve come to be at peace with this. Pressure is often a negative term but for me it drives the engine. I am consumate professional procrastinator, when I have time to think, I waste time. When I have no time to think, it’s my fundamental creativity that takes over. And whammo, something always gets spat out.

 

What’s the most important aspect of your music?

Emotion. Angles and hard edges. Surprises. Subtlety. Cacophony.

 

Do you have any other projects this year?

I’ve just finished a project called FUSILLADE. I released 28 new songs and videos in 28 days.

September sees the release of my song called Forwarding Backwarding which I shot a music video with the Co3 Act-Belong-Commit Co:Youth. Then a new single later in the year called Alive and Kicking.

I am making music videos and album art for The Church who are on a huge US tour in September.

I have a new work premiering at Tempo Dance Festival called Orchids by Sarah Foster. I’m designing sound for Auckland Theatre Companies production of Red Speedo and developing new work with Movement of the Human and then Atamira Dance Company also.

 

See Eden live on stage during THE ZONE at the Heath Ledger Theatre from 7 – 16 September. Tickets available at Ticketek.

Images by Stefan Gosatti.