Max Cooper ft. Karin De Boer - Numb

We wanted to make something about the modern capitalist lifestyle for this project, and how it can induce a numbing effect from the overpowering demands of the machine in which we live in.

It was a really fun project to work on right the way through. It started with some glitchy beats and a couple of big basslines I was messing around with, with a general idea of a deep but almost overpowering feeling. Kathrin came to my little studio in London and we talked a little about the idea, before she just let go and free-style sang over the loops, using my crappy little test mic I bought for 12 pounds in 2002.

The plan was to lay down some melodic ideas for the vocals, which I could then select, and send back to Kathrin to write lyrics with and re-record properly. But when I ran through everything after I released she'd just nailed it right then and there! All I had to do was layer up some of the multiple instances of her voice, and add my reverbs and widening with some subtle EQing and compression, and it was there - she captured the pure feeling of the music and enhanced it a million times, and I love the free-flowing feeling of it, with it's imperfections and half words, and of course, he subconscious vocal of not feeling any more lead to the title and concise concept for the music.

We knew that we had to get a video made to match Kathrin's work, and I was really excited to find out that Henning M. Lederer, who I had been a big fan of for some time, could do the project. We discussed options together and decided to try a "numbed by the capitalist machine" theme, which he has developed into an amazing, detailed story with a twist. I love the result, I hope it works for you too!

- Max

iTunes: http://bit.ly/ZXCC3C
Beatport: http://btprt.dj/10UNGF0

More Max Cooper videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/maxbcooper

Video: Henning M. Lederer
http://www.led-r-r.net/
http://vimeo.com/machinatorium

Audio: Max Cooper & Kathrin deBoer
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