Prime Time Replay:

Christopher Franke
Pioneer of Electronic Music


MsgId: *emedia(1)
Date: Mon Aug 25 19:19:59 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.35.216.54

Tonight E-Media welcomes Christopher Franke, a pioneer in the field of electronic music for over twenty years. As a member of the groundbreaking group "Tangerine Dream," Franke released 36 albums between 1970 and 1988, including soundtrack albums for the films "Legend" and "Risky Business."

In 1991, Franke began his solo career, moving to California and forming the record label Sonic Images. His founding of the Berlin Symphonic Film Orchestra allowed him to combine electronic music with acoustic instruments to create sounds never heard before. He has released several solo albums, including "Pacific Coast Highway" and a companion music to the best-selling novel "The Celestine Prophecy."

His numerous scores for film and television include those for the movies "Universal Soldier" and "Solo," and science fiction's Hugo-award-winning TV series "Babylon 5." He has reorchestrated the musical cues from "Babylon 5" to create two albums of orchestral suites, "Babylon 5" and the recently-released "Babylon 5 Volume 2: Mesages from Earth."

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to E-Media. I'm Dave Thomer, and I'd like to welcome our guest tonight, composer Christopher Franke.

Hello, Christopher, it's great to be talking to you tonight. How are you this evening?

MsgId: *emedia(7)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:03:58 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

I actually had a great day today. I just had a wonderful conversation with a producer for a new product I'm doing. It will be entitled "Tarzan and Jane," which is the '90's version of it.
MsgId: *emedia(6)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:03:29 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

Great. For starters, I'd like to discuss your background a bit. How did your classical training in Berlin evolve into your career in electronic music?
MsgId: *emedia(8)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:08:50 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

It really started by experiencing a love-hate relationship to classical music and I tried to ignore it, if not destroy it, because I found the societies of orchestra somehow not honest anymore about keeping an apparatus of fake attentions. Musicians in orchestra became just screws in a machine and were different from musicians who directly could express their emotions, like in rock music. So I turned away from classical music for some time, and experienced the youth revolution of the late '60's and '70's through the modern form of rock music which then became electronic music and see what happened now! The techno revolution! But then, in the beginning of the '90's, I embraced classical/orchestral music again because it's truly the main tool for film music and I tried to combine the best of the two worlds to again create a new sound.

After that wasn't enough, I will leap into ethnic instruments like Japanese flutes, Chinese violins, and I'd like to yet have a third unique sound source, which is now like a tripart, the combination I like the most.

MsgId: *emedia(10)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:12:54 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

You made considerable use of ethnic instruments in "The Celestine Prophecy," the companion CD to the novel. That had a very different feel from both straight electronic music and the electronic/orchestral combination you've used in some of your other soundtrack work. Is that a good example of the direction in which you see yourself headed, or have we not heard anything yet?
MsgId: *emedia(11)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:16:46 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

"THE CELESTINE PROPHECY" is an excellent example of how the three worlds of sound can live together being each one traditional, and yet innovative, but this is just the beginning of, I hope, I wonderful marriage. I'm hoping to do another companion book like that with more advanced fusions of sounds, but also I use the same princip of fusion in a show called "BABYLON 5" where a mix of futuristic and very archaic sounds are being requested often. For example, I use very exotic instruments from Australia and Africa to score the signature ritual music for the Centauris, which is a culture 20,000 years old! And yet, combining it to be performed with instruments used in 250 years. That's an excellent exercise to always come up with new plans and textures.
MsgId: *emedia(12)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:22:51 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

I was wondering if you could explain a little bit more about that fusion between ancient instruments and sounds and futuristic technology. I can understand that there's a difference between electronics and acoustic, but I don't understand what that difference is. What do electronics let you do that real instruments don't? And why do we still need acoustic instruments at all?
MsgId: *emedia(14)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:26:59 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

Acoustic instruments have a lot of what I call "acoustic dirt" and therefore they sound somewhat more richer and have much more complicated textures which is at the moment, still hard to synthesize. I can compare it to the patina of the spacestation Babylon 5. The metallic structure is programmed into a computer and the actual surface, a photograph from a physical model, and then they are bitmapped into their electronics with the wireframe and the same thing I try to do in music, because electronic instruments have a tendency to sound too clean and polished, but they can sound at frequencies that acoustic instruments sometimes don't reach, especially the bass frequencies and the very high top frequencies are the domain of electronic enhancement. Ethnic instruments can sound extremely rough and unpolished -- all three together gives me the full dynamic and range of possible combinations.

Acoustic instruments will be needed for quite some time because an enormous talent is out there mastering those sound sources in an incredible and culturally long-lasting way and it's not about replacing the one with the other, but always building and expanding the realm of sonic experience. I like to compare it with the traditional medicine and the holistic medicine -- it's not about replacing the old with the new, it's more adding on for much richer choices. It's all very relational and it's a big mistake by overseeing how important traditional techniques really are.

MsgId: *emedia(16)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:30:42 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

And you've used your elecctronic equipment to help you choose acoustic instruments, or even create new ones, on Babylon 5 and other projects, correct? How does that process work?
MsgId: *emedia(18)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:35:14 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

I call this process "reverse technology" or "retro design." I actually used a very sophisticated physical modeling computer technique to create the sound which I had in my head, a cross between a pan flute, a clarinet, and a saxophone. I felt the sound is missing in the acoustic world. Once I discovered the sound in the cyberworld, I presented it to a group of consultants, these masters of acoustical instrument builders, and we're trying to build an acoustic instrument which then again delivers the acoustic dirt and a human interface. I call this instrument a "metaphone," like in metaphysical. Then again, I have microphones built in to the metaphone to then put it through sound processors which then are controlled by a brain device called MIND Drive.

Then I'm able with actual thoughts to manipulate the overtone spectrum of my sound by thinking words like left and right, up and down. On a computer screen at the same time I can see the cursor go left and right, up and down. So acoustic and electronic comes full circle and I use the electronic devices to make acoustic sound even more acoustic.

MsgId: *emedia(20)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:39:18 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

Will we hear this instrument, or its sound, on Babylon 5, or do you have another project in mind for it?
MsgId: *emedia(21)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:41:25 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

We hear on the project, in some selected scenes, for the Minbaris. It sounds like ethereal sound morphing. Gentle, but yet forceful, but it's still in prototype stage, but hopefully will be finished soon and will be also used in live concerts which I like to do with Babylon 5 music, Celestine Prophecy music, and including live webcasts.
MsgId: *emedia(22)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:42:42 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

What plans do you have for live performances? Any in the works?
MsgId: *emedia(23)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:43:39 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

There are plans in the works to do open air concerts in the late summer in '98. Main contender right now are the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver.
MsgId: *emedia(24)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:46:04 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

Until then, you have a number of albums coming out to whet people's appetites, including the Babylon 5 Cds. Now that the show has been renewed for a fifth season, can we look forward to a third album in the same style as the first two?
MsgId: *emedia(25)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:50:46 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

Before I release the third Babylon 5 album, I happily can announce that as of next week, there will be five more titles available which I call episodic CDs. Released on demand by so many fans. Because I wanted just more music and they wanted particular episodes, so we will release records with about 30 minutes of sounds for a mid-line price and they are exactly in the order of being aired, like nothing added, nothing changed, and we started with shows like "Za'ha'dum," "Walkabout," "Severed Dreams," "Shadow Dancing," and others will follow. Those CDs are available at http://www.sonicimages.com and by mail order at (213) 650-4400 and they are about $12.
MsgId: *emedia(26)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:55:23 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

That's great news for Babylon 5 fans . . . the music for "Z'ha'dum" and "Severed Dreams" in particular is fantastic. As for new music . . . what do the fifth season and the TNT films have in store for us?
MsgId: *emedia(27)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:57:16 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

The two movies for TNT haven't been scored yet. I will start it in September. But I just know that a very busy year lies in front of me with a lot of energy to push the envelope again, to surprise myself and the audience with new themes and the never-ending expression of film music which can be the window to the soul.
MsgId: *emedia(28)
Date: Mon Aug 25 21:59:14 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

Besides Babylon 5, what else can we expect from you in the near future?
MsgId: *emedia(29)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:02:12 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

I will continue to release a studio album every year. Those albums will become more and more concept albums. This technique I really can study in my work in music for books. I'm also planning to do concerts which are leading toward the year 2000 that will touch exotic places like the Great Pyramids in Cairo and industrial places like a silver ball-shaped OMNIMAX theatre in Hanover, Germany, which is the location for the World Expo in the year 2000.
MsgId: *emedia(30)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:06:44 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

Memorable locations, indeed . . . you mentioned moving toward the year 2000, and based on your work with "CELESTINE PROPHECY," "BABYLON 5," and others, you have an interest in the development of our culture and society. What does the future hold, in your opinion? What's waiting for us? And how can music help us get there?
MsgId: *emedia(31)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:13:37 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

I think in the so-called industrial countries, we will see a tendency of general thinking coming from materialistic thinking towards more ethereal thinking. That means that emotions and things which are hard to describe, overall well-being, communication, thought, philosophy, will rank higher than accumulating wealth, material, and power. That could lead into a better understanding of all the different cultures and nations and through technologies like fiberoptics, cable modems, and programs like Edutainment, the mix of education and entertainment, the need for wars and conflicts will be reduced. That's my positive thinking in me which gives me also a daily energy as a workaholic.

The musical part of it is that music will be more and more diversified and music will spend a higher degree of being real world music, for example, the next trend I predict is that Techno will fuse with Folk music (I'm serious), but in general, music should come as a surprise, should stay unpredictable, should be the reflection of the society -- therefore will be fueled through conflicts like things we see in Eastern Europe right now. Music will be the voice of rebels and the audience will be less and less dictated to by the industry as to what they should listen to. Which will make the traditional music industry weaker and will allow a huge growth of independent groups and labels which will sell through the internet and download services rather than conventional shopping malls. I see that trend positive by being so much more colorful and less contrived.

MsgId: *emedia(34)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:18:45 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

It's a powerful message, and it seems we're already beginning to see the start of that future -- in as much as the future can be said to HAVE a beginning -- thanks to the Net. Sonic Images -- your record label -- is just one example of that trend; I hope it continues. We're running out of time, so I'd like to ask -- any more news, or last thoughts you'd like to share?
MsgId: *emedia(35)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:20:47 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

I'd just like to say hello to everyone who has listened to me tonight and the next year, I'd like to do some special performances for my fans on our own website, so it's time to undust all those instruments and get ready to show that I will not become lost in my soundtrack work, but will be out there and show how I see the future of music.
MsgId: *emedia(36)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:23:51 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

Best of luck to you, and thank you for being our guest tonight. It's been a pleasure.
MsgId: *emedia(37)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:25:20 EDT 1997
From: Chris_Franke At: 207.172.73.122

Good night to everyone -- hope to talk/see you again!
MsgId: *emedia(38)
Date: Mon Aug 25 22:28:23 EDT 1997
From: DaveThomer At: 199.183.41.45

That wraps up our show for tonight. I'd like to thank our audience for watching. Be sure to check out www.omnimag.com for a complete schedule of this week's programming. Any comments on this program can be sent to dthomer@ix.netcom.com. Thanks again, and we'll see you next week on E-Media.


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