Currently based in Canada, Tobin was born in Rio de Janeiro and his full name is Amon Adonai Santos de Araujo Tobin. Since signing to the British record label Ninja Tune in 1996, he has released seven records, the latest of which is this year's "Foley Room," which takes its name from a chamber where sound effects are recorded for films.
Perhaps the best-known track by Tobin is "Saboteur," which featured as the main theme in "The Italian Job," starring Mark Wahlberg. He also composed the soundtrack to the video game "Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory," which was released as an album by Ninja Tune in 2005. For the soundtrack, Tobin made live recordings, which he sampled in his music -- previously, he took his samples directly from LPs. He collaborated on this record with Mexican multi-instrumentalist and composer Nacho Mendez and Japanese flautist Eiji Miyake.
In "Foley Room," he continued to use live recordings, and called on musicians such as the Kronos Quartet to record samples for the album. "With 'Foley Room,' I tried to learn about the recording process itself and then integrate it with sound manipulation techniques I usually apply to sampling," Tobin said in an e-mail interview.
Nevertheless, Tobin says that he tries to make sure that the technology does not overwhelm instinct and intuition. "I respond to music that I hear on an emotional level and aim to produce music that bypasses the brain and goes straight to your gut," he said. "I'm really a student of sound and rhythm so my objective is to learn and explore."
Being a native of Brazil, Tobin has included samples of the country's music in his work, but he grew up in Britain and points out that his musical influences are wide-ranging. "I'm interested in Brazilian music, but not because I'm from Brazil," he said. "I'm interested in all things that move and confuse me."
His influences "range from composers like Ennio Morricone and Bernard Hermann to DJs like Grandmaster Flash," Tobin said. In his performances, he avoids any elements of a stage show, wearing everyday clothes and not using any additional elements such as video.
"I also never play live instruments because they have nothing to do with the way my music is made. My sound originated from turntables, so that's what I use," Tobin said. His performance is not simply a DJ set, however. "Using turntables as samplers lets me create new arrangements," he said. "I integrate elements of my recorded music and re-order them to work in different ways. It's hard to explain -- you kind of have to be there."
Amon Tobin plays Fri. at 9 p.m. at Ikra, located at 8A Ulitsa Kazakova. Metro Kurskaya. Tel. 262-4482.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.