Producing an intriguing blend of dancefloor beats, colourful synths, and bizarre vocal samples, the music of Pasadena's User 383913618 is experimental and challenging. However, it doesn't take long to develop a taste for the persistent sense of movement and life found in the sounds. We caught up with the artist to find out more about their history, creative process, and thoughts on life.
Hello User 383913618, thanks for talking with me today. Could you tell me a little bit about the history of your band and how it came together? What about that perfectly normal band name?
As a teenager, I had classical piano lessons, but later as an artist I was mainly active in the visual field: conceptual art, photography, documentaries about art, and also as a gallerist. At some point, however, the desire to make music myself overcame me — primarily for myself. Visual art and sound art are very different when it comes to emotions. I think I simply need balance. I’m especially into the more experimental New Wave stuff from the 1980s and wanted to see if I could pick up where it left off. I’m a rather shy, reserved type. When it came to finding a band name, I thought: Finding a particularly cool band name doesn’t really suit me, so let’s not waste time — just take the SoundCloud username.
You’re from Pasadena, California. Does your environment shape your output? What’s it like working there?
Yes, Pasadena. The idea of making music really came to me during a hike up Mount Lowe. A few things were going through my head that somehow mixed together: In 1988, Depeche Mode played their 101 concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Pasadena is also world-famous for the ArtCenter College of Design. Some well-known artists live there or in the surrounding area. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is there. And then there’s the adventurous history of the Mount Lowe Railway. I travel a lot, but Pasadena is truly an incredible source of inspiration and motivation. At some point I’ll still do a cover version of “Pasadena” by the Temperance Seven.
Your music has a heavily rhythmic quality to it but is also stylistic and the tones and vocal samples seem really thoughtful. I suppose my question is, are you trying to create a specific atmosphere with your music?
I wasn’t aware of it at first, but you’re right — I think most of the tracks are very rhythmic. I don’t do it consciously. The atmosphere of a song usually emerges intuitively from a mood. I just let it run. One exception is the album D. I also call it the “soundtrack” album. There’s a very subtle, atmospheric piece on it titled “2015-09-10 (Pure Foy)”. I wrote that for a documentary about the outdoor museum of the artist Noah Purifoy in Joshua Tree. During the filming everything was quiet: no wind, no movement, no sounds — only occasionally a snake and a dog barking. I hope I managed to convey that.
What are some things that inspire or motivate you in general?
I’m probably a typical generalist: I’m interested in pretty much everything — art, politics, technology, economics. I love to observe. Album C mainly came from observations in public spaces and traffic in Los Angeles. I’m still mainly involved in the art scene, and a lot of what happens there inspires and motivates me to write new music. All the albums so far have this strong connection to visual art. For the track “2017-06-01 (Sam Wolfgang) Sparrmania Africana Edition”, for example, I was inspired by a video by the artist Wolfgang Tillmans; for “2020-05-01 (User Utopia) Jo Jeannot Memorial Race Edition” by Jean Tinguely; and for “2018-08-28 (Trott) (Sydney Harbour Bridge) Hamish Fulton Edition” by Hamish Fulton. I generally stay away from direct political statements, though I couldn’t resist making “2021-02-12 (Kogni Ticks)”. The lyrics and the singer are just too good :)
What else motivates me? It might sound vain and selfish: but I still like the tracks I’ve created. And: there’s still a lot I want to try out — for example, an album based on nothing but bird calls.
How do you approach the production of your music? Is it something clinical or more freeform? Do you have any traditions like recording on a full moon for example?
I approach music production very relaxed. Sometimes just before falling asleep I’ll tap out a rhythm on the edge of the mattress. The next morning I’ve usually forgotten it again, but it sometimes resurfaces in my subconscious and I sit down at the instrument. I basically only start when I feel like it. I don’t have any specific ritual. It’s different with the videos for the tracks. They can sometimes be quite elaborate. That sometimes requires quite a bit of discipline to get started and especially to finish them. “2025-04-17 (Hans Tanz) (Vox Hans)” looks quite simple but took a really long time until everything fit. Same with “2024-12-20 (Charlemagne)” with the AI-generated images. Sometimes the full moon shines through the studio window, which looks great but isn’t strictly necessary.
How would you feel about your music being used in an advertisement or to promote a company/organization you don’t ethically align with?
One of our tracks, “2019-03-25 (James' Rig) Cocaine is a hell of a drug Version”, was actually used in a fashion film. SHOWstudio used it for their film L'AN 2000 (Raf Simons and Louis Vuitton provide a coastal uniform for male youth in L'AN 2000). If another request comes in from anyone, I wouldn’t mind. I can understand why some artists don’t want that. My current opinion on it is: once the music is out there, my job is done. But that might change in a specific case.
I’ve asked you a lot of questions, maybe you could ask me one?
When I look back, there were three musical experiences in particular that left a lasting impression on me: the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” and The Human League’s “Being Boiled.” What about you? How was it for you?
Some musical experiences that have shaped me are: Seeing the music video for "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden for the first time as a kid, being a teenager and smoking weed with my friends while listening to Pink Floyd "Echoes", and all the amazing artists and music I've discovered since working in music journalism.
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