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"My true dream and objective is to share beautiful feelings of vision and sound. Though there are so many horrible things that occur in this life… there are also that many beautiful things that can and do also happen. I want to continue to bring the light"
In Big Apple, most of the time, we can always be found an opportunity to understand the music. Many types of music have passed through the city that never sleeps and still there as Jazz or Disco but today we´re going to talk about the most valuable sound in New York, House Music.
One curious point is the evolution undergone by this style over the 80´s is rising and record labels as World Building are now contributing to that. This incredible record label directed by Ari Goldman knows what is House Music and brings to all music lovers the real sound. Personally, the first time that I listened to a reference of World Building couldn't imagine what it was happening. The description is simply: this ROCKED.
First time was with “Welcome To Our New Age House” and it was love at first sight. Those feelings about real House Music have driven me to investigate who is responsible for producing this masterpiece, first of all produced in 1994 and 1995 N.A.H. Records and now reissued in 2018 through Ari Goldman´s record label.
We have the honour to talk with Ed Marshall known as DreamScape to understand his perspective about his huge production, about his life and all art inside him.
In 2018 one of those albums that every lover of House music should have in their collection comes to light. How is Ed Marshall or DreamScape in the year 2021?
Well like many people here in New York City and around the world since March of 2020 COVID-19 has pretty much closed many businesses and venues. Leaving many people to stay in their homes unless there is a need for food or an emergency. Presently in 2021 promises of vaccines and reopening is promising. We shall see of course. During lockdown I have been working on new and archived tracks I never completed from the 90s. Depending on the developments in the world will help me to decide when and how to complete future music releases.
Many are the people to whom I have recommended the album "Welcome To our new age house" and the responses have been almost completely the same. Where did this come from and how is this possible? I ask you, how did Ed Marshall come to be DreamScape and create this LP?
In the early 90’s I lived on my own in The Bronx here in New York. Earlier on in High School I was introduced to M.I.D.I. Technology through my music teacher at the time. I was more of a roadie than a musician then just quietly learning to understand how M.I.D.I. worked. SO I would help setup the classroom labs. Realizing I could actually hear music and create music with the sounds My first keyboard I experienced was an Arp odyssey. The Sounds were very analog created with oscillators generating different types of waves and colors of sound. Other keyboards in class were Moog, Sequential Circuits and other Korg products. After high school I started to build my own production setup. Casio was a company I was able to afford but still I was just learning how things worked.
All the composition and sounds found on the LP, to this day, are sounds that could appear in any type of house production from the 90s. How have you kept the sound and character of that sound intact until today?
Still not as musical as I would like to be I found myself helping other “real musicians” understand what M.I.D.I. was and how it worked. Since I helped setup the instruments in class my initial thought was I would possibly be a tech or engineer someday. I would go into Manhattan to 48th street and look and listen to all the new technology. Fell in love with the Korg M1 and knowing it was a workstation I had to have it. I saved my money and purchased it. Then other keyboards as time passed, Korg O3R, Roland MT 32, E-MU Classic Keys, Roland Juno 106, JV880, 1080,2080, Alesis QS8 and a few others…
Believe it or not minus the Juno 106 and the MT32 I still have them all in working order today.
Talking about the message of the album's title album, what could you tell us about it?
The title "Welcome to Our New Age House" was originally sort of a play with words. I had previously had a deal with a friend to release a single on their E.P. The idea was that I would help in financing and producing the project as long as I could have one song on side B of his E.P. Just thinking of myself as a tech and not a studied musician it was my chance to have something of my own published. I had also been heart broken from a relationship and just needed to release how I was feeling. The song on the release was "To Think We Met Just Yesterday", however unfortunately the deal sort of fell through. Guess you can say it was artistic differences between I and the friend. So one day while things were falling apart I said to friends, “ Maybe I should start my own label! Then I would in the next breath say nah. Like Nah that’s a silly idea! Then it hit me. NAH Records which in turn I called New Age House Records and then Welcome to Our New Age House was realized. All the tracks were basically songs built around poems I wrote to a love I lost. Not having the greatest singing voice I chose female singers because I am a fan of many female vocalists even today.
Apart from being a music producer, you are also a photographer, what could you show us about your role as a photographer and how are you developing it?
Back in the 90s when writing poetry or producing music there were times I would get writer’s block. So I would go out with a film camera and take photos of moments. These moments would inspire me to write about them. A lot of times the images were from places I had been with her. Hadn’t taken photos as much after the 90’s because I took a turn in my career and got into I.T. Computer Support Specialist type stuff up until around 2004. 2005 I found myself out of work and struggling with a family and took a chance back to photography. I looked on Myspace for local bands figuring I could have Music and Photography two things I loved. I presently capture for musicians and every day people and events. For the last 15 years it’s how I maintain myself and family.
Within the creative process, both when producing music and creating images and capturing them in photographs, what methods or what inspires you to be able to press the button and capture that snapshot or to decide what sound to look for?
Feeling, vibe and inspiration have always been my point of reference. My five senses rule my life! LOL! I guess the push of the shutter or the completion of a composition musically as well as visually would be my sixth sense? I can’t overthink it because when I do it’s a struggle.
Today looking at a short-medium term period, do you know what will become of Ed Marshall as a photographer and Ed Marshall as DreamScape?
With all my life’s ups and downs today I find myself with a number of skills that have enabled me. Enabled me to actually play multiple instruments, not as wonderful as so many AMAZING musicians that I admire, but my way. The knowledge of how M.I.D.I. and current technology works has enabled me to be able to pretty much produce whatever I dream of. From Photography, Videography and Music production. Presently I am working on my own and others productions which is also helping me to live this life.
My true dream and objective is to share beautiful feelings of vision and sound. Though there are so many horrible things that occur in this life… there are also that many beautiful things that can and do also happen. I want to continue to bring the light. Thank you for reaching out to me I truly appreciate you and anyone who finds my work.
STUNT KEATON ( Musician, producer & Writer )
