Sonic pioneer and Los Angeles based renaissance man Alfred Darlington is back with an epic concept album Righteous Fists of Harmony. Released on Flying Lotus’ up-and-coming Brainfeeder label, Daedelus presents a soundtrack-of-sorts to the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. It’ s an highly accessible album, and follows 2008’s Love To Make Music To.

URB: Would you call your new release a concept album?
DAEDELUS: Yes, certainly so, but the same could be said for all my previous efforts. Sometimes the records wear it on their sleeves, and other times it is a less obvious and more for an audience’s interpretation. This outing is full of meanings, but I don’t expect a listener to care about secret societies from 100 odd years ago, nor about possible parallels between their then and our now; I am just sincerely hoping the audience gives it a listen at all, there is a lot of media clamoring for constant attention.

URB: Do you prefer being spontaneous or working on a theme?
DAEDELUS: I received some powerful direction in my musical life when I was in school for jazz studies. I was a barely getting by double-bass major, and the idea of solo improvisation scared me to no end. I could easily enough walk a bassline around the chord changes of a song, but when it was my time to play alone I didn’t have an idea of what I was to do or what I was trying to say with the music. And that was it; I didn’t have much to speak in the language of jazz, I loved the music and freedoms of group improv, but I didn’t have much to add when it came to my voice above the others. Now, when I create music I always make sure I have something to say, even when it has little to do with the song at hand, or perhaps little to do with the end listener. That basic amount of purposeful composition I believe helps the song have weight.

URB: The title Righteous Fists of Harmony suggests both brutality and peacefulness, and your music reflects that. Was it the story behind it, or the playful words that initially inspired you?
DAEDELUS: The “Righteous Fists of Harmony” is a rough translation of the Chinese name the rebelling forces from the northern provenances gave themselves. They were termed “Boxers” by the British for their martial arts prowess. I wanted to carry this strange juxtaposition of words that they tried to embody as the title, as the record tries to embody that very same amount of contradiction.

URB: Your music is progressive, but do you consider yourself nostalgic?
DAEDELUS: Our now is rather sown up, I feel. This present is one of expected wonder, of passive enjoyment, and armchair adventure. I am not nostalgic for the terrible past once lived, slavery, child labor, disease, and so many other maladies; but the past does offer some ideas that we tread upon too lightly, nowadays. So I enjoy mining those same horrendous eras for samples, ideas, and wonderment long forgotten, without living there too long hopefully.

URB: The record sounds like a score, it’s very cinematic. Are you a maker of visual music?
DAEDELUS: Sometimes, at least in my ears, absolutely. My most inspired moments have been from film composers of the ’50s and ’60s, golden ages for synchronized music. My hope would be to do this for actual film, but I do enjoy never having to compromise right now to suit a editor’s whim, or director’s fancy. It’s funny, I think one of the reasons I am on Brainfeeder now is because Flying Lotus went to film school, in many ways this is more important to our connection and his global assent then his famed uncle or heavy beats, he paints beautiful pictures with his washes of noise and soundscapes.

URB: With so much music available at our fingertips, do you feel we become consumers and not listeners?
DAEDELUS: Certainly I am guilty of letting my ears go numb from the oceans of sound, the constant assault of it all–airplanes hum, car rumble, cellphones ringback tones, etc. But this is a war worth waging, more reasons to make ordered and somewhat reasoned musics to stave off the outside attacks–at its best, an oasis.

URB: Is there a meaning behind not releasing it on CD, or is it just reflecting the current day and age?
DAEDELUS: CDs are arcane, useful in many ways to getting the sounds out, but a bad choice for many occasions; none-the-least being their ecological impact just adding to the sheer landfills full of them. I think Brainfeeder has taken a brave angle by skipping this once sad necessary [sic], and just playing to what most people would like anyways. Something to hold and treasure in heavy weight vinyl or something to add to your trove of handpicked playlisted music with digital.

URB: Do you find it hard to adjust to the constant evolution and/or downfall of the music industry?
DAEDELUS: Is there another way? The music industry is full of entropy; I am happy to just ride along, keeping my eyes on the prize, release by release, show to show. My pockets don’t get laden with gold, but who cares about those ends, right? It’s listeners’ ears that we are all looking for.

URB: Your productions range from Drill ‘n bass to acoustic folk; do you ever limit yourself?
DAEDELUS: Huh? Why play around with those boring musicians who play the same songs day after day, I didn’t sign up for that. Limits are for pop music, cruise ship jazz, and demographics.

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