Evil Nine: Time-Stretching Out with Brighton's Favorite Duo

Stylistic differences and genre categories hold no sway over the music of Evil Nine. The Brighton-based duo of Tom Beaufoy and Pat Pardy prefer to mix and match as they work, incorporating electronica, breakbeats, guitars and a bit of hip-hop in their varied tracks and remixes. Ableton took a moment to talk to Pardy about how the duo uses Live.

"In the studio we use Live to do DJ mixes for BBC Radio One's Essential Mix, and are currently using it for a Y4K mix CD on Distinctive Records. We also use it as our main tool for timestretching and beatmatching samples for use with other applications — it's great for preparing parts when remixing. Live also enables us to create re-edits of tracks that we could not play out otherwise."

"We like Live's simplicity and ease of use. When you're playing out you don't want to be bogged down with the usual computer bullshit; its simplicity and stability lets you get on with the music and have a good time. It hasn't crashed on me in two years. In the club we use Live alongside turntables and CDJs, beatmatching loops and samples. It really feels like you are playing an instrument rather than checking your e-mail. I use Live with an Apple iBook, M-Audio 02 controller and M-Audio FireWire 410 audio interface."

For DJing, Evil Nine have figured out other ways to replace vinyl with Live. "A lot of people ask how to push the tempo along, as you would with a record, when using Live with turntables. If you set the tempo automation's range to a small amount in the master track of the arrange page and assign the pitchbend wheel of a controller to it, you can use that to emulate the action." With Live 5's MIDI-assignable Nudge Forward, Nudge Backwards and Clip Scrub controls, vinyl emulation has become even easier.

"I honestly think Ableton live is the only piece of software that feels like a creative musical instrument rather than a rigid computer program. It has changed a lot of people's minds about using computers in clubs, I hated the thought of it until Live came along. Ableton have created something very unique with Live and I can't wait to see what they do with it next."

The interesting part will be seeing what kind of music Evil Nine will create next using Live.