1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Another expect flying the musical flag for you. Blair Jollins 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: as a musician sound designer as well. Among other things, 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: he composes and designs the soundtracks for programs like pol Dark, Shackleton, 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: Midas Man, and Alien B Predator. He's also performed and 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: released music under the name el Hula. His fourth album, 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: Little Comment, has just been released in his own name 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: and Bled Jollins as with us. Very good morning, Hoho, Mike, 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: thanks for having me. Now the el Hula, how do 9 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 1: we explain that what's going on there? El Hula was 10 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: actually a name of what was my sort of alter 11 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: ego so to speak, a little while ago, when I 12 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: was on boy George's label and it was a project, 13 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: and just recently I revamped it and we did an 14 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: EP which you were just playing there. Yes, And actually 15 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: el Hula I was a big well I'm a big 16 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: fan of Elvis. But at the time I thought, well, 17 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: when I've got my records on the shelves, I want 18 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: to be near Alvis. So al Huda was the closest 19 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: name and it worked. Actually, that's quite clever. You left. 20 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: How long ago I left A nine five. I went 21 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: to the States for a little while like busking and 22 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: stayed in New Orleans and went around the perimeter twenty 23 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: six states. I loved it, and then I run out 24 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: of money, got to the UK and thought I'll stay 25 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: here for a year or two, and here we are. 26 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: And that's the way it goes. The story whereby the 27 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: sound what do you call it in the movies, what 28 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: do you call it? Sound engineering? Sound design? Sound design? 29 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: So that story whereby you wander past the theater. So 30 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: you're working in a cafe just off Sable Row and 31 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: you wandered past the theater with the sign for the 32 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: job and you just walk in. Yeah, and you get 33 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: the job. Oh, you've done your homework. You're dealing with 34 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: a pro here make doin. Well, yeah, that's very good. 35 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: Is that real? That is real and it's really happens. 36 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it's so hard to get in that business, 37 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: and people are runners for years and they go to 38 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: go to film school and college to try and get 39 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: into it. But literally I was I think I was 40 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: working for I was a coffee barrister and I thought, 41 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: you know, I really need to get something that pays 42 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: a little bit more to help my music alone. And 43 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: I did have experience. I'd worked at Stebbings here in 44 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: Auckland as a mastering engineer, so I did kind of 45 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: know how to operate a little bit of the cat. 46 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: So I actually walked in and gave them my CV 47 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: and a week later they said will you come in 48 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: because we had three people just they've been headhunted and 49 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: they've gone to another studio, and then like can you Yeah. 50 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: The reason I asked that question is is that seems 51 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: to be a time and place type story of something 52 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: that cannot be creating nowadays, and if you landed in 53 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: London tomorrow it would never happen. I don't want to 54 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: discourage people try it, but yeah, I think it was 55 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: pretty pretty very lucky in the right place at the 56 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: right time for sure. Yeah. Creatively speaking, what's the difference 57 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: between sound design and movie and the music you want 58 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 1: to make? Are you doing it too for you know, 59 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: description prescription? I would say there's these days is a 60 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: real fine line between music and sound design, Like if I, 61 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: for an example, the late Johann Johanssen, for say, his 62 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: movie Sakario, I find it very hard to establish what 63 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: is music and what is sound design. It's very tonal, 64 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: it's not as harmonic, less melodic, but generally speaking, sound 65 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: design is more organic, and we capture sounds and manipulate them, 66 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: but not so as to really compete with score, right, 67 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: so they have to be slightly different so as not 68 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: to be out of tune with each other. Is it 69 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: a gift or you learn it? I think both, you know, 70 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: I personally felt I had an affinity with it being 71 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: a music position. There's definitely a lot of timing involved 72 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: with sound design, knowing when to place sounds like when 73 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: do you place the rooster crow in a cutaway? You know, 74 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: how long do you wait? And when's that? When's that 75 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 1: blast of thunder? And the distance just to sort of 76 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: help and emotion. Is that one of those things? And 77 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: the reason I'm building up to this is do you 78 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: watch White Lotus? Do you know White Lotus the television printer? 79 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: I've heard of it? Okay, right, So it doesn't matter. 80 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: So the third series is just out now. People are 81 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: reacting to the music, the sound design. They don't like 82 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: Season three. It's gone because it's set in different place. 83 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: First season Hawaii, then Italy, and now it's set in Thailand. 84 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: It's different, It's got a tie vibe to it. But 85 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 1: people are reacting to it. Is it supposed to be 86 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: just so subtle that you don't even realize it's there? Yes? 87 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: Or can you then go wait a minute, here I 88 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: am and suddenly that's when people react and that you 89 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: haven't done. Think it should be subtle. It should be 90 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: like Ringo Star on the drum kit. You don't notice it, 91 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: but it's there, It's solid and it's doing its job. 92 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 1: You know, a very good example of great sound designers 93 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: the lightsaber from Star Wars. You know, we noticed that 94 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: it's just really cool, right, but you just accept it. 95 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: It is what you're saying with white Lotus that the 96 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: news people are starting it jars. It distracts from you 97 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: that night saber thing. Isn't it because it is? It 98 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: is cool? But is it cool because it is cool 99 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: or we've just in retrospect decided it's cool because it 100 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:35,599 Speaker 1: could have been different. I think it really is actually 101 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: really really cool. It's a cool sound that someone's made 102 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: from like smacking a cable and then manipulating that, putting 103 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: it through lots of guitar pedals or something. It's so true. Now, 104 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: what are you going to play for us after the break? 105 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to play a song called Wading in the Water, 106 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: which is off my new album. I listened to that yesterday. 107 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: It's a good song. Is going to change it up 108 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: for the live acoustic, I'll cut it down a bit. 109 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: You know, I wanted to play Waiting in the Water 110 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: because you know, it's a song that embraces encouraged us 111 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: to embrace not only the light and the joy, but 112 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: the darkness and loss and grief, and lately, for me 113 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: the last year, I've experienced quite a bit of that. 114 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: I lost my mum last month, and you know it's painful, 115 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: and I know that a lot of listeners will be, 116 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: you know, have gone through it or going through it, 117 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: so you know, this one's for all of us. And okay, 118 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: the guest is Blair Jollins. The album's little comments. The 119 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: song is Wading in the Water. 120 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 2: We're gone a little SOULJA way saved I free. Well, 121 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 2: I went along just for all the waves in the sea. 122 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 2: Still through the bottle, that light is broken in the sand. 123 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: Still I look through tomorrowle burn and message in my hand. 124 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 3: And I'm with in in the water, but I can't 125 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 3: find you, And I'll stay round a little longer, So 126 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 3: I can't hold you. 127 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 2: And where. 128 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 3: And out in the water, But I can't find you, 129 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 3: and where around A letle longer, so I get older, 130 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 3: and I. 131 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 2: Will hold you, And all the days on account and. 132 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 3: Lost in a rage to the flood for all the 133 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 3: gold in the mountain, Well I would trade for blood. 134 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 2: Still I look through the bottle. Their light is broken 135 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 2: in the sand. Still I look through tomorrow burn a 136 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 2: message in, and I'm with. 137 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 3: And in the water. But I can't find you. You 138 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:33,679 Speaker 3: no way around A little longer, so I can't hold you. 139 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: Brilliant, well done, le Jolin's good to see you have 140 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: a good dumb start in the country. Thanks so much. 141 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 1: Come look us up next time you back, won't you? 142 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: Little comments as the album that was Wading in the Water. 143 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 144 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: News Talks at b from six am weekdays, or follow 145 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.