Considered in his homeland among the greatest visionaries of the ambient and new age genres of all time, Jonn Serrie, a composer from Connecticut born in 1951, is a name not sufficiently cleared through customs in the Bel Paese, thanks to the Albionic BrianEnian predominance and, in return, the partial overshadowing of a scene, the American one which, for forty years, has offered ethereal beauty by probing the depths of the unknown.
Right in 1984, with the cassette tape “Starmoods”, a debut already containing, in essence, the reasons for his greatness, it will only be three years later that the public and the trade press will find themselves unanimous in decreeing the success of ours: the title is known to fans of the best new age, that “And The Star Go With You” which packs six instrumentals of non-human melancholy, a mood produced by wise chordal choices immersed in the effects of sidereal winds and recordings of cosmic voids. The reasons for Serrier's relevance lie in effective but not obvious melodic surfaces, a style that contributed to archiving the Teutonic dissonances of kosmische musik, borrowing the example of the best electronic Vangelis, combined in soundtracks for documentaries, cinematographic films and up to planetarium industry around the world. But, in the continuation of a modest record production – when compared to the uncontrolled creativity of the champions of the genre under analysis – there are many reasons for excellence that should be dusted off. This is the case of the lullabies played by unattainable galaxies in “Flightpath” ('89), in which, in addition, previews of the opening towards the unknowable whose teacher, a decade later, will be Steve Roach; in the narrative exquisiteness of “Tingri” ('90), epitome of new age eighties and bignami of a Tibet idealized by a spirituality without religious boundaries; in the lounge romanticism of “Ixlandia” ('95), embellished by the judicious use of saxophone and classical guitar; in the flowering of a third style for the new millennium, with the fields expanded to the extreme of “Thousand Star” (2009) and “Day Star” ('14), space music always evoked through a lyricism of touching delicacy.
Whether it is cosmic music conceived, rightly, without a beginning and without an end, or songs structured within a simple four-quarter time, everything in Serrie is polished according to a refined yet never aseptic aesthetic. Exciting for those who want to excite, cerebral for lovers of mental travels in Space, he is an author who has made measurement the supreme style from which to begin one's journey towards the infinity that we contain.
Jonn, what is the ultimate goal of your music?
Through the power of music, I intend to invite the audience to experience the magic of being in Space.
The relationship between composition and improvisation?
I see them as two similar and closely related concepts. I would say that for me composition is improvisation in ordered form and, in turn, improvisation is composition in free form.
What is your most accomplished album, from a creative point of view?
“And The Stars Go With You,” for the emotional impact the Challenger Shuttle event had on me, and the subsequent effect on people around the world.
The sweetness of “And the Stars Go with You” has to do with a tragedy…
The album is based on the 1986 Challenger Shuttle crash. At the time I was writing music commissioned for NASA's Teacher In Space project through a client in the planetarium industry; the accident hit me deeply, and so I decided to honor the legacy of the Teacher in Space program, the astronauts involved and, above all, the figure of Christa McCauliffe.
As a composer, are you more attracted to simplification or complication?
Both are necessary. But it depends, from time to time, on the needs of the musical expression I'm working on. In general, I strive to give my songs the characteristics of simplicity and purity. To do this, however, I often have to resort to the many complicated synthesis and recording tools I have at my disposal.
With “Lumia Nights” you have reached a new level of elegance. Aren't you afraid of being accused of being a formalist?
I see it as a compliment. For “Lumia Nights” I was looking for a very specific state of elegance and romanticism and, to obtain them, I used technical solutions aimed at obtaining exactly those results.
“The Stargazer's Journey” is an atypical album in your discography, with clear references to the kosmische musik of the Seventies.
My goal was to provide the audience with a musical painting of what I was observing in the night sky at that time; this stems from my deep appreciation for cosmology and astronomy, in which I have had a strong interest since I was a child.
“Ascendant Destiny” has just been released: how does it differ from previous albums?
I see it in the line of my albums dedicated to Deep Space such as “Planetary Chronicles” and “The Sentinel”. “Ascendant Destiny” was inspired by the images of the James Webb space telescope, as well as a science fiction novel such as “Puppeteers in the Cosmos” by Larry Niven.
How does your compositional approach change when you write on commission for planetariums, rather than for an album?
It doesn't actually change. It's more of an evolution of my style, adapted to a specific musical purpose. Both in the creations for the planetariums and in those for the albums, I use different strategies to proceed and different approaches to the sound design, so as to open the sound to ever wider atmospheres. And, it seems to me, it works well in both areas.
Is there something typically North American in your space music?
Well, I grew up around the time the United States created NASA; at the time the country was involved in the Space Race and the first explorations. I've always thought that this type of exploration of the unknown is typically American. I still remember my father pointing out to me with his finger a dot in the sky, the artificial satellite Sputnik 1, launched into orbit in October 1957. And I also remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television, in 1969, and the strong impression that the event had on me.
Technically speaking, what are the essential elements for your sound?
This is confidential information. I can tell you that I have a mixture of analog and digital machines that I use depending on what the composition requires. THE must for me it's the reverb and echo-generating equipment, important to provide a spatial backdrop to all the other elements.
The actor David Carradine. How do you want to remember him?
For contributing to the well-being and health of people around the world, thanks to a series of educational videos on Tai Chi and Qigong, for which I provided the music.
If you could change anything in the music industry, what would you change?
I persist in thinking that artists should be the exclusive owners of their recordings. Luckily, I've had that opportunity for most of my recording career.
During an interview, the legendary Iasos told me that you were one of his favorite composers.
Iasos was one of the founding fathers of new age music. I was honored to know him and to have received such appreciation, right from him.
This is from Pete Townshend: “The day you open your mind to music, you are halfway to opening your mind to life.” An exaggerated sentence?
Totally agree with Townshend. It is necessary to have an open mind, in the creation of music, as well as an equally open heart, to precisely perceive its direction.
Many ambient/new age composers link their music to precise religious or spiritual beliefs.
In my case, meditation is an absolute necessity, to create. It helps me start from a blank canvas, so that all ideas can be recognized and evaluated on an equal footing. Add to that the fact that I grew up in a highly ecclesiastical environment, where music was presented as sacred and treated as such.
Should art always contain a political/social aspect?
In my experience, the answer is no; social and political aspects have no place in my music; Indeed, I hope that it will intrigue people to evaluate the general picture, therefore going beyond the issues you have mentioned.
What is the most challenging aspect of being a musician in 2024?
Adapting to the current methods of distribution through downloads and streaming was a challenge for someone like me. I was used to traditional methods, but time and technology move forward, and I, like everyone else, have to adapt.
During a performance, what do you consider a “mistake” and how do you handle it?
An unexpected power outage would be my biggest concern during a performance. For the rest, I constantly practice in order to eliminate the possibility of other types of errors, those that concern me personally.
What will be the next barrier that electronic music will bring down?
Sky's the limit. And, however, it is also possible to go beyond the sky, to push to the limits of the universe, and that is exactly what I have always tried to do, in my own small way. I see no limits to music or strategies for evoking it. I believe that telepathic contact between two brains is one of the next step possible.
What contribution do you feel you have made to the world of ambient?
Having often worked in the planetarium industry, I believe that the influence of the universe and its expansive nature has contributed greatly to establishing my stylistic peculiarities.
Little is known about your private life: what are the ingredients of your perfect day?
I start and end my day with meditation, giving thanks for what I have. I believe that creativity is a gift, and should be used with good intentions. Otherwise, spending time with my wife Annie and exploring new musical ideas in the recording studio are essential aspects of my perfect day.
Many artists dream of composing their own masterpiece. Can you tell me what your masterpiece would sound like?
I am convinced that my catalogue, in its entirety, is my so-called “masterpiece”. Everything I have composed and released contains a kind of special nature and meaning in itself that unifies my discography, so it would not make sense to talk in terms of separation.
What is the most amazing thing about being an artist?
Be master of your time and use it wisely, in search of creative perfection.
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM