Matthew Cooper, the sole force of Eluvium, is a man whose music has the ability to whisper into ears and be completely understood. His tracks of ambient fuzz and experimentation have a near-medicinal ability to calm even the most wired listener, and with the release of his fourth album, Copia, as well as the special Australian release, Indecipherable Text (a compilation of two of his previous albums) in 2007, more and more people are warming to the charms of Eluvium.

With a tour of Australia just about to begin, supporting long-time friends Explosions in the Sky, Cooper talks with Wireless Bollinger about his approach to live performance, tape players and bicycles and sticking to New Year’s resolutions.

Last year’s Australian release Indecipherable Text introduced many to your music. What were your thoughts when it was released? Were you surprised by how well it was received? 

Cooper: It was great to see so many strong reviews for it, absolutely. And I am happy to know that these bits of music can be found easily over there now. 

How do you find the process of transferring your music to the stage?
 
I just don't try to stick to any set sound. I go up with loose skeletons of songs from each album and work my way through them, seeing what happens along the way. It can be difficult trying to control the sound in a live setting yes, but it can also be a way to discover areas the song hasn't been to yet. 

Does the chance to perform live offer many new possibilities and ways of connecting with people? 

Absolutely; I have met with many people as a result of performing live, whether new friends or film contacts, or simply winning over new hearts and minds that haven't heard what I do before. 

Do you enjoy the challenge of attempting to make your music work on a much larger scale? 

Sometimes, yes. I am looking forward to the chance to start working with string players and horn players and other new dimensions of the live performance, which would mean having to put trust in other players to communicate my music. This will be a fantastic new challenge. 

You’ll be performing with your friends Explosions in the Sky when you come here, what do you like about playing a show with them?
 
More than anything touring with them is touring with close friends – which can make a huge difference when you are going delirious and running all over the planet, and getting sick, and needing help at the venue with sound or any other little thing. Aside from that, we have both always felt that our sounds are very complimentary of each other. The atmosphere is thick for both of us I think, when either of us are playing, which can help put you into the state you need to be in – the state of being surrounded by beautiful sound and moving within it.

Is the live aspect of your music something you are forever trying to improve on?  

Well, the live part of my music is a slow development due to the direction I would like to see it go right now, and the reality of the cost to implement it. Nonetheless, I try to add new things whenever I can, to keep it evolving 

What approach do you take to your music making, in general?
 
Each record I've gone to record has sounded different in my head from the last. I am walking around and hearing new sounds in my head, and I sit down and try to translate them. It just happens to usually involve a complete change in sound. Whether or not I am doing this intentionally or not, is yet to be determined. But on another note, I think it is important to continue pushing one’s self into areas outside of your normal boundaries. This seems to be a part of anything, not just composition 

Your songs can vary from the bare minimal to the grand, what determines this?
 
I don't usually think about minimal or grand. I try not to think about it at all. I guess, I want to let it come naturally, never forcing a note. I'm sure it can be mood based, but I don't want to interfere with whatever is happening, so I just let it go. I almost never know what the result will be until it is finished.

What is it that fuels you when you’re creating music? Could you imagine yourself doing anything else? 

I enjoy nature and other arts, as well as just simple perspectives on existence as a whole, I suppose. Nothing makes me feel more comfortable in life than composing – everything makes sense in those moments. Having said that, I do enjoy photography as well as having an interest in home improvement: building things, rewiring things, plumbing, general construction...Etc... 

What would you say have been the biggest influences on your music?  

Nature, literature, and a beautiful ever inspiring girl that paints strange creatures. Living in my house, not to mention the giant malamute that walks by every so often. 

You’ve used many different techniques when creating songs such as obscure microphone placements, the use of looping pedals, and swinging microphones around rooms. Are you continually trying to find new waves of developing your sound and expressing yourself? Does experimentation excite you? 

Experimentation is always interesting to me, although, I don't try to stand on it alone – but taking the steps to educate myself in these things can be helpful in sub-conscious ways. Tape players and bicycles, I think, was the last thing I was working on, but I still want to always find room for human emotion. It's a bit of an Achilles heel perhaps.   

What does 2008 hold in store for you? Did you make and New Year’s resolutions? 

Probably work on the smoking thing once the tour is over. Talk less and say more is another one. As well I'll be working on a new record a bit later, hoping to have that out sometime in 2009.