Jackson Milas began his songwriting career at the age of 21 as the lead singer of the highly successful New York City band High Hills.
At Sonar, he scored award-winning scores for series such as Erotic Stories and Bloom, and was selected to collaborate with Tim Minchin on the hit TV show Upright. Jackson has also composed music for documentaries such as Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles and Books That Made Us.
His contribution to the large-scale installation Temple at VIVID Sydney 2022 is a highlight of his innovative approach to music. He achieved commercial success with clients such as Carlton Draft.
LBB> When working on a new brief or project, what is your usual starting point? How do you analyze it and how do you hope to generate ideas and reactions?
Jackson> Right after the briefing or first creative conversation with the director, I usually go to the piano and play a record. You can also use voice memos from your iPhone. There’s something about catching that first burst and gut reaction before your mind has a chance to analyze it. From there, it’s important to show up consistently and follow through on your initial ideas.
LBB> Music and sound is in some ways the most collaborative and interactive form of creativity – what do you think about this? Do you prefer working solo or with a gang? What is your favorite and what is your most memorable professional collaboration?
Jackson> Collaboration gives life to projects and the members of Sonar are an important part of my creative life. I always knock on my collaborators’ doors and ask them what they think about what I’ve written. Sometimes it’s important to be able to laugh about something together. I really enjoyed working with Tim Minchin on both series of Upright and he was very involved and attentive to what we were doing musically and that It was a healthy creative relationship. I don’t think I can really work alone. Even with my solo album “Blu Terra,” there were many inspirational people who contributed to the recording and made the project possible. Darkside’s Dave Harrington, Tim Lefebvre, and Veronique Serret, to name a few.
LBB> What is the most satisfying part of your job and why?
Jackson> David Lynch said, “Movies are images and sounds that move together in time.” There’s something about the mystery of how one’s own set of influences interacts with the images on screen and the director’s vision, sometimes resulting in music that could not have been created on its own, and the combination of sound and sound. Improves the combination. Transform the image into something beyond what we all imagined in the brief. It would be great if that happened.
LBB> How do you think the role of music and sound is changing as the advertising industry changes?
Jackson> Tik Tok’s superhighway has created more space for weirdness, which is kind of interesting. But as our collaborators increasingly seek truly handmade and honest music, we’ve also seen real reactions to noise.
LBB> Who is your music/audio hero and why?
Jackson> Mark Hollis, Micah Levi, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Nicholas Britell, Angelo Badalamenti…just today. Many of my favorite composers are masters of mood, texture, and perhaps minimalism. But I also love composers like Nicholas Britell, who paint big, richly colored pictures (‘Beer St. Could Talk’). Sometimes you need film music.
LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether it’s sound design or composition, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you often go back to or that have had a big impact on the way you think about your work?
Jackson> I think people like Hildur Guðnadóttir, Warren Ellis, and Ryuichi Sakamoto are important influences because they are known for creating their own unique sounds. They like to get their hands dirty and work with audio, and I love that too. I really value the time I spend touring with my band. I feel that experience gives me courage to be in the studio.
I would like to work on a project with a strong sense of place, just like Hildur did with his wonderful work about Chernobyl, go to the location, record the atmosphere and start the composition process there.
LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly related to sound design or music (e.g. reading client instructions or responding to emails) – you’re the type of person who needs music or noise in the background Or are you the completely distracted type? What do you think about “background” sounds and music while you work?
Jackson> “The background music is great” can feel like one of the most insulting things someone can say about your work. But I have a Tivoli radio in my kitchen tuned to Classic FM, so every morning, while I’m doing basically anything, one classical masterpiece after another blasts through the speakers. So I’m just as bad. I know that my last project, High Highs, continues to be a huge success with things like “Afternoon Chill” playlists. I think it’s really cool when your music resonates with every aspect of someone’s life, even if it’s just chilling.
I can’t listen to new music as much as I want, so I listen to radio programs on NTS and Worldwide FM while I’m doing office work, such as tax, as an opportunity to listen to new music.
LBB> I think the quality of the listening experience and the context in which audiences listen to music and sounds has changed over the years. There was a switch from analog to digital, and now we have the immersive experience of terrible surround sound and poor quality sound on the go (audio is often overshadowed by millions of other distractions). There seems to be a split between the two (competing). What are the possible reasons for this? Does it affect the way you approach your work?
Jackson> I listen to music on my airpods and on my laptop and phone’s speakers. Everyone does it. It’s important that your mix sounds good on all devices, and that’s something to consider during the mix stage. I don’t allow it to affect the music itself.
LBB> What does your “listening diet” look like on a typical day?
Jackson> I listen to classical music while drinking coffee first thing in the morning, and it’s all downhill from there. Usually, by the end of the day, I’m listening to a ghost podcast my producer put on me called “Other World.”
LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what form is it in (are you a record geek, have a hard drive full of random bird calls, are you very Are you a Spotify lover organized by…)?
Jackson> I have a record collection of about 1000 records. I’m not a hoarder, I’m a refiner, and my approach is quality over quantity. But the records I have are some of my most prized possessions and they are very beautiful. I have several field recordings, one of which is the sounds of Bahia recorded by the Sound Image label in 1977. I’d like to collect more Italian movie soundtracks from the 70’s. My Spotify and Apple Music are both pretty chaotic.
LBB> Outside of the world of music and sound, what kind of art or topics really excites you, and have you ever associated it with music (e.g., a history buff who loves music that helps with time travel? gamers who love interactive sound design). .. So really anything is possible!!)
Jackson> If that’s the answer, I’m increasingly interested in music for the art world. The music Kari Malone commissioned for the Louise Bourgeois exhibition in Sydney was moving. I was fortunate to work with artists Leila Jeffries and Melvin J. Montalban to provide an original score for the 2022 Vivid Festival installation. We have just started work on her second project which will debut at her Vivid 2024 in May.
I’m not really into “meditation culture,” but I meditate twice a day and find it really helpful creatively. After you’ve been doing it for a while, you’ll start to understand how to work with ideas. However, the answer is almost always time and patience.
I would also like to give a shout out to the score for the game Hollow Knight by Australian composer Christoper Larkin. I like video games from time to time, but it’s different from other forms of relaxation. It actually puts your mind at ease because you have to give it your full attention.
LBB> Let’s talk about travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creative sources of inspiration. What has been your most exciting or inspiring experience with sound and music while traveling?
Jackson> I run a small record label (Pique-nique Recordings) with two friends based in New York. The first release of 2016 was Traditional Moroccan Music (Gnawa) by the New York group Innov Gnawa. It’s a musical tradition that I love, but I have yet to visit its home.
A past inspirational location is Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival in the South of France. new orleans. Tasmania in winter.
LBB> As we age, our ears physically change and our tastes evolve. Due to changes in your life, you may no longer be able to pursue your passions with the same intensity as you did when you were younger. How has your relationship with sound and music changed over the past 20 years? How many years?
Jackson> It’s great to be in the studio a lot, but I also really appreciate being busy. But for me, DJing and live music is an important part of the ecosystem. All of these elements feed into each other, and sharing music with others in this way is something I’m excited to do more of with new projects in the coming years.
