(Photograph by Rubina0100)
Read our Magazine Sixty Interview with f5point6 aka R.Cleveland Aaron on his excellent new In Retrospect compilation for See Blue Audio, sound composition and the art of photography in the modern world.
Musically, this latest release for See Blue Audio collates your work since 2020 across one album. In what ways do you feel your music has evolved since beginning with the label? Have you found that the process of creating music becomes easier over time, or is it more about continually learning?
When I first signed with See Blue Audio it was during the first lockdown. I was heavily into field recording and experimenting with audio manipulation. Personally, the lockdowns presented opportunities to work on my creative projects.
The first four albums were a conceptual take on evolution through sound, so the rawness of the sound was a necessity even if not always intentional. It allowed me to focus on space and frequencies. The next four albums the narratives in the tracks were more complex. I wanted to feel more confident editing in synth plugins to create sounds for dialect, and so was more focused on engineering. The next two included a collaboration with Rhombus Index a.k.a. Loui Binns called Mutual Expression and the next solo album A Random Sequence of Events. Working with Loui was such an amazing experience and I learned so much from him, and about myself. A Random Sequence of Events was the only solo album I produced that didn’t have a theme. I suppose it was more of a concept. It represented moments in my life that I was grateful for but no two moments were connected.
My process of creating music has only become easier to the extent that, through experience, I set up more efficiently. Creativity has always been a welcome challenge, so when I think of the word ‘process’, I only focus on what comes next. It’s a thought process, like placing one idea beside your last to see how they interact, and then repeat. In this way my curiosity motivates me to want to learn more.
Have you discovered a new piece of software, set of speakers or headphones, etc, that has greatly impacted the way you make, or listen to, music?
There is one piece of software from Plugin Alliance that I have utilised a fair bit for a project I’ve just completed. It’s the SPL Vitalizer MK2-T, a multi-effects plugin which I use in the mixing/mastering phase. I’ve yet to discover all that it can do but it adds clarity to the stereo mix and an overall warmth. I wouldn’t say that it changed the way I think, but it added another layer to my knowledge.
Is there a recent musical discovery, or any artistic one (from outside music) that has changed the way you think in some way? Perhaps someone from an unexpected source.
The way that I work and the reasons why I make music hasn’t changed all that much. The objective has always been to tell stories.
A few months ago, whilst visiting a friend in Vienna, we went to the Heidi Horten Gallery. On show was an exhibition called ‘Die Linie’ (The Line) that left me so inspired that I’d practically concepted a whole album in my head before returning to the UK 2 days later. I was inspired, not necessarily on what was created but more by why, i.e. The purpose of the process.
A number of your titles reference the future. What do you think it holds? Do you like to plan for the future or just let it happen?
The future for me represents both fear and inspiration. Being blessed with a 15 and 9 year old got me thinking about what the future may hold for them. I spend my time enjoying the moments we share almost as much as I ponder on how they would go about navigating through the mess society will leave for them. To cancel out the anxiety, I create as a means to explore and conquer those fears. I suppose in this respect I’m constantly working with the future in mind as I doubt it’s possible to plan for.
Do you think the ready access to music via the likes of Bandcamp or Spotify is good for forward-thinking creativity, or an easier way to get bogged down in nostalgia for the sound of past times and safer options?
I imagine it’s a bit of both because I never listen to music in search of creativity. With regard to Spotify, it gives me access to my youth as I can listen to music while I work, or drive, and reminisce. I use Bandcamp altogether differently because more often than not, this is where I listen to new music. Additionally, I can support new artists more directly as I believe it’s a great platform for musicians, DJ’s and performers.
Tell us about the book of your stunning collection of photographs: Light, Shapes & Space?
My book has been a long time coming and is only part 1. I’ve always held a fascination and passion for Architecture, as it syncs with my creative philosophy of light, shape and space. The plan is to publish this with more to follow, to share this passion with like-minded lovers of Architecture and design. It’s also a bit like this release as it presented a chance to stop and recognise important moments of my journey (103 released tracks). It was also painful spending copious amounts of hours deliberating which of these moments which spans over 20 years would make the collection.
(The Shard, London, photographed by R.Cleveland Aaron)
How would you describe the world of photography in 2026? In terms of innovation, how does it compare to music?
I feel that the world of photography is being returned to the enthusiasts as its commercial value continues to fade. As an industry, the rise of technology has had contrasting effects on its growth. On the one hand, we live in a world where you would be hard-pressed to remember a day when you hadn’t seen a photo. On the other hand, the understanding and interpretation of skills have become vague and even irrelevant. Smartphones have done their best to make everyone feel that they can be a photographer, and this in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, however being a photographer is not about capturing colour, sharpness within an HDR world, it’s about being able to visually communicate. You don’t need the latest camera, just a range of fine lenses and the curiosity and ability to manipulate light. Then you need to combine these with an understanding of your subject to communicate in a fraction of a second (or click of the shutter).
I think innovation has been deemed to be… overestimated, with regards to how and why society consumes. To a certain degree the same can be said for music. I won’t lie, if it wasn’t for technology you and I would never have had the opportunity to appreciate each other’s contribution to music. It has opened the doors for independent producers of all levels and talents.
However, the need for the majority to exist has forced them to compromise on innovation due to societal changes in the consumption of music. Because we can access music more readily the concept of value has evolved. Everything from LUFS to file sizes has a huge influence on how we make music, and the constant exposure to ‘must have’ software leaves us with less time to focus on what we want to say with our music. Instead, we’re spending more time on tutorials to understand how they work, and those tutorials are rarely relevant to your sound. I truly believe that creativity is a trait in all human beings but being a creative practitioner is an acceptance of never-ending development. Your average individual no longer has that level of patience or commitment.
It’s been six years since we last spoke in depth (since Covid). In which ways do you think that society has changed since the pandemic, or have these changes been due to the natural evolution of the way capitalism shapes people and culture?
I’m not keen on generalising, but I’ve observed a few changes to societal behaviours over these past 5 to 6 years. I’ve used these observations as topics to interpret through sound. I have felt (i) a selective subservient culture, as in I question the things we choose to accept, (ii) an acceptance that objection is futile, and (iii) being assertive is interpreted as aggressive. In short, life is like a very poor dystopian movie where you know exactly what’s coming next. I have no idea how these changes came about, but I don’t feel this evolution is in any way natural.
What’s next for R. Cleveland Aaron?
As we speak, I already have one project completed and another project 3 tracks in. Also, I plan to collaborate more with both musicians and visual artists. I’ve had the best experiences sharing ideas with others and feel at these times made the biggest growth.
I think I’ll continue on this train with its forever changing landscapes. Some will bring me joy and others pain, but through it all I suppose I’ll continue to create by any means necessary.
Download/Stream In Retrospect on Bandcamp
f5point6 on Instagram
f5point6 on Spotify
See Blue Audio
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