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1. How long has Ma Ja Le been in existence? Were both of you musicians beforehand? What brought you together and what influences have worked their way into your music?

Paul: The first seeds of Ma Ja Le were formed around 93’. We had attended visual arts college together (Chris – Painting & Sculpture / Paul – Photography) and had been playing together in various prog, funk and fusion bands since 88’. I was trained as a vocalist since childhood, and picked up keys and drums on my own. Although most of my early bands were on the hard, punky side I was always more into twisted recordings and odd recording techniques like the Beatles and Pink Floyd used.

Chris: As soon as I picked up a guitar it was all about feedback, delays, flange what ever wild sound I could get. Summer of 88 I met Paul at MIAD and was blown away by his sense of composition & arrangement. We would often get together outside of the band stuff and play duets without much, if any conversation. It was awesome the stuff we came up with, we spoke with the music alone. This is one of the major foundations for us.

Paul: Ma Ja Le for me came about through frustration of current music trends and my art school thought processes. Early Ma Ja Le was more eclectic sonic experimentation than space music or whatever. In fact, we based most of our ideology around free jazz and music concrete. It was “how can I make an emotional noise and then sculpt a composition from that?”

Chris: The duet format allowed me to play with effects weirdness that wasn’t considered appropriate (by others) in a band setting. For Paul it was the chance to stretch out Orchestrally which doesn’t work to well in a three minute time frame. In fact in our last Rock group we had the good ole ‘ seventeen minute opus Yee Haa. I tried for years to incorporate my interest in sound in standard formats like rock and funk even in music that was influenced by King Crimson and Jimi Hendrix. It wasn’t until Ma Ja Le that those ideas really started to flow.

Paul: As far as direct influences… I draw upon everything from Zappa to Miles to Kiss to Sinatra and everything in between. Most of my time is spent listening to and collecting traditional jazz recordings from before the 70’s. I am really a nostalgia nut. Most of the movies, music and art which my wife and I enjoy are 30’s, 40’s and 50’s era. I really see that in my music and art. There is a common antiquity in us all. Moreover, the “craft” in older recordings is more unique.

Chris: For me East Indian Raga, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Jazz of all kinds and of course my peers and collogues work get my musical gears rolling.

2. It appears that unlike many artists in this genre, you are fairly seasoned in live performance. Do you feel this lends a different edge to your work?

Paul: Actually Ma Ja Le started as a live band before any thought was given to making CDs. We used to play out a lot in our early days, coffeehouses, bookstores, some clubs and halls. We also used to augment our selves with other musicians (Drums, percussion, bass,sax…whatever). It was very much an improvisationary jazz ideology. Show up, sit in and see what happens. Our first CD is actually culled from our first four live shows ever. 80% of the disk is on the spot song creation.

3. Your most recent album, Imaginarium, is a collaboration with Vir Unis. How did this project come about? Do you anticipate working with him again in the future?

Paul: Vir Unis we met through Chris’ sister. It was very much of a “wow, you do Space music too?”vibe. You know, that excitement when you realize that you are not the only crazy person in the universe who actually knows and enjoys the existence of this music we all love.

Any way, we started doing live shows together and the whole symbiosis grew from there.

As to the future…? I think we need to grow in separate directions for awhile before we have something new to share with each other again, otherwise you can play your self out. “Imaginarium” and its creation and culmination were over a year and a half of our lives together. Plus there is the eternal time factor. Now he has two or three logs in the fire, as do we. If it is meant to be…it will be and we look forward to it.

4. There was a space of several years before your first, self-released album, Dreams in the Orchards of Saturn, and Imaginarium. Are you planning on recording again in the near future?

Paul: We have been “sketching” in the past few months and have about four CDs worth of material we are sifting and drifting through. So the simple answer is yes. What will come about first is unclear even to us right now. We have done a few compilations and may even release a limited run of our “Star’s End” concert in the now time.

5. Are either of you exploring solo work? Are we likely to see solo albums from either of you?

Paul: Actually right after “Imaginarium” I spent 8months working on “Soul Surface Glass” which is a solo CD of mine that I am shopping to labels now. It was my chance to take stock in myself and find my individual voice after almost 10 years working within a band or a duo. It is a mixture of all of my recent influences and experiences, and has a more open edgier tribal feel than Ma Ja Le.

I also spent a fair amount of time recording and producing other artists and genres.

Chris: A solo album is not as important to me. I enjoy working with other musicians; I can talk to myself anytime. In the future sometime, but not now.

(Questions for Ma Ja Le and James Johnson)

1. After your show in Milwaukee in September, is it likely that you will perform together and perhaps record together in the future?

Paul: After working with James on “Surrender”, I think we both felt a desire to collaborate. We will be recording a lot during our rehearsals and hope to see an album grow out of that, as well as more live performances together. It was a great coincidence that after hearing “Unity” and loving it, we find out that James only lives 45 min away.

Chris: Along the way, you meet those rare gems of people that just click with you, are where you are, and the flow is there. James is one of those people. I look forward to the music we will create together.

James: Most definitely...Paul & Chris are great guys, and we're planning on more shows after Milwaukee. The possibility of a planetarium show has been presented to us, so we'll see how that pans out. As far as recording goes, we'll be taping all of our rehearsals and performances together and then sifting through them for release material. Our combination works really well together sonically.

2. Over the last few years, quite a number of ambient artists have started appearing in the Midwest. Do you feel that your location is particularly conductive to ambient music? Is there a strong ambient community in the region?

James: I don't feel that it's particularly due to geography more than to the fact that this music is starting to come into it's own over the last few years and with that, artists are starting to be noticed. Having Ma Ja Le, Jeff Pearce, and several other artists all within a 3-state area doesn't hurt either. With so many artists available locally, we could put together an "Ambient Paluza"! I also believe that society's awareness as a whole is beginning to shift and becoming more open to this type of sound and music.

Paul: I am pleasantly surprised myself, Jeff Pearce, Vir Unis, James Johnson, Us…

I feel strongly that wherever you find yourself, that place will be conductive to ambient music, and the location will be felt in the music you create there.

Chris: Moreover even though the roots of this music can be traced back to the turn of the century ala Debussy meets Indonesian nationals, I think it continues to gain steam primarily by a lot of what society is becoming. Faster technology, a shrinking world and an expanding awareness of who and what human beings are, coupled by a need to sometimes reflect, take it all in and just say aaahhh. The niche is there and we will obligingly fill it.