If you have ever witnessed the spectacle called the Jim Rose Circus you will most certainly have noticed the synthonic musicalities of The Enigma, he's the one whose skin is a blue jigsaw puzzle who eats grubs and other lowly lifeforms and produces the music, live, for each and every show.

The circus had recently completed the Australian leg of a world tour and was preparing to leave for Europe when we managed to contact The Enigma, who is usually unreachable by telephone because he lives in a sewer, but thanks to fellow circus member Mr. Lifto we managed to track him down and find out a little about the man and it's music.

electronicmusic.com: What equipment do you use on stage to create the music that accompanies each show?

The Enigma: Right now I'm using a Fatar 610 MIDI controller that controls a K2000 rack sampler (Kurzweil) which goes through a Mackie 1202 mixer.

Do use any analog synthesizer modules?

No.

So all the sounds come from the Kurzweil?

Yep.

What about effects processors?

No effects, all the sounds in the Kurzweil were either sampled with an effect added or processed by the effects processors onboard the Kurzweil

Is there music running throughout the whole show?

Yes, I start the Kurzweils internal sequencer and I play along to it. When I'm actually performing Lifto goes over and hits the next program, like I've got four songs that accompany my performance and Lifto just hits the program change whenever neccessary.

And you actually play along when there are performances taking place that you're not actively involved in?

Right, basically I've got about fifty songs programmed into the Kurzweils sequencer

How long have you had that?

I've had it for a little while, Trent Reznor gave it to me.

What were you using before Trent gave you the K2000?

Before I was using an ESQ 1 (Ensoniq) and a Roland D50, and before that I was just using the D50 and a Roland S50.

So what would run the sequences?

Nothing, this is the first year I'm using sequencing, I haven't used sequencing at all for anything up until this year.

When it comes to writing do use the Kurzweil or do you use a Mac or something?

Well because this year I'm doing all the sequencing and everything I just wrote it all into the Kurzweil.

So it's never been anywhere else but in the Kurzweil?

Right.

When you all get back from Europe what are you gong to be doing, are you going to get back into film soundtracks or what?

Yes, currently I'm working on a film in Austin that I'll continue when I get back from Europe, there aren't many details at this point other than most of it being on the cutting room floor right now, I'm working on it with someone else who has all the equipment that's needed.

Interview conducted via telephone between Paul Clark and The Enigma, September 1997.

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