Supermarket Love Interviewed

Hasan Ahmed is best known as Supermarket Love, that practitioner of audio botany and warped soundscapes that seem to leap out of your speaker like passages from a timeless novel or folk story. Hasan’s distinct sound forces a discerning melodic language through a dense jungle of tape hiss and bend, to mesmerising effect. With a two-album career on nothing but his head , Cisumesion Lanoitazivorpmi & RainyDaysToFadeAway. Supermarket Love’s music is now an established feature in the collections of musicologists and chill-seekers alike. I chatted to Hasan about his music, recording techniques and philosophy. After the break for interview.

Aman Fahimullah: Hello Hasan, How are You?

Hasan Ahmed: I’m good.

Aman Fahimullah: So, the legend states you dropped Haznaz, and came out with a totally new taste in Music called Supermarket Love? Is That Correct? Why?

Hasan Ahmed: Yes, I was unhappy with the music I was producing under the alias Haznaz, and felt like I needed to leave him in the past in order to work in a new direction.

Aman Fahimullah: Ahh Good

Aman Fahimullah: Where are you living at the moment?

Hasan Ahmed: Santa Ana, CA

Aman Fahimullah: How has living in this cultural mix affected SuperMarket Love’s music?

Hasan Ahmed: Lets come back to that one.

Aman Fahimullah: You’ve said in the past that your cultural heroes are people like Bibio, Boards of Canada, Haushka,–artists who haven’t compromised. I think of you as coming from a tradition of soft melodies that don’t compromise artistically, either, artist like the Clark, Fennesz, Radiohead, artist that attempted to be revolutionary.

Hasan Ahmed: Thank You.

Aman Fahimullah: Is it more important to give a message or to express yourself?

Hasan Ahmed: I don’t believe one is more important than the other, art could serve multiple functions, one could be to send a message or it could just be to express ones existance. Personally I enjoy experimenting with both, as the two are not mutually exclusive.

Aman Fahimullah: So you think both have a postive and a negative?

Hasan Ahmed: No, I just feel that you can send a message and express yourself simultaneously.

Aman Fahimullah: So why the name Supermarket Love, Appealing, Has a meaning, or “Screw it, Supermarket Love it is”?

Hasan Ahmed:  Initially it was a “Screw It” situation, however after being informed on what the term “Supermarket Love” refers to, I knew it was a suitable name.

Aman Fahimullah: What does it refer to?

Hasan Ahmed: Well it refers to a situation, where a man sees a woman  in a supermarket and falls in love with her, a case of love at first sight, and he returns to the supermarket regularly at the same time on the same day of the week, in hopes to come accross her again. It’s obsessive.

Aman Fahimullah: Hahahaha, So your music is based on the whole situation of a man and women fall in love soon at a Supermarket? Original. “Love” it

Hasan Ahmed: Haha, not so much, however the notion of an obsessive desire, is what I’m intrigued by.  What that specific desire is is irrelevant.

Aman Fahimullah: Haha, I guess it still works out then

Aman Fahimullah: Can you explain the title of your latest album “RainyDaystoFadeAway”?

Hasan Ahmed: The title “RainyDaystoFadeAway” was inspired by an image that I saw when i was listening to an instrumental i was working on. The image was of a couple lying on the floor infront of a fireplace in a cabin on a rainy day.

Aman Fahimullah: So the Title has a chill metaphor, showing how we should all just take a deep breath and relax?

Hasan Ahmed: I guess you can say that

Aman Fahimullah: In your Music right now, how many effects typically will be happening in the music during one piece?

Hasan Ahmed: Well lately I’ve been experimenting with using more effects, but it really depends on the individual piece, sometimes i will only do a little EQ and add some light reverb to the track.

Aman Fahimullah: Very Nice

Aman Fahimullah: Without removing the mystery, can you share some more about the creative and studio processes behind your music?

Hasan Ahmed: Well typically when I write a piece, I will sit in front of my piano and “noodle” with no direction in mind until something I hear clicks and I elaborate on that, as far as my studio processes are concerned I currently use Logic Pro 8 on a Mac system, I obsessive use a plugin Called Vienna Symphonic Library, and compose primarily using midi tools.

Hasan Ahmed: BRB

Aman Fahimullah: Hasan Ahmed has left the interview session and should be back soon

(20 Mins Later)

Hasan Ahmed: Haha back

Aman Fahimullah: He is Back People

Aman Fahimullah: From all the music you have written/composed, what do you think has the greatest influence on you so far as an artist?

Hasan Ahmed: Well the artists that have had the heaviest influence on me are Steve reich, Hauschka, and Bibio.

Aman Fahimullah: So your Music is shown heavily through out these artist, like when listening to your music, the listeners can tell, it sounds kinda like Hauschka, Bibio etc?

Hasan Ahmed: You can say that, however it isn’t my intention to rip Steve riech or Hauschka’s style, its just a consequence of the influence I guess.

Hasan Ahmed: I’m hoping to get to a point where you can’t tell what my influences are.

Aman Fahimullah: Ahh, Good Luck with that. Jokes Aside

Aman Fahimullah: Do you see anything in the future for Supermarket Love?

Hasan Ahmed: Well, I’m hoping to put together a live set, and start doing shows in the new future.

Aman Fahimullah: What’s next for Supermarket Love(Present)?

Hasan Ahmed: Another Album, working with a new artist, and hopefully some more good music.

Aman Fahimullah: Back to the question I asked earlier, How has living in this cultural mix affected Supermarket Love’s Music?

Hasan Ahmed: I don’t feel that Santa Ana’s Culture has Influenced me musically?

Aman Fahimullah: Aside from Supermarket Love, Are you a bit of a photography buff?

Hasan Ahmed: Well I enjoy taking photos, I wouldn’t refer to my self as a photography buff.  :D

(Photo By: Hasan Ahmed)

Aman Fahimullah: Before we end this interview, would you like to tell any of our readers who are interested in becoming musicians anything?

Hasan Ahmed: Try to find rhythm and melody in the simplest of things.

Aman Fahimullah: Thanks again Hasan for doing this interview with us, See you soon.

Hasan Ahmed: No Problem. Be sure to visit my Website.

If you guys want to see more of Supermarket Love visit his website at http://www.suprluv.com