Seeds Mix #10: Salamanda’s A Cradle for Basil

Basil droops in the cold, grows too fast in the heat, and can wilt from too much attention; it needs a moment, too. Salamanda noticed that this silence is a pause for space, where the real growth happens. For them, music fills that space…

Manda talks about understanding her own feelings by looking at her plants. When she feels down, the plants seem to react. They reflect something back: being present, paying attention, and giving and receiving care. This mix comes from that kind of language, asking you to keep coming back to care for the same small plant. If basil could think, what would it think of you?

Get your headphones on. Listen to the way a plant listens to light…

Who are you, and why are you here?

We are Salamanda and we just recorded a mix for plants and for all the plant lovers.

Tell us about your basil. Where does it live, and how long have you been keeping it?

It’s been rooted and thriving inside our heads for a while now. As for the real ones, they’re in our fridges and in our bellies, restocked every once in a while.

A cradle suggests something being held, something tender and new. What does that word mean to you in the context of this mix?

We thought of the concept of “nurturing basil” and imagined a cradle where it is placed and taken good care of, receiving lots of TLC…

Basil is notoriously particular – it sulks in the cold, bolts in the heat, and wilts if you look at it wrong. Have you noticed any particular methods or tricks that help yours along?

Sala – I actually haven’t raised basil in real life, so honestly I have no idea…
Manda – If it starts to wilt, I just send it to my mom. Somehow, it always comes back alive again in no time.

What role does silence play in your music? And do you think basil needs quiet to thrive?

In fact, we believe that not only basil but everyone needs a moment of silence every once in a while. Silence can mean many things: alone time, a break, meditation, nighttime, etc. To allow for healthy growth, it’s always important to secure enough time for yourself to pause, reflect, and recharge before continuing. Silence gives us the momentum to move forward into what comes next in life, and we think the same goes for music. It offers a moment to savor what you’ve heard, and a sense of curiosity for what comes next.

How does your music shift between day and night? Basil follows the light so closely – did that shape anything about the mix you made?

We don’t think the music we make is greatly affected by the time of day we’re working on it. However, each of us always has a specific image in mind when making music. This applies to the tracks on our album and this mix as well. We hope you create your own imagined time and space when listening, too.

Basil is one of the few herbs that people name, talk to, and worry about. Do you think about the emotional relationship between humans and the plants they keep when you’re composing?

Sala – I don’t really think about it; however, I sometimes like to imagine that they’re quietly watching me work on tracks. They’re the only living creatures I live with, and I love being around them.

Manda – I don’t particularly think about my emotional relationship with plants while making music, but I often find myself reading my own condition through theirs. When my heart isn’t in a good place, strangely, the plants don’t seem to be doing well either. Plants require such attentive, consistent care, and when I don’t even have the capacity to tend to myself, I think I naturally become unable to offer that same energy to them.

Have you ever tended to plants with music playing? This is how Music To Watch Seeds Grow By came into being… if you have what happened?

Sala – I once read that, like animals, plants can sense a lot about their environment, and that they can distinguish between dangerous and non-dangerous stimuli. While they may not experience emotions like humans do, I like to believe I can communicate with them by providing a consistent routine. Whenever I get home from work, I:

1. say hi to them (as a signal that something good is about to happen);
2. gently place them on the table;
3. turn on some good music; and
4. switch on LED grow lights to supplement natural sunlight.

I know this might sound funny, but I like to believe that one day they might greet me in their own way when I come home, and feel the positive energy from the music as much as I do.

Manda – I have quite a few plants at home, and I’ve come to realize how much time passes while I’m cleaning the glass vases for my hydro plants, changing the water, rinsing their roots, and misting their leaves. Since then, I’ve started playing music that suits my mood that day while doing these small acts of care. If I had a big party the night before and drank too much, I tend to choose music with extremely low entropy. Sometimes I wish plants had a button that allowed them to select the music themselves. I feel a little sorry that I’m always the one choosing for them—sorry, guys.

Environmental sounds – water, wind, the tick of a radiator, a window left open – how do these find their way into what you make?

We used to love using environmental sound samples as they are in our work, but these days we prefer to use them more subtly or in highly processed forms. We believe that any sound can be a great instrument.

How important is minimalism to you when making music for something as slow and interior as growth?

Just because plants grow slowly and gently, we don’t think the music necessarily needs to reflect that. Nevertheless, we believe it’s a nice genre that can effectively portray their growth and possibly help prevent excessive stimuli and stress.

When’s the last time you bought a plant or seeds, and what was it?

Sala – After moving into a new home last year, I bought two plants to keep me company: a Grevillea seedling and a Variegated Jasmine.

Manda – A water-grown plant my mom gave me is growing like a monster. It has round, light green leaves, and there are so many of them.
I don’t know its name. It’s grown so much that it’s taking up three vases now. It’s honestly a little scary.

How do you feel when you see the first sprouts?

Very delightful! As much as we love baby animals, we also love baby plants, born from the ground. They’re so precious.

If you were a plant, what would you be – and why?

Sala – Probably a cactus. I’m really poor at keeping myself hydrated, yet I’m still doing well somehow.

Manda – I wish I could grow into a huge tree, tall enough to watch people moving around from high above and to become a shelter for animals.
But what if I grow so big that people think I’m in the way and decide to cut me down?
That thought suddenly makes me a little worried.

Congrats, you’ve won the plant lottery. Anything you want. What is it?

Sala – If I also won the regular lottery, I would buy a beautiful cottage with a garden where I would plant a big, beautiful willow tree.

Manda –  I would get one box of very fresh cherry tomatoes delivered every week. I really, really love tomatoes. <3 <3 

Check out the Seeds release here – last few cassettes with Basil seeds left!

Soundcloud

Instagram

Tracklist:
C.Debussy – Piano Trio In G Minor, L 3 – 2. Scherzo
Oval – Cross Selling
Salamanda – introduce my atom which is my favorite one
Badlands – My Time Will Come Again
Bon Iver – 29 #Strafford APTS
Maxine Funke – Lucky Penny
Ora Clementi – Paradigm and Places
Salamanda – Kali
Voyage Futur – blending in
Tulips – Rubin
Salamanda – hungry snail
Salamanda – the blue wine
Lia Kohl – Car Horns (feat. Patrick Shiroishi)
Salamanda – Melting Hazard
Carl Stone & Asuna – A Salsa Nocturne
Jason Kolàr – 〒154-0011
Componium Ensemble – Automata (for celesta, glockenspiel and spring-tank guitar)
Salamanda – Full of Mushrooms
Salamanda – La Fille Aux Yeuh De Lin
Ben Lumsdaine – Renormalizer
Nueen – Structure of Desire
Pinkcourtesyphone – to be expected