Radiolab – "Quantum Cello" (August 25, 2008)
Overview
In this episode of Radiolab, host Jad Abumrad explores the creative world of musician and cellist Zoë Keating. The focus is on Keating’s innovative use of live-looping technology, which transforms her cello performances into lush, layered soundscapes. Rather than traditional science journalism, this episode takes listeners on an immersive musical journey, demonstrating how technology and artistry intersect and revealing Keating’s unique path from classical cellist to avant-garde performer.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introduction to Zoë Keating’s Musical Process
- Jad introduces Zoë Keating, noting her live performance contributions to a previous Radiolab live show and describing her setup — a cello, laptop, and foot controllers (00:06–01:37).
- Keating explains live looping: She plays a line on her cello, records it, and layers additional lines atop the first using her foot pedal and computer (01:37–02:45).
- Insightful analogy: Jad likens her process to "little bits of you from the past keep coming into the present" (02:45).
- Keating agrees: "Yeah, yeah, it is like that. Yeah. And sometimes, you know, hearing your past over and over again can get a little boring. So you might want to start changing it." (02:48)
- Managing mistakes: Keating shares: "I make lots of mistakes, then that mistake is repeated over and over and over and over again." (04:18)
- She adds: "You can't do this and be afraid of failure." (04:29)
2. Musical Demonstrations & Creative Approaches
- First piece (untitled, from upcoming record): Keating performs a new, as-yet untitled composition, demonstrating her live-looping and textural layering (05:00–11:37).
- On titling music: Keating avoids concrete titles, preferring to evoke abstract feelings. "As soon as you put a title on something that gives it a meaning... they mean everything and they mean nothing." (12:06)
- Sound experimentation with the cello: Keating describes and demonstrates rhythmic, nontraditional playing—tapping, hitting, bowing the wood—drawing a comparison to "a DJ scratch approach to the cello" (12:59–14:00).
- She initially considered writing such music for an orchestra, but found using technology gave her "immediacy"—she could realize ideas without having to notate or explain them (14:05).
3. Collaboration and Film Work
- Current projects: Keating is primarily composing film scores, including for the documentary "Ghost Bird" (about the ivory-billed woodpecker) and work in the horror genre—despite not enjoying horror films herself (14:31–14:43).
- Horror sounds: She demonstrates creating unsettling, squeaky effects on the cello (15:00).
- "It is amazing that you can just do that... you could just add like one note and then add another note to it and suddenly it's ominous." (15:25)
4. Performance: "Sun Will Set"
- At Jad’s request, Keating plays "The Sun Will Set" (16:14–21:39).
- "That piece is just beautiful. It's just so pretty." – Jad (21:39)
- Beginnings with cello: She started at age eight and describes being "lost" in the vibrations of playing intervals (fifths) on the cello (21:48–22:24).
5. Overcoming Stage Fright
- Keating recounts her debilitating stage fright as a classical cellist, to the point that she once dropped her bow during a public performance (22:30–23:05).
- New direction through improvisation: In college, supporting friends’ dance and film projects, improvisation became her comfort zone. "I've never had stage fright doing that. Like, if I can play my own music, I'm fine." (23:46)
- "If the notes come out of your head versus out of Beethoven's head." – Jad (23:52)
6. Embracing Technology: The Big Idea
- Combining cello with electronic effects: Influenced by living with rock and electronic musicians, Keating started experimenting with pedals and gear (24:10–24:18).
- The WOW moment: "The cello is such a linear instrument... with the looping pedal you could... play more than one instrument." (24:46)
- Hearing mistakes: "I could also hear all the things I was doing badly. That was really interesting." (24:46)
- Mistakes as creative opportunities: "With looping you do [get to fix mistakes from the past]. Because, say you record something and it's a mistake, you might be able to add something to it that might make it sound right." (25:18)
- She cites jazz musicians: "If you make a mistake, do it twice." (25:43)
7. Performance: "Legion's War"
- Keating introduces and performs "Legion's War" (25:53–30:44).
- She confirms a third album is in the works, targeted for release later in the year (30:54).
8. Closing Q&A and Improvisation
- Discovering Zoë Keating online: Her website is zoekeating.com. Jad jokes, "If you just type Zoe and Cello into Google, I think I'm the first thing that comes up." (31:06–31:16)
- Final improvisation: Keating performs an improvised piece to close the episode (31:23–35:07).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On looping and the nature of time:
"It's like little bits of you from the past keep coming into the present."
— Jad (02:45) -
On creative risk:
"You can't do this and be afraid of failure."
— Zoë Keating (04:29) -
On music titles and abstraction:
"They mean everything, and they mean nothing. And so as soon as you put a title on something that gives it a meaning."
— Zoë Keating (12:06) -
On musical experimentation:
"I like to think of it as like a DJ scratch approach to the cello."
— Zoë Keating (12:59) -
Stage fright revelation:
"My hand is shaking. Was shaking so much that I just. I couldn't even get it on the strings. And then I just dropped it."
— Zoë Keating (23:04) -
Improvisation as liberation:
"I've never had stage fright doing that. Like, if I can play my own music, I'm fine."
— Zoë Keating (23:46) -
Creative uses of mistakes:
"With looping you do [get to fix your mistakes]. Because, say you record something and it's a mistake, you might be able to add something to it that might make it sound right... if you make a mistake, do it twice."
— Zoë Keating (25:18–25:43) -
Ending reaction:
"That was so freaking cool. That as an ending."
— Jad (35:07)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:37 – Zoë Keating explains layering cello with live looping
- 05:00 – Live performance of untitled piece
- 12:06 – Keating discusses abstract titling and musical inspiration
- 14:31 – Film scoring projects and horror cello techniques
- 16:14 – Performance: "The Sun Will Set"
- 21:48 – Keating talks about her early connection with cello and stage fright
- 24:18 – Technology, looping, and experimenting with sound
- 25:53 – Performance: "Legion's War"
- 31:06 – Where to find more about Zoë Keating
- 31:23 – Final improvised performance
Radiolab takes a heartfelt detour into the nature of artistic invention, vulnerability, and the interplay between technology and tradition, with Zoë Keating embodying the spirit of experimentation and resilience through her "quantum cello."