A part of me has become immortal, out of my control.

Of course, like anybody I repeat myself endlessly, but I don't know that I'm doing it, usually.

John Cage made you realise that there wasn't a thing called noise, it was just music you hadn't appreciated.

If you had a sign above every studio door saying ‘This Studio is a Musical Instrument’ it would make such a different approach to recording.

When I work there are two distinct phases: the phase of pushing the work along, getting something to happen, where all the input comes from me, and phase two, where things start to combine in a way that wasn't expected or predicted by what I supplied. Once phase two begins everything is okay, because then the work starts to dictate its own terms. It starts to get an identity which demands certain future moves. But during the first phase you often find that you come to a full stop.

A studio is an absolute labyrinth of possibilities - this is why records take so long to make because there are millions of permutations of things you can do. The most useful thing you can do is to get rid of some of those options before you start

In the wake of the events of 11 September 2001, it now seems clear that the shock of the attacks was exploited in America.