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With human beings it could be argued that all music-making is, in essence, grounded in improvisation.

The interesting thing about improvisation is you're making something up in front of the audience. Now music helps you out a little bit because you have an instrument that'll separate you from the audience.

When improvisation is properly applied, it is compositional thinking, sped way up.

The thing about improvisation is that it's not about what you say. It's listening to what other people say. It's about what you hear.

My songwriting process, and maybe loads of other people's, is just this sort of smashing together of emotions and stuff to make some music. It's kind of simple and really complex at the same time and, as you can see, incredibly hard to explain.

People's association with improvisation means one person playing an endless stream of notes over something, and it doesn't have to be.

There's a relationship between music and spirituality and inspiration and to a certain extent improvisation that draws me in, because I don't totally understand it. I know that those relationships have been telling me, since I started making records, where to go. What to write down.

Certain kinds of speed, flow, intensity, density of attacks, density of interaction... Music that concentrates on those qualities is, I think, easier achieved by free improvisation between people sharing a common attitude, a common language.

Improvisation is a compositional method.

It's the music that brings us together.