Interview with Joshua James

I interviewed singer/songwriter Joshua James at the Intersection in Grand Rapids, Mi, on October 1, 2009. Very nice guy, down-to-earth and mindblowingly talented. His performance was so emotive and rockin'. I was blown away!

A Conversation with King Tut

Michele: Thanks so much for doing the interview with me. Can you talk a bit abou tthe new self-released EP coming out very soon, which is your first studio recording, which you recorded in Ashville, NC. What can we expect?

Drew: Mark and I had talked countless times about doing professional recordings of our "live material. The majority of our music that has been heard online are recordings done at home, track for track, and can't be played live. Because of our equipment limitations, we'd never been able to produce a recording that represented/resembled our live music in a way we wanted. So, we went into the studio, surrendered our wallets, and enjoyed the experience all around. Minus the whole wallet issue...

Mark: We decided it was time to get a real nice studio recording of a couple songs from our live set, and we ended up at Altamont Recording. The studio is owned by Todd Kelley, who also owns Smashing Guitars and Endangered Audio. The record was engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered by Clay. We recorded over the course of a two days, and spend another one and a half mixing and mastering. It was a nerve-racking experience, spending so much money on such little time. The studio's rate was $60 an hour, and the final bill for those two songs came out to a little over a grand. That doesn't even include the cost of pressing, which is another $700-800. But it was well worth it--it was definitely one of the most enjoyable musical experiences of my life. The songs are "Francis" and "Rue the Word" and both are available for listening or paid download on T61. Because we love T61 so much, it's literally the only place you'll be able to listen to the songs for free. We're only going to charge for the downloads until we have paid off the recording and pressing, and then the songs will be free again. We're not interested in making lots of money, but we're not all that keen on losing money either. We feel it's not a bad trade to offer 60+ songs for free and humbly asking for help paying for these high quality recordings.

I was surprised to learn that you had been recorded your first album Chopping Wood & Carrying Water on a Mac Laptop in Garage Band and with built-in mic. Were you recording, mixing and mastering everything yourselves?

Drew: The majority of CW&CW was done on Mark's laptop, or my Mac Mini. Although a fair amount of the recordings used the laptop mic alone, we eventually began to use more "sophisticated gear such as USB interfaces and basic/entry level microphones.

Mark: I definitely had access to a few decent entry-level mics (Shure SM57, 58, some AKG condensers) which I ran through a Tascam USB-122. It only has two inputs which meant sometimes I'd record things in stereo, but more often than not, I'd just record two tracks of the same part in mono and then pan them left or right. That's where a lot of the jingly-jangly-fullness of that album comes from. Some of the guitar parts and most of the vocals are overdubbed five or more times--usually one in each headphone, one set a little closer, one closer still, and one directly center. I still do that a lot because it's a great way to cheat and make a poor vocal sound appear more full. I can't remember specifically what parts were recorded with the in-monitor microphone, but probably a lot of the singing and handclapping.

Drew: We certainly weren't working with anything special, and a lot of time was consumed by trial and error, but it was a necessary learning process for both of us to go through. I had no previous experience with recording besides previous projects, and by fitting the stereotypes of the drummer, I had to learn a lot more about audio, electronics, etc. It really has been a positive thing for both of us though. I'm able to give a lot more input with things, and began working on a solo project (Charles Martel) because of it.

Mark: (Apple's) Garage Band was basically what got me started playing music. My friend Luke Brandfon (who wrote the original chord progression for Luke's Hymn) introduced me to it. I saw how he could build a full song pretty quickly by himself and I was floored. He also was the one who got me into looping pedals as well. Those two discoveries made a huge impression on me, and it comes through if you listen closely to the music. The way I began writing music was to find a 4-8 bar phrase that I liked, and I would just play it over and over again until I felt like I had enough time to "play" with and develop the first theme. Then I'd just overdub different guitar and singing and whatever parts until I felt like the first section was done, and then I'd move on to the next part and do it over again. That's why so many of our songs have anywhere between 2-5 distinct parts and no choruses.

It's both an interesting and lazy way to write songs--and I say lazy in that I felt like my composition skills were not (and still aren't) up to the same level of intensity of the feeling I want to express, and so I fall back on easy, great-sounding, happy chord progressions, mostly based off of I-IV-V or its variants. I learned how to hide it well by adding these intense, fast, trippy guitar parts that would draw attention away from the fact that I was doing the same thing over and over again. But a part of me loved that in a way, that you could take the same basic ingredient and each time come up with something different. "The Ocean of Motion" was my celebration of that chord progression, and I just said fuck it and embraced it. I've never really taken lessons in guitar, but in a way, Garage Band were my lessons. I can't say that much mixing or mastering actually happened on that album -- we really had no clue what we were doing. No matter what it was, I almost uniformly boosted the high end, cut the middle, and boosted the bass.

There was one song we recorded "in the studio" but to call the Kenyon College studio a studio in the same breath as Altamont (where we recorded our recent EP) would be, uh, kinda silly.

Drew:The song, "It's All In Your Head, as well as a few drum tracks were recorded at Kenyon College's radio station.

Mark: The laptop setup was great though, because it let me record in a variety of places (some good, some terrible). I wrote "Monsters" and "Koen E Ikimashyo" as well as a few others on my windowsill at my mom's house in Bay Village, Ohio. At the end of "There's No Mountaintop to Yell It From" you can hear my mom calling upstairs to me. Other places I/we recorded were: in my mom's garage, in Drew's basement, in my dorm at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, in the performance space at aforementioned college, at my dad's house in the "fen" (what they call their mix of the family room and den, though I'm not quite sure of the difference anyway), and some other places I'm forgetting at the moment. I wouldn't say the album is mastered in the least, as the levels of the songs vary wildly, and the CD was actually pressed using mp3 versions of most of the songs because I'd lost a lot of the original GarageBand files (they had become corrupt for some reason). All in all, I'd say the music survived the massive uneducated beating I gave it.

Since then Drew and I have both read a lot more about the art of recording and got better equipment along the way too. I now use an Apogee Duet with a Rode K-2 tube condensor microphone. I'm still mixing on headphones, but I think the sound is getting better and tighter. I understand the wonders of compression and light EQ'ing more now, and how much the room you record in influences the outcome. "At the Gates" is one of the better recording jobs I've ever done I think, with the new gear and everything.

Michele: So King Tut is just the two of you: (Mark Boyd on guitar, synth, and cocals and Drew Veres on drums and synth). It's pretty impressive that two people can crank out so much sound and such a variety of music! I mean, your first album had 21 tracks! Do you have a process for writing music?

Drew: Mark definitely gets all the credit for that. There was a time when we lived almost 3 hours apart, and almost every week, anywhere from 1 to 3 new demos would end up in my email or on MySpace. I think the variety of our sound comes from a few other things too. Our musical tastes are pretty broad. I couldn't tell you the last time I listened to the radio or turned on MTV, but there are times when we're on the road to a show and we go from Oscar Peterson to LCD Soundsystem, and then switch on Godspeed You! Black Emperor to finish with Black Moth Super Rainbow. There's definitely a solid list of main influences, but the range of styles we enjoy is just as important. Mark and I both love to record on our own. I think it'd be safe to say for the both of us, that it's incredibly therapeutic. In some ways, it's oddly similar to obsessing over videogames as a child. You're sitting in front of a screen for hours, playing/listening over and over to get to that level/sound you want. Also, whenever some new piece of musical equipment comes in reach, we immediately try to incorporate it into something new.

Mark: Drew hasn't played much of a part in the "recorded" songs so far, but that's rapidly changing. In the past, I've written and recorded a majority of our music by myself, which was silly, because Drew's probably all-around a better musician than I am. Long story short was we wanted to overdub a lot of the songs with drums, but, being the recording amateur I was, I never recorded to a click track, so the result was these songs were incredibly hard to play along to.

One success, however, was "Weeknights." Drew did not do the drums on "Luke's Hymn" (he would have done a much better, less repetitive job)--that was just me recording a single drum/cymbal at a time and overdubbing them. Drew has, however, always had more input on our "live" sound aka what we do when we play live. This might not come as too much of a surprise, but most of the songs we have recorded are never going to be played live. They're just songs for people to listen to. We have definitely neglected our live set for far too long, and we're working on a new direction that is much more jazz-influenced. The songs from our EP can both be played live, though there was some overdubbing in the middle of "Francis" and at the end of "Rue the Word."

"Luke's Hymn" we can also do live, but we haven't played it in a while. The variety of our recorded stuff has resulted mostly from a lot of experimentation with different programs and ways of recording. We used Reason for all of the electronic sounds, and sometimes would combine them with live stuff later in GarageBand. Drew always wants to start side projects for the different genres we do but I'm just like "Whatever dude I don't want to start a whole 'nother MySpace and T61 account just for that." Also, he and I don't like the band name, it sounds kinda stupid, and we want to change it, but I kinda feel like we're too far in and I don't really care all that much, be he still wants to change it. King Tut is easy to remember, I guess it's got that going for it.

Michele: You have plans to include a lot more guest musicians in the future? I would think it would be difficult to perform live if there are just two of you, with so many layers to the music, but maybe not. I saw the Ting Tings last year at Lollapalooza and they're just 2 people knocking out a wall of sound.

Drew: I'd like to think our sound is pretty full for two people. If we didn't use live looping it would be a stretch, but it's something we don't want to seem dependent on. I try to approach drumming as a melodic addition to Mark's guitar playing when applicable too. If you were to add more players to the situation and have me play the same parts I do with just Mark, I'd come off as a total asshole, but at the same time, just playing a steady beat would be a tedious hour of music. For a while, we were determined to find a permanent bassist, but after nothing came through, we ended up feeling it was better to see just how far we can push things as a duo.

Mark: When we play live I use a Boss RC-50 looping pedal, which allows me to record and play up to three independent phrases at a time. Think of it as three normal looping pedals chained up and synced together. As I said before, our live sound is purely instrumental and very different than our recorded stuff. That will change a little as we add more guest musicians, namely, my friend Lorca LH, who will do some singing for us, mostly on the new folk set I'm trying to put together.

Drew: I really like the idea of playing with new musicians to change perspective and approach of playing and listening.

Michele: Speaking of Lollapalooza, any plans to play any summer festivals?

Drew: I'd be interested in playing... Just won't be attending.

Mark: Drew and I always talk about how we'd love to play festivals but never actually go to them. The sound like cesspits to me, with creepy people selling drugs, and people coming to listen to bands but to get fucked up first and foremost. That's cool if that's your thing, no disrespect, it just doesn't sound like a fun time to either of us.

Michele: I've been to a lot of rock shows and festivals and I haven't really come across people selling drugs, smoking a bit but not selling. I think that's probably true about the young kids, but I go to see the bands. After you're married and have kids its tough to get away and see a lot of shows, so by going to a festival, I cram a years worth of concerts into a weeked.

Mark: Playing a festival would be awesome, but we can't even get our act together to get a summer tour going. We've actually never toured and have only booked 2 shows in our history as a band. People ask us to play shows often enough that we don't feel like going to the trouble of booking them around town. The summer tour didn't happen because we waited too long on getting a booking agent (once again, we don't like booking shows) and plus we didn't even have money to press our vinyl, so why waste time touring if we can't sell our new record? I think late fall/winter will be a much more open window for touring. We'll start regionally then work our way around the East Coast, then to the middle and eventually the West if we ever actually get that popular so we're not spending thousands and thousands of dollars on gas 'n' shit with no return moolah. Yeah.

Michele: On the second track on your new album, Rue the Word, you use a sample of Amelia Earhart. What is the significance of her speech to you?

Mark: None whatsoever, it just sounded cool. Drew had a CD called "Great American Speeches" he had to study for his speech class at AB Tech, and we thought it sounded good over it.

Drew: It was just a last minute decision in the studio. It worked out in the end, but we've talked about shortening the length before releasing the 7.

Mark: It actually leads into the Apollo 10 (I think?) Christmas speech, because we were recording it from Drew's computer through a few effects and then into the mixing board, which was a bit of a happy accident because it ends on a pretty cool note.

Michele: You use samples from old movies and that type of thing. Where do you find them?

Mark: We used one sample from an old radio show that was a knockoff of the Twilight Zone I think. Drew will probably remember where he got it. That's in "It's All In Your Head." There are a couple of Timothy Leary speaking on "Here It Is & There It Goes" and I just found those by searching "Timothy Leary .mp3" in Google. Drew found out about this archive of sound which he'll tell you about that is pretty awesome, and I'll probably start using more of that soon.

Drew: I find a lot of samples online, and recently was introduced to freesound.org, which is an amazing resource. The sample used on "It's All In Your Head was from an archive of radio shows originally broadcast in the 50's and 60's. I can't remember the name of the show, but I know it was under science fiction...

I'm also always looking out for things to use at thrift stores and such. I actually have a fair amount of records I've collected with voice samples I'd like to use, but haven't had the time to transfer them onto my computer.

Michele: I love the textured guitar rhythms you create. They are just beautiful. What inspires you?

Mark: I love the band The Books, and I love how they can create these really intricate melodies. They do their stuff with the help of computers, of course, so I don't sound as amazing as they do, but yeah. I basically just take fingerpicking patters and speed them up and then layer different patterns on top of one another, and pretty soon it gets real dense.

Do you have any music videos in the works for the release of the EP? The Luke's Hymn Lonely Monkey video is very cute.

Mark: Haha yeah that video is cute. There is a music video a friend's boyfriend did a while back for "It's Strange" and we have one in the works for "Rue the Word" that our friend Blake in Charolette is going to do.

Michele: I work in the video post production industry, so I'm always interested about videos. The day of the big post house is over in a lot of places. It seems the same for the recording industry. Bands no longer need to have a full studio set up and a superstar producer riding the faders. Bands can self-produce and distribute music at various places on the web. But, you're pressing vinyl. Why do you love vinyl?

Drew: Things have changed a lot in just the past decade, and continue to change at a rapid pace. Although the convenience of recording on your own and being able to control the entire process is a huge part of King Tut, we still have a strong appreciation and admiration for the qualities we couldn't provide on our own. Being able to use priceless vintage equipment from microphones to plate reverb is a total high for geeks like us. We joke at times about how the cliché would be for us to get all hyped up looking at pictures of muscle cars in magazines, but instead we get off to the circuitry of an old microphone. We feel the same way with vinyl too. Mark and I have been collecting records for a few years now, and when you make a good find, or get a record you've been waiting for that is 180 gram, has a poster, and sounds better than when you've heard it before it just feels great. It's something that I've never felt when buying a new CD with a plastic jewel case, a lame foldout, and flat audio… CDs have no real advantage anymore. The majority of people who listen to music might buy a CD, but they get home, put it on their iPod, and that's the end of it. Vinyl just seems to have so much more value all around.

Mark: Typically when you're mixing and mastering for vinyl, you want to get with someone who knows the physics of records. You can't make your mix too loud or it will literally make the needle fly off the record in the loud parts. That said, we did go into a real awesome studio for that record, and got a great product from it. The difference is mostly heard in Drew's drums, though the guitar definitely sounds more full. The reason we're not interested in doing CDs (ever again actually) is because: people don't take care of CDs like they do vinyl, vinyl sounds better (mostly because of a kind of micro-feedback that happens between the needle and the speakers which makes it sound more full), there are more art possibilities with vinyl, and it's more personal and physical and just cool. I feel like people will realize eventualy that CDs were always a big waste of time and eventually they'll go the way of VHS. If people want digital copies of our songs, they can have them (we're sending out free digital copies of the songs with the album). There is literally no quality difference between CDs and what can be played and stored now on people's computers. Most people don't even have a good enough speaker/headphone set up to realize the difference between a .wav and a .mp3. People who don't have turntables are still encouraged to buy the album because it'll come with a ton of free extras, like pressed flowers, handwritten love notes, and 100% original, unique custom art on every single cover done by 30 artists from around the world.

Michele: How is it promoting the music of King Tut via The Sixty One, MySpace, Reverbnation, Pandora, and other online music outlets? Do you spend a lot of time promoting the band online? I would have to think it would be easier and more productive than the old school grass roots methods. Has it really helped grow your fan base?

Drew: Promotion online has been a good friend of ours since the beginning. We've definitely settled down in comparison to how we were early on, but we wouldn't be where we are now without sites like MySpace and The Sixty One. I feel were at a point though where online promotion has done as much as it should for now, and we need to begin trying to play for living people, instead of their online alter egos. Of course the internet would/will be a big help in that, but I'm ready to start trying things from another approach as well.

Mark: MySpace used to be cool, but I've almost totally neglected it since I found T61. People on T61 actually want to hear your music, and you don't get pestered by high school scream-o bands that totally missed the wave 10 years ago (and what a wave that was...). I think printing out flyers for shows if you're not hot shit like Do Make Say Think or Mogwai is crappy and a waste of trees. I don't know if this happens as much in other cities, but nothing bothers me more than people who come up to you on the street, pretend that they want to talk to you and get to know you for about 1.5 seconds, and then shove this mini flyer in your hand as if you didn't have better things to do next Saturday than see a stupid jam band fart on their instruments for 2.5 hours. It's a horrible waste of money on an already un-lucrative endeavor, so we do everything free or cheap. We've never used any spam bots and every message I've sent out to our "friends" on MySpace, or our friends on T61 had been done by me sitting at the computer for hours and hours on end. But it really pays off cause cool stuff like this interview happen because of it. I don't think we would HAVE a fan base if we didn't promote the shit out of ourselves. I think Luke Brandfon is the perfect example of this--don't get me wrong, I love the guy, and I know he's not the kind of person to sit on a computer and send the same thing to a thousand or more people, but if he put just a little more effort into promoting himself I'm sure his music career would take off. You can find him on T61, you'll see what I mean.

Michele: I am sure a lot of 61ers were blown away by the number of tracks you uploaded this past week. What spurred that mass upload?

Mark: Think of it this way: we have 51 tracks of stuff we'd want to make available for download for our friends and fans. If we uploaded them at what is generally considered a fast rate of one song every three days, I would be uploading old ass songs for the next 6 months. And it would be a full time job too. I've never been that sure of how T61 works, and that mass upload was never meant to cramp anyone's style, we just wanted to give our songs away for free. It's kinda funny cause although I love T61 to death, it's the only place on the internet where you can get seriously bitched out for giving away nearly 5 hours of your music for free just because you did it all in one day. I know people want to play the game, but I'm sure there are plenty of people on that site that care more about the music. In the future, we'll do the normal thing where we'll tell everyone the date and time of the upload and let them do the whole discovery thing, and really, it'll be better cause they'll be better songs and people will probably get more points or hearts of bumps or whatever out of them. Most of the people who posted on our wall seemed overwhelmed but happy we did it, so I'm down with those people.

Michele: Kind of funny about how people get mad when you upload a lot of music at T61. Some people are really into the game. I can't deny playing myself. Changing subjects... you mentioned that you're building this effects unit called The Gristleizer, which you use in the song "Pages & Pages". What is exactly is a gristleizer? Are you selling them?

Mark: The Gristleizer is the name given to what is basically a portion of an analog synth removed from its housing and put into an effects pedal. The original circuit was designed by a sixteen year old kid for an electronics project magazine. The effect was popularized by the band Throbbing Gristle, who many consider to be the first industrial band. The thing is, though, the original circuit was flawed (give the kid a break, he was 16), so my boss, Todd Kelley, working under the company name of Endangered Audio, spruced it up to the point that it would keep the same character but sound and work better. It involves a voltage controlled amplifier and filter, which is a fancy way of saying it can go from being a really classy sounding tremolo to a fucked up dirty ass ring mod and anywhere in between. I got involved in the project during our recording session, when we actually used The Gristleizer on the final part of our song "Rue the Word" (an Omni-chord run through TG). Todd needed people to help solder and assemble it (they're all handmade in the shop, Smashing Guitars in Asheville). I didn't know a lick about electronics until I started working there. After the first run of table-top versions, there was a bit of a lull when I started working with Rhodes pianos. At first I was re-winding broken pickups and since then I've learned how to tune and voice them. Eventually I'll be able to rebuild one from the ground up. We're also working on a whole bunch of a new pedals and remakes of classic effects that saw limited production. In the next couple weeks, we'll start R&D on custom guitar pickup winding and will also eventually build our own shop lapsteel. As you can see, this is the best fucking job in the world.

Michele: And, you were a finalist on BBC's Next Big Thing Contest, with your song What You're After. That is pretty awesome. Congratulations! Has that brought you a lot of attention and opportunity?

Mark: Other than bragging rights? No, not that we know of! It was fun though. We dreamed of playing at the BBC, but maybe someday.

Michele: Thanks again for the interview. You guys are incredibly talented and I really enjoy your music. Best of luck with your new release.

Mark: THANKS AGAIN! You're the bestest.

A Conversation with Sum: The Lone Wolf

All of you from The Sixty One are certainly familiar with SumKid. I spoke with him about his incredible new album with Belief, The Lone Wolf. It is available at iTunes, The Orchard and all over the web and I highly recommend it. It's one of those albums that gets under your skin and you just want to listen to it over and over.

A Conversation with Sum: The Lone Wolf from Michele Yamazaki on Vimeo.

A Conversation with Garcia Freundt

I was contacted about the band Modernage about reviewing their album Sirhan Sirhan. The music is fantastic, with sort of a Joy Division feel, but with much more warmth and melody. What really struck me, though, was the cool video. I had recently been complaining about how videos nowadays just seem like a way to market a band and there's a lack of art in a lot of music videos. The music video for the song Creatures uses stop motion with wired up stuffed toys. What is also great about Creatures is that the video was created by a band member. I talk with the multi-talented Garcia Freundt of Modernage, musician and visual effects artist.

MY: You did an amazing stop motion video for your band Modernage for the song Creatures. Do you have a background in photography and video?

GF: I've been working on tv and film for about 12 years. I've never been into photography, just took a couple of classes in college, but I'm thinking of buying a still camera but mainly to work more on stop motion.

MY: Have you done much stop motion work? This looks like a huge undertaking.

GF: This is my second project with stop motion. I've always liked stop motion because it is a unique medium. I fell in love with the textures of the environment and the not-so-perfect movements. My opportunity to explore this medium for the first time was last year, when I was asked to develop some Halloween IDs for a TV cable network. I instantly knew that it would be a great opportunity to create a bizarre world... the short length of the pieces - 10 to 12 seconds - was perfect for a first timer using this technique.

Another reason I like stop motion is the fact that you don't have to work with a lot of people. It's kinda like sculpting and painting, it's very different that normal filmmaking. Roberto Vasconcelos, a great DP I love to work with, worked with me on all the shots with the yellow background, but that's the only person I had to work with.

MY: One shot in the beginning that grabbed me was the change of focus from the rocker to the marble. There's a lot narrow depth of field shifts thought the video, actually. Was that type of effect something you pulled off in camera or in post?

GF: That change of focus was done just with the camera. I was using an HVX200. For the stop motion, I just used the feature in which the camera takes only 2 frames each time you press the record button. In that rack focus I was rolling at 24fpsand with one hand out of the frame I was moving the rocking chair and with the other one I was turning the focus wheel. In general, I've always loved a narrow depth of field and using mainly close-ups to tell stories, and it's easier to get a narrow depth of field when using tight close ups.. so it just works for me.

MY:I'm guessing you took large images and did your pans and zooms in a program like After Effects. Can you talk a bit about your post production process?

GF: Almost all the pans and zooms were done with the camera rolling at 24fps. I tried to stay away from moving the puppets while doing camera moves... maybe for the next project.

MY: What type of plug-ins do you like to use? For the film effect for example, did you use a plugin on that or use some other method to achieve the old film look?

GF: For the film look I just put a vignette (to give it a more fairy tale look) and just added some grain to reduce the sharpness of the video.

MY: Nice particles too!It looks like you shot a portion of it over greenscreen too. You really have a lot of different techniques in a single video!

GF: The only 3 sequences with post effects where done with Motion; the first one is the ball going up and turning into a "planet". The second was the pink puppet going up to the planet (the puppet was on a green screen). The last one was a composite the grey puppet looking at the pink one who is in the planet. The star field is a Motion particle.

MY: I love Motion particles. They're so easy to use and so fast. I'll admit, I've only done stop motion work once and it was in college. It didn't turn out too well. I know stop motion can be tedious work... everything must be so precise. Do you have any methods that you use to time things out?

GF: It really didn't take me a lot of time to do the filming, maybe 20 to 25 hours. The post didn't take me that much either, just working on the three composites I described earlier. With stop motion you don't do much editing, because you don't do any coverage - its very time consuming; you just plan every scene and know in you head how it's going to cut. However, the pre-production part was the longest one but to me the most fun - it took me 5 months, working whenever I had a chance; this involved designing and sewing the puppets and building and painting the set. I guess I didn't want it to end because I love doing stuff with my hands.

MY: So, the dolls... did you put wires inside to get them to pose or did you have another technique?

Yes, I used wires. Now I'm actually learning how to make proper dolls with armatures. The dolls I made were very rudimentary, and I had a lot of problems making them stand right or to have controlled movements...it was a bit of a nightmare, but a learning experience.

MY: How long did it take to make the video? Did you learn any good tricks?

GF: Over a period of seven months, working on it whenever I felt like it. If I had worked on it not taking breaks, maybe 20 days for pre-pro, 6 days for filming and 5 days for post. I started working on it long before the song was recorded. For me, like everything I do, it is just a stepping stone: don't make the same mistakes and build on the good things. I learn by doing.

MY: The opening scene reminds me of something by The Brothers Quay? Do you have any influences in your work? That moving potato is very creepy! The "eyes" look like tentacles.

GF: Yes, among my favorites are the Quay Brothers, Henry Selick and the works of czech animators like Jirí Trnka and Jan Svankmajer. I included the potato cause I always like the "eyes" that grow on them. It gives the potato character...

MY: What do you do in the band?

GF: Keyboards, guitars...and the videos.

MY: When you do a video like this for your band, does everyone have input or do you just do what you envision?

GF: I enjoy doing videos for Modernage mainly because I love the music. I love Mario's lyrics because he has a great sense of storytelling. When I heard the track I felt that it would be good for stop motion. I do most of my creative thinking in bed, right before going to sleep, when my mind is in that weird half-sleep state. I developed the main story line in my head and on the next band rehearsal I showed Mario, the singer, the IDs I had done using this technique, to see his reaction and propose to do a stop motion video for "Creatures", since he was the one who wrote the song. After I showed him the IDs, before I proposed anything, he said: "that's exactly what we should do with Creatures!".. and with that I started working on it.

MY: Have you done other videos as well?

Creatures" is the fourth video I've done for Modernage. I've also done one for a band called "Santos Renuentes" and another one for "Union Cell".

The other 3 Modernage videos are here if you wanna take a look:

• 7/9/12 video for Modernage's 7/9/12 from the EP Sirhan Sirhan.
• Bella - The second video-single off of Modernage's debut EP Receiver.
• Four Eleven - The first hit video off of Modernage's 'Receiver' EP.

MY: Thanks so much for the interview. Best of luck with your music and music video careers! I really love your video work. You have a lot of variety in your style and you're so talented in both fields.

GF: Thanks again!

Bands from other Lands: It's a Hidari!

This interview was done in August 2008 by Charlie Daugherty aka Zagaduba. Enjoy!

In a downtown city sprawl, lies a coastal city of Kobe, Japan. Across the street from a convenient store and up a spiral staircase is a lounge where the sounds of something unique lingers. Sometimes these resonances can be heard on the street in ill-shaped stone-covered parks. Wherever heard the band Hidari is sure to follow.

Some of their songs, although seemingly shallow, have a deep and rich soundscape that pulls the listener in with its smooth lyrics and atmospheric tunes. There is a bite and a punch to the songs driven by the rock music foundation that doesn't falter even on top of the synths and catchy sound effects.

The band consists of its three members Hiroshi Ohta, guitarist and vocalist, Daisuke Kozuki, the bassist, and Justin Bacon, known in Japanese as the Mecha or producer of beats and sounds. Having formerly lived in Olympia, Justin is the band’s newest member with his foreignness occasionally exploited as one of the selling points or novelties of the band. Although most of this is contrived you can find Justin ejecting random gibberish in English as onlookers stare in fascination. Justin is also the pioneering individual introducing the band to an international audience. They can be found stomping Internet playgrounds like MySpace, Last.FM, and The Sixty One. You can also find them at there website hidaridesu.com. Recently I had a chance to do an email interview with the band highlighted as follows (some of the responses have been translated from their original Japanese):

Charlie: So, Justin, compared to music you’ve done in the past what’s unique about being in the band Hidari? And what does being the Mega mean?

Justin Bacon: First of all, it's actually 'Mecha', and it is proficiency in building, using and repairing machines of all shapes and sizes. It is augmented by my intelligence score.

Before joining Hidari, I've always been a solo artist focused on recording and never played my own music live. Now I am doing shows on a weekly basis, and all across the country. In terms of recording, I am focusing more on composition and sequencing since I don't have to worry about trying to play guitar or bass with my hamfingers or getting a decent and in-tune take for a lead vocal with my wobbly vocal cords. Which is nice.

C: My bad... Before I ask this next one is it correct of me to say that people call your music Japanese pop rock right?

J: You can call it whatever you like. Nobody ever knows what to call it.

C: Given that problem what do you yourself call it? What kind of walls do you run up against when compared to other music in Japan?

J: Oh, I don't know. Not to be too pedantic, but I always resist classifying music unless it's clearly idiomatic and the musicians seem to be intentionally trying to replicate something else or create something that fits into a particular genre. Our music is definitely rock, it's got a certain retro bent to it, it's catchy, so I think power pop is pretty accurate. But there are also elements of chiptunes and classical music (mostly from me). The other day we were called Techno Pop, our label calls us Shibuya-kei and Japanese New Wave. Which is fine - they all have elements of truth, I suppose–but one consequence of not being easily categorizable is that the label doesn't seem to be quite sure how to market us, and we get booked for extremely odd shows. We play with everything from prog and punk bands (generally our friends who we play with locally are more on this side of the spectrum) to cutesy pop groups and generic J-Rock outfits. The oddest show we've played would have to be the time we opened for the insipid girl pop group Perfume, who have since taken over the airwaves in Japan. We sold a lot of CDs and t-shirts at that show, though, so apparently there's some crossover.

C: What kind of exposure have you gotten overseas? Do you think a Hidari avalanche is possible?

J: Sure, we tend to attract foreigners when we play downtown, and I think our music is quite accessible... excepting the lyrics, of course. All of our exposure outside of Japan thus far has pretty much been through websites like thesixtyone.com and to a lesser degree, MySpace and their ilk, and we've had a decent response. One barrier in the U.S. is that people generally seem put off by things that aren't in English. How else do you explain Hollywood spending millions of dollars to remake Japanese films almost shot for shot just so audiences don't have to strain their eyeballs reading subtitles. Personally, I think we have a better shot in Europe.

C: Do you ever have communication issues how do you get along outside of doing sets?

Daisuke Kozuki: There aren’t really any big communication issues. It's a matter of perspective I guess. Justin is serious about music and friendly so I would have to say no.

Compared to way back when we were young we don’t hang out nearly as much but rather then being due to bad relations its just become less of a necessity to be together all the time I think. When we’ve already been together for a long time and know each other real well for example. We like taking advantage of meeting new people and trying new things. However, even now we’ll occasionally go out partying or end up doing birthday parties which is always fun. It’s definitely one of our specialties.

C: Daisuke, you’re always the one with the highest energy at shows where does it come from?

D: Originally I was never the type to show off on stage, I didn’t really like that. But I can remember seeing ourselves on TV without any movement. It gave too much of a visual like we were detached and unfocused. I thought this was a problem seeing as when we played on the street not very many people stopped to listen. So I thought, lets stop some people, and that's when the crazy movements started.

C: This ones for Hiroshi, as the vocalist what was it that pushed you to join a band and sing? If you weren’t in a band what would be taking up your time?

Hiroshi: It wasn’t about wanting to join a band and singing. Casually, I tried writing some songs and since they turned out pretty well that started me in music. As for becoming the vocalist there wasn’t any other singers in the band. If I weren’t in a band I’d be leading a more serious life I believe.

C: Ok well finally is there any cryptic news about the release of a new album?

D: Naturally our music now compared with our previous albums is a little different. Justin is included in the new album for one. This time around challenging ourselves with something different has been important and interesting I think. Just producing art that's been well crafted has always been our one vision.

C: Alright, that's all for the interview thanks for your time.

A Conversation with TETRAEON by myktoronto

Two young guys, an ocean apart, jointly pulsing the airwaves with sweet soothing trance... I give you one of my favorite duos on t61 TETRAEON !

mykroronto: I was reading your bio where it said you started with a gaming community of two and a theme song "Relentlessly Destructive and Corrupted". That’s a pretty cool beginning.

Raju: About a year ago me and Alex were playing on the same server in a game called Team Fortress 2. We were just messing around, singing strange songs, and screaming at each other, so we added one another as friends in the community after the game.

Alex: As we got to know each other more, we found out we had a lot in common, and started to get to know the other person more personally. We talked over MSN and soon were having regular video chats.

Raju: And that's when the "freaky shit" started happening.

myktoronto: I know your music has certainly progressed over the past year, what about the gaming community? Do you still play?

Alex: Ha, we still play the game, but the community (Random Destruction Clan) started going downhill, and we started focusing more on the music.

myktoronto: So, Raju, is that London, Ontario, Canada, or London, U.K.? I know that Alex lives in Toronto.

Raju: London, UK.

Alex: I wish it was London, Ontario. That would be a lot more convenient!

myktoronto: I think one of the greatest things about the internet is enabling artists and individuals the ability to collaborate in real-time. Have you guys ever met in person?

Raju: No, but it has been planned, and we are meeting this coming summer.

Alex: We're definitely going to be taking advantage of our time as a "musical group" in the same continent, so we're most going to take pictures and hopefully set up live gigs here and there. We'll keep you posted. :D

myktoronto: That would be great meeting you guys and hearing you at a venue. Being a photographer and a music geek I especially enjoy an opportunity to take concert shots. When did you buys get interested in playing and composing as opposed to just listening to the music you love?

Raju: First it started in year 2, when I was about 6 years old, and I loved the hymns and stuff, I joined the school choir, and when I got to secondary school I joined the boys choir. Around 2001 I began my love for trance, about the time when such songs as Delirium - Silence, and artists like DJ Tiesto were hitting it big. Since being 11 years old, I had played piano, and taken grades 1 till grade 5, and I continue to take my grade 8 next year. In 2005, with my love for metal and rock blooming, I took up guitar and bass, and in 2003 I took up clarinet, and moved on to the saxophone which I later gave up due to boredom. It has only been in the past year that my love for trance music has once again struck me, but this time I feel I need a new path with my love in music.

Alex: In public school, when I was 6 years old, I was in the choir and played the recorder like the rest of the kids. But my real musical interest started a few years after, when I got this really cool toy keyboard as a gift for christmas. I was playing around with it and, I guess it grew into a larger interest. Up through Grade 8, I played the trumpet in school, but lost interest as the guitar and piano appeared on my radar. My musical interest drifted from classic rock of the past decades to new rock, techno, and orchestrated songs at around 2005. I played the piano more as I grew older, and soon the guitar was set aside and my focus was solely on the keyboard. Then I became interested in music on computers, and started messing around with full programs such as Garageband and demos of others, such as FL Studio and Audacity. The more I played with these, the more I learned about musical composition, and how a track is arranged to make it appealing to the listener. Nowadays my interest is still on the keyboard, working with new synths and voices, and learning new techniques to play better.

myktoronto: So, why trance? What grabs you about it?

Raju: In trance, there is nothing that can hold you back, in terms of style and content, and in terms of the actual ambiance of the music.

Alex: To be honest, I didn't even know trance existed until a few years ago, when I was 14. When you hear it, it hits you. This music is the definition of freedom and customization. Anything is possible, and variety is everywhere. Trance is like the photography of music - it's pure, and it's real.

myktoronto: Are your family and friends supportive in your musical endeavors and aspirations?

Raju: Yeah, my friend friends all enjoy our music and cheer me and Alex on. My family is not into the kind of music we make, but they support us as well.

Alex: In Canada, trance isn't as popular, and many of my friends didn't know what it was we were making. Later on, they warmed up to it, and now interest is spreading. My family supported me from the beginning, and they actually seem to enjoy the music.

myktoronto:What was the first CD you ever bought?

Raju: Hybrid Theory, by Linkin Park, probably the best CD on the planet. Around 2005 it was the first album I ever bought independently. I love Slipknot, they are my favorite band, but this album is probably the god of all albums. It has the techno, the metal, the R&B, the rave, it's just, ****ing in there.

Alex: I think it was Out of Exile by Audioslave. I still listen to that CD. Chris Cornell has an amazing voice, it really sticks with you after the songs are done. I guess it goes to show how a memorable voice can make or break an album, and in this case, it made it.

myktoronto: If I were just getting into trance what three tracks, new or old, and from any artist, would you recommend to introduce me to the genre?

Raju: Castles In The Sky by Ian Van Dahl, The Future by DJ Joop, and The Theme by Jurgen Vries.

Alex: Last Experience by Nu NRG, Ride (Remix) by DJ Tiesto, and Castles In The Sky by Ian Van Dahl.

myktoronto: With the amazing array of performance and recording software available, what kind of equipment do you use?

Raju: I use a DELL 720 XPS System, Goodman's UniDirectional Dynamic Microphone (ACC2011), Logitech Webcam (for microphone use), FL Studio, and Sony Erricson K850I's sound recorder.

Alex: A MacBook Pro 15" 2.4 Ghz Dual Core Laptop, Logitech ClearChat Pro 2.0 USB Microphone, Garageband 08, and a Yamaha PSR-E203 (YPT-200) keyboard are what i use.

myktoronto: Does one of you take the lead with creating a track or is it pretty much back and forth? Do you have areas you specialize in individually, like is one of you the percussion guy and the other more into the instrumental bits?

Raju: I am solely based in creating the music, although Alex contributes around 30% into the tunes used, and the beats made. The lyrics and names are generally 100% from him. I just have the technology, the knowledge and musical understanding, making me musically-apt.

Alex: I think of myself as a main sounding board. I come up with themes and ideas for songs, then Raju begins on a beat and the song. I contribute what I can, modify some areas, and suggest what I think will make the song better. I'm more of a lyricist - sometimes I can't believe the song names I come up with, or the lyrics that I write.

myktoronto: Where do you see yourselves or wish to see yourselves five years from now?

Raju: That's a difficult question for me, I know my families expectations, and my sensible expectations, would draw me towards a career in science, although my dreams have always dragged me towards a musical career. Although I feel it is a distant "dream", it is something I have always wanted, more than anything, and I'd give anything to have it.

Alex: I've always loved the film industry, and I'd really love to take up a career as a director in the future. I've never really seen myself as a complete musician, but as time passed with Tetraeon, I thought about what could happen. It's really cool, how that something that originally started out for fun turned into an event that we look forward to each week, an outlet for our creativity and feelings, and a way to introduce others to the genre. Really, you never know until you go for it, and there is always an event waiting to be found.

myktoronto: What's the funniest or stupidest thing to happen when you were making music?

Raju: It was when I stood in the pouring rain, in the middle of a thunderstorm, with my mom shouting at me to come back inside, as I was trying to record a thunder sample for one of our songs, which unfortunately turned out to be one of the worst ones that we have ever made (Epos035).

Alex: Hmmm... It would have to be either when we were recording the vocals for "Relentlessly Destructive and Corrupted", where we had to basically cry at each other for 5 minutes straight, in very strange voices, or when we had a "revelation" for a song name, in which mispronunciation transformed "The Reason We Came" to equal "Freezing Kaine".

myktoronto: OMG... that’s hilarious... well certainly no one could doubt your dedication to authenticity and creativity in your music.

***this interview was written a few months ago I apologize to Alex and Raju for the delay in getting this posted. It was the result of part circumstances in my life and part procrastination.

Certainly Tetraeon has not let the time go by idly as you can hear by visiting their MySpace and other social networks listed here and on their t61 profile.

Thanks so much guys for you patience and all the great tracks!

merchandise • GarageBand • YouTube • MySpace • Stereofame • email

A Conversation with The Shift

This is a conversation with Arrie Oliver of The Shift by mathmanmrt.

mathmanmrt--I notice that the gig you have up on your artist page is going to be in Georgia. Are you guys originally from Georgia? If not where are you guys from?

Arrie Oliver--Absolutely! We were all born and raised in Atlanta, and have pretty much lived here all of our lives. That being said, we've done I think just about everything there is to do in this wonderful city though, so it's wearing on us a bit, haha. If anyone reading this lives in Atlanta, shoot us some ideas for a great Saturday night, because even an insane pack of guys like us can't find anything fun to do!

How did you get together as a band?

Well, it's actually an epic tale of love, betrayal, loss, fortune, and fame. But in a nutshell, Seyt and I (Arrie) have been best friends since we were 3 years old. We've been practically inseparable our whole lives. We were at Summer camp one year, I think as we were going into 11th grade, and we wrote our first song. It felt really good to create, and everyone we showed (even though it was DEFINITELY a juvenile attempt, haha) really liked our song. To be able to affect and inspire people with just an experience you've had turned audio, is the absolute most amazing feeling in the world. I started learning guitar, and he learned drums, and here we are today. We added Chad and Ben, our amazing guitarist and bass player, respectively, and even though the core of the band really consists of Seyt and myself, we'd love to find really permanent members who are as dedicated as we are.


How did you come up with the name of your band? Does it have significance?

Seyt and I were sitting around one day, and came to the realization that we really needed a name for our musical ventures. We chose "The Shift" for various reasons. First off, pursuing music was quite literally a huge "shift" for us out of a lot of our previously defined comfort zones. This band was in our minds a sure harbinger for greater musical horizons, in addition to new life experiences. It's something we've decided to stick with till the end... and while musical pursuits, and such a long commitment might sound very fickle to some, to us it's everything we love, and what we feel like we're here to do. Not only that, but we've been best friends our whole lives, so I don't think we could even escape being in some sort of musical group if we had to. Second, it was a huge stylistic change for us from what we had previously been playing (the hardcore scene wasn't really our thing, haha) so we just felt it fit. Mainly it's the first part of the answer though :-P


What kind of musical experiences did you guys have before you got together? What kind of music were you listening to when you were growing up?

Well I really was raised on Folk and Country music, so I was naturally a child of the pop scene in every sense of the term. I like powerhouse choruses, vocal harmony, and the songs "Empty Apartment" by Yellowcard and "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne (I'm prepared to get thrashed about this, haha) totally shaped my mind as far as what an ideal song should sound like, haha. Seyt was raised by wolves (Finnish people) on Speed Metal. He's extremely technical if I don't bash him into a pop mold, but never fails to impress me with his unique blend of stylistic flair. On the recordings, naturally, he has to hold back a bit, but when people see us live, they're really impressed by the raw energy he brings to performance. As far as experiences we had together, we were always in bands together and/or with mutual friends, and about 10 people in our immediate lives sort of all grew as musicians together. We were the only ones that took it to the next level and actually decided to pursue anything musically related though.

How do you go about writing your songs? Is there a collaborative process or is there a member or members more responsible for song writing than others?

It's definitely a little bit of both; let me clarify. Essentially, I end up writing all of the songs, be it music and lyrics, but as far as shaping the song after that skeleton is formed, some of the best hooks in our songs are not even often added by me. Seyt definitely has a huge influence over the sound of the songs, if not just as much as I do in initially shaping them. They're usually my experiences, and he helps me express them accordingly.

What do you think are the biggest influences on your sound? And how long did it take you guys to develop your sound?

Well, it took a very long time to develop our sound. It took 4 years of pretty much just trying every style of music and learning everything we could about music to narrow things down. We spent time in hardcore, metal, rock, country, punk, ska bands and even a jazz group before we really found what we wanted. Our biggest influences I'd have to say would be the bands Blink-182 and Stratovarius. A VERY odd combination indeed, but they really influenced our individual style of playing even though there aren't so many direct stylistic similarities. But yeah, so one day I came to Seyt with an idea (a song now called "Innocence" ) and he loved it. So we ran with what we had; a pop-rock group that was going to forge amazingly melodic, somewhat technical, and extremely moving music.

Your website, heartheshift.net, says you have an album on the way. Is it available for purchase yet?

Although it's not available for purchase, it is DEFINITELY in the works, and it sounds really good so far. I wish there was a preview I could offer you, but unfortunately it would violate some agreements with our producer. Keep checking the website, and you're bound to see something soon. The interesting thing about the website is that it's really only there as a quick reference. See, websites are very impersonal, and they provide little if any actual interactive content. We much prefer websites like T61 just due to the fact that there's so much more opportunity for communication with the people who actually listen to our music rather than just sending them aimlessly to a place on the web.


All of your songs are currently downloadble for free. That's a great way to treat your fans. What went into that decision?

It was literally not much of a decision. In fact, it was just a no-brainer for us. We want people to hear and be inspired by our music. And if it means them downloading them for free, then so be it. Plus if it weren't for people spreading music, then we wouldn't be anywhere. Fans are just as crucial in the process as we are. We don't look at it as a way to treat them, as much as we look at it as something they deserve.

I believe you are going to college. Are any of the other band members? And what are you all studying?

We are all in school at the time of this interview. Seyt is studying to be a chef, Chad is studying to be an engineer, Ben is studying to be a teacher, and I'm studying to be an English major. We don't really know what we want to do with any of that other than support the music we make. Music, music, music. After we graduate from school, well, more music. College is great for spreading the musical word though, for sure. It's opened a lot of doors for us.

What do you mean by that last bit about opening doors for you?

School opened a lot of doors, and was a great move. We met TONS of new people, which gave us more honest feedback on our music, and caused us to be even more critical of ourselves. It also opened doors for us socially, which increased our networking and communication skills with not only individuals but also more massive audiences. We also met a lot of very wise people in the music program that taught us a lot about the actual musical side of things, and even though neither Seyt or I are classically trained, it was definitely a great learning experience.

Over on your myspace page you have a cool song called "Springtime." Any plans to put that up on the sixtyone?

We might, it's definitely a bit of a stylistic deviation from our usual sound, but who knows. It's definitely a good song, and I encourage everyone to go check it out. It was one of the first songs we actually ever recorded, and it's definitely more upbeat. Although we've moved away from that sound a bit, it's still a great and energetic song to play, and the absolute best sound-check song ever, haha.

Are there any songs you like to cover? If so, what?

Well, we all have our personal favorites. And even though we don t usually throw in covers, a couple songs we've played in the past couple months include: "Crazy for This Girl" by Evan and Jaron, "Hemorrhage" by Fuel, "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys, "Enlightened by The Cold" by Shadows Fall (that was a one time thing, haha), and "7 Things I Hate About You" by Miley Cyrus. Yes, a very diverse group of covers, but we like to throw it up a bit. It's always fun to do stuff like that, and if anyone has any suggestions, we ll play whatever you can throw at us. ;-)

Of course no interview for maxbumps would be complete without this question, so let me ask you how you heard about the sixtyone and what you think about it so far?

Well, to be honest, I heard about it completely by fluke. I was literally really bored one night when I started clicking random links off of a couple of music-related websites, and I don't really know how, but I ended up at the T61 homepage. I created a profile, uploaded a song, and people really gave us a positive response, so I stuck around. T61 is an AMAZING community of listeners and artists, and it 's constantly growing into an even better environment for everything music. It's built off of a very unique system and a very fun idea. Props to the creators!

Your drummer is listed as Seyt, son of Jorg. What's up with that?

Well, his real name is Tzvi Weinreich . Try pronouncing that :-) So we gave him a stage name after his favorite drummer, Jorg Michaels of Stratovarius, and it just sorta stuck. The name Seyt honestly came from someone slurring his real name, and for some reason that stuck too. Kind of an odd background, but that s exactly what happened.

Have you been putting together any songs for another album?

Absolutely! In fact, we never stop writing, and it sometimes turns into a problem. We keep writing better and better music, and can't ever decide what to actually track on the record. I have nearly 200 songs written on my computer, some of which I have demos of, but when we went into the studio we had a list of about 50 songs that we had to narrow down to 12. Talk about your all-time hard decisions.

With respect to the last questions, what are your plans for The Shift for future?

We want to pursue music. We're currently looking for a manager/management team so we can take the next necessary steps in our musical career, but that proves to be hard. Any fingers in the right direction would be great. Long term though, we love music. It's absolutely everything in the world to us, and it's everything we want to do for the rest of our lives. So what the future has in store, we have no clue, but what we will be doing is taking this as far as we can for as long as we have the will within us. We have such a drive and passion for all of this, that nothing ever stops us from taking the next step, and we can't be slowed down. I don't mean to sound conceited, honestly, but we just love what we do so much, that we can't afford to let anything get in the way.

What have I missed? Tell me anything you think we need to know about you that I haven't thought to cover.

Well, we pretty much summed up everything that has needed to be said. Thanks so much for the interview, and I really hope that I didn't leave anything out, haha. All I really want is for people to listen to our music and try to take it for what it is. We've put so much into this and it's what we love doing more than anything else in the world. Tell your friends, family, loved ones, or whoever, so that maybe just one other person can get what we do from these songs and all that we do. And if you live in the Atlanta area, come see us live. We promise not to disappoint. And talk to us if you'd like! We're goofy, fun loving guys, and we're gonna throw our contact information up on our profile page in a couple days.

An Interview with Heavy Jack

The following is an interview with Heavy Jack, one of my favorite bands on T61.

On July 15th, 2008, I met Heavy Jack. From the moment I heard their music I was seriously blown away. Not long after posting a comment on their wall I was even more amazed that thee seasoned musicians were so young yet performed with a solidity of an established band.

I have never seen 20 wall posts on a band's 'wall' for just the first upload. The enthusiasm these guys generate through their hard driving music and grateful acknowledgment of listener appreciation is contagious.

Here's the story of a band of brothers in their own words. I asked the questions and here are their unedited responses.

myktoronto: How did you come up with the name Heavy Jack?

Ben Falk: Heavy was always going to be part of the name in regards to the Heavy rhythm section that Adam and Jon laid down. Initially I thought of Heavy Cherry and envisioned this massive cherry. However after closer consideration a massive cherry wasn't a moniker any of us wanted to wear.

Adam Falk: Both me & Jon agreed that it needed to be Heavy something and I suggested Heavy Jack - Jack being the name of Ben's guitar whom he had named in memory of our Grandfather, Jack, a proud Canadian soldier. If you want to meet Jack you can find him relaxing inside the J of the Heavy Jack sign on the main entrance page of our website www.heavyjack.com

myktoronto: So, about your first gig... how did it go? Anything embarrassing, funny or incredible happen?

Ben: There are two gigs that come to mind, but the one that meets the true definition of "first gig" would be at "Manhattan's," a local pub in Cowtown, so not quite New York. I was outside the Mac's convenient store with some buddies when I heard music coming from Manhattans. I was underage at the time but I strolled in and talked to the owner Mark. He was really supportive of local indie music and was just a really nice guy. We had a great time and great night that show. Shortly there after we headed west and moved to the Okanagan Valley on B.C. Canada to look after our other Grandfather Jake (not Jack) where events would come together that would eventually lead to the gig that solidified our commitment to Rock & Roll.

Jon: When we arrived in the Okanagan we had a chance encounter with a resident nurse Bernie, who was looking after our Grandfather in the extended care hospital. He heard our sound and suggested when we were out in Vancouver we go see his brother-in-law.

Adam: His brother-in-law was John McLaughlin, an Entertainment Columnist for The Province Newspaper in Vancouver. We showed him the demo CD we had recorded at the time & he said he knew some people @ the Yale and he would pass it on to them.

Ben: We lined up the show and had three weeks to come up with three hours of material so we headed back to the Okanagan and made that home. A local Penticton Pub, Cousin Larry's, gave us the ability to road test our sets for the upcoming gig at the Yale. Our show was on a Thursday night the 20th of September, nine days after 9/11. We didn't know what type of atmosphere we would be walking into. Turned out that there was an ample crowd but not a full house for a Thursday night. We were still underage at the time and when we showed up we heard the usual remarks like, "great, what are we in for tonight?" and ," What is this the Hanson brothers???" We set-up and fired off a quick rendition of Gate Mouth Brown's ,"Better Off With the Blues," for sooooouuuuund check. Which quickly grabbed peoples attention and quashed the earlier comments.

Jon: The show didn't start till nine so we decided to take stroll up Granville street to help with the nerves, leaving all our gear unattended on the stage.

Ben: We get back and are informed that "This is the big city boys and leaving your gear unattended is not a very wise move." We then began our three hour tour of the Yale stage, dropping originals and covers alike in front of an enthusiastic crowd. At the end of it of it all we felt pretty damn proud of our selves and were certain that this was the road for us.

myktorontoIs there one of you that does the majority of songwriting and where do your themes come from?

Ben: As the guitarist I do most of the writing however anything I bring to the table is then re-evaluated as a band. The approach to song writing I choose is kind of a different process in my view.

When I first started out on the guitar I took lessons from a local guitar instructor Brian Griffiths. An incredible player who has a great story himself (read some on our website www.heavyjack.com) He taught me how to listen more than read and how to feel more than play. This was done using Blues as the vehicle for inspiration.

My buddy at the time, Dan, handed me a cassette tape with a few Hendrix songs on it. The one that spoke to me was "Red House" from there I became enthralled with Blues artists like John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy. When I got back into the Rock guys. I heard a definite thread that connected them to the blues. In reading about both musical scene's, the blues scene and the rock (mid 60's mid 70's) in guitar magazines and other resources, I became puzzled in the conclusion these publications were making. That conclusion being that there would never be another time period in music like that again.

I thought of course there can't be another time like that, but maybe one could get similar results applying some of the same methods. In the beginning of my guitar lessons I tried to place myself in the times of, for example, a youthful Beck or Page, listening to the music that they grew up listening to as well as the music they would eventually create. I was also being influenced by the music my peers were listening to, music from the 80's 90's and on. Because of technology (DVD, You Tube and Mp3) coupled with the access to a massive back catalogue of music and with the guidance of Brian, I was able to recreate my own community which I was then able to apply in real time with Adam and Jon.

As our band began to take shape and work cohesively as a unit we imagined that Heavy Jack had come out as a peer to the groups of the great Rock & Roll movement during the late 60's and early 70's. This helped in the inspiration and the crafting of our own original material. Another crucial element was in not learning any songs by our favorite artists note for note. Instead we would take their songs and rearrange them so there was a familiarity of the original but also an original approach from our end. Now through the feedback from sites such as thesixtyone.com and stereofame.com along with reviews coming in on our music, it looks like we are achieving our aim of creating a new sound based on familiar themes.

As for the theme of Multiply the songs were written with current events and universal themes in mind. In doing so, I was able to create a sort of character foil for the more personal themes that the songs are about. Lending a familiar ambiguity to them with out having to wear my heart on my sleeve.

myktoronto: Once a song is written what's the process that brings it all together?

Ben: I have never written anything down, if it's good then it will stay with me. So the process is coming up with many good pieces and constructing a finished product that is refined and tempered through a constant process of jamming. Music usually comes first then words follow. However "Peace Soldier" and "Bandits In the Night" are the exception.

Adam: I approach the bass as a supportive role, so I tend to write parts that help push what Ben has already laid down. In a live situation I have more freedom to play both rhythm guitar parts & bass parts @ the same time because of the trio format. It is easy play rhythm parts on a bass guitar using power & diatonic chords in the mid-to-high registers - allowing Ben some room for strict lead playing when needed.

Jon: As a drummer I have a very different approach than most. I guess it is due to applying my fills and beats around the guitar more than the bass in our early years of playing. Now I have married the two styles and try to incorporate ideas on the drums that revolve around both the guitar and bass at the same time. For me it's all about feel - Ben or Ad come up with a riff or idea and I feel out the best beat to fit that riff or idea.

myktoronto: Would you say, or how has your music evolved since your early tunes?

Ben: The tunes on Multiply are some of the first songs that we wrote, Bandits In the Night being the first. These songs were not written with much musical theory in mind. They were more like a musical jungle gym for us in the beginning that allowed the freedom of exploring music and sound without boundaries. The studio allowed us to solidify the arrangements of these 8 songs. In terms of writing and playing there is a continuous evolution.

myktoronto: Did you experience any obstacles or challenges along the way outside of an obvious artistic challenge to do better?

Ben: Yes we have encountered challenges and obstacles along the way but hardship and struggle are the two main ingredients that go into being a successful Rock & Roll band.

myktoronto:Are either of your parents musical or from families with musical backgrounds?

Adam: Both of our parents have always had an appreciation for music, but are not musically knowledgeable. Outside our immediate family we haven't had much contact with the extended family for many years, I think some of them did have some ability - who knows we could have an entire brass section lined up and not even know it.

myktoronto: Have your parents always been supportive of the band and the fact that even though you were underage you performed in clubs?

Ben: Our parents always support us in anything we do. In the beginning they had to be present as we were underage and required a guardian to play jams or gigs in the bars. Initially we even had to get permission from the government to play the bar stage. Now that we are all of age the humour of having to get government permission to Rock & Roll has never really escaped us.

myktoronto: Can each one of you list the brand or brands on instruments you use and the ones that are fav's and why they are special?

Ben: I have two electric guitars and an acoustic. My electrics are both Strats. I find them to be the most versatile guitars suitable for anything I demand of them. I use a Fender "Evil" Twin amp for both clean and distorted sounds. As well as delay and wah wah pedals for colour. I like to keep it simple so I rely on my fingers more than my gear. For the album I mainly recorded the guitar parts through an old Matrix MA20X - a 20 watt amp with an 8 inch speaker.

Jon: I have been fortunate to have drummed on many different kits in my time but I have only ever owned 2 sets. The first being my Duke Dixon drum kit and the second being my Pearl expert series. My true favorite kit, and the one that was used primarily on the album, is a Yamaha stage custom which we borrowed from Bully's Rehearsal Studio. I like to use SD1 Generals for my sticks because they are short and heavy which really gives me a bombastic sound behind the kit. Sabian and Zildjian our my cymbals of choice and I prefer to use a single bass drum pedal made by Gibraltar, it gives a really bouncy feel for my bass drum.

Adam: I own a Fender P-Bass deluxe, as well as an Ibanez TR-50. Both which I use for different purposes. On the album I mainly recorded through direct input, though the bass-line to Bushfire was recorded live through my vintage 70's Ampeg V-6B amp head. I also have an Epiphone El Capitan Acoustic bass which I recently had modified by Barry Ewert of Ewert Guitars in Vancouver - who added a thumb-rest to the sound hole - it's pretty bitchin'.

myktoronto: What three artists or album or songs are each one of you currently listening to the most.

Ben: For me music has to have had a 20 year shelf life and be nearing its expiration date before I listen to it. Lately I've been listening to a lot of old R&B stuff, big horn arrangements and tight pockets, artists like Curtis Mayfield, James Brown and Joe Cocker. This is because of the desire to write something that could stand along side those artists. Listening on an enjoyment level is a revolving door for my ears, the two constants being Jimi Hendrix and the Stones.

Adam: Lately I've been listening to English Settlement by XTC quite a bit - but the last two albums I listened to on my mp3 player were AoxomoxoA (the '69 original mix) by The Grateful Dead & Remain In Light by Talking Heads. The groups/artists that have had the biggest effect on me are The Doors, The Band, Frank Zappa, & Oingo Boingo.

Jon: I usually am pretty open to all sorts of music. I like to take into consideration a lot of varieties because it's just more musical taste that I can throw into my instrument. The bands and artists that my brothers listed above often have my ears attention but I also like good old classic rock & roll like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Supertramp etc. I also dig Canadian artists like the Tragically Hip, Neil Young, the Band and so on. To obtain a greater library of bands that we might not have heard of otherwise we started our own collection of vinyl to satisfy our massive musical appetite. I know that this is not three artists, but what can you expect from a musician.

myktoronto: How often do you rehearse and where?

Jon: As a band we try to get in as much time as possible behind the rig if you will. Our time is somewhat constrained as we live in an apartment and are considerate of our neighbours. We play on a broken down set-up, Ben and Ad with two small combo amps and myself playing with brushes using a drum throne as my snare and a old box as my bass drum. We still manage to throw down a pretty good sound on it though.

Ben: To satisfy the need to play on the big rig we go to our local rehearsal space, "Bully's Rehearsal Studios," located in New Westminster here in the Lower Mainland. They have a variety of rooms and gear so it's easy to just go in, setup, and unwind for a few hours and we also like to show up for local open mic jams around town when we can fit it in.

---

I can still think of a ton of questions I'd like to ask these guys. It's not hard to predict a great and well deserved musical future for the Falk brothers. Certainly Jon could go far as a band promoter as well. He's everywhere, introducing himself, returning tboxes, answering and posting on listener walls and keeping in touch with the Heavy Jack listener base by dispensing a steady diet of Radio Bumps.

Kudos HJ! and thanks for your great words and thoughts both musical and written

---

Visit Heavy Jack at: MySpace: myspace.com/heavyjack, YouTube, Official Heavy Jack Web Site

& CDBaby

A Conversation with Raven Parque

mathmanmrt: On your MySpace page you list Neuss, Germany, as your location. Is that where you are originally from?

Raven Parque: Yes, born and raised in Neuss, a place very close to Düsseldorf, which was my main playground, because Düsseldorf is the much better location for musical activities. In the late 80's I've also spent some time making music in Berlin.

mathmanmrt: Neuss is fairly close to Belgium and The Netherlands. What's your sense of the music scene in that part of Europe right now?

Raven Parque: There's no real music scene in Belgium or Netherlands I would be interested in. In the 90's some Techno - especially Hardcore Stuff (Gabba) came out of there. But I don't know any Rock or Pop band from these countries which I think I would like.

mathmanmrt: What kind of musical experiences did you have when you were growing up?

Raven Parque: None, because I started making music very late at the age of 22. Before that I was very interested in listening to music and I have a big archive of vinyl stuff, but I didn't play any instrument until the day a friend of mine was looking for a bass player for his punk band. I thought it couldn't be so difficult to play an instrument with 4 strings. And I found out that I had to play just 1 string as a bass player in a punk band. Easy... After this first experience I never stopped making music, and in the following years I've tried to play some more strings on the bass and the guitar. I tried to learn to play keyboards, singing, composing, writing lyrics and producing. I'm still trying... and I will keep on trying.

mathmanmrt: I notice that your first EP, "Thru the Desert," came out in 1995. Are any of your songs on the 61 from that EP? If not, what is the earliest song of yours that is up on the 61?

Raven Parque: No, there's no song from the Raven Parque EP on T61. But in the same year 95 I produced my first CD album "Break Away" from which I took "Vision Thing" and "You Could Be The One" to T61. Though in a different version from the original mixes on "Break Away", which were both uptempo rock style. In 2004, I rearranged and remixed it into today's style and uploaded these versions. But these two songs are the earliest I wrote from all of the Raven Parque tunes that are up on T61 until now.

mathmanmrt: How has your style developed since the first EP?

Raven Parque: I've changed a lot of things through the years from 1993 - 2008. I guess the songs have become more organic. At first because of the different instrumentation. On the last albums I've been using much less electronic keyboard sounds and samples. I pay much more attention to guitars. I'm still using keyboard sounds and samples but mainly natural sounds like piano, strings or original drum samples. I think that the main atmosphere of Raven Parque became more positive and the lyrics have a more autobiographic character. A lot of the older songs had a very melancholy feeling.

mathmanmrt: How do you go about writing your songs and developing your arrangements for the final mix?

Raven Parque: It's almost always going the same way. Playing chords on the acoustic guitar or piano and hoping the right melody will get into my mind. If it works, I go to the studio to record, arrange and develop the new track, starting with drums, bass and guitars to build a pilot playback for writing the final lyrics and rehearsing the vocal parts. After that, I look for missing pieces in the arrangement and sometimes I add female backings or instruments I can't play like violin or accordion for example, played by friends or studio musicians for the mix. Finally, after mixing and mastering, I upload the song to T61 ;-)

mathmanmrt: Three of the songs you have up are covers. I've come across several comments on your wall and in tuneboxes I've received remarking on how good they are, some going so far as to say they're better than the originals. How do you decide what songs you're going to cover?

Raven Parque: Yes, it's a great pleasure for me to see this kind of comments on the wall. I'm really proud to read that it's better than the original. But I don't think so... my cover versions are different from the original songs. And I mean it's the right way to do covers. They should be different, that's the point of covering. The original "No.1" from Goldfrapp is pure electronic with a female voice. So it was easy to be different... And it was also easy to be different from the original playing "Hey Little Girl" in a Latino style. (Sorry, Iva ;-)) But if I feel that a song shouldn't be covered because the original way is the one and only way to do this song, I wouldn't try to record it the Raven Parque way. The decision to remake a song always comes straight from the heart. I have to love the original.

mathmanmrt: I've noticed that two of the songs you have up aren't part of any of the albums you've created on the 61 &emdash; "Don't Like the Sunshine" and "I'll Be There." Are those songs part of an upcoming album or are they part of either your earlier vinyl EP or the first cd?

Raven Parque: Sorry, my fault. After uploading the songs I forgot to link it with the album title. But I fixed it in the meantime. "Don't Like Sunshine" is part of "Rough" and "I'll Be There" is part of the still unfinished album "Evermore".

mathmanmrt: You've said that, for the most part, your songs are a "one man show." Do you ever perform live?

Raven Parque: In the 80's and 90's I performed live with different bands and projects. In 1995, after finishing the first album "Break Away", I found some studio musicians for live performances with Raven Parque. We did a couple of shows successfully, but at this time the music business in Germany was already sick and without the right support from the record company it was much too lavish and expensive to stay on the road. Though recently I'm thinking about performing live again. But not the usual way as a complete band, just as an acoustic duo with two guitars and special parts with guest musicians playing cello or something like that.

mathmanmrt: Ever been to or plan to come to the U.S. to perform?

Raven Parque: I've never performed in the States, but as the producer of Behind The Scenes, which did some shows in the U.S. in Spring 2008 and which will go back to the States next year, I talked with Michael, the singer, about the possibility to do some shows together, even though RP and BTS are different music styles.

mathmanmrt: How did you run across the 61?

Raven Parque: Michael (BTS) told me about T61. So I went to this community and I'm very glad I did it.

mathmanmrt: What expectations, if any, did you have when you first uploaded "She"?

Raven Parque: There was no great expectation when I joined in and when I uploaded "She". But I was totally surprised about the positive reaction of the listeners to my music. I was really surprised but also glad about all the comments, bumps and support.

mathmanmrt: Do you feel like the 61 has met your expectations?

Raven Parque: Yes, T61 has exceeded all of my expectations, much more than I ever imagined. I suppose it works great. I like it much more than MySpace because of this listener/artist system. I love to get feedback so fast after uploading a song. All the listeners on T61 are music lovers and so interested in our songs. And that's the best an artist can get.

mathmanmrt: You have a really great marketing concept by offering to make songs freely downloadable if the current song hits 800 bumps. Do you feel like that offer has helped your songs out? Do I recall correctly that a listener called dwyndal first suggested that idea?

Raven Parque: Yes, you are totally right. The concept of dealing with bumps and free downloads was the idea of Dwyndal. That was a great help for me, because as an amateur at T61 you need some time to understand how the system works and it's very useful to get some advice of a professional T61-member. He told me the T61 listeners are like kids which want to get some candy (free downloads) and they are prepared to do something for it. So, it worked to earn a lot of bumps and points. But not only Dwyndal, there's a lot more kind listeners who gave me a helping hand, good advice and big support. I would like to say thank you very much to all of them.

mathmanmrt: So what are your plans for the future?

Raven Parque: At first to finish the new album "Evermore". 8 songs are mixed and mastered and 2 others are already recorded on my brain-tape ;-) I guess it will be about 12 or 13 songs at least on the finished CD. Secondly is what I already said about creating a live acoustic set. But it takes time and at the moment I'm very busy and involved in other jobs to earn some money... And that's the bridge to your next question...

mathmanmrt: Are you still producing other artists? If so, would you tell us about that?

Raven Parque: Right now I'm working mainly as a composer and producer for TV commercial spots and as a music and audio creator for DVD and web design. In the past I have produced different artists, but the music business in Germany is really getting worse and so there's no great sense in producing unknown artists anymore. But I'm still producing Behind The Scenes because I love their stuff and Michael is a friend of mine.

mathmanmrt: Do you work as an artist on other people's music? Could you name some albums you've appeared on if you do work as an A&R man sometimes?

Raven Parque: I never worked as an A&R for record companies but I did for 'Groovetown Music', when I had to decide which artist should be produced. So I have worked as an artist on other people's music. On every production I played some instruments or did some backing vox, except for Behind The Scenes, which you know from T61. It was only with German artists who had never released any albums outside of Germany.

mathmanmrt: What would you say is the most important question I forgot to ask? And the answer to it, please.

Raven Parque: No, there's no important question left that you forgot to ask. I would like to thank you so much mathman for interviewing me. I appreciate the possibility to talk about Raven Parque and giving the readers of maxbumps.net and the listeners of T61 some information about me and my music.

And again a big thanx to all of them, including you as a listener of RP, for bumping, commenting and listening.

A Conversation with Adam Faucett

A brief aside from mathmanmrt -- This interview took place in an exchange of e-mails and I have left Adam's responses in the state of punctuation and capitalization in which they were sent because I think they convey the flavor of his style much better than if I had edited them. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

mathmanmrt: Your myspace page says you're from Arkansas.Is that where you grew up? If not, where did you grow up?

Adam Faucett: yep. Arkansas born and raised. I've lived all over the state but mostly in the small towns of Benton, {where sling blade was filmed} and Russellville. It was in Russellville where I started the band Taught The Rabbits with an old friend from Benton high in 2001 while working on my BFA.

mathmanmrt: When did you first get interested in music and performing? Was there a friend, relative, or artist who inspired you interest? Talk about that if you would.

Adam Faucett: i have been telling stories, and writing songs my whole life. before i could play the guitar i would sit at the old up right piano in our benton home and peck out soundtracks to movies i have yet to make and pretend to put on operas for my cat cosmo.

mathmanmrt: You were previously in a band called Taught the Rabbits. In what way or ways do you feel like that experience helped you grow as a musician?

Adam Faucett: That band was my child, and all my efforts outside of art school were poured into the four piece. I wrote all the songs, 98% of the instrumentation, lyrics, the whole damn shark. It drove me fucking bats, and that band had a couple of casts. one guitar man, my best friend at the time, freaked out on all us dark ones and dumped our sonic venture into college space and time travel for the lord jesus christ. im still very good friends with him but he won't let his kids call me uncle.

mathmanmrt: Speaking of Taught the Rabbits, have any of the members of that band helped out with any of your current recordings?

Adam Faucett: thats where ryan robinett steps into the taught the rabbits thing. we together with drummer kid edwards recorded ttr's only LP "mallet and watch" the band broke up when i decided to move to chicago. kid came with me but was put out with me for not wanting anything to do with our old songs or old ways of playing loud loud spacey rock. he literally took the money and ran. i still hang out with ryan. he helps with album art and moral support, bourbon if you will. we have spoke about him joining my current band a fair bit, but i now hide in little rock about 90 miles south of russellville and tour often. i haven't played with the rabbits guys in over two years. it was my time with them that made the shift in me from bedroom songwriter to frontporch harpie. the band im in now "adam faucett and the tall grass" is the best one yet. we keep it simple. hell they will even tour. HOLY SHIT! they are on my last LP "the great basking shark" and are very present on the new one "show me magic show me out" due out in october.

mathmanmrt: What is the songwriting process like for you?

Adam Faucett: there is no process to writing that i can tell. its my life, no matter how full of shit that sounds, its the truth. i give everything away for it. its the only straight and narrow i can imagine. sometimes i feel as though i'm so far down that rabbit hole with silliness and melodies that my loved ones have a hard time seeing that there is a reason behind all of this. there is a thin thin screen of inescapable truth for us all, but the point is to take that gift and from the inside out transform it into everything it deserves to be. the processes that concern me most are ones like stopping at red lights and staying unmarried.

mathmanmrt: The first song of yours I heard on the 61 was an upload of California as part of the Blue Tint Records uploads. What made you decide to create your own account there?

Adam Faucett: mike at blue tint records set it up for me. i spend little time on the internet and when i do i'm often confused or begging folks for a show.

mathmanmrt: What expectations, if any, did you have about the 61? Have they been met?

Adam Faucett: as far as the 61 goes, i suppose it works great. this is my first interview after all. i'm not too sure where or what i'm expecting out of music. i'm not the star type or a 'business man'. i just want to write a few tunes that make people feel free from trend or an evaporating youth. i know in this age it is pretty uncool to be this silly or specific. i look horrible with a hairdo, can't fit into tight jeans and a straight face always curls up my cheek turning this hipster into a mid twenties santa claus always trying to convince the cops that i have a ride waiting for me else where. sorry for the ramble. i just have little to say about the 61. i'm really thankful for mike and everyone who helps with any promotion. also i hope i'm not coming off as an ass, it's much more light-hearted on our stoop.

mathmanmrt: Talk about how your music does or does not fit into the American folk and roots music traditions.

Adam Faucett:i'm not too sure if i'm folk or americana or what to be honest. i just want people to like it for a more simple reason like loving a car just because its yours. thats a pretty american outlook i think... so americana, sign me up twice. i started my public love of music as a dude and a finger picked guitar or banjo, the band always comes later.

mathmanmrt: Many of your songs seem to be located in a west of metaphor, California and New Mexico and points west seeming to stand for both rootlessness and an ultimate destination. How deliberate is that or am I misinterpreting things?

Adam Faucett: i think maybe the love of the west comes from a simple place. It isn't arkansas, texas, for sure not chicago. montana is my place. butte montana. stuck in a time that is too cool for cool. god bless butte montana. my lyrics on the subject are almost always from the same idea, anywhere but here.

At different places on the web you've listed comics, musicians, and murderers as influences. Have you ever thought about yourself as a jester or minstrel whose stock in trade is melancholy and dislocation? Or is that too pretentious?

Adam Faucett: most of my heroes are stand up comics. i like the truth with a smile please. my hero as far as a songwriter is erik satie but he was kinda a comic of sorts for his day and venue. and as far as the murderers, well.... i want my friends to be real people and my monsters the same.

mathmanmrt: What would you describe as your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a musician?

Adam Faucett: my greatest strength as a musician is that i'm tied to nothing and have only this to lose. that would probably be the weakness as well.

thank you for interviewing me. once again i hope i answered the majority of you questions well enough to write about. sorry for mumbling.

A Conversation with Mixtapes & Meltdowns

mathmanmrt talks to Laurie of Mixtapes & Meltdowns about her music.

In the biographical information I saw posted for you on last.fm it said you used to spend summers making up silly songs and singing them into an old tape recorder. How old were you when you started doing that?

I started writing songs before I could actually write. I would sing them to my mom and have her write them down for me or I would record them with a cassette recorder. We had an old, hand-me-down, out-of-tune piano in the living room and I put stickers on the keys and then used the stickers as a coding system to write down the notes of the songs I made up. It was a very complicated system!

What kind of music did you listen to then and did you try to imitate that music when you sang?

Like most kids, I listened to the music that my parents listened to. The Zombies, Peter, Paul, & Mary, Tommy James & the Shondelles, the Beach Boys. I don't know if I tried to emulate them or not, but that's an interesting question! The songs I wrote as a kid were a lot like the songs I write now - simple and usually a little sad.

Did any of those songs from those days become any of the songs you're known for now?

I didn't write any music at all from about age 7 until I was 24.

Of the songs you’ve put up on the 61, which one was the earliest one you wrote?

'Blindfold' is the first song I wrote as an adult and it was really a trip into uncharted territory! My friend Lauren Kinsler, who is an incredible filmmaker and recently directed a music video for Xiu Xiu, liked that song a lot and made a video for it out of old stock footage. Her video was so cool that it inspired me to keep experimenting with music.

What kind of training or encouragement did you have in your singing and songwriting while you were growing up?

I was really lucky to attend a performing arts magnet high school, so I was surrounded by these incredibly talented, creative people all the time. My focus was entirely on theater and writing back then, but I was around a lot of musicians and I still tend to gravitate toward them. As far as musical training, I took piano lessons for about two years in elementary school, but that's about it. My parents aren't musicians, but they're very creative people and they’ve always been supportive of whatever nonsense I get myself into.

What made you decide to move to Madison? Was that related to your decision to pursue a more artistic career?

I originally moved to Madison in the spring of 2005 for work and just really fell in love with it. Madison is an incredibly beautiful city.

I left for about seven months in 2007 to backpack around Europe and then moved to New York for law school. Law school scared the crap out of me. I just realized that I was on this high-speed train to business suits and power naps and I wasn't ready for that. I'll probably never be ready for that.

I moved back to Madison because I wanted to get back in sync with myself. I think Madison is a particularly great place for artists because the cost of living is low and there are so many brilliant, creative people here.

You say that two of your influences are Mirah and Portishead. What do you think you've learned from each of those artists that informs the music you create?

Oh, I think they both just have so much fun with music. That's something I’m really working on all the time-just trying to learn to let go. Also, Mirah and Beth Gibbons both have really unconventional, beautiful voices, which I always find inspiring.

I notice that you've had several collaborations with musicians from the Madison music scene - John Argentiero, Nancy Rost come to mind - how supportive is the music community in Madison?

I've heard great things about the music community in Madison and I've seen some fantastic shows, but I really haven't delved into that at all. I'm very shy about my music and still have trouble thinking of myself as a musician. The few collaborations I've done have all been over the internet. It’s possible that I'm not actually a real person.

How did you come across the 61?

My friend Russell directed me to the 61. At that point, I in no way thought of myself as a 'real musician.' I guess I still don't, but at that point I didn't even have a band name.

Didn't you originally put your music up under a different name... I believe it was cartographer conspiracy, wasn't it? Why did you change that name?

I made up 'The Cartographer Conspiracy' as a placeholder until I could think of something more fitting. That name comes from a line in Tom Stoppard's 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead' which is one of my favorite plays.

I changed my name to 'Mixtapes & Meltdowns' about 24 hours later and that one stuck. I chose 'Mixtapes & Metldowns' because that's what inspires all of my music - the incredible music that my friends share with me and the kind of emotional meltdowns that bring some sort of rebirth.

What were you expecting when you put up your first few songs? In what ways did the site meet or exceed your expectations?

I had zero expectations of the 61 when I joined. I didn't even understand how it worked, but the community here was incredibly helpful and patient with me. I think The 61 is an amazing way for people to discover and promote new music. I've definitely discovered some amazing artists here.

Have you been surprised by the success you've had on The 61?

I've been absolutely bowled over. I write music because I have to; the fact that anyone besides me actually likes it is incredible to me. The community here has been so supportive and inspiring, I just can't say enough good things about it.

Have you performed in front of an audience? Do you have any plans to book any live engagements?

Someone approached me recently about the possibility of a live show, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. There's part of me that's still very 'wink, wink, nudge, nudge' about my music. I feel a bit like I'm wearing the emperor's new clothes, you know? I've never thought of myself as a musical person, so that's been a big adjustment for me.

My entire life from ages 13 through 19 was spent on a stage, so I'm not uncomfortable in front of an audience, but there's something very different about going on stage as a character and going on stage as yourself. Maybe I'll need to perform my songs in a gorilla suit or something.

It's been fun reading your comments about what you could do with a real microphone. Do I understand that you've actually gotten one now? How is that working out for you?

You know, I do have a real microphone now. It's a USB-powered Snowball mic that Kim from Hot Bitch Arsenal recommended to me. It's a gorgeous mic, but how well it works I can't really tell you since I've been clammed up ever since it arrived. I was afraid that might happen—in some ways it’s easier to hide behind shoddy equipment. I'm working up to it though!

Which of your songs currently up on the 61 is your personal favorite and why?

Wow, that's a tough question. I like different songs for different reasons 'Blindfold' is the first song I wrote as an adult, 'Smoke Signals' is the first song I wrote without the use of any loops, 'Thirty Below' is a song that I wrote about a city that means a lot to me, Wish' and 'Tell Me Now' are songs that I wrote about my first love. In general, I try not to dwell too much on songs after I've written them - onward and upward!

How have you been able to get such good quality out of the built-in mic in your computer? What kind of software have you been using?

I don't think I have any special trick, I just sing really close to the mic. I also spend a lot of time tweaking the audio in Garageband, which makes a big difference. I record all of my songs in my bedroom, usually in one or two takes. I tend to be really lazy about it - sometimes I don’t even bother to turn off my fan first. I've been really lucky that the audio has turned out as well as it has. I honestly think that taking this kind of slapdash approach is the only reason I've been able to make music at all. I'm a perfectionist by nature and I think that if I had a fancy set-up, I'd just freak out and I'd never record anything.

What's the most important question I should have asked but forgot to?

I think you covered it! These were great questions. Thank you.

A Conversation with Prompter

I started listening to Prompter when I first joined T61.

I think the amazing thing about music and a site like T61, is that upon hearing a piece of music, the last thing that comes to mind is the age of the musician. It wasn't until around the time of the Michael Miller wake that I started to chat with him about his music. I was a bit surprised; though not entirely, that although I thought him young it never occurred to me that he wasn't studying music on at least a university level.

There is a lot of maturity influencing the themes of his music. Not a dark cynical, angst-driven type of maturity that people mistakenly assume is the badge of youth, but a willingness to explore all avenues of the medium with an openness that shows how very much at ease he is with himself and his art.

...but he explains himself far better than I ever could...

Prompter: My name's George Feledichuk. I was born in Victoria, BC, raised in an Edmonton suburb until suddenly we moved to Texas when I was 10.

Mom is a music teacher and singer and Dad enjoys music as well. Inevitably I got my appreciation for music from them. Around 8th grade I started writing some music, but didn't pursue it too intensely until recently, when my first album "away.from.the.source.of.life" was released on Amazon, iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.

myktoronto: Do you have any close friends that have influenced your music and music appreciation?

Prompter: Definitely. my friend Taylor perral1 on T61. He's the one who introduced me to the site and was really the one who convinced me that my music was actually worth putting out there.

Taylor spotted me the money to put my album up on iTunes and Amazon through Tunecore, He's been the most encouraging person in this whole thing; although my mom and dad are both really supportive, too; which is definitely helpful.

myktoronto: What kind of outside stimulus seems to trigger your creativity? Do you go for walks or is it stimulating activity that makes thing happen?

Prompter: ... well, I don't know if this is the healthiest trigger, but my best songs have been written while either incredibly angry or incredibly depressed by some situation. I can sit and stare at my monitor for hours and put out maybe an 8-measure loop. But; if I'm inspired by something emotional I'll have a fully scored song out in maybe half an hour. Of course, normally when such a situation occurs, I'm nowhere near my computer. One of these days a laptop should solve that.

myktoronto: Do you constantly write or score tunes in your head ? (I had to ask because; I do that and I just don't know if it's common or normal *yikes*).

Prompter: Actually, I always find myself beatboxing or drumming on desks (to the point where people constantly tell me to shut up). What's ironic is that I can beatbox on the spot, but I have trouble writing drum parts because I can never get the sound I'm looking for. As far as full songs go, I've had occasions where something happens that just causes me to hear one; and I'm lucky when I can get one of those out. Fire's probably the best example of that.

Example: A kid was threatening my sister at school and the whole situation really upset me, but I heard about it sitting in front of my computer... so full songs, like with Fire, come occasionally, but not as often as I'd like.

myktoronto: Are you involved in any other artistic pursuits?

Prompter: That depends on when you read this. I'm tentatively starting a band with a few friends. The idea is to try and get different styles together and see the child of that musical union. The guitarist likes modern electro rock and industrial, the drummer in the style of Incubus and 311, a classically trained pianist in the group happens to love U2, and me on bass (another reason it's tentative) with my amalgamation of influences... so we'll see how it pans out...

myktoronto: How do you relax?

Prompter: Most of the time I listen to as much music as I can. I've got like; 34 days of straight music in my library and to be honest, I haven't heard near enough of it.

I'm obsessed with web-comics such as Questionable Content and Sam and Fuzzy, and I'm always anticipating updates. Plus, I'll go ahead and confess that I play role-playing games (the old kind where you roll dice... remember dice?) As well, I mooch off of my friends' riches and go over to their houses to marvel over the various available consoles. Other than that; I read (more than I should).

Actually I failed a class before because I was too busy reading. My favorite author is William Gibson. Oh, man, I wish I could write like that. There are plenty of others too.

My general literary interests are sci-fi, philosophy, and scientific non-fiction.

myktoronto: What musician living or dead would you most like/have liked to spend a day with?

Prompter: Aaahhh.... that question isn't fair. I'm going to finish the other ones and come back to ponder this one for hours....
...okay, I'm back.

You sure I can't just make a list?... got to choose one?... I'll make a list of candidates and throw a dart (seriously.)

...alright, looks like we're going with Brian Eno - man! He's a genius. It's like every album he even puts his name on becomes instantly that much better from the influence he has. I'm in awe of his work; the way he's helped produce so many pinnacles of what music today 'is'.

I was talking to KRay recently about the 'shape of sound' and how few people know it. Eno was the first person to come to mind. That's the best way to describe him. He knows the shape of sound. (thanks to KRay for the quote.)

Man, I wish I could go on about some more people, but alas, the dart has already chosen the fate of this interview.

*Some other incredible people are Scriabin, Boards of Canada, Armin van Buuren, Gabriel & Dresden, Mike Foyle, and Daft Punk.

myktoronto: Is there anything funny or odd that happened to you either in the school band or when you were performing? (or both)

Prompter: Well, I'm a percussionist; so hijinks abound (we're all crazy). Thinking of a specific incident...let's see; the biggest problem is the sheer amount of inside jokes that wouldn't make any sense to the readers. I'm trying to think of something that could be standalone.

I guess the day I tried out to play tenors. I hadn't come to any of the clinics and I had written the solo around 4:00 a.m. that morning (I always write required music a lot later than I probably should). I had put on my tryout sheet that tenors were my first preference, and I listed being in 'pit' (mallets and xylophones and such) as the very last thing I wanted to do. I'd say that tryout influenced me quite a bit, as my horrid failure led to my being placed in pit and realizing "hey, I don't have to carry heavy drums like those other poor guys! sweet!" and I stuck with it.

Next year will be my second year as pit captain, and I'm proud to say; I still don't have to carry those heavy drums.

myktoronto: If you could meet any artist on thesixtyone, who would it be?

Prompter: I'd have to say BEARBOT. I've maxbumped each song (on my listener account) and not only has it been incredible on the point payback, but I have enjoyed every track and played them all several times. Plus, the Daft Punk mixes are all brilliant. My favorite song is $m0k3 d4t cR4cK... go check it out if you haven't.

myktoronto: Thanks so much for sharing some of yourself with us, George. At the rate you're going, I think we on the outside, can all foresee a bright and productive musical career ahead of you.

You're an interesting individual that I am pleased to have had the opportunity to get to know better.

Visit Prompter on T61 and MySpace.

Prompter's music is available at Amazon.com and iTunes.

A Conversation with RAC

From the artist leader board, there is no doubt that RAC is a t61 favorite with their remixes of some great indie tracks. With the release of RAC Vol. 1 through stereogum, André from RAC was kind enough to answer some questions for our very own Max Bumps!

AnnieB: Obviously you're known for your remixes, so how did you get started with that, and what encouraged you to establish RAC?

André: One of the main reasons I started RAC was because I was extremely frustrated with the remixing scene of the time. Things are definitely better now, but I really wanted to go out and try and do something different than everybody else. I saw remixers like Cornelius taking chances and trying new and innovative things, so that kind of made me decide to create RAC.

AnnieB: And we’re absolutely glad you did. So while you currently do the majority of the remixes, RAC also consists of a few other members: Crookram (Chris Angelovski), Aaron Jasinski, and the latest addition, Andrew Maury. Since you guys reside in different places all over the world, how did these connections come about and what is the common thread that unites you guys under the RAC name?

André: Oddly enough, we haven't met in real life yet. Crookram pretty much taught me everything I know about recording. I "met" Aaron after I saw that he was winning a lot of remix contests around the web. Most recently Andrew Maury did a Ra Ra Riot remix that caught my attention which got us talking. I think the thing that binds us is really the objective of creating something fresh and unique. I'm not sure that always happens, but that's the objective at least. Pure intention hah.

AnnieB: This is sort of random, but you're originally from Portugal. What brought you to the States?

André: Just the lack of a music scene to be completely honest. Portugal has a great potential and lots of great artists, but little to no infrastructure to nurture the talent. It's kind of one of those things that everybody complains about, but nobody knows how to fix. Maybe it is because the country is relatively small. I chose to come to the US after things kind of stalled there, so the next step after high school was naturally to go to college. It was probably more to put my parents at ease then for myself, but I'm glad I'm finally finishing it up.

AnnieB: Alright, speaking of Andrew Maury earlier, were you the one who introduced him to thesixtyone? If so, you definitely deserve some referral points. He's a wonderful addition to the site! What else can we be expecting from him?

André: Yeah, this was before Andrew was part of RAC. I showed him the site and he really liked it and he started uploading his stuff. Unfortunately artist accounts can't bump anything, so I couldn't really help him in that sense. Oh he's always busy working on stuff for us. He's got Jukebox the Ghost, Tiger City, Snowden, Weapons, Tokyo Police Club, and Ra Ra Riot remixes coming up.

AnnieB: Also, will we be hearing any new mixes from the other two members in the near future?

André: Totally, I can't really say anything now because it's too early, but you'll definitely hear more stuff from them in the near future. Crookram recently did a mixtape on the site, check it out.

AnnieB: RAC remixes have a distinctive sound, often with an upbeat fun factor. Unlike other mixes that tend to zone into a particular part of a song, you seem to reinterpret and reconstruct an entire song while still upholding its integrity. What do you aim for when it comes to a mix, and what characteristic do you feel signifies a RAC mix?

André: What's the fun in taking a section and beating it to death? It's great for dancing, but to a fan of the band or casual listening, it's kinda lame. I know this is obvious, but I construct a remix to how I would like it to listen to it. The same thing applies to the structure, which generally is intact. I try to take the song in a different direction. The first time I tried this was with Bloc Party's single "Helicopter”. I did an upbeat version and it was okay, but then I did a very mellow slow version which kind of worked with his vocal lines. I really really like using acoustic instruments which still, not many people use in remixes. I also use mostly analog gear which gives it a certain vintage vibe. About them being upbeat, it's probably because I tend to focus a lot on melody and hardly use dissonance.

AnnieB: A bunch of us are curious to know, on average, how long does it take for you to plan a remix? And what's your approach when you first receive a file? Do you immediately start thinking of how you would alter the song, or is it a much more complex thought out process?

André: As soon as I get word that I’ll be remixing a song, I tend to listen to the original obsessively. I try to analyze every detail and think of how I'll do it. As far as time goes, it really depends case to case. As soon as I receive files, it generally takes me from a day to a week to finish a remix. The Radiohead remix was done in about 6 hours. I've been working on a new Ra Ra Riot remix for 3 weeks and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it, so it really depends. When I start a remix, very rarely do I know how it will come out. I will have basic ideas and melodies, but the rest is just pushing through it. I'm sure everybody has their own method, but this is kind of what works for me.

AnnieB: You've primarily mixed tracks by notable indie artists. During the early stages of RAC, I'm assuming you had to take the initiative of requesting songs to mix. Is it different now with RAC's growing reputation? Are more artists seeking you out?

André: Our first client was The Shins, which still blows my mind how lucky we were. After you remix The Shins, a lot of doors open up and people actually listen. So after a lot of hassling artists, we built up a decent sized portfolio and now we kind of lay back a bit and see what comes in. Most of the stuff we get now is from word of mouth within the industry.

AnnieB: And having done numerous remixes already, are there still any particular artists you haven't worked with yet whose songs you'd love to mix?

André: Well, just recently some opportunities came up to remix two of my favorite artists, unfortunately I can't really talk about it because it's not confirmed, and if it fell through I'd look like an idiot. But… I've always wanted to remix M83! I actually even talked a bit with their management and I thought it might happen, but they already had enough people doing remixes, so the thing kinda fell through. N.E.R.D. would be pretty cool too. Cornelius would be a dream come true.

AnnieB: Aww, that's too bad. Would’ve been interesting to hear what you would’ve done with a track by M83, and I'm sure you can pull some strings with the others. Anyway, I know I'm not the only one when I say this, but I'm constantly on the search for something new to hear. Considering you worked with such clients as Ra Ra Riot and Tokyo Police Club before they gained wider recognition, are there any rising breakthrough artists who you recommend we should be keeping tabs on?

André: Well, The Virgins, which I just got the files today for. Their song "Rich Girls" is a killer pop song. This French kid called Surkin, he has an album out on Institubes. Tiger City, Sam Sparro…This shouldn't count because they have been around for a bit, but I’ve just gotten really into The Cribs.

AnnieB: Ah, I like “Rich Kids”. I’ll be looking forward to your mix of it. Apparently the internet has become a vital tool to the success of RAC, particularly through music blogs. Financially, how is it working out for you?

André: I can finally afford to pay for legal software. hah. I get paid by record labels. Very rarely do I see income from sales. Our objectives are a little bit different in that sense because our target audience are record label suits, and since the smart ones check music blogs for upcoming acts, I need to make sure our stuff pops up every once in a while.

AnnieB: Alright, so since thesixtyone brought us together, in a previous conversation of ours, you mentioned that you thought it was just another music site. In your opinion, what sets thesixtyone apart from the others?

André: Yeah, well there can only be one myspace, (even though they suck lately). There are plenty of knockoff sites, but they all pretty much do the same. At first I thought t61 was just another place to upload some music and hope people actually care. After uploading I figured out the point system and I was really drawn to it. With a built-in user base hungry for music, it was perfect for our remixes. I liked how responsive the community was.

AnnieB: I agree. The community over there is quite something. Your recent Super Mario and Zelda remixes spurred fond childhood memories of the Nintendo vs. Sega rivalry. Were you surprised by the reception of these tracks, and what prompted you to create these?

André:: Me and Andrew were chatting and he sent me this sonic song that he had started. Immediately I had the idea of a battle album in between Nintendo and Sega. Andrew finished the sonic tracks and I did the Mario and Zelda ones in a couple days. Kotaku.com, which is a part of gawker media, had expressed interest in posting about it, so that drove a ridiculous amount of traffic to our site. Over a month after we first put that up, people around the world still blog about it almost everyday. I was definitely surprised at how popular it got, which was great because it exceeded our expectations by very far. We were honestly just having fun.

AnnieB: Fun is good. Straying from RAC for a moment, you have another musical endeavor. Just last week, thesixtyone had the chance to preview a couple tracks from a band you and Karl F. Kling started up called The Pragmatic. Can you tell us more about it?

André: Yeah, I play synthesizers in The Pragmatic. I recorded Karl's old band a couple years ago and I noticed that we were on the same page a lot on what we did. Meanwhile that band broke up and we decided to try and start something electronic with analog synthesizers. Our first recording session was over spring break and in 4 days we wrote and recorded 4 songs which are still some of my personal favorites. We actually just recruited a bunch of friends and we've started to play live a lot more often. We hope to go on tour full time in December while trying to release some 7'' singles. Things are definitely looking good. I've always played guitar with bands and playing something different has been a ton of fun. Check it out at myspace.com/thepragmatic

AnnieB: And do you find it any more rewarding being able to write your own songs as opposed to remixing other artists' songs? Does this also provide you more of an outlet to perform live?

André: Most of the time it's equally rewarding because in a sense I'm doing the same thing in both situations, because I can't sing to save my life. I think sometimes I'm maybe a bit more attached to my own compositions, because if a remix sucks, I can blame it on the original. I take comments a bit more to heart when it's my own material. But other than that, I take great pride in both kinds of work. I get to DJ with the RAC stuff, but it's so much more fun to play live with a band.

AnnieB: So this week, RAC released its first compilation of remixes through stereogum. How stoked are you? Does this mean we can expect more subsequent volumes to come?

André: I am beyond stoked for this. It's taken nearly a year to get this project together and I'm really happy with how it turned out. You can most definitely expect more, I've already started working on 2 and maybe even 3. Things will be a bit different, and maybe we'll do a physical release.

AnnieB: Lastly, what is your hope for the future of RAC? Where do you want it go?

André: Well, for starters, I want it to be a recognized brand name, no matter what product/service we provide. Most importantly, I want to further advance the art of remixing into something a lot more respectable. People have all kinds of different expectations when it comes to remixes, and I really hope to break those. I'm also starting several different sides of RAC, such as RAC Records and RAC Fashion. We're preparing an album of world music and we're going to release it for charity later this year or next. Basically all the money will go to buy gear for underprivileged musicians in developing nations. So far we have people from Guatemala, Belize, Uganda, Australia, Netherlands, and plenty of others. It's gonna be a massive collaboration that can truly be called world music. We've already gotten into writing scores and music for television. RAC Fashion is basically a merch store. I currently write for HBO's Entourage show and we also hope to further that. One of the main things that made me start RAC was producing, and in the next couple of years I really hope to get into that as well.

AnnieB: Looks like there’s still lots more in store from RAC and we wish you all the best! Once again, thank you for taking the time to do an interview for our little t61 fansite. I'm sure you've got bigger names to work with. Much appreciated, André.

RAC's website
RAC's myspace

A Conversation with September 29th

Some artists you hardly remember after playing their last hit; others put a smile on your face while you think "wow! I've got to get this one"; and then there are those that reach your soul. September 29th belongs to that last kind. An extraordinary artist ready to carry us through heavy times.

FJS: Let's start with some common questions: When did you start writing music?

September 29th: When I was about 12.

FJS: Do you remember the first song you wrote?

September 29th: When I was 12, definitely. The first song I wrote was "Sometimes, at night", even if last Summer I obviously rewrote the lyrics and rearranged the piece. The title was different, too, at the time but I can't recollect it, now!

FJS: Who do you first play your songs to?

September 29th: My family. And my cat. She turns up every time I pick up my guitar :)

FJS: That's one lucky cat :). Any songs you are not happy with?

September 29th: It depends on my mood, I guess. Sometimes I hate everything I write. Most of the time, fortunately, I just content myself with the thought that I like doing things and can't help doing them, and doing them my way.

FJS: How many instruments do you play?

September 29th: Well, I don't know exactly. I play guitars (classical, acoustic, lead, electric.... even 12 strings but it's not good for my tendons). Synthesizers, a bit of piano, harmonicas, flute... I really love playing the bass. And I wish I could try a sax. Playing my sax in the middle of the night, in August, that would be my dream!

FJS: That's impressive. Which one is your favourite?

September 29th: The acoustic guitar. It's always there when I need a shoulder to cry on :)

FJS: You are indeed a one person band. I can imagine the freedom and endless possibilities you have when writing songs or taking decisions. What is the downside? Would you like to have your own band one day?

September 29th: As a kid I wasn't very popular in high school, and music neither.

I've looked for fellow travelers for years and in the end I just gave it up and decided to be my own band. I had no choice, I guess.

As you say, on one hand it's easier when you're the only person taking decisions. I can wake up in the middle of the night and record a song, arrange it the way I want.... On the other hand, it can be awfully difficult, because you can never share the burden with anyone. You're alone.

I'd like to find musicians with whom playing live, definitely. So far I've just collaborated with people from a distance, via email, which is terribly nice but not so real, if you know what I mean. Music means making mistakes, adjusting the pace, slipping and falling, exchanging glances... It's rewarding when you have to build something together with someone else.

FJS: I read on your soundclick page (link below) that your music would be for fans of "Bob Dylan... I don't know" Would you say your music is heavily influenced by his sound? Who else has influenced your work?

September 29th: I really like Bob Dylan, especially his experimenting, going through different periods, loving different things. He changes all the time but you always know he's Bob Dylan, he is a gambler, not a fake ;)

I don't know if he really was an inspiration to me, though, probably yes, at an unconscious level. You just hear things and let them become part of your life, without knowing where the source ends and your creativity begins. It just happens. I guess that every good song I've heard in my life has in a way influenced my musical direction.

I like to think that songs knock upon my door and all I do is let them in.

FJS: History seems to be an important part of your music and life. I find "The Story of History" a fascinating album and concept. You cover different historical characters and events. How was this project born? Why did you choose some of those events?

September 29th: I've always been fascinated by History, yes. History is everything but it still quite hard to describe what this "everything" really is. I would say: "History is ordinary life to the nth degree".

Sometimes I am tormented by History, by the fact that often we still don't know where Truth lies, who killed whom and why. Or, even if we do know that, we still can't prove it and what's lost is lost, forever. History is a gallery of lost chances and casual victories but I'm still convinced that we can use it as a mirror to remember and go on, learn our Rights and see what's wrong. Above all, I believe History should teach us to sympathize with our ancestors, those strangers, foreigners who dwelled on this Earth so long ago, or just yesterday.

"The Story of History"

As for "The Story of History", I started thinking about that project last November, after watching Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" (I must confess that I didn't like her previous movies, but that one was really interesting). That film was like the spark I needed to find a shape to an idea born long before. It suggested me that Music could have been the best way to depict History. Besides, I've always been fascinated by concept albums, such as Pink Floyd's "The Wall" or "The Final Cut" (which is my favourite), The Who's "Tommy"... so I said to myself that I had come up with a good topic, finally ;)

Writing a concept album is like being on a mission, you know where everything starts and ends, it is definitely reassuring.

Choosing events and characters in "The Story of History"

Basically, I wanted to dedicate my songs to those characters who made History despite themselves, those monarchs who died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time such as the last tzar of Russia and his family, or Lady Jane Grey who was just a pawn in a dynastic game, Mary Queen of Scots...

Then, being a pacifist and against any kind of violence, I also chose to tell the story of characters who died in a bad way, who were abruptly killed for no reason or just because they believed in something else but Violence and Power. I wanted to honour the memory of those who weren't silent when Hitler ruled Germany, of the politicians who were reformers, of Lillian Hellman who had the guts to choose her conscience over her career, of Rosa Luxemburg who was rifle-butted, shot in the head and whose body was thrown in Berlin's Landwehr Canal to be found about five months later...

FJS: In "Herald of the Morn" you use English but also sing in another language, I think it's Russian. Did that affect your approach to the song? Why sing in English and not Italian?

September 29th: Yes, it's Russian ;)

I guess it was very stubborn of me to sing in Russian but, as they say, what's done is done. Well, actually, it was a way to bid goodbye to a certain period of my life, and I do prefer musical goodbyes.

I had scribbled down a couple of short poems in Russian back in 2005 (I was really interested in Russian versification when I studied it in college) and as I realised they perfectly fitted in the songs I was writing for Herald I just decided to give it a try.

Besides, I must confess that I truly like Russian Rock music, groups such as Kino and Akvarium are absolutely brilliant. Kino became a real phenomenon in the late 1980's and despite the fact that, helas, the group's leader, Viktor Tsoi, was killed in a car crash in 1990, in Russia their music is still in the charts.

When I went to Moscow in 2005, an old lady gave me one of their cassettes, and I fell for their songs. Russian is a very musical language.

Am I Italian? Just kidding. The thing is I don't feel Italian at all when I sing. I've always felt that I belong to the River that flows from the land of Music & Freedom to the land of Music & Freedom, wherever they are... My musical soul speaks, has always spoken and will always speak English.

FJS: What has the internet meant for you as far as music is concerned? "Herald of the Morn" was your first album and also self-produced; but for "The Story of History" you have used the internet. What has your experience been with both formats?

September 29th: The internet has meant so much to me, it gave me the chance of having my songs heard, of connecting with open souls and minds, finding people who understand the way I am and are so generous to support me. Music without listeners is just nothing and what I appreciate of the internet is that even if it is, yes it is, virtual, it causes real effects.

This is a starting point, if you use the internet it doesn't mean you don't want to live out there, in the so called real world. Maybe you just have a bad sense of direction and often get lost ;)

Self-producing an album can be very hard, believe me! But, of course, it's also funny and exciting. The self-promotion part maybe is a bit more complicated than the rest, of course, but you have to deal with it.

I remember that last Summer I did everything in a hurry, one day I woke up and decided that those songs had to be officially recorded, I wanted to make them real. It was quite a stressing month... I was suffering from shingles, recording and mixing, looking after my cat who had just undergone a mastectomy.... I'm happy I did it all in a hurry, though, because if I hadn't released that album then, I would have missed that train. September arrived and sadness, too, indeed. My cat died, my inspiration changed, I wrote "But"... I've learnt a lot from that but I've also changed a lot since then.

As for the idea of making "The Story of History" available in the internet, I just felt that this project was ready to be shared. And I'm too broke to self-produce another album, honestly, so I chose the easy way. Yet I'd like to see it as an album one day, with the artwork, the printed lyrics and so on.

FJS: I'd like to see that too one day. If I had to choose a song to listen in an endless loop it would be "Heavy Times (Part 1)". I find the lyrics are dark and sad but the music gives me hope: What can you tell me about the song and the video? and Where is part 2?

September 29th: Where is part 2? In my computer, I confess. Together with part 3 and 4... Probably I'm not too satisfied with these recordings. No, definitely not. I promise I'll find a way to record them again...

I wrote ""eavy Times (Part 1)" last November. Or was it December? Anyway, I firstly worked the harmonies out. Everything started from an E minor, I daresay, my favourite chord. And then came the lyrics. I scribbled down some words randomly, just listening to them, to their sound, they just fitted in perfectly and this made perfect sense. Then in January I came up with this new arrangement, with this strong bass line. And that's it.

As for the video, it was another quick gesture of mine, so to speak. I had an afternoon free and decided to use my webcam and all the pictures stored in my computer to show what it's like to live in Heavy Times.

FJS: Talking about favourite songs, if you were stranded in an island and could only listen to 3 songs, which ones would you choose to listen under a palm tree?

September 29th: Once upon a time I was a better listener, I daresay. Since I've started writing so many songs I tend to switch the radio off, to enjoy the silence.

Yet I'm sure that under a palm tree I'd listen to Ben E. King's "Stand by me". I never grow tired of that song. Soul music is fantastic.

FJS: You love films and literature; What place do they have in your music and lyrics?

September 29th:My mother is a writer, my father, too, but in a different way. My sister and I grew up watching old films and reading books. We invented long and complicated games and eventually, when we had to stop playing, we turn those games into books, short screenplays and music.

I like to write plain lyrics, basically there's always a story behind a song. Thoughts can be biographical but the plot is never biographical, I write songs as if I were writing a short film, with characters, actions and a location. I guess it might depend on the fact that I've seen too many films, yes.

FJS: You also won a special mention in a short film festival a couple of years ago. What other hidden talents do you have?

September 29th: This is the most difficult question.

I'm a writer and a poet, too, I guess. I wrote a couple of novels, a short story of mine won a prize in a national competition... I was among the winners of the First Peace Poetry Festival organized by Iranian poet Rira Abbasi in Teheran last year; and I have just signed a contract with a literary agent.

I've decided that language is the wall between these fields. My songwriting belongs to English, while the rest belongs to my native language. This way it is easier to go on. Yet one thing is sure, my life without music would be nothing. I decided to call my musical project September 29th because I feel I was born under a musical sign, indeed.

FJS: Maybe it's time to learn some Italian ;) I know you are trying to contact record companies and I've read your thoughts about their unwillingness to work with new emerging / unknown artists. How are things working out? And going back to the internet question, seeing how things are changing and the tools available to promote your own work, do you think you really need a record company?

September 29th: Well, the other day I've spent a couple of hours looking for indie labels and I've found some contacts. Their demo policy is clear: they do accept demos, wow. I guess I'll start from there.

Do I need a record company? Good question. I guess I'd like to have a record company just to be sure that what I'm doing is real, if you know what I mean, that I'm doing this not just because I feel it necessary but because it could really be necessary.

Besides, as I said, self-promotion is hard and can be very boring because you're always there. Sometimes I get tired of myself and I just need a break.

Said that, I know that I will go on anyway, even if I didn't land a deal. I don't care for money or success, I just want to do music and do it my way.

FJS: A final question to wrap things up; what are your next projects?

September 29th: I've written too many songs this past year and I've just decided to take a break from songwriting not to become crazy. My plan is to try and spread what I've done so far, for example I'd like to have my songs featured in films.

In the meantime, I'm also thinking about some literary projects.

Maybe tomorrow my break will be over, who knows?! ;) If a good song knocks upon my door I'll let it in, no doubt.

And if I ask the Moon, all I hear is: Life is the answer.

Let's see.

FJS: Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview and for your time. Hasta Tempo, my friend!

More at : September 29th and myspace

"Heavy Times (Part 1)" video and "The Story of History" can be found at soundclick

A Conversation with Trouble in the Wind

Update: July 23, 2008: Trouble in the Wind was formerly known as Cactus Bob. Aki is no longer wth the band and Kyle Merrit who plays electric guitar, melodica, uke, banjo and accordian has replaced him.

Four friends; average knock-about guys, who's lives intermingled at various times come together in an evolution known as The Cactus Bob Band. Their story is told to us by Robby Gira lead singer and songwriter for Cactus Bob and T61's own Ryan Fox; drummer, guitar and backup vocals. Theirs is music with heart; as you will read and hear.

The Band

Robby Gira - lead vocals/12 string and songwriter
Trevor Mulvey - bass and string bass
Ryan Fox - drums/keyboards and back up vocals
Aki Iwata - lead guitar

myktoronto: Cactus Bob had a pretty interesting beginning can you tell us Ryan, about the day you guys decided to form The Cactus Bob Band. Was it a sudden thing?

Ryan: I would say it was pretty sudden. I ran into Trevor in a piano class we had at Miracosta College in San Diego (I wish six year old Ryan had stuck with the piano). We started talking about music and eventually we started jamming. A few weeks later I went up to visit Robby and Aki to hang out and party with them at Cal State Fullerton. We got boozed up, then Robby sang a song with his acoustic. I had no idea that he had started playing guitar. The song didn't have a name at that point but was later named 'All You Need'. The lyrics and melody of the song blew me away. He 'had' me at 'come' which was the first word of the song, haha. Me, Robby and Trevor all jammed a week later. We where together for a year before we added Aki. It was apparent that our sound was missing something; so long time friend, Aki was an easy choice.

myktoronto: So Robby; when did you first know you wanted to be a singer/songwriter? Musical family?

Robby: Well, I used to make up little ditties when I was a little kid that I thought were very clever. I wrote one about my friend Patrick; it went 'Pat's so fat, sat on a cat, couldn't get up again, that's Pat.' And then there was one about Cheezits also. I always thought I would be a writer and so I used to write stories and poems.

myktoronto: .... and the songwriting where does it get it's beginning?

Robby: Years later I met Ryan Fox. He showed me stuff he was doing as did my best friend Parker Tabas. I kind of went with the flow. Eventually I was in a band with the whole Cactus crew called 'The Bums'. We were arguably the greatest one song Iron Maiden cover band ever assembled. I think we actually had two songs even. I was in 'Munch' and 'Saffron James and the Apples' with Parker Tabas and Ryan Fox for many a pubic year. Sometime later I got a guitar and there was no turning back. It was kind of a slow evolution. I also have a sister that is ‘way' into theatre and I have this uncle I've never met who's enjoyed some artistic popularity. His name is Michael Gira.

myktoronto: You play guitar and drums and also study vocal Ryan; which came first?

Ryan: My parents tried to make me play piano when I was six years old. I was no prodigy. I hated it and quit after about a year. Years later I was hanging out at my friend Aki's house and he showed me how to play a drum beat. He had been taking lessons for guitar and drums for about a year I guess. It took about an hour and a half for me to get that drum beat down, which is pathetic. As a drum teacher myself, I've taught 10 year old girls the same drum beat in about 15 minutes. Aki thought I was hopeless, but as a 13 year old kid, it just felt right to make a lot of noise and hit something; so I got some lessons. I started playing guitar at 15

myktoronto: Was there a specific influence that kept you interested in music?

Ryan: As far as singing goes; I just always wanted to sing like Bruce Dickenson from Iron Maiden. I still do.That's way I'm a classical voice major at Cal State Fullerton.

myktoronto: There's a haunted quality to your songs. I guess the best example I can think of is 'Blackened Oak' Since the days of 'I Can't Help But Think' (the song that established the band) you've had a definitive style. When did that 'sound' come to you and how?

Robby: Oh man ... well I always wrote a lot of sad songs. I think maybe because people I read or listened to did that. I was probably depressed a little too. I tried and still try to write songs with a little bit of pop sensibility in them, as well as a lot of effort in lyrical and melodic tones. I guess the specific sound came to me when I was figuring out how to play guitar and it just became my way of venting and expressing my emotions. Every once in a while, when I get into a happy mood, it will turn in to a workable song. As for the haunted quality? I guess I always just want to sing it so that people know that I really mean what I'm saying. The songs really mean a lot to me.

myktoronto: Who has influenced your music the most?

Robby: My influences are definitely David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Neva Dinova, Willie Nelson and soooo much other stuff. I started writing songs with a folky or country tint to them pretty much cuz I couldn't play anything else and then I really started to like that style. Once the rest of the band came together we all liked it to so we just kept going. It was the shit!

myktoronto: In your personal music collection, what three albums/songs, have you listened to the most over the years?

Robby: Oh jeez. the new Neva Dinova record is so epic it almost never leaves my player, um David Bowie's album 'Lodger', and... oh man this is tough; 'When the Man Comes Around' by Johnny Cash is awesome too.

myktoronto: There's an undertone to your lyrics that conveys, it seems to me, a yearning for decency and consideration that is lacking in the sort of "me generation" lives many people experience today. Is that an intended message or I am I just way off base?

Robby: No I think you're right on base there. I get bummed out about the way people act sometimes, as well as the way I act sometimes. So I put my frustration into songs I think. I wish people were more honest with each other. I feel like honesty is becoming something like a forgotten language these days.

myktoronto: You were telling me Ryan, that you study classical voice and Aki studies classical guitar at Cal State Fullerton, Robby spent most of his life immersed in writing and music and Trevor has a diverse background of study in several music genre. Are there times when you guys find that your classical and formal instruction tempt you to complicate the bands open and simple and sound?

Ryan: We don't go for simplicity when we put the songs together. Rather; we all try figure out the best way to get Robby's message across. What I've learned from studying music is that sometimes people try to do too much musically without knowing why they are doing it. We try to use a classical technique called "word painting" which just means that the music sounds like what the lyrics are saying. A good example of this is our song Mr. Whiskey; before we wrote the rest of the music we came up with the theme of a train, which fit Robby's chorus perfectly: "you make the world, and I will make this train, you make mistakes, and I'm to blame'. After the theme was established we thought of everything we could possibly do as a band to make the song sound like a train.

Word painting is used a bunch of studio recordings that you listen too. Another example is 'I Fought the Law' by the Clash. When Strummer says 'robbing people with a six gun' the drummer does two triplets on the snare drum to make it sound like six-gun shots.

myktoronto: I think one of, if not my favorite Cactus Bob song is "Sweet Lilly Insane". Is Lilly an alias for an actual person in your life Robby? If so; can we find her in other Cactus Bob songs s well?

Robby: Lilly is based on a person I met; but then she became a character for other songs. I only met her once really. She was pretty interesting. So sometimes I use that name in songs. I also think its a pretty cool name. I see her at school sometimes. I saw her in a play once and she had a Russian accent and I was like, "whoa hot Russian chick." I really couldn't tell if she was Russian or not. Then I saw her at this party. It was a "Hoes and CEO's" party. I didn't have any business attire so I was like "shit" and I drew a bow-tie on a white shirt, threw on some sweatpants and shades and was a huge hit. I kind of got a lap dance too. I saw that the Lilly girl was there and I just tried to romance her. Eventually this huge fight occurred and everyone had to run away from the cops so I went home and wrote a drunken romance tune; in my bathroom.

myktoronto: - One question that begs to be asked; does the movie Doctor Strangelove have anything to do with the idea of "loving the bomb" in the song "To Love The Bomb?

Robby: Good question. Well, I thought it was a really cool quote in the movie where it was like: "eventually I learned to love the bomb." or whatever. So I took that and threw it in the mix of writing about a decaying relationship and crumbling empire. I had just finished watching this documentary on Robert Crumb. His brother meditated on a bed of nails to fight the urge to molest women... and I was like, "whoa dang!" so I threw that in there as well. Also written in a bathroom.

myktoronto: Do you have any projects in the works at the moment? A CD or maybe some new material coming our way?

Ryan: Yeah we're recording a few songs at Miracosta College right now. We plan on recording a lot this summer and making a high quality CD which will consist of our best recordings. This will be our first official CD release . We'll make studio versions of many of the songs on the 61. The reason we haven't done this before is that we didn't have scratch or the free recordings at Miracosta (Thanks Kyle!). When this CD is done, we will then shop it around to record labels and others in the industry.

myktoronto: Has the 61 given you a better view of your band. Has the feedback been constructive?

Ryan: Yeah we really had no clue what songs people favored most, until the sixty one. That reminds me that we have to add our song "San Diego" to our two upcoming gigs at the San Diego County Fair.

---

I admit I'm a big fan of The Cactus Bob Band; but it's not just the music. There's an aura of honesty and a sense of having great fun that these guys put across in a heartfelt way. Grab a brew or two and a big comfy chair, sit way back and experience the world of Cactus Bob.

Thanks for your music guys and sharing your thoughts with us...and Robby; one day that bathroom might be famous; but not in an Elvis sort of way. I hope.

Catch Cactus Bob on MySpace too!

A Conversation with CJizzle

If you've been at The Sixty One any length of time, you're surely acquainted with the unvarnished hip hop stylings of CJizzle. CJizzle has been at the top of some of those lists, but takes it all in stride and really doesn't give a crap if you don't like his music. Meet the man behind the hand, CJizzle.

Batface89: You have a song titled 'Who are you?'... Good question. Who are you? Who is CJizzle?

CJizzle: My name is Charles Julian Altendorf, I go by CJ and of course my rap name is CJizzle. I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin I but have lived all over the United States including 1 year in Illinois, 6 years in wisconsin, 7 years in Raleigh, NC and four years in Florence, Kentucky (it's by cincinnati). As you can tell by my last name I have heavy german decent but I am 7 generations removed from germany. I miss wisconsin almost every day and have many times tried to figure out a way to move back there. I love the food the people and just the philosophy of life their (and I am a HUGE Green Bay Packers fan). My favorite sport is football, I played it all four years of high school despite never becoming a starter. I also am a very independent thinker when it comes to politics, so don't catch me on a bad day if you think very conventionally about them. There is more to know about me but that is pretty much all I feel like typing.

Batface89: I listened closely to your lyrics at The Sixty One yesterday. Myktoronoto said: If someone took all of CJizzle's lyrics they could do a 2008 version of the movie 'Kids'. He writes like he thinks and the scary part is a lot of kids I hear and I talk to think like him. Please talk about your song writing process and your inspiration for your lyrics.

CJizzle: All of my songs have a simply rhyming pattern (in case that isn't obvious enough) and I try to make each verse near the same number of lines but not quite. As for my inspiration, well most of my songs are based on life experiences and how I feel about them. For example, the first song I made that people in my high school liked was titled 'Homecoming King Can't Be No Rapper' and it was about how I felt gibbed because I was nominated for homecoming court sophomore year and I didn't win despite the fact 2/3 of my class said they voted for me. My friends and I think it was because my high school administration didn't like me. Another to keep in mind about my music most of the time I try to make my music not completely serious because I feel like too much music today is too serious and depressing.

Batface89: Totally. On the song 'Now and Forever' you mention that people on the internet say your music sucks, and yet, you've almost developed quite a following on T61. Are you the William Hung of Hip Hop? How do you handle people dissing your music? How would you like people to react to your music?

CJizzle: I wrote the song 'Now and Forever' before I even heard about T61, in reference to the small majority of my high school and people on myspace that were dissing my music. As for being the william hung of hip hop, if I were so, I would be rich, wouldn't I? Didn't he make like a million dollars? I take criticism in stride on my good days, on my bad days I blow up and write angry songs.

Batface89: Speaking of 'Now and Forever', the beat on the drum machine really stands out. Can you talk a bit about the equipment that you use and do you do all of the sequences yourself? How do you record?

CJizzle: I bought this software from Staples called Cakewalk Music Creator 2. With the software came short recordings of many percussion instruments and different guitar notes. I take these sounds and I mix them together and copy them over and over again to make a beat, music creator makes it really easy. As for recording, when i originally started I had a piece of shit $10 microphone that was taped up because it was broken. After finishing my first two albums Life At Boone County High (part 1) and Life At Boone County High (part 2), my uncle bought me a fancy German microphone for Christmas and I have a fancy stand for it so that is what I've used ever since.

Batface89: Fancy German Microphone - now that's a great name for a band. The name CJizzle - I was reading on Myktoronto's wall that your name comes from a disease you have. Can you talk a bit about your name?

CJizzle: CJizzle as a name is a way of getting back at those who tormented me. Freshman year of high school some of my classmates (one of which I still have great disdain for) found out about my issues with having an overactive bladder (having an accident every once in a while) and picked on me because I was a virgin and had no girlfriend by saying I that masterbated a lot. So the called me CJizz... well I added an le and rolled with it and it turned out to be a mysterious and thought-provoking rap name.

Batface89: Hehe, I agree. Getting Jacked? What exactly does that mean? Does it come from a true life experience?

CJizzle: Getting Jacked is when a guy puts a lot of money into a relationship with a girl and she doesn't commit to him fully or is being very slow with it. While the song is stretching it a bit, I kind of had that situation happen to me a lot. The song was also written not long after Kanye West's 'Gold Digger' came out.

Batface89: Why the blurry photo with your hand in front of it for your profile pic? It's almost like you don't want people to know who you are... like KISS in their make-up days.

CJizzle: There is no hidden meaning behind the blurry profile photo. I had a shitty digital camera and made that picture for an english class because I thought it would be funny and i had no good pictures on my computer. I do have clear pictures now.

Batface89: Comradeinarms has a question for you: If the anti-Christ shall appear with 'a mouth speaking great things', antithetically, does that mean you are the True Christ?

CJizzle: Yes, BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP ME ALL YE SINNERS!!!!

Batface89: Ha ha. You're going to hell now :-). What is the most misunderstood thing about your music and you as an artist?

CJizzle: The most misunderstood thing about my music is it's not easy to do what I do. I'm making satire in a way. I'm not trying to be totally serious and I'm not trying to be completely bad and few people who've tried can do it.

Batface89: I'm not a musician but I can imagine it would be tough. So, you're in college. What are you studying?

CJizzle: Currently my University of Kentucky paperwork says I'm studying Civil Engineering. However, I'm debating doing something else with my life because I don't enjoy the way college is set up.

Batface89: What is next for CJizzle?

CJizzle: I really don't know, I have a lot to decide before I have a plan with my life.

Batface89: Well, good luck with college and your music career. Thank you for taking the time for the interview!

A Conversation With Dicky Moore

Dicky Moore, English singer/songwriter/guitarist, chatted with me last week. Moore formed the band Scintillate in 1994, who disbanded in 2005, and is currently playing with Scritti Polliti. He is also working on a solo album.

Batface89: Dicky, thank you for talking with me today. The second I heard your music on The Sixty One I was waiting that first second to bump it! Your musical style have a very upbeat, layered, complex, lush feel to them. They make me happy, yet they are not at all sacchariney. How would you describe your sound?

Dicky Moore: Thanks for that very flattering description. I try to be as positive as I can, both in my life and my artistic ende vours, so I'm glad that this comes through in my music. I've tempered the complexity of the music I've made in the past as I've worried about excluding potential listeners, but recently I've been making the music I want to make rather than worrying about what people want to hear, and ironically this seems be more successful in achieving the effect I formerly craved.

Batface89: Your first solo album is coming out soon. On The Sixty One, your Albums area say "Forthcoming Dicky Moo album". What is it called?

Dicky Moore: I haven't decided on the title yet, but the working title is "Transhumanism and the Omega Point". I had the album finished a couple of weeks ago, with 11 tracks, but have now decided to ditch half of them! So expect an astonishingly well refined album in... a few years ;-)

Batface89: I was reading on your website that the album holds a theme of escapism. Can you elaborate on that, and can you talk about your song writing process?

Dicky Moore: When listening to the E.P. released last year I realized that a theme of escapism running through it, ranging through dreams of spiritual liberation, escape from pop-song protocols, freedom by exclusion (on a desert island) and the fantastical story of future revolutionaries colonising a new galaxy. I am constantly trying to find new ways of writing songs, but find the best songs come to me deep from the subconscious, which I can then decorate using conscious processes. The Omega Point, for example came to me in a dream. I then imposed a Bach-style 4 part harmony on the chorus, which was a more conscious and mathematical development.

Batface89: How did you record the album?

Dicky Moore: I've got a very humble studio setup in my flat in Dalston, London, running Pro-Tools on my laptop, and arranging using Finale. I absolutely love the editing and mixing process. Once I've got the sounds in the box - that's when the magic begins.

Batface89: Speaking of magic, we exchanged a couple of emails about consciousness and lucid dreaming (and thank you for that very interesting information). I interviewed a musician/videographer a while back who has synesthesia, where different notes would appear to him as different colors. Do you ever involve your other senses in the process of creating your music? Have you given any thoughts about how you would interpret your songs visually (e.g., for a video)?

Dicky Moore: Hmmm - that's a really good question. When composing, I try to feel the music rather than think the music, but I'm not sure if that is specifically using senses other than hearing. I have to be cautious of using my eyes too much when post-recording - something might "look" out of tune but sound great! I'm hoping to make a video for 'The Omega Point' soon, and am keen on making videos that compliment the music rather than detract from it like the censored version of the Cardigans' "My Favourite Game" and "Last Nite" by the Strokes.

Batface89: Can you talk a bit about your musical history? How old were you when you started playing guitar and singing? Do you have formal musical training?

Dicky Moore: I grew up having access to different musical instruments, but didn't start playing guitar until I was 14. I taught myself some chords from books friends of my family had given me, but my Mum took me to a guitar tutor to tame my strumming. I then studied A-level music at sixth-form college, which I found fascinating, although I went off the rails a bit before I could complete the course.

Batface89: I'm glad you came back to it. You are currently playing guitar with Scritti Politti. How is it playing with Scritti Politti, who have reformed after more than 20 years? Is Green Garside, singer-songwriter the only original member? How did you get hooked up with Scritti Politti?

Dicky Moore: Green Gartside is Scritti Politti, and I'm incredibly lucky and honoured to be playing guitar for him on his live performances. We knew each other from our local pub, and I was drinking in the pub when he was recruiting his live band. I was very lucky, really.

Batface89: Right place, right time! The Scritti Politti album 'White Bread, Black Beer' got an 8.1 rating at Pitchfork, and was also nominated for the Mercury Prize awards. Congratulations. I fully agree. The album is beautiful and I love the layering of vocals. Can you talk about recording the album? What have you learned from working with Green Gartside?

Dicky Moore: I don't have anything to do with Scritti's studio recordings, as Green plays everything himself, but I deeply learned and loved the songs on that album and it was an absolute pleasure touring it. I've learned a lot about the music industry from playing with Scritti Politti, and have learned a lot from Green Gartside as a musician, songwriter and person.

Batface89: I can imagine. 'The Perfect Way' by Scritti Politti was a big hit when I was a tween. I never thought the lyrics were deep back then but listening to it now, I listen with a whole new set of ears. I remember borrowing the record from the library. Finding new music was much more difficult back then - I either had to dig through the shelves at the local independent music store, or see what the library had to offer. The Sixty One is made music discovery so easy for me. What has your experience been like with The Sixty One so far as an artist and as a listener? How do you think the musical landscape will change with artist and listeners interacting, such as at The Sixty One?

Dicky Moore: Experiencing thesixtyone.com has solidified my opinion that the demise of mass media will liberate many artists, be they poets, musicians or illustrators. I now feel that I can reach a wide audience without needing to be accepted by the broadcasting establishment. Now music will be judged more on its merits than it ever has been since the media age begun. However, it doesn't look like the large record companies are keen on giving their power away voluntarily.

Batface89: I have to say, I like the way the music industry is headed. I've really discovered more new bands thanks to the internet than I ever did by watching MTV or listening to the radio. Do you have any favourites among the bands posting music on The Sixty One?

Dicky Moore: I've discovered some great music on thesixtyone.com, namely FryArs's 'Happy', Steve Heftner's 'Why a Lawyer?', shockingly, both are yet to hit the frontpage, and music by more established artists that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise such as Kaki King.

Batface89: (Both of the songs you mentioned hit the home page right after the interview!) It seems like you are keeping very busy with your solo work and playing with Scritti Politti. Any other exciting news you'd like to share? A US tour perhaps?

Dicky Moore: I would absolutely love to tour the U.S. again! We toured in late 2006 and we made so many fabulous friends on our way and saw wonderful places. We were supported by the multi-talented Jeffrey Lewis band, who I highly recommend to music lovers. Sadly there are no tours planned at the moment, but I'm currently very excited about an environmental campaign led by Friends of the Earth, which is trying to get our government make it law that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced each year, totalling in an 80% reduction of 1990 levels by 2050. The most amazing thing about this campaign is that it just involved normal people talking to their MPs candidly about the fears they had of climate change and the action they thought should be taken. And it worked! The bill is due to go through parliament in the next few months and similar campaigns are now cropping up around Europe! It's completely restored my faith in democracy. It's people power that's gonna save the world!

Batface89: Thanks so much for the interview, Dicky. Best of luck with your solo album and with Scritti Politti.

Apoc Rock: The Wendys Interview

On today's Apoc Rock, I got a chance to pick the brain of the wickedly witty Ian White of The Wendys. The Wendys, who have become a staple sound on The Sixty One and have a strong following, took time out of their schedule to answer a few questions.

Apoc: So, who are the Wendys?

The Wendys are four Scottish guys who met in Edinburgh, except for the brothers that is, who met at home at a very young age.

Jonathan Renton - Vocals
Ian White - Guitar
Arthur Renton - Bass, backing vox
Johnny MacArthur - Drums and drum programming

Apoc: What got you guys started in music? Was it the easy money, the easy wimmin, drugs or the prospect of someday being an interviewee on the MaxBumps blog?

Arthur and Ian (now to be referred to as me or I) met as students and shared flats and houses. This was the early 80s. Arthur played music in his head and reckoned he had about 30 tunes in there written since he was in his mid teens. He later brought some of those out into the world when he bought a bass guitar. The common bond between all our friends was music. The more underground the better. Mainly post-punk or something a bit odd or violent sounding. Wire, Killing Joke, Bunnymen being some of the more recognizable. There was always music blaring out and I had my guitar and a home made speaker cabinet and old amp to make even more noise.

In the meantime a young, odd, school kid with ever changing dyed hair would occasionally appear at our flat in the big city to stay over and buy records and go to gigs. That was Arthur's brother, Jonathan. About four years later Arthur bought his bass and the two of us started to write tunes on Jonathan's 4 track. Jonathan then stole it back and put vocals on and thats how he gatecrashed and made us into a band.

First gig was in a big house the brothers were living in. We had a friend, Pete, on keyboards by then but no drummer. Johnny, being a quiet soul, came up to us straight after we played and introduced himself as the drummer we were needing. A few weeks later and Pete was out of the picture. He admits that the drink and posing was more up his street than playing. So that doesn't really answer your question but thats how we started. We just loved music and wanted to make our own.

Apoc: Are you currently touring? If so, what are some of the spots?

We aren't touring and the last time we played was 2003. We live too far apart but never say never.

Apoc: One of my favorite things about having musician friends is hearing about their GREAT 'on the road' stories. I'd love to hear one from you guys.

There is a great one about Jonathan and a hotel cupboard but not for here.

Tours for smaller bands tend to be about the grime more than anything else, which in itself is funny to remember but maybe not so interesting to retell. Stories of being stopped by the police, stolen jackets, fishing boat taxis to a festival then supporting the Happy Mondays and stepping up a gear.

Maybe one of the memorable ones was mooning ex-Olympian and, at the time, Conservative Party man Seb Coe on a motorway jam outside Birmingham, from our van. Another is that while still in the process of being signed to Factory Records, we played gigs in Manchester. There was an ITN TV news crew filming clips for a 'Madchester' scene article and ended up in our sound check and stayed for about half an hour filming. We thought 'this is it!' fame!!! Unfortunately, they were later filming in a club and got beaten up outside by drug dealers and their tapes and equipment were wrecked. We should have seen it as a sign!

But I prefer our studio stories. We recorded our Factory album with Ian Broudie of Lightening Seeds and Bunnymen production fame. That was amazing and we were star struck a bit to start with. We also recorded with Rolling Stones producer the late great Jimmy 'Sympathy for the Devil' Miller and got a whole load of Stones stories and Priscilla Presley stories from him. He chaperoned while the king was off on business. (On one of our songs he did a bit of his 'ooh ooh' backing vocals). There are lots of other little meetings and anecdotes but mainly getting to do music fulltime for a few years and meeting and playing with some great people. Having said that I've just remembered playing with The Fall and Cabaret Voltaire in Birmingham, driving about 400 miles and going straight on stage. Then our Roadie reached through a curtain and liberated half of Cabaret Voltaire's booze for good measure. Sorry guys!

Apoc: Now I promised not to talk about your influences and such, but you have such a unique sound that, trying to box it in any sort of genre is nearly impossible. Psychedelic, post punk, electro-funk sound with clipping baselines, dangling guitars, pointed vocals and catchy hooks seems to suit your music well. Based on that, my question is: Obama or Clinton?

For me its Obama. I emailed his campaign, suggesting Bendy Toy's 'Man for the Job' as his theme toon and he has since kept emailing me twice a week with his plans for USA. Its great what a fake DC zip code can get you... But then again, maybe Hillary has some Can, Joy Division, Shriekback, John Martyn, Wire, Bunnymen, Leftfield, Underworld, TPE, JAMC music on her iPod, so she would be allowed to play some tambourine with us.

Apoc: You have taken a very active role in thesixtyone and seem to be enjoying the concept of the site. As an Artist, what turns you on about the site and on the flipside, what do you think are the limitations of the site?

I like the voting (bumping) game play aspect. It is the differentiator, however it also is what annoys me. Limits here there and everywhere and strange changing rules that I don't understand. I have a listener account too and I now mainly add rather than bump so limitations suddenly disappear however so, maybe, does the difference? Great stuff on there. I love >A Faulty Chromosome, kosmischeboy, Dawn Landes, HAM, Whitey Houston, Bendy Toy, Swim Party, Birdlips, Muse Ritual amongst many others.

Apoc: Everyone talks about how the music industry is not the same any more.
That the direct interaction between Artists and Fans is breaking the traditional barriers of the music business. Do you think that's true? How has it affected the Wendys music?

It hasn't impacted The Wendys music but it has rekindled our enthusiasm, and it's like a virtual after-show chat with fans without the record signing, etc. There are more opportunities to do the Indie thing and sell direct which is great for many people but may limit potential for getting some corporate record company cash.

Apoc: Do you find that new mediums like t61, where you can get instant, direct feedback on your music affect the way you make, produce and promote your music? How?

Encouragement. Thats the great thing about t61, the community and its willingness to get involved by commenting sending tunes to others etc.

Apoc: Every band has a talent that they are most proud of... Whether it's their live shows, personal antics, musical diversions, or what-have-you's! What aspect of the band are The Wendys most proud of?

Jonathan was always an inventive cocktail maker. He invented a cocktail called a Pink Bastard that was basically beer cider (alcohol, not fruit juice) and several different spirits topped off with a dash of black currznt. All in a pint glass. Classy boy! Johnny, our drummer was always good at wearing kilts and singing Scottish traditional songs at arty showbiz type parties.

Apoc: To get prepared for this interview, I listened to your songs on thesixtyone over and over for nearly three days. I must admit that by doing that, I really gained an appreciation for the layering of your music and the basslines, especially Dean Martin's Hangover. What is the process of music-writing for you guys?

Usually, (but not always), the guitar and bass combo would come first. Often the bass. Sometimes it happened organically in rehearsal and once we hit something good Jonathan would start singing a repeated phrase over it. Arthur is the only person with whom I have been able to write music, that has felt 100% natural.

Apoc: Tell me about Art Plastic.

Art Plastic is where Jonathan and I put ideas and basic recordings. They may make their way to t61 at some point. We have another four ideas at a basic stage just now, so maybe in two years or so...

Apoc: I always find conflict a lot more interesting than harmony. What band/Artist should not be making music and whose ass the Wendys would like to kick?

Theres a load of great stuff at the moment. The UK is overflowing with bands, as always, but they are getting a lot more exposure. I would rather old bands didn't turn up with tours and new material. I loved The Who but please, YOUR NEW MATERIAL IS CRAP!

Apoc: What are your future plans with your music? Any new albums in the works? Concerts?

We may do something with some old material but can't say more than that. We have some unreleased tunes that we will make available at some point.

Art Plastic is the only concrete thing just now and that is really just playing at being a bedroom band again the way we started, only our bedroom is the size of the interweb...

A Conversation With Temple Scene

Among the musical gems that T61 listeners have bumped to glory are a dozen brilliant tunes from London's Temple Scene. Four of these near-flawless jewels were recently set into the Another Town EP. Temple Scene was kind enough to answer some questions from MaxBumps about their experience at t61, the new EP, and the process of crafting and polishing the musical treasures they've laid before us.

silkworm: What effect, if any, has your experience with thesixtyone.com had on the process of putting together the new EP? What are your thoughts about the site?

Temple Scene: Until recently, we’d been streaming the music and keeping our options open about the next move, but the fantastic feedback we’ve been getting on the61 encouraged us to re-assess that. There’s nothing more satisfying for a musician than people wanting to buy your music - and nothing more frustrating than telling them they can’t! The best part has been seeing the reaction to our songs. We just try and make music we like, but it’s amazing to find out that other people like it too.

Like a lot of people, we found the61 on Digg, and it was immediately clear that someone had finally solved some of the fundamental problems with music discovery sites. There are countless places that use competitions and votes as a way to get extra traffic from a band's existing fan base, but where no one has any incentive to stay and explore. the61 actually puts listeners in contact with new music, and makes it fun - any site that can do that is something special.

silkworm: Your EP, Another Town, is available in the US through Amazon.com's digital music marketplace - a great beginning! What's your ideal vision of how the commercial side of the band will evolve? Are you still sending your music to record labels or are you hoping to make your mark independently?

Temple Scene: Of course, we would love to have the kind of backing that would allow us to reach a huge audience, but at the moment, it’s just fantastic that there are people out there who have reacted in such a great way to our music.

The plan is to release our songs four tracks at a time, as E.P.s. This way we can build up a relationship with people by releasing new material on a regular basis, rather than throwing everything at a huge campaign every year or two for a whole album. If this E.P. goes well, we have things in place for the next two releases. In fact, we are just in the process of recording E.P. number four.

silkworm: The name of the EP "Another Town" is presumably taken from the lyrics to Everything: "And somewhere there's a wall falling down/ And these stones are gonna build another town." That sentiment of rebuilding is also echoed in the opening song Somewhere In This City: "...instead of beating your heart out/You can start again instead." Where do the inspirations for your lyrics come from and how do you go about crafting them?

Temple Scene: Many of our lyrics play with a sense of place, and it’s certainly this strand that makes these four tracks work together. "Somewhere In This City is about someone who feels the need to be uprooted, who never wants to stay still. It’s about trying to exert control over where you are emotionally by changing where you are physically.

"Breathing" is a natural counterpoint to this. It expresses almost the opposite feeling - of how someone feels dislocated and uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings. One song is about running away from life, the other is about trying to hide from it - neither character really knows how to connect with it.

"Everything" and "Half Life" continue the theme of our lives and relationships being a kind of journey. There is constant moving and searching in "Everything". "Half Life" is about pausing to take stock of where we’ve come from and where we've got to.

We try to get across feelings and sensations rather than concrete stories, but we tend to have a type of lead character in each song. We create a personality and then put them in a situation and imagine how they are feeling. The fact that we write together has a big influence on this - instead of only having our own experiences to draw on, we pool them and come up with something - or rather someone - new.

silkworm: And on the topic of names, here's the obligatory question - how did you come up with the name Temple Scene and does it have any special meaning?

Temple Scene: It's nothing more complicated than a corruption of Temple Sheen, a place near where we make our music.

silkworm: Blog contributor Apocalypse says that, to him, Temple Scene's music embodies the "hopeful melancholy of attachments," and that "each song is nearly a perfect one act play, taking us through a full range of emotions, all the way to catharsis." He would like to know, how much thought goes into the arrangement or layering of each song? Or is that just a natural progression of the collaboration between the two of you?

Temple Scene: We know broadly the feelings we want to get across, but we work pretty instinctively and we often feel like we’re just going along for the ride - we’ll know what it sounds like when it’s finished!

Brian Eno said you should “use your limitations as secret strengths” and we definitely believe that having certain musical avenues closed off to you is a help, rather than a hindrance - it gives you a direction. The most obvious example of this is our working lives. There are huge benefits to being audio engineers, particularly having the chance to watch some great people at work. On the flip side, the hours are long and unpredictable. This has meant we have to be a two-piece, so that juggling our time is just about workable. Trying to keep up a full-size band would probably be very unfair on the other members when they were left hanging around.

It’s meant that there are often periods when just one of us is able to work on a track for some time. Finding that a track had taken shape and completely changed in your absence was difficult at first but we think it has some real advantages. It gives each of us opportunities to run with ideas without them being shot down before they're fully formed. Also, it helps us remain objective which is important when you're not working with outside producers who come along with a fresh set of ears. We’ve got to the stage now where if the other guy comes back and says “Sorry, but I really don’t like what you’ve done”, it’s not a problem. We trust each other’s judgement.

It’s also directly affected the sound of the music. We don’t have a full band, so we have to build up the songs ourselves, piece by piece, and this lends itself to a certain kind of music. So at a given moment we might be listening to Jeff Buckley or Johnny Cash, but of course the way we have to work favours a more constructed, electronic type of sound. We’re not wedded to that sound - but we’re not scared of being pushed into it either.

silkworm: Throughout your experience recording top musicians, what's the most interesting or strange tip you've picked up from a musician and then applied to your own work? Which musicians inspire you musically or lyrically?

Temple Scene: The most important things we've learned are not so much specific tricks as instincts. Working for a long time with really good people, you gradually start to judge performances differently. Sometimes you need to keep at something until it's perfect, but sometimes perfection would ruin it. For example, we’ve learned to always record constantly when we're jamming around ideas for a guitar part - things often come out so much better the first time you play them, when you're not thinking about it.

In terms of influences, we’ve both always been drawn to music with rich, multi-layered sounds and a dark edge, such as Depeche Mode, R.E.M. and Pink Floyd. But one great thing about working with so many musicians is that they always end up showing you the music they love, and this has really broadened our tastes. We’ve discovered so much music that had somehow passed us by - like Carole King, Jeff Buckley and Robert Johnson. Of course, we have our individual tastes as well - Ric grew up listening to Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz; for Philippe it was Prince and Bob Marley.

silkworm: There's a nascent topic on the MaxBumps.net forums dedicated to recording gear. What gear do you the two of you use to help create such a full and polished sound? What about live performances?

Temple Scene: We’ve done all of our own music in a home studio, in Logic. We make sure each song is self-contained, so if we’re busy and having to ‘tag-team’, one of us can just load up and see where the other had left off. When we’re recording in a proper studio we use Pro Tools (or tape!), which is much more streamlined for dedicated recording, but as a studio-in-a-box it’s hard to beat Logic.

We’ve also made a big investment in plug-ins and samples; most of the Native Instruments stuff (amazing sounds but you have to put up with the bugs) and Waves. We tend to use Waves SSL channels as our go-to when mixing because they are the desks we are most used to in the real world.

Guitar-wise we do have a lovely Strat which you can hear doing the slide on Everything, but most of the time we use Philippe’s Telecaster which is such a simple, reliable guitar. The acoustic is Philippe’s Taylor (bizarrely, given that Ric plays more of the guitar, Philippe is the one who obsesses over them!). Since we’re recording in a home studio, all the guitar amp sounds are modelled (mostly NI Guitar Rig) and the limitations of this have again forced us to be creative with our sounds. For example, we don’t much like simulated amp sounds on big chugging guitar chords - they always seem to turn to mush. That why on Breathing we’ve got big Green Day style thrashing guitar on the chorus... but played on acoustics!

We enjoy throwing in odd sounds, too, like Ric’s suitcase harmonium. Such a delicate instrument, and we don’t really know what we’re doing with it, but it sounds great!

We haven’t been playing live recently because our jobs would make it so difficult for the other members of a 4 or 5 piece band. It’s something we regret - we would absolutely love to work out how we could get out and play for some of the people on thesixtyone and MySpace, but we’re not sure if people would want to see just the two of us playing over a backing tape!

A Conversation with Matthew Collings

This is an interview I did last summer with a musician and video artist for Toolfarm's Inspirations. I thought the Max Bumps readers might enjoy it. (And now you all know my secret identity.)

Matthew Collings, aka Sketches for Albinos, is an experimental musician and music video maker, living and working in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Sketches for Albinos album 'Red' came out in March 2007 on Imoto records and took Matthew over two years to complete. Each song is a highly-crafted piece of music and multi-textured and described by Rawkstar.net as 'an individual masterpiece's. It is available on iTunes.

Matthew put this same lush texture and intricate detail into his video for the song 'Routine'. We discuss the creative process and visualizing his music, using lo-tech and highly experimental techniques. We even touch upon the topic of synesthesia. If you're not familiar with that term, you better read the interview!

Download 'Routine' Video (iPod High Quality). Right-click or Opt+click to download.

Chat transcripts

Michele Yamazaki: Hi Matthew.

Matthew Collings: Hello.

MY: When we exchanged emails earlier, you said that you use "basic things for your audio". Can you tell me a bit about your creative process for making music?

MC: I actually try to use very basic things for sound and audio. I'm not hi-tech at all.

MC: I almost always start on a guitar. I'm a guitarist, but I like computers because of their power. I use many layers of things, mostly guitars, although they may not sound like it. You find things emerge in that way, organically and spontaneously.

MC: I also do most things on a digital 8-track machine and use the computer to tear things apart and to find new textures.

MC: When I make music, I always try to visualize it in some way.

MY: How did you go about visualizing the video for 'Routine'?

MY: The video has texture as well and matches the music perfectly.

MC: Routine... I had planned it for two years, after I went to the sculpture park where it's partly filmed. I went there at sunset, it was beautiful. It had this cold industrial look to it, like a Chris Cunningham video, or something by David Fincher. I love that mix of cold, electronic, distant, alien, with something warm, human and emotional.

MC: It's about twisting things into new shapes.

MC: I had this idea of it, like the images themselves should be able to bend, twist, flip colours, and suddenly change texture... all grainy, but not in an old, battered way. Texture is an important part of that, because something can be very familiar, and classic, but if it's wrapped up in a fresh or unusual texture, it suddenly becomes interesting.

MC: More hi-tech full of rich colours, like neon lights.

MY: Were the grain effects done with plug-ins or while shooting?

MC: I filmed it over two years in different places. The main texture effects are all real-time, totally filmed. There are no plug-ins used during the editing whatsoever.

MY: No kidding.

MC: I find people get easily distracted with plug-ins, thinking the plug-ins can do all the work for you. It stops you from having to use your imagination to produce new effects.

MY: The video is absolutely gorgeous. What techniques did you use to add texture to the video?

MC: It's actually done by routing the existing footage through an old tv monitor and then filming it again, on the same camera. The screen itself creates all those effects. Filming a tv screen is fascinating because it's a convex surface, light reflects differently off it, and the colours shift.

MY: Excellent trick! It does look really organic.

MC: I didn't capture exactly what I was looking for though.

MC: That was the aim! Organic, but in a twisted way.

MC: I love films by David Cronenberg, that twist what organicity is... blending machines and flesh and the like.

MC: In terms of experimenting, I think people are quite lazy these days

MY: I think a lot of people don't have the time or money to experiment as much as they like, too.

MC: If you listen to some of the first electronic or tape music made in the 40s, 50s, which took months, literally, at a tape recorder and slicer...

MC: and the products are still much more alien and far out that anything made on computers.

MC: The instant power of it can be counterproductive, I feel.

MY: Yes, I suppose so.

MY: I was just reading an article about creativity and they quoted Jack White of the White Stripes. The quote: "If we had five people on the stage, all the opportunity of a 300-track studio, or a brand-new Les Paul, the creativity would be dead. Too much opportunity would make it too easy. We just don’t want to be complicated, it seems unnecessary."

MC: When they first came out, The Stripes, I was really inspired by that attitude.

MC: When you place limits on yourself, you have to create, to test, to bend.

MC: When you have massive power at your fingertips, you get lazy because when you can do anything, you do nothing.

MC: I know people know try to start recording music, download loads of programs, and just get so intimidated by all the complexities of it all, they give up. That's such a waste.

MY: That's so true. You spend a good part of the creative process learning the technical aspects of a program.

MY: You said, "When I Make music, I Always try to visualize it in some way". Do you have synesthesia?

MC: I don't think I have synesthesia, but I'm fascinated by it.

MC: The most common form is to see colours in music, which I feel strongly.

MY: I went to a seminar on it a while back.  Very interesting.

MC: With the video too. It had to take on OTHER QUALITIES, be textural and the like, the cross senses.

MC: I released an album in March, and it had no titles, so I called it 'Red', which is a colour of that always seems to occur with me, even if I don't think about it. Red was just romantic and dark and rich and BANG!

MC: There was no way I cold find the way to sum up that period of my life, such an amazing time, with words or even a catchy sentence or title.

MY: Can you talk a bit about your editing process and the experimentation you went through?

MY: Does your final video look like what you had visualized when you wrote the song?

MC: We edited the video in Final Cut Pro.

MC: The song was actually the first song I ever did in this current setup, on my own. I wanted to do the video first, and chose that song.

MC: I had these visual ideas that I had to do...and I still haven't finished them really.

MC: The textural thing, and the synthesthia in video is the same that I want to achieve in music really, thing meshing and melting into one another in an unfamiliar but recognisable way.

MC: It feels like a big general idea, that is viscous in my mind, and it will always be there, shifting around.

MC: This the point in the conversation where I make lots of bizarre hand gestures to try to explain what I mean.

MY: He he.

MC: It kind of feels like some violent textural dough, that stretches and flips and is heavy and powerful. If that makes any sense at all.

MC: I wanted it to be even slower. Twice as slow. I just couldn't film it because I had no tripod, had to hold the camera, and it was -10°C!

MC: Have you seen 'Ganz Graf' by Autechre? It's the most amazing animation ever and helps the music to make sense, which it didn't really before, because it's so abstract.

MC: The video expresses this flipping, twisting thing, everything falling apart, coming back together, almost dancing, but it's still incredibly abstract.

MY: It does give the music a whole other dimension.

MC: It was also done years ago, maybe in 2001.

MC: I think that's one of the best music videos I've seen because it takes the music to another level, which is what video is for.

MY: That must've been crazy to animate. The timing is insane. I hope they had a plug-in to help them time it with the beats!

MC: It's incredible, isn't it! So complex.

MC: The machine comes alive...

MY: Every beat has something happen. It says the idea came from an LSD trip. I can believe it!

MC: Actually I think the texture and colour of music is one of the most important things.

MC: It's like with a painting, if the wrong shade of colour is used it just ruins everything. Same with production, everything has to feel right, be the right shape.

MY: You said it took 2 years to shoot your video. How long did your post production process take?

MC: When we actually we working on it, about two weeks, it was just that finding the time was difficult.

MY: What were some of the challenges you had in post production bring your vision to life?

MC: I actually wanted to film the whole thing again through a tv, and all the footage numerous times, to get 3 or 4 different versions of the same footage and mix them all together in layers, so they could, move and pulsate and flicker under one another.

MC: To be honest, it worked out exactly how I wanted, except the shots weren't long enough. I tried stretching the footage and slowing it, but it looked pretty crappy.

MC: Too cliched slow motion.

MY: I've got some terrific plug-ins I can sell you to smooth out your slow motion shots ;-)

MC: It should have a thicker texture, and the only reason it doesn't have it is because I gave up after two years of trying to get it done!

MC: I always work on things until they get almost exactly in line with what I had in my head at the time. It often takes 6 months to 2 years.

MC: I'm patient. Ha ha.

MY: Are you originally from Iceland?

MC: I'm originally from England. I moved here nearly three years ago.

MC: It's an amazing place. Best time of my life.

MY: I'm sure the scenery in Iceland is inspiring. It's the #1 place on my list of places to visit before I die.

MC: The thing about the scenery, especially in Reykjavik, is that it just becomes subconscious... you barely notice the sea and mountains at the end of the road, but everything just seems so HUGE, and you are part of it. It's inspiring in that way everyday.

MY: Have you started work on another video yet?

MC: Not really. I would like to do another one, but it's still forming. I should really start on another one. I have day dreams about music videos all the time, based on existing ones, but with whole new qualities over the top. A director friend of mine in Finland is making something to my music also.

MY: Very cool. Please send me a link when the video is online. I'd love to check it out.

MC: That may also take years... Ha ha.

MY: Thanks for talking with me, Matthew. It was so interesting.

MC: Thank you for inviting me. It's always a pleasure to try to explain these things. I always learn something from it

June 1 , 2007 02:06 pm EST

Mad Staring Eyes Interview

In the latest Max Bumps band interview, Willie spoke to Oli from Mad Staring Eyes and failed to tap him for £50.

Willie:Who are the Mad Staring Eyes behind those bandages?

Oli: Mad Staring Eyes are Al Jay (vocals/guitar), Dan Lee (bass guitar/vocals), Jake Hirsch (keyboards/vocals), Oli Darley (drums). We are at the centre of a London-based collective of artists and musicians associated with Retina Records such as The Bill Murrays, The Undecided Party, Hug, Vintagehead and Meatman.

The bandages are to do with the name of the band and the name of our album ('Bored Of Looking Cool'), not because we're horrifically scarred or anything...

Willie: How did the band form? Met rolling on the floor of a psychiatric ward?

Oli: We’ve all known each other since we were kids; we formed a band when we were 15. The first gig we played was soon after, at the Walthamstow Royal Standard which is quite a rough pub in East London (and a bit like a psychiatric ward come to think of it). There was a stripper on just before us and as I recall, the 'crowd' turned just after our hard rock version of 'All Along The Watchtower.' Can't blame them really.

Willie: All Along The Watchtower by Mad Staring Eyes, now there’s one for the 61 home page. How did the name Mad Staring Eyes come about?

Oli: It was one of those 4 in the morning decisions when we were all looking a bit tired and wired. We used to be called Izzy Strange and the Mad Staring Eyes which is a name we all still love but we dropped the first bit after a while as people kept saying 'Whatty who and the What??' Now the worst we get is Mad Starring Eyes.

Willie: It’s a very individual vibe you’ve got going. How do you describe your sound and who are your influences?

Oli: We have a lot of different influences because we are all into very different music, from punk to jazz to classic rock to hip-hop. Over the last few years our sound has actually become more together and focused. We will always have a leftfield edge to our music but we were definitely crazier before. Sometimes that can get in the way of great songs though so the trick is finding the right balance which on this album we think we have.

Willie: Can you tell us a bit about your song writing process?

Oli:There’s no one way. Ideas come up sometimes in jams, those eyes-closed, lights out wig-out type moments, then we build on those ideas over the next few weeks. Alternatively someone (we all write) might bring a near complete song to the jam and we might finish it that night. Dan produces most of our music so he might build a new song on his computer out of some weird loop he dug out somewhere.

Willie: On to the 61. As a listener discovering great music like yours is the first draw, but the community aspect with artist and listeners interacting seems to set t61 apart. My question is could you lend me 50 quid? And what are your thoughts from a band perspective?

Oli: We honestly love t61 and have really appreciated all the support we've received there. Its obviously useful seeing what songs listeners like the most and reading their comments. We've got ourselves some new fans which is all you can ask for! Oh, and sorry I'm skint.

Willie: Have the bumps and the feedback effected what you perform live or even the makeup of forthcoming releases?

Oli: It didn’t effect the album directly because the track listing was already decided. Also, it's never good to have your head too easily turned in a band, as that usually leads to confusion and self-doubt!

The feedback has been used though... it's interesting what songs people have connected with and it has affected what songs we play people when they want to find out a bit about the band.

Willie: Album?

Oli: Our album 'Bored Of Looking Cool' will be coming out in June.

Willie: Looking forward to that. Any other exciting news you’d like to share? International gig, anything like that perchance?

Oli: Yes, sir, we do. The album will be released to coincide with our trip across the Atlantic to Toronto to the North By Northeast festival. We are speaking to several labels in the US and Canada and are on the verge of signing a publishing deal in the UK.

Willie: That’s great news. North by Northeast should be great, I hope it goes well for you. Perhaps you could give us a report when you get back.

Oli: We can't wait for NxNE, sure we'll do a report when we get back

Willie: Do you have any favourites among the other bands on the site?

Oli: I found out about Band Of Horses and Vampire Weekend on t61 before anywhere else and they are both great.

Willie: Finally. One desert island disc, what would it be? Any artist, any era or genre.

Oli: We'd all have very different answers to this one. No way I can do one but if it was three I'd go for Television - Marquee Moon
The Clash - London Calling, The Shins - Wincing The Night Away, oh, and check out 'mush' by Leatherface. They were a 90's punk band from Sunderland and are up there with all the greats).

Willie: Thanks for your time and good luck with the album and NxNE, though I’m sure luck doesn’t have anything to do with any success that comes your way. Hope to see you on the 61 soon.

Links.
Mad Staring Myspace
On t61
Mad Staring Facebook

A Conversation With Jacob From ZUBA

Hailing from Scotland but blending influences from all over the globe, the infectious rhythms of ZUBA's Bassa Beat made an instant impression on t61 listeners. Alas, Zuba - in the form that t61 listeners have come to know and love them - no longer exists. Jacob from Zuba took the time to talk to MaxBumps about thesixtyone.com, life as Zuba, and the band's direction - past and future.

silkworm: What has your experience been like with thesixtyone.com so far as an artist and as a listener?

Jacob: Woooow! That's a hard one, a lot in your question... sorry; it will have to be a long answer!

First as an artist, I've been doing Zuba promotion on the web on and off for a few years now, and t61 is really unique to me. Its originality partly comes from the fact that the spirit of it is not interested at all, business wise, thanks to James and Sam (big respect!) and devoted entirely to music. You only have listeners and artists, nobody here to "lay down", sell porn or watches. The comments here are about music and only music. The only people that can make money there are the artists, all they have to do is upload music, the rest is already done for them. If your tune is available on the web you have a link coming up to a merchant download site, etc. Saying that, I don't know if a lot of people buy those tracks, because they can listen to them for free on t61 and more than that, I'm not sure they have time to listen to anything else! I know for a fact a few of Zuba listeners bought the album though.

On t61, you're able to have a direct contact with your listeners, test their taste, and you have to try to guess which of your tracks is going to work best with them. I think Zuba were lucky enough to build an audience quickly and because we have quite a unique sound here on t61, people were quite curious first and in a way got drown into our sound. Because some of our tracks were posted [to the homepage] straight away, I got hooked quickly and since I had time to spare at the time, a bit of promotion, cheekiness and nice interacting with some top players did the rest. I guess we had the luck to be noticed by top-ranked (and therefore powerful!) listeners who were really helpful to us... iyzie for example started a topic in the forum -only a few days after we first uploaded- asking for a world music genre section naming Zuba, surely that brought some attention on us.

So, here is the biggest originality of this site: the gaming side of it... and that's where your listener's side/profile comes in! I think you do need to set up a listener's account and start playing to understand t61 world and fully enter it... I guess there different ways of playing it, but if you want to do well you start bumping tracks you wouldn't especially pay attention to out of the game, because you know they're going to work well and give you some points... and you start understanding people do the same with your tracks. It's like being Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!

So to conclude (at last!), it has been a really interesting and fun experience so far. And of course, we even get to be interviewed!

silkworm: You've mentioned that you're back to work and that ZUBA as we hear it on thesixtyone.com doesn't really exist any more. What caused this decision? Are you working on any musical projects right now? How about the other band members? We're pleased to be able to hear Robin Miller's guitar work on thesixtyone.com.

Jacob: Zuba stayed together for nine years and most of it was fun but we were self produced, self managed, self financed, self everything really... unfortunately there is a lot of crap to go through, sometimes a lot of frustration and it's quite hard to have seven people with the same level of commitment and involvement...

When you are in a band and you get a lot of good feedback and excitement about what you do, you start believing you might get somewhere with your music, start living from it for example (!), but unfortunately music business is a hard one and after a while it becomes quite tiring, especially if you have to work and travel for gigs at the same time... On top of that you always meet people that tell you they're going to take you to the moon and it becomes clear after a while it's just bulls**t...

Robin Miller is preparing a new album and playing covers in venues around his place.

The bass player Woody plays with a rock band for a while now and started working with MATW (man at the window) a Scottish reggae band.

Jerry Boweh, the singer still carries the name Zuba with his new band Zuba Bassa Beat and prepares a new album.

Personally, I had to go back to my home country, France, where I stay now, just before the split, in 2006. For a year and a half I left the music aside and I've just started gigging again with two bands, General Purpose (pop) and Zion Crew (dub/reggae) in Paris.

silkworm: Would you tell us a bit about Jerry's griot lineage and what influence that has had on the storytelling aspect of your music? Does that also inform the politics of some of your songs?

Jacob: Well, I'll try to answer some aspect of this question for Jerry with what he told me over the years.

I know Jerry is from a cast of griots (musicians and story tellers) inside his own tribe, the Bassa people, and that he got initiated as a kid in a village in the bush. For him it was always important to sing in Bassa, when in Liberia you have a lot of people speaking English and even more in the Liberians' communities over the world, the biggest being in the US. He got a lot of feedback from his people saying 'How do you remember all that? How can you still sing in Bassa?" And I think he's really proud to carry his tribe culture further, especially after all those civil war years there, for people to remember where they come from.

I guess when you speak about politics in our songs you refer to Tomayziyi (Let there be no more war), Hail Africa and Election Day. I think those songs are meant to be more philosophical than political... or political but kind of neutral. I guess the role of the griot cast is to tell stories, for people to learn from them and live better in community.

No War is a message carried by many musicians and artists. Jerry says 'When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers' meaning that the wars are always ruled by the powerful of this world but it's always the simple people that get killed. He wrote the two others especially for the first presidential elections in Liberia after Charles Taylor's fall, for all Liberians -not only Bassa people, that's why they are in English- and they carry a message of peace and reconstruction for his country.

Jerry now runs a charity called AYDAP (African Youth Development Action Project) to help youth in Liberia to get over the war (a lot of child soldiers where used during the war) through music and sport and through the years, Zuba has always been happy to play for charities such as Amnesty, Fair Trade, etc. Just for info, you can now find a translation of Tomayziyi and a few other songs in our photos on t61.

silkworm: Please tell us about the process of creating the ZUBA sound. Did you already know at the beginning what kind of sound you were looking for, or did it take some time for those diverse elements to evolve in to the music we hear now?

Jacob: Zuba was originally formed for a one-off concert in aid of Scottish International Relief back in 1997. The singer Jerry Boweh founded the band in Glasgow. He found himself in Scotland (this damned freezing place as he calls it himself!) after civil war forced him to flee his home country Liberia. Like in most bands, some musicians had to move on with their life and some new ones were grafted, but for nine years Jerry managed to keep on his side Robin Miller, a really talented finger picking guitarist, and Andy "Woody" Wood, at the bass, big fan of The Who.

Up to 2003 Hubert Hove, Jerry's "bro" from Zimbabwe played keyboards and gave a real reggae feel to the sound and we had a backing singer from the Basque country.

In 2001 some new influences came into board, the drummer Alasdair MacDonald with his jazzy feel, Anna Macdonald with her beautiful voice you can appreciate on "Mes Fantômes" and me with my Latin luggage.

Some other keys players stayed with us for a while, Gavin Murray and Greg Barnes, both feature on our last album "Allez!"

To answer your question, there was no real process to create the Zuba sound because there was always a really democratic way of writing songs -which sometimes took a veeeery long time!- and because everybody who wished to bring his/her own influences and background could do it, the Zuba sound was always a result of an interaction between musicians, not really planned but only happening. For example, Zuba recordings have a real strong reggae feel to them before 2003; and that's not because somebody was saying, "yeah, we are a reggae band, we have to write reggae songs" but for the simple reason that Mr Hubert 'Blackman' Hove was in the room, playing his infectious skanks on the keys. The funny thing is though, if you've heard Zuba before, you'll be able to recognize their sound straight away... you might not know how you recognize it, but you will!

I guess not looking for a particular sound has been a problem for us in many situations, because in the music business, people want to be able to describe music, to be able to put it in a precise shelf and sell it... even for gigs, they want to be able to describe your sound to a new audience... they don't like to take risks! A good illustration of that is another Scottish band -great band by the way: Salsa Celtica... they are doing really well... I'll let you guess what they play!

At the end of the day, they don't care if you've never played a gig with nobody dancing even if only 10 people are there, they don't care if your music is enjoyed by people from 2 'till 80 years old, if it brings sunshine in one of the rainiest country...

Never mind! I personally think they missed something!

silkworm: One of our blog contributors was wondering if there has been any Scottish influence on your sound? If not a musical influence, then just the influence of creating and playing music in Scotland - what is it like and does it have an effect on your music?

Jacob: Yes, there is a Scottish influence in the playing, mainly with the lead guitar from Robin. After that you have a song like "Zuba" in 6/8 which finishes with a Scottish jig, even with fiddles on the recording. And yes there is a big Scot influence in the way of thinking I guess, never taking anything too seriously especially yourself, always stay humble. Scottish humour is great: the best sarcasm is when you laugh at yourself before anybody else! Not always well understood, but... nae bother!

Video at the big green gathering

silkworm: What other musicians inspire you? I feel like I can hear elements of King Sunny Ade or Kanda Bongo Man but I'm sure there's so much more going on.

Jacob: To refer to the artists you quoted we do have an overall African music vibe and I would also add Thomas Mapfumo, Lucky Dube (for the early Zuba), Paul Simon's Graceland. But I think the real answer would be: too many to be named, just because every single one from the band would have to answer this question. I can try to give one artist for each:

Jerry: Bob Marley

Robin: Davy Graham

Woody: The Who

Alasdair: Tony Williams

Hubert: Lucky Dube

Anna: Toots

Gavin: Frank Zappa

me: Salif Keita.

That's probably why there's so much going on!!!

silkworm: There are some good videos of ZUBA playng live on your myspace page. Please talk a little bit about what playing live music to an audience means to you.

Video live at the garage

Our last gig together was in the summer 2006... What to say? I think we all miss it. We loved playing for any kind of audience and make them sweat as much as we did! Playing live was our biggest reward for all the work involved in this I guess, I think we were a live band if that makes sense... as well as a big family... but that we still are!

Thank you very much for asking us to do this, the questions were very pertinent and it's an honour to be here.

As a conclusion I will only say:

ZUBAAAAAAA!

T61 Favorite Ve Talks About His Music

Over the weekend, listeners were treated to the melodic, atmospheric "Ice" by t61 favorite Ve. Unfortunately, Ve also revealed that "Ice" is the last track he has available to upload. We encourage you to let him know how you feel about his music, and hopefully there will be more someday soon. He was kind enough to answer a few questions from MaxBumps and share some thoughts about his creative process, inspirations, and experience with thesixtyone.com.

silkworm: Do you create all of the music in your songs by yourself or do you collaborate with other people? What instruments or tools do you use to create your songs?

Ve: No, I do everything myself, and I’m not particularly interested in co-writing songs either, to be honest. I wouldn't mind collaborating in some sort of mixed-media project though, where I do the music. That could be fun.

I have a bunch of instruments in my much too small apartment, it’s a mess, looks like a rehearsal room. And getting a digital drum set a month ago didn’t help one bit. But when writing a song I almost always just use an acoustic guitar, sometimes a piano. I’d use the piano more often if only I was better at it. It’s an amazing instrument. Other than that I use the computer and various music software.

silkworm: Where do you call home? It could be someplace different from where you're living, of course. Does that place (or places) have an effect on your music?

Ve: Oh, I like historical places. And I love history and reading about people who lived like a century ago and their adventurous lives. I’m obsessed by real-life stories. They are definitely a big source of inspiration for me and some of them end up in songs. Jimmy Angel, for example - you can find fragments of his life story embedded in “Even microbes Have To Eat.”

And the song I’m working on now have references to the life of Isabelle Eberhardt. Not sure I answered your question there, but when I think about where I’d wanna be it’s always in some exotic country hundreds of years ago :). Other than that, my home is around here I guess, in the north of Sweden. This is where I’ve lived all my life.

silkworm: I grew up when loving music meant hunting through crates for albums and cassettes, and finding new music was limited to hearing songs on the radio, or from your siblings or your friends. As a listener it seems like a dream to me to have a digital, global, social medium for discovering music. What has your experience been like with thesixtyone.com so far as an artist and as a listener?

Ve: The problem with sites where you can upload your songs has always been the massive amount of tunes and that your songs simply vanishes among them. I had no expectations whatsoever when registering at thesixtyone.com, but so far the bump system has been great. I really hope it will continue to function just as well in the future, when there are more artists, cause right now it’s just awesome.

I listen to music at thesixtyone more or less daily. I'm not very good at discovering new music, I don't have a radio or a TV, so thesixtyone suits me pretty good, always new stuff.

silkworm: Musicians always get asked about their influences, and I do want to ask about that a little, but first - it could be that someone's downloading Ve tracks right now and getting inspired to create their own music. What do you imagine your influence could be on them? People will have very individual reactions to your songs, of course, but is there something about your songs that you'd like people to feel or notice?

Ve: Uh.. I've never thought of that. That would be flattering of course. I think the fact that my music is fairly simple and that I’m a pretty mediocre musician/vocalist could be inspiring. You don’t have to be a professional to make interesting music.

I never think about what a listener might feel or notice when I work on a song, I don't picture a certain audience or anything like that. I know that much of my music is dark and introverted but if anything I hope that the listener find the songs uplifting. I always want my music to have a core of “hope”. I also think it’s very important that a song, even though it might be mellow, have intensity, a nerve. I’m not very fond of songs that are just soft and mellow and “nice” to listen to.

silkworm: In your myspace I saw a brief exchange with one of your readers about Kate Bush, and I noticed that in thesixtyone.com you commented on the fantastic Imogen Heap track "Hide and Seek" that "it's so hard to find a fresh and interesting artist that inspires me."

What are some things that inspire you in music or otherwise, and why do you think those inspirations are so hard to find?

Ve: I like all kinds of music but I’m especially inspired by music that is uncomplicated but still unpredictable and by musicians that strive to make something new. Too many musicians and bands set out to sound like their idols. That’s pointless, if you ask me. I also don’t like is how many bands aim to make a "catchy" tune, how they intentionally set out to make it sound like something you've heard before. Not to mention all those who are into music because they feel it fits their image or something, makes me angry just thinking about it :) Music has to be the most abused and exploited art form there is. That said, I know there are plenty of good artists out there, as I said earlier, I’m just horrible at discovering them.

silkworm: To me, your songs have a wonderful feeling of layers, and intricacy, and a sort of hushed thoughtfulness. But at the same time they don't feel cluttered or crowded - there's room to breathe and think and feel. How do you go about creating that sound? How do your songs usually evolve?

Ve: Hushed thoughtfulness, I like that, thank you :). I usually start out by playing the guitar and singing at the same time. I seldom try to come up with a good riff and then add vocals to it, that’s why all my songs have a pretty standard chord structure. I don't even think about what I’m playing on my guitar to be honest. Like the song I'm playing around with now for example, it took months before I even realized that I play exactly the same chords on the verse that I do on the chorus. When it comes to production I just try out different ideas. I try to relax and not force things, if you’re in a creative mood it just happens. I always create my music at night which probably has some effect on the sound as well.

silkworm: It also makes me wonder, now that .mp3 is the standard for digital music, do you ever think about the quality of the sound? Does it bother you, for example, that when people hear your intricate songs, what they are listening to is compressed and probably played on lousy speakers or headphones?

Ve: No, it doesn't bother me. They can do whatever they want with the songs and listen to them however they want. In fact, many of the songs I've uploaded to thesixtyone have been created using lousy speakers and headphones :).

silkworm: T61 listener and MaxBumps founder batface89 mentioned an interview that she conducted with a musician who had synesthesia, where different notes would appear to him as different colors. Do you ever involve your other senses in the process of creating your music? Have you given any thoughts about how you would interpret your songs visually (e.g., for a video)?

Ve: Haha, yes, when I’m relaxed and/or semi-asleep I can see sounds as shapes and interpret the tones as people interacting with each other, but that’s just the mind playing tricks with you, I can’t say I have any use of it when writing music. Anyway, when I think of what art form could be more “powerful” than music it’s always music and images/video combined. I’d like to experiment a bit with that. What it would look like depends on what song it is I guess, but you’ll never see me in a video miming a song, that’s for sure :).

Ve - The Sleep



silkworm: I've noticed that all of the songs that you've shared on thesixtyone.com are freely available to download, which as a listener I really appreciate. At this stage, do you have any feelings about starting to generate a bigger audience, about possibly selling your music instead of giving it away?

Ve: I don’t know why, but I've never cared about getting an audience. Every time I've uploaded my songs to sites like thesixtyone.com it's because someone has begged me to do so. I haven’t sent any demo to a record label or anything. I mean, I like it when people listen to my music but I've never promoted myself. Actually, most people I know have no idea I write songs and I never ask people to listen to my music. I’d love to get a record deal though, not to make a career out of it or anything like that, I just want to record maybe two albums with proper equipment and make them as good as I possibly can. That would be a dream come true, nothing less. Then I’d be happy.

A Conversation with Lux Lisbon

Lux Lisbon's Stuart Rook (vocals, piano) and Chris How Kin Sang (guitar) kick off the MaxBumps.net series of band interviews. They are charming blokes who make some lush, epic rock music... Lux Lisbon. W00t!

Batface89: Tell us the story of how the band formed. Who are your band members?

Stuart Rook: There are six of us so this could take a while - maybe put the kettle on here. We met at University in Nottingham, before moving to London, broadly speaking - I was always a fan of Chris' guitar playing in other bands so roped him in, and the songs lent themselves to the whole boy/girl harmony thing so we saw Charlotte Austen (vocals, guitar) playing a house party and thought, "yeah, thats it". You had to be there really. We borrowed/stole Ellie (Eleanor Garlick, violin) from another band who we were mates with in Nottingham and Ali (Alistair Jones, bass guitar) is a mate from halls with no discernible band history.

Chris How Kin Sang: We met our drummer Kris (Toczek) on the internet CH:when we all moved to London. Like most skilled occupations in England, drummers are in short supply. Ours is from Poland. He came over to rock.

BF: Why did you choose the name Lux Lisbon, a character from Sophia Coppola's film, The Virgin Suicides?

CH: The main reason is that we used to have a really long name for the band that people couldn't remember or abbreviate easily because it was too long. So, our name now is easier to remember when you are typing luxlisbon.com into your computer.

SR: Nice...

CH: Thanks... so, we were forced to change it. Even though it was literally awesome. One thing I have learnt: no use having a band name no-one can remember or repeat back to you. No matter how ace it is.

BF: It's a great name and the film was so beautiful and tragic.

SR: We quite liked the film. It was quite good. Even aside from literary reference, as two words it sounds quite nice.

CH: And it alliterates and has a 'x' in it which is the best letter of the alphabet.

BF: X is a terrific letter.

SR: Just ask a scrabble player.

BF: How would you describe your sound?

CH: We settled on "widescreen-epic-indie-rock". The songs drive the sound we go for but having the boy-girl harmonies, violins, tremolo/delay guitars and so on kinda makes it quite a big soundscape and (in theory), whatever the musical equivalent of cinematic is.

BF:Who are your musical influences?

CH: We all different things but commonly like The Beatles, Radiohead, Arcade Fire - basically bands with great tunes that also can turn it on the big stage and with big production.

SR: The Beatles at Shea Stadium, now that was a light show.

BF: Can you talk about your song writing process? Are you the main songwriter or is it a collaborative process?

SR: They are all my songs and I have the original idea and normally a fairly well formed idea of how it should all sound. I tend to go to Chris with a song and we'll work on it together and hammer it out in a rough form before presenting it to the band and it's taken from there. None of our songs come from 'jamming' - I hate that expression - fun is fine, but only in moderation - that's my view. Stop having so much fun and get back to work. Look busy.

BF: Let's talk about The Sixty One. This is the first place I heard your music and immediately I knew you were going to get some serious bumps.

SR: If only I were an underdeveloped teenage girl old girl who's bustier friends were teasing her, that'd be music to my ears...

BF: Haha.

CH: What?

SR: Nothing.

BF: How do you think the musical landscape will change with artists communicating directly with fans, a la The Sixty One?

SR: I'm really surprised that The Sixty One seems to be the only site that shows a band who has listened and liked a tune instantly and then lets you get in touch. On some other sites like MySpace you don't get that sort of feedback, which can make it feel a bit empty. The fact that someone spends their points on you on The Sixty One gives bands something to go on. You still need a 'traditional' site with more info and material than you can put on The Sixty One - I'll mention again now: www.luxlisbon.com

CH: Not as good as mine.

SR: Thanks.

BF: Has the site brought a lot of new fans your way?

SR: Well, yes, it has, but the site doesn't seem to have taken off in the UK yet, so in terms of getting anyone to come along to a show, which is really what unsigned bands need to get going, it hasn't translated into new faces at gigs. It has translated into lots of kind words from Americans and Canadians though. So, thank you.

BF: My pleasure. What is your favorite other band posting on The Sixty One?

CH: I like Simon Wilcox. She is quite good.

BF: I agree. She's incredible.

CH:Though like a man from the stone age, I bought her CD's rather than downloaded her MP3s. Not very 2008! But, she is from Canada so I can't really get to her gigs.

SR: Not with that attitude.

BF: How easy/hard has it been to get exposure for the band?

CH: I don't know what it's like in America but in England that's illegal.

SR: And it may well be one of the only things that is very easy and very hard.

BF:This is a general question from The Sixty One listener and MaxBumps contributor Apocalpyse. How do artists keep their musical integrity? For example, the Rolling Stones selling their songs for Cadillac commercials). How do you know if a musician has 'sold out'?

SR: I must say I don't buy the whole idea of 'being a sell out' and get a bit annoyed when bands kick up a stink about other bands selling songs to adverts or whatever - they'd probably be better advised writing some tunes people like - rather than moaning on to score cheap points. I dunno, bottom line is why shouldn't Mick and Keith let some guy use their tune over a car advert? The tune is still the same and I reckon as long written a song you are proud of what happens to it afterwards is neither here nor there.

BF: I agree. I like hearing new music in commercials, like that new Kia commercial with the great Joe Purdy tune and Sarah Bareilles' Love Song in the Rhapsody commercial.

CH: It's up to the band really. Frank Zappa was once asked to be on the cover of Rolling Stone - he told them to fuck off. Fair play. But does that make the people who appear on it sell outs or have less integrity? I suppose selling out is doing something inconsistent with your own values. Assuming your own values weren't really obviously terrible in the first place. Besides, it's probably the record companies that do this as they own most of the rights.

BF: I wonder if Modern English is happy about having 'I Melt With You' selling the Cheesy Beefy Melt at Taco Bell? I wonder. Thank you very much for the interview and I wish you the best in the future.