The idea for Willow Ash came to me when I was living in an old haunted-ass farmhouse. I’m not 100% sure what the connection between being terrified of being in my home and writing stoner doom was, but somehow it just clicked for me.
What inspires you?
I love horror, fantasy, the occult, and ancient astronaut theory; these are themes that I write about which are very prevalent in my lyrics and that is most of what inspires me: sex, satan, aliens, drugs, alcohol, local Vermont lore, cryptids, ghosts, and psychological disorders.
Why do you make music?
Because I love music, all kinds of music and I am obsessed with trying to blend genres into “new” forms and styles that suit my interests at the time. Music is literally my life. It’s the only thing that makes me truly at peace.
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
I think it would be the album Hypnagogia. I spent a lot of time writing and producing that record and it was the first time I actually wrote a full length with a theme that strings throughout the entire thing. It’s just a good 70’s-esque pop record as far as doom metal is concerned. I’m incredibly proud of it.
What are your nearest plans?
Raising my 9 month old daughter is first and foremost for me right now, but I have a few sketches for a new record, also my two side projects, The Coldwell Conspiracy and Veiled Christ- TCC has an albums worth of music written but no vocals yet and VC has a bunch of lyrics but no music yet. Those may take a while though…
What would you like to say to the world?
You see that friend you have online that is always posting music they’ve written that no one gives a shit about? Go listen to it. Like the post. Give feedback. This is how musicians thrive and a small gesture from you can change a person’s whole outlook on something that they love but may feel defeated by.
Michael It'z is the moniker of the artist Michael Caria, Born in 1998 in Valledoria, a small village in the north of
Sardinia ( Italy ).
Playing guitar since the age of 13, Michael delved into the world of
electronic music creation at the mere age of 16 , since his youth
Michael is projected on Ambient music with IDM reflections.
1 what were your beginnings like ?
my beginning
was quite slow, let me explain better .. I started making music a bit
for fun, then over time I started to get passionate and to dedicate all
of myself to my project, I started sending demos to many labels and I
was producing music 24/7, doing so day after day I started to have the
first positive feedback and to have the first releases on different
labels
2 what inspires you ?
well, let's say that I spent most of my life on a beautiful island,
surrounded by nature and landscapes that leave you speechless, then I
moved and still live in London, a wonderful reality, the architecture,
the art and the fantastic culture of this place has made sure that I
take the best of both worlds and put them into my productions, my music
and the environment that surrounds me are in symbiosis, every experience
I have lived, both beautiful and bad are all part of my music
3 why do you make music ?
Because is part of my life, daily.
I
think the music is one of the purest expression of art in the world,
music doesn't have a meaning, music is pure expression, free.
4 what's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why ?
I would say all of them, every albums or tracks have a story, they're all important for me.
5 what are your nearest plans ?
my nearest plan for the moment is to finish my new album and start performing my music in live.
Titanosaur is NY Hard Rock/Metal. A dash of Monster Magnet, pinch of Red Fang, large dose of Motorhead and some Ramones for good taste all poured over a bed of Black Sabbath!
What were your beginnings like?
Well, i was born in NY Hospital in 1975. My dad was always working, so, basically from the beginning i was raised by a single mom. I grew up in a very musical household. My uncle's were only about 14 years older than me, and they had a big record collection. That's where I first heard Led Zeppelin, Queen, Sabbath, Ramones, Sex Pistols and Run DMC.
What inspires you?
I can't not make music. After a heart surgery in 2009, i stopped making music for about a year. I went into a deep depression. Then i picked up my guitar and haven't put it down since.
I get lyrical ideas from mishearing the vocals in other songs, or when i read a phrase that catches my attention. Music, i just have floating around my head all the time.
Why do you make music?
As above- i can't NOT make music. It's my medicine, it's like breathing.
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
They're all my babies. I'm proud of all of them. If i have to choose, I'll take the easy way out and say that I'm most proud of my newest track, "Eater of Death". The music is really driving, and keeps my head banging. The lyrics came out of nowhere and flow so well with the rhythms, and there's my favorite lyric in a long time- "And beat Death at the game that carries his name and win another life!"
What are your nearest plans?
In the process of finalizing a new EP, that i hope to release in the fall... So, i guess soon!
What would you like to say to the world?
Be excellent to each other! ... Or something like that. 😁
Active as DJ,
collector & promotor since 1996. Former member of Belgian
underground crews as Funky Green Aliens, Analog Pleasures, Drop Acid Not
Bombs, Cultmus & Tribes Gathering. Since 2019 initiator and
resident dj of Dance Mekanik. Currently curating a regular D.M. podcast
on Vizir Radio (Paris). As a dj Aether is mainly locally active in
cities as Gent & Brussels and played occasionally in places as Sao
Paulo, Berlin, Amsterdam, Lille, Moscow, Madrid, France, Goa, ... Old School electro & acid sets you can still hear him play under his Celtric monniker.
One half of the analog electronic music duo ssÖss (since March 2020):
Time
and language are inconceivable but you may experience coalescence with
the very fabric of space-time, followed by a blast-off' into an
alternate, alien realm, hyperspace.
All online offerings are
one-off, one-take live recordings without mastering or editing. Our
spontaneous jams are based on experiment, mistakes & imperfection.
The perfect art doesn't exist, except when it is unique. We rather be influenced by.. than a copy of.. We
work without computers (except for recording), we might switch to
tape-recording soon. We started producing in March 2020 and our aim is
to do computerless live shows when the times comes. You can call us
musical activists .. in Belgium "sos" is a name conservative politics
use to blame the progressives & socialists for everything that goes
wrong.
What were your beginnings like?
I grew up with parents who were musicians, my father plays the drums & my stephfather is a great solo guitarist. I took some classes in music and guitar but in my teenager years (end 80's - 90's) 2 turntables were the hottest instruments around , so i started to fiercely collecting vinyls and throw parties. Soon I was invited to play on the main underground events in Belgian cities as Gent & Brussels. As DJ'ing and promoting events next to a full time job took most of my time I got in producing later on... the real lifechanger was the covid pandemic when i lost my job I installed a hardware studio with gear I collected over the years and started to jam & produce on regular basis, result is already a couple of well received EP's on the Dutch experimental underground label New York Haunted.
What inspires you?
That can be many things.. but i rely on the universal energy and conscience of coincidence that isn't coincidence... I just produce music when I got a "calling" in ideas or emotions, I don't make music to just make music and score or prove something, its just an expression of certain emotions, life events or causes that touch my heart and react to in the form of music.
Why do you make music?
I make music because i was born in it, life without music would be an mistake. But mainly as self expression and as activist reactions to world matters that touch me.
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
The End of Eternity.. which will be released soon on my new label Dance Mekanik. Its was one of my first tracks i finished and its still (in my eyes) a pearl that more people should hear
What are your nearest plans?
I'm now working full time as curator for a great industrial venue Budabxl.Be in Brussels. Also organizing experimental live jams in our 18th century home in Ath, Belgium. Would love to finish a real album and do hardware live sets is something I work on in the studio. And still learning and discovering new music on a daily basis..
What would you like to say to the world?
Be the glitch in the matrix you want to see!
What is your favorite drink?
Coffee & Mango Lassi.. I like alcoholic drinks but out of mental low tolerance of alcohol i stick to psychedelics when needed.. my body thanks me for it!
The SPR3 was formed by two University of Utah students back in 2003. They met in a creative writing class. Had shared interests (Adbusters, Negativland, Strangers With Candy, etc) and soon started publishing a zine. Forming a band was the obvious next step. The SPR3 first distributed their music to the public in a CD that was included in the 12th issue of their zine. The zine was known as "Chiaroscuro" and the CD was known as "The CD of the Absurd." The 39th and last issue of the zine was published in 2013, but they never stopped making music. They launched their official website and released their first cassette tape ("Rhythm & Booze") in 2021.
What were your beginnings like?
Doomlazer (the other member of the band) had begun to make noise as “The SPR3” for at least a few months before I joined the project. After we started living in the same house we eventually started making songs together. We liked the results enough that we included a CD in an issue of the zine we were producing at the time. Soon thereafter we played our one and only live show. We can’t play any instruments so it was sensational.
What inspires you?
Nature. Going on walks and watching the trees interact with the sky. It’s subtle and hypnotic. Joyful.
Why do you make music?
Eventually I realized that I almost never wanted to read old issues of our zine, but I loved listening to the SPR3 songs that we had created. I make the kind of music that I want to listen to. We are our own target market. It’s very fun too, of course.
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
I’m very proud of the “Rhythm & Booze” cassette we put out last year. It was sort of a best of since our last zine related CD so it covered material created from 2013-2021. It also served as a very physical declaration – we are still alive and still making noise!
What are your nearest plans?
We are very excited to celebrate 20 years of The SPR3 next year. We’ve been kicking around a lot of ideas. We might put out another piece of physical media. Perhaps vinyl this time. We might produce some swag to give away via our website – http://www.TheSPR3.com Buttons, posters, bumper stickers…. We might even put out a new zine. Chiaroscuro #40. Man, that would be crazy. One thing is for sure, we are going to keep on producing songs and music videos. Creating this shit is way too much fun to ever consider stopping.
What would you like to say to the world?
Never let a complete lack of talent get in the way of making great art.
Anatomy of the Heads is your favorite ChiChi fueled CIA psyop, honey-pot/money-bomb-operation
that will sell all your personal information to Korean gangsters and hot
tiger moms.
What were your beginnings like?
VG: I remember walking along the shores of a tropical island one night. With the roar of a mighty whirlpool, the goddess of the Southsea rose from the briny deep and kissed me. She disappeared immediately after, leaving me to wonder if I had dreamed the whole thing. Ever since, I have felt the urge to muzak.
H: I used to work as a humble merchant when one day a mysterious woman came into my convenience store and cornered me. She kissed and touched me in a bad way.
VG: Are you sure it was a bad touch?
H: Maybe it was a good touch. It is all very blurry, but I can play the bass ever since.
J: I remember driveling and scrabbling on the floor, eating crayons. No mystery woman, though.
VG: Come to speak of our beginnings, there is this whole thing going on in music databases like RateYourMusic and Discogs because if you scroll all the way down on our website I have written "Anatomy of the Heads is a work of fiction" and so on. So people think we are The Star Wars Cantina Band or something. It is either that we don't exist at all, are created by some label, or that we are an AMERICAN BAND!
H: WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND! WE'RE COMIN' TO YOUR TOWN / WE'LL HELP TO PARTY IT DOWN / WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND!
J: As an Indonesian, I do enjoy an hour of Grand Funk Railroad. But when will people learn that Exotica is fantasy music?
H: So, let me get this straight. I don't exist?
J: Don't ask me, neither do I, apparently.
VG: According to the internet I do exist, but I am a music producer from L.A., because Google says so. Here, check it out!
J: It says you "composed the music for Whitney Houston’s multi-platinum seller “All The Man That I Need.”
VG: I had no idea.
J: What are you charging for the Whitney Houston special?
VG: I don't know. Like 3000 USD per minute?
H: I'd say you are overpriced.
VG: Be that as it may, but I am all the man you need. Ever.
What inspires you?
J: Dead dingoes and squirrels rotten flat on the asphalt.
VG: Where have you seen Dingoes? There are no Dingos in Indonesia as far as I know.
J: You can't see them, but you know that they are out there eating your babies.
VG: "Oy mate, dingoes ate muh baby."
H: You could have just said Australia.
J: Yeah, but where is the fun in that? I watched Evil Angels yesterday. But anyway, I am inspired by the fleetingness of life, as symbolized by roadkill left to rot. Also, there are Dingoes in Indonesia, you ignoramus.
VG: I tend to be aesthetically offended by my surroundings. That is my main inspiration for everything.
J: So your biggest inspiration is in essence yourself? That's a healthy dose of narcissism.
VG: It is.
J: Modesty is alive and well. How about you?
H: I am inspired by my cat. I like my cat, and it would be great to be a cat. Also, Dinosaur Jr.
J: Oh yeah, I listen to some of their stuff, but I have to say, the dinosaur guy dresses like a middle schooler.
VG: Okay, okay, I'll bite. Here is a list of [band], [movie] and [comic book]. If you would have asked me this question when I was a teenager, I would have given you an intricate list of obscure artists to check out. I did the whole walking-encyclopedia of music thing, but now I am married and don't care anymore. But if you want to check something out cool, search for Oriental Love, Magma (especially Merci), Furze, Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Korla Pandit and Kōenji Hyakkei.
Why do you make music?
VG: We are in it for the money. Our accountants said that we needed some deductions and here we are.
J: Speak for yourself. I make music to have some distraction from the painful sawing noises in my head.
H: Is it like a high pitch sawing or a low pitch?
J: What does it matter?
H: Just curious. Like sawing as in saw-wave or sawing as in cutting through wood.
J: More like cutting wood. It's like an involuntary audible memory.
H: And it's like always there, or does it come and go?
J: Well, sometimes…
VG: HEY, OLD PEOPLE - Focus!
H:. I grew up in a village, and you have to make your own entertainment. So making music was always something that was great to meet new people and bonding with them.
VG: I have changed my mind. We are…
J: YOU are...
VG: WE ARE inspired to make music by the uneasy fragilities of life in the face of paradise.
J: Okay, that's fair.
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
J: 'Bat Pig Medicine' is great. It is the 4th track on our second album, A Banishment of Bloodshed and Superstition. I played it in the kitchen for my grandma. She didn't know what to call it, but she liked it.
VG: We are the only band approved by the elderly. We are going all-in on demographic change.
H: Gimme sum o' that boomer money!
VG: For me, every release has a few nuggets that turned out most exquisitely. But as far as records go, 'Exorcisme Langsung Di Dataran Minahasa' is my favorite. It is the noise record I always wanted to make.
J: Yeah, and you cut out all the drums.
VG: Are you still going on about that?
J: Yes.
VG: Stop living in the past.
H: I like 'Copper Clad Coinage' the most. It is relaxing and meditative. It invokes the sounds of nature, and that works well with me. Also, it is kind of cool conceptually, because it is dungeon synth that takes the genre out of the castle and into the swamp/jungle level.
VG: Yeah, but the dungeon synth community largely ignored it. It is just not 'TRVE' enough.
What are your nearest plans?
VG: Oh, we got a lot of things in the oven. In September 2022 we will release an all new EP called "Unholy Spirits Light Divine". This EP will also receive a limited MC run and in March 2023 we are releasing a compilation album. In September 2023 we might be looking at a new full-length album.
J: March - September - March - September. Gee, I wonder if there is some sort of schedule behind this?
H: It's the attention economy of music streaming at work, people.
VG: Indeed. Even though it is not our style to stay relevant with singles and the like. We try giving the new thing a shot and see where it leads us.
J: Which means a new release every six months.
VG: Yeah, we were supposed to just drop in every now and then, like Dracula rising from the grave once per century…
J: - or when you call your mother once a year and your dad yells something in the background.
H: "Hey son! How's school?"
J: "Congratulations on the wedding!"
VG: Yeah, that was supposed to be us. Well, look at us now. Playing it up like the l 19-year-old's. Skateboards and everything.
J: I don't know if 19-year-olds still have skateboards
VG: What do they have?
H: I don't know... something Fortnite
J: Oh, I heard that. I think it's some kind of hoverboard.
H: Fascinating.
VG: Fascinating indeed.
What would you like to say to the world?
VG: My name is Michael van Gore and I want to tell the world that you should never flush a tampon.
J: Every time. It is such a lame joke.
VG: It is an eternal pearl of wisdom handed down from Frank Zappa to me to the reader of this fine periodical. Let's see what you got!
J: Hi, my name is Jay R. Fish and my pronouns are he/him...
VG: Argh, here we go...
J: ...and sometimes Xall/c'thalrj-zing. I am wearing my birthday suite and I want you to know that you just have to believe in yourself. Think positive thoughts and you will attract
VG: You can laugh as you want at me. Just wait until you are homeowners, you will care about your pipes.
H: Oh, Danny Boy. The pipes, the pipes are calling...
J: Poor Danny, he died in there.
H: Hi, my name is J. Heidenritch and I want you all to know to take it easy. Kick back once in a while, let the clouds pass by and enjoy life.
VG: ... So, to summon up Anatomy of the Heads want you to make life grand! Follow your dreams, build multi-generational wealth and pet the cat. What is your favorite drink?
J: I have a Fudji please. It's brandy on the rocks with coke and a twist of lemon
H: I only drink milk, because I am straight edge.
VG: Shut up, the both of you. The only thematically correct answer, is the Chi Chi. Vodka mixed coconut milk and pineapple juice. Served with a pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Although, I wouldn’t drink it because my wife won’t let me.
J: Any closing words?
VG: It was an honor. Thank you for having us on your blog. Check out our new EP entitled ‘Unholy Spirits Light Divine’. Visit http://www.aoftheh.com for everything related to Anatomy of the Heads. Thank you and have a good day.
Are you looking for something a bit different yet exciting in music? Some melodic guitar driven rock fire blended with modern electronic vibes? Sometimes more with thrilling bite and edge, sometimes more relaxing to let you step back and forget the world? In my music fist pumping twist meets atmospheric melodic sounds to create something unique.
My name is Lucas Michalski, music is my world, my path... I bring considerable 20+ years as a guitarist, composer and musician, my wealth of experience and passion for music. After a long journey as a guitarist in many different bands I decided to start my own solo project which is slightly different from the music I used to play for last years. Here it is. As I always try something different, I blend two worlds of rock guitars and atmospheric electronic music, trying to create and capture my own style and own unique sound. By working full throttle I always keep on working on new music, hoping to create enjoyment for my listeners and hoping to bring some emotions and value.
What were your beginnings like?
As far as I remember I always liked music, at the age of 13 I picked up the guitar and never put it down since. It certainly became huge part of my life. Throughout these 24 years (and counting) of my music journey I went through many different bands playing live shows for years, recording albums EPs ect ... Finally in 2018 I decided to try something new. That was the begining of my solo project.
My music might be slightly different than most of the trending songs out there. In my music which is mostly instrumental I blend two worlds of fire rock guitars with atmospheric electronic vibes full of attitude. How did I choose this path? For me it was natural process. As a guitarist I was playing in many different bands over the years, with smaller or bigger success. Like I mentioned earlier after years on stage playing live music, I decided to quit it all together and start doing something bit different. That`s how my solo project as well as entire LUMIC Studio were born. The initial idea was only to record some cover songs and upload them on sites like YouTube but quickly enough it developed to full project. After the first song called ‘Path’ which started it all, I instantly knew that this is the new music road for me where I can focus on my own music and create whatever I like. Having said that, using samples and electronic beats in background music was kind of new thing for me at that time, giving me loads of fresh air as an artist. ‘Path’ started it all. This song is probably the most personal piece of music I wrote up to this day, bringing back so much memories and still giving me shivers on my back while listening. Long story short, I was always playing guitar, I was always a rocker and metal head so guitar oriented music was always my thing (and still is)… My solo instrumental project is the thing that I love but with little twist added... I understand that my music might not be everyone`s taste especially these days, but at least it`s mine, true and honest. And I want to keep it that way.
What inspires you?
That's a hard question to be honest... It depends on the situation I'm currently in I suppose. But generally speaking the sound of the guitar, the energy, the rawness of rock music inspires me the most. But having said that the other day it might be completely different thing...
Why do you make music?
Same again... I just love this way of expressing myself, I like creating in general, creating emotions. Music is my thing since early days and it was a natural thing for me to start making my own music at some point. Plus I like being loud with my guitars... Yeeeeah!
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
It has to be song "Path" of my first solo EP "Time". Although it was the very first song that started it all and sound wise it's not the most professional record I made it's probably the most personal and the most emotional composition I've ever made, even up to this day. It still gives me shivers on my back while listening to it. It perfectly depicts the situation I was in, I was at the crossroads at that time, looking for my new path... And "Path" shows it all. Maybe I'm not proud of the technical aspects of this song but proud of the actual song itself. A lot...
What are your nearest plans?
For years I run fully equipped, professional studio offering mix, mastering and audio production services so this my priority from business point of view. My own music is kind of limited timewise due to running the studio and focusing on client work first. But having said that about a week ago I released new song "Poor in Love" being a collaboration with good old music friend rock beast Barnaby Ensemble (which has been the first collaborative project in my career... but certainly not the last one though)
What is the nearest plan? I already started working on a new song which will be completely different from I've done before... Few people might raise their eyebrows asking the question "Is it still him??" But while recently being inspired by some specific times in music I really want to create something different which takes a lot from that music era. Don't want to say too much at this point but after releasing heavy and gloomy rock anthem "Poor in Love", my new release will touch completely different sounds ... So probably finishing new song will be my nearest plan when it comes to my own music.
What would you like to say to the world?
Either it`s big fat rock guitar or flute… guys… there`s still so much good music still to be written. Who knows, maybe your idea will move thousands or millions and become new immortal music anthem known for generations? You never know unless you`ll try! Don't be shy and express yourself with music, keep on creating... You never know what will happen.
What is your favorite drink?
It has to be either coffee or beer (depending what time of the day it is...) I love both...
■ david wallraf is a noise artist/theorist/researcher from Hamburg
What
were your beginnings like?
I
started playing and recording in my late teens (back in the 90s)
with a Tascam 4 track, guitar, synth and whatever else I could
get my hands on (radio, tapes, household aplliances etc.). I was
very inspired by early Industrial and Japanese harsh noise, plus
a lot of punk/post punk stuff. Then I had a long stretch of
playing in various bands, some of them experimental, some of
them more oriented towards the rock-formula. Those are all
thankfully forgotten by now. In 2012 I was very frustrated with
playing in bands and the aesthetic compromises included, plus
very annoyed by the logistics of practice rooms, transportation
of drums/amps and so on. In that year I also had sort of a noise
epiphany. I visited Japan for the first time and attended a
noise show in Tokyo that literally blew me away. I immediately
started assembling a noise album out of field recordings
(https://davidwallraf.bandcamp.com/album/japan-field-recordings
- my first proper noise release) and in a way started from
scratch back then. Started to release and play shows under my
given name. Back then I also became very interested in noise
theory - noise as a subject of theory and also theory that is
noisy in itself.
What inspires you?
Anything
really ('life'). Art, books (novels, philosophy), movies, music
I listened to. Everyday experiences, relationships. More
specifically: certain ways to look at/listen to the world and
dealing with it, like surrealist collage techniques, the
theories of the Situationists (quotidian life as political space
and artistic playground). Turning acoustic annoyances into music
by making field recordings and endlessly processing them. As of
late the works of queer theorists Jack Halberstam and McKenzie
Wark, especially the concept of low theory - not explaining the
world top down from some abstract idealism, but from
relationships, the "theorization of alternatives within an
undisciplined zone of knowledge production" (J. Halberstam: The
Queer Art of Failure, 2011, p. 18 - that also pretty much sums
up how I want to make music). Some musical works that seem to
inspire me endlessly (probably because I can always only get that
close to producing something of similar power): The early pieces
that Delia Derbyshire made for the BBC radiophonic workshop in
the 60s, the title music for A Clockwork Orange by Wendy Carlos
(the melancholic and threatening beauty of it), mid 90s Merzbow
(the overwhelmingness of it), some songs by Wolf Eyes (the use
of silence and empty spaces in a noise context). I could go on
endlessly.
Why
do you make music?
It's
the only thing that I really want to do, everything else
is more or less a necessity. Out of hostility towards the
sociopolitical situation we have to inhabit. There's a great
quote by Theodor Adorno that sums that up neatly: "Art's
asociality is the determinate negation of a determinate
society." (Adorno: Aesthetic Theory, 2002, p. 226). Art/music
always has an antisocial element, even when it's 'beautiful',
because that beauty points to something that we are lacking in
reality. Making music as a critique of the world, taking sonic
bits and pieces out of their context and reassemble/mutate them.
Make the aspects of life that are normally repressed or
overheard audible. I want to amplify the marginal and uncanny
aspects of the sonic ecology we live in.
Also:
the balance between concentrated work in isolation where I
basically make up my own rules and procedures and the chaotic
and social aspects of playing live, travelling and
collaborating. The ability it gives me to tap into the history
of art, for example inventing a soundtrack for a silent movie
that's 100 years old.
What's
the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
Right
now I'm kinda proud of the Нет Войне cassette that just
got released on Brachliegen Tapes because it's my most recent one
and I explored a bit of guitar playing on it which I didn't do in
a decade (https://brachliegentapes.bandcamp.com/album/-). And of course because it's a statement against the
fucking war that is going on in Ukraine and it will hopefully
raise some funds for Nash Svit, an organisation who for more than twenty years has
documented violations of LGBTQ people in Ukraine and advocated
for the protection of the rights and interests of the Ukrainian
LGBTQ community (gay.org.ua/en/donation/).
I'm also very proud of last
years release Subsongs
(https://econore.bandcamp.com/album/subsongs). It's supposed
to function like a soundtrack for a film that never was made,
not in a narrative way, more like interlinked mood
pieces/tableaus/dream sequences. I recorded it during the
lockdowns of 2020 and I think I got very close to let the
subconscious dictate the creative processes. I explored
techniques that were new to me, like using transducers to turn
various objects into loudspeakers and changing electrical
audio signals into mechanical movements, rerecording and
processing those etc. I was very inspired by the collage
novels of Max Ernst from the 1930s at the time and I think I
kinda managed to produce something that touches on that
aesthetic.
What
are your nearest plans?
Hopefully
get my first proper vinyl/lathe-cut release ready this year.
Finish a new album that, for a change, doesn't contain a single
field recording and find a label for it. Helping an artist
friend recording/producing her album. Getting another go at
playing live scores for the Maya Deren silent films At Land and
Meshes Of The Afternoon in August. Getting to play more live
shows.
What would you like to say to the world?
Basically
that it has to end. Not in an apocalyptic way, but the ways we
inhabit it, conceptualize it - the power structures and the
economy we live in, the ways in which we are governed etc. The
nexus of capitalism, patriarchy, fascism, militarism, ecological
catastrophe, white hegemony and hetero-normativity.
What
is your favorite drink?
Trying
to replace beer with something else. Coffee, ginger tea and Dr
Pepper are on top of the list.
Born and bred in the gorgeous Calne, England, West end boy
brought up just off Sarum Way not Salisbury, SN11 0EZ. Fairly simple
upbringing with two elder sisters Cathy and Beth so learned pretty
quickly that the toilet seat must be up during the act and down on
completion, anti bac wipes at the ready to mop up any drops. Attended
Priestley Primary for the worldly learning, my teens was part of the
Wassup Crew, y'know basic town centre arcade hangout, avant graffiti
with the additional tagging all the stations to Chippenham then off to
Penn Wood for a smoke. Bust my Sony boom box at the bus stop outside St
Mary's, lol for those in the know Mrs Kirk! Music was second nature
after mastering the hip hop structure and technique.
What inspires you?
No one can ask to be inspired by anything more than the
passing of a mundane day in full time employment at the retirement
centre where you can paint across a fresh canvas with Reubens oil
pastels or chuck together a full piece of music because there really
isn't anything other than the passing of the day. A hopeful nostalgia
keeps tomorrow from arriving too soon. I was taken aback by this year's
Calne Spring Sing so maybe life really is not that bad with all the
togetherness through song.
Why do you make music?
I have very little choice, if a few days pass without
creating anything I get into a real rut of a mood and to drag myself out
of it takes days so I would rather create something as a small gesture
to the self rather than medicate. It is probably the bi polar talking. I
tend to take up song long walks along the Chernhill White Horse walk
and the music just comes to be in angelic tones betwixt the clouds as I
take in the meadows and vast landscape, then it's Nokia out and press
record to hum or chant the bare bones song structure. Back to the studio
to lay down the basic track in pro tools.
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
All aspects of my music hold court in my heart, I could never pick just one.
What are your nearest plans?
More music, more short films then perhaps a blockbuster!
What would you like to say to the world?
Anything you Believe is true, even if it Removes the meat off another.
What is your favorite drink?
Anything smooth containing fruit, we must keep our health up to par.
The solo project of multi-instrumentalist, Matt Ackerman, moduS ponY is self-described as “straddling the line between intellectual and visceral, creating music that is at once groovy, catchy, and a little weird.”
What were your beginnings like?
I started playing bass when I was 15. I had a friend that had been playing guitar for a while already. Sometimes he would show me riffs and stuff. I think the first thing I learned was the My Sharona riff, lol. It’s actually a good first lesson because it teaches you about octaves. For the most part though, I just screwed around and learned for myself. I remember making up riffs very early on, probably not very good ones. I always treated bass as a lead instrument I think because I was mostly playing by myself. I had a little Yamaha sampler that I would make loops and beats with and record stuff on a little Tascam 4-track, a primitive version of what I do now, really. I had another friend that played drums and we would jam in my attic sometimes. Good times.
When I was in college I played in sort of a nu metal/post punk band. This would have been around 2004 I think. We had a MySpace page, played the Whiskey A Go Go here in LA a couple of times. We were together for a few years and then unfortunately the guitarist, who was really the founding member and glue holding it together died of cancer. The band kind of started with me and him actually, at a time when I had basically given up on playing music with other people but his optimism was infectious I guess. We were all kind of different in that band but the comradery was really pretty special. That’s what I miss most I think.
After Strofik broke up, there were some sporadic attempts at joining or forming bands, including a little two piece in which I played drums. Nothing really stuck. I sort of took it for granted before but it’s really hard to find chemistry with musicians. It’s like a marriage between multiple people. It was also around this time when I got more into recording on my own, trying new instruments, getting more into experimentalism. By the time I got my first cracked copy of Ableton, it was all over as far as looking for a band to play in. Aside from a few virtual collabs here and there, I’ve more or less been pretending to be an entire band for the last 12 years. I guess I got tired of looking for people to play certain roles and I just started playing those roles myself. I find too that working on my own in the DAW, it’s much easier to explore experimental ideas than it would be in a band.
The moniker, Modus Pony, is just a play on “modus ponens” a type of logical argument (I majored in philosophy for a time). To tell the truth, I kind of hate the name after all this time but I’ve built a little following with it so, as a practical matter, I keep it around.
What inspires you?
I would say I get most inspired by people I know, either in real life or virtually. It’s not that celebrity “geniuses” like Brian Eno aren’t inspiring to me. They are (he is), but I guess there’s something about knowing someone and being close to their mind, their talents, having conversations with them or collaborating with them that gives you ideas, makes you see things in a different way, see new possibilities. Some of the people that have inspired me in recent years are my friend Celina who got me more into zines (a new art form for me), Suko Pyramid (Madrid based musician I’ve collaborated with), My friend Zach in Maine who does really unique abstract sound art (also a collaborator, 1/2 of Wife Eyes), My friend Eamon who runs Strategic Tape Reserve and is a great conceptual composer (also has objectively the best Twitter account), Marc Weidenbaum who runs Disquiet Junto giving me and hundreds of composer/producers something new to think about every week, Bill Harkleroad (AKA Zoot Horn Rollo of Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band) who I took guitar lessons from, and Larry Wish who runs the Bumpy label and is just an inspiring, magical weirdo.
As far as what (rather than whom) inspires me, I would say nature. Every time I go on a hike it seems to have a renewing effect and gets me back to a blank slate for new ideas to come.
Why do you make music?
I guess I can remember caring about things before music, skateboarding for instance. But once I got bit by the music bug, that was it. It’s probably a standard answer to say that an artist creates out of an inner need, but it’s also true in my experience. It's simply who I am. I have an artist friend who talks about this phenomenon unironically as a curse. It kind of is when you think about it, especially in a capitalist society that simply doesn’t value art unless it appeals to the masses. But another, more positive way of thinking of it is: at least I’m not actively making the world a worse place. Hopefully, it gives someone out there a different experience of reality, an escape from everyday drudgery and constant news of our ecological collapse.
What's the album or track of yours you're most proud of, and why?
This is a tough question for me because I’m pretty critical of my past work and I always relate to my next thing as the ultimate thing (until the next thing). That being said, I’m still pretty proud of the second Wife Eyes album (self titled), for a lot of reasons.
“Wife Eyes” was my first chance to implement some of the weird music theory Bill showed me and I’m pretty proud of my guitar work/composing on that album. But it’s unique for other reasons too. My parts have an element of aleatory to them (I had an elaborate system for choosing what to play next), and of course Zach’s more intuitive approach, his abstract remixing of what I had sent him adds yet another textural dimension to it that glued it all together. The theme Zach and I talked about was recursion, the circularity of time etc. This was also sort of a theme in our fist album. But I just feel like the second album is a unique, multi-dimensional thing that’s held up over time, for me anyway. Hopefully, Zach feels the same way.
What are your nearest plans?
Well, there’s another Wife Eyes album coming out probably in January of next year. We worked with another artist from Detroit, nnirror, this time. He does these great textural, noise pieces using a lot of tech, coding with Max MSP and so on. I don’t completely understand how he does what he does but I’ve always kind of been fascinated by it. So, the new album is interesting because there’s essentially three radically different approaches to music and sound there. Much more textural I would say than previous Wife Eyes releases.
I’m also working on another guitar based solo album. I’m sort of balancing a desire to become a better musician with the need to keep composing. So, the deal is that I’m writing on guitar, it has to be one track (there’s percussion tracks but no guitar overdubs and no other melodic instruments), and I have to play the song all the way through when recording. So, imagine a two piece: guitar and percussion and the percussionist has all sorts of unconventional knick knacks giving it sort of a concrete element. I’m a shitty minimalist so I tend to go overboard, especially on percussion sounds. Something I’m also experimenting with is naturalizing the tempo (making the tempo in Ableton slave to that original take so that it fluctuates naturally).
Not clear whether there’s a market for a guitar album like this. People aren’t into guitar as much anymore but I don’t really care. It’s for me. If someone else likes it, that would be great but it’s not necessary.
What would you like to say to the world?
You can’t control how others perceive you or your music. Of course, I’d like others to get something from it but I can’t control how or even that they’ll enjoy it. I think John Cage said once (I’m paraphrasing) that when he tried to be sincere, people thought it was funny, and when he tried to be funny, people took him more seriously. I can sympathize with that. In fact, a lot of people have said my music was funny over the years. I just got a Soundcloud comment the other day to that effect. I’ll take it. As long as it makes people feel or think something. The worst reaction would be no reaction.
I guess I act like I don’t care how others take it, but if I’m going out of my way to be different and stand out in certain ways, I obviously care to a degree. If there were no one else on the planet, I think I’d still be playing music for myself. But it would all feel kind of empty, not to mention the music I would create would be far less interesting because all the people that inspire me wouldn’t be around.
What is your favorite drink?
Coffee. But then again, am I just saying that because I’m addicted to the caffeine? Would I drink it otherwise? Would I have tried it to begin with if we didn’t have a simultaneous fascination with and taboo of drugs in our culture? Would I have had the chance to try it if not for the global coffee trade and the resultant successful marketing campaign in the imperial west? Would I like it even if our pro-business culture didn’t value productivity so much? Are any of us really free to choose our “favorite” drinks, or is our entire reality and therefore our tastes, entirely socially constructed, a result of an arbitrary chain of cause and effect we have no control over, let alone time to reflect on?
But yeah, I’d say coffee. Coffee is my favorite drink.
