1) Back in the early ‘00’s, I read a book by a journalist who rode the trains and sort of went undercover as a hobo, experiencing that lifestyle and all. This made me want to become a hobo, and in some small way I still do. I also feel like gypsies are the cousins of hobos, as neither really have homes. What are your thoughts on hobos and why do you like them enough for them to be the first half of your name?
i like the vagabond aspect of their nature. i wish to travel more than i have but am fortunate to have left the country a few times to discover new places... revealing passion in unknown scenery. inspiration for new thoughts and personal evolution.
2) Your music all seems to be released on cassette. Do you agree that cassettes are the optimal way to experience recorded music?
i like the sound the medium provides although some of the music i make would be better lived and experienced through a live setting. vinyl is also a great way to listen. all in all, i like the dusty effect and the ways you can play around with time and space of the recordings, slowing down or speeding up. it's all about manipulation and playing it / hearing it as you wish.
3) While you have a lot of music released on cassette, most of it is no longer available as your tapes always seem to sell out so quickly. Do you find it strange that cassettes go so quickly, where as something like a CD might sit longer and give more people a chance to get one? Would you ever consider re-releasing your albums as cassettes in a box set? (Though for practical purposes, it’d be a cube set)
in recent years, the rise and fall of the underground music scene has affected me and the label deeply. i feel like it is currently rising again, although i now prefer to release smaller runs of tapes. more of a collector's edition art object instead of a commercial product. it depends on the album and the concept behind it. yes, possibly some reissues could be in the works. that could be nice.
4) You seem to have tapes on various tape labels as well. Do you find that when releasing cassettes it’s better to move from tape label to tape label as opposed to just sticking with one? In some ways, I do think it’s cool to have five tapes from the same artist but all with different labels on them just because tape labels in their own ways are artists as well.
yes definitely. i like the communal aspect of sharing the music and making it travel worldwide depending on the location and fanbase of the label. also, the music is made to work in connection with the labels i collaborate with. every time is different.
5) Your music is also for sale digitally on Bandcamp. When I think of digital music, I find it hard to place a particular value on it because it is not tangible. As with cassettes, they could be one of fifty or a hundred, yet digital music doesn’t seem to have that numbered edition and thus seems to lose some value in the eyes of people who download it for free. Do you feel there should be a set price for digital music on sites such as Bandcamp, with a universal price being something like a dollar per song?
last year, i decided to upload a vast majority of my albums online for free download. some people still send payments if they enjoy and want to encourage the artist. i find that great. my newer albums are for sale. i don't make much money off these albums but i deem it important to put a price on the music because this is how i make my living and i've spent many hours on the creation of the albums. the price can vary depending on the album and concept. for me, i think it's fine if people choose their own price for the music. if there is a special connection to the song, maybe you want to pay more for it to show your appreciation... i don't know. it's all relative.
6) You are self-described as electronic music. Is it hard to have that label without people thinking of you as being Daft Punk or Moby?
ha, i've never been compared to them... i think there's enough room to move around and create diffrent styles of electronic music without being pigeon-holed. i like to experiment and try different instruments and recordings methods. i try to keep certain ideas or concepts flowing throughout my works, but sometimes i feel like trying new things. you just have to stay fresh and be open to new sounds. it's all in the process and research that it comes together.
7) There does seem to be a lot of great music coming out Canada recently. Who are some Canadian artists you can recommend?
femminielli noir, man made hill, event cloak, thoughts on air, charles barabé, marie davidson, velvet glacier, taiwan, p trafford, js truchy, jlk, babysitter.
8) Two of your releases this year have been “Mono Music” volumes 1 and 2. Have you ever had mono?
no, i just like recording in mono instead of stereo. been experimenting with more techno styles and just felt like a fun way to record the songs straight to tape. vol.3 coming this month. i will probably compile the best of the 3 volumes and re-release them as one album this summer.
9) Final thoughts, shout outs, questions, etc… ???
The H - Sewer Club 12" out soon on MOTOR
/////////////////////////////////
No comments:
Post a Comment