Grounded TV Network

LOWPASS TV Presents : an interview with Yan Zombie and MC Zulu + FREE exclusive minimix and track!!!!

Ryan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:08:20 +0000

Photo Credit: Coochipeace

Yan Zombie is a producer/DJ hailing from Nelson BC, MC Zulu is an MC extraordinaire from Chicago Illinois, and together they stand as one solid act! I caught their performance in Victoria thanks to Victoria Dubstep and Theory Thursdays, on the first leg of their debut collaborative tour in January. The stage energy, combined with their veteran ability to read a crowd, and the wide variety of music they both create, made for one hell of a night!
I’ve been quite familiar with Yan Zombie’s music for the past few years, and consider his release The Hold-On Tight: Analogue Slices of Love and Confusion ( which you can cop for free HERE ) to be one of the top played albums in my library.
MC Zulu has only been on my radar since I first heard his music a couple months ago, and it doesn’t take much to discover the might of his presence and positivity in his music and career. He has played all around the world at large festivals, and collaborated with world-class musicians ranging many genres and styles.
I was happy to get the chance to correspond with the two of them for this interview and get a closer look at what they are all about. Check it out and don’t miss the free exclusive material down below!

- RyanOrioN

FREE DOWNLOAD of MC ZULU – Universal Love (Produced by Radiohiro) HERE

FREE DOWNLOAD of Yan Zombie – Zombie Go Dumb Megamix HERE

First of all, let’s get the background story here. You are both veteran’s in your respective music scenes, but as far as I’m aware this is your first collaborative tour. How is it that Yan Zombie and MC Zulu have found each other and planned a tour together?

YAN ZOMBIE: Well, I became aware of MC Zulu’s music through the one and only Mochipet (big up!) asking me to do a remix of a tune he and Zulu had recorded for their EP together (which is coming out really soon!). One listen and i made it my mission to hear everything i could by MC Zulu. We later connected through soundcloud and facebook. Then through me dropping some of his tracks and remixes in podcasts i did for Daly City, Dubplate.fm, CBC Electronic, and Shambhala Music Festival we spoke more. The idea to bring this sound to Canada kind of grew out of our conversing online and ultimately lead us to decide to do a full collaboration starting with these bc tour dates in january, and a larger cross canada movement in later spring(don’t sleep! hit us up promoters). And now the seeds are planted for an EP together this year as well as a studio mix I have in the works called Badman In Outer Space. Either that, or I answered a Craig’s List add, i can’t remember.

MC ZULU: The ad I placed on Craigslist was not supposed to be discussed here, actually…

It’s obvious that you both take your music quite seriously, but it also seems that you appreciate a keen sense of humour. Whether it is a live performance or in posts online, i often find myself laughing at the content, can you speak to the importance of humour in what you do?

MC ZULU: There are two main types of comedians in my opinion. Irrational like a Robin Harris, or Intellectual like George Carlin. I can’t decide which one I am, but almost every song I have written has been a joke of sorts… Especially the political ones; they are like political cartoons.

YAN ZOMBIE: I have a policy “If you can’t make fun of something, it’s work” I think if we can turn the scathing eye/critique of honest humour on ourselves first, then everything else is open to be poked fun at. I think there is something to be said for the power of ridicule to bring certain outmoded and negative ways of thinking or behaving into a position of scorn, thus making them laughable relics of the past. Some of the biggest influences on my approach to art music and life are comedians; George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, Patrice Oneal, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. I realize the irony that this is one of the least funny things i have ever written.

Now to take the opposite approach tell us why music can be such a powerful vessel for delivering a meaning or a message on a social and/or political platform and how this integrates into your work?

YAN ZOMBIE: Imbuing music with socially responsible messages is a tricky and subtle art, one i don’t claim to have mastered and, referring to your previous question , humour and non judgement are the keys to delivering a message of freedom and empowerment within the content of the music without coming across as preachy. I also am a huge fan of donating my music or performance to worthy causes and i feel like that sometimes supersedes any sort of message in the content as far as what i can do to make a difference… Either that or you are hard as fuck (a/la Immortal Technique) with songs about beheading the president and the princes and sheiks, while also being super active in grass roots populist movements. All the respect in the world to him and all he does… but I am not at that level with the struggle. I feel I do all that I can while remaining true to myself and my desire to entertain and make people think, laugh, dance, and feel good.

MC ZULU: I have always had a feeling that comedians and musicians are the ones in the best position to effect change. Their ideas are more readily accepted. This is why in dictatorial countries you hear about them being jailed first. People use art to engender thought, but when it’s time to stop joking they look toward leaders. With that in mind I think the artist’s responsibility is to get your thoughts moving. I don’t do much in the way of pushing people in one direction or the other. Just think… Not everyone CAN dance, but we can all THINK!

Let’s get a bit of history on Yan Zombie, if I’m not mistaken you were a founding member of Kootenay hip-hop crew Cyphanex, give us some background on what that was all about and how it led you to where you are now?

YAN ZOMBIE: Cyphanex a hip hop group I’m in with my two co-conspirators DJ Digs and Vs. We have been making music together for about 10 years. We started making futuristic hip hop that was too weird for jiggy rap idiots or backpacker squares, Vs. and I were really into stuff like Anti-Pop Consortium, El-P & Def Jux, Aesop Rock, Freestyle Fellowship, and of course the classics of the east and west coast. We have been lucky enough to open for, and play with a wide variety of really influential acts over the years… Quannum, members of Wu-Tang, Project Blowed, DEL, The Beatnuts, and KRS ONE to name a few. In 2007 we toured eastern europe with Vancouver rap artist and president of KOTD Vancouver, Emotionz (biggups Dave!). It was at this time we really picked up an interest in grime and dubstep influenced hip hop and began to branch out in new musical directions. Over time as our individual skills and tastes developed we each branched out into solo efforts Mine being the Hold-on Tight album and whole Yan Zombie production/ live show/dj mix thing. Vs. Recently finished his first solo record Eleven with production from both Digs and I, as well as others. Dj Digs has put out some great studio mixes over the years as well. Cyphanex is still alive and well, and will be releasing a single in early 2012.

Give us a bit of the lowdown on what gear you use and what your production process is like?

YAN ZOMBIE: In my studio i use a Moog LP, Korg Vocoder , MPC 2000xl, yamaha motif, roland space echo, some smaller analogue synths toys and noise makers into Ableton Live . I approach each project or track differently.. sometimes starting from a sample(or 20), other times from programming the drums… I’m also lucky enough to live across the street from a homey with a whole bunch of vintage keyboards and synths, plus some nice old guitar amps and efx. I have also been blessed with a few oppurtunities to go wild in The Fungineers studio where they have some serious rare old Moog synths and a grip of sonic goodies. Big love to those freaks!

On that tip why don’t you tell us about your full-length release, the concept behind it, and where you can cop it for free online?

YAN ZOMBIE: The Hold-on Tight: Analogue Slices of Love and Confusion, is a concept album about – as the title suggests – love and confusion. It was inspired by a most unfortunate interaction with a duplicitous and dishonest female (you know who you are!), and a subsequent nervous breakdown on my part. It is a sleazy, funny look at love and male/female dynamics told through sampling 100′s of snippets of classic love songs from the 30s-70s mutated in a gltich-hop fashion through analogue filters and moogy-blips and bleeps. People seem to really like it and it got a great response, but due to the super illegal amount of uncleared samples i went through a bunch of offers from really great labels that ultimately all baulked at the idea of the potential harassment from publishing lawyers, so i decided to give it away for free on my facebook fanpage through bandcamp.

The Hold-On Tight: Analogue Slices of Love and Confusion

Now to become more acquainted with the man on the mic, let’s get the background on MC ZULU, where did you come from, how did you get started MC’ing, and what have you been up to since then?

MC ZULU: I am originally from Panama, and have been living in the Chicagoland area since I was a kid. My start in the music industry was as an engineer. I ran sessions for Hip-Hop and House musicians, then got into producing and selling tracks to bigger names. I wasn’t really on course to do vocals until I ended up in the studio with Farley Jackmaster Funk. He wanted someone to sing Reggae over a track of his. I always figured I might try, but that was the first real opportunity…. It was HORRIBLE, but I think I’ve gotten progressively better since then.

I also noticed an amazing arsenal of collaborations you’ve done with a wide variety of different musicians, from electro to reggae to hip hop and more. Tell us about a couple of these collabs, and what it is like to write such versatile styles?

MC ZULU: GOD Bless..! I really appreciate when people look further. To me a vocalist should expand on their range as much as “plausible”. I even have some opera verses out there on YouTube. But my main thing is to find the Reggae influence in much of the music that has come my way. Whether the collaborations would be with a vocalist like Aceyalone or a producer with their own sound like Poirier, I approach it from that standpoint. That’s where the fidelity to a given genre ends though. I am going after my own self-expression. My vocals are Reggae influenced but you will not find the same cadence or subject matter that everyone else is using. When people care enough to take a second glance I am always honored.

What have been a couple of highlights from your career thus far, and what are a couple feats you would like to accomplish in the times to come?

MC ZULU: I would have to say a career highlight would be performing in Australia, for Sydney Festival. I was there with Poirier from Montreal. The streets were filled with people watching us on stage, and my picture was on all the advertisements, the city buses, etc. The superficial side of every artist deserves that kind of validation. It helps you get through those times when you end up playing empty venues… Say what you will, it happens to all of us. Haha

Accomplishing a true goal… The main thing that comes to mind is helping other people. I would love to set up a scholarship program. That’s almost as important as the stretch limo with the jaccuzzi I’ve been wanting to buy.

YAN ZOMBIE: The highlights have been the travel and the people. Both influential artists and just regular appreciators of music (although I’ve never been quite as star struck as hanging with Ghostface Killah). Some feats i would like to accomplish are to work with film scoring and with live visual presentations to accompany the show. I’ve been fascinated with the video mapped stage set concept since i saw Amon Tobin’s ISAM tour (and to be fair TOOL was the first). Now folks like Excision and Skrillex have brought that technology to their live shows and the kids are crazy for it. I would approach it from a much more absurd and humorous way, perhaps with some socio political satire intermingled with the psychedelic transformer shit that most of it seems to be about… I’m tired of robots aren’t you?

So for those that don’t know give a quick description of what you are in for when you go see the Yan Zombie and MC Zulu show?

MC ZULU: Zombie is a great DJ in the sense that he feels out a crowd. We are working sound system style, but I have given him most of my live tracks. They span a lot of genres, and he has no trouble transitioning between them during the night. He is not restricted by what tempo or genre the tracks are. Every show ends up different.

YAN ZOMBIE: Well… the Badman MC Zulu murdering sound over Dub, dancehall, bashment glitch and future bass featuring beats fromthe many excellent producers who have worked with Zulu inter mingled with my own mash ups remixes and live glitchy routines.

Photo Credit: Coochipeace

Imagine you are on stage performing – suddenly it’s the zombie apocalypse and someone in the club gets bitten… people are freaking out, they are trying to eat each other’s brains, or bash in the zombies skulls… how would the two of you react to this, and how would it affect your performance?

MC ZULU: I would immediately start taking those boring azz Top 40 requests that come from random girls in the audience.. or let those “Dudes” who always trying to grab the mic, spit some of their off-beat verses…. Then the zombies would commit suicide.

YAN ZOMBIE: Imagine? this happens at every show… ha… apocalypse proof badman science will save you from the zombie hordes not to worry.

On a more serious note, it is a big year, in times of technological advancement, social unrest, and globalized information, what is the importance of the electronic music community, and what purposes (if any) would you say it has to play on a global level?

YAN ZOMBIE: I think that the festival culture that is intertwined with electronic music is a great tool for the spreading of unity and new ideas. It helps people realize they are not alone in their dissatisfaction with the status quo, and the inequity inherent in our modern consumer culture. It’s also a great place to get dressed up in an otherwise embarassing silly outfit, get high, and dance to escape the everyday.

MC ZULU: Electronic music takes itself too seriously. People rock parties without even knowing where the music they play comes from… A DJ with a lot of Facebook fans is held in higher regard than a trained musician. Unplug all that crap and see who’s boss. When people can tell the difference between an emotional rant and a truly philosophical idea, they start searching for more. That leads them out of the Top 40 and into something more vibrant, evolving and spiritual // Art that is ALIVE // It’s then, that they are making best use of the tools.

And on a personal note in this new year, what is in the works for Yan Zombie and MC Zulu, both together in collaboration as well as individually?

YAN ZOMBIE: I have releases in the works for True Movement , Daly City, East Van Digital and a few other surprises… Zulu and I have an EP in the works, and i’ll be putting out a preview DJ mix called Badman in Outer space in early 2012. Our plan is to warm up with these BC dates in and come through in later spring with a cross canada movement to support the release and hopefully get on some of the canadian festivals (Shambhala, Bass Coast ECT).

MC ZULU: My focus is on trying to increase the profile of every artist, blog, magazine etc. that helped me to carve out a career. Doing that has brought us all more opportunities than if I were to simply make plans.

At this point if there is anything you would like to add about the tour or otherwise, any shout outs or big ups, get ‘em in at the end here so people know what’s up!!

MC ZULU: Thank GOD people even care about who the hell I am. (Tebowing)

YAN ZOMBIE: The good homey Vs. Vs., DJ DIGS, Victoria Dubstep, Self Evident and Lighta! sound, Mat The Alien, Librarian, The Pride, Mochipet, Ill Gates, Dj Vadim, East Van Digital, PropaTingz, The Outlier, Neighbour and Homebreakin’ Records, LWSD, IGU, Pk Sound, Ninjatune, CBC Electronic, PartyCats and the folks at Shambhala Music Festival.

***

Visit MC ZULU at these links:

- MC ZULU’S OFFICIAL SITE

- ZULU ON SOUNDCLOUD

- ZULU ON FACEBOOK

- ZULU ON TWITTER

And Check Out YAN ZOMBIE here!!

- YAN ZOMBIE’S SOUNDCLOUD

- YAN ZOMBIE ON FACEBOOK

*(FREE DOWNLOAD of The Hold On Tight: Analogue Slices of Love and Confusion)*

[THE WORD TV] TONIGHT (Feb 2nd): Panther & The Supafly “NKAZI” release party at FORTUNE SOUND CLUB

Armando Hernandez — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:32:30 +0000

The long awaited album release party for their new “Nkazi” EP is going down TONIGHT at Fortune Sound Club! The new project from the band is the first of many to come and YOU will get the opportunity to see them LIVE tonight joined by the very beautiful & extremely talented Tonye Aganaba… also performing are their close affiliates in Elekwent Folk, and Heatwave & The Vandettas. Tonights show is sure to be a much needed kick off to the new year with DJ Optimus spinning classic hip hop, funk, and soul all night long!

Doors open at 9 and the show starts at 930 so make sure you get there in good time!

Listen here to check out the new project from the Supafly Band:

[POP'T CULTURE] Glass Kites Debut album (2012)

Armando Hernandez — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:56:46 +0000

“Glass Kites is the self-titled debut album from this Vancouver quintet. Wielding diverse influences ranging from Jazz to Radiohead to Yes, Glass Kites showcases a broad approach to the post-rock landscape. The album is filled with complex lines, ambient textures and songs that soar high above the mundane. This is progressive rock at its best. At once, heavy and dreamy, intricate yet accessible. Stream and download Glass Kites at the link below”

(via floorshine zipper boots)

Glass Kites by Glass Kites———————————————–

Glass Kites is:

Leon Feldman – Vocals, Guitar, Electronic Sequencing.
Nate Drobner – Bass, Synth.
Curt Henderson – Guitar
Duncan Truter – Drums.
Daryn Cassie – Keys, Synths.

released 01 January 2012

All songs by Glass Kites.

LOWPASS TV PRESENTS: sub|division 2 year anniversary feat. Kingdom

mike — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:54:49 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lowpass TV went down to the sub|division 2 year anniversary party at the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver. We caught up with the nights headliner Kingdom, as well as one of the sub|div founders Chris Longshanks aka Monolithium.

From sub|division site:

As media & technology grey the lines separating art & artifice, the dancefloor offers a unique arena to experience style, culture, sound & energy. In Victoria, sub?division is a monthly party that explores the axiom connecting the dancefloors of the future & the past. Its focus is to wholeheartedly support the burgeoning scenes of music orbiting around the fringes of dance-music, be it UKFunky, purist house/techno, 2step garage, dubstep shoot-offs or post-hip-hop lazers. Each month, sub?division offers a dedicated gathering place for enthusiasts of these evolving scenes, with a mandate to explore ever-permutating styles through a mix of local & international artists.

sub|div sound system provides a broad array of modernist dance riddims, some mood-savy, some groove-heavy, all in hopes of greying the lines separating the aesthetic & the kinetic. After all, dance is also art.

AKA we want to party with you to fresh new music. LEZZZ GOOOWW!

Check out www.subdivnet.com for all goings on in the world of sub|division.

[POP'T CULTURE] D’Angelo LIVE 2012 (Mixtape)

Armando Hernandez — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:44:32 +0000

Whether it’s by fluke or whether this is a part of the artistic/musical revolution that seems to be brewing, D’Angelo is back with a vengeance and is currently spreading his wings across Europe, resurrecting classic hits of the past along with a couple new jams. For those that would give their right arm to see D’Angelo in concert, DJ/Producer Sam Champ has mixed and arranged a series of live tracks from his 2012 tour. This should be the perfect gift to hold listeners off until the arrival of his new album… get comfy… and press play.

Tracklist:
1. Fantastic Intro
2. Brown Sugar
3. Devil’s Pie
4. Crisco
5. Left & Right
6. Chicken Grease
7. Lady
8. Left & Right (Reprise)
9. Feel Like Making Love
10. Can’t Hide Love
11. Things You Do (Fall in Love)
12. One Mo’ Gin
13. Me and Those Dreaming Eyes of Mine
14. S.D.M.
15. Untitled (How Does It Feel)

—————————————————

Live in Paris on Jan. 29th performing “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”

Click here to view the embedded video.

(via OkayPlayer)

[POPT CULTURE TV] An Awkward Encounter – Francesca Belcourt Live Performance

Syd Woodward — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:14:06 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

A bundled up Francesca performs an ancient original.
Thanks to http://arrius.ca/

Lyrics:

I just want to listen to the silence.
It does not push or shove,
it is calm and still, the silence.

Don’t ruin it with small words with no direction or intention,
for now I walk away with a shiver down my spine,
and a a fake smile on my face. I stick out my thumb, and away I go,
to a different place.

You leave me stuck in my head,
when there is no one to distract me,
when there is nothing to discover,
when there is to many familiarities.

So I walk and run and ride my way,
to find a mouth that will exchange my words for theirs,
to a new place that is a virgin to my eyes,
to a comforting difference.

Today, these things lie on the seat of a vessel,
in the golden eyes of a friend.
In the warmth of the sun on grey concrete.
In the dampness of my face where the tears roll, and fall.

The white keys are stained,
with residue of my former face,
that I wore this afternoon,
and cried away this evening.

[THE WORD TV] J-Live – “The Authentic” (Video)

Armando Hernandez — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:10:35 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

“The Authentic” is the lastest single/video from the new album by the legendary J-Live – Produced by Marco Polo.

The long awaited fifth full length album, “S.P.T.A.”, is now available on CD, vinyl and digitally. “S.P.T.A. Said Person of That Ability” (Pronounced Spitta) is the follow up to the Undivided Attention EP. This is the first full length project released from his own imprint Triple Threat Productions. The producer, deejay and emcee, approaches this project creatively as if he were a three man group rather than a solo artist. The album features production by J-Live, RJD2, Nicolay, The Audible Doctor, Illastrate, Korede, Floyd The Locsmif, Marco Polo and Diamond D. The cover art features illustration by Adam “Illus Wallenta and art direction by Collin Badger of Freshrr. You can pre-order his new Triple Threat Productions LP from Fat Beats (CD and Vinyl), UGHH (CD and Vinyl), Access Hip Hop (CDand Vinyl) or Amazon.

J-Live S.P.T.A. Said Person of That Ability (Pronounced Spitta)

1 As I Start
2 From Scratch
3 The Authentic
4 Watch Sun Watch (feat. YC The Cynic)
5 How I Feel Pt. 3
6 The Me And You (feat. Anneice Cousin)
7 No Time To Waste
8 Pronounced Spitta
9 Life Comes In Threes (feat Rasheeda Ali)
10 Great Expectations
11 Poetry In Ertia (feat. John Robinson and Marq Spekt)
12 Home Or Away Remix
13 Half A Glass (feat. Lyric Jones)

Visit J-LiveMusic.com to keep up on the latest!

BOOM BOOM BRAZIL : Travel Log/Photos 2 – Lets Live The Love

Syd Woodward — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:32:46 +0000

“let’s live the love”

We are in our 5^th day. This morning we woke up in our hammocks aboard “Sao Botolomeu” ferry, leaving Para State, Manaus and destined for Santarem (home of the big red monkeys that sing!). We boarded a day early to save on accomodation and set up our gear. The boat has engine problems and needed a new part so we are still aboard, waiting. This set back is seeming more like a set up. We have work to do!; uploading, downloading, editing footage, checking emails and planning for our time in Altamira and at the Belomonte.

The breeze is consistent on the water, weather is beautiful and we are in good company with our Manaus friends seeing us off. We have had a great experience in Manaus so far. It is the home of The Boom Booms first Brazilian show, and always will be.

We have thus far only spent time with Brazilian locals and travellers. All of our crew Aaron, Tom, Sean, Geordie, Theo, Richard, Filipe, Syd, and Jorah have taken our time in these first few days learning; portuguese, new songs and music, playing techniques, dance, and where different instruments fit in the music. The biggest lessons so far have been taken in from the noises all around us. Though we hear some Adele and Coldplay remixes we have heard an array of bright, rhythmic tunes on the radio. Soca, Reggaeton, Samba rhythms blasting in the street and in stores, its always alive in the city.

In our third night out we walked the uneven streets, meandering through traffic before reaching a small “lanchonete” with live music and some senhor partiers. Lanchonetes are very common in Brazil, they are small restaurants serving patio beer and sandwiches, sometimes with live music . We had passed this place earlier in the day and the same group was playing. The musicians were so relaxed and fluent with the music, switching from anthem-like Sambas and Bossa Novas. We learned later from them that one of the most important techniques is to relax; “Just let this music play at your finger tips, relax your body”. The group moved with the musicians to another lanchonete across town and danced for hours. Listening closely we were all inspired. Arron and Sean took the stage after a few hours of dancing and began playing brazilians tunes they had been practicing over the few months preparation for our trip. We then all grabbed an instrument and showed some of our songs. We had people stopping in the street in curiousity and checking out this foreign sound. All of us, playing with just one member of their group, was so insightful and so much fun! The crowd danced until 5 in the morning and we waded home saturated in new music and Brahma beer, Oh Brahma. 7 hours of sleep and 7 hours of dancing in a day, we are preparing for Carnaval, only 2 weeks away!!

Rio Theatre VS Outdated B.C Liquor Laws – Grounded News

mike — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:33:19 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Grounded News sat down to talk with the Staff and Management of the Rio Theater here in East Vancouver, they have been involved with the taxing process of acquiring a Liquor Licence from the City of Vancouver. They were recently granted a licence and the right to serve alcohol at any live events hosted at the Rio, under one one condition, they stop showing movies completely.See what they have to say, what the future may hold, and what you can to do to help them fight this archaic law.

There has been an online petition started, please take the time to sign at the link below:

GoPetition.com

Thanks

LOWPASS TV Presents : An Interview With Thriftworks + Free Exclusive Track

Ryan — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:25:47 +0000

Jake Atlas AKA Thriftworks is a young producer based in northern California who already has built himself an impressive catalogue of music. He has 3 full lengths and an ep, the majority of which is free on his bandcamp (http://www.jatlas.bandcamp.com). His music is rooted in hip-hop with elements of glitch, idm and dubstep. Terms like “molassas-tempo witch-blip” and “psycho-dadstep” are coming to mind as the producer crafts a new sound all of his own. It is just as beautiful as it is crunked up and sassy, and with the recent release of his masterful album Rainmaker, I would definitely recommend keeping your eyes (and ears) on the lookout for big things from Thriftworks to come!
Thriftworks x BoneS – The Script by Thriftworks

***GO GET THE FREE DOWNLOAD - http://listn.to/Ground edTV

Check out BoneS on Soundcloud! http://soundcloud.com/bones

First of all, there’s a sonic aesthetic (is that even a thing?) to your music that puts it in a world of it’s own. It has roots in hip-hop, idm, glitch, and dubstep/bass music, but certainly transcends any single genre, I’m interested in what your musical background is, how long you’ve been working at it, and what lead you to make the music you do now?

Sonic Aesthetic… certainly… A mood or feeling created by the sounds you hear. As a producer this is what drives the creative process. The groundwork of a track begins with exactly that, mood… When I’m down, it’s slow and creepy, when I’m up, its faster paced and more driving (though “good mood” tracks are becoming more and more slow and sorrowful lately haha).
Hip-hop is definitely the root of my creation, after hearing Prefuse 73 and The Hunchback Esquire in 2002ish I was hooked. Although I still listened to plenty of indie bands, jazz, folk and the like, it was beats that truly inspired me. I took piano and guitar lessons through grade school, but i forgot how to read music when I learned that I could make beats on a computer and record my guitar and keys over that.
I started really “trying” to make beats in in 2008, creating primitive hip-hop loops in FL studio. I moved to CA later that year and realized my potential. From that point on it’s been an ever-evolving process of creation, always trying to approach the next tune from a different angle….

When you say you ‘realized your potential’ what exactly do you mean? And what was it about being in California that led to that?

Basically I was periodically giving myself the chills during production. You know those moments when you bring on an emotion so strong it takes you out of work mode and you have to analyze what you just did.
I think being in California just exposed me to a whole world of electronic music that I had never seen or heard before… It inspired me immensely and also showed me all the bullshit out there. Soon enough I realized i actually wanted people to hear this…

Speaking of aesthetic, how would you describe the terrain of your music if it was a physical space? do you ever produce music with a visual component in mind?

Hmmmm I’ve never been asked that one….. Think South American desert mountains… Glacier-laden flute music ya know???
I think the sounds I’m creating naturally create visuals, usually not a physical space, but certainly a visual component… Every new sound I mess with brings a new image to mind….

Tl?l?c by Thriftworks

If i’m not mistaken you have at least 3 full length releases, can you tell us about these, and especially the most recent one Rainmaker which is out for free download at your bandcamp site?

Yeah, three full lengths and one EP. I feel like there’s not too much to say… except that I have something to say… and I’m attempting to do it through music.

Hermetic was made after I first discovered dubstep, at the time i was actually enjoying shit like 16 Bit and The Widdler, and I think you can hear more of that more straightforward aggresive and oscillating bassline business on that album.

ZenZero was somewhat of a follow up, at that point I was experimenting more and more with psycadelic hip-hop stuff. And my latest, Rainmaker, seems like an amalgamation of everything I’ve done over the years with a generally slower twist and mellower vibe, and leaning more and more toward the soundscapy/sound-design stuff I’ve grown to love.

I’m also a big fan of rain and snow, i think that might be self explanatory…

http://www.jatlas.bandcamp.com

Other than Zen Zero which is released on Street Ritual you offer your other releases for free online, what is behind this decision to be so generous with your music, and if not by selling your tunes, how do you make money as a musician?

I think the original idea was that it helps with exposure. I thought albums were more likely to get passed around if they were free. I just want to get in your ear and the best way to do that is to give out music for free.As far as money, I get paid for shows now which is nice (not always as much as I’d like) but paid none-the-less. I also do freelance audio work, I record for films on set, I do post-production editing for films and documentaries, and a whole host of other audio one-offs. Between the music and the freelance business I make it work.

Tell us about your studio, how is it set up, what kind of gear do you use, and where is its general location?

I think I have a somewhat typical bedroom studio setup. My free craiglist bed takes up about half the room, and the rest is my command center. That’s where I summon musical spirits and render them digitally. My setup is pretty basic, keys, pads Logic Pro, a borrowed synth or two and a couple trusty microphones… It’s the same shit that everybody else has…. Gear aside, its all about maximizing the space and making it feel comfortable and inpsiring. I also need high doses of earth tones and native patterns on the walls to keep my head right.

Obviously your environment is important to your creative process, is there anything else you do to practise or exercise your creative flow?

(in order of importance) Coffee. Whiskey. Herb.

What does a “studio day” consist of for Thriftworks, from when you get up in the morning, to when you shut it down for the night?

Studio day… aka putting off all the real work I have to do to make tracks, intermittently looking back to the paid projects on deck, only to close them down again and resume a track…
Typically I can only give my best work for 8 hours or so, so it’s usually a morning through early evening session, or an evening through early morning session… The best/worst feeling is waking up the next day to review a track and realizing it’s beautiful or something whack….

Pillow in the Woods by Thriftworks

Describe the difference in your experience between clubs in the city and the west coast outdoor festival setting, does anything about your performance alter between the two?

Hrrrrmmm… Clubs are cool I guess, I like clubs because they’re dark and I can be invisible. It also feels like everybody is ready to get down.
As far as festivals are concerned, I’ve only played one, (cough,cough, hint, hint) and it was a great experience because of the people and the sense of community. I hope to get involved in the festival circuit more this year, I hear people are more receptive to the more experimental side of things…. We’ll see…

From my experience attending Festivals around the West Coast (mostly in Canada but also a little in Oregon and California) it seems to me that the musical environment you create would fit the atmosphere wonderfully, I can only hope to see you perform at these in the future! And on that note, what is your schedule like for this upcoming year so far? any tour dates/shows planned (anything in Canada?)

Yeah I’m def looking to get around a little more this year. Currently my schedule is pretty light (cough, cough, tell your promoter friends, cough). Tentatively this is what i have lined up..,

1.20 in Missoula, MT with Freddy Todd
1.27 in Eugene, OR
1.28 in Portland, OR
2.11 in Oakland, CA with Govinda
2.14 in San Francisco, CA with Beats Antique
2.17 in San Francisco, CA with Shigeto and Mux Mool
2.18 in Denver, CO with Random Rab, Heyoka, R/D

Where did the name Thriftworks originate from? You definitely seem to work in thrifty ways, but is there anything more behind it than the obvious?

Yeah this really just originated from my studio desk being built out of cardboard and scrap wood in ’08. Then i found a home stereo set in the trash and that was my first set of monitors, and half of my cables come from the thrift stores to ensure high quality signal passage.

And I still eat ramen noodles (actually the dope korean version (Mi Goreng)) about 6 times a week…

What do you have in your music collection that is the farthest sounding from Thriftworks, but you still love dearly?

BrightBlack Morning Light has been on repeat for the last year and a half. I absolutely love their sound. Dark, melodic, ambient, freak-folk goodness with vocal harmonies for days…

If you looked in your itunes library what would the most played track be?

I just checked: Insightful – Llama With A Scarf OnI don’t know why people haven’t recognized this fool, I think they’re starting too. He’s a dear friend and quite possibly my favorite producer. Boatloads of music on his bandcamp… www.insightful.bandcamp.com Out Tongue by Thriftworks

This is only the very beginning of 2012, which for many reasons is a year that has been talked about and projected on for quite some time, what are some dreams or goals you have set to accomplish, either in a very practical sense or as imaginative as you can be?

I’m just trying to ride out the storm and enjoy it while i do. More, and more music to come.

Goals? Uhh … More shows definitely… Maybe go to Europe? Maybe go on tour with someone cool? Play some big festivals? Experience gigantic crowds and rain down upon them? Less Mi Goreng? Finish a new album with my brother Diamond the Mythicalifornian? I thinks thats good for now…

And to wrap this up, if there is anything else you would like to add, any shout outs you may have, or any links we should know about, get ‘em in here so we don’t miss out!!

Yea I’d like to just say thank you to anyone who’s ever supported me and my sound, foh really doh…

Shout out to Insightful, JGVL, B.Lewis, Diamontus Lord of the Underworld, Ill-Esha, J. Bada, Manuel Salas, Tl?l?c, Quetzal and of course all my family, friends and supporters in the bay area and elsewhere.

*Go show some love on the fanpage*
https://www.facebook.com/Thriftworks

*And have a listen!*
http://www.jatlas.bandcamp.com
http://www.soundcloud.com/thriftworks

- Interview by RyanOrioN