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Wanda Group
ALL DONE, OKAY MATE?
ROSS DEVLIN INTERVIEWS WANDA GROUP (2016)
Wanda Group is the moniker of Louis Johnstone. He operates under many aliases and in the early to mid 2010s he released what could best be described as “slabs”--long, heavily processed sheets of sound that were at times alluring, repulsive, and beautiful. In recent years he has been uploading large archives of 1-2 minute field recordings, many of them musical and eerie, as if they were being pinged from a satelite aimed at a haunted house on some lonely asteroid. Wanda Group is the bastard Little Prince, swirling around the universe like a malevolent joker. Johnstone, for all we know, is between 16 and 30 something years old and works at a bar in England. He claims he knows Burial. The titles of his works are very strange. For example: “CATCHING A STOMACH INFECTION IN MAGIC PASS”. That could be a literal reference. Other favorites include “THE HISSING OF BIRTH” and “EVERY WEATHER ON EARTH AT THE SAME TIME”.
In addition to being a prolific sound artist, he is an active presense on twitter, where he has been frequently banned from the platform for his incendiary opinions on the music industry, politics, DJing, art, and drinking pints. It should be noted that most of these remarks, death threats, and manic expressions are intended to be humorous and shocking, and not taken seriously. Or maybe they are. Who knows? That’s part of the appeal of Wanda Group. He has set himself up as the arch-nemesis of everything static and capital-intensive in the art world, to the confusion and ire of some, and the amusement of his fans.
I went to see him perform at The Mash House in 2016, along with Basic House. It was a phenomenal show, cleaned my head up nice and left it filled with voluminous bass. Afterwards we exchanged DMs and arranged for me to interview him via email. As sometimes happens in the annoying and phlegmatic world of music journalism, the piece never “landed”, and has been floating in the ether of my Gmail archives since then. Louis was very understanding and kind nonetheless. Not like he needs any press. Anyway, I have received requests on twitter to release the interview, so here it is, unedited. I think. I can’t really remember.
Let's start off by having you introduce yourself. What are you excited about this week? Can you talk a briefly about what has changed in your life since you begun Wanda Group?
WELL, I NOW HAVE A 6 DAY OLD DAUGHTER SO I GUESS THAT WOULD COVER MOST OF THE ABOVE QUESTION. WE ARE ALL DOING WELL. GETTING OUR LITTLE HEADS AROUND THE CHANGE IN NIGHT TO DAY AND DAY TO NIGHT, HEARING PEOPLE GOING TO WORK WHILE JUST GOING TO SLEEP, HEARING PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE BEING TOO LOUD, DRIVING TOO FAST. WHEN I STARTED WANDA GROUP IT WAS AROUND 2010. I HAD JUST MOVED FROM RAINHAM TO BRIGHTON. NOW I LIVE IN HUDDERSFIELD. I DIDN'T HAVE A FAMILY THEN. I DO NOW. I WAS WORKING FULL TIME AS A CARER WHICH I NOW DO NOT DO. I ALSO LOST AND GAINED WEIGHT THROUGH 2010 TO RIGHT FUCKING NOW (2016). NOW I HAVE A BIT OF A GUT BACK. NO BOTHER. MY DAUGHTER WILL GET THAT OFF ME.
1) You tag your releases on Umbrog.bandcamp.com with อ.พาน, which is a place in Northern Thailand. Does geography play a role in your music creation, if so in what ways?
NO REASON. IF YOU LOOK AROUND AT ALL MY LITTLE PAGES THEY ALL SAY DIFFERENT PLACES. IRAN, NIGERIA. GEOGRAPHY COURSE PLACES A ROLE. MAINLY IN A MADE UP SENSE. WEIRD STARTING POINTS LIKE A THEME OF A PIECE OF MUSIC BASED AROUND ME IN SOME JUNGLE IN BALI OR SOMETHING. DOG HUNTING IN THE SAHARAN DESERT OF MAYBE JUST HAVING A SHIT INSIDE A FROZEN CAVE NEAR THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. I ALSO HAVE A WILD OBSESSION WITH GOOGLE STREET VIEW. I THINK ABOUT IT A LOT. I WAS WANDERING AROUND CENTRAL RUSSIA YESTERDAY FOR 5 MINUTES. IT CLEARS ME OUT. NOT SURE WHY.
2) You've collected recordings from Thailand and Cambodia -- do you sample specific things or collect as you go? If you could travel anywhere to collect field recordings, where would you go and why?
NOT THAILAND. NEVER BEEN THAILAND (WELL, ONLY ON GOOGLE STREET VIEW) BUT REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GO. MAYBE I CAN TAKE MY LITTLE FAMILY THERE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA WAS WHERE I WENT. I COLLECT AS I GO. BECAUSE I WAS JUST ON HOLIDAY I RECORDED WHATEVER. THE FRIDGE IN A HOTEL, SOME MOPEDS (LOTS OF MOPEDS) IN SOME LITTLE STREET. SOME FIREWORKS GOING OFF AT NEW YEARS OUTSIDE OUR LITTLE HOTEL ROOM. STUFF LIKE THAT. THE OCEAN, SOME WIND, RAIN, A BOAT, GRASS MOVING ABOUT BEHIND A TEMPLE, ME COOKING SOME FOOD OR SOMEONE ELSE COOKING SOME FOOD, SOME CHILDREN BEING MEAN TO EACH OTHER/BEING FRIENDLY. JUST RECORDINGS THAT I COLLECT IN ONE BIG MASSIVE LUMP AND THEN WORK MY WAY THROUGH THEM. WITH THE CAMBODIA/VIETNAM THING, I MADE THIS https://umbrog.bandcamp.com/album/her-mouth-was-open-and-then-he-opened-his (WHICH IS SOUNDS I RECORDED ALL DANCED AROUND EACH OTHER)
IF I COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, HMMMMMM. MAN, NICE QUESTION. I WOULD LIKE TO GO ANYWHERE AND RECORD ANYTHING. I AM NOT THAT INTERESTED IN RECORDING THESE GRAND SOUNDS BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BETTER EQUIPMENT, FUNDING AND MONEY TO DO IT. LIKE CHRIS WATSON CAN CARRY ON DOING HIS 19 GRAND MICROPHONE UNDER THE WATER TO RECORD A COUPLE OF SEA LIONS FUCK ABOUT NEAR A KILLER WHALE. I AM HAPPY RECORDING A SMACK HEAD FALL INTO A BIG BIN IN HULL.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO RECORD A GAME OF BUZKASHI IN CENTRAL ASIA, THOUGH. (WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY 'BUZKASHI!' IF YOU CAN)
SOME OTHER THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO RECORD IF I COULD
A GREAT WHITE UNDERWATER JUST MOVING ABOUTA REMOTE ISLAND (JUST THE SOUNDS OF WHATEVER WAS HAPPENING THERE)A HELICOPTER GOING INTO A MASSIVE SHEET OF GLASSMY DAUGHTER FROM NOW UNTIL I DIESOME SEA LIONS FUCKING ABOUT NEAR A KILLER WHALE
Similar question - if you could play a gig anywhere? (Doesn't have to be a venue. I would personally probably go with an empty water tower in Arkansas somewhere).
ANOTHER LOVELY QUESTION. I HAVE BEEN TO JAPAN TWICE IN MY LIFE BUT NEVER TO PLAY BUT I REALLY WANT TO PLAY THERE. THE CROWDS LOOK SO FUN AND EASY GOING. I THINK I COULD DO SOME NICE SHIT THERE. WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE CHANCE. MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, I DUNNO. I WILL GO BACK WITH MY FAMILY AT SOME POINT.
I GOT TO PLAY IN SOME REALLY OLD PAVILION IN BERLIN IN 2013. A CIRCULAR PLACE WITH BIG GLASS WINDOWS THAT I THOUGHT WERE GOING TO START BLOWING OUT. http://www.schinkelpavillon.de/schinkel-pavillon/ (THAT IS THE PLACE)
I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY IN A SUBMARINE. MAYBE BEING ALLOWED TO RECORD THE SUBMARINE ON MY OWN FOR AN HOUR. THEN HAVING TO MAKE A PIECE ONLY USING THEM SOUNDS BACK INSIDE THE SUBMARINE AN HOUR LATER. WHILE THE SUBMARINE SUBMERGED AND WENT DOWN AS FAR AS IT COULD, SO YOU GOT ALL THEM CREAKING SOUNDS OF THE SUBMARINE BENDING UNDER THE PRESSURE (THEN WE ALL DIE).
3) How are field recordings a form of memory? What should and should not be shared?
YOU CAN SHARE ANYTHING, I THINK. AS LONG AS YOU EXPLORE IT WITH RESPECT. I THINK IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHETHER TO SHARE IT THEN MAYBE ASK SOMEONE. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WANTED TO SHARE A RECORDING OF ME HAVING A BOWEL MOVEMENT THEN THAT IS UP TO ME. IF I WANTED TO DO THE SAME BUT THE RECORDING WAS OF A FRIEND OR A FAMILY MEMBER THEN MAYBE I SHOULD ASK.
THIS ALSO BRINGS UP A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT MATTERS IF THE SOUND IS BURIED OR HIDDEN SO NOBODY KNOWS. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE A RECORDING ON 'A SLAB ABOUT BEING HELD CAPTIVE' THAT IS QUITE PERSONAL (NOT THE SEX SOUNDS, I GOT THEM FROM A PORNO) BUT THE SOUND WAS BURIED RIGHT UNDER SOME OTHER SHIT THAT WAS GOING ON. NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THAT SOUND IS APART FROM ME. SO DO I LET THE PERSON KNOW THAT I HAVE RECORDED THEM OR IT ? MAYBE
MAYBE NOT
I GUESS YOU JUST HAVE TO USE YOUR DECENCY AND COMMON SENSE. I GUESS IT DEPENDS HOW MORAL YOU ARE OR HOW YOU THINK WHETHER YOUR MORALS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN YOUR MUSIC. I THINK THEY SHOULD. I DO NOT THINK ANYBODY ELSE SHOULD FEEL THAT WAY BUT I FEEL IT SHOULD FOR MYSELF BECAUSE THE WHOLE THING IS FUCKIN PERSONAL.
THE FIELD RECORDINGS AND MEMORY. WELL I GUESS IN A LITERAL SENSE THEY ARE JUST THAT. RECORDINGS AURALLY OF AN ACTUAL EVENT. I GUESS I LIKE WORKING WITH THAT. ULTRA PERSONAL SOUNDS THAT ONLY MIGHT MATTER TO ME. THE SOUND OF MY DAUGHTER BREATHING BUT BURIED SO LOW IN A TRACK THAT NOBODY CAN HEAR IT. THINGS THAT LIKE THAT EVENTUALLY I MIGHT FORGET BUT THEY ARE RUBBED ONTO THE RECORDING NOW SO IT IS THERE.
I LIKE THAT SIDE OF THE MEMORY. THE FADING OR HIDDEN SECTION.
Similar questions - How is Twitter a form of memory and how is it an important facet of Wanda Group?
TWITTER IS JUST A THING TO MAKE UP SHIT ON. STORIES, JOKES, THINGS I AM WOUND UP OR HAPPY ABOUT. I DON'T THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. I DON'T HAVE A SMARTPHONE SO I DON'T THINK OF WITTY THINGS OUT IN THE STREETS AND POST THEM. I HAVE MY LAPTOP ON AND I OPEN TWITTER AND I MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED. A FIREMAN MIGHT HAVE TOLD ME TO FUCK OFF OR A POLICEMAN MIGHT HAVE DIED OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE FROM 19 STAB WOUNDS OR A CAR MIGHT BE ON FIRE IN A PARK BEHIND THE BOTTLE BANK NEAR OUR HOUSE. NOTHING AND EVERYTHING SORT OF SHIT.
IT AINT IMPORTANT TO WANDA GROUP BUT I GUESS IT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MARKET SHIT.
4) You have mentioned playing in bands in earlier times. At what point did you begin to experiment more with field samples? How do you refine and change your process between releases? Does each one mean something different?
WHEN I WAS LITTLE ABOUT 8 OR 9 MAYBE OLDER, I HAD A TAPE DECK THAT HAD A LITTLE BUILT IN MICROPHONE. ONE OF THEM TOMY THINGS, I THINK. I WOULD GO INTO MY GARDEN AND GET INSIDE A LITTLE TENT AND RECORD MY OWN RADIO SHOWS. SO I GUESS I HAVE BEEN RECORDING MYSELF AND OTHER THINGS FOR A WHILE. THE REAL FIELD RECORDING STUFF CAME ABOUT AFTER MANAGING TO GET HOLD OF SOME QUITE SEMI DECENT TAPE RECORDERS. THIS WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK. NOT SURE HOW I HAVE CHANGED MY PROCESS BUT I GUESS IT JUST DOES WITH EACH THING BECAUSE YOU GET TIRED OR DOING SOMETHING OR YOU REALISE YOU HAVE NEW EQUIPMENT TO WORK WITH. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I MOVED UP TO HUDDERSFIELD, MY PARTNER HAS A UPRIGHT PIANO IN HER HOUSE. SO I HAVE DONE A COUPLE OF SOLO PIANO RELEASE AS HENRY CARAVAN BUT ALSO INCLUDED THE PIANO IN SOME WANDA GROUP STUFF. I TELL MYSELF THAT EACH ONE MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT DOES.
A SLAB WAS ABOUT SOMETHING - FAMILY, FRIENDS, TIME ON EARTH ETCOUTER ALSATIAN - MY DEAD DOGS ON SOME DOG PLANETWE ALL MUTATE AROUND THE MOUNTAIN - NOT MUCH BUT I GUESS AGAIN THE TITLE IS ABOUT MORE EXPERIENCES IN LIFE
I GUESS MOST OF MY RECORDS WILL NOW BE ABOUT MY DAUGHTER. JUST BECAUSE I AM GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT HER ALL THE TIME AND EVEN IF THE PIECES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MY DAUGHTER, THE IDEA OF HER WILL BE FOGGING UP THE SOUNDS, IF YOU UNDERSTAND ?
THE NEXT COUPLE OF RELEASES THAT SHOULD BE OUT AT SOME POINT ARE MAINLY WORKING WITH THE SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF SOUNDS. WHICH SOUNDS VERY VERY FUCKIN IMPORTANT BUT IT AINT. I JUST GOT HOLD OF SOME FREE PROGRAM THAT LETS ME WORK WITH THE SPECTRAL VIEW. IT'S NICE TO LISTEN TO A RECORDING OF A BUNCH OF BIRDS IN A TREE AND THEN TRY TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE TREE. THAT SORT OF THING. RECORD THE OCEAN AND REMOVE IT. SEE WHAT STAYS AND WHAT EXISTS BEHIND IT OR ABOVE IT.
ONCE THE OCEAN IS GONE FROM THE RECORDING, WILL I ONLY HEAR THE BOATS ON IT ? WILL I HEAR A BUNCH OF BIRDS ?
IF I RECORD THE RADIATOR IN THE LIVING ROOM AND TRY TO REMOVE THE RADIATOR, WILL I HEAR THE OCEAN ? YA YA YA YA YA
IT'S QUITE FUN AND THAT'S THE POINT. MAKE SOMETHING THE FOCUS AND THEN GET RID OF IT.
5) Your music has a very tactile quality to it, in the way you process sounds and where you seem to source them from. Do you look to create specific sensations? What is your relationship to the sounds you put into your pieces?
ALL THE SOUNDS I PUT IN THE PIECES MEAN SOMETHING. EVEN IF THEY GET REMOVED OR HIDDEN EVENTUALLY. I NOW TRY TO SET UP A LITTLE IMAGE. SO THE TAPE I DID WITH SUN ARK. THAT WAS ALL RECORDINGS FROM PORTUGAL. I KNEW WHERE THE SOUNDS CAME FROM AND WHERE THEY WERE PLACED ON EARTH. SO A RECORDING OF THE BATHROOM SINK, I KNEW IT WAS CENTRE RIGHT IN THE SCENE. I KNEW THE PLANE ABOVE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT. MY FRIENDS WHERE IN A SWIMMING POOL BEHIND THE SINK TO THE RIGHT. THAT SORT OF THING. FUN FOR ME TO WORK ON IT AND MAYBE TO LISTEN BACK TO BUT I DUNNO. I NEVER EXPLAIN THE THING UNTIL SOMEONE ASKS.
SPECIFIC SENSATIONS I AM NOT FUSSED ABOUT. IT DOES WHATEVER IT DOES TO YOU OR ME AND WHOEVER WANTS TO LISTEN, I CAN'T MAKE SOMEONE FEEL SOMETHING, I AINT DERREN BROWN OR ANYTHING.
THE RELATIONSHIP TO THE SOUNDS ARE WHATEVER THEY ARE. MY DAD BEING RECORD IS MY DAD AND MY SISTER MY SISTER. A BIRD BEING RECORDING IS JUST A BIRD. I DO NOT TRY TO MAKE IT OUT TO BE MORE THAN JUST THAT.
I LIKE THE BORING SHIT.
Same as the last question, but in relation to your visual work. Do you make all of your own artwork? How is this a significant part of your work?
I TRY TO DO ALL MY OWN ARTWORK ON EVERY RELEASE. SOMETIMES THE LABELS HAVE A SPECIFIC WAY OF DOING THINGS AND I HAVE INPUT BUT SOMETIMES CAN'T CREATE THE FINAL THING. WHICH IS FAIR ENOUGH. IT'S THEIR MONEY. THEIR TIME.
I HAVE DONE ALL THE ARTWORK ON EVERY RELEASE APART FROM SYMIRRORETRY AND MASCULINITY IS A WONDERFUL THING (I HAD THE IDEA OF WHAT I WANTED IT TO LOOK LIKE AND SENT OVER IDEAS. FOR EXAMPLE THE LIGHT SHINING OFF A CERTAIN SKYSCRAPER AND ALL THAT SHIT)
OUT OF ABOUT 50 RELEASES THAT AINT BAD
THE WHOLE THING IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I LIKE DOING IT. IT'S FUN AND I FIND IT EXCITING TAKING PHOTOS, DOING COLLAGES AND SEARCHING FOR
THINGS.
I WISH MORE PEOPLE GAVE A SHIT ABOUT IT BUT OH WELL
6) What was your first memory of cassette tapes? Do you think the medium lends itself well to releasing experimental music?
I THINK TAPES A RE GREATTHE SOUND IS NICE ETC BUT CHEAP FOR PEOPLE TO PUT OUT AND SHARE. IT'S NOT A FUCKIN COOL THING LIKE PEOPLE SAY. IT'S A MEDIUM AND IT'S CHEAP. WE AINT ALL FROM PARENTS WHO ARE PAINTERS OR FUCKIN DRS. SOME OF OUR PARENTS CUT HAIR IN OLD PEOPLES HOMES AND FIX TOLL BOOTHS.
FIRST MEMORY OF CASSETTES IS THE TOMY RADIO THING I MENTIONED, MY DAD HAVING THE BLACK ALBUM BY METALLICA ON IT. I DIDN'T REALISE THAT IF YOU RECORDED OVER IT, IT WOULDN'T BLEND WITH THE MUSIC. SO I TRIED TO SING ALONG WITH THE TAPE AND IT OBVIOUSLY JUST CUTS OUT THE MUSIC AND THEN MY LITTLE VOICE COMES IN. WE WAS IN A CAR ONCE PLAYING THE TAPE WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 AND FUCK, I FORGOT THAT I HAD SUNG ON THE TAPE AND THEN BOOOM MY SHITTY LITTLE VOICE JUST COMES ON SINGING 'EXXXXIIIIT LIGHT' OR SOMETHING.
I ALSO REMEMBER HAVING BOOM BOOM BOOM BY THE OUTHERE BROTHERS. I USED TO FUCKING JAM THAT THING LIKE A RIGHT MOTHERFUCKER.
7) When you spoke to the Quietus in 2013, you had just begun performing with Opal Tapes, and in 2015 you crushed it in Edinburgh. What equipment do you like to use live, and are your planning on changing anything about your setup for your new shows? What is your intention with live performance? To recreate a mood, a specific piece, just go bananas?
LIVE I LIKE TO JUST USE THE CHEAP LIGHT SHIT THAT I HAVE. IN EDINBURGH I HAD A MEDIUM SIZE BUSTED REEL TO REEL PLAYER WHICH IS NOW DEAD. I NOW HAVE A SMALLER ONE WHICH IS ALSO DYING. WHEN YOU TURN IT ON YOU SMELL IT BURNING BUT IT SOUNDS FUCKIN TERRIBLE AND I PLAY IT THROUGH MY OTHER SHIT TO SORT OF RUB OUT OTHER SOUNDS. I ALSO HAVE TWO LITTLE TAPE DECKS AND MY LAPTOP AND A LITTLE MIXER. I WANT TO CHANGE MY SET UP BUT ONLY WHEN I GET NEW THINGS. I DON'T LIKE SPENDING MUCH MONEY ON IT AND ONLY GET STUFF IF I WIN IT ON EBAY FOR CHEAP.
TAPE RECORDERS FOR 7 QUID ETC
NO INTENTION WITH THE PERFORMANCE BUT TO GIVE THE ROOM SOME SORT OF VIBRATIONS, MAYBE. BOUNCE SHIT OFF THE WALLS AND SEND IT BACK TO ME. MAKE CERTAIN DOORS CREAK OR JUST PLAY OUT SOUNDS TO A BIG ROOM THAT YOU WOULD NEVER HEARD IN THAT ROOM. MY DAD WASHING THE DOG IN THE GARDEN IN SOME CHURCH IN DENMARK.
I REALLY LIKE CREATING THESE LITTLE WHIRLPOOLS OF SOUNDS THAT SPIN AROUND PEOPLE. KNOWING CERTAIN SOUNDS ARE COMING OUT FROM THE LEFT THEN GOING RIGHT AND GOING UP PEOPLES BACKS AND THEN THROUGH THEIR ARSEHOLE CANAL.
ALSO I LIKE TAKING THE PISS IF I CAN. IF THE CROWD SEEMS BORED OR NOT INVOLVED THEN ILL HAVE A GO. OUT CLAP PEOPLE AT THE END ETC.
8) To what degree would you consider your music "experimental"? Does the term get used too much in relation to music and "sound art"?
EXPERIMENTAL IN THE SENSE THAT I TRY NEW THINGS BUT ONLY EXPERIMENTAL TO ME, I GUESS. I FIND IT CAN BE DANGEROUS THINKING 'OOOOH I AM GOING TO MAKE WEIRD SHIT'. I AM FULLY AWARE THAT I AM A BIT OF A WEIRD CUNT ANYWAY SO I DON'T GO INTO SOUND TRYING TO DO THAT. I AM HAPPY LISTENING TO THE SOUND OF A OVEN OR A CHOCOLATE BAR BEING EATEN.
I LIKE THE TERM SOUND ART. MOST PEOPLE DON'T BUT THEN MOST PEOPLE ARE PRECIOUS LITTLE FLOWERS. I THINK ALL TERMS GET USED TOO MUCH. PEOPLE NEED SOME IDEA OF WHAT SOMETHING IS TO HELP THEM PROCESS IT IN THEIR BRAIN AND PUT IT INTO A GROUP.
'THIS IS MY TECHNO FOLDER ON MY COMPUTER, THIS IS MY FREE JAZZ FOLDER AND THIS IS MY BLUES AND ROCK FOLDER'
THAT SORT OF THING.
MAYBE HAVE A FOLDER CALLED 'CHOCOLATE TONGUE' OR 'TINY LEGS' AND HAVE DONE WITH IT
FUCK KNOWS, MATE, I'M RUNNING ON TWO HOURS SLEEP HERE.
9) Many artists who release music on the same labels as you are rather prolific. Do you see this as something that's necessary in an over-saturated music industry? Is it part of larger culture of documenting the creative process?
I GO BACK TO LABELS OFF AND ON (NNA, OPAL) BECAUSE I LOVE THEM AS FRIENDS AND THE WAY THEY WORK. I PUT OUT MUSIC WITH WHO WANTS TO PUT IT OUT WITH ME. I MEAN IF I SEE A LABEL AND THEY ARE PIECES OF SHIT THEN COURSE I STAY AWAY. IF THEY HAVE BAD ART OR I JUST DO NOT LIKE THE MUSIC THEY PUT OUT THEN I WILL TELL THEM NO.
I DO NOT PUT THINGS IN A BIG LABEL/SMALL LABEL COMPUTER FOLDER. IF NNA ASK ME TO DO A TAPE IN JUNE 2015 BUT SOME FIRST TIME TAPE LABEL THAT SOUNDS DECENT ASK ME TO DO A TAPE TWO MONTHS BEFORE THEM, THEN I WILL DO THE FIRST TIME TAPE LABEL. I HAVE A LITTLE LIST SAVED ON MY COMPUTER IN A FOLDER CALLED 'LABELS THAT WANT TO DO RELEASES WITH ME AND THE MONTH THEY ASKED ME TO DO THEM'
THEN I WORK THROUGH IT.
I HAVE NEVER CONTACTED A LABEL ASKING IF THEY WANT TO RELEASE MY MUSIC, I HAVE NEVER SENT OUT ANY DEMOS. IF I FINISH A RELEASE AND I HAVE NOBODY THAT IS EXPECTING ANYTHING FROM ME, THEN I JUST PUT IT OUT MYSELF
I AM PROLIFIC BECAUSE I ENJOY DOING IT AND HAVE DONE SINCE I WAS LITTLE. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY. I WILL PROBABLY SLOW DOWN THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF MY NEW FAMILY BUT WILL STILL WORK ON STUFF.
10) Will there ever be a point where you hang it all up?
I GUESS ONLY IF I END UP NOT ENJOYING IT BUT I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS JUST MOVE ON AND TRY OTHER THINGS. YOU MIGHT THINK 'SHIT, I HAVE RUN OUT OF IDEAS' BUT THEN SOMETHING CHANGES OR A LITTLE IDEA TURNS UP.
11) Is less more or is more more?
LESS IS MORE IF IT'S VODKA OR SOMETHING
MORE IS MORE WHEN IT'S A FUCKIN BOTTLE OF CORONA OR SOMETHING
PEACE