BlipVert Interview/Feature with RegenMag.com, 3-09
BlipVert
By: Matthew Johnson
Features Editor
Review by: Matthew Johnson
BlipVert is Will Redmond as microcosm, cramming all of his diverse talents into a condensed blur of electronics that borrows from everything: jazz, glitch, metal, IDM, funk, classical, and probably at least a few genres that haven't even been named yet. Holding advanced degrees in musical composition and teaching, he performs on a range of instruments, from keyboards to flutes to guitar, in a number of other projects, including avant-garde jazz duo Cartridge and abstract dub project E. Priests, but on his newest BlipVert release, the aptly titled <>iStop:Skronk:Explode!, all of his diverse influences come together. Unpredictable and frenetic, it's a musical stream of consciousness, a real-time window into the mind of an eclectic and well-educated composer.
Tell us a little about how you first started doing BlipVert. You'd already played in quite a few bands, but what led you to doing a solo electronic project?
The BlipVert project first started in a small room I was renting above an animal hospital in Brooklyn, NYC in the winter of 2002. I had originally moved to New York from California in August of 1999 to work on a Master's degree in composition at NYU. From 1999 until 2002, I played guitar in a variety of bands ranging from avant-rock to live drum n' bass to free improvisation. These groups led to some successful gigs, album releases, and tours all over Europe and the US which really challenged me and exposed me to new ways of collaborating and performing with many different kinds of musicians. Soon, I felt I needed to go in my own direction as far as composition and performance go. I had been listening to electronic music ever since high school; it had always been a sort of 'undercurrent' of musical influence and inspiration for me. I began to witness the use of the laptop and electronics onstage, which appealed to me as radical and sophisticated performance tools. I figured this was the best place to start, so, after acquiring a laptop and a small sampler, I went to work.
The word 'blipvert' was first coined in the Max Headroom movie to describe a short commercial, and has since been used to describe a particular form of subliminal e-mail advertising. Does it bother you that your project title can also refer to spam, or do you get a kick out of it?
I always reference Max Headroom when people ask about the origins of BlipVert, but I had no idea it referred to subliminal email advertising. However, now that I know this, I really do get a kick out of it! I think the similar principle in both cases is the unrelenting stream of information resulting in complete overload, although I can only hope that my music will never be referred to as 'junk mail.' I really like how overload was first addressed in Max Headroom, as an advertising medium created to stop 'channel-switching' which actually became deadly. I think the creation of the blipvert also introduced the point that most advertising is spam to begin with, and that we are surrounded by a constant barrage of this 'added' information in our natural environments. My project attempts to address this constant barrage of information and turn it into something artistic and meaningful.
Your music is somewhat difficult, in that it's extremely condensed, eclectic, and unpredictable. What is the most important thing that you would like listeners to come away with after hearing a BlipVert album?
Well, first is that you can't specifically label this music. I've heard people try to categorize BlipVert as IDM, noise, breakcore, 8 bit, industrial, and even gabber. To me, it's simply composed electronic music, and doesn't aim to be anything other than what it is. The fact that it is difficult and unpredictable represents the point that it doesn't fit easily into any kind of genre. The second thing I'd like listeners to come away with is that if I had to be labeled as an artist, I'd prefer to be considered a composer. The word composer is rarely used in today's world, and it's a shame because it represents a vital aspect of all musical traditions. To know that Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Bach were incredible musicians and instrumentalists is one thing, but to overlook the fact that they were 'composers' is to overlook an elemental part of who they were and what they represented.
Tell us about your newest album, Stop:Skronk:Explode!; besides the onomatopoeia aspect, does the title refer back to any particular themes?
Stop:Skronk:Explode! attempts to somewhat humorously refer to the character of the music itself. The music is constantly evolving, morphing, and changing, thus resulting in very dramatic shifts of mood and structure. Skronk is a fake word that I've heard used sometimes amongst improv and avant-garde musicians referring to quirky or unusual sounds achieved on an instrument, often through the use of extended techniques (e.g. scraping the strings on a guitar, dramatically 'honking' a saxophone in extreme registers, etc.). My music is meticulously composed within a mostly improvisatory state of mind, with every sound and part playing off of each other and often 'exploding' into completely unexpected areas; very much like how a group of musicians improvising together might operate. Every piece grows independently and takes on a life of its own. Often, the idea I start with has nothing to do with what the final product is. Thus, each piece evolves and matures on its own by employing compositional methods that are random and chaotic.
The cover art is also extremely distinctive; how did you choose it, and how does it relate to the music?
Thanks for mentioning the artwork. The cover is a drawing called 'The Sonic Mask' which was developed by a New York City artist and friend of mine named Gavin Wilson. I wanted a cover that would represent the chaotic, extreme, and somewhat non-sensical nature of the music. Gavin's art mostly deals with, as he calls them, 'buddha masks,' bondage, and psychedelic imagery. I absolutely love his work, as it tends to draw one into a random and somewhat disturbing world he might not be ready for, but can't turn away from. I've gotten a lot of positive and negative comments about the art (my mother certainly doesn't like it). However, this is precisely why I chose artwork of such an unconventional nature. It not only is incapable of eliciting indifference from a viewer, but it suggests music that is explosive and erratic.
Several of the phrases, loops, and samples on Stop:Skronk:Explode! refer to people getting poked in the eye. Is that a personal obsession, a theme specific to this particular album, or just a coincidence?
In all honesty, this is pure coincidence. I can think of two specific examples on the disc that address this, the end freak out on 'Couch of Soob' and the end of 'Black Jellow Interior.' The end of 'Soob' was a sort of nod to the Residents, as I can't get enough of all the bizarrely effected vocals they use in their work. That series of vocals just happened to end with 'put things in my eye.' The end of 'Black Jellow Interior' is a thrashing, fractured beat accompanied by an excerpt from a prose poem I jotted down awhile ago that refers to a scenario involving the surgical removal of one's mental and physical facilities piece by piece. The main idea within the poem is how people are used and pushed to the point of destruction in our modern world, and 'my eyes are gone' might represent the dying embers of thought before complete blackness. I suppose that most of the material involved with this album is meant to provoke a reaction from the listener, or perhaps 'poke' one in the eye using strong visual imagery. I once heard La Monte Young describe John Coltrane as someone who was capable of 'projecting right out into the world without any reservation or sense of commerciality.' While I'd never compare myself to Trane, this is an immensely powerful idea to me, as being able to 'project' (or poke) in such a manner represents an artists commitment to the spiritual nature of their work and the belief they have in it. If it happens to affect one's senses in an unusual manner, so be it. That is after all the great power of art.
You play in several other projects. For people who are new to your work, can you tell us what they are, and your role in each of them?
Well, I don't play in nearly as many projects as I used to, as BlipVert takes up way too much time these days. Right now however, there are several that are somewhat active. I have a world/fusion/improv project that I play guitar, percussion, and shehnai in called 'Cartridge' with a good friend of mine I met while in New York, John Savage. John's an amazing woodwind player who's performed with Andrew Hill, Reggie Workman, Marty Ehrlich, Robert Dick, and composer Billy Fox. John can literally insert himself into any musical situation there is and produce on a virtuoso level, which is massively inspiring to me. We tour and perform these days when we can, and hope to release a full-length disc soon. I am one half of 'Elephant Priests,' a production duet that composes dub and minimalist abstract music; I play guitar, sing, and play percussion in a Bay Area free jazz/funk/rock big band called 'The R&B Free Jazz Gospel Supreme 80' directed by my friend, composer Gene Baker. I still continue to gig within the NYC improv community as a guitarist from time to time. I'm also doing more production work these days on a variety of records for some local Bay Area artists. I like to stay active in many different things as it keeps me inspired and refreshes my outlook on music and collaboration.
How has working in these different projects affected the way you make music as BlipVert?
Every project I've been involved with has contributed to BlipVert in some way. Composing music for BlipVert is essentially taking all of my influences and abilities, throwing them against a blank canvas, and then shaping and editing the resulting mess. I greatly enjoy working in this manner because each piece winds up having its own distinct character and attitude. In addition, I'm influenced by everything, from gospel vocal harmonies to playing in an over-the-top noise band to free jazz. Thus, virtually anything can work its way into my compositions. I think this is the quality that makes BlipVert music unique and highly personal; there's nothing that doesn't fit. One piece might contain King Crimson style guitar textures with fractured dance rhythms and a distorted 'big band' horn section, while another combines schizophrenic, glitchy drum patterns with twelve part vocal harmonies that morph into solid walls of noise. Being exposed to all kinds of music and playing in many different projects in my early 20's had a very profound effect on me in that I never saw any boundaries or limitations to how things could sound. Anything is possible, and it all depends on how far the composer is willing to go to bring forth their true identity.
Will you be touring this year? What's a BlipVert live show like?
I just finished a nice tour of the greater Netherlands with Eat Concrete Records, an independent label in Den Bosch that I'm closely associated with. We had some amazing concerts in Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Amsterdam, and Arnhem. I was very pleased with the size of the audiences and the support that Eat Concrete received as a label. I love being out on the road, and I try to tour as much as I can or as much as funds and time will allow. Many tours are often quick, effective groups of concerts within a cluster of cities or country that I like to call Blip-trips! This is mainly due to the fact that most people aren't really sure how to schedule me, which often results in some very interesting scenarios. My live shows are very intense and full of energy, and I often twitch and bounce all over the place. I'm constantly altering the music with a variety of effects and accompanying the music with looped vocal chanting, distorted yelling, and full blown shehnai or raita solos. No performance is the same twice, and there's always somewhere new to go. I essentially improvise with the composed material, which makes performing not only exciting but also challenging. Delivering a convincing performance, especially when it comes to electronic music, is very important to me as I've never wanted to stare at my laptop or effects for 45 minutes and wait for samples or loops to occur. I try to get as involved in the performance as I can, and try to embody emotionally and physically what BlipVert represents.
Do you have any other plans for 2009 that you can tell us about, or any other thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
Well, the main thing for '09 is to finish a new BlipVert record. This will hopefully be done by the summer. I can say with certainty that this record will be one of the most extreme collections of music I've ever released, and so far every piece is shaping up to be pretty epic. I'm privileged to be involved with several compilation projects already this year with Lost Compound Records (Canada) and Apogsasis Records (Poland). A project I'm very excited about is a 'BlipVert concerto', which is being written for me by New York saxophonist and composer Rob Mosher; who just released a CD of some of the most impressive jazz and classical compositions I've heard in awhile. This should be premiered next year in New York. I'm also looking forward to extending my relationship with two of my labels, D-Trash and Eat Concrete, who've been incredibly supportive and believe in what I do.
On the gig front, things are always coming up. I'll be returning to Holland next fall for some festivals and another tour, and there'll be all kinds of gigs for BlipVert and my other projects on the East and West Coasts. I might try to do another East Coast tour in the spring, but it's a big if. I still have yet to make it to Canada to do an event with D-Trash, so maybe that will be a possibility as well. Mostly, I'll be toning down the gigs a bit so I can finish the new record.
On another quite different front, I'm currently in the process of learning a bunch of new instruments, such as the udu drum, zurna, and the chromatic electric kalimba. I've been looking to extend BlipVert into more of an ensemble setting, and really want to explore the possibilities of incorporating different ethnic elements and instruments into my compositions. I've recently been a voracious listener of the Master Musicians of Jajouka and Konono N1 - the African group most notably associated with developing the Congotronics sound - and would like to develop my own unique 'trance' sound for a future BlipVert record. I figure that after my next release, it'll be time to try something new.
As for final words, just a big thank you to regenmag for wanting to interview me; big thanks to D-Trash, Eat Concrete, Apogsasis, Lost Compound, Trixy, and Ron Anderson/RA Sounds; and most of all thanks to anyone who lends an open ear and mind to my music as a result of this interview or otherwise. To quote John Zorn: "Powerful secrets are revealed through intensity and extremes of experience." I hope to follow this principle as long as possible. What else is there to do anyway?
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BlipVert Interview with 'Sinfully Delicious' Webzine, 10-08
State your case and what you do. Be specific as possible.
My name is Will Redmond, aka BlipVert. I'm a composer, guitarist, and electronic musician.
I aim to make the most complex, insane, disturbing music that has ever been heard.
What brought you to dtrash records?
Well, I was in the process of mailing out demos to labels in 2007 hoping that someone would
release my newest batch of material, and J Schizoid responded and was especially interested.
I had also previously heard about DTrash after discovering a band on the label called
Cutting Pink with Knives.
What musical equipment do you use?
Some things I use are guitar, drum machines, samplers, sequencers, mixers, voice, zurna
(oboe from Turkey), shehnai (oboe from Pakistan), CDJ decks for live performance,
air FX controllers, and the occasional electric kalimba.
How did your project start?
My whole project started in Brooklyn, New York in a small room above an animal hospital.
After playing in several NYC based bands for a few years, I felt it was time to start composing
and realizing my own personal style of music. I had been listening to electronic music all my
life, and after acquiring a laptop and a cheap sampler, I went to work.
What inspires you to create?
Anything, I can usually gain inspiration from anything for creative purposes, whether its walking
down the street or eating. This and the fact that if I didn't create music, I'd probably wind up
in jail.
What is your favorite musical project and why?
Dang, that's tough, there's so many. I'd have to say that while any project from John Coltrane
is way up there, basically anything that is able to project right out into the world without any
reservation and without any sense of commerciality.
What is your favorite author and book and why?
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke (also my fav author). That book changed my life.
It deals with humanity's final arrival at utopia which is brought about by immensely
powerful aliens that all resemble Satan. This utopia however comes at a tremendous cost.
What do you do with your spare time?
Book gigs, write music, tour, read, bike, try to eat healthy, and talk to myself.
What is the meaning of life?
I have no fucking idea, but whatever it is, it's probably loud as hell, at least in my case.
Does your music have a political agenda?
No. But my music is a whole lot of noise, which is what politics is anyway.
What do you believe in?
The power and impact of intensity.
Who is your favorite Digital Hardcore artist?
J Schizoid!
If you could have anything in the world what would it be?
My own loft apartment in Soho
List your top ten albums worth listening to.
Hmm, another tough one, but here's some that totally blow me away (in no particular order):
1. King Crimson - Discipline
2. Miles Davis - Dark Magus: Live at Carnegie Hall
3. John Coltrane - Acension
4. Pole - 1 (Blue Album)
5. Embryo - Reise
6. Residents - Mark of the Mole
7. A.R. Machines - Autovision
8. Meshuggah - Obzen
9. Autechre - Confield
10. Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
Anything you'd like to add to this interview?
Watch what you listen to, and don't listen to what you watch.
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April 2008 gives us the debut D-TRASH
release from USA's BLIPVERT. His disc "Stop:Skronk:Explode" is a towering mountain of cutups, blitzes and bleeps spanning many extreme and
mind bending genres and sounds. Here J. Schizoid hits up Will Redmond for
an intro to the man behind the monster.
DTRASH: Hi, BLIPVERT. Glad to have you aboard on
D-TRASH! How did you find out about us?BLIPVERT: Yo Schizoid! Thanks for having me and glad to be aboard! It has been awesome from the get go....I first found out about DTrash after researching a group called Cutting Pink With Knives. I came across their recent release on Adaadat, and loved the insanity of their music. I noticed they had a release on a label called DTrash, but didn't pursue the matter further. It wasn't until later that I was researching labels online - in order to put together a mailing in the hopes that someone would release my newest batch of stuff - that I came across DTrash again. After listening to some the DTrash artists online and checking out the overall musical philosophy associated with the label, I had to send you guys something. Viola!DTRASH: What are the other big important BLIPVERT releases that have happened to this date. What is the most solid BLIPVERT stuff?
BLIPVERT: Well, I have only two other releases as BlipVert. Most recent was an EP on Brooklyn, NYC's Trixy records which was sorta released under the radar. I was pleased with it and we did a limited pressing of the disc, but mostly it was just to prep for this DTrash full-length, and possibly to get rid of some bits and pieces of things I had on my hard drive. My debut release was on a label called RA Sounds, run by a guy named Ron Anderson. I've known Ron for several years and was a member of his avant-rock group PAK back in New York from 2000-2002. Ron's an amazing guitarist and composer, and is primarily responsible for exposing me to much of New York's 'downtown' and avant-garde rock and jazz communities. My debut disc is definitely a completely realized collection of work, and the very nice folks over at smother.net reviewed it as 'a masterpiece.' I like to think each disc however is solid in its own right in that each one has its own story or compositional framework. I tend to outdate myself from one record to the next, primarily because I'm always improving and exploring new realms of equipment and musical possibilities. So each release has its own level of creativity and focus.
DTRASH: What got you into this type of extreme electronic noise music?
BLIPVERT: The basic answer to that question is metal. The first kinds of music I ever listened to or appreciated were metal and progressive rock (I am a guitarist first :). From here I was immediately drawn to music with high levels of complexity and intensity, absorbing everything from jazz and free improv to psychedelic rock and eventually electronic music. I've come to the realization that there is no limit to how 'out' you can get with music based in an electronic medium, primarily because electronic music is most often about the character of the sound than the actual composition. This allows absolute freedom for sound construction and composition, and what brought me to want to get involved in electronic noise music in the first place. I'm offered the ability to get as extreme as I want in my own work. Its kinda wierd when I look at it, as I've gone from practicing and appreciating musical forms with very rigid structure to music that is chaotic and amorphous.
DTRASH: Many artists in this scene have a political agenda in these times. Would you say there is any kind of political angle of your creations?
BLIPVERT: I never really thought of my music as having a political message per se. I'd say there's more of a social angle in my music. BlipVert refers to the idea of delivering bits of information and data to a person at a hyper accelerated rate, until they eventually can't take it anymore and explode. In the world we live in there is a persistent rapid and almost schizophrenic flow of visual and aural stimuli. I guess I want to try and capture the environment that I live in musically, rather than state or represent a specific political agenda. Politics in the U.S. has become childish, sensationalist and such a waste of time to the point where I can't even pay attention anymore. I'd rather make a ton of noise..........which is what politics is anyway.
DTRASH: Give us your top 10 albums of your life, hit us with your solid favorites and what you dig tunes-wise.
BLIPVERT: Wow, top ten albums of my life. That's a bold one. Well, here are some that as I recall blew my hair back, in no particular order:
1) Miles Davis - Dark Magus:Live at Carnegie Hall -
Christ, only Miles himself could compile a random band of dudes and have an
all out scathing - ethnic - funk - avant - rock - free jazz jam at Carnegie
Hall. This album just hits and never lets up and is about as funky as it
gets, but Miles Davis style funk!
2) King Crimson - Discipline - I first heard this in my car driving home
from high school, and I had to stop the car and pull over and just listen.
The sounds of overlapping guitar textures, slick rock/fusion drumming and
blazing guitar solos a la Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew changed my life.
3) David Torn - Tripping Over God - This is the first album I heard from
guitarist David Torn when I was in my 'guitar geek' phase (does that phase
ever end?). David Torn is a guitarist who actually refers to himself as a 'texturalist,'
and creates the most surreal, alien atmospheres with his guitar and all
kinds of effects and looping devices. No one can create the sounds Torn can,
and this album is one of the most bizarre, beautiful albums I've ever heard.
4) Squarepusher - Go! Plastic - As much of an asshole as people say this guy
is, there's no denying that this album is an amazing avant-garde electronic
music album. Some reviewers criticized him for rehashing old ideas on this
record, and after Music is Rotted One Note I think people were expecting
more of a development of his instrumental chops or maybe a different idea
althogether. If you really listen to this record, there's so much going on
and the programming and editing is flawless. I wish he'd gone more in the
direction of My Fucking Sound or Greenways Trajectory (my fav tunes).
5) Embryo - Reise - I came across this record living with a couple of
hippies in Brooklyn. They had an amazing record collection and I dubbed damn
near all of it. Embryo is an old German prog rock band that had a habit of
incorporating ethnic elements - e.g. instruments, modalities, even ensembles
- into their music. In the early seventies, they gathered up everyone and
their families and hundreds of hours of audio and video recording equipment
and toured the Middle East for two years! Reise is a double LP documentation
of that tour. This album should be awarded a Grammy due to its scope and
genius.
6) John Coltrane - Interstellar Space/Ascension/Live in Seattle - Its hard
for me to pick one record from Trane, who is one of my biggest influneces.
These three probably represent my favorite style of Trane's playing, mostly
free, minimal structure, and massive exploration. No one on this earth can
deliver like Trane could, a true genius and a man obsessed with exploring
every dynamic of his horn and his music. Live in Seattle is a blistering
recording of the Coltrane quartet - featuring Pharoah Sanders - at the
height of its skill and diversity. The raw power and focus of Trane is most
clearly evidenced on Acension, a massive 40 minute composition featuring an
amazing cast of players all going full force at 1000 miles an hour. Some
have said this album is the most powerful human sound ever recorded. I tend
to agree.
7) Master Musicians of Jajouka - Apocalypse Across the Sky - I first came
across these guys after hearing the soundtrack to Naked Lunch with Ornette
Coleman. I later discovered that Burroughs himself was a huge fan, who once
described them as a 4,000 year old rock band. It is like nothing I've ever
heard, sufi-trance percussion accompanied by ancient ethnic horns, flutes,
and guitars. Truly unique and inspiring.
8) The Residents - Mark of the Mole - I happened to be in an, um, 'altered'
state when I heard this, which might have had something to do with my
reaction to it. I think its completely psychotic that after 30 + years of
performing and releasing albums no one knows who the hell these guys are,
due to the fact they wear giant eyeball masks everytime they perform.
Needless to say this is true art-music, very meticulously composed and
purposeful; not to mention the album carries with it a strong story and
social message dealing with immigration. Brilliant....
9) Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica - Heh, what can you say about
Beefheart, aside from the fact that's he's completely insane? There's no
real way to perfectly describe this album, you just have to experience it
for what it is: completely fucked up (one of my friends refers to it as
strict blues). Zappa was one of Beefheart's biggest fans and actually
produced this record. I'm very influenced by Beefhearts demented rhythms and
insane guitar and bass arrangements, which is very evident in my music.
10) Don Cherry - Codona I - In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful
albums ever made. Don Cherry is one of my favorite musicians, and extended
beyond the realm of jazz into ethnic compositions. This album features Colin
Walcott and Nana Vasconcelos on all kinds of instruments. A masterpiece of
Middle Eastern/jazz inspired compositions.
DTRASH: From what I understand you gig quite a lot actually. Just before
your disc you did a tour of the USA! How was that? What is your set like?
What distinguishes your stuff in a live setting from the other Wishy Washy
DJs out there.
BLIPVERT: I try to gig wherever anyone will take me! I
almost go crazy sending out emails and trying to organize shit. Its a lotta
work. I mean, who's gonna book fractured glitch grind spaz tronic music on
their rock night? Regardless, live performance for me is where its at. I
recently cranked out an east coast tour at some really cool like-minded
venues. A pretty successful little jaunt, but exhausting. This is mainly due
to the fact that my sets, while on the short side, are very aggressive. I
spaz out and dance and jump around all over the place. As one audience
member said after a gig, 'You're the only IDM guy I've seen who sweats when
he performs.' Others have said that they enjoy my 'dancing,' which makes me
laugh as I can't dance at all. I just get really into what I do, and try to
put a face or identifiable characteristic to the music. I try to 'perform'
each one of my tunes or use them as vehicles for improvisation or entirely
new compositions by using vocal effects or altering the music in a variety
of ways. Sometimes during a set I'll stuble upon a new performance idea that
I've never thought of before and just go with it. This makes 'performing'
electronic music both exciting and challenging for me, rather than just
spinning a record. It amazes me that most people here in the States
associate 'electronic' music with DJ culture, and I get so sick now of even
seeing the term 'DJ'. Christ, everyone's a DJ! Most creative electronic
music performance takes a back seat to DJ banality, which makes it harder
for someone like myself to book gigs.
DTRASH: Your stuff is pretty fucked up actually! Both the artwork and the
music. What accounts for this lunatic side of BLIPVERT, what is that
insanity coming from.
BLIPVERT: To the statement that my music is 'pretty
fucked up,' I say, thanks! Sometimes I tell people that this music is the
result of not having a steady girlfriend for 12 years. In all seriousness,
the best answer to where all the lunacy comes from was being exposed to
Gyorgy Ligeti's Requiem at age 10 while watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. This
experience terrified me as a child, and gave me nightmares for about a week.
I believe something opened up in my head as a result of this, and I began to
hear and see things in my environment differently. Other than this, I don't
see how anyone can NOT go a little looney living in today's world. As for
the artwork, I like it to represent what the music is/sounds like. The more
disturbing the better!
DTRASH: For the record, regarding BLIPVERT, where did that name come from?
BLIPVERT: I first came across BlipVert while watching
the old television series Max Headroom. It was part of the very first
episode they ever broadcasted.
DTRASH: If you would want to remix any artist out there, what's one of your
favorite artists that you'd die to remix? Also what is the shittiest
possible band that you would remix for kicks?
BLIPVERT: Great questions! A group I can't get enough
of right now is Konono N1, who'r responsible for developing a style of music
called Congotronics. These guys create hand made electric thumb pianos and
feed them through giant homemade PA systems to where the sound might remind
one of early Krautrock or even early electronic music. Its intoxicating as
hell! I'd love to glitch-ify one of their tracks. As far as a dream remix,
I'd have to pick the Future Sound of London. No one can paint a picture like
those guys.... And as for shitty artists to remix, that's a toss up for me
between U2 and P. Dipshit, I mean Diddy, Combs. I'd probably get paid pretty
well though....
DTRASH: What's up with that insane artwork? What is going on, on your
DTRASH104 artwork? Who did the artwork and what other stuff's he done?
BLIPVERT: Heh, thanks for asking about the artwork.
The name of the front cover is actually called 'The Sonic Mask,' realized by
guy named Gavin Wilson, a good friend of mine who I met in New York. Gavin's
an amazing artist with a unique vision. His works focus on psychedelic
imagery mostly with bondage themes. It amounts to a truly unnerving
experience, which is what I'm drawn to. He also designs really wierd 'buddha'
masks that in my opinion defy categorization. I love working with artists
when I'm about to release an album, and I love seeing how they interpret my
own visions and my music. I believe its an essential part of the package
when releasing a disc. Gavin's supposedly completing a book of artwork that
will be published soon. The only website I have where one can see some of
his drawings is http://botanicalliteracy.blogspot.com/
DTRASH: How does one stop:skronk:explode?
BLIPVERT: Chase Pop Rox and fertilizer with Jolt Cola,
then dance about like your hair's on fire while whipping a giant rubber
chicken. You will eventually explode.
DTRASH: Hit us with some wisdom. Give us some deep knowledge. Tell us your
fortune and what is in the BLIPVERT future. Preach us the message, yo!
BLIPVERT: As John Zorn said: 'Powerful secrets are
relvealed through intensity and extremes of experience.' My opinion is live
that way or don't live. As for the future, I'm just really looking forward
to developing my relationship with DTrash, releasing more records, and
hopfully touring/gigging with a bunch of DTrash artists! Anyone down? I'm
also looking forward to composing more and seeing how much more out I can
possibly get with my own style of music, which includes learning new
instruments (including my own electric noise kalimba!) and checking out new
software programs and drum boxes. I can guarantee the next record will have
a style and energy all its own. Its a lotta fun! I've also been considering
a move back to New York City, studying gamelan music in Indonesia, buying
and wearing more wierd hats, and continuing my own spaz/grindcore trio out
in the Bay. Whew!