Sunday, October 26, 2008

Savage Ohms

Savage Ohms

Georgia's Loren Hall has been recording as Savage Ohms for two decades. He's a trained visual artist with a very spiritual, or at the very least improvisational, approach to making music and art. He has four EPs and a full length album and has performed with bands such as anAMloopantenna and Nemesis. You can find out more information at his Myspace page HERE.

He describes his work as sounding like "a sentient cricket society in a tuft of grass, as heard from above. A dream remembered." You can hear some examples for yourself HERE, or tune in to Episode 218 (download it HERE).

Without further ado, here's the SAR Q&A with Savage Ohms...


*Name: Savage Ohms

*Are there any additional names used to describe this project: It's only ever gone by Savage Ωhms.

*Do you use a pseudonym? I usually go by just my first name.

*Members: Just one. Loren G. Hall.

*Founding Members: I founded the band myself, and I have always been the only permanent member. At times I have had various guest musicians, but none have ever joined permanently. By the way, I got the name 'Savage Ohms' from the animated film 'Fantastic Planet'.

*Tape manipulations, digital deconstructions or turntable creations: My first set of recordings was 100% sampled tape manipulations, using a broken tape deck that behaved erratically. I never knew exactly what it was going to do when I hit 'play' (or 'rewind', for that matter), and it was my oracle for about a year until it finally stopped working altogether. Later on my music became much more digitally deconstructed, but I still used a lot of tricks that I had learned from my tape days. I've never used a turntable in my work.

*Another genre descriptor: The only term I've ever been able to come up with that describes the process of aligning two patterns together to illuminate a hidden third pattern (such as in my music) is 'techronicity'. It's similar to the Dalinian concept of a work of art being more than the sum of its parts, only the catalyst is electronic, rather than painted."

*Why you use this descriptor: It's simply a cross between the words 'techno' and 'synchronicity'.

*Location: The band was started in Rome, Ga.

*Original Location:

*What is your creative/artistic background: I attended Memphis College of Art in the late 80's, but wound up getting a BFA in painting from the University of Georgia. From the age of about 5 to the age of about 15, I saw only visual art in my future. I've always had a deep love of music, and from a very young age I drummed on EVERYTHING constantly, but it wasn't until I had heard bands like Skinny Puppy, Coil, and Cabaret Voltaire in the mid 80's that I became interested in making music seriously. By 1990 I had completed my first demo LP entitled 'EKE', and by 2002 I had completed 4 EP's ('Where is Love', 'I Hear the Tree', 'Near-Life Experience', and 'Abandonment Issue') and 1 full album ('Lifelike'). I had one song on the ACIDSOXX comp. entitled 'F-DISK: Encrypted Transmissions' in 2002, and played at the Savannah Fringe Fest in February of the same year.

*History: I started recording as Savage Ohms in 1988, after borrowing a friend's 4-track tape recorder. I had formed a lot of ideas before that date, but I hadn't yet recorded anything. I've also been in an Atlanta-based band called anAMloopantenna, and a side project called Nemesis, with a friend from Canada.

*Born: I'm 37, and I'm from Rome, Georgia, which is about an hour NW of Atlanta. I've also lived in Seattle, Memphis, and Athens, Ga.

*Motivations: To put it simply, I create art and music to keep from going completely insane.

*Philosophy: Strangely enough, the philosophy behind my musical creation is virtually identical to my visual creation. In both cases I've found that I have the best luck when I don't have any preconceived ideas in mind, but rather vague concepts or moods. Some people say that they have a higher power governing their actions, which is ultimately responsible for what they create. In my own case I feel that it's more of a 2-way relationship. I may have vague notions to begin with, and I definitely look for patterns in the chaos and work to bring them out, but ultimately the final result is almost always a complete surprise to me, and I love that aspect of creation. In short, my philosophy is to work WITH the music, to help it make itself.

*How would you like to be remembered: As someone who could laugh at himself, and cry for anyone.

*Web address:
music - http://www.myspace.com/savageohms
art - http://www.wooloo.org/loren


Link
www.some-assembly-required.net

Episode 218, Some Assembly Required

Episode 218, Some Assembly Required

01 Live Human Live – “Elephant Remix Remix”
02 David Morneau – “Dreams Are This”
03 DJ LeClown - “Sweet Lobster”
04 stAllio! - “On the shoulders of giants”
05 DJ Marz – “City Of Fork Yuen”
06 Savage Ohms – “A spirit”
07 DJ BootOX – “Rockin Maedchen Drive me Crazy”
08 The Tape-beatles – “Mind Problems”
09 DJ Lobsterdust – “Epic Black Rock”
10 Lecture on Nothing – “Memories”
12 Escape Mechanism - “What's Happening”
13 Pheugoo – “Clock a Minute"
14 The Evolution Control Committee – “I Want A Cookie”


Use this address, for your pod software:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/some-assembly-required/JSpD

Sunday, October 19, 2008

October 19, 2008

Feeling a little guilty about the lack of brand new Q&A's the past few weeks, I've decided to post a new one with Gel-Sol, retro-actively. Check it out HERE.


The SAR Q&A with Gel-Sol...


and here's my original post 10/19/08:
This has to be the driest few weeks, to date, with regards to the SAR Q&A. There are two reasons for this and yes, of course, one of them is that I've just released a new record and have had less time to work quite as hard on the show... This will change next quarter, I promise. The other reason, is that there's just no way to guarantee I'll always be able to find a willing interviewee. In retrospect, the fact that we've had a new one nearly every week for over two years has been something just short of a miracle.

New Q&A's depend on a lot of things which are out of my control. First, I have to find an active email address for an artist being featured, any given week. Then my invitation has to avoid the artist's spam filters and actually get read. All this before the challenge of a response is even considered. Then there's the possibility that my spam folder will be the ultimate destination. I usually skim through there about every seven days, for that reason. You'd be surprised what I find in there - not to mention the occasional email which really should have found a home in my in-box...

Anyway, for now enjoy last week's Q&A with DJ Lobsterdust and check out my brand new album HERE. It's my first new studio album of sound collage, since 1998... and what I've been spending all my free time on lately. Next week? Our Q&A with Savage Ohms... Stay tuned.

Thanks for listening,
Jon Nelson


www.some-assembly-required.net

Episode 130, Some Assembly Required

Episode 130, Some Assembly Required

01 Think Tank – “Unrealpolitik”
02 NOWMASH – “Fu-Gee-La-Way”
03 Cut Chemist – “Lesson 6: the lecure”
04 Twink – “Three Wishes”
05 DJ Bombjack Featuring Ben Grim – “The Brothers Grim Sideshow”
06 Conway – “Lisa's got hives”
07 Steev Hise – “Retrofuturist Trip-Swing (Gender Politics Mix)”
08 Escape Mechanism – “Today”
09 DJ Earworm – “Noone takes your freedom”
10 People Like Us – “Whistle Song”
11 Osymyso – “Fiver to bigwig”


Use this address, for your pod software:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/some-assembly-required/JSpD

Saturday, October 11, 2008

DJ Lobsterdust

DJ Lobsterdust

New York's DJ Lobsterdust has been producing mashups since 2006, so he's relatively new, but making big waves. He's becoming a regular around here and has been a featured DJ at the Bootie Club, sticking generally to mashups featuring some serious rock and roll. There are well over fifty different DJ Lobsterdust mashups available at his website. Check it out HERE.

Without further ado, here's the SAR Q&A with DJ Lobsterdust...


*Name: DJ Lobsterdust

*Are there any additional names used to describe this project: Lobsterdust also works.

*Members: Just me.

*Tape manipulations, digital deconstructions or turntable creations: "Digital deconstructions+reconstructions"

*Another genre descriptor: The popular term is "mashups" (or "bootlegs" in the UK).

*Is there a story behind your name? Totally random. When I was studying graphic design we had to create an album cover for a fictitious band, and that's what I came up with at the top of my head. I liked the cover so I kept the name. In general I don't like "cool" sounding DJ names, and this is an un-cool as it gets. Also, the obscure nature of it helps when doing google search ;)

*Location: New York City

*Original Location: Born and raised in Israel.

*What is your creative/artistic background: Played in a highschool band, art school, a bit of recording studio work, graphic design, photography. I spread out over alot of areas.

*History: Been making mashups since 2006.

*Born: 1972

*Motivations: I've always enjoyed deconstruction+reconstruction of music. Cut & paste, sampling, turntablism, remixing, bootlegging. Mashups are a bit of all of these things, plus I can answer questions like "what would Bob Marley sound like if he sang with Iron Maiden?"

*Philosophy: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, or, mashups are not a crime.

*How would you like to be remembered: That guy who made good bootlegs. If I'm still on people's ipods 10 years from now that's good enough for me.

*Web address: http://djlobsterdust.com


www.some-assembly-required.net

Episode 217, Some Assembly Required

Episode 217, Some Assembly Required

01 DJ Schmolli - “Roadhouse Metal”
02 Joe Frawley - “The White Gloves”
03 Kid Ginseng – “The Haunting of Andy Warhol”
04 Coldcut – “More Beats & Pieces (Daddy Rips It Up Mix)”
05 Oh Astro – “Everything Is Go!”
06 Emergency Broadcast Network - “We will rock you (bipartisan mix)”
07 X-ecutioners - “Mad Flava”
08 DJ Lobsterdust – “Missin Kittin”
09 The Evolution Control Committee – “I Don't Care”
10 Laso Halo – “Stanley”
11 Escape Mechanism - “Digital Occasion”
12 John Oswald – “Black”
13 Osymyso – “Girls And Boys”
14 Divide & Kreate – “Punked up”


Use this address, for your pod software:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/some-assembly-required/JSpD

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Gel-Sol

Gel-Sol

Gel-Sol is Seattle based producer/musician, Andrew Reichel. He's not always strictly a sample-based artist, but he does occasionally include aspects of Plunderphonics in his more musical work, and has plans to do so more in the future. We've played his "Free Speech For Sale" track, "Soopershammy," on the program. It was written specifically for that compilation, with its theme of tracks composed of nothing but samples from commercials.

He's worked in a lot of different styles, including ambient soundscape and electronica, but his main interest would seem to be improvisation. He's released three albums, the latest of which was released in April, 2008. Titled "IZ," it is available as a co-release from Psychonavigation and Upstairs Recordings. Check it out HERE.

Without further ado, here's the SAR Q&A with Gel-Sol...


*Name:
Gel-Sol

*Are there any additional names used to describe this project: Gel-Sol, but I also have a project called Kids For Tomorrow.

*Do you use a pseudonym? Yes, Gel-Sol.

*Members: I am the only member of Gel-Sol. Kids for Tomorrow includes myself and William Mempa.

*Founding Members: Andrew Reichel

*Tape manipulations, digital deconstructions or turntable creations: Digital deconstructions. Plunderphonics is only one aspect of my music. Most of it is music created by myself, but I integrate sampling with it too.

*Is there a story behind your name? I found the term Gel-Sol in Robert Anton Wilson’s “Prometheus Rising” book. Here’s the actual quote: “The brain appears to be made up of matter in electro-colloidal suspension (protoplasm). Colloids are pulled together, toward a condition of gel, by their surface tensions. This is because surface tensions pull all glue-like substances together. Colloids are also, conversely, pushed apart, toward a condition of sol, by their electrical charges. This is because their electrical charges are similar, and similar electrical charges always repel each other. In the equilibrium between gel and sol, the colloidal suspension maintains its continuity and life continues. Move the suspension too far toward gel, or too far toward sol, and life ends. Any chemical that gets into the brain, changes the gel-sol balance, and "consciousness" is accordingly influenced. Thus, potatoes are, like LSD, "psychedelic" - in a milder way.” Gel-Sol also deals with a dichotomy between solid (GELatin) and liquid (SOLution), and I like to implement this dichotomy in my music. See my philosophies for more info.

*Location: Seattle, WA

*Original Location: Washington, D.C.

*What is your creative/artistic background: Went to college for Graphic Design and Music, and I work as a graphic artist.

*History: I have made music as Gel-Sol since 1998.

*Born: I was born in 1973 in Freehold, NJ

*Motivations: I don’t know, really. I guess I don’t know what else I would do. I write music for myself, and if anyone likes it, that’s cool.

*Philosophy: Gel-Sol represents a dichotomy between liquid and solid. One goal of mine is to transfer this idea to the music. Swirling ambience (liquid) integrated with structured beats (solid), as well as other dichotomies, like heavy vs. soft, minor vs. major, serious vs. funny. I believe there should be a balance in these dichotomies, and this allows Gel-Sol to experiment with any style of music, and not limit myself to a specific genre.

Link *How would you like to be remembered: As a badass. And as someone who stuck to their guns.

*Web address: www.gel-sol.com


www.some-assembly-required.net

October 5, 2008

October 5, 2008

Be sure to check out our August, 2008 Q&A with Hugo Keesing, whose Chartsweep composition is featured in this week's episode (#78). We played Part One in Episode 74, so if you want to hear how it starts, now you know where to go. For Part Two, tune in to Episode 78!

Thanks for listening,
Jon Nelson


www.some-assembly-required.net

Episode 78, Some Assembly Required

Episode 78, Some Assembly Required

01 People Like Us - "Bitter dregs"
02 Wolfram - "Ten little fingers"
03 Realistic - "Magnetic home poetry"
04 Alien Heat - "Click launch, launch click"
05 Gel-Sol - "Sooper shammy (return of the hammer)"
06 Antediluvian Rocking Horse - "Long sweet dream"
07 Hugo Keesing - "Chartsweep (part 2)"
08 Realistic - "Trademark blipvert"


Use this address, for your pod software:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/some-assembly-required/JSpD