Yeah, speaking of seeing trails… How do you get all your cover art outside of Tim? It’s been some super out-there stuff over the years!
Like, early on I was definitely less concerned about it. Especially with tape releases; I’d usually just let labels do the art work. Which is cool when it’s like a Stunned release: they’ll do the artwork and it’s going to be amazing, no worries. Both Phil and Myste do the art. Phil on the colored pencils. But as soon as someone wanted to put out an LP, I was like, ‘That’s a big canvas!’
I’m not a visual artist at all, but I’ve been a record collector for awhile, so I’m familiar of what I find iconic as cover art. Tim was a real natural to work with because I could give him anything and he’s style and recreate it in his own distinctive way. He did Test Leads and two Personable records of mine and my first LP, which still hasn’t been officially released, but came out in 2009 and will at some point reach the world.
My friend Nicole Ginelli did the cover art for Ishi. I’ve been a big fan of her work for a long time, so when I finished the record, I was thinking what the album was about and how it would reflect on the cover. So I got caught up in her art and figured, “Why not just do it?” She was stoked too. But it’s important that both Tim and Nicole both get my music and nail art right out of the gate.
I’m stoked you’re so big on visuals. You and Miko ever doing another VHS?
I dunno. We’ve always talked about it. I’d like to do a full length of one. And I know Miko is down, so… we’ll just have to SEE. Every time I see him I’m like, ‘We gotta do something again.’
Now, you mentioned being a record collector for awhile… Did you do a lot of crate digging in Jamaica?
Well, it’s kinda hard in Jamaica, because there’s not much in the vein of old record stores to by vinyl. I mean, there were a couple dudes where you could go to their place and buy stuff directly from them after scoping their collections. I went to his AMAZING reggae record store when I was in Japan, as was over there on tour last year. So I’ve been ordering from them a lot because they have reasonable pricing and shipping, and all their products are in pretty good condition. So, I actually am getting a lot of reggae records from Japan, currently.
It’s that island living that warps them records, yeah?
Oh man. I have some of my favorite reggae records, but in the roughest shape. So if I see a better looking one, I’m like, ‘That’s my copy.’ There were a few too that I was in love with the song, but couldn’t DJ it. Like, I’ll listen at home, but if you put it on a big sound system, it’s painful. But someday they’ll be replaced.
How was touring with Akron/Family in Japan?
… So, when I met up with Miles from Akron/Family, and he was pitching me on playing with them, he was like, “We’re gonna go to Japan this year…” I was smitten. And the Akron/Family fans in Japan were way crazier than just about anywhere else. It was cool, because Japan was one of the only places we went where people were like uniform about loving Sub Verses; they thought it was THE BEST. Like, where does ANYBODY say that ever?
And we were playing like hour-and-a-half sets, sometimes two hours, and we’d play really mellow parts, and they’d go along with it, and then we’d go into some freak-out zones, and they’d be right there with us, the entire time: no breaks. I just couldn’t believe how in-tune everyone was with the music. And it’s not a social thing like it is in the West, either. People there aren’t going to shows to be social, but wanted to go see music, so I was like, “Thank you!”
But part of it is shows are REALLY expensive there. Like, the U.S. equivalent of my basement show would be 38-bucks. There was me and this other guy Arrington… -umm
Whoa, wait! Arrinton de Dionyso? That dude is going IN on some Unheard Indonesia shit this year
Yeah! We hung out a little bit too. He’s got some crazy stories.
And y’all played a $38 basement show!
Yeah, Daniel and I were talking about that while I was helping him with his new record, which is AMAZING; it’s real focused and minimal and DOPE DOPE DOPE. But he was talking about Mi Ami playing in Japan, asking about the cost, they said it was around $40 USD, so he was like, “How much is it when Radiohead plays, then?” And they answered $50, so Daniel was like, “Fuuuuuck, man. That doesn’t seem fair.”
How often do you mix music for other people?
Well, as often as I can, really. Daniel’s was the last one I did, he did all the production work. I was just helping him sort of tweak the mixes. He had a couple issue with his mixes that he wanted someone else to take a poke at. But I really enjoy doing it for people and wish I could do it more. So, it’s good I’m talking about it in an interview, ‘cause maybe somebody will hire me to do it. I did a record in January for Psychic Reality, which is coming out soon and it’s super-amazing. But aside from Duppy Gun stuff, I haven’t been mixing too much as of recently.
What was the inspiration for its physical manifestation of that label?
Well, it happened during the free spaces of time while recording Icon Give Thank (TMT Review) in Jamaica. Cam and I both just thought, “This is SICK.” That’s seriously about as deep as it goes [laughs]. While we were out there recording the first Duppy 12-inch, we were feeling it so much and just talking about how much it needed to come out. We also figured it would be nearly fail-safe because with the new Congos record coming out, Duppy Gun stuff would be a great piggy back off that release.
Generally, though, it just seems like such a simple idea, just having bonked-out beats. I love that sort-of cross-over European- and American-style stuff mixed with that Jamaican style, like The Bug or Adrian Sherwood, or even more contemporary stuff like Peaking Lights. But we just wanted to do our take on it, and we were there and had access to do so, and we did it. And since then, the bulk of those tracks were recorded on the last trip we took, where we were better at knowing what we were doing, with beats ready to go.
The Duppy Gun double LP comes out a little later this year, which will help the project make a lot more sense to people. ‘Cause all of a sudden you have all these different products with different vocalists, so it’ll be a nice variety of stuff. It’ll be all the vocal tracks on the 12-inches, including five or six extra, and it’ll come with a movie that’s around three hours long by Tony Lowe and Cameron. Cam did some really demented stuff for it with this VHS recorder. All the instrumentals of the tracks are the soundtrack of the film. We even tried to make it Jamaican Public Access-style. It’s like a shotgun splat of our trip scattered against the wall.
The chance process is such a huge part of it for me. It’s both the player interacting with the machine and how the machine interacts with the player, so it’s always pretty much doing its own thing.
What’s been your best trip to Jamaica thus far?
We’ve been there three times, and it’s hard to really say. The first was definitely like being ripped out of the womb and shoved into a crazy place. But I feel like the last trip was the most instructive, because it was the first time we had the courage to set out on our own. In the past, any time we wanted to go anywhere, we would just pay a dude to drive us, since we were under the impression it was potentially dangerous for us to be traveling alone. That changed the more time we spent there, like anywhere else. If you can spot a sketchy situation in New York then you’re probably going to be OK in Jamaica.
Sometimes it can be hard with the language thing if you don’t have a good handle on the Patois, which I don’t, really. I’m pretty good at it, but people would talk and sometimes I’d only be able to discern one out of 10 words. And if they’re talking to you and mad at you, that can be a really intense experience. Being there to begin with the Congos was a great thing because everyone we met was under their umbrella. Now, going out on our own, we’re able to expand that circle, so really the best trip is always the next. Maybe go further out next time since there’s parts of the island we haven’t visited.
So, all the Duppy Gun stuff pops on Stones Throw, but you’re also pretty deeply involved with dublab, right?
Oh, yeah. I have a two-hour-long monthly show through them, which is really cool. I can just play whatever I want and it’s archived, so I’ve been doing themed shows. And am still DJing events for them, when I can. It’s a really amazing organization, doing great stuff for the city and for musicians in the city, and especially for WEIRD musicians, like a lot of my friends. They’re real believers in what they do and put so much love and energy into it in L.A., which some musicians don’t have.
I started going to dublab stuff early on when I first moved to L.A. I believe I met the whole crew through Matthewdavid, probably. He’s always been super-involved with them. And since I gave them some of my music, working with them has always been nice and fluid for me. Whenever they’ve asked me to do something, it’s always been the perfect setting and situation. They’re always down to do stuff and stoked on stuff.
Like, if I’m doing my show there, someone will run into the studio asking, “Whoa, what’s this?!” They all love music beyond what is healthy. It’s really fun for me to go in there and spin records with their mixer and equipment. They have really nice stuff, it’s not a crazy operation, and they run it all on a pretty tight/small budget. There’s a lot of time and effort in there. Their studio was just redone, and they hung speakers with chains and got a big fucking sub on the floor. Even if you’re playing quietly, you get a nice sound. They’ve their shit together. EVERYONE should absolutely donate to them and tune in, so DO THAT!
Speaking of spinning your records, I heard recently you’ve become a pretty big Dead Head…
Right around the time I turned 30 it started, actually. It was one of those things I hated my entire life. No just disliked, but always considered incredibly unpleasant. This probably should’ve been the tip-off to me that I’d eventually get into it. And at some point it just clicked with me where I was randomly listening to the Grateful Dead, and it sounded REALLY good. Initially, I had a reaction of like, “That’s weird…” It was a really nice show from the early 70s, so it was that era that brought me to like them, and everything I disliked about them just melted away.
I do get really obsessive about music, so when I get into a new thing, I go crazy for it for awhile. Sometimes it sticks or goes away. But when I started listening to Grateful Dead A LOT, I started hearing this crazy thing Jerry was doing with his guitar and the band, and how he expresses things melodically, at one point I had this feeling like, “This is definitely as deep as Miles Davis or John Coltrane”; every possible variation, fractal outgrowth that could happen, Jerry has played at some point.
And he does it out of this place of pure inspiration of a seemingly divine greater power, so in that sense, it’s as cosmic as anything else, man. Once you hear it like that, you can hear every note he plays is an expression of infinite love… Then you’re sold, man. It’s all it takes! I went to a Further [group led by Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir and Phil Lesh] show recently —’ which was my first hippy show, ‘cause I was always a punk — and ate some shrooms and GOD DAMN IT had the best time. I was looking around at all these people who were all unselfconsciously uncool, but dancing and enjoying themselves, really, truly flying their freak flags that people in the underground always talk about doing, but isn’t always done.
Not that I’m going to go start a jam band or something, but it was just true and honest. And it reminded me of being in Jamaica, where people would throw shows and communities would just come to dance and have a good time and enjoy the music. In that sense, I feel like MOST of the western world is just closed off from those experiences.
What do you think the key is?
Ahhh. I dunno. Living in the moment is a huge part of it. I feel like our culture is so obviously geared toward introspection and retrospection, thinking what’s happening and what WILL happen, and I think part of it is living in a place that isn’t as wealthy as America. Where life is a day-to-day reality and people die all the time for different reasons and life isn’t safe. It’s a whole different sort of urgency on life. It’s really people just interacting with time and treating it differently than we do.
In L.A., there’s really no place to set up a spot where people can have an all-night party to be together and free and have fun and not worry about cops or noise complaints or serving booze after 2am… There was a warehouse scene for awhile, but it had been shut down so much, it just ended. But when it all comes down to it, it’s a cultural thing. America is too closed off to each other. It’s a competitive thing too. Not that it’s strictly American, but we perpetuate it a lot. Being “Cooler THAN” seems backward. Like, where does it get anybody? In 20, 30, 50 years, people won’t be talking about what everyone else is doing. That’s why I’d rather just go home and work in isolation.
Inevitably, the people you stick around with and keep consistent on are the ones who’ve stuck to their work and did whatever they wanted to do and said FUCK YOU to anyone telling them not to, so if you’re doing something else, you’re probably fucking up [laughs]. And I don’t wanna fuck up, man. I’m tryna do something good. If it doesn’t work out, just start again. Though, I think it’s good to look back on some previous works and think they’re SHIT compared to what I make now. Makes me feel like I’m going in the right direction.
