It's kind of weird that one of the most technically gifted musicians out there (dude did a masters in in electronic music DURING his final year at music uni) is written off as a joke by many. Still, whatever. Fact Magazine, May 2008:
Between the total total total communal regression fests that splattered 2007 and the release of his maximalist electro masterwork Spiderman of the Rings, pennies started dropping. Maybe the “cuddly” chap in the sweat-drenched thrift-store tee making crowds scream about castles wasn’t a just reasonable visual/musical gag: maybe Dan Deacon’s hyper-complex, 10,000%-joy desk-set live art musical was just what this decade’s increasingly apocalyptic dog end needed. Keeping us guessing, showbusiness’ hardest-working-man is touring his ass off and taking his bumbag house live to new ritualistic heights. Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!
How are you?
I’m pretty good. Thanks for asking.
Most of your albums mention animals. Which animals are going to be behind the new LP?
The new record is about cycles, ghosts, dogs and bees. I guess it’s about me.
I heard you wanted your new work to sound ritualistic…
The last record was very much a party record and it was composed at a time when I was playing mainly loft and warehouse parties, [but] with the larger audiences and the level of crowd participation a lot of people say the show has taken on a ritualistic or religious feel. The songs on the new record reflect that sound, and it’s sort of a culmination of the early party pieces with the newer more intense, percussion-driven works.
What has changed for you in the last 12 months?
I guess things in my personal life and the way I view the world. I’ve learned that the music and art scene is really cut throat and a lot of people are just doing it for a quick dollar or for some weird desire for fame. I’ve learned it’s easy to mistake sincerity for opportunism, unless you look really hard. The scene I came up in is very much about community and friendship. I wish the larger scene were too. I think it’s getting there, but there are snakes and sharks out there.
Tell me about the Jimmy Joe Roche Ultimate Reality tour.
This tour was most likely the most fun tour I’ve been on. All the shows were awesome. It was a much larger scale tour than any of my pervious tours so it was nice to take it up a notch with the live drummers and massive projections. I wish we could of done the tour in Europe. One day.
Is this what we can expect from your next album in terms of live instrumentation?
I have gone back to working with live performers and live instruments a lot. I started working with electronics, computers and MIDI because it was difficult to find players. With the success of the last record it’s been easy to find skilled performers. Having live percussion, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, xylophone, piano and drums makes the album so much fuller than if it was just electronics. I’m really happy with how it’s coming out.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Recording the sax parts.
What should we all do tomorrow?
Learn to farm, get a bike and stop breeding.
No comments:
Post a Comment