20091030
20091028
High Bias #7
NAME: Chris Forsyth
BIO: Chris Forsyth is a founding member of Peeesseye, the transcontinental amalgam of minimalist rock, noise, folk, drone, psych, improv, sound poetry, and absurdity that has produced a dozen releases and over 155 concerts in Europe and the US since forming in Brooklyn in 2002. He also performs solo and has toured widely on both electric and acoustic 6- and 12-string guitars and is a member of the elusive and rarely spotted experimental group Phantom Limb & Bison. Other notable collaborators have included reductionist/blues guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama, Bay Area composer/multi-instrumentalist Ernesto Diaz-Infante, trumpeter Nate Wooley, drummers Mike Pride and Ryan Sawyer, and choreographers Miguel Gutierrez and RoseAnne Spradlin, plus an international cast of improvisors, experimenters, and rockers too numerous too mention. He released his second solo record Dreams on LP in September on Evolving Ear. Other recent and upcoming releases include the Dirty Pool LP, with Farfisa organist Shawn Edward Hansen, on Ultramarine, the Chris Forsyth + Nate Wooley CDR The Duchess is Dead, Long LIve the Duchess on Chocolate Monk, and a long list of Peeesseye projects, including the Robust Commercial Fucking Scream six-cassette live anthology on Digitalis and Pestilence & Joy, their new studio LP from Evolving Ear. He is the caretaker of Evolving Ear and lives in the City of Philadelpha, USA.
WEBSITE:
http://www.thechrisforsyth.com
http://www.peeesseye.com
http://www.evolvingear.com
Do you read reviews of your work?
Yes.
Do you reread them? Save them? Quote them?
I do keep an archive for posterity. Sometimes promoters want to see press quotes, too.
Have reviews ever had an effect upon the way you approach your work? For better or worse? How?
Not in the least. At least not in the case of reviews of my own work. I do read reviews of other things though and sometimes get curious or interested in them as a result.
Are there writers you hope will (or won't) write about your work?
I stopped sending my releases to [one magazine] because they so completely bungled a profile of Peeesseye about four years ago, printing an early, non-fact checked draft, and actually cutting off about three paragraphs from the end (so the article ended "continued on page 109," or something, but there was nothing on that page), and then refused to acknowledge the errors or run corrections of the wildly inaccurate article in print. It made the writer (none of this was his fault) as well as the band, and, ultimately, the magazine, look stupid. So, I figured, no more promos for you!*
Have you ever written to a reviewer or publication in response to a negative review of your work? a positive one?
No, but Peeesseye did once take out an ad in a magazine after they printed what we felt was a hilariously misguided review in which the writer interpreted a piece on our Artificially Retarded Soul Care Operators CD as some kind of failed macho aggression. He closed the review by saying something to the effect of "Three inches of angry dick is still only three inches." It was probably he most memorable quote ever about our music, so we felt like we should use it in the ad (with a wink)!
Are there reviewers who you consider to be your friends? Do they write about your work? How does that make you feel?
Sure, I'm friendly with some reviewers. I try to keep personal friendships and business kinda separate. It's better that way.
Have you ever been told by a writer that they feel too close to you personally to write about your work? What was your reaction?
No, but I think if someone feels they're going to be too slanted or biased or influenced negatively by their relationship with an artist, then it's their prerogative to recuse themselves from the conversation, and that's fine.
Have you ever felt that a writer was trying to get something out of you, or get back at you, or had some other ulterior motive in what they wrote about you? Please explain.
Not really, but I think there are music writers that often write more about themselves than the record at hand. Sometimes that can be great and other times it's just kind of lame.
Have you ever published anything you wrote about someone else's music? How often? Do you continue to write about music?
No.
Do you think there was a time in the past when music journalism was better or worse than it is now? Why or why not?
I think it's the same with all forms - music, writing, films, art, etc - 95% of what's around is total crap, and then there's the good stuff. As for journalism, the period that I find most interesting to me is the 70s rock journalists like Lester Bangs, for example, who's writing is really just top notch and takes you somewhere and seems to match or eclipse whatever he was writing about. He's one that wrote about himself as much as the music, but it was intimate, funny, personal and effective. But, then again, he was a rare talent in any field.
(photo: Maria Dumlao)
[*magazine name redacted to keep the peace]
20091021
High Bias #6
NAME: Nate Wooley
HOME: Jersey City, NJ
BIO: Nate Wooley (b. 1974) grew up in a Finnish-American fishing village in Oregon. He has spent the rest of his life trying musically to find a way back to the peace and quiet of that time by whole-heartedly embracing the space between complete absorption in sound and relative absence of the same. He began playing trumpet professionally at age 13 with his father, and after studying he moved to Colorado where he studied more with Ron Miles, Art Lande, Fred Hess, and improvisation master Jack Wright.
Nate currently resides in Jersey City, NJ and performs solo trumpet improvisations as well as collaborating with such diverse artists as Anthony Braxton, Paul Lytton, John Zorn, Fred Frith, Marilyn Crispell, Joe Morris, Steve Beresford, Wolf Eyes, Akron/Family, David Grubbs, C. Spencer Yeh, Daniel Levin, Stephen Gauci, Harris Eisenstadt, Taylor Ho Bynum and Peter Evans.
WEBSITE: www.natewooley.com
Do you read reviews of your work?
Yes.
Do you reread them? Save them? Quote them?
I usually only read them once, and that is just a skim. I never save them physically, but if there is a quote that I feel like I can use for a bio or press packet in the future I will write that down. It's not something that I often do, but sometimes a promoter or writer asks for one and I like to have it on hand.
Have reviews ever had an effect upon the way you approach your work? For better or worse? How?
I think early reviews had an impact on me. I was very tied up in how my work was viewed by the "public" and the press seemed to embody that. Especially during the release of those first couple of records, Blue Collar primarily, I would really take the reviews to heart, and think about what the writer was saying about my own playing and the group's dynamic and work on it while I was practicing. As I grew more confident, I took reviews more with a grain of salt than I would have previously. I would say now that reading a lot (relatively speaking) of reviews of recordings, that it has reinforced an attitude of keeping my head down and working hard making the music I want to make. There are still things that get mentioned that resonate or give me a little epiphany or reinforce something I've known about my own improvising but have been too lazy to address. I find that helpful, but for the most part, reviews have made me realize that there will never be anything that I do that everyone likes so I should just be as rigorous as I can with myself and let the chips fall where they will.
Are there writers you hope will (or won't) write about your work?
In the past, there were a couple of writers that I didn't like to look at my records, just because I got the feeling that they didn't get the joy of putting a little effort into listening to music. I've found that most of them aren't writing anymore and for the most part now, everyone that has written reviews has been honest and thoughtful, whether they like the record or not. That's all I can ask for as a musician. I do like a couple of writers specifically, and they don't always like my records, but Stef from freejazz.org , you (of course, and I'm not just kissing up), Massimo Ricci, Dan Warburton, Clifford Allen, Lyn Horton, Derek Taylor.....I just feel like a lot of pride is taken in their work and that they get a certain amount of joy out of unlocking abstract music.
Have you ever written to a reviewer or publication in response to a negative review of your work? a positive one?
Never after a negative review. I don't think it accomplishes anything. I will send a thank you when I see a review, whether it is positive or not. At least I try to, although I'm a little behind in that these days. I think it is just a sign of respect.
Are there reviewers who you consider to be your friends? Do they write about your work? How does that make you feel?
Living in New York, you run across a lot of writers, and of course they become friends of some sort. I've always had nice conversations with you, for example, but I don't really think about them reviewing my work.
Have you ever been told by a writer that they feel too close to you personally to write about your work? What was your reaction?
No.
Have you ever felt that a writer was trying to get something out of you, or get back at you, or had some other ulterior motive in what they wrote about you? Please explain.
No.
Have you ever published anything you wrote about someone else's music? How often? Do you continue to write about music?
I have never written about music in any serious way. I don't know why, but it would feel like a conflict of interest to me, so I don't do it. Plus, what would I say about a record? I listen to it once and have a certain idea, but I listen again in 6 months and the whole thing is different.
Do you think there was a time in the past when music journalism was better or worse than it is now? Why or why not?
I don't really have an opinion on that, to tell you the truth. I just know my experience and really couldn't comment on other periods, not knowing what the experience was then.
(Photo: Peter Gannushkin, downtownmusic.net)
20091018
20091014
High Bias #5
NAME: Carlos “Zingaro”
HOME: Lisbon
BIO: Born in Lisbon, Portugal. Undertook classical music studies from an early age – violin, pipe organ. Degree in Stage Design Studies at the Lisbon Theatre High School. In the sixties is a member of the Lisbon University Chamber Orchestra, becoming a professional musician at 14 years old. Forms Plexus in 1967, the only Portuguese group at the time to have developed a new musical approach based on contemporary music, improvisation and “rock”. It records a 45 rpm for RCA-Victor in 1968. From 1975 on, begins performing with some of the most important international musicians of free music and improvisation. Is invited to the Wrøclaw Technical University - Poland, and the Creative Music Foundation - Woodstock / New York. Performs at some of the world’s best known music festivals and has about 60 records out, both under his own name and with some of the mentioned musicians’ projects. Is a multimedia artist, founder and president of Granular – a musicians / experimental artists association in Lisbon.
WEBSITE:
http://efi.group.shef.ac.uk/
http://www.granular.pt
http://www.myspace.com/carloszingaro
Do you read reviews of your work?
Sometimes...
Do you reread them? Save them? Quote them?
Sometimes... Depending on quotings.
Have reviews ever had an effect upon the way you approach your work? For better or worse? How?
I use to say that I’m my “worst” critic as I’m frequently tough on myself... This meaning that it is very important for me a constructive and analytic review of my work, as I always learn something. Not necessarily to change ways to proceed but mostly as self analysis of what I’m doing or what kind of changes could be introduced. Unfortunately they are very rare the reviewers who have a profound knowledge of historical and aesthetic approaches on writing on a concert or a recording... Most of the times, and understandably because of editorial directives, things tend to be very brief or mostly based on “fait divers” rarely pertaining to sound and music and art making...
Are there writers you hope will (or won't) write about your work?
A lot... Always curious how some good art reviewers, or literature reviewers could relate to a live sound event or a recorded one! Alas, this rarely happens nowadays as art critics are mostly unaware of what’s happening with music/sound contemporary experiences, unless when done by visual artists...
Have you ever written to a reviewer or publication in response to a negative review of your work? a positive one?
Nope...
Are there reviewers who you consider to be your friends? Do they write about your work? How does that make you feel?
Yes... I’m proud we are friends – they are capable of knowing me and my motivations better than most - but worry about their writing being biased or, mostly, perceived as biased by others.
Have you ever been told by a writer that they feel too close to you personally to write about your work? What was your reaction?
Nope... If they did, they never told me so.
Have you ever felt that a writer was trying to get something out of you, or get back at you, or had some other ulterior motive in what they wrote about you? Please explain.
Some might consider that, writing about someone might get them into some more prestigious platform and so, helping to their curriculum and future image. But this is mostly when the artist is quite famous or about to be a system power icon. I never became such so, I’m of no interest for self promotion...
Have you ever published anything you wrote about someone else's music? How often? Do you continue to write about music?
Nope... Only when asked by some fellow artists to write some comments or some letter of introduction, and this is quite rare. When a teenager in the 1960’s, I wrote some stuff on the Beatles – I was much more into the Stones or the Yardbirds and such – and got such a negative reaction that I learned the lesson...
Do you think there was a time in the past when music journalism was better or worse than it is now? Why or why not?
To begin with, the amount of records coming out everyday does not allow for a profound analysis of their content if even a single line mention. The fact that new or experimental music is just a small fringe on the media and mostly covered by hard working militantism, does not help for a wider evaluation of what’s going on. So, not that much a question of “better or worst”... Just a question of presence and integration with other art forms. Are there as many new music publications as, let’s say, 30 years ago? I don’t think so... More and more music magazines are disappearing, and more and more things are being written on the web. This could be good – problem being that, with the huge amount of web offering, only the truly believers and militants will keep on reading about what concerns their musical choices.
Anything you'd like to add?
Nope, thanks...
Anything you want to ask me?
Thanks and keep on the good work as you are one of the few...
20091009
Take That, Moon!
You'd think they think there's oil there or something...
The one from 107 years ago was more exciting, really.
20091008
They melt in your codpiece, not in your hand.
The sage and inquisitive Marie Evelyn asks me why KISS didn't do an endorsement deal with Hershey's Kisses instead of M&Ms, to which I have no reply. But I do know that there's no damned Wal-Mart anywhere near me which I know we're not supposed to shop there but there's no where else to get them. I'm barely interested in the new album, but I want the goddamned candies.
My Bias
Mistress Katherine is the benefactrix of my show on WFMU (returning to the airwaves this Sunday at midnight), and is a relentless questioner of my actions and motives. She wrote to grill me about these "High Bias" interviews, and I thought I'd answer here.
Has anyone ever said your review changed the way he approached his work?
No, but musicians have asked my opinion about what future directions or career moves they should consider.
Has anyone asked you to review his work?
Yup.
Has anyone ever written to you about your review of his work? What sort of responses have you received? Were you surprised by their reaction? Did they change the way you write your reviews?
I have occasionally received notes of thanks. I don't recall anyone contacting me directly about a negative review. I have had artists take offense at factual errors, or sometimes what they perceived as factual errors but really amounted to semantic hair-splitting. Over the years I've learned to write less opinion and more context, but I don't think that has much to do with the reactions of anyone in particular.
Has anyone ever asked you not to review his work?
One musician made that request to the editor of a publication I write for. He later bummed a cigarette off me, so I think that hatchet's buried.
Have you told a friend that you couldn't review his work because you are too close to him? This question is more interesting to me posed to the music reviewer. Have you had a friend upset with you for not wanting to get involved "promoting" him?
I've never had the conversation. I assume there's cases where it's clear and understood, and some where it's less so.
Has an artist ever accused you? The question you asked the artists - if they ever felt a writer was trying to get something out of him, or get back at him, or had some ulterior motive in what they wrote. It sounds like there is a story behind your question.
No real story. But I do wonder a lot about the lines. There are musicians who I like quite a lot and who I am friendly with. I try not to cross what I feel to be lines, but I feel like I exist in an enormous gray area.
When I was doing "straight" journalism, local politics at local papers, the lines were very clear. But in a small, global arts scene it would be weird to be unfriendly or overly formal. I guess that's what prompted me to do this to begin with.
20091007
High Bias #4
NAME: Alessandro Bosetti
HOME: Berlin
BIO: Alessandro Bosetti was born in Milan, Italy in 1973. He is a composer and sound artist working on the musicality of spoken words and unusual aspects of spoken communication, producing text-sound compositions featured in live performances, radio broadcastings and published recordings. In his work he moves across the line between sound anthropology and composition, often including translation and misunderstanding in the creative process. Field research and interviews build the basis for abstract compositions, along with electro-acoustic and acoustic collages, relational strategies, trained and untrained instrumental practices, vocal explorations and digital manipulations. Recent projects include African Feedback (Errant Bodies press), the interactive speaking machine "MaskMirror" (STEIM, Kunstradio.at a.o. ) and an ongoing project on linguistic enclaves in the USA. Alessandro Bosetti lives between Berlin (Germany) and Baltimore (USA).
WEBSITE: http://www.melgun.net/
Do you read reviews of your work?
if i notice them yes. sometimes i don't buy the magazines and don't know about it. i wish journalists would drop a mail about it sometimes...
Do you reread them? Save them? Quote them?
sometimes.
Have reviews ever had an effect upon the way you approach your work? For better or worse? How?
after chewed they transform into organic compost that transforms into energy unless toxic.
Are there writers you hope will (or won't) write about your work?
yes, both cases.
Have you ever written to a reviewer or publication in response to a negative review of your work? a positive one?
i did it, but not in regard to positiveness/negativeness.
Are there reviewers who you consider to be your friends? Do they write about your work? How does that make you feel?
friends. a big word. well, why not.
Have you ever been told by a writer that they feel too close to you personally to write about your work? What was your reaction?
never happened.
Have you ever felt that a writer was trying to get something out of you, or get back at you, or had some other ulterior motive in what they wrote about you? Please explain.
maybe it happenend. i forgot.
Have you ever published anything you wrote about someone else's music? How often? Do you continue to write about music?
very seldom. i write about stuff, constantly, not necessary music.
Do you think there was a time in the past when music journalism was better or worse than it is now? Why or why not?
at the times of brahms. they knew the grammar.
Anything you'd like to add?
no
Anything you want to ask me?
kurt, can I touch your fingers ?
20091006
20091005
Suzanne Fiol
Right now, still reeling with shock, I am trying to (and failing to) think of anyone I've ever known who gave as much of herself for other peoples' art as did Suzanne Fiol. She was a talented photographer as well, but she had a vision of a place where experimental music, film, theater, performance and visual art could co-exit. And really, it's ridiculous that there wasn't such a place before she took over a windowless storefront in the East Village owned by Issue magazine and began booking shows there.
Suzanne saw that vision through disputes with the magazine, with landlords, and through three locales, working to the end to make Issue Project Room one of the most important art spaces in town. Her lasting memorial will be the space's permanent home at 110 Livingston, slated to open in 2011. Go see shows there, donate to the building fund, and let them know there is much support to see them through.