I've uploaded a ton of my "DJ Rat-Ward" track edits to YouTube since the last update here, too many to post! Check out the playlist below and have a listen. I've uploaded a ton of other random songs as well, check out the channel for those. More edits and mix tapes in the works.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Wasteland Jazz Unit, Developer, Light Of The Cross at Sediment Sunday July 23rd
SEDIMENT Events Presents:
Wasteland Jazz Unit, Developer and Light Of The Cross
July 23rd, 2017
Doors at 8:30
Starts at 9
$5-$10 sliding scale
208 E Grace St, Richmond, Virginia 23219
WASTELAND JAZZ UNIT ( Cincinnati,Ohio)
Wasteland Jazz Unit has been bringing their brand of Borbetomagus fueled honkin' for over 10 years now and have been described as taking "free-jazz instrumentation (clarinet and sax) and using it to crack open the gates of hell by manipulating them using electronic signal processing and overloaded FX, unleashing skull-scraping eruptions of high-end reed abuse and extreme skronk that threaten to send blood geysering from your eyeballs."
NPR, after seeing "The Unit" play the New Atlantis Festival in 2010, explained that after clearing out half of what little audience there was through "screeching walls of feedback and distortion emanating from their stacks of amplifiers and reeds was enough to crust over your eyes in dried blood" that anyone remaining were "immediate converts."
https://
DEVELOPER (Dayton, Ohio)
Developer is the cut-up noise project of Matthew Reis from Dayton, OH. Reis has been a staple of the Ohio noise scene since the early 00's with his group Yes, Collapse and solo project Teeth Collection. Reis is also the sole operator of Factotum Tapes. His current project, Developer, "takes Gysin's cut up techniques and musique concrete tactics" and pushes them to their furthest point.
https://www.youtube.com/
LIGHT OF THE CROSS
Minimalist electronic scrawl as performed by members of Coteries and Head Molt. RVA.
Kevin Greenspon, J Hamilton Isaacs, Gardener at Sediment Arts Friday July 21st
SEDIMENT Events Presents:
Kevin Greenspon, J Hamilton Isaacs, Gardener
July 21st, 2017
Doors at 8:30
Starts at 9
$5-$10 sliding scale
208 E Grace St, Richmond, Virginia 23219
KEVIN GREENSPON
A touring veteran of fragmented scenes that stretch from Los Angeles into parts unknown and overlooked, Kevin Greenspon has performed hundreds of shows across the USA in venues ranging from art museums to abandoned naval bases.
Using multiple video projectors, tape machines and synth programs that react to each other, Greenspon’s live performances of contemplative ambient techno create an immersive audio-visual environment and ethereal atmosphere for self-reflection.
For the past decade, he has run the Bridgetown Records label, releasing albums of all genres for like-minded peers from the deep reaches of the underground each season.
“Greenspon elevates the practice of label-heading to a higher stratum by musically participating in his own scene — or, perhaps more accurately, serving as a shared focal point for dozens of loosely connected scenes across America. His exhaustive tour schedule, which tends to place him somewhere around the 100-shows-a-year benchmark, connects him with more nooks of the US underground on a regular basis than anyone should ever be able to keep track of in their brains. His tightly synced audio-visual sets, which time abstract visual expanses to the drifting layers of his synth-based compositions, have captivated normies and heads alike in an untold number of basement spaces or DIY living rooms.” - Maxwell Allison, Tiny Mix Tapes
J HAMILTON ISAACS
Denver based artist J Hamilton Isaacs has been making experimental music under the moniker dugoutcanoe since 2006. Modular synthesizers, Midi sequencing and sampling hardware are used to create meta-musical sound collage cacophonies to facilitate transcendental deep listening experiences. Drawing inspiration from works such as Steve Reich's Phase Music or the lush drones of Phil Niblock, to the relentless fury of Balinese gamelan; Isaacs creates original compositions that betray their foundational structure of decades steeped in the American DIY underground.
https://
https://soundcloud.com/
GARDENER
Under the name Gardener, Richmond, VA-based Dash Lewis uses a modular synthesizer, effects pedals, and his own voice to create intricately layered, rhythmically complex slabs of trance-inducing psychedelia deeply influenced by German kosmiche music of the 1970s, mid-career Beach Boys, and spiritual jazz. A frequent performer, Lewis has toured or shared the stage with The War on Drugs, Meg Mulhearn, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Fred Thomas, Benoit Pioulard, Jeff Zeigler, Mary Lattimore, Suuns, Brian Case (Disappears), Tashi Dorji, Mind Over Mirrors, and many more.
https://
Transistor Heart Radio - Part 2
In this installment we unearth "Transistor Heart II" released May 15th 2010. An eclectic blend of Cosmic Jams, Library Music, Mellow Psych, Synth Rock and beyond. For more information about the Transistor Heart series (including album downloads) visit the Rat-Ward blog: http://ratward.blogspot.com/p/transistor-heart.html
01 - Christine 23 Onna "Cosmic Jungle" 2000
02 - The United States Of America "The American Metaphysical Circus" 1968
03 - The Red Krayola "Hurricane Fighter Plane" 1967
04 - Sam Sklair & Gus Galbraith "Readout" 1981
05 - Sammy Burdson Group "Space Beauty 1" 1980
06 - Janko Nilovic "Metropolis" 1976
07 - Sam Spence "Swamp" 1972
08 - Elektriktus "Second Wave" 1976
09 - Jean-Michel Lorgère "Psycho-Nébuleux" 1971
10 - Piero Umiliani "Nuove Realtà" 1975
11 - Unknown Artist "Cambodian Cassette Archives - Unknown Title - Khmer New Wave" 2004
12 - Jesus "L'Electrocute" 1968
13 - Chico Magnetic Band "Pop Or Not" 1971
14 - Franz Auffray "Son Of Popcorn (excerpt)" 1969
15 - Human Egg "Onomatopaeia" 1978
16 - Salvation "Salvation Jam" 1968
17 - Cluster "Caramel" 1974
18 - Metropakt "C.T.L." 1985
19 - X Ray Pop "Klac-Klac" 1985
20 - Waitresses "Clones" 1978
Friday, July 14, 2017
Rat-Ward Radio #001
Follow @ratward on Twitter for live tweets (https://twitter.com/ratward)
If you miss the show it will be archived on the DJ Rat-Ward Mixcloud (https://www.mixcloud.com/ratward/)
Check out the entire track-list posted below...
It's On - 12" [Chocolate Cholly's] Funk / Soul
https://www.discogs.com/Wizard-Its-On/release/2119814
https://youtu.be/6Cw70XTZGnk
Elevator To Eden - Cassette [Color Disc] New Wave, Minimal
https://www.discogs.com/Lives-Of-Angels-Elevator-To-Eden/release/2674383
https://youtu.be/IPTTlIS8_g0
Various - Partysnäks - LP [Ink Records]
New Wave, Minimal
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Partysn%C3%A4ks/release/1379713
https://youtu.be/7BEKdwPd0KI
We're So Happy / Jimmy And Sally - 7" [Chaminade Records] Funk / Soul
https://www.discogs.com/Kym-Yancey-Were-So-Happy-Jimmy-And-Sally/release/3268040
https://youtu.be/-0AZmDF43dA
Third World War - LP [Fly Records] Blues Rock, Hard Rock
https://www.discogs.com/Third-World-War-Third-World-War/release/1944048
https://youtu.be/n6k2MZdrdok
Politicians In My Eyes / Keep On Knockin - 7" [Tryangle Records] Hard Rock, Punk
https://www.discogs.com/Death-Politicians-In-My-Eyes/release/1986858
https://youtu.be/rl3FstCc_OY
Fugitive Family - 7" [DSI Records] Hardcore, Punk, Psychedelic Rock
https://www.discogs.com/United-Mutation-Fugitive-Family/release/1508243
https://youtu.be/qZaT1u5kGps
Various - Terra Incognita II - LP [Auxilio De Cientos] African, Experimental
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Terra-Incognita-II/release/402706
https://youtu.be/dsK0WkFMmuo
Black Power - LP [Zambia Music Parlour] Afrobeat, Psychedelic Rock
https://www.discogs.com/The-Peace-Black-Power/release/5346926
https://youtu.be/XXkonKlF7EI
Os Mutantes - LP [Polydor] Pop Rock, Psychedelic Rock
https://www.discogs.com/Os-Mutantes-Os-Mutantes/release/1365302
https://youtu.be/3XPEBXaB0U0
Friday Night - LP [Linic Major Production Records] Boogie, Disco, Funk
https://www.discogs.com/Livy-Ekemezie-Friday-Night/release/1440014
https://youtu.be/HDPovDjM2tA
1,2,3,4 (We Ain't Got Much Time) / Lovemaker - 7" [CBS] Disco
https://www.discogs.com/Mandy-B-Jones-1-2-3-4-We-Aint-Got-Much-Time/release/1766888
https://youtu.be/LbX6vRDDW8M
Negative Approach - 7" [Touch And Go] Hardcore, Punk
https://www.discogs.com/Negative-Approach-Negative-Approach/release/3757179
https://youtu.be/4ArohyPdsVA
Where's Bill Grundy Now? - 7" [King Road] Punk, Alternative Rock
https://www.discogs.com/Television-Personalities-Wheres-Bill-Grundy-Now/release/3501839
https://youtu.be/_pKkOOQR7_o
Disco Train / 5th Ave N.Y.C. - 7" [Town Sound Records] Disco, Soul
https://www.discogs.com/O-Zone-Disco-Train-5th-Ave-NYC/release/8295816
https://youtu.be/87mzeplitxo
16: Experience "Happiness" (?) 19??
Tropical, Soul
https://youtu.be/3uKwDR8Smh4
(I'm) Choosing You / (Let's Get) Funk-Ka-Fized - 7" [Soul-Out Records] Funk / Soul
https://www.discogs.com/Magic-Morris-Im-Choosing-You/release/2327163
https://youtu.be/zwSQjIv-lVA
Songs Of Electronic Despair - LP [Vangaurd] Electronic, Experimental
https://www.discogs.com/Android-Sisters-Songs-Of-Electronic-Despair/release/632626
https://youtu.be/GeerjrFjgT8
Comin' Out / Even Though - 12" [T.K. Disco] Soul, Disco, Electro
https://www.discogs.com/King-Tutt-Comin-Out-Even-Though/release/694699
https://youtu.be/G-9Esy7LL2E
I Experienced Love - 12" [The Compact Organization] Pop
https://www.discogs.com/Virna-Lindt-I-Experienced-Love/release/1012519
https://youtu.be/1pf2xAtQUjM
American Eyes - LP [Palo Alto Records] Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/Rare-Silk-American-Eyes/release/1801470
https://youtu.be/AQZESJ2Pga8
Straight Ahead - LP [Spray Records] Jazz-Rock, Funk, Electro
https://www.discogs.com/Zenit-Straight-Ahead/release/1897889
https://youtu.be/QUu05d_iOYI
Various - Made To Measure Vol. 1 - LP [Crammed Discs] Downtempo, Minimal, New Beat, Experimental
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Made-To-Measure-Vol1/release/508518
https://youtu.be/Ju5FEnAgKgA
Elysia Crampton Presents: Demon City - LP [Break World Records] Electronic, Hip Hop, Experimental
https://www.discogs.com/Elysia-Crampton-Elysia-Crampton-Presents-Demon-City/release/8833691
https://youtu.be/Gg_g227SS8s
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
NEW RADIO SHOW!
Rare Soul/Funk/Disco/Electro/Hip-Hop/House/Acid/Techno/Experimental/Post-Punk/New Wave/Minimal Synth/Synth-Pop/Early Industrial/Power Electronics/Noise/No Wave/Prog/Hard Rock/Proto-Punk/Proto-Metal/Krautrock/New Age/Soundtracks/Library Music/Jazz/Free Jazz/Early Electronic/Musique Concrete/Lo-Fi/Punk/Hardcore/Indie/etc...
Tune in to WCLM 1450 AM in central Virginia or listen live online (http://www.wclmradioonline.com/) every Friday at midnight (EST)
Follow @ratward on Twitter for live tweets (https://twitter.com/ratward)
If you miss the show it will be archived on the DJ Rat-Ward Mixcloud
(https://www.mixcloud.com/ratward/)
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
DJ Rat-Ward Vol 009
Various Artists "DJ Rat-Ward Vol 009: Channel Rat-Ward"
(100,000 channel view special)
Anti-Everything - AE81 - 06/28/2017 - C-60 Format
Compiled by Gary Stevens aka DJ Rat-Ward June 28th 2017
DOWNLOAD HERE
Rat-Ward on YouTube
Side A:
01 - Cleaners From Venus "At Home With Myself" (1981)
02 - The Spanish Dogs "Atomic Shockwaves" (1982)
03 - Crawling With Tarts "Bones" (1986)
04 - The Homosexuals "Naming of Parts" (1984)
05 - Home Service "Thin Hours" (1980)
06 - The Vincent Units "Martini" (1981)
07 - M.A.L. "La Chanson De Valérie" (1984)
08 - Ortho-Tonics "Woman Fish" (1981)
09 - Mike Runnels "Tell Her Again" (1986)
10 - The August Sons "You Taste So Good To Me" (1989)
11 - Observers Observing Observables "Babaloo No More" (1980)
12 - The Instant Automatons "Then He Hit Me" (1980)
Side B:
13 - Androids of Mu "Atomic Explosion" (1982)
14 - The 2x4's "Another 8 Hours" (1980)
15 - Budguzzlers "Weak And Strong Man" (1978)
16 - Brian Sands "54321" (1979)
17 - Elti-Fits "Letterbox" (1980)
18 - Carsickness "Falling" (1980)
19 - Secrets of Loveliness "Screams Buried in Screeching" (1980)
20 - The Zoomers "The One You Can't Forget" (1982)
21 - Andrew Klimek "Felt Hammer" (1979)
22 - Len Liggins "All The Dead Men" (1982)
23 - Dennis Duck "Dogs Don't Drive" (1981)
Sunday, June 11, 2017
New YouTube uploads for June 11th 2017
Been doing a lot of remix/re-edits of obscure/private press
singles..cosmic prog, dark synth funk, homemade disco failures and other
odd shit...adding tons more to my channel over the next week..check it!
http://www.youtube.com/RatWard
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
DJ Rat-Ward Vol 008
Anti-Everything - AE80 - 06/06/2017 - C-60 Format
Compiled by Gary Stevens aka DJ Rat-Ward June 6th 2017
DOWNLOAD HERE
Side A:
01 - Brats "Be A Man" (1974)
02 - Stars In The Sky "Baby Hold On" (1976)
03 - The Victims "Television Addict" (1977)
04 - Chainsaw "What Goes On" (1977)
05 - Reds "Automatic Boy" (1978)
06 - The Normals "Almost Ready" (1978)
07 - The Limit "Please Please Me" (1978)
08 - City Limits "Morse Code Messages" (1979)
09 - Paul Collins' Beat "Walking Out On Love" (1979)
10 - Stiv Bators "Not That Way Anymore" (1979)
11 - Slugs "Problem Child" (1979)
12 - Nervous Eaters "Just Head" (1979)
Side B:
13 - The Dawgs "Shot Of Your Love" (1979)
14 - Tweeds "I'm Thru" (1979)
15 - Dow Jones And The Industrials "Indeterminism" (1980)
16 - Peer Pressure "Eve Of Destruction" (1980)
17 - Spelling Mistakes "Feel So Good" (1980)
18 - The Bureaucrats "Feel The Pain" (1980)
19 - Wombats "What Can I Do" (1980)
20 - Saucers "She's Alright" (1981)
21 - Screaming Sneakers "Violent Days" (1982)
22 - U S Mods "Government" (1982)
23 - Nines "Holiday" (1983)
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
30 More Questions After Jandek’s Performance at Capital Ale House (Via Dust Up Magazine)
30 More Questions After Jandek’s Performance at Capital Ale House
And I had an absolute blast.
A week ago, I had no idea who, or what, Jandek was. Then last week, we published an article titled 15 Questions Jandek Won’t Answer.
Since Richmond is the type of town to have anywhere from three to six fantastic acts playing on a given night, I figured spending one Friday to see an artist that seldom plays live at all would be an experience I wouldn’t forget.
Curiosity got me to the gig, but I left with even more questions after the performance.
Next door to Capital Ale’s downtown restaurant, Richmond Music Hall comfortably seated about 100 avante garde fans that night. Excitement was palpable in the air. Few photos were taken. The crowd remained attentive and almost entirely silent for nearly 2 hours during the performance.
As Jandek’s backing band (comprised of local musicians PJ Sykes of Hoax Hunters on guitar, Chrissie Lozano of Piranha Rama on bass, and Gary Stevens of Mutwawa on drum machines) each came onstage, their identities were cryptically masked by shadows against a stark dark blue backdrop.
The trio arhythmically riffed off one another -droning, ethereal guitar licks lulling over gentle buzzes and bass grooves – for nearly 10 minutes. The room was transfixed.
Then, a man with a briefcase emerged from behind the curtain to thunderous applause.
Songs, in the loosest sense possible, lasted 10 minutes each. Each soundscape had a beginning and end – defined by a performer known only as The Rep (from Corwood Industries – Jandek’s label since the project’s inception in 1978) or his on-stage partner, Shelia, taking a seat at chairs on either end of the stage.
Between those bookends, a symphony of eclectic sounds emitting from instruments and amplifiers certainly occurred.
Whether these arrangements were practiced, or simply brilliant improvisation between experienced artists, we may never know. Regardless, their musical range was impressive and captivating.
A huge part of Jandek’s appeal was how cryptic each aspect of the performance was. The Rep’s movements and features were obscured by a fedora and a pinstripe slacks combo.
A collaborator named Shelia, according to Jandek lore, appeared from the shadows to sing and dance as a counterpoint to The Rep across multiple songs.
Everyone onstage donned all-black, adding to the mystique. There’s no other way to describe what I witnessed – I felt like I had found myself in this slam-poetry scene from An Extremely Goofy Movie if Tom Waits brought interpretive dance and a DJ rig to the stage.
Surprisingly, the mysterious vibe made me appreciate single notes like never before.
A solitary cowbell hit mid-set, completely out of the blue, had me giddy. More than a few times per song, a dissonant sound or brief groove would catch my attention before disappearing from the rest of the night.
This fleeting, subtle dynamic was responsible for the most attention I’ve seen a single room give to a performer in years. It was impressive. It’s stuck with me, and will for a long time.
Lyrically, the songs were as compelling as they were bizarre. At one point, The Rep sang “No one’s gonna obligate me at 2AM” with zero context or followup, and honestly? I feel that. Simple lines and musings like these peppered the performance – statements that could be anything from anywhere – nonsense, complaints, diary entries, casual observations.
Was Jandek reading these words from the podium or coming up with words on the fly under the ruse that they were written down? What does it all mean? What happened at 2AM to necessitate that lyric?
I left this spectacular night with even more questions for Jandek than answers. Among them:
1. How pre-planned was this performance?
2. Are there song titles for these numbers?
3. What was in the briefcase you brought on stage?
4. Did you make up these lyrics on the spot, or were you reading/singing them from notes on the music stand?
5. Why did you turn the music stand light toward the audience?
6. How did you hand-pick the local musicians accompanying you?
7. What brought about your decision to first perform live as Jandek in 2004? Was that actually your first show as Jandek, or did other live performances exist before 2004?
8. Will the inevitable recording of this show (following the format of your back catalogue) eventually be titled Richmond Friday?
9. Since your last performance was Richmond Sunday, can we eventually look forward to a weeklong Richmond collection?
10. Were you in town for a graduation last weekend?
11. If the answer to 10. is yes, did you set up this gig to conveniently offset enormous hotel costs during graduation weekend?
12. Is your hat a fedora or a porkpie hat?
13. Are your songs autobiographical, or are they more vignettes about strangers? A combination of both?
14. Is every Jandek set unique?
15. Did any practice occur beforehand?
16. Did you write these songs on the spot in Richmond?
17. Who is your biggest artistic inspiration?
18. Are you a fan of Duke Silver?
19. Are you a fan of Ron Swanson?
20. Have you ever been seen in the same room as Duke Silver OR Ron Swanson?
21. How many instruments can you play?
22. What, if anything, is in your tour rider?
23. What’s your favorite show you’ve ever played? Where was it? What made it special?
24. Was any aspect of the performance (lyrics, dance choreography, etc) representative of a time in your life where you simply thought to yourself “screw it – why not?”
25. Who is Shelia?
26. Who is The Rep?
27. Of the two venues/shows you’ve played in Richmond so far, which is your favorite and why?
28. Why don’t you sell merch at Jandek performances?
29. Are you worried that, since you have spoken to the press in more recent years about this project that seems to rely heavily on mystique and distance from the listener, that Jandek would lose the appeal you’ve built up around the project?
30. If you could collaborate with absolutely anyone, living or deceased, to comprise your backing band for a single performance, who would you choose? What would they play? Why them?
Monday, May 15, 2017
DJ Rat-Ward Vol 007
Anti-Everything - AE79 - 05/15/2017 - C-90 Format
Compiled by Gary Stevens aka DJ Rat-Ward May 15th 2017
DOWNLOAD HERE
Side A:
01 - Inca Bullet Joe "Nothing Has Changed" (1971)
02 - Troyka "Early Morning" (1970)
03 - Rumah Hantu "Rumah Hantu" (1978)
04 - Pesky Gee "Where Is My Mind (Vanilla Fudge cover)" (1969)
05 - D.R. Hooker "I'm Leaving You" (1972)
06 - Heavy Goods Vehicle "Race With The Devil (Gun cover)" (1976)
07 - Fire "Could You Understand Me" (1973)
08 - Aguaviva "La Niña de Hiroshima" (1971)
09 - Lava "Tears Are Goin' Home" (1973)
10 - Thirsty Moon "Rooms Behind Your Mind" (1972)
11 - The Rattles "Devil's On The Loose" (1971)
12 - Edgar Broughton Band "Love Gang" (1976)
13 - The Factory "Try a Little Sunshine" (1969)
Side B:
14 - Dark "Zero Time" (1972)
15 - Stone Garden "Oceans Inside Of Me" (1969)
16 - Tractor "All Ends Up " (1972)
17 - The Human Beast "Reality Presented As An Alternative" (1970)
18 - Elias Hulk "Yesterday's Trip" (1970)
19 - Conception "Babylon (Blue Cheer cover)" (1968)
20 - Attack "School Daze" (1969)
21 - She Trinity "Climb That Tree (with The Onyx)" (1970)
22 - Axe "Peace of Mind" (1969)
23 - The Ghost "Too Late To Cry" (1970)
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
15 Questions Jandek Won’t Answer (Via Dust Up Magazine)
15 Questions Jandek Won’t Answer
There are, of course, some artists who buck this trend to different degrees. PJ Harvey famously almost never grants interviews, and even skipped her own meet and greet after her show at the National earlier this year. Kate Bush has only toured once over her over 40 year career, while Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett famously dodged the press for decades before his death in 2006.
But among reclusive performers, there is no one quite like Jandek.
In a real sense, we don’t even know who Jandek is, or even what it is.
Albums and performances are credited to Jandek, but the photos of the same man at different ages on album covers and the bandleader of live shows are credited to “a representative from Corwood Industries,” the label out of Houston, Texas, which has exclusively released their music for almost 40 years.
Katy Vine’s 1999 article “Jandek and Me” is the one of the only instances where a journalist actually speaks face-to-face with the elusive performer. After dodging questions and avoiding conversation about his own music, at the end of the interview he famously said that he “had had a nice time, [though] he didn’t want to be contacted in person by a fan or a journalist or anybody about Jandek ever again.”
Then in October of 2004, he surprised the world. His veil of secrecy was partially lifted after more than 30 years of anonymity when he performed an unannounced set live at the Instal 04 Music Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. He looked like the man pictured on the albums, but no one was sure until the festival confirmed that it was indeed Jandek.
Over the past 13 years, he has performed a handful of shows annually in different iterations of live bands, settling on his current format of writing unique lyrics for each show and building a band of local musicians for one-off performances. The band practices once the afternoon of the performance, and each show is recorded for a DVD release via Corwood.
A Jandek show can range from one to three hours in length. He often doesn’t address the audience, and never performs an encore. There is no merch for sale, though his catalogue is available by mail order on cds. Older vinyl copies of his records are long out of print.
But because he features musicians that he has never played with before, each show is completely singular. It is hard to imagine a more unpredictable or experimental way of playing live, somehow one-upping his already wildly adventurous studio output.
While concrete information is legendarily difficult to come by, audiences in Richmond need not wait for anyone to crack the case as the mysterious Jandek performs at Capital Ale House on Friday night alongside local performers PJ Sykes, Chrissie Lozano and Gary Stevens.
An interview to preview the show would be the scoop of the century in some circles.
Sadly, that did not work out for us.
So instead, here is a list of questions we would love to ask the enigmatic and prolific musician if we did have a chance to speak with him.
- Who/what is Jandek?
- What is the significance of Corwood, the namesake of your label?
- What are your earliest memories of music? Were any other members of your family musicians? Which performers did you listen to as a child?
- When did you first start playing music, and what instruments were you drawn to? What instruments interest you most now?
- Do you have a day job? What do you do with your spare time?
- There is no telling whether the albums you have released were made in the order in which they are recorded or anywhere near the same time period. Is there a higher narrative arc to this process?
- Who is Nancy? Who is John? How did you go about assembling the various collaborators for your projects through the years? And how does this process influence your current format of building bands from the cities where you perform?
- Your music has gone through distinct stylistic waves which vary across a vast spectrum of genres and arrangements. Is continually reinventing your sound a fundamental part of your creative voice, or a reflection of some other part of your character?
- One topic that often comes up in your lyrics is depression. To what degree would you say your lyrical content is autobiographical? And how does recording and performing music relate to your mental health?
- After Twelfth Apostle, why did you switch your release format from vinyl to cds? How do you relate to merchandise and physical copies of your albums, considering that you have a very specific, minimal aesthetic and do not sell anything at your shows?
- Why did you decide to start performing live after almost 30 years as a studio musician? How did the Glasgow show come about? What do you have to say to fans who feel jilted by your change in approach to public life after so many years off the grid?
- You have performed and traveled extensively through America and Europe, as reflected through both your live shows and your earlier lyrical content. How does traveling and exposure to other people influence your music?
- What brings you back to Richmond for a second performance? What was the experience like the first time you performed here in 2007?
- How do you go about finding musicians in each town to perform with you? What are your criteria for building each band?
- Are you the Zodiac killer? Is Ted Cruz the Zodiac killer? What do identity and individuality even mean anymore in the panopticon of digital life and CCTV?
Jandek to perform in Richmond VA at Captial Ale House Friday May 12th
https://www.facebook.com/events/167855473719992/
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