UPDATED 02/21/20
1) What's the way you typically kick off the songwriting process? do you feel a melody, vibe with a sample, just start building swells?
the way the album flows, I also wondered if you go track by track and make it cohesive after or if it's one giant tapestry from the start?
It varies. Depends what mood i’m in - if I’m feeling emo i’m gonna start with chords, and that’s gonna lead the track in a more emotive direction. If I want to do something harder and weirder probs gonna start with drums
2) If you accumulated all the songs you have written and then recorded what would you pick as the most complete?
Probably CC-Wave, I love the way it moves, simple but kinda complex at the same time, intentionally hangs on a thread with anticipation, because nothing’s ever complete
3) Given how extreme and genre bending your first two albums are, are you planning to change your approach to writing and producing as you move forward in your career, or do you plan to stick to the same lane? How do you follow up such an "All-in" album as No Now?
I don’t really like the idea of repeating myself conceptually. NO NOW was very intentionally huge and audacious - my tribute to the album format. I don’t feel the need to do that again, but might change. When I was writing THINK
EACE/LEAVE EARTH I was in the mind-frame that I wanted better standalone songs. Trying to make a point that I can do memorable pop song if I try.
4) When you first started off under the Clarence Clarity name, did you expect to amass fans that were dedicated enough to dig up all your old music projects?
Never gave that much thought tbh
5) What do you feel is the most intense experience you've had with music?
When I used to play in noisy punk bands there’d be loud wall of noise moments onstage that were pretty transcendent. No pleasure/no pain. Actually, the live outro in Will To Believe was a bit like that.
6) What was the first vinyl record you recall putting on a turntable to play all on your own? Any chance you still have that record? What vinyl record do you have today that you most treasure and why?
Heaven 17 - Temptation, hard af.
7) If you were transported 400 years into the past with no clothes or anything else, how would you prove that you were from the future?
I would immediately break down string theory for them
8) What would you say to amateur/beginner artists, especially those forgoing traditional schooling/independent individuals?
If you want to be commercially successful I’d try and see yourself as a digital content maker primarily, not an artist/musician. Learn a craft, and document and share yourself developing it. People want to follow a story, they don’t need the finished product. If you’re no good at anything, learn to delegate and manage other people. Do not bother with a university education.
9) I'm a painter and your music has brought so many visually interesting and beautiful ideas to the forefront of my work. The dynamic nature of all your styles and how they intertwine made me expand my definition of what I thought being an artist meant.
Thank you, helping other people makes me feel slightly less self indulgent with how I spend my time lol
Anyways, how did you come up with such a unique voice/sound and what advice can you give to any artist from any field to find that voice and expand themselves creatively?
If you literally mean the way I sing - it was originally meant to be a combination of Justin Timberlake and Devendra Banhart, but sorta evolved naturally from there. In general terms of sound, i think its just being picky about every tiny element of a production/arrangement etc, if you’re using your own unique taste to craft everything you can’t help but sound like yourself
10) Do you have any songs you've made that you are especially proud of or consider your best work (either from a sonic or lyrical standpoint)?
Not really because they’re all very much in the moment. I think Alive In The Septic Tank is pretty cool lyrically, always liked this bit from Untrust In Us Together -
So we let the gunmen clear the room
Pointed out the innocent, and us too
The sum of body parts =
Summer of our lives
And the grass won't get cut
Where we die
So you can't judge me
Sonically I feel like stuff I’ve been doing recently is far superior to anything I’ve put out so far, so it’s hard to choose. “Akasaka Sad” off Rina’s album coming out soon is a good indication of where I’ve been heading.
Oh I just remembered Rafters is p sick actually
11) As an artist who blends unconventional sounds with elements of pop music, do you think that the 2020s will see a shift towards more experimental pop music reaching mainstream exposure?
Not reaching mainstream exposure, but it won’t need to. I think “mainstream” is kinda falling apart as a concept, and won’t need to exist pretty soon.
12) You use a vast array of sounds in your music, are there any instruments you've been wanting to learn either for personal pleasure or to include in future songs? And since we're on the topic of instruments do you have a favorite, if so, how did you fall in love with it?
I try not to give any respect to any individual instruments. I see them as sound characters and mental nostalgia triggers in productions. Saying that, I see ableton as an instrument, i fell in love with that cos it’s the most flexible but least stylistically imposing DAW to my mind.
I do like shredding on guitar for lols every now and again tho
13) What other albums would you recommend that people check out if they love your album No Now?
Hmmm OK Computer, Los Angeles (Flying Lotus), fuck I dunno, some Scritti Politti maybe.
14) What is your favorite Disney Animation Studios Feature Film?
Snow White
15) Are you planning on doing any more production livestreams anytime soon?
Yeah I am, I upgraded my internet to cope with it, but have now realised my laptop can’t cope with both ableton and streaming anymore, so hold tight
16) I see that on some websites there is a drum machine listed in your equipment list. What are some songs you have used a drum machine for?
Ummm I’m not sure what this would be cos I don’t have any drum machines. I used to use MPC’s but with my own samples. Pretty much all the drums on NO NOW were put together on an MPC1000. I’ve done everything in the box for years now
17) I've noticed water shows up pretty frequently throughout the lyrics and samples of your songs (and even a couple remixes). I was wondering if this motif of water spanning your work is intentional and if it holds any sort of significance to you?
Yeah it is an intentional part of my sound palette, but I’m not entirely sure why - I just really like the calm chaos of water. And everything dies without water.
