Photo by: Calbee Booth

So I got the opportunity to interview one of my favorite musicians of our time. If I would have known years ago that I would get an opportunity to talk to the man that changed my perception on current music forever, I would have probably gotten nervous and probably would have backed away. Not only is he one of the nicest people in my experience interviewing but his interest in anything non-corporate only made my love for his music even stronger. Here are just a few questions that have been on my mind.

Magas - “Transgressors” (mp3)

So you have a new album coming out May 16th titled ‘May I Meet My Accuser’. I’m sure I am not speaking for myself when I say this has been one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Can you tell us what is up with the break?

M: I”™m glad that the album is anticipated. Thank you. From the outside, it probably looks like I took a long break, but actually been pretty busy, behind the scenes. Since the release of FRIENDS FOREVER, I”™ve been touring in the U.S. and Europe, remixing and building up my studio. I spent a lot of time honing a sound that would have more physical impact. I held myself to rigorous standards, and it took a while to satisfy them.

Can you tell us a little about the album? Who you worked with, a little about the recording process, and a little about the sound?

M: The album was carved out over a two-year period. I wrote and produced it in my Chicago studio, and then took the multi-track recordings to Keyclub, where we laid down vocals, did some re-amping and mixed it to tape. I was going for a heavier sound and Keyclub was the perfect place to do that. Bill and Jessica have been good friends for a long time, and they”™re great technicians. They really appreciate and understand the craftsmanship that goes into a lot of the older recording equipment. Benton Harbor”™s a lakeside town in Michigan, about an hour and a half from Chicago. We were able to take a nice cruise by the lake in their little red Alpha Romeo convertible, drink a little Laphroaig and then rock some more.

You have anything in store for us live? You planning a tour for ‘MMA’?…

M: I”™ll be doing some shows, but I probably won”™t do any kind of marathon tour. The idea of driving across North America by myself seems exhausting and unappealing. If the conditions were right, I”™d consider it, but at this juncture, they”™re not. I love to play, so I”™ll do what I can””short jaunts, weekend flights, things like that. Maybe I can come up with some sort of multimedia compromise, such as weekly tubecasts of rehearsals or something. The lazy man”™s way”¦tour from home!

The new album is also being released by yourself on Imaginary Conflict. Can you tell us about that? Can you tell us what your relationship with Adult. and Ersatz Audio is now?

M: When Adult., who run Ersatz Audio, signed with Thrill Jockey, they put their label on hiatus. I momentarily faced the decision of what to do next. I talked to one label, and considered sending demos to others, but I ultimately chose to release it on my own label, because I could get it out right away, instead of waiting around for a label to fit it into their already busy schedules. I had some experience running Bulb, and released my own debut 12″, back in 2000, so I know what goes into running a label and was pretty excited to do it. Wwilko, that”™s releasing the vinyl in Europe, is a small label, run by Kap Bambino and Khima France. I like what they do, and I think we have the same kind of independent spirit. It”™s nice to have co-conspirators. I had a great time working with Ersatz Audio, and we”™re still great friends. I don”™t blame them a bit for wanting to take a break with the label. They”™d been doing it for a really long time, and if you saw how much work they put into it, you would understand why they want a break.

Are you planning on releasing more records on this label? Is this a new direction you are heading in?

M: I don”™t know what the future of Imaginary Conflict will be. This album is the experiment. I”™d love to put out stuff by other people, because I know there”™s stuff that would split people”™s heads open if they heard it. But, ultimately, it”™s a question of financing. I don”™t want to take responsibility for taking care of anyone else, until I know that I can take care of myself. It would seem unfair to the artists, when they ask me where I placed ads, to say “Nowhere.” As far as a new direction, I”™m currently obsessed ARP experimentation, but who knows, I might just do a sedate country record next. Ten years ago, if you told me that I”™d be making electronic music, I wouldn”™t have believed you. Not knowing where I”™ll end up is half the fun.

It seems you basically just go for the gold everytime you want something done. Being going solo, recording, your store, and now even your own label. How does that feel to be your own boss in everything you do? Does it ever get lonely?

M: Doing stuff on my own, or with my wife, just seems like the easiest way to get things done. Despite the fact that it”™s ten times more work, it”™s still the path of least resistance. You can make your own statement. Why wait for somebody else to do it for you? Sure, it can get lonely from time to time, but that”™s really no big deal compared to the freedom and pride in being self-sufficient. And people were willing to help, too. It”™s like a team effort focused on the head of a pin. When you just get out there and do it, I think like-minded people respect that, so they”™re often willing to get behind you, because they know you”™re not backed by some sleazy corporation. The fact that bigstereo is able to do this interview and not worry about losing whiskey advertisers is another case of people taking power for themselves. You”™re publishing this stuff yourself. You”™re not sending it to a magazine, hoping that they”™ll accept it. We didn”™t need a publicist, manager or booking agent to arrange this interview. We just did it. That”™s why traditional media and industries are becoming less relevant. People are creating their own media, getting their own news.

Tell us a little bit about Weekend Records and Soaps. I was fortunate enough to come visit you in your store when i was there two years ago. How is that all going?

M: Weekend closed in 2004. It was great while it lasted. Ultimately, it was under-financed. Considering that we started with just a couple thousand dollars, it”™s quite feat that we lasted as long as we did. You need resources to get through those slow January weeks, and we were doing it hand-to-mouth. But even though it failed in the conventional business sense, I consider it a success, just because we took the chance and did it.

I mean, with the amount of capital that we started with, we should”™ve been out of business in a month. But we had stuff people wanted, so it grew, but the economic reality of it was that you can”™t magically turn $2000 into $50,000. The markup is too low. We used our own money, so our debt was negligible and gone within the year. But hell, who wouldn”™t pay a coupla grand for a four-year vacation from a real job?!

Well I am sad to hear that, I’m sure it will be missed and the legend will live on

So back to the album, what do you really think people are gonna say about it? Is this your best work to date?

M: I have no idea what people will say about the album. I think it”™ll be polarizing. It”™s not very neutral. I think it”™s probably my best album, but maybe it”™s not best to get the artist”™s perspective. We”™re often delusional.

I love the new album and it definately makes me think of riding motorcycles and living on the road. Is that kind of what you were going for or am I misinterpreting?

M: No, man, you totally nailed it. Moving through time and space is what thing is all about.

I think you are exploring sides of music that don’t get played with too much. The strange thing is that you obviously use a lot of old equipment. Tell us about your get up, and what influences you when you are writting.

M: Well, my music is probably the sum of my influences, and there are so many that come from so many different places. I just go into the studio, turn everything on and just start playing shit. The old gear is inspiring, because it feels like it has a life of it”™s own. It”™s almost like having bandmates. It”™s not so exact, like digital equipment. There”™s a little bit of slop, and in that slop, there”™s life. The old machines are very tactile, you can close your eyes, feel the controls, and just go someplace else and just take your mind out of the equation. Let the song write itself. You don”™t have to be sitting there staring at a computer screen, while an e-mail pops in telling you about new mortgage rates. Atmosphere is important. As far as being influenced by other people, I”™ve got explosions going off in my mind, grabbing anything and everything that floats past. Whatever”™s in my mind is gonna come out sounding like me, anyway. I don”™t really have a talent for copying, even if I wanted to. I do remember thinking of The Sweet, while playing the song “May I Meet My Accuser”, at an outdoor concert in a Tastee Freez parking lot. Did that affect its final outcome? I don”™t know. I think the experience of sun, summer and ice cream was more influential.

What’s left for you in the future? Any more surprises? Any ideas?

M: As far as the future, who knows what it will bring? That”™s the fun of life, not knowing exactly how it”™ll all turn out. If you had told me ten years ago that I”™d someday be making electronic music by myself, I probably would”™ve laughed.

Now for the fun part the BigStereo favorites:

List your favorites:

I change favorites like socks, so here are the ones that I”™ve chosen to wear today.

bands?

Morricone, Beefheart, Darkthrone, Budgie

movies?

World”™s Greatest Sinner, Holy Mountain, Crazy Thunder Road

magazines?

Forced Exposure, Siltbreeze, Bananafish

websites?

Salon.com

cities?

Too hard to answer.

books?

Too hard to answer.

foods?

Korean, Japanese, Indonesian

Well thanks so much for taking some time for BigStereo. Keep up the music and don’t forget about us here. I hope this is a start of a great relationship. Any last words from you?

Thanks for inviting me to do this interview!

Thank you Magas!

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