When the lights across the planet finally go out for the last time and all the MP3s evaporate in microscopic puffs of electrons and all the CD’s lie scattered across the land like the scales of some huge, extinct fish: what then for all these idiotic fucking pop songs? And what then for the Bach and Simone, Mercury and Mingus?
Nothing. That’s what. Sweet anonymity. Sheer oblivion.
And as time marches on ceaselessly into that eerie, silent new era, none of those chart anthems will mean any more than the centuries of forgotten folk music, decades of shitty demo tapes or the deluge of vacuous, ironic, indie shit currently sloshing around. How will Virgin, Warner, Universal and Sony trick kids into buying their cynical, hollow bullshit then? Especially when there are no kids left to fleece.
Art is for now so eat your fill. You’re not taking it with you and ultimately there’s no point leaving it here. Walter Peck taught us that much.
The Remains of Water Peck by Outblinker is out now via Stabbed In The Back Records and is available to purchase on Outblinker’s Bandcamp page.
In this interview feature, we chat with members of Outblinker about the digitized music landscape, influences, the newest project and more.
Full Q&A along with links and the video for Hallogallo below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Graham – For me, it’s the energy. Whether it’s the driving energy of the through-composed parts of our music, or the more unhinged, improvisational elements, to me the excitement of playing this music is all about the manipulation and harnessing of energy.
Luigi – When I have been asked to be part of this project I was totally excited about the possibility of playing in a band with so many synth players and a really good drummer.
So I can say I have been attracted by the idea of getting a tinnitus while playing tons of synthesizers through guitar pedals through bass and guitar amps.
Chris – I spent much of my life playing really abrasive alternative and noise-rock so the idea of doing something more expansive and asking more of myself as musician began as a personal challenge and quickly became very enjoyable. I do sometimes miss the confrontational aspects of noise rock though, as well as the concussions.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
G – With Outblinker, we came together through mutual attitudes and tastes towards music…and geographical location. Bringing out the music we’ve been working on and touring it seems like a logical progression. I can’t explain it, but I personally feel a need to always be involved with music in some aspect. When I’m not playing it, I’m writing it, when I’m not writing it, I’m rehearsing or recording it, or listening to it. It’s quite literally my life.
L – I played music and I was in bands since Im 16, my job is recording other musicians and I will play , record and perform music until I die – or until the already mentioned tinnitus is going to make me stop.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
G – I can really only speak for myself here, so I would say that I make a point of surrounding myself with people who inspire me. Whether that’s through their musical talent, determination, organisational approach, outlook on life, personality, and through their influence try to find my own way in this crazy world of music and life. On a more detailed note, I am deeply influenced by minimal music, and particularly interested in the energy created when a repeated part (whether melodic or rhythmic) grows and develops with an emphasis on patience. A lot of music these days could use a bit of patience.
L – Every month I try to find interesting new and old records and I hang out with freak vinyl heads who come up with the BEST BAND or BEST ALBUM EVER every fucking week and I think that listening to lots of music and playing your instruments regularly are my way to keep the momentum and the creativity going.
My tastes in music never changed, I like new and old music , weird or not weird, fucked up or mechanical and precise like a Swiss clock.
C – I’d have to go the other way from Luigi on this; my tastes have definitely changed. You’d have a hard time making me sit through a Feeder album these days but I used to be all about that stuff. I was very much a sucker for melody but I took it in it’s most obvious forms. As I’ve gotten older I definitely still love melody but I enjoy the hunt for it more. The buzz of looking for beauty that plays a little harder-to-get and having to fight through difficult bits of arrangement to get the pay-off. Don;t get me wrong, I love ABBA and Erasure and Queen, but for repeated listens, if something is too sweet it can just get sickly.
I still like ice cream but I also like olives now whereas used to hate them. Tastes mature I guess.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
G – We wrote and recorded most of this music when the band ventured up to an island of Orkney called Rousay, and spend a very intense and rewarding week crafting some new material inspired by our unbelievably still, beautiful surroundings. We had Ben Power of Fuck Buttons and Blanck Mass join us in the madness to help focus and produce the project. Both this and our current European tour have had funding from Creative Scotland, so we are very grateful for their support.
L – As Graham said we produced with Ben a new record last year, now Im going to engineer it and we are going to mix it together and we are going to put out our first full length around march 2017.
Apart from that we just want to tour and write music and see what happens.
C – It was also a personal first as regards attempting concept record.
What was the last song you listened to?
G – We have a playlist on in the van at the moment, where everyone chooses 5 songs and we play them on shuffle. It’s a great way to make the journeys between shows more interesting, and also gives everyone an insight into each others own individual tastes. So during this particular time, I have absolutely no idea what’s playing. Hold on, I’ll ask. Okay, so it’s “Pow Pow” by LCD Soundsystem.
L – I was singing in my head the whole discography of freak stoner psych weirdos Gong while Cusack was trying to explaining me very important things I didn’t understand at all.
I think he was talking about the van where we are travelling being broke or some shit like that.
C – In the room this morning we put on Ocean Songs by Dirty Three to ease ourselves into a Geneva sunrise.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
G – MP3’s are too easy, CD’s gather dust, and vinyls are so hot right now.
L – Vinyl because they sound good and it makes angry petulant CD lovers who say that CD sounds crystal clean like pure water taken from the source. They forget that they love music with a bit-rate of a Super Nintendo.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
G- We have our music on Spotify, my older brother worked on the development of Apple Music, and I have other projects of mine on Bandcamp. So, probably Kazaa.
L – I prefer Bandcamp. I’m too lazy to use other apps.
C – I’d say Bandcamp too. They were pretty helpful and responsive as regards taking a lower commission on the charity stuff we released which was cool. It’s much more accessible for smaller groups. You can browse it all day discovering excellent home projects or full signed acts.
It’s also a little less “Skynet-y”. Just ask Jason.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
L – I don’t think there is any big challenge, the important thing is doing what you like and at the moment we are doing it and things are going good and we see the band growing musically and the relationship between us is growing as well.
I think the only way to do something is to write music, rehearse , release albums and go on tour, then all depends on what you expect from your stupid band
C – Sadly the audience/band dynamic in music has shifted from people being excited at the opportunity to go see a band play live to bands having to find more and more innovative/expensive/grovelling ways to persuade someone to leave their house to see them play live. That is true to varying extents in different territories but I think most touring groups would agree that the UK is particularly bad for that attitude.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
G- Like most bands, we have a Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.
L – And North star cafe in Queen Margaret Drive between 8 and 8{30am .
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
G – Thank you from the bottom of the synthesisers where our hearts should be.
L- Yes, what I want to add is PLEASE H&M PLAY OUR SONGS ON THE SHOP DIDN’T YOU REALIZE PLAYING ALBUMS FROM PRIDES IS MAKING ALL THE CUSTOMERS GO AWAY!
