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sinceileftyoublog · 4 years

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M. Geddes Gengras Interview: Happy Accidents

Photo by Gabrielle Valenti

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Producer M. Geddes Gengras has taken advantage of quarantine to release music at a breakneck pace. Living among the nature (and Brooklyn spillover region) of Hudson, NY, he’s got six distinct releases on his Bandcamp this year alone, half under the moniker PERSONABLE. The most notable is the full-length album Time Makes Nothing Happen, a propulsive, techno-heavy record released in May but filled with many tracks that date back years past. (Thumping, clattering, glitchy opener “Dragging My Feet” is from the Aughts!) “I put it out there and wasn’t really sure whether anybody was gonna buy it or listen to it,” he told me over the phone last month. Indeed, as much as Bandcamp Fridays have helped, self-releasing still carries and inherent risk. “It either does really well or disappears,” he said. Plus, Time was far different from the material he had been working on and releasing under any moniker.

As it turns out, the album caught the ears of Max Allison, co-founder of Chicago bonkers experimental label Hausu Mountain. It wasn’t out of the blue; after all, Hausu had released Gengras’ I Am The Last of That Green and Warm-Hued World last year. But they had been long talking about doing another record, and while something never-before-heard is still in the works, Gengras and Hausu decided to physically release Time on CD and cassette, with a bonus track for good measure. It’ll be out November 13th. Most importantly, the record fits nicely within Hausu’s increasingly wonderfully sundry catalog.

Below, read my conversation with Gengras about the original record and the rerelease, edited for length and clarity.

Since I Left You: What was the inspiration behind the aesthetic of this record?

M. Geddes Gengras: For the past few years, I had been putting out music at a much slower pace than I had been in the past. I wasn’t working on as much stuff and wasn’t recording as much. My process had gotten a lot more layered. My last record for Hausu I had made pretty quickly, but it was very dense. A lot of going over and over and changing things bit by bit. Lots of editing, micromanaging of sound. This one, it’s all live, with maybe a single overdub. I had a couple old tracks I never found a place to put out, and they had never really fit in with the straight techno stuff, but it was also a little too rhythmic and beat-oriented for what I had been releasing under my own name. The division between those two things had just been sort of pushed out to the extreme in a couple ways. So this was something where I was trying to bring it all together in a playful way, making decisions really quickly, first take-best take, and not obsessing over every contour and curve of each track. Trying to do something that felt a little more impulsive.

SILY: That impulsiveness speaks to the spirit of Hausu Mountain, which is funny, because you didn’t even make this record for them.

MGG: Absolutely. But I feel like it was inspired by them, even if indirectly. The last one I put out on Hausu, there are certainly things in their catalog that go along with it, but so much of what they put out is hyperactive, hyperkinetic off-the-wall. Max’s stuff is so crazy. It’s so bonkers. He’s one of those musicians where I’m just like, “I don’t know how you come up with that.” I don’t know how his brain works. It blows my mind.

When I’m working on something, I think about people. I think about an audience, even if it’s just one person or a couple people. It helps my mind file my way through decisions that might take longer otherwise. [laughs] Max and [label co-founder Doug Kaplan] and Hausu, we had been talking about doing another record together, and this wasn’t intended to be that, but that sort of ethos and spirit pervaded its way into this. It was also pretty early in the whole quarantine thing, and I wanted to do something that was fun, that wasn’t dour ambient music. I wanted something that felt like what I needed to hear at that time.

SILY: The notes on the back of the CD say “composed for/by synthesizers.” It speaks to the randomness inherent in synthesis and improvisation that was how this record was recorded.

MGG: Definitely. I know some people hear something in their head, and they make it. I don’t work like that most of the time. Sometimes, things like that happen, but that’s usually well down the road into the project, and I’m like, “I can hear this part over that.” This is just setting up machines, laying around with them, and being influenced and inspired compositionally by what they are doing. It’s a little more like riding a horse than driving a car: You can tell it what to do, but it’s not always gonna do what you want it to. That’s the fun part for me.

The things that I love when I listen to the recordings is the stuff I didn’t necessarily do but emerged out of these processes and systems I built. Those are the things that really excite me. It feels more like collaboration and less like sitting alone in a room and plugging wires into things.

SILY: Tell me about the bonus track. Was that just added on when you knew it was going to be rereleased?

MGG: When we talked about doing a physical release, I wanted something that was a little value add. [laughs] I was really happy with the way the original record flowed from beginning to end, so it was a practical thing. We were playing around with the order, and it felt a little lopsided. That was a good excuse. I had a couple things left over from the sessions and a couple earlier things I slotted in there, and what I ended up putting in was a year or two old. Something I made and forgot about that sat on my hard drive. I started digging for tracks for an appropriate length. It’s not really an exciting story now that I tell it. [laughs]

I have a handful of tracks that don’t really fit in with the kind of aesthetic I want to do with the PERSONABLE releases because they’re slicker and stripped down. But they haven’t really fit with other releases I’ve done. One thing I’ve done a lot during quarantine is go through a bunch of old stuff. I have a lot of finished recordings that have for one reason or another never found their way out there. In a time when I’ve been feeling particularly productive, it’s been good to clean that stuff out. Find something I like that I want to get out there.

SILY: How did you come up with the track titles of the record?

MGG: Coming up with titles is probably my least favorite part of making a record. [laughs] It’s always the last thing that I do. Maybe that makes it harder, because I’m attempting to put words on something that has existed in a wordless space for a while. I started with the album title, which I stole from a book by Roland Barthes, Mourning Diary, which I was thumbing through. The title caught my eye, and I was thinking a lot about time--I think a lot about time in general--and my music plays with the concept of time, whether it’s distorting your perception of time, or this release, different rhythms, which are expressions of organized time. I started with that, and then I went through the tracks and listened to them over and over again and wrote down words and imagery that came to mind. I started using that as a launching point. Some of the track titles are descriptive of what the sounds sound like to me, and some of them are more playing with the imagery I get when I hear it. It’s not a terribly deep process. It’s usually done in kind of a panic, and sometimes it’s okay. It’s one of those things after the fact I’m like, “It’s fine, I guess. At least I did it.”

SILY: So the album art got the Hausu treatment, too.

MGG: Oh yes. Max asked whether I wanted to do that, and I said, “In fact, I demand it.” Any time I can see a new piece of Max’s art, I’m excited to. His aesthetic is so deeply up my alley as a lifelong gamer from the Super Nintendo generation. He somehow makes the most psychedelic 16-bit dreamscapes and gets things perfectly, and it’s never what I expect. Both this and the last one. I love the aesthetic of Hausu. It’s so fried and beautiful and fits the sound of the label. They’ve created this visual umbrella: You can spot it from a mile away.

SILY: Are you doing any sort of release show with them?

MGG: That remains to be seen. I think it would be fun to do something. I’m a little intimidated about performing this kind of stuff live because it’s out of my comfort zone. I’d like to do something. It’s probably a lot easier to do something like this now that we’re trapped in our houses than it would be to [coordinate] from our respective cities otherwise. I’m gonna say yes, and then I’m gonna talk to Max and Doug. [laughs] I’ll be like, “I told the guy!”

SILY: Yeah. “In fact, it’s already published.”

MGG: That’s how you get things done. You start with the media and work backwards. But I haven’t done a performance since the first or second month of quarantine. I’m kind of itching to do something.

SILY: What’s next for you?

MGG: I’ve got a few really cool collaborations I’m working on right now that I’m really excited about. I’ve got a record with Miles Seaton from Akron/Family. I played with them for about a year. We made a record and did the basic tracking here in Hudson a little over a year ago. I’m right now going through the mixing and overdubs. It’s a strange record: a lot of weird instrumentation and operating in zones we don’t normally work in. I’m working on a project with this guy from Los Angeles that’s a video game-themed band that’s happening via WeTransfer. And I’m doing a record with a friend of mine who records as Psychic Reality that we made three years ago. A few solo things. And a few other things I can’t talk about yet.

I find it helpful to put something down for a long time, come back to it later, and see what makes sense. Coming out of a long period of inactivity, I’m trying to poke my brain cells a little bit, and one way of doing that is to work with amazing musicians.

SILY: Is there anything you’ve been listening to, reading, or watching lately that’s caught your attention?

MGG: I’ve been reading a lot of Stephen King. I had been already, and it just seems extremely appropriate right now. It’s nice to curl into something where you could blast through a few hundred pages at your leisure. I haven’t been listening to a ton of music except for a lot of Imaginary Softwoods. That’s been my go-to recently. A lot of Keith Jarrett, too. I’ve been feeling really melodic, beautiful things. And the other side of that is I’ve been revisiting a lot of my favorite hardcore records from the late 90′s. As our world descends into chaos, I feel like it’s more relevant than ever.

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emtown · 7 years

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1. What have you eaten today? Two bites of matcha green tea ice cream, kettle popcorn, pizza. 2. Who was your last kiss with? Was it pleasant? ... 3. What color shoes did you last wear? White and silver. 4. Who has made you laugh the hardest in the last week? Andrew, my older brother. 5. What is your favorite scent? Paddywax apothecary candle in amber & smoke. Like Washington in a candle. 6. What is your favorite season? Why? Fall, for its colors, and colder (but not in Texass) mornings. 7. Can you do a handstand or cartwheel? Ha no. 8. What color are your nails? Normal nail color? 9. If you had to get a tattoo on your face to save your life, what would it be? I guess a lyric from George Ezra. 10. What is something you find romantic? Talking to someone and realizing what they want is also what you want. Like I was talking to someone who said they liked to cuddle and I was like !!! 11. Are you happy? No. 12. Is there anything in particular making you happy or sad? Happy to be leaving this fucking state in two weeks. Sad knowing there's a future where I won't see my friends anymore. 13. Dogs or Cats? Dogs. 15. Which do you prefer:a museum, a night club, the forest or a library? Forest for pictures, museum for inspiration, library to write, a night club to feel uncomfy. 15. What is your style? Jeans and a shirt. Once I'm skinny I'll have a more defined style. 16. If you could be doing anything you like right now, what would it be? In Seattle. Always. 17. Are you in a relationship or single? Single. 18. What makes you attracted to the person you like right now? Smile. 19. If you could replace your partner/best friend with a celebrity of your choice, would you? Who with? George Ezra, what a beautiful man. 20. Are you holding on to something you need to let go of? If so then what? Yeah. I wrote an essay about it thinking I'd get over it but lol nope. 21. How did you celebrate last Halloween? I worked. 22. Have you recently made any big decisions? Accepting that I'm going to grad school in Texass. 23. Were you ever in a school play? A bunch of them. We did High School Musical in sixth grade. I was a walkabye. I wanted to be Gabriella soooo bad. 24. What movie would you use to describe your life? Perks of Being a Wallflower is a close identifier. 25. Is there something you have dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it? Move to Seattle. Not enough money or a job lined up. No security. 26. Complete this sentence, “I wish I had someone with whom I could share…” a sunset with. 27. What are two things that irritate you about the same sex? Some girls try way too hard to be cool. Shrill. 28. What are two things that irritate you about the opposite sex? THEY CAN'T READ MY DAMN MIND. 29. What is the best thing that has happened to you this week? Talking to four people at once while driving back home. It makes me feel popular. 30. What is something that makes you sad when you think about it? That I'm not in Seattle when other people are living the life I want. 31. How long was your longest relationship? Let's replace this with friendship: 12 years. 32. Have you ever been in love? A false love, yes. 33. Are you currently in love? No. 34. Why did your last relationship end? Replaced with friendship: I manipulated her. 35. What jewelry are you wearing right now, and where did you get it? None. 36. When was the last time you cried and why? Maybe a few days ago and I was dissociating. 37. Name someone pretty. Anna! 38. What did you receive last Valentines Day? Nothing haha. 39. Do you get jealous easily? Yeah. But I know when to not be jealous. 40. Favorite song currently? Faded Fluorescence by Lights and Motion. 41. Do you trust your partner/best friend? Yeah. 42. Ever had detention? Once I got sent to AC for being out of dress code but I didn't go because I didn't know where it was. 43. Would you rather live in the countryside or the city? City. 44. What do people call you? Emily. Or Em Jem, as Aaron says. 45. What was the last book you read? Started Infinite Jest. 46. How big of a nerd/dork are you? Not much. 47. What kind of music do you listen to? Inspirational sappy shit. 48. How tall are you? 5'2. 49. Do you like kids? Not really. 50. Favorite fruits? Strawberries, pineapples, bananas. 51. Do you wear jeans or sweats more? I would love to just wear sweats all the time and look like an aesthetic, but I'm a blob right now. 52. What’s your earliest memory? I go back to this one a lot: swinging on the playground in my hometown, my brother one over, and the summer breeze hits my face and I watched other kids run around the place. 53. Ever had a poem or song written about you or to you? I wrote a poem and someone composed music to the lyrics, if that counts. But no one has written a thing specifically to me, and I'd like that. 54. Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Behind it. I have a vision that no one can recreate when they shoot me. 55. Do you have a collection of anything? David Gray cds, nonfiction books. 56. Do you save money or spend it? I like to save but I'm not afraid to spend it. 57. What would your dream house be like? Balcony, no basement. Alcove in the middle flight of stairs. Open kitchen. Sun room. Evergreens in the backyard. Porch. Big windows. 58. What top 5 things make you the angriest? Idiot customers, show offs, people who emphasize "crap" and "fuck," people who misperceive me when I didn't hear them correctly, lazy readers/writers in workshops. 59. What top 5 things always brings a smile to your face? Seeing Chyrell at work, crow's feet by the eyes, funny Tumblr posts, the sunset, receiving the news that a piece got accepted to a journal. 60. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? It's a doggo. I'd save it. 61. You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? Move to Seattle. Tell everyone. Take a ferry every day. Visit my favorite places. I'd be scared but at peace knowing when it'd happen. 62. Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. Broken but in the process of being repaired. 63. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? Seattle; Iceland; London; Australia. 64. Do you like the beach? Yeah, but only for sunrise/set. 65. Ever sleep on the couch or a bed with someone special? No, but wouldn't it be nice!! 66. Do you have a middle name? If so what is it! Sarah. Such a white name. 67. Do you talk to yourself? When I drive and someone pisses me off. 68. Describe your hair. Long and brown and in need of a cut or re color. 69. What is the meaning of life. BOI. Don't ask me this. 70. What is your ideal partner like? Charming. Laughs a lot. Makes me feel comfortable. Makes me feel validated. 71. Do you want to get ice cream right now? Ooh yeah. 72. When was the last time you redecorated your room? At home it's been a while. Since tenth grade maybe. 73. Like or dislike your family? I only like maybe five people in my family, and the rest can go elsewhere. 74. Are you Chunky or Slim? Chunky of course. 75. Would you consider yourself smart? In some areas yeah. But otherwise I'm pretty dumb. 76. What would you change about your life? I wouldn't live in Texass. 77. Religious or Not? Not really. 78. You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? What is this question asking 79. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? It could be if we replace that with a person I dreamed about. 80. Does anyone regularly (other than family) tell you they love you? No. 81. If the person you wish to be with were with you, what would you be doing right now? At Denny's and playing this question game. 82. So, the last person you kissed just happens to arrive at your door at 3AM; do you let them in? Again, it'd be weird. 83. Do you like when people play with your hair? Yeah. 84. Do you like bubble baths? No. 85. Have you ever been pulled over by a cop? Yeah. Speeding ticket. 86. Have you ever danced in the rain? No, but please do that with me. 87. Do you trust anyone with your life? Used to. And actually, yeah, one of my professors know way more about me than even my parents do. He knows how my mind works. 88. What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? Chapstick. 89. If money wasn’t an issue, what top 10 places would you travel to? (You get to stay at each place for a week) Maybe like three places in Canada, Iceland, London, Amsterdam, New Zealand, a tropical place like St. Bart's, Seattle, New York City. 90. How was your day today? Eh. Lazy. Submitted to a bunch of places. 91. Play an instrument? No. 92. Describe what you think of the ocean. Terrifying. 93. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? Ghosts. 94. Honestly, are things how you wanted them to be? Not at all. 95. Do you have a mean bitchy scary side? Yeah. It rarely reveals itself. 96. When are you vulnerable? In my essays. Some Facebook posts. 97. How much free time do you have? A lot now. 98. Do you like to go hiking? Yeah, maybe. 99. Odd or Even Numbers? My favorite number is 5. 100. Would you ever go sky diving, bungee jumping , cliff diving, wing suit gliding, parasailing, snorkeling, or other extreme activities? I tried to snorkel and I had a panic attack in the water. But I would try it again! More sunscreen next time.

#personal

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