TALK – HOLY MOUNTAIN

I had a little chat with my new labelmate TALK who just dropped his debut release, the “Holy Mountain” EP on Nightshifters. His approach to club music is dark and futuristic, where a hybrid juxtaposition of rhythms and genres with cinematic moods, deep basslines and interlocking drums are the common denominator. I relate to him in his concepts and production styles and am real hyped by tracks like “Walking Disease” and the title track “Holy Mountain”. I must say that I am really enjoying the new weird, club music grind and it’s refreshing vibe, and the IDM nostalgia I am getting from it. If you acknowledge the future like we do, you should get acquainted with TALK and the Nightshifters gang. Read the interview, watch the video, grab the freebie and buy the release:

Yo! Lets Talk!

Give us a little background about yourself… Who is Talk, where is he
from, what are his motivations and and what is he trying to do or
communicate through his music?

My motivation is to warp peoples minds. I am honestly into the darker side of things, so, maybe I’m conveying that simply by the way I make music?

Where does the pseudonym Talk come from?

Before i started going to raves, clubs and listening to dance music, I was in a heavy metal band called PARANOID. We had a song about people that never shut up. It was called TALK. I took the name because i felt there were people surrounding me at the time that only wanted to dream and i felt extremely frustrated by this and thats where it came from.. so instead of talking about it.. I just did it??? I know.. I know…..

When did you get started in production and DJing?

I got started when I was 18, a best friend of mine taught me how to use a step sequencer. I started making electro and “french” house under TALK in 2008. I started DJing a year later under the same name.

What moved you to do so?

When I was falling out of the punk / metal scene, as it was super small and childish, and the music just didn’t touch me anymore, I started to hang with a friend who has gone through several EDM aliases, Permanent Trips, Sioux Spur, Low Rez, and now he goes by SLOWHEAD. He was into everything i was into, but then he showed me Autechre, and dubstep producers like Benga, N-Type and Burial. It was his fault, him and another friend of mine, Chris Griffin, that showed me how to work Fruity Loops. It was nothing more than a new, different and constructive way to express something that guitars and drums and screaming just wasn’t doing anymore.

As for DJing, my friends and I would always make the two hour drive to Atlanta to go to parties, and we just eventually got tired of the rough drive home and said fuck it, lets throw our own party here and do our own thing, in Tennessee. I guess I saw it as an avenue to do something bigger than just being in a band that will just break up. With DJing and producing, its all about one person, which is great for me… I get impatient working with other people on music.

Do you play any instruments?

I have been playing the guitar since I was 5 years old. I can learn songs very quickly by ear. I don’t read music. Other than that, i can play the piano and drums a little bit.

Are there any other musical projects you have worked on now or in the past?

Yes. I was briefly in a neo folk / shoe gaze group called Modes of Vibration. We made two songs then stopped. It was just very tedious to record the acoustic guitar with the step sequencer. I am about to start recording project by myself and maybe one other person called The Hunger, which will be more in the vein of Death in June and Lycia.
When i first heard your Canblaster Remix I was blown away and your
debut EP “Holy Mountain” is out there! How would you describe your
sound and style?

Aggressive, dark, deep, bass heavy. The Canblaster remix was happy, refined and future garage influenced, but that was a different time and place in life. Don’t expect more of that. Then again, who knows, I may decide I want to do more of that sound. I would say its a mixture of eating alot of psychedelic drugs, and listening to dark music. Simultaneously or apart from each other.

What is your musical background and influences?

Dancing people in pitch black rooms, lazers, hallucinogenics, horror films, the occult, being awake when the sun comes up, and just being a fucking weirdo. I seriously love the feeling I get when I walk inside of a club and the DJ is playing super fucked techno, there are no lights on, no one is talking and its like the whole world stopped giving a fuck. Thats what I want. I will say that at 14 I was very, very into the Cure and since then have gotten more into that whole sound.

What music do you listen to regularly? What are your likings?

Lately I have been very into gothic/industrial bands like Fields of the Nephilim, Rome, Party Asylum, Ministry, Front 242, Death in June, Coldreams, Blessure Grave, Lycia, Sisters of Mercy. I am a big Michael Jackson fan. I also really enjoy Morgan Louis from Rhode Island, his mixtape “Forever” is probably my favorite dj mix ever. Smoother house and disco like Space Dimension Controller, Frankie Knuckles, Chymera, Lifelike, Pepe Bradock, Nicolas Jaar, Azari + 3. The new Girl Unit and Velour are both amazing.

What’s the scene like back home?

I would say I really appreciate what DISTAL, my new labelmate, is doing for Atlanta. He is breaking new grounds in dubstep, as well as his record label is doing great things with their footwork/future bass night, ROYAL. The scene is healthy. The whole south east is a little bit more wild, so when my friends from bigger cities come to play, they always have a very interesting time and am glad they played my party that I throw in Tennessee. The kids down here really appreciate heavy bass music. They don’t know what to call it as long as its “got that real deep sub bass.” I can’t complain, my monthly draws 500 — 1000 people. We’ve been fortunate enough to bring people like JUBILEE, DEATHFACE, ROB THREEZY and FLUFFTRONIX to our party so, I’d say our scene is healthy. Its no Europe tho!

What are you producing on and what techniques or tips could you share with us?

I have been using a mixture of Garageband, Logic Pro and Fruity Loops. I honestly would say my only suggestion is, keep your drum patterns interesting. I hate simplistic sounding drums. Also, delay is my favorite.

What’s the best show experience you’ve had? What’s the worst? You dont
have to name names… hehe

The best show experience i’ve had so far would have to be playing to 1,400 people at my monthly a couple years ago. That was probably the biggest feeling ever, aside from playing Cinespace in LA or just being in San Fransisco was awesome, the people there have alot of fun no matter what you throw at them.

Worst dj set was going to a club thinking i’ll just wing it on rack mount cdjs. i train wrecked every mix and the whole crowd went up stairs to the second floor where there was another party going on. Always go with your intuition when its “better to just rent cdjs.”

What are your current plans and goals? Past accomplishments?

Now that the EP is released, I am now working on my next release. Its going to be called “NOCTURNAL.” All I can say is it is less 4 to the floor, and more about spacing things out and being more minimalistic, mixing dubstep and techno. I honestly am just really ready to tour more and get my sound out to parties and clubs, I don’t think theres enough weird sounding djs out there, just the same cookie cutter shit.
Aside from that, I am trying to start up a feel good music night at a gay bar here, have recently picked Magic the Gathering back up and am contemplating going to school for design and music marketing. I’m very young so I have alot of free time.

Where do you see electronic music going in the future? What are you
expectations?

I know the cyclical way that dance music changes through out the years and why, but at this point who knows. I look up to the people actually not giving a shit, and making weird, interesting and sometimes dark / challenging music and i feel that THAT is where this whole club / dance / bass music thing needs to go. Alot of the “huge” producers sound like they seriously came up with their famous “hits” in five fucking minutes. I guess thats why you don’t see me making alot of up lifting, happy tunes, because that’s too easy for me. I wanna see dance music take a left turn for something weird, primal and dark.

Last words, shout outs?

Go check out the BURNING ALIVE video that DJ Donna Summer made!! Also, go purchase the Holy Mountain EP and get ready for more remixes and releases in 2011!

Talk – Burning Alive from Nightshifters on Vimeo.

Talk – Holy Mountain by Nightshifters

BUY TALK – HOLY MOUNTAIN EP ON: Beatport, Juno Download, iTunes

Nov 19, 2010 | Categories: Featured, News | Tags: dj donna summer, interview, nightshifters, talk | Leave A Comment »