Mark Deutrom (Ex Melvins/ Clown Alley) Interview is up
1. As we know you perform and
record with Clown Alley and The Melvins. How did the solo career come
to be and it has a very Melvins vibe to me esp this new releases "
The Value of Decay"
I've always been writing,
whether I was in a band or not. After a while a lot of material
builds up
that might not be suitable for
whatever band I might be in at the time. Doing solo projects gives
that material a platform.
As far as there being a Melvins
vibe to my solo stuff, it's not anything conscious, but I did
work with the band over fairly
long period of time. They covered a Clown Alley song at one point
so there's been some cross
pollination for sure.
2. Your working with Southern
Lord on Value album but only digitally why not have a proper release
as well?
It's no surprise to me that
people still want conventional releases, despite the industry push to
get everything on a server. This release was the only thing I
have ever done that was completely digital, and I liked the idea that
it would never exist in reality. It gave the title an extra layer of
irony, since something has to exist to be able to decay.
So there was a conceptual
aspect to it, as well as no money to manufacture it. It all worked
out very
conveniently until a boutique
label from Austria called Rock is Hell offered to do vinyl of it. Now
it
has been dragged into reality,
so there can actually be some Value in it's Decay. It is actually
nice to
see it in reality.
3. You have worked and
performed with SunnO))) as well how was that they seem to be a force
to reckon with.
If Sunn had to be defined in a
scientific sense, I would say they are one of the finest examples
of Newtonian principles out
there. They're really loud also. They need to let me produce a record
for them. I think we could make a killer record. A record
of 4 minute songs just like a Humble Pie record
or something ! Playing with
them was really cool and a great time. Provide bottom end for the
heaviest band in the world ? I can cross that one off the list.
4. Do you prefer to make music
or record and produce music more. Or is is just two sides of the
whole?
I really enjoy doing both. It's
very satisfying to hear the potential in a band and realize that in
the studio. It's equally satisfying to hear something in my own
head and make that happen also. I love the recording studio, and
the process involved in putting music together in there. There's a
kind of alchemical sensibility about it for me, since what
you're working on only exists in time. I've always found that very
mysterious and inspiring. It's probably why the process has such
a great appeal to me.
5. The Value of Decay seem to
be musically all over from Martial to Industrial to Punk to Heavy
rock.. Was this just because it was recorded over a long period of
time?
It was actually recorded in a
really short amount of time, probably 3 weeks total recording time
over 6 months. It only took that long since I did everything
myself except the drums and a few overdubs. It was recorded in
2006 but I didn't manage to mix it until around a year ago. I
had twice that material to choose from and just had to get
really specific about the concept. The variety of material is just a
result of decisions made supporting the overall vision.
6. Do you like or want to
perform live as a solo artist ?
I've done it, but I prefer
being part of a band right now than having the whole thing resting on
me. We play some of my solo stuff right now, as well as things
we've come up with together. It's a nice little batch of varied
material to pick from if we feel like it.
7. You have a new full bad
County Bucks as well tell us a bit about that and how it came to be?
I just felt like playing guitar
again, after not playing at all for a few years, so I called up a
couple
of guys I knew and we started
playing just for fun. We didn't have a plan other than to drink some
wine
and have a good time. I just
wanted to plug in, turn up, and get that feeling.
We're looking for a new drummer
right now. If there's anyone out there who wants the job,
drop me a line. As soon as
we've got someone, we'll be right back out there on tour, and in the
studio.
8. Is this Solo release a one
off with Southern Lord or is this going to be a longer partnership?
I've known Greg Anderson a long
time, and we've done a variety of things throughout that time. He's
always been supportive of
anything I've done and I'm sure we'll continue to work on anything of
mine
that might be suitable for the
label in the future.
9. If the Melvins were to ask
you to work with them again would you do so or is the past the past?
I really don't know how to
answer that, since I've never even thought about the possibility of
it.
I produced a couple of their
best records, played at some of the biggest shows with them, and
also played on some of their
best records, so I'm inclined to be satisfied with the quality of
the work we did together, and
leave it at that.
10. What are some bands that
are currently influencing what your musical madness in compostion...
I can't say there's anyone
influencing me in particular at this point, but I am enjoying Tom
Waits new record. Also listening to Mahler symphonies, Beethoven
string quartets.
11. Whats you thoughts on the
current New Media... Digital Downloads, Webzine, Internet radio etc .
Is it a blessing or a curse?
It is both. The good thing is
that record companies no longer have the monopoly on distributing and
manufacturing music. Now you can record in your house and have
something online for the world to listen to the minute you finish it.
The bad thing to me is that it has reduced music to data that is
infinitely disposable. People carry around 100,000 tunes in their
pocket. Cloud based systems will make virtually every recording
ever made instantly available to anyone with a phone. The age of
instant digital gratification renders it all meaningless like grains
of sand on a beach. It also sounds bad, and is usually
reproduced through awful sounding systems and speakers. Ultimately
the record companies have triumphed by figuring out a way to generate
revenue through the licensing of data.
They don't even have to sell a
physical object at all. Now they can sell an inferior version of the
data contained on a CD for the same amount as a CD, and have no
one complain. The population rejoices...they have 100,000 songs in
their pocket.
Buy a record, even a CD. You
can hold it. It also sounds good.
12. Thank you for the time any
closing thoughts here
Read Jung. Listen to Mahler.
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