SHAMELESS HIJINKS: Shameless speaks with The Naturebot! [Bonkers! / Pleasure Boat Records]

Recently Shameless met up with The Naturebot inside a computer. There they chit chatted about space time and the smell of burning circuits. We also talked about the second installment of the Shameless Social with Ghostly International's Solvent and Lusine and The whole gang from Pleasure Boat Records/Bonkers!.

You have so many great producers in PBR. Where did you gather these misfits from?

Well, we all are interested in the same angle of the music as far as I can tell- we enjoy electronic tools because of their limitless possibilities for expression and we create music out of angst about an ideal- I believe that we all express our frustration with the limits and prisons of the modern physical world but taking ownership and control back over the machines that placed us in the predicament of working endlessly in a vacuum and a lack of true and meaningful adventure on a personal level.

Anyhow, after I met a couple people (Erictronic and Rave On It) that I believe shared a portion of that angst and channeled it creatively, we started throwing shows. Its pretty apparent when you find someone that is compatible with or shares a creative vision and through the shows (Bonkers!) we threw we all met artists from which mutual respect and admiration grew.

Seeing that those involved with ‘shaping’ the electronic scene in Seattle seem to have little interest in putting music FROM Seattle on the map (that isn’t represented already), it was a natural decision to do it ourselves. We’re not the only ones out there doing this, but its downright absurd how many fans of ‘independent music’ look for the same feelings, benchmarks, and marketing schemes as each other. I don’t think Pleasure Boat aims to please crowds, just comfort those with the same fears and frustrations as us that there is others like them out in the world. And, seeing as I met and continue to meet individuals that share these feelings outside of the scene as it exists, I think that the world of electronic music is a far more widespread and multi-faceted force than ever before. At some point that will become apparent to the general public, and it seems more plausible that it will with every day.

What kinds of sound are you seeking for your label?

When I listen to music I enjoy, it always feels as if it was created in its own world- that, instead of building the regular Frankenstein of influences, there’s an intention and urge served by the music. I’m guessing the average person doesn’t associate that with electronic music or dance music, but the medium is so open-ended and fast-moving these days that its hard to not be creative. There’s an amazing amount of creative music being made right now, but so much of it strives for a communal mindset.

I hope to hear stubbornly individualistic music that exists outside of the backwards idea of being at the ‘forefront of modern music’, and I hope that the fetishization of ‘new movements’ dies off quickly as it blocks the potential for electronic music to be the new form of folk art- a way for people to tell others about their lives and experiences, and create truly unique musical worlds, using tools readily available in the modern era. Anyone with a computer can make an album and has access to tools that engineers a few decades ago wouldn’t have dreamed of.

Tell us why you are bringing the Ghostly International Showcase here to Seattle?

I got into Solvent when I started throwing shows in 2007 and was actively going to record shops and trying to find music I’d never heard. Solvent City (Solvent’s 2001 album) was in a bin and the cover was ridiculous so I listened to it and felt like I’d made a new friend. The music was so warm and dry that I listened to that album almost every day for a whole winter while stuck in a tiny shit-hole apartment. I contacted Solvent about playing in Seattle if he was available and he got back to me with a US and Canadian tour looking to get booked. That Lusine was touring with Solvent was huge, these are two artists that have been putting out records from their own fantastic worlds for years and that are both something of heroes to me. I like the physical aspect of music, but much more than watching someone shred on a guitar I enjoy hearing amazing movement and physics in the sound itself, that’s what makes my brain go crazy. Both of these artists represent that ideal and both of them are focused on melody and beauty. Throwing this night is a chance to show people a very, very different side of the dance music coin. Ghostly International is all about that, just as Pleasure Boat Records is. I’m thrilled about the showcase and know that there will be many people at the show that will walk away feeling like they found a new ideal in music. Yes, I am that excited about the show.

Are ghosts capable of faster than light travel?

It’d be nice to look forward to that, wouldn’t it?

What's next for Bonkers!?

Who knows, I’ve been attempting to return to the emptier and odder parts of the country for awhile now. Wherever I end up, the culture I live in will be represented. Albuquerque might become an electronic music juggernaut, or I might just spin acid tracks in the garage all summer long with the doors open. Music is not the most important thing in my life (I have a dog, a fiancé, and dearly miss the non-human world at large), so if my life is so full that I don’t feel that the music I love is worth spreading, I’m alright with that.

The Naturebot and Friends can all be heard Friday June 25th at the Electric Tea Garden. Check out pbrecs.com for more info on Pleasure Boat Records.

SHAMELESS SOCIAL #2

June 25th from 9pm- LATE late!!

Starring...

Solvent (Ghostly Int'l- Toronto) - Live

http://solventcity.com/

Lusine (Ghostly Int'l- Seattle) - Live

http://lusineweb.com/

Relcad (Album release party; Pleasure Boat Records) - Live

http://Relcad.com/

Potatofinger (Pleasure Boat Records) - Live

http://soundcloud.com/potatofinger