Friday, September 3rd, 2010
We had the chance to catch up with the creator of One Hello World. The description of the project on it’s official website is as follows: “Leave me a voicemail and I’ll write music behind your narrative. Call it a soundtrack to your thoughts. Leave me a message: (316) 247-0421″. The response has been astounding, with voicemails being left from around the globe. He then creates a backing soundtrack to the voicemails. Some of the voicemails are extremely personal and honest and the soundtracks add even more depth to the tracks. One particularly heart-wrenching example of someone calling in can be found here.
By Rodney Brown
So, you’ve got a pretty awesome idea on your hands. Where did “One Hello World” come from?
I was recording some music by myself one day and thought “It would be really cool to have people, from across the globe, speak their mind over this track.” So, I setup a voicemail and asked the world to pitch in.
The backing soundtracks you add to the voicemails are amazing. How long have you been making music?
Thank you. I’ve been making music for 21 years.
How do you choose which calls you will turn into a soundtrack?
I don’t have a specific method. However, I notice that the tracks that are most appealing to me have a few common characteristics. There’s the obvious aspects, such as: the quality of the signal and clarity of speech. I like the voicemails that have a certain rhythm or pace to them, not so much that it’s like poetry or rapping, but to where the caller’s monologue has its own flow or movement. Most important is the feeling that the person is being genuine, relating their story or views much in the same way I imagine they would with family or a close friend.
Have getting all of these emotional and inspiring calls affected you in anyway? Some of them are pretty intense…
Most of the phone calls I’m receiving identify with some aspect of my life, whether it’s something I experienced in the past or deal with currently. At the moment, I’m personally going through big changes and some of the recent callers really speak for how I feel.
Any favorite calls you’ve received? What was it?
Hmmm… since I’ve received hundreds of phone calls, this question is kind of like asking me what the favorites of my favorites are. However, if you asked me: “What was the one track that I felt I most effectively added a soundtrack to?”, I’d have to pick “Movies When You Die”. On the first listen of that voicemail, I immediately heard the whole score in my head. As I was building the recording, I kept hearing additional layers. It was a really dynamic experience, and I hope to have similar sessions in the future.
The soundtracks you compose aren’t always strictly classical. What kind of music inspires you?
The core of my music training lies in classical and jazz. However, my listening diet draws across a very wide spectrum (from bluegrass to hip hop, or classical to hardcore), thereby making my “inspiration playlist” similarly diverse. While music originating in various cultures across the globe appeals to me, the music I create is pretty faithful to the legacy of American styles. With that said, some of my musical heroes hail from abroad, such as film score composer Hans Zimmer, performing artists Portishead, Bjork and Cinematic Orchestra. I’m also keen to Madlib, Sufjan Stevens and George Gershwin.
Can we get any glimpse into the gear and/or programs you use to compose?
I have an 88 key weighted keyboard, a 16 pad drum trigger, and Logic Studio Pro 8 on my laptop. For the gear heads out there: Korg Triton-TR, Korg padKONTROL, and a MacBook Pro.
Seems you have no problem composing scores. Ever think about doing professional work? Movies maybe?
If a movie studio approached me to do a soundtrack, I would certainly consider it.
Alright, so if you like composing, you must have a favorite Disney song. Spill it.
Call me a sucker but, “The Circle of Life” is pretty rad.
“One Hello World” is fairly new on the scene. How do you expect it to evolve over time?
Right now, I’d like to receive even more international calls; if anything, I hope this would illustrate just how universal the human experience is. Short term, I have a band in the works and we’re going to see if we can get the project to translate to a live show. Big, fluffy dream? I’d like to be able to tour the world full time, playing this music.
Um.. I lost my number, can I borrow yours?
(316) 247-0421 – call anytime. I listen to everything. If you want to chat, I can receive texts at that number too.
Final thought: Any idea on what The Rock was REALLY cooking?
An acting career, apparently.
Banner and picture by http://waterandink.tumblr.com/
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
by Melissa Brooks
How many times have you walked around the bay area and have been asked for money? Enough to make you walk faster, turn a deaf ear and hold your breath? Yeah… me too. Not for Thomas Hawk and a growing number of photographers. You want a couple bucks from him? Let him take your portrait.
After realizing he would avoid people who asked him for money, he decided to change. Hawk’s belief in the goodness of human interaction and desire to celebrate other human beings as human beings motivated him to start the project. Making it a commercial transaction allows him the opportunity to engage with his subjects and makes it a win-win.
What does he do? To make things easier, he keeps $2 reserve money in his wallet. When asked for money, he offers them $2 in exchange for their portrait. While shooting, he talks to them to learn their story. The pictures and story are then posted to the Flickr $2 Portrait Pool.
The $2 Portrait Project has been going on for over two years now, so I asked him a few questions:
How has this project affected your attitude towards people who ask you for money?
Thomas Hawk: I think the biggest thing about this project in terms of my attitude towards people who ask me for money is that I no longer shirk from these people. I used to really go out of my way to avoid these people. Now I will no longer try and avoid them but see the interaction as a positive thing and actually welcome it. There are probably still times that I’ll try somewhat to avoid people asking for money if I’m in a rush or hurry or need to be somewhere or am late. But mostly I view the possibility of an interaction as a good thing.
Have you had any memorable stories while shooting these portraits?
Thomas Hawk: There are so many great stories while shooting. Each portrait carries little tidbits of the interaction. Some are more meaningful than others. I’ve met some real characters. Some that I know were lying to me about things, others who tell me sincere and heartfelt stories of desperation. I’ve been asked for money so someone could make it to a hospice to die. I’ve been told stories about lost children. About being knifed or beaten. About being in jail. About drug abuse. I’ve talked to younger kids and older drunks and lots of people in between. Almost all of them have a story. Some more interesting than others.
Do you have any tips or advice for someone who wants to shoot $2 portraits?
Thomas Hawk: The biggest tip I’d tell people about pursuing a $2 Portrait Project is to relax about it. Don’t feel stressed out about the conversation and confrontation. Almost all of the people who ask will agree to the portrait sitting. I think sometimes people are just afraid to ask another human being to take a portrait. This represents a great opportunity to do just that.
SHAWN by Thomas Hawk read Shawn’s story here
RENEE by Thomas Hawk read Renee’s story here
HARRY by Thomas Hawk read Harry’s story here
RAPHAEL by Jeremy Brooks read Raphael’s story here
BABY ELMO by Troy Holden read Baby Elmo’s story here
David by Erik Wilson – read David’s story here
Walt by Scott Roeben/LVShooter- Read Walt’s story here
Deon by Justin Korn-Read Deon’s story here
To explore more portraits or join the project, visit the $2 Portraits pool on Flickr
Friday, August 27th, 2010
By Alex W. Graham
Orbs’ first album looks and feels like a concept album, and it’s no surprise that the group displays an ambition for the unusual. Among it’s five members, the band contains two parts “Fear Before” and one part “Between the Buried and Me.” Those familiar with the aforementioned know to expect something strange and progressive to spring forth, and “Asleep Next To Science” is no exception.
Still, this doesn’t mean Orbs is just what you’d expect. Quite the contrary. Keyboardist Ashley Ellyllon holds a significant and crucial presence on the album, providing gorgeous classical piano interludes- or wielding a more electronic and distorted synth sound, adding substance and complexity where power chords might grow stale. “A Man Of Science” showcases several sides of her playing and stands out as one of the album’s best tracks. On the next track, “Megaloblastic Madness,” Holyoak’s status as one of my favorite drummers is in full effect. His booming drums are coupled with a clever and melodic bass line that will hook listeners instantly, and the rest of the song doesn’t disappoint. Fisher’s vocals and eerie lyrics work with the song perfectly, and the overall result is – dare I say it – epic.
The songs on Asleep Next To Science are well-arranged, and several are connected by interludes or soft ambient melodies. The album flows together and retains it’s cohesion. This is one of those albums you’re just better off to take in as a whole and not in bits and pieces. With lengthy tracks like “Eclipsical”, it rewards a patient listener, the way any good progressive or concept album should. Patience, you will need though, as almost every song is more than five minutes long, with “People Will Read Again” clocking in at over ten minutes and “Eclipsical” at around fourteen.
Although it has it’s heavy sections, the album is at it’s best when it dwells in the realm of the weirdly melodic and flirts with spacier textures. A valiant first effort by a band populated of diverse members, I say anyone should give this album a listen with an open-mind, because it’s ambitious and original enough that it deserves a go.
Friday, August 20th, 2010
By Brittany Coleman
After spending a nice weekend in Houston, Texas with her family, Chauntelle DuPree from Eisley spared a few moments to tell me about her love of art.
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chauntelle_art
Twitter: http://twitter.com/chauntelled
When did you start painting and sketching?
I’m the oldest of six kids and we never had enough money for professional lessons, though I was able to take a few small classes from a nice woman here in my town for a couple of months. I still basically taught myself how to draw, though. I set it aside for a good 8 years when I began playing guitar for the band. I just recently got back into doing art.
What are your favorite mediums to use? Paints, charcoals, pencils, pens?
I mainly sketched while growing up. But my favorite medium right now is acrylic paints. I also like to use other things such as pencils, charcoals and watercolors.
How do you choose which medium you’ll use?
I take requests, so whatever the person requests is what I’ll use.
What are your favorite scenes to draw?
I’m obsessed with Disney, so I really love to draw people and cartoons. I also love trees, ships and anything that’s sci-fi, so I try to incorporate those as well.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced with your art?
Well since I wasn’t professionally trained, I’ve tired to overcome my insecurities. It’s hard not to compare myself to other artists. Also, my dad is a graphic designer and he gives me tips all the time, and I love it because I hold his artistic opinions really high.
What inspired you to paint “Transcend the Red Moon”?
Books by C.S. Lewis inspired me to draw the trees like an aisle going down the center. And at the time, I had been reading the sci-fi novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. The person that requested the painting had no style preference. So a lot of that painting’s design is inspired from those books.
What inspired you to draw “Boy Under the Stars”?
Before we got married, my husband said he wanted a piece of art with stars and trees and a boy. So I decided to paint this for him for his birthday.
Do you listen to music when you draw?
I’m almost always listening to music. It’s such a huge part of my life! When I’m painting or sketching I have to have music playing or I feel restricted, creatively. I find that it really inspires me and even motivates me!
With the success from your band, how do you find time to draw?
I’ve had a lot of downtime lately. Currently, the band is in a legal struggle with Warner Brothers (our x record label). We’re trying to get them to release our music to us so we can get back on the road with these new songs. Until then, doing art at home is really helping me cope with all that frustration.
Has there been anyone in your personal life who has influenced your art?
My Dad has always inspired me, since he’s a very talented graphic designer. But my sister Sherri has also truly inspired me. Sherri draws a lot of ink drawings and sells them, and she would always say to me, “I never know why you quit, you were so good!”
Are you currently working on any paintings/drawings, or a series of drawings?
Actually, my sister Sherri and I are both collaborating our art on some custom electric guitars that my husband Todd is building. He’s a very talented luthie. My band plays all his, ‘LaRose’, guitars. We’re excited to see people’s reaction to these unique instruments!
I just finished the acrylic painting with the strange grey tree and orange moons over the ocean, for someone this week. I basically just draw whatever people ask me too. I imagine that I’ll do my own series someday as well.
Would you ever consider making art a part of your career?
If there is more of a demand, then yes, I’ll pursue an artistic career. But right now I’m just testing out the waters and having fun with it.
Who is your favorite artist/painter?
Norman Rockwell is definitely one of my all time favorites! I also like Van Gogh and all the colors he used.
What is your favorite piece of art that you’ve created? Why is it your favorite?
My favorite piece is a drawing of a little girl I drew when I was 14. The little girl is holding a flower in her hand and blowing it. When I had my daughter, I noticed that the picture looks just like my daughter.
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
What’s the origin of the band name? Have you changed the band’s name before?
“The Republic of Wolves” was actually taken from a conceptual project that Gregg was working on when we all got together. That name seemed to fit really well with the sound of the demos we had been putting together, so it stuck. We’ve all been involved in many other acts but this group as it is has always been “The Republic of Wolves.”
How long have you been all been playing? Self-taught?
Mason: I’ve been playing for about seven years now. I took some lessons at the beginning, just until I realized I could write my own songs.
Gregg: I started playing guitar and piano about eight years ago, and I haven’t had any lessons.
Christian: I’ve been playing for nine years now, and I’ve taken a few lessons but I mostly taught myself.
Billy: I’ve been making music and experimenting with a few different instruments, mostly keyboards, for about six years. I’ve never had any lessons.
Chris: I’ve been playing drums for 13 years, and I took lessons for the first six of them.
Who are your major influences? Any major comparisons to certain bands that your music may receive?
We have a lot of different influences, some of which are more obvious in our general sound. We’ve always gotten the Brand New comparison, but they’re just one of many artists that we draw inspiration from. Some other big ones are Bright Eyes, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Tool, Anathallo, Coldplay and the Dear Hunter.
How long have you all known each other? How did you meet? When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
Mason: Well me and Christian met back in 9th grade and immediately started playing music together (as Tigers on Trains). We met Billy shortly after that and we all became close friends, occasionally working together on random music projects. We met Gregg in 2008 and started recording with him the next summer, working on a Tigers on Trains full-length album in his home studio (with him doing theengineering/producing/mixing). We became close friends with him as well, and eventually we all just kind of started writing music together. Gregg had known Chris from an earlier music project so we got him to play drums and that was it. It all came together really naturally, since we were all good friends and we were just doing what we loved.
Where have you performed?
As The Republic of Wolves we’ve only played a handful of shows, mostly because we started recording right off the bat and it took us a while to get our performance together (with a bunch of us still in school). As of now we’ve played a couple of bars on Long Island, includingthe Vibe Lounge, and a club in Brooklyn called the Europa. No huge venues yet, but we don’t care a whole lot about that as long as theshow as a whole is good. And we’ve been lucky enough to share the stage with some great bands, which we’re grateful for.
What albums are you currently listening to and would like to recommend?
Mason: I haven’t really gotten into anything new in the past couple months (besides Justin Bieber and Katy Perry), but I’m still listening tothe Monsters of Folk album as well as “Weathervanes” by Freelance Whales.
Billy: “Assailants” by Lydia, Steel Train’s self-titled album, and Kevin Devine’s “She Stayed as Steam”
Gregg: “Flying Club Cup” by Beirut
Christian: The new Colour Revolt album is great.
Chris: “Discovery” by Daft Punk
Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers?
At most of our shows we’ve basically been playing the entire EP, with the exception of ”Through Windows.” For the last couple shows we’ve added a new song called “Oarsman” to the set, and it’s definitely one of our favorites to perform. We haven’t played any covers yet.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
Mason: Most of the songs are written primarily by me, but Gregg has written a few and Billy does a bit of writing for some of them. Either way we all share our input and work together to perfect each song. Most of the songs revolve around big themes like death, morality and religion, usually taking a really metaphorical or narrative approach to those ideas. Those topics have definitely expanded in certain ways onthe new album, but the larger questions and themes have stayed pretty constant.
Going along with the last question, the song Spill seems to have some religious themes attached to it. Do members of the band have a religious background?
That song, along with a few others, definitely explores some religious concepts. They’re always shown from more of a questioning perspective, though, and none of our songs are meant to preach or send any specific religious message. So no, none of us are particularly or overtly religious, but the question of religion is something that’s definitely present in our song writing. We’ve all been exposed to religion and are definitely intrigued by it, to say the least.
Does the new album Varuna have a theme? If so, describe that theme.
The album is loosely conceptual, and kind of tells a story which revolves primarily around the sea. So in terms of imagery that’s the most obvious recurring theme, but there’s also the usual abstract concepts that pervade throughout. There’s an especially important focus on the struggle between free will and faith, and the different interpretations of religion and a higher power.
What is the deal with Tigers on Trains? Is this a side-project for two members of the band? An extension of The Republic of Wolves?
Mason: Tigers on Trains is an acoustic folk project which consists of just me and Christian (though Gregg helped a lot with the full-length album, entitled Grandfather). It was started a couple years before The Republic of Wolves and is pretty much responsible for all of us getting together. So really you could say that the Republic of Wolves was originally an extension of Tigers on Trains. It’s a very different style ofmusic, simpler and more mellow, but a lot of the songwriting elements are the same. Right now that project is just kind of on the back burner for us, but we expect to release something else under that name sometime soon.
Many people are wondering about a tour. Any plans for a fall tour this year?
Unfortunately most of us are still in school so an actual tour is pretty much impossible for the fall. We had plans to play all the way downthe east coast in August but a lot of things went wrong and it just didn’t work out. We’ll be trying to get regional shows on the weekends or whenever we can, but we probably won’t get out of the northeast until the winter.
What do you think are the major differences between the EP and the album Varuna?
It’s hard to say just yet, since we’re still in the final stages of creating the album, but one thing we can say with confidence is that the album will be more of a complete story which stands on its own as a piece of art. The EP had a bunch of songs thrown together at different times without any strong common bonds, but the songs on the album were really written to go with one another. We’ve also expanded a lot on thealbum in terms of musical elements, branching out instrumentally and conceptually. The album has a much wider range of things to offer, and we’ve taken a lot of chances which we’re really excited about.
Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Someone comes in with the general structure of a song, usually with most or all of the lyrics written, and then we all kind of share our input in the studio. Pretty much right away we start laying down tracks and we finish writing and perfecting the song as we record it. We really just kind of mess around with different instrumental parts and technical elements until we get exactly what we want. It’s a lot of trial and error.
What are some challenges you may face playing at a new venue and not knowing what the sound will be like?
Unfortunately that’s been a problem for us at pretty much all of our shows so far. The sound guys at the venues don’t really know our music so the mix always tends to be a little off; either the keyboard is too loud or the vocals are too quiet, or something along those lines. It’s never totally ruined the show, though, not yet at least.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
We’ve definitely grown more experimental as we’ve continued to try new things in the studio. We’re always expanding and allowing new and different influences to affect our music, and that’s really caused us to grow as musicians.
What has been your biggest challenge as a band?
The main challenge for us is the fact that we’ve remained almost entirely independent since we started. We’ve gotten a little help from our distribution companies (Simple Stereo for vinyl and Vintage Hustle for CDs) but we don’t have any real management or anything like that. So it’s a lot for us to handle, always having to think about promotion and publicity and booking shows, in addition to the writing and recording that takes up most of our time.
It seems the band has used the Internet and social media quite extensively to gain a fanbase. What are the bands thoughts on the way musicians can gain exposure via technology while still being independent from a label?
Well the whole music industry is very different now, with the internet playing such a huge part and all. I think we’re a great example of how it’s possible for a band to gain popularity without any help from a record label. It’s really a lot more about the individual these days, and big companies don’t have nearly as much control as they used to. If a band is good and wants to get heard, they can make that happen on their own. We’re really grateful for the opportunities that the internet has offered, and we owe everything to the fact that it’s really a free market for music.
Going along with the last question, think of technology in light of albums leaking early, and people downloading your album somewhere. What are your thoughts on the way technology has changed the way musicians release their music and make it accessible to fans?
It’s definitely a necessary evil. We obviously would prefer to have people paying for our music, but as long as it’s getting out to people then that’s all that really matters. And in terms of digital releases, we’ve embraced that as a convenient way to sell our music but we still put a lot of emphasis on having a complete physical product. Even though CDs are losing popularity we think it’s really important to be able to hold an album, and to have physical artwork that reflects the music and complements it. But when it comes down to it we really just want people to have our music and to enjoy it.
What’s the ultimate direction for the band?
We really don’t know as of now. We just know that we love creating music and putting it out for people to hear, so we’ll certainly keep writing and recording new material. Obviously we’ll be playing more and more shows as well, to support our releases, and as soon as we can we’ll do some wider touring. But ultimately we’ll continue to look at the band as an artistic project, and we’ll put everything we’ve got into continually creating works of art that people can enjoy.
What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
Our only real advice would be to make music that you really feel passion for, and that you truly enjoy making. And don’t give up if you think you’re bad, because you’ve got to be bad before you can be any good. We’ve all learned that in our own individual ways.
Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
We’d definitely like to acknowledge Doug Castro at Simple Stereo and Brian and Ricky from Vintage Hustle Records for helping us out with everything. The people who offer us emotional support are too many to name, but we’re grateful for all of them.
Any last words?
Thanks so much for taking the time to interview us, and we really appreciate everyone’s support. We’re blessed to have people listening to our music and showing an interest in us. Happy Shrek Week!
Photos by John Azzilonna and Dante Crisafulli
