Hieroglyphic Being or the Sun God are other names you may know Jamal Moss by. But if you listen to the music put out under all these monikers or the disco edits on Members Only, eventually the distortions balanced evenly against soul, the confusing yet orderly time patterns and the sounds reminiscent of times gone by that we haven't quite heard before will become instantly recognizable.
Pushing the boundaries between house and techno closer together with a jerky, percussive style Jamal is a rare breed of modern musician that manages not only to encapsulate influences but also to regurgitate them in a unique and personal manner.
This summer will offer people in Athens the opportunity to hear Jamal on stage at synch which gives me the opportunity to get to know one of house music's luminaries a little better…
Growing up in Chicago and having a love of music must have been very exiting, what got you involved in the house scene?
THe Mundane Reality & Complexity Of Being NON - White In America Gravited Me Musically Towards Divergent Ideas of how Good Music is Preceived or behaviorally Instilled into my consciousness and the liken in my Community.
Basically For My tribe House Music Was a Rebellion Against the Status Quo always Labeling & the Constant Advertisement - Rock is for Us / R&B is For U /
New Wave Is Me & Funk Is U & leave Punk To Us / But Good Music Should Be Utilized to Save All . Seperation & Segregation of any peoples will create and Foster a new Trend or Culture or genre when Choices are limited & inhibited in any Society. So it wasn't just all about Excitement from my perception but away to Idenitify / Connect / Release / Respect / Follow / Learn / Serve / Lead / Evolve ( 9 Protocals ) thru this New Medium of House Music.
How did you come into contact with Adonis and Steve Poindexter who are some of the music's most important figures and what has their impact on you been?
Steve Poindexter & Adonis was a Fixture or Persona that was always out and about in the scene either thru Music or Events or just Consuming like in other Being For SUBSTAINACE or Recreation . They didn't Seperate themselves from the masses because of their Fame ; So it was easy to approach them & Connect and Achieve the 9 Protocals mention before hand and have them Mentor me on The Ying & Yang of The Music Business ( Trial & Error ). Their Always Must Be a Student In Order to Learn From The Masters For a Culture to be perpetual.
House music went through a sticky period around the turn of the century but we are seeing new interest from fresh and seasoned producers do you think the music is taking on a positive direction? No offense but it's still stuck and Sticker Than Ever.
To many Chiefs , No Foot Soldiers , Too Many Dj's & Producers / Non - Foot Therapy & No Rite Of passage / Too Many wanna be seen & Not Feel ( Vibrate ) or Surrender to The Genesis . I would say their are about 80 Producers out of 2,000 who are Pure & Giving Praise to the Electronic Ancestors Or Innovators. And A part of Me is still Growing & trying To surrender til this day;
I have certain Degrees That I must Elevate b-4 I am Centered Properly; because my
Spirit ills me that The Youth in Chicago have a big Disconnect with it's Historical Musical Path.
Your house/techno music stands alone I can't compare it to much, although I do hear influences. Without giving us all your secrets can you divulge any of your method? At least 15 years ( 1984 - 1999 )
of going beyond the Dance ! ( THe Muzic Box / Ron Hardy / Bismark - Lil Louis / Medusa's - Armando /
The Reactor / Dj Rush - 1466 Milwakee Loft Parties / Diz - Shelter/Mark Farina - Red dog ).
All This Places Gave Me Feelings , Memories , A Belonging , Definition , Existence the Dj's Taught me
About
Call & response Hearing them instilled in
me on how to make people let go and be Free.
23 years was just Absorbing & observing ( 1984 - 2007 )
5 years spent Bullshitting ( 1995 - 2000 )
7 years of actually Doing & Contributing ( 2000 - 2007 )
this method or Secret is called life . What you hear & transcribe in my Sounds are my Empathic Experiences
Translated thru Machines or i like to call Audio Memoirs
The disco edits on members only are very detailed, rough and quite different from the plethora of edits out there at present, what got you into making this sound?
It was me Giving an Historical Perspective of The Art of FreeForm editing which was common in Chicago
in the mid 80's with Tape Decks or Tape Edit Machines Or Reel to Reels or Overdubbing.
An few Visionaries Mastered it like Ron Hardy or Lil Louis Or Dj Rush And usually what i heard was grimmy /dirty / ugly / or Not ur Conventional Industry standard Sound Recording which gave it flavor or Soul.
It was a whole underground culture within itself U gotta remember The so -called first house 12 inch by jesse
saunders On & On Is nothing but a remake of an original re-edit of an edit .
What do your live sets involve?
2 analog Drum Machines & Digital 4 Track & 2 Special Cdr's I carry With exclusive edits or freeform
ambient Sounds & Voices.
Apart from obviously house and techno what other sounds influenced your output?
Newage / Classical / afro-Furturism / Industrial / Jazz Dance / Jazz Fusion
Where do the Egyptian references come from?
Being Part Of the Afro -Futurism Movement and the Fact that Certain members of my Family
was Founding Members of that Movement back in the late 50's in chicago;So SUN RA
Was The Zero Point For THe COncept And That Hieroglyphic Being is a Synonym of Sun Ra :)
http://www.velvetmagazine.gr/files/issues/VELVETmagazine_33.pdf
in Greek on page 11.