Dear Valentine Falcon, Maxamillion Avila and Mac Mann!
Thanks for taking time to answer my questions! Please write down who of you says what. I will make a story out of this interview for the December issue of <>, the more and the more interesting information you give me, the longer the text will be. I will also bring a professional photographer to the Berlin show to illustrate the loveless letters. On myspace.com/rokkosadventures, there are three stories as PDF-files (one about Ruth Weiss, one about a subculture that bores holes in their heads to get high and the third about the Belgian rockers Ultraphallus) so you can see how it looks like in the end, approximately. Of course I'll send the magazine to you when it's finally done, but it's gonna be in German, sorry….let's begin:
Q?:First of all: Why don't we have a face-to-face chat when you are in Europe?
(whole interview done by Valentine)
A:When you come to the show-and meet us we WILL be face to face and probably chatting. Okay I will attempt this interview once more, this being the third time-it is becoming more a challenge now then an interview...My computer shut down both time upon completion-ha! Well I have amazing Alice Coltrane on, and my right eye is mysteriously swollen up-I think it will work this time!
I love so much the ancient art of writing-and jump at any opportunity to respond in this fashion-it allows for a the freedom and time to articulate and ornamate the response at hand-there is a contemplation and awareness of how it will be read, if I am speaking there is a concern of how the song of answer will sound- I write this as if it were a letter-it is still personal just silent.
Q?:Please give me the boring basic information: when and where was Get Hustle founded, which projects did it grow out of, how was the beginning of it all and how did it develop over the years (any line up/style/approach/label/.../... changes?)
A:Because I love treasure hunting and have answered this question so many times-I shall send you all out on a hunt, if you go to White Magic Cake Mountain-on Myspace-under the Blog "Interview with The President of Liberation" it is the first question answered on that page, check, check, check, it out!
Q?:Are you still involved in any other projects? If yes, please give me further information.
A:YES!-just finished tour c.d-"Down From The Clouds-Out Louds"
Maxamillion: Magick Daggers, Holy Molar, Professional Boyfriend (kidding)
Mac: Sound/recording engineer-Electrician, I (we) are doing a read along sing along psychedelic children's book, me-continuing to sculpt the rock of an envisioned utopian society (and so on)
Q?:Is it the first time for you in Europe in September? I know you cancelled one gig last year in Berlin that would have been with Quintron, XBXRX,...
A:It is our first time as Get Hustle, we didn't actually cancel the last tour, our booking agent at the time became ill and was unable to complete it, in turn any shows that had been booked had to be terminated.
Q?:It is all kind of strange for me, because you are touring the US all the time and have won your fan base there for sure, but let's say in Germany, probably none has ever seen you live before. Or have I missed you conquering Europe?
A:That is why we are going silly, because we've never been there; to continue only playing in the states is like performing for your bedroom mirror-nuthin new.
Q?:How is your relationship to Europe and, in comparison, to the States: Is there a huge gap between the amount of people that visit your shows? Also, considering the record sales?
A:I think we have felt more support from Europe over the years, which is strange because we have never played a show there...I think there is choices one must make about any action you participate in, there is a desire to make every action as a powerful impact-touring the U.S was not creating this impact... so much energy went into setting out and putting out this gathered force of energy, yet it never renewed itself-it just detonated-broke sound barriers, and left trails of dust-nothing was built in it's place, we thus made a decision to reconfigure-what NOW will have impact...a drawing in-distilling of sorts... recording records, travelling to unknown lands, broadcasting in less physically exerting ways yet still maintaining the psychic power that permeates beyond a moment of performance, this is the most impact full...and it is our first means of performance (thought comes before anything), the thought is our conductor for the energy we desire to transmit!
Q?:I really have no clue how 'successful' you are in fact – can you live on making music?
A:Our success lies in the diligence and perseverance of seeing out this continuum of a vision. Each time It seems we are done-and maybe have fulfilled this band's creational purpose-another level reveals itself-all that is left is to take it higher, none of this can be measured thus far by the dollar, I like dollars though-literally-they are decorated in a very mystical fashion-I feel if they represented more of this mysticism-we actually might have more of them [dollars], they would be more amulet like-and we would use them for good. It has not yet worked out as such-even if we were to stop playing I feel quite successful what we have accomplished so far, even just to be in relation creatively with two other people for 12 years in and of itself is a success-and I love them!
Q?:I mean, yes: you put your records out on famous labels like 31G, Gold Standard Laboratories and 5Rue Christine but I didn't find a single interview with you in the internet or a magazine with a story about Get Hustle [people are dumb].
A:We were the first passengers on their maiden voyages. At the time our records were out on those labels it was an experiment to see if their ships would even run-experiments are guides on the path to success but not necessarily the success itself, so we got a joy ride out of it-and thankfully not too much recognition-honestly we wouldn't want people to hear the old things thinking that is our sound of today...it all works out.
Q?:Get Hustle causes that strange magic feeling when you listen to it and also the pictures of you and your shows fuel that spiritual impression. Maybe it's just the feeling we Europeans have because you rarely show up here or might it be possible that you aim to let the people rack their brains about Get Hustle, its sonic experiments combined with that idiosyncratic charisma? Is it just like a mask for the stage or is it something that comes from your "real life"?
A:It makes me so happy to you feel this from our music. I think we as a band all feel this strange magic feeling and that is why are music sounds as such, it is by no means a mask, I feel we all have come from a more ancient Atlantean time, we are mere artifacts spreading what gold leaf is left from our troves, filling in the holes, reminding of the time and how it felt to have once been GOLDEN.
Q?:It's also certain aesthetics that European artists have not discovered or invented yet – is it different in the US?
A:Just the other day I was saying how I would like my house to be decorated as a time traveller's abode. I think we as a band have this ascetic, we take everything great from all eras, and passages of time-we wear it like skins, as the natives have done to represent and assimilate our selves in this society, the culture, and upon this land (yeay!).
Q:I can't find the right words to explain the sounds you produce – can you?
A:Yes! Sun Ra meets Betty Davis, Annette Peacock, Black Sabbath, Stooges, and the MC5! (a dash of O.D.B)
Q:Tell me what you are fascinated or inspired by: anything from music, movies books to all kinds of substances and places, people and activities.
A:Maxamillion:Nature (he is a bit of a luddite-unimpressed by most things made of man)
Mac: no Comment
Valentine (me): Anything/Everything Supernatural, Great Spiritual leaders, singing higher, and then singing the highest, and an unending reverence for Diamanda Galas, Betty Davis, Annette Peacock, and Nina Simone...I want to be like all of them some day! Annnnnd Native Americana!
Q?:I guess you also produce other forms of art like painting or writing, don't you?
A:Yes, all the record/t-shirt art, lyrics, and low rider graphics, etc...
Q?:Portland seems to be an interesting place to live in: Joe Preston, Jim Goad, Arrington de Dionyso of Old Time Relijun, just to name a few who live there. Is there a big scene, is Portland a city with a lot of creative energy?
A:Yeah I think so, maybe it's like Jamaica when Bob Marley was there, but not as cool. It is amazing to be in such close proximity to so many great people, but it's the hood-we all live in it-and Portland is a ridiculously small town. I think creative people always gravitate toward each other-it is a like mindedness, it has always been this way... I don't know sometimes I really like Portland and sometimes I'd rather be panning gold in Alaska... it just depends.
Q?:You worked with Mackie Osborne, right? How came that?
A:David Scott Stone was friends with her-and when he was in the band he invited her to join. Mackie is an amazing creature, Buzz too.
Q?:Also, with Sir Dave Scott Stone and you are good friends with Joe Preston, I've heard – are you part of the big Melvins-family?
A:I like the word family, but I think I can speak for us all when saying we don't subscribe to just one. We are ALL family-the whole world if we wanted to be. David Scott Stone and Joe are great friends-and individual artists - akin to a magical deer-they are visionary creators; as you know when the settlers came to this land they used animal paths as their means of travel in fulfilling their destiny of vision and dream, David and Joe have created paths such as these. It is maps for others to course out their own direction for mind and music expansion. When I think of the fellas, I only see them in this moment and their future-I release them, and all people from their past. The past is merely a place to secure the streamers so as to decorate the rest of one's life-I focus on the decoration-it is like a chandelier-do you fix on the plug-or behold it's crystal brilliance. The Melvins and all bands David Scott Stone and Joe Preston have played with are amazing, but they are their own star constellation -and like all people in the world-we mingle, and share the sky-but remain as an individual STAR.
Q?:The Jyrk collective sounds very interesting [http://www.jyrk.com/], can you tell me something about that?
A: I was asking Pete about that, because I didn't know his label was called the jryk collective, he said at present time-the members, now empowered from this collective are branching out-setting forth into their own realms of a similar quest. Pete is starting a new label not yet named but on the rise. As for the Yellow Swans-they're amazing-I love Pete and Gabe so much-they're super rad-and I try to refrain from saying –rad-too much, in this case it pertains...They totally do their thang, they work really hard, travel, record, and are loved world wide as great musicians, and people-I wish I could see one of them right now-I would give them a high five!
Q?:There was just the re-election of the five wonders of the world – what's your tope five?
A:I have two: Crystal caves in Mexico, and the Pyramids. Maxamillion told me about these blind fish that dwell at the very depths of the deepest part of the ocean, the place where lava flows and mountains are still being formed-the fish intrigued him, they live off micro organisms inside of the gaseous fume bubbles-born of the lava...it is amazing to think of present day prehistoric like creationism-happening upon the earth yet we are like the blind fish-and see none of it-Wonder!
Q?:What are your future projects? New record? Which label? DVD? Book? Exhibition? Any (musical) collaborations planned? What else?
A:Yes, yes, yes Maxamillion has a Magick Daggers record coming out in October, Mac will be recording three years of Get Hustle-Live from the tombs, ya'all (Actual record is called: Broken Shamain)! Our friend Dave Sitek (T.V on the Radio) and Chris Cody (Amazing) will be recording us early October, and I will be embarking on an art show "Remains Silent-canyonmesaconsciousness" in early December, everything White Magic Cake Mountain, and for the children-the sing-along-read-along psychedelic bookety- book-or story (get hustle song) I should say.
Much love,
Valentine, Mac, and Maxamillion
THAAAAAANKS!
Q?:Please bring one of each record you put out to Europe except the Dream Eagle LP and the Mad Power/Who do you love 7", thank you. A t-shirt [Medium or Large] would also be perfect. I will buy all that at a show in Germany, probably Hamburg or Berlin. [yes, seriously, it's not too easy to get your records over here...]
A: Yes I agree with you-we can't obtain them either, I wonder if they really exist-that is the question.
Rokko's Adventures: http://www.myspace.com/rokkosadventures