No Need To Panic
Fog
m[m]Tell our readers who aren’t familiar with Fog a little background behind the group And how did you first come to sound making?
Andrew I have always been making music, since I was a kid. I come from a background of both playing in punk rock bands and hip hop DJing. But I have played all sorts of different types of music in my life played in all kinds of bands coming up. I made the first Fog record on my own with turntables and other instruments, mostly on 4 track- sort of trying to combine Q Bert with Radiohead or something- unsuccessfully... The idea of a group became necessary when it was time to play the songs live, and the group has changed, evolved, de- evolved and re-evolved since the beginning.
m[m] what are some of your earliest musically memories and what do you think trigger your interest in lots of different genres of music?
Andrew Early musical memories include: jamming with my older brother and learning about bands from him, guitar lessons, Jimi Hendrix was a big musical inspiration to me as a young kid... Just using music as an escape, really, something to immerse yourself in when you had no belief in anything else around you.
As far as liking all different kinds of music... I can't really explain that, but it has always just felt natural to me not to discriminate between forms. If something is good and strikes me in Some un-nameable way, then it's good.
m[m]Your sound seems to alter and change with each new release – is this thought out or happing in more organic way?
Andrew It's pretty organic. Usually the music I am writing is kind of a reflection of what other music is inspiring me at the time and that changes pretty frequently.
m[m]Tell Us a bit about the new album Ditherer, where did the title come from?, over what period was it recorded?
Andrew It was recorded sporadically over 2006. As for the title... I guess the album is about fear/ anxiety, or a lot of it is, so it seemed appropriate for the record and for the times.
m[m]How would you musically describe Ditherer?
Andrew It is a rock album, but of course it incorporates many different styles of rock music- from Neil Young-ish stuff to Can to Funkadelic to Xasthur and black metal, etc. Musically, I feel like it's the most coherent and focused Fog effort to date... And I would say that thematically it is a very dark album about dark times.
m[m] Is this album once more a group creation like the ep and your last album?
Andrew More so. All the songs were performed by us as a band, with added guests.
m[m]From the tracks on my space it seems to following on from the lost leader ep, with a more easy and melodic traditional elements as well as quite a country/ rock
music feel in there? Does any of album bring back your off key elements?
Andrew This is certainly the most deliberate music we've made, but yes, I think the album will provide enough weirdness as well.
m[m]As your putting more approachable elements into Fog, can you see you doing a video for any of the tracks? And is there thought’s of any singles?
Andrew Singles- I don't know.. I don't know if we'll ever be the type of band to have a hit single, you know? Just doesn't seem like reality to me. There will be 7" singles for this record, though, with cool remixes by Dntel, Akron/ Family and Jesu.
There also may be a video. It's something I've never cared for much. But we have been talking to Chuck Statler, who directed all the early Devo videos about doing something- that could be cool, so we'll see...
m[m]you’ve often mentioned your love of doom and black metal- can you ever see that making its way into Fog sound?
Andrew I think it already has. Though I don't think I could ever go totally down that road conceptually, there are elements of the new record that are very much influenced by black metal: guitar textures, certain production techniques... even lyrically, I admire black metal for its "get to the point" kind of attitude. So, it's already seeped its way in. Me and Tim Glenn (drummer for Fog) also have a duo called HeatdeatH, which is improvised, cosmic or Buddhist black-metal inspired stuff, and that's been a whole new thing, too.
m[m]Tell us a bit more about your new project HeatdeatH are there any plans to tour or record an album? Our you or other Fog members involved in other musical projects?
Andrew We will probably self-release the HeatdeatH stuff. I would like to tour playing improvised music very much. Hopefully we can make that a reality in the next year or two. Tim Glenn is involved in all sorts of stuff-his other main project is called Squid Fist and he is working on some material for Freedom From Records. His work is more electronic, noise and metal-oriented. Mark Erickson, our bass player, self-released a CD of short dialogues called "Good Morning, Gentlemen" which is also pretty interesting. So, we try to keep ourselves busy. Oh, also Me and Mark played as session musicians on the new Why? record which will be out this fall.
m[m]Can you ever see your self taking a step back & returning to the sound on your early releasers? Would you like to investigate at some point the more ambient, piano
based elements of your sound as on Ether Teeth?
Andrew It's possible. I still like Ether Teeth very much... but I can't really predict things like that.
m[m]Are there any plans to tour with this album? Will you be making it over to Europe again? What’s the live set up theses days?
Andrew Live, we are a 3-piece right now, like on the album: Me, Mark Erickson and Tim Glenn. We may add others, or stay a trio- it really depends on the circumstances more than anything. If I was rich, of course I'd love to have a large band and lots of sounds, but being totally stripped down to guitar-bass-drums has been very rewarding, so... we'll see. anyway, we'll most likely be touring in Fall 2007.
m[m]On the subject of live concert’s- have any ever been filmed, as you seem to change with your live set up each time I’ve seen you- if so any thoughts of a
live dvd or any kind of dvd for that matter?
Andrew No, not yet. I don't think I am satisfied enough with our live show yet to feel like a DVD is warranted.
m[m]so you’ve never filmed any of your live concerts?
Andrew They have been filmed from time to time, but I don't keep any or watch them.
m[m]Name your top ten records of all time and why?
Andrew Idaho- Hearts of Palm
Radiohead- Ok Computer
Nas- Illmatic
cLOUDDEAD- s/t
Sonny Sharrock- Ask the Ages
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane over the Sea
Funkadelic- Maggot Brain
Albert Ayler- Spirits Rejoice
Neil Young- On the Beach
Wu Tang- 36 Chambers
Andrew It’s hard to explain why these, and its difficult to choose... there could be many, many others on this list, but to me, all of these are Flawless and embedded deeply in my psyche. I think of these records
When I am making my own music.
Thanks To Andrew for kindly agreeing to do the interview. You’ll find fog’s my space here where you can hear 3 sample tracks from Ditherer, which sounds very promising, with the band re-inventing and adding new angles to their distinctive sound.