James Earthenware

Transcript from an Interview with James Earthenware.

Related Projects:

Groper 1996 -1998
Screwburner 1997 - 2001
Paint Dry 1999 - 2000
Cam Salad 2000 - 2001
Celebrity Rescue and The Beige Athletes 2001-2001
Dangerous With Machinery 2001 - 2001
Steve Layout 2002-2003
The Reverse Engineers 2003 -???
The Aphids 2004

But now James Earthenware is a one man band with computer beats, melodic lo-fi guitar noise, naive computer game music keyboards and random verbal announcements. James records all his material in his bedroom using obsolete technology. His bedroom is located in AUSTRALIA, a country that was once a British colony but is now obsessed with importing it's cultural identity from the United States.

James often collaborates with Loscha as "The Reverse Engineers", getting up to all sorts of keyboard modifying / circuit bending shinanigans.

EMAIL: reverse[dot]engineers[at]gmail[dot]com

Official Website (abandoned and derelict): http://www.jamesearthenware.com

Earthenware Live + More Songs: http://www.myspace.com/reverseengineers

LAST FM (listen to backcatalogue): http://www.last.fm/music/James+Earthenware


Blog:http://earthenware.livejournal.com/

Reverse Engineers Site: http://reveng.sevcom.com
..

Why this name?

At the time (1999), James Earthenware was the most absurd name I could think of but last year I thought of a more ridiculous name "Team Thesaurus" but for the sake of continuity I'm not changing anything.

Do you play live?

Twice a year perhaps...gigs sometimes at The Vic or Bar Open but most likely at The Good Morning Captain in Fitzroy/Collingwood. (Melbourne - Australia)

How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?

I don't have to waste time burning CD's for people anymore...now I just waste hours converting file formats and uploading material on a slow connection instead.

Would you sign a record contract with a major label?

No, if a major label offered me a contract it would imply that my music has lost all it's intellectual and emotional content and my conscience would force me to move interstate and farm chickens. (Hi Casionova!).

Your influences?

Lo-Fi Pop, 60's Pop, Kinder-core, Computer Game Music, Chip Music, ,Lo-Fi Electronica, Psychedelia, Kraut Rock, Space Rock, Prog Rock, Post Rock, Math Rock, Jazz Fusion, Ambient, Industrial Hardcore Techno, IDM, Melodic Electronic, Drum and Bass, Grindcore.

Favorite spot?

Toorak, on hard rubbish collection day.

Equipment used: Computers: Pentium 3 - 500 w/256MB RAM for sampling and programming beats and multitrack recording.
Atari 1040ST and Commodore 64 as back up midi sequencing in case of PC failure.

Keyboards/ Synths / Guitars: Yamaha CS-01, PS-1, PC-100, PSS-20, PSS-150
Casio MT-11, 40, 45, 65, 70, 200
Casio VL-1, VL-5 and a Circuit Bent VL-5
Casio Rapman, SK-100, PT-7, 20, 50 and 82
Casio CK-500 and CT-310
Suzuki Unisynth XG-1M Midi Guitar
Suzuki XG-1 FM Synthesiser Guitar
Kawai MS-710 Midi Home Keyboard
Epiphone Les Paul Sunburst Guitar

Drum Machines
Yamaha DD-6 PCM Drum Machine (Circuit Bent)
Mattel Synsonics Analog Drum Pads
Korg KPR-77 Mk2 (To be circuit bent)
Angel Toy Glockenspiel

Effects/ Amplifiers / Mixers:
Behringer MX-1602A
Digitech RP-3, RP-7, Talker
Frostwave Blue Ringer
Akai EX75 Noise Reduction
Ibanez DD1000 Digital Delay
Korg Pandora's Box
Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
VOX AC-1 Toy Practice Amp

Recording and Monitoring
Technics SA-104 or SUZ-15 hi fi amp
Technics M205 and M240X Tape Decks
Technics EQ
Technics SH-8040 Kareoke Component
Marantz LS-140 Speakers
TDK Velocd CD Burner
TDK MP-100 Headphones

Anything else...?
Bless yourselves with streams of light.


Contact me on mySpace:

MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jamesearthenware