Getcha Some Productions Podcast Episode 29
https://reverb.grsm.io/GetchaSome
http://www.getchasomeproductions.com/podcast
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_nc0nleQ5Yk_eKuNpkDFvQ
A podcast covering all things related to music production: from the first note to the last fan and everything in between. Our mission is to create music and to inspire others to do the same.
Not your typical podcast, each episode is a live business meeting. We are figuring out how to build a media empire (a music production company at least) as we go and listeners come along for the ride. This is an archive of our progress and/or lack thereof.
This podcast is always candid and unrehearsed.
In this episode we discuss:
We always try to be as awkward as possible.
We have a special guest in this episode: Raja Azar, Evil Wizard of Synthesizers
Raja is our good friend and collaborator of many years.
We all like Chinese food.
Raja is a pianist and synth player. Studied mostly modern classical stuff. Got into electronics. Is now obsessed with synthesizers and has been since the 1990s when he got is first Roland JP-8000. He used the exact synth on our stint with the Jollyship the Whiz-Bang.
Even with all the crazy fancy equipment he’s bought over the years, the Roland JP-8000 is his favorite. Perhaps because he knows it so well.
Raja’s current project is called Downtown. Links:
https://thisisdowntown.bandcamp.com/album/headhunter
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCRCpU0dp8C9erLLyD7fJ8mA
https://instagram.com/downtown_the_band?igshid=16660q56sniit
There was actually a period of 7-8 years where he didn’t really play music. Not in the greatest head-space and had a new baby, moved from NY to Pacific Northwest.
“I guess I’m not a musician anymore. I’m a barista for life”
Then Dane Hudson called him up and sent Raja a link to a Downtown demo. Reminded him of Ladytron. Sounded like evil Ladytron. That resonated with him. That was 3 years ago. It’s evolved now. Nicholas Markel writes all the songs (lyrical content). At first it was just Nick with a revolving cast or even an iPod backing track.
Compares to Devo, Trans Am, Suicide. They get compared to Atari Teenage Riot. Noisy, slightly arty, subversive, satirical, high energy, low fi, electronic punk rock.
“Weirdo electronics are cool and interesting again.”
“People in Seattle hate us.”
2019 EP is called Headhunter. Downtown.
Raja is still keeping it real.
We wanted to get to the reason we were having the call/video-chat in the first place which is to discuss a long distance Jazz collaboration.
Raja and I (Keith) were texting about Flamenco Sketches and saying how we should do a version of that which sounds like traditional Jazz but Raja is playing bonkers synth sounds instead of traditional Jazz sounds.
Oh yeah, it was because he was raving about the sounds he was getting from his new synth.
“I don’t know shit about Jazz.”
We need to back up a bit. This podcast is like a live business meeting. This is the diner conversation about how we are going to start the project. This is the actual live conversation about how we are going to pursue this project.
I (Keith) want to learn Jazz and want to do a project with Dan and Raja where we learn concurrently. I want to make something that is systematically always improvised.
The best thing we can do is dream about what we can accomplish and/or what we can get from the project.
The thing that Dan wants to get from the project is to re-solidify the artistic connection that we used to have – the three of us (Raja, Dan and Keith). Dan has a very strong background in improvising but not in the style of Jazz. He would like to explore that and grow as an artist.
Raja has spent years doing weird crazy noise music. Exploring timbre and structure in non-traditional ways. He is really good at that. He is not so good at improvising within the structure of a more standard idiom like pop, rock, Jazz, etc. He is very fluent in playing “out” structures like diminished sounds. He is also very good at playing pentatonic sounds. He wants to get better at brining more melodic material to traditional structures but also bring in the experimental timbres and sounds.
What Raja said sparked my (Keith) memory in that I was planning on learning a method book of very quintessential, standard Jazz chords and chord progressions but Raja would play traditional Jazz melodic material (Jazz language) but with very non-traditional sounds.
I make the case for using traditional Jazz structures but writing our own songs on top to avoid copyright issues.
Dan suggests deferring to me (Keith) to select the method books we are going to use. That is my assignment.
“Stay tuned for some true genius.”
“Please get out there and make music. It’s easy. What’s wrong with you?”
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