Interview with Al Margolis
Al Margolis was one of the prime movers in the cassette underground scene of the 1980s (between 1984 and 1991 his Sound Of Pig label released over 300 cassettes of music by the likes of Merzbow, Costes, Amy Denio, John Hudak and Jim O'Rourke) and is the éminence grise behind over 30 years of music under the name If, Bwana. He is the man behind the Pogus label.
If, Bwana was begun on New Year's day 1984 by Al Margolis, who was an activist in the 1980s American cassette underground through his cassette label Sound of Pig Music. He co-founded experimental music label Pogus Productions, which he continues to run. If, Bwana makes music that has swung between fairly spontaneous studio constructions and more process-oriented composition
1. There is a moment in life for every artist and musician to get
inspired and move on towards a certain direction and commit to start
doing what is closer to your interest? You also have been through
different stages in your life related to different genres. Can you
describe this (those) moment(s)?
As you mention, there have been different stages (and probably will
continue to be). For me, I am not sure that at the time I knew it was a
different direction – I mean I do not recall them being aha moments
until maybe later. So that I likely started working or shifting in a
certain way and then realized it was to be embraced. I guess I am
suggesting that it has been more of an organic situational change then a
clear cut “moment”. If this makes sense (and answers your question).
2. In your work you use instruments and setups that you build yourself.
it is not only interesting and a great value but gives an important
shape to your solo and collaborative work. How did it start? How do you
feel about it?
Well, I cannot say I “build” any instruments. And while not actually
deconstructing any instruments in a physical sense, I do sort of aim to
play what I use in a deconstructed style – I often say that I am either
trying to get the “right” sounds by playing things incorrectly or maybe
even more accurately, aiming for the “wrong” sounds by playing the
instrument correctly. So I do approach what I play/use more as sound
objects than as instruments I suppose. In live performance I tend to use
violin or viola with contact mics and what I (lovingly) refer to as my
“pile o’ junk”. Objects, detritus etc. This way of playing began for me
as I began playing more improvisational shows. There has been an
interesting improv scene in the Northeast USA that I started being part
of and while at the beginning I was still using a laptop in the live
situations, I started also adding some other objects etc. And then it
just became more interesting/fun/quicker response time to just kind of
switch over to a more instrument and contact mic based situation. The
tactility and visual element also becoming of more interest (and again
entertaining – for me at least). And I have found it to be very
satisfying to play that way and it also keeps me thinking of what
instruments/sounds can I use/make.
3. Using certain technology to create music is a great idea but can also
be a message. What drives you to create sounds using them? How did it
evolve over the years of your personal experience?
I cannot say that my use – or non-use of tech is a message. It is more
about personal choices as well as circumstances. In terms of live
performance I have gone from using laptop – particularly when I was
doing a lot of “composed” work in performance, either solo or with other
musicians playing my work or when collaborating with video artist
Katherine Liberovskaya for a long time. But as the live situations
changed and my computers kept dying on me during tours and it became
more interesting to have the tactile sensation as well as the visual
element of playing instruments etc. I started to move towards the live
setup I generally use today – viola/violin, contact mics, objects and
junk etc. This setup allows me to, depending on venue, even play
acoustically if I choose.
4. How do you set up for your live gigs? What approach do you have in
terms of composing?
I generally have the same set up for most shows, though it can depend on
if I am playing solo or with others, and also on the venue or general
idea of space/place. Sometimes I will play acoustically if it seems like
the right sonic space. Sometimes instead of bringing my “usual” setup of
violin or viola and contact mics, objects, wind instrument
(clarinet/oboe), I may feel that I need/should do something different
and so then who knows what I may use. That tends to happen more when it
is either a shorter type performance or I am playing with someone who I
know I can “get away” with doing that. If you are asking how I compose
for live performance, it is improvisational (well even my
composing/recording start off that way as well). It can again be
situational in the live show. For instance, on occasion there might be
someone else on the bill who plays similarly (instrument/sound
sources/sonic territory) to what I might be doing, and if they play
before me, it might change how I think about playing that show so as to
highlight differences in sounds/approach. So that each show I do aim to
try and do something different within the parameters of what I am using
to create sound. I have to say that while I often try to approach my
recording/composing with the same intent as my live shows – which tend
toward the quiet side, what works live for me does not always translate
into an interesting recording. Then I just try to make the recording be
something I would want to hear again (and hope of interest to others as
well). So they – live and recorded – are often 2 different beasts.
5. How did you feel about collaborating with anyone before you met? What
brought you together and how did you find the communication?
Well in general I am open to collaborating with anyone. For live
situations, even if I know who I will be collaborating for the first
time, I try and not listen to what they do. I like the surprise and
going into the situation with no preconceptions. If you are in
particular asking about the collaboration of Elka Bong with Watt, well I
still have not met Watt. I have played in person with Walter Wright now
for many years – as Elka Bong and in other live projects (Tough Day
Tubing, 3 Beards are Better Than One, other ad hoc situations) and we
also have done now many Elka Bong releases by distance as with Watt and
many others – check out our Bandcamp page. With Watt, both Walter and I
had done his Watt from Pedro podcast – both separately and together and
during the podcast with Elka Bong, we invited Watt to collaborate – and
in fact as I write this we are working on our 4th Bong Watt release.
6. In an ever changing distribution of music how do you see your place
and how do you feel about physical releases? you have had a beautiful
story that started four decades ago with hometaping - how did it evolve
I am not sure I have a place. I still like and would prefer physical
releases. However I have kind of decided that with just lots of items –
mostly cds but also some tapes of my work – still sitting unsold, I am
probably not going to be putting my own money into physical releases
anymore (always subject to change of course). If someone ese is
interested, cool, I am all for that. But now when I have new things (and
the occasional older item that pops up) I will just release it digitally
on Bandcamp. I have sort of half-heartedly made my own tapes recently,
just maybe when I have been going out on tour – these are all home
dubbed. And I have on and off been selling some old SOP stuff – the
interest kind of comes in waves – and also depends on how my tape deck
situation is.
7. You run your own label - how does it work these days?
Well I am not really taking on anything new – certainly not physical
product. It took me a number of years of putting things out because
“that is what I do” to realize that with the whole shift in listening
and formats, well I didn’t enjoy doing this anymore – no one cared about
what I released and no one bought or wanted Pogus releases. (Not even
the artists it seemed sometimes). So perhaps the occasional digital
only, but mainly just maintaining what has been released to this point.
8.Plans for the future?
Keep on doing what I am doing I hope – and evolving.
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