Podcast 2021.11 Cosmic Hum

Thee U.F.O. are from Dublin. Their track “Floating Eye” appeared on Podcast 2020.15: The New Number 2.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
TUFO: That’s a tough question. It would have to be a toss up between Damo Suzuki and Holger Czukay both of CAN.
I could only imagine the fun of being in one of Damo’s bands. I’d love to play drums with him, be pretty interesting if everyone in our band switched instruments to jam with him.
I’d love to work with Holger in a production capacity. He’s an amazing sound engineer, and just a generally interesting guy. His solo work is fun and quirky so maybe in a songwriting capacity too! He’s dead though….
The live album we’re putting out next month was partly inspired by the CAN bootlegs as well as their official live stuff.
I’ve obviously been listening to too much CAN!!

Diagonal is a psychedelic six-piece from Chicago.
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
D: A lot of the music (if not all of it) came from jams or voice memos from practices, which would include some improved melodies or lyrics. I didn’t settle on anything completely concrete until about a week or so before we started tracking a good chunk of the songs because at that point we would have a very solid map, and song structure. I wrote the lyrics to Anticipation, while I was sitting in the waiting room of a hospital, on the north side of Chicago with Ashley, my partner, waiting for a Prenatal visit. I was probably pulling my hair out about a million things – but in that moment, I remembered where we were, and what it meant. I don’t know. It basically fell out of my head in its entirety in maybe 7 minutes.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
D: Setting does a lot for the tone of the song. That garage that most of this song came together in, is a very happy place. A lot of friendly bands and jams have filled that place with so many good ideas and tunes. It kinda soaks into your sweater when you go in there.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
D: This is tough. There are so many people and projects that I’d be itchy to play with. I really wanted to meet Richard Swift, and only could have dreamed of working with him. We love our collaboration with Brian Fox at Altered States, that talented, precious & patient person. Oh god, Annie Clark-that is a genius, I don’t even know what I would contribute, just slack jawed awe probably.

Codex Serafini are a Saturnian Ritualistic band hailing from outer-space, currently passing through Earth and temporally residing in Sussex. They are keen to spread their message as far and wide as is possible in their current forms.
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
CS: Our writing process, like us takes many forms, the conscious and unconscious, some come naturally, almost as though we are all connected five limbs working as one whole, but other times it is more thought out were the mind is trying to communicate a dream to the hands to draw that fleeting image. Recording happens all of the time, every idea is a good idea to record, even if in fact it is terrible, there is always something to be learned, and shared. When it comes to making recording that well feel we want to share with the rest of the cosmos we spend time making sure we are articulating that idea in the best way possible, spending time honing an idea to it’s fullest potential, but we still want to convey the energy of the performance and of the atmosphere of the recording space, which is why even if we use multiple mics and mixes we record live as a unit all 5 limbs with one collective mind.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
CS: We are lucky to live in the Albion at this present time on the edge of the Sussex Down and very near to the Sea, we feed off the energy of the cities of Brighton and Hove, the coming of going of souls, the marriage of work and of creativity and of the hedonistic energies, but we certainly couldn’t live without the calm of the sea and of the rugged nature that is all around us, the harsh cliffs of seven sisters and the wandering winding paths of Stanmer and Devils Dyke, where you can free yourself from your daily grind and lose yourself in thought and reconnect with your true nature.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
CS: Living musicians would be a far more interesting concept as we really feel that we could in someway connect with other beings through the collaborative nature of making music, saying that there are a number of dead ones that we feel an affinity with and could somehow channel though our music, but maybe we will leave that to another interview… living musicians that we would like to collaborate with would have to include Omar and Cedric from The Mars Volta, they are a constant source of inspiration, and our singer has had many dreams where she has been performing with them.. it could be a sign? Other being that would be interesting and incredible to work with would definitely include the drummer Zach Hill of Death Grips/ Hella who has in fact worked with Omar and Cedric, as well as another person he has worked with Nick Reinhart, who is an amazing songwritter as well as a guitar and effect pedal wizard, he’s next level good! The future of music is in his fingers and from his toes! We would also love to play with Damo Suzuki of Can, who does do collaborative sets with different bands each in each city he plays, a different one each time he visits, sometimes a full band and sometimes a collection of musicians, we have had the pleasure of witnessing a few and supported him at one where he performed with Zofff, which was incredible, he never disappoints to carve out something fresh and new at each performance, connecting with the rhythms, flow and textures of the musicians he’s performing with as well as staying true to his creative vision, that would be a dream come true! And imagine the 5 of them, and the 5 of us, that would blow our minds. We’d like to add, that over the course of our short time as the wandering travellers of Codex Serafini we have had the pleasure of playing and collaborating with a great number of musicians, 3 different sax players, a trumpet player, a lady that plays flute, 6 different drummers as well as dabbled with the idea of adding synth, we would at some point like to expand the lineup and include some of these past iterations of Codex into a larger and more mind bending experience. Lastly we would like to thank the digital collaborators we have had the pleasure of working with in the form of our remix release “Twisting the Serpents of Enceladus” available via Ceremonial Laptop, which included tracks from Greg aka Slugabed, Chris from The International Debt and Greg from Punching Swans amongst others.

The Myriad Dharma is from Gold Coast, Australia. Their track “Feel The One” appeared on Podcast 2021.01 Peace and Love: A Warning.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
TMD: Environment is so important cause we are just reflecting that into the music. The environment directly affects our consciousness, and those vibrations go directly into the music, I’d say the songs that I’m happy with, were recorded in a spiritual atmosphere, sun shining, incense burning, trees flowing, and the rougher songs were recorded in cramped damp rooms ext.
Most people are conscious of their material surroundings, and you can feel that in the music. The Myriad Dharma is trying to take you beyond the mundane into the transcendental realm, a glimpse into eternal if you will, we are not qualified, but are trying to play are tiny tiny part in uplifting even just 1 person.
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
TMD: The songs are like water, they come to together according to the time place and circumstance.
I wrote recorded, mixed ext. about 20 songs in about 2-3months time cause they just flowed out of me, now for the time being, it is building back up in another direction. So it’s not like we made these songs, We are just picking up the vibrations around us and painting that picture,
The Bhagavad Gita (3:27) says
‘The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.’
(3:29)
Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers’ lack of knowledge.
Music is vibration, it is not necessarily material, unless it is directed towards material energy, like the crow garbage that plays on the radio and in the grocery stores, in it’s pure form, it is spiritual vibration, and that is our aim and process.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
TMD: Every song that is stored in my collective subconscious garage is a collaboration,
just musicians and melodies floating through the cosmos, you know,
could be picking up some middle ages folk jam, some Egyptian lyre dead sea chanting
who knows where the river flows, the hill dwellers in the caves of the Mesopotamia?
I mostly chant this mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
All inspiration comes from chanting this transcendental sound vibration, there is nothing like it, sing it, dance to it, love to it, it is so sublime, like an ocean of bliss like never ceases, transcendental ecstasy and pleasure, the source of all music, it’s so easy, don’t wait for the kingdom of heaven, it is in your midst, as the Christ said, just chant
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
and free your mind.

Technicolor Blood is from Montreal, Québec
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
TB: Rehearsal for us often consists of setting up our gear, then diving into a series of long, spontaneous jams. We’ll usually pluck most of our riffs from those sessions, and work on arrangements together. It’s a very democratic and organic sort of process, with everyone ultimately contributing towards bringing the song to life.
We are also very lucky in the sense that over the years, our singer/guitarist/synth player Martin has managed to set up a decent recording rig in our space, and so we are able to do everything, short of mastering, ourselves. Even in terms of recording, we try not to overthink our performances, keeping it pretty loose… warts and all.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
TB: Montreal winters are notoriously long, dark and cold. The city however transforms itself into a hub of vibrancy during the summer months, during which there is an obvious unspoken need to overcompensate for all the time spent indoors. There is a strange duality to it, which in my opinion makes it a special place. Speaking for myself however, music is mostly about escapism and is a means of release… I think a feeling of alienation is what actually drives a lot of what I do in life, and I doubt a change of scenery would change much of anything in my own approach.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
TB: Carl (Drums): I almost feel as though I’m cheaping out on you with a somewhat cliché answer, but the person who immediately came to mind for me was Lemmy Kilmister. Having produced such an impressive and varied body of work ranging from The Rockin’ Vickers, Sam Gopal, Hawkwind and of course Motorhead, he’s touched upon a lot of things I love. I’d mostly be in it for the sake of drinking Jack and Cokes while listening to him tell stories, though.
Steph (Guitar): For my part, locals Voivod immediately come to mind as far as influence and all-around-awesomeness. Closely followed by stoner legends Monster Magnet.
Martin (Guitar, synths, vocals): I can’t say that I’ve ever really asked myself that question, but as a musician, I’d be hard pressed to find others with whom I could match the complicity our band has built over time.
As an audio engineer however, there are a number of bands and artists with whom I’d like to collaborate, many of whom remain unknown to the public at large outside of the garage rock scene I’ve been involved with over the past thirty years or so, and some of whom I’ve had the chance to play shows alongside or directly work with: Pat Meteor from Demons Claws, Roy Vuccino from Red Mass, Mathieu Blackburn and Brian Hildebrandt from Primitive hands, Olivier from Les Envahisseurs, Joe Farley from Complications… From beyond our city, I would have to say Mr. Airplane Man, Lenny Helsing from The Thanes and Massimo Del Pozo from The Others, for whom I have a great deal of admiration, not to mention Sula Bassana from Electric Moon. As for those who are no longer with us, certainly Moebius from Cluster and Conny Plank, who produced a number of incredible recordings. They say he used his studio as a musical instrument. I’d have loved to be his assistant or apprentice to absorb as much knowledge as I could from him.
Boredom L: (Bass, synths): Barring his regrettable work on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, I’d have to go with Michael Lloyd, the brains behind West Coast Experimental Pop Art Band, The Smoke and October Country. We’re actually covering “My Girlfriend Is A Witch” by the latter group, and the track will likely be on our upcoming split 12” release alongside Plastic Crimewave Syndicate.

Modern Stars are Andrea Merolle, Barbara Margani and Andrea Sperduti. They are based in Rome.
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
MS: Our music writing and recording process is like a three dimensional modeling of basic idea. It stars with a simple riff and evolves like a small orchestra. We build an electronic landscape, we put on stringed instruments and vocal, then we add groovy acoustic drums.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
MS: We grew between the big city when we work and the provincial towns where we come from. This contrast deeply influences our songs and we try to melt the sounds that arise from those different contexts.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
MS: Mayo Thompson, Simeon Coxe III, Maria Callas, Anton Newcombe,

I corresponded with Jimmy Teyechea of Free Machines
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
JT: I’ve pretty much written all the songs with the exception of a couple so far. Brian and Jarrod are both super prolific. They’re always coming up with a ton of shit and every now and then, they’ll show me something they recorded and I’ll hear a vocal pattern or a melody that feels natural, like it belongs. It doesn’t happen often but it’s rad when it does.
Most of the songs that I write, I usually write at work when I’m on the clock and getting paid. I have an old 60’s Kay Vanguard that’s beat to shit behind the seat of my work truck. I’ve written almost all my songs on that thing. Usually, I’ll hear something while driving around. Stop. Play it and hope that I don’t forget how it goes once I get back to the pad.

As far as recording goes, before covid we did all our recording at Midtown Island with Matt Rendon and mixing with Jim Waters at Waterworks Studios. It was like having two Jedis recording your shit.
We’d show up, chill, drink, smoke, listen to tunes, BBQ, clown on shit, then start tracking. Always fun. No keeping an eye on the time. Matt and Jim are masters. Always learning something from them while having a blast. We were supposed to record the 3rd record at Midtown but covid came down.
Isaac from Lenguas Largas bought a ton of recording gear and him and Brian started building a recording studio there at Brian’s place where Free Machines practice so the plans got altered and now were doing this one on our own, MacGyver style. Just like most everyone else in the world. But still same process as before….
Show up, chill, drink, smoke, listen to tunes, BBQ, clown on shit, then start tracking. Always fun. No keeping an eye on the time.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
JT: Free Machines is from Tucson, about 45 minutes north of the Nogales Az/ Nogales Mexico border but I grew up in Nogales Az.
Border towns/regions are weird places to get into and learn how to play music. It’s like a bubble or something. Insulated in a way. Tucson’s close enough to be an extension of that.
All the best musicians here are homies and have always put together the best and most interesting bands here throughout the years. Listen to any of them and they all have a different feel, their own unique sound. Super interesting shit.
They’re all like genius weirdos that just do their own thing and that’s it. Lack of a sense of fashion and motivation are a couple of the main ingredients for the best rock n’ roll that comes out of here.
And Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizza and wings here in Tucson are the BEST!
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
JT:
Living

I write some songs that are more on the mellow yellow side of things. For those I’d probably go with Greg Cartwright. He was huge for me back in the day.
Showed me how you can play some dirty, greasy, walk of shame banger one minute then downshift and play something clean and beautiful the next.
I’d love to go into the studio with him and be like, ” Alright man, here are a couple turds. How are you gonna polish this shit?”.

For the bangers I’d probably go with Rick Froberg/Hot Snakes or Brant Bjork. Both super badass…

Dead

I’d have to go Bill and Ted style on this one…
Open a show playing with Clarence Reid and close it with Blowfly.
Fly out to Germany and jam with The Monks. Head to Africa and party and play guitar with Fela & Africa 70.
Head to Detroit to check out a few shows by MC5 and Sonic Rendezvous Band…. no playing though, can’t fuck with that.
Sit in on drums with Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Take a hot date with me to Agua Prieta and play with Los Apson and hit up some tacos afterwards.
Lay down bass for Fugazi for a night and finish up by playing guitar with The Cars.
I hope Spielberg reads this shit. I want my royalty!

Smoke Monolith is a dub influenced drone/doom/psychedelic rock one-man band from Saratov, Russia, on the shores of great Volga.
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
SM: Most of my music comes from improvisations. Smoke Monolith currently exists as one-man band, so when I start to record something, I have an idea about the whole track, how should it be etc. Idea about overall vibe and atmosphere. Riffs, solos, structure and everything comes to me while playing and recording. I rarely include written and finished parts in SM.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
SM: Maybe. I live in industrial area of Saratov. It’s kinda interesting place, there’s a great Volga river , that gives me inspiration, but the whole industrial stuff work good too, maybe that’s why my music has that noisy industrial feel mixed with quiet and bluesy psychedelic melodies haha. Like Dick Dale meets Merzbow😆.
Also, a lot of SM music is inspired by different places across the world where I was, so every song mixes the vibe of place where I live with atmosphere of other locations. Originally SM started as band, after my vacation by sea I wanted to create something in vein of Sourvein and Sea Bastard, some kind of sea-themed sludge. But that’s another story, haha.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
SM: Really want to collaborate with Lingua Ignota, The Body, Kim of Lifelover/Hypothermia, and Merzbow for sure!

I corresponded with Adam Kriney of La Otracina, who are based in New York
TMODM: What does your music writing & recording process look like?
LO: Well this is a particularly strange record in that it was originally recorded in 2008 with overdub work extending until about 2012, then remained sitting in the archives and only released this year. This entire record was improvisations recorded at a session that was mostly focused on tracking material that would be used on our “Blood Moon Riders” LP which came out on the Holy Mountain label in 2009. But since we were already in the studio and improvisation was already a big part of what we did we decided to record a lot of extra material and that is what comprises this LP. We had mixed it completely but this version of the band fell apart and I’d never really knew what to do with it until I decided to reissue a bunch of unreleased music during quarantine. This particular lineup of the band was one of about a dozen that existed through the life of the project which is now retired. And in that time we released about 20 recordings and they’re still remains about a half dozen in the archives unreleased plus numerous live material that could be issued.
TMODM: How does the place you live — your city, town, landscape — feed into the music you make?
LO: When the band was around we never really felt much kinship with things that were happening in New York City except for a very period around 2009 to 2011. Luckily we found a dedicated fan base in Europe though. Regardless our home environment did not factor into our music making at all, except perhaps the desire to leave this place or be away from it.
TMODM: Which musicians — living or dead — would you enjoy collaborating with?
LO: I’d say German rock musicians in the late 60s to late 70s as I am a huge fan of the wide breadth of music created in that time period across Germany, most commonly referred to as Krautrock. I won’t cite too many specific names, but just the general vibe and aura of musicians from then is a huge inspiration to me.