Endorphin
Bath & Todd E. Jones presents...
Interview:
TEST SHOT STARFISH
“The Electro-musical Pulse of Test
Shot Starfish”
(OCT 2005)
An
Interview With Test Shot Starfish
Interview
by Todd E. Jones
toddejones@yahoo.com
Music is one of the few art forms where an
artist/group can create a completely different meaning to a horrific
term. The name Test Shot Starfish was previously only associated with
weaponry, but electronic music changed this negative word association.
Consisting of Kyle Schember and Ryan Stuit, Test Shot Starfish were two
sound designers / producers who are creating electronic music. They
used a horrific (but unknown term) with sense of post-modernism. This
free-form usage of signs & signifiers is evident throughout music.
Artists like Joy Division, Trisomie 21, Noreaga, and Tragedy Khadafi
have used negative terms / names for the positive music. The original
Test Shot Starfish was a weapon that was detonated in 1962. This
detonation was 400 kilometers high above the mid-Pacific. It emitted an
electromagnetic pulse that destroyed satellite equipment and blocked
high frequency radio communications across the Pacific for 30 minutes.
<>
Test Shot Starfish is now an electronic group from California. On a Los
Angeles film set during 1999, Kyle Schember & Ryan Stuit met with
an instant connection. They shared an intellectual love for electronic
music. Through their own label (Subtractive Records), they released
their debut EP. In 2005, their first full length self-titled LP was
released on Kanpai Records. Like Severed Heads, Test Shot Starfish
fuses images with their music during their live performances. They have
done remixes for Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay, Gus Gus, and Snoop Dogg.
Their music will blast us into the future. Using electronic rhythm and
melodies, Test Shot Starfish is now an electro-musical pulse.
T.JONES:
"What
goes on?"
KYLE:
“Crazy stuff. We just opened a new studio in Santa Monica, and have
been busy getting it up & running. We’ve been booked every day with
various projects. We just mixed a DVD for Snoop Dogg (‘Boss’n
Up’) and we’re putting the finishing touches on the Coachella Music
Festival Documentary / Concert Movie, which will be out early 2006.”
T.JONES: “The new full-length self-titled
Test Shot Starfish album was just released. Tell us about it.”
KYLE: “We spent a long time getting the album together.
Longer than perhaps we should have. Over the past 4 years, we wrote
about 40 songs. We picked what we felt was the best to finally release
a full length album.”
T.JONES: “What is the meaning behind
the name, Test Shot Starfish?”
KYLE: “It’s a historical event that has somewhat been brushed
under the carpet.”
T.JONES: “The new LP was released on
Kanpai Records. Why did you choose them?”
KYLE: “A friend of ours from DMX, Jean Paul introduced us to a
friend of his, who was running a small label. She came to a show
we did at The Knitting Factory and wanted to sign us. We had
similar interests and goals. Everything fell into place for us to
release the record. So far, so good.”
T.JONES: “How is this LP different from
your previous EP?”
KYLE: “The EP was something we just released to get something
out. We did it as a self-release on our own label, Subtractive
Records. Much more time and thought went into the album than the
EP, but I think both hold their own.”
T.JONES: “Favorite song on the new LP?”
KYLE: “‘Polaris.’”
RYAN: “‘Sort Of.’”
T.JONES: “Which song took you the longest
to do, from conception to completion? Why?”
KYLE: “We had a song that is not on the album called, ‘Low Down’
that was cursed. The files would be corrupt, and we’d redo it.
The song was strong, but was less & less as good each time we had
to redo it. I think we did it from scratch about 7 times over the
course of 3 years. Then, we felt it was dated, and didn’t even include
it in the album.”
T.JONES: “Do you do many overdubs while
recording? Do you use many first takes, or do you do multiple?”
KYLE: “Each song is different. Usually Ryan will start by making a
beat, or some groove with a new piece of gear. Then, I’ll try and add a
melody. We don’t do much sequencing with MIDI. We do a lot of audio
editing and looping. I suppose there is a fair amount of
overdubbing when trying to get different melodies right.”
T.JONES: “When creating a track, do you
have a set theme or idea first, or the music first?”
KYLE: “We also do visuals to the songs. On occasion, we’ll have
an idea to use some footage that we shot. Then, build the song around
that. An example of this would be when Ryan went home to visit
his Dad in Arizona and found a box of 8mm film. We digitized the home
movies and he began to write a childlike theme. The song and visuals
came together almost at the same time. Some of these can be seen on the
video page of testshotstarfish.com.”
T.JONES: “You two met on a movie set? What movie was it? What led to
the formation of the group? Was there a philosophy behind it?”
KYLE: “I was an associate producer on a movie called, ‘Tiara
Tango’ that was eventually released on Showtime as ‘Forever Fabulous’.
It starred Jean Smart & Robert Wagner. Ryan had just moved to LA
and had gone to a seminar that an associate of mine was putting on at
Universal. I asked him to see if anyone was interested in interning on
the film. The next day Ryan showed up at my office and I hired
him. We quickly identified our passion for electronic music &
became friends. Ryan moved into my building and a few months later, we
bought our first keyboard and started making beats & music. It was
a natural progression and collaboration.”
T.JONES: “You were Sound Designers /
Producers. How did you get into that field? What led you to music?”
KYLE: “I worked on the production side of film and Ryan worked in the
Art Department. Eventually, I burned out on the long hours and decided
that I would try my hand at combining my love for audio with my love
for film. I have always been involved in creating and a huge fan of all
types of music. It was something I eventually wanted to do full
time. It wasn’t a planned path, but one that more or less
presented itself over time.”
RYAN: “I went to school for
photography and always wanted to be a filmmaker. I was bored
being in Arizona and decided one day to up and move to Los Angeles. I
met Kyle on Tiara Tango. When he moved into post-production, I came on
board doing graphic design and eventually began doing sound design and
composing.”
T.JONES: “What was the recording
process like?”
KYLE: “It’s ongoing. We’ve recorded all over and in different
ways. At one point, we bought a small digital recorder that we tried to
record without using a computer. But we found that we really
benefited from having software editing and effects all in the digital
realm. We used several outboard keyboards and FX processors. We usually
record them into the computer, and then have an editing session to find
the best parts of whatever we recorded. The basic process for us is to
create a ton of elements that we like. Then, we fit them together in a
collage type process. We build it up, and then we strip it back
down in the mix, removing things that don’t work. It’s a lot like
painting.”
T.JONES: “Musically, what have you been
working on? What is the next release for the group, or as solo artists?”
KYLE: “We’ve both been busy working on other projects like DVD’s,
films, and some commercials. We did some sound design for the America’s
Army Console game. We also have been working on the Coachella Music
Festival Documentary in Dolby Digital Surround. The movie is in HD. It
is a must see when it comes out in early 2006. Just this month, we’ve
moved into a new studio space and we’re getting back to working on the
next album. We’re not sure what label we’ll put it out on or if we will
put it out on Subtractive Records ourselves.”
T.JONES: “What are some of your favorite
instruments?”
KYLE: “My favorite is the piano. My second favorite would be
analogue keyboards. I love the warmth & noise of the analogue
sound.”
RYAN: “I like gadgets and toys. I
used a modified Speak & Math on the last album. I really enjoy
finding odd pieces of electronics to incorporate into the mix.”
T.JONES: “How are you two creatively
different from each other? The same?”
KYLE: “I have more of a traditional background with piano
lessons. I was even a piano performance major at the University of
North Texas for a short while. I have classical training, but I
wandered from it as I began DJ’ing and getting into the Dallas club
scene during the early 90’s.”
RYAN:
“I didn’t have formal training in music. I came from a more visual art
background. I paint and do photography. I come from the ideology of
layering sounds, like you would layer images in collage art.”
T.JONES: “Who are some artists or
musicians you like to collaborate with in the future?”
KYLE: “I’d love to work with Casino Vs. Japan, Marumari, Signal
Drift, and Kirsty Hawkshaw from Opus III.”
RYAN: “Daniel August and Laurie
Anderson.”
T.JONES:
“You have utilized the Internet and your website to display your music.
What did you do? How has the Internet helped the group? How has it hurt
it?”
KYLE: “I don’t think that the internet has hurt us. I think it’s helped
us. We spent so much time building our own site and designing it. We
really wanted to make it interesting and something for people to enjoy
& discover. We wanted people to have a good time downloading
quicktimes, mp3’s, and artwork. However, once Myspace came around, I
think more people go to our myspace page than the site we spent so much
time creating.”
T.JONES: “What’s your opinion on
downloading music?”
KYLE: “Well, we are both big fans of having a physical disc, the
excitement of unwrapping a CD, and unveiling the artwork. But,
downloading is here to stay in our world of instant gratification.
There definitely is something to be said for empowering more artists to
directly put out their music to fans without having to sink a ton of
money into a physical pressing. As far as illegal downloading, people
who are going to steal are going to steal. We give songs away for free
on our site all the time to try & appease the people who don’t
value paying for music, but we are regular customers ourselves of
things like iTunes & Bleep. We like to support the artists
who we admire. It’s such a small amount of money for such a big payoff
with a great album, when you find them.”
T.JONES: “What do you think music will be
like in 20 years?”
KYLE: “We’ll probably have a flashcard implanted into our brains or
someone will invent a device that just transmits endless amounts of
content to your head.”
T.JONES: “What LPs have you been listening
to lately?”
KYLE: “I am honestly an iPod junkie. I can’t say I even listen to
entire albums all at once except when right when I buy them. I’m really
into Luke Vibert, Chris Clark, Home Video, and Casino vs. Japan to name
a few.”
T.JONES: “Your live shows include
original compositions, video projection, lighting, and lasers. How did
this begin? Was it your original intention? Can you describe it for the
people who never saw you live?”
KYLE: “The intention of our live show has always been to present
a multimedia experience. We do what we can with what we have for
each show. We purchased a great DLP projector and Ryan has edited
a lot of the footage that we shot and pinched into loops to go with
each song in a theme. I’ve always been a huge fan of lasers and we
bring our laser guy along whenever the budget allows. It totally makes
the show. A great deal of thought & time has gone into setting the
mood and tone for each song in the live show. A few years down the
line, I’d hope that Test Shot Starfish is synonymous with some of the
best road show production out there.”
T.JONES: “What is your favorite part of
your live show?”
KYLE: “I really like ‘Level One’. It’s a good song live as it
builds and builds in intensity. The visuals are really tight for that
performance.”
T.JONES: “You have done remixes for
Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay, Gus Gus, and Snoop Dogg. How do you approach a
remix?”
KYLE: “Each Remix is different. We remixed the Coldplay song for
an Infiniti commercial pitch and had some guidelines of what they were
looking for. With Snoop, we had been doing mixes for his DVD projects.
We just asked if we could have a shot at doing a mix. That one we
really went way out into left field for and followed no rules. The
Lenny Kravitz one was requested by the label, as they were looking for
tracks to bring awareness to his album into underground scenes. Many
times, we’ll just use the vocals and completely rewrite the track. We
did that with Gus Gus’s ‘David’ for our ambient mix and used none of
their original track elements. I think that is my favorite way to go
about things, but if there is a sound that brings a great hook to a
song, I feel compelled to use it in the remix. Cliché probably,
but who cares? It’s fun.”
T.JONES: “How is remixing hip-hop
different than remixing rock music?”
KYLE: “Hip-hop has somewhat of a lazy beat. It’s not always in
perfect time. With Snoop’s vocals, he rapped around the beat instead of
on it. This is a very unique style that I admire, but it’s tricky to
get some verses to work around a completely new song structure. Rock
has s more straightforward 4 on the floor beat that you can pretty much
do anything with much easier.”
T.JONES: “Which remix are you most proud
of?”
KYLE: “Gus Gus’s ‘David’ the ambient mix.”
T.JONES: “Where were you during the
September 11th terrorist attack? How did you handle the situation?
KYLE: “No Comment.”
T.JONES: “What do you think about
U.S. and the Middle East?”
KYLE: “No Comment.”
T.JONES: “Abortion. Pro-choice or pro-life?”
KYLE: “No Comment.”
T.JONES: “Euthanasia. For or against?”
KYLE: “Definitely For it.”
RYAN: "No Comment.”
T.JONES: “Word association. When I
say a name, you say the first word that pops into your head. So, if I
said, ‘The Beatles’, you may say ‘Revolution’ or ‘John Lennon’. Okay?”
T.JONES: “Severed Heads.”
KYLE: “Shine headlights on me.”
T.JONES: “Psychic T.V.”
KYLE: “Dionne Warwick.”
T.JONES: “Dead Can Dance.”
KYLE: “Hollywood Bowl.”
RYAN: “Favorite group and working in my darkroom.”
T.JONES: “Slowdive.”
KYLE: “Photo shoot.”
T.JONES: “The Telescopes.”
KYLE: “Space.”
T.JONES: “Public Enemy.”
KYLE: “N.W.A.”
T.JONES: “New Order.”
KYLE: “Angry bass player.”
T.JONES: “Joy Division.”
KYLE: “Love will tear us apart.”
T.JONES: “The Jesus And Mary Chain.”
KYLE: “9th Grade.”
T.JONES: “Primal Scream.”
KYLE: “The Edge. Ryan is simply not playing along with this
game!”
T.JONES: “The Stone Roses.”
KYLE: “The Palladium.”
T.JONES: “Felt.”
KYLE: “Lesbian bar.”
T.JONES: “Happy Mondays.”
KYLE: “Drugs.”
T.JONES: “The Orb.”
KYLE: “Amazing.”
RYAN: “Why I started this music.”
T.JONES: “Moby.”
KYLE: “Next to the E.”
T.JONES: “The Mountaineers.”
KYLE: “Canyonaro.”
T.JONES: “The Wolfgang Press.”
KYLE: “Books.”
T.JONES: “George Bush.”
KYLE: “Boring.”
T.JONES: “Who have been the biggest influences?”
KYLE: “Orbital, Aphex Twin, The Orb, Neil Diamond,
Underworld, OMD, and Radiohead.”
RYAN: “Plaid, Laurie Anderson,
early Mouse on Mars, Boards of Canada, and Warp records, in general.”
T.JONES: “You are doing work on a film too. Tell us
about it.”
KYLE: “We do a lot of sound design & mixing for various
films. We do everything from documentaries to narrative features. We
also have done some composing. We are currently searching for a project
that fits our style of music. Something like, ‘Pi’, or another fantasy
or science fiction script that our music really lends itself perfectly
to.”
T.JONES: “When did you first
begin making music? How old were you? How did it all begin?”
KYLE: “I started taking piano lessons in first grade, and have
been involved in music in some fashion since then. My first band was
called Stained Glass Rain when I was in junior high school. There have
been many others between now and then.”
T.JONES: “How have your grown or evolved
as an artist?”
KYLE: “Everyday, we find something new. Learning a new piece of
gear, new software, and new plug-ins. It’s definitely a journey. Now
that we are out doing live shows, we are meeting other artists and
starting to want to do collaborations. For example, this weekend we’re
doing a show in downtown LA and we are collaborating with a trumpet
player who is going to play over our tracks.”
T.JONES: “Do you have any regrets?”
KYLE: “Musically, no.”
T.JONES: “The Beatles or The Stones?”
KYLE: “The Beatles.”
T.JONES: “Spectrum or Spiritualized?”
KYLE: “Spiritualized.”
T.JONES: “What are some of your favorite films?”
KYLE: “The Conformist, La Dolce Vita, Raising Arizona, LA
Story.”
T.JONES: “These days, what is a typical day like for
you?”
KYLE: “I wake up at 6. Sometimes, I exercise. Sometimes, I just
get going. I head to the studio, answer email & get ready for a
session. Then, later in the day, I usually try and do something
creative or work on something in the studio. I leave the studio around
8 or 9 and either head out to a show or event, or head home to play a
video game, have dinner, and watch a movie.”
T.JONES: “What are some major misconceptions do you
think people have of you or the group?”
KYLE: “I think a lot of people have a hard time with the name. We
had a very hard time coming up with a name. We wanted something with
meaning that also was something all its own that people would not
associate with another band or thing. It’s hard to pronounce.
People also think that we are DJ’s and we’re really not. We can DJ, but
there are so many other DJ’s that blow us away. That it’s hard to
compare either of us to them. We’re producers & artists first and
foremost.”
T.JONES: “Do you get along with your parents? What do they think about
your music?”
KYLE: “I get along very well with my parents, and while they are
supportive, I know they don’t have a firm understanding of underground
music or why anyone does it.”
T.JONES: “Where are you from? Where do you live now?”
KYLE: “We live in Los Angeles, California. I am originally from
Dallas, Texas.”
T.JONES: “What are some future releases fans should
look out for?”
KYLE: “The second album will definitely be out in 2006. Watch for
that!”
T.JONES: “Final words?”
RYAN: “Thanks for checking us out!”
KYLE:
“Thank you, Todd, for taking the time to write us up. We are so
happy that even one person gets enjoyment out of our creations and we
hope that we can continue to grow musically and produce things of
consequence that add to the collective of artistic creation. Remember
to love what you do day to day and be passionate in your own life and
what you create with it.”
Thank
you TEST SHOT STARFISH ! ! !
-interview
done by Todd E. Jones
aka The
New Jeru Poet
(toddejones@yahoo.com)
Other versions
or
(Musicremedy version) - Interview
with TEST SHOT STARFISH
or
PART
1 (MVRemix version) -
Interview
with TEST SHOT STARFISH
PART
2 (MVRemix version) -
Interview
with TEST SHOT STARFISH
PART
3 (MVRemix version) -
Interview
with TEST SHOT STARFISH
|
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