Skot Brown stopped by my place last week, the night before 4th of July. The firecrackers were already blowing up my neighborhood creating a back drop like that of a mini war zone. I lit the living room up with ritual candles and burned some nag champa to add to the ambience of early dusk. With his recent (and rare) show of his solo, sinister, spacey experimental studio project Decanter and with albums being released from all three of his bands: the noise-based "sexstep" party collaboration of Jeweled Snakes, the mystical and otherworldly assemblage of Malditos and the necromantic and unabashedly original death rock outfit Altar De Fey, there were plenty of subjects to be touched upon that evening. ~
SD- You must have kept Decanter a secret all these years! Unfortunately for me I had not known it existed until recently. When I was listening to it I was thinking that this needs to be played in some sort of Stanley Kubrick/Space Odyssey experimental lounge. I noticed the descriptors on your bandcamp page — post punk, experimental and SPACE. That definitely makes sense. When did you start this?
SB- The first thing I released under Decanter was in 2004 or so and yes there is something I did about 4 or 5 years ago and I called it “The Soundtrack to Space”- it was all instrumental which I normally don’t do that often. No drum beats, just more floaty atmospheric stuff. I was definitely getting into my space zone there. It was a nice departure. I went downstairs to the studio and locked myself in there for a few days and really focused on that and got into this zone. Decanter is very much a studio project.
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| Decanter at LCM--photo courtesy of Cyn Malditos |
SD- It’s like this extraterrestrial meditation.
SB- Yeah, it pretty much is a meditation.
SD- I know just very recently you did a Decanter set for the International Noise Conference in Oakland at LCM. What sparked you to do that live? When was the last time you did a set prior?
SB- Yeah, that was fun! It was two nights and everyone did 10-15 minute sets so there was ten or more acts each night. That was the third time I had performed live- it’s a studio project. It's not meant to be live. So each time I’ve played (as Decanter) it’s actually been at LCM with about two or so years in between. So basically I say “Yeah, I’ll play a show!”. So then I come up with something just for that show and it's created specifically to be played at a live show.
SD - Your stuff is very textural and technical. I can see how that would be difficult to do live.
SB- No, I couldn't do that. I would need four people to pull that off and I don’t use a lap top or anything. I just play everything live. When I do a live show i think how many things can I set up that can sort of “play” on their own with out having to rely on pre-recorded material.
SD- Speaking of live shows, what’s going on with you and your project with Sharkiface in Jeweled Snakes? How did you and her start that collaboration?
SB- Sharkiface- yeah, I’m actually wondering what she is going to call herself on our record!
SD— Oh good you have one coming out!
SB- Yes! the artwork is done- so just doing the final touches on that now. I’m hoping it will be out by the end of the year. Things are always slow these days, for pressing vinyl at least.
SD- So how did you and Sharkiface get together to start this- it's just you and her on synth and effects and you both doing vocals, right?
SB- Yep- synth, samplers, drum machine and little noise boxes, or whatever hahaha. Before we started Jeweled Snakes we did a few shows together that was mostly jamming with noise- so then we decided to make more actual songs rather than just a noise jam, which anyone can do. Just get up and twist knobs and see what happens.
SD- So then you and her started on something more focused.
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| Jeweled Snakes --photo courtesy of Kevin Brown |
SB- We started writing actual songs that have a lot of noise IN them but they're song based with lyrics and some changes.
SD- There are some pretty sexy themes going on lyrically!
SB- There are a lot of sexual themes going on. Most of the songs are probably about somebody!
SD- Ha! In a bad way? In a good way?
SB- Both. Sometimes Crystal Nails will say something like “ You know who this is about!” and someone in the audience will know (and think) “ohhhhh this one is about me!”. Or there’s this other song called “Moon Madness” that was inspired by this girl I knew who would get hyper energized by the full moon, being sexually turned on by a full moon. Getting all your senses tingling by this madness. So, a lot of the songs are about that. Some other song titles are “Hypersexual” or “Cocktapuss”— it’s a party band. It’s ridiculous and were trying to have fun with it. We just want to make more of a party atmosphere with it
SD- So it seems that Malditos is a more serious, as in tone, project for you?
SB- Yeah, Malditos you could say is more serious- it’s not goofy, well, not that Jeweled Snakes is goofy but you know what I mean. Malditos is a more personal project for me because I bought this Indian drum machine that is tabla rhythm. It’s traditional beats so the timing is really weird. They're not just four count beats. They're 5,6,7,11 beats. So, it was really interesting to come up with guitar lines for those rhythms. I wanted something more challenging. I wouldn’t come up with those beats on my own. It’s a different style. It’s a learned style.
SD- When I listen to Malditos I think it's perfect music to go do some white magic rituals in a forest during a new moon. It’s really hypnotic and there’s definitely those Eastern elements to it.
SB- Hash induced music. :)
SD- Definitely. So there’s two people on synth in Malditos? I thought that was interesting.
SB- Yes, Oliver Patches does mostly the bass lines on the synth and then Andy does the more floaty, ethereal sounds. I do guitar and Cynthia sings and does some percussion: tambourine, maracas. We have a new album for that too were just looking for a label. We self released the first one and we don’t really want to do that again. Were all horrible at promoting and all that business portion. Time has proven that we are all horrible at it so I would really like us to be on a label so they can take care of all that crap.
SD- When did you start working on Malditos?
SB- Actually Malditos, Jeweled Snakes and Altar De Fey all started within a few months of each other in 2012, so four years ago. I didn't have a band for about a year and a half. I always have something going on. So instead of starting one band three started at once. I didn't expect them to go this long but they're still going!
SD- Well, it’s probably because all your projects are all really fucking good! I remember when I saw Malditos for the first time at the Legionnaire in Oakland I thought your guitar style was really noticeable— is it more stream of consciousness for you or how do you go about it?
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| Skot on guitar with Malditos |
SB- Basically I’ll find a beat on that drum machine and try to work it out that way or even through humming I try to find some guitar lines. Because I’m not the most proficient guitar player I’ll hum it out in my head and record that then go back to the guitar and figure it out that way. If I sit there and try to fuck around with the notes I’ll lose it entirely and then something totally different comes up. I try to lose myself in a smoky haze in my basement and come up with stuff like that. Then I present it to the band, with Malditios we pretty much come up with the guitar first and the rest follow suit. So thats why Malditos and Decanter are my most personal. I'm most invested in it, personally. The ADF/JS are more of a joint effort.
SD- Yes, speaking of ADF you just released the LP “Echoes in the Corridor” from Mass Media (LA) is that all old material?
SB- No, it's half and half. There’s three, maybe four new songs on there. “Wraith”, “1975” and “Snitch” are the new songs on there. “Death to my Enemies” is half old, half new. We wrote a new change for it. We have been going through all the old practice tapes and we wanted to expand on some of those ideas. We have been down in the archives. I think we have exhausted the old material. There are no more “old songs” to bring up. We just finished recording a second album- again half old, half new material. Each album is like that.
SD- You have sifted through all the crypts!
I think the half new/half old material for each album is actually more appealing in some ways.
SB- It's more fun for us I think. There’s something fresh instead of songs that are thirty years old to Kent Cates (guitar) and Aleph Kali (drums). Kent started ADF in 1983 and Aleph joined on in 1985. It was back in the old days in San Francisco.
SD- Every time I see you guys play I just notice that what you do is in such a small niche, this very specific death rock/ goth punk genre. The window is so small that I don’t think many people can qualify for that. Stuff that is in the realm of Christian Death- specifically “Only theatre of Pain”-that sort of fascination.
SB- It’s basically music that stemmed more from punk. I always think of goth as coming from more classical sounding stuff. It’s more dramatic and maybe a little slower, a little heavier. More theatrical.
SD- Glossier…
SB- Yes! and Death rock has an edge. Quicker songs, more driving, the vocals are more aggressive —instead of doing the Dracula thing (mimics typical sounding goth vocals).
SD- I personally love death rock because it sort of brings a romance to punk rock. Two of my favorite things!
SD- Every time I hear ADF I feel like I could be walking down Melrose in LA when it was actually good, smoking some cigarettes—
SB- Smoking some cloves!
SD- Yes, cloves! smoking come cloves and walking by Retail Slut or Vinyl Fetish records. It really brings me back to this small moment in time.
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| Altar De Fey set at The Oakland Metro |
SB- It’s a pretty southern California thing, death rock. That was a good time.That was when I learned how to play bass was in the early 80’s. I was in a band called “Crisis of Faith” which was similar to ADF. When Kent asked me if I wanted to be in ADF i was like “ Yeah, lets check it out!” and I was listening to this song and reminded me of Crisis of Faith. The bass was really similar so I said “ Well, I already play like that, so this will be a no brainer!”
SD- It comes naturally to you.
SB- My natural style is hard to avoid.. (hahahaah)
SD- Since you started playing in the 80’s, what was the influence that drew you into playing music yourself?
SB- Well, my first band in high school was Anal Kitties. It was pretty industrial influenced, early Skinny Puppy stuff. It was just a two piece. We were getting into stuff like Bauhaus, Christian Death and all of that. There was a band that influenced us a lot called “No Trend”, which they're a lot noisier and spastic and they had this song called “Your Love” and it had this more gothic sound and it was really fucking heavy on the bass. Super flanged out, heavy bass. It was the sound that was so cool and totally inspiring.
SD- There is something so provocative about that style of bass. In ADF the bass is the same way, in the foreground for sure.
SB- In a lot of death rock, the bass is more prominent than in most styles of music. Like Joy Division style of bass lines, more driving. Playing a lead melody instead of just following the drums. Which is how a lot of bass playing is and isn't as noticeable. It is the background- it’s the root notes and thats it. I like to play it more as if it was a guitar. But then I play guitar as if it was a bass. I don’t play guitar as if it was a guitar. I usually stick to single notes on a guitar. I don’t do a lot of chord playing, rarely ever. It’s a combination of the two. A meeting in the middle.
SD- Kent and Aleph are the O.G. members of ADF- I know it dissolved after 1985. Was there bad communication in the band or why did that happen?
SB- I think drugs and deaths.
SD- Sadly, I guess that was a popular trend then.
SB- I'm the third bass player because the other two have died. So I hope I don’t self implode on stage or burn in flames.
SD- No, you won’t go down in flames you guys burn too much frankincense on stage— you are protected! Sounds like drugs and death were the spirit of the times. But then it was resurrected because of a festival.
SB- Some bands that Aleph and Kent played with back in the day were setting up this reunion show at the Red Devil lounge (used to be on Polk st. in San Francisco)
SD- Oh yeah, now it’s some shitty yuppie whiskey mixology bar- JUST what the city needed. Another 15$ Manhattan place!
SB- Polk st. is a whole different world now. It’s gross. So they got asked to play that and they said “ Sure, yeah let’s do it! let’s play a few of the songs”. So Aleph programmed a drum machine and he was singing and Kent played guitar and they had bass on a backing track on the drum machine and so they did that for one night and were like “ Oh, wait that was fun, we should do that again!” and so that’s when they asked me to join and we eventually got Jake Hout in the band.
SD- Did you guys know of Jake prior to adding him to do vocals for ADF?
SB- Jake and I had been talking for years before that we wanted to a band together. I pretty much met him when I was in “Phantom Limbs” and he would come to those shows. Years and years go by then all of a sudden when I joined ADF I thought “ I know someone who could sing!” He was in a band called “Everything must Go” which they played for years and years. So I’ve seen him on stage and he has such a great presence. He was so into it when we asked him. He was really excited about it and that kept the momentum going. I didn't know if it was going to keep going or what. It was a slow start when we tried resurrecting it. But it all came together and now it’s been four years that Jake has been in the band. Time flies. Albums are coming out. It’s all coming together.
Whatever your mood may be, Skot has something for you and your dark endeavors...
-------Check out Altar De Fey on July 15th 2016 at the Church of the Buzzard in Oakland! It's their record release party for their LP "Echoes in the Corridor" ( I heard it's on BLOOD red vinyl!)--- and their live shows include plenty of frankincense and candelabras lit with black candles ... :D https://www.facebook.com/events/983117728450235/
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