[Speaker Snacks Recs] An Interview w/ Pariah Carey b/w USS Inner Thighs Mixtape




Now that Pariah Carey’s Bill Nyequil EP b/w Based MacGuyver EP is officially available for pre-order through Speaker Snacks Recs, we decided it was obviously time for some Q & A action with our good bud and Pariah Carey founder, Mr. Jheri Evans. And wouldn’t you know! KISS, Gravity Records, Horror movies, The Dark Crystal, Get Off The Coast, Crash Symbols, and weed all come up in conversation at least once. An exclusive mixtape called USS Inner Thighs, featuring Based MacGuyver’s “Womenade” awaits your completion…
 
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Speaker Snacks: What made you decide to name yourself Pariah Carey? Are you a huge Mariah Carey fanboy or what?
 
Jheri Evans: Haha, well actually I kinda am. But the name was actually created by my homies at Gravity Records. We all like to just constantly come up with pun names, and one of the guys there came up with Pariah Carey. The second he said it I knew that was the name for my music project I was starting up. I suppose it was just all good timing. But for real though, Mariah is a beast. That’s my evil twin sister, you know?
 
SS: I hear you like horror flicks. Yeah?
 
JE: I fucking love horror films. Even campy shit. I like seeing ‘em in 3D even though everyone these days acts like they’re too cool for 3D. The remake of My Bloody Valentine in 3D was amazing. I’m into remakes too. The Nightmare on Elm Street remake totally tops the original. Halloween comes close, but no cigar. That’s my favorite horror film, the original Halloween. But the Excorcist has my favorite horror soundtrack.
 
SS: If you had to pick 1 horror movie that best matched your sound, which movie would you pick?
 
JE: That kinda depends on what release we’re talking about, but let’s just figure you mean Bill Nyequil and Based MacGuyver. I think I’d say The Dark Crystal. It’s not exactly a horror film, but it’s fantasy and has scary moments in it. It freaked me out as a kid and is still one of my favorite movies. I think the imagery I had in my head while working on this release really fits with Dark Crystal.
 
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[Speaker Snacks Recs] An Interview w/ Ra Cailum




I recently asked St. Louis producer and Speaker Snacks Recs label-mate Ra Cailum aka Anthony Engelhardt a few Q’s about his history with the game Gundam, his knowledge of Anime movies, St. Louis’s shape-shifting music scene, and his new EP Finding My Way, out October 10th (Monday) via Speaker Snacks Recs. An exclusive mixtape created by Engelhardt himself is available for stream following the interview. Hope you enjoy!
 
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Speaker Snacks: If I’m not mistaken, the name Ra Cailum refers to the last battleship line commissioned by the Federation in the Gundam saga, which in itself is an anime movie series, right?
 
Anthony Engelhardt: YEAH! It’s such a cool name with such an embarrassing story! When I was 10 or so, my cousin turned me on to Gundam, and i bought one of the videos. The video i bought was the feature length film Char’s Counterattack, which was markedly different from a lot of the Gundam that was popular at the time. It was a lot darker. The video just stuck in my mind for a long time. In my mind, it references a certain mindset that i use when i create. “Dark and Sentimental” seems to describe that mindset well.
 
SS: Do Anime movies play a large roll in the sounds we hear in your catalog? Or is the name reference just a random nod?
 
AE: I would be lying if I said they didn’t. It’s not a part of my life anymore, but i think i started thinking for myself a lot more when i started watching it. A lot of the anime i watched was very dark and vaguely nihilistic. The anime i watched was not quite typical in content. Anime wasnt so much about Japanese culture as it is about me discovering an introduction to art as a communicative dialog. I learned a lot about art and philosophy from the anime i watched.
 
SS: Until I met you at our 1st Annual GOLDRUSH Music Festival here in Denver I had NO clue you were only 19 years old! What’s your story? When did you start playing music? How are you so damn good at such a ripe age?! : )
 
AE: I started playing guitar at 12, and i was surprised to discover that i really liked music. I really gravitated to a lot of the Post Hardcore bands like Coheed and Cambria, Thursday, Circa Survive, etc. and i still use their techniques when making narrative albums. When I was 16, I became involved in an avant garde music collective in Saint Louis (through my girlfriend), and i started to deviate from the narrative albums i loved. I was doing a lot of noise music for a long time, I think Ra Cailum really served as a way to combine both worlds for me. I wanted to have the experimentalism and expressiveness of noise, and the traditionalism and communicative properties of songwriting.



SS: You live in St. Louis, Missouri, right? How’s the scene in St. Louis? I’m very curious! Never been there…
 
AE: Well, Saint Louis aspires to be Denver. It is a city that is always on the cusp of a revolution, but then opportunity withers. The biggest blow to the Saint Louis music scene was the loss of 4 DIY spaces to the city this year. it has been markedly harder to book shows this year. I think the thing about saint louis that is particularly bad is the attitude towards art. its just not seen as important or necessary at all. nobody really cares, and that comes through in a lot of ways. That said, Saint Louis has an amazing roster of talented and visionary people, and i cant imagine living anywhere else (for long).
 
SS: I want to quick chat about your newest EP Bite Marks for a minute. You state on your Bandcamp page that Bite Marks (which is amazing by the way!) is comprised of nine memories, a reaction, and a response. Can you explain that a little bit more?
 
AE: THANKS! well, I made this originally as a goodbye letter to my girlfriend. She was leaving to work at a summer camp, and i wouldn’t be seeing her for five weeks, and then after that she was moving for school. I think what Bite Marks is to me is a documentation of the relationship, relaying both the good and the bad. my girlfriend knows all of the memories i am referencing in the first 9 tracks. I think Reminders of You is kind of me taking into account all of these aspects of our relationship and mixing them together. its a very loose concept, not to mention SUPER SAPPY haha.
 
SS: In just 1 weeks time, we (Speaker Snacks Recs) are scheduled to release your new EP! What can Ra Cailum fans expect from this one? What’s the vibe? Were you gunning for anything in-particular?

 
AE: This EP is probably going to pave the way for the next LP, i am not quite sure what path it will take, but i think this will be close! The vibe of the EP is more beat oriented. I really wanted to take the time to work on tracks intensively. I feel like these are the fruits of labor as opposed to a collection of loops. The album’s concept is really loose. Its basically just me kind of brooding on some thoughts i have had since this august. I think the concept will have really established itself when an LP comes.



SS: Some people may or may not know that you used to create Chillwave jams as Ra Cailum. Why don’t you write Chillwave music anymore?
 
AE: I think less people than that know that I used to play under the moniker of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN II AND III, which was more of a noise pop endeavor. I think that its all kind of a cumulative process. I worked with one set of tools, and then i discovered the limitless possibilities of another, and I keep discovering new things. I think the hardest thing I have had to deal with in Ra Cailum this year is to really be myself and just make whatever i want to. I feel a constant pressure to separate my projects out and make new monikers, but I feel this practice is so in-genuine. It all comes from me in the end, and i am not just one dimension, I like to think that I am multi-faceted, so I am just going to keep following my instincts and finding new tools.
 
SS: As a 19 year old youngster, who do you look up to? What musicians excite you the most?
 
AE: I think the biggest influences right now are TED lectures and Wikileaks, not much music. I have been really enthralled by the changes the world is going through. I think the awe and fear about those things are what incite a lot of creativity for me. That said, I am a big fan of Shlohmo’s Bad Vibes, Galapagos, Corduroi, The Night Slugs label and all of the affiliates, all those Moombahton producers out there, Absent Fever. This year I discovered 69 Love Songs by the Magnetic Fields, which has quickly taken over my life. I also just discovered Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and that is changing the game for me as far as narrative structures go. I still am really influenced by Second Stage Turbine Blade by Coheed and Cambria as a narrative piece. I have also been listening to a lot of At The Drive-In.
 
SS: Interview over! Now is your chance to name-drop/hype anything you want… GO!
 
AE: SHOUT OUTS TO DELIA JAKE SEAN JOSH DUSTY ERIC ETC. UNoWhoUR2Me. ITS A PARTY ITS A PARTY ITS A PARTY.
 
Mixtape Tracklist:
 
Araabmuzik – Streetz Tonight
Corduroi – Unease
Jay Fay & Ra Cailum – Clownz
Nguzunguzu – Strut
Ras G – Penny’s Confession
Groundislava – New Flesh
Vincent Gallo – Was ( Ra Cailum Dub)
Ricky Eat Acid – Falling Forever and Ever
Shlohmo – Sink
 
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[Speaker Snacks Recs] An Interview w/ fthrsn (feat. “Hysteria”)




We recently chatted with Ann Arbor resident Macklin “Mackie” Underdown of fthrsn about his epic music blog, the meaning of “fthrsn“, the great state of Michigan, his new EP, out October 5th via Speaker Snacks Recs and more. Following the interview you’ll find a Macklin-made mixtape featuring “Hysteria”, the lead-off single from his new EP…
 
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Speaker Snacks: I feel like I’ve had over a million discussions about the meaning of your name with my friends. What in the hell does fthrsn mean? Stand for? Is it an acronym?
 
Macklin Underdown: fthrsn stands for “father son”. it was meant to poke fun at the internet music culture that i’ve been into for awhile. i looked at the first thing i saw at a party, which was “father son” on a poster, and i dropped all the vowels like a lot of people do. however, in the process of doing this and exploring a new sound, i have become what i was making fun of… whoops.
 
SS: Way way back before fthrsn, we were good ol’ blog bros (still are actually). Can you tell me a little bit about your blog Zen Tapes and why you started it? I find blog origins fascinating…
 
MU: zen tapes was started by my good friend tom auty (sad souls) back in 2010, and he wanted to expand the blog, so he brought matt gilles (mellows/gumby house) and i onboard and made it into a collective of sorts. it has been a great journey and a great addition to the ann arbor scene. we’re getting lots of artists who want to come through and play house shows, which is a wonderful thing for artists and music lovers alike.
 
SS: Back in July you dropped the heavily contagious ‘Nothing’s the Matter//Colors‘, your fthrsn debut. How long prior to this release did fthrsn come to fruition? Had this material been a long time coming?
 
MU: i worked a 40 hour/week job all summer and needed a break, so i took a week off to focus on music. i wrote a bunch of ideas and eventually created the basis for both tunes (and one that is soon to be released) during that time period. it wasn’t really a long time coming – from the time i started “nothing’s the matter” and “colors”, i released it within a few weeks; and i think with this stuff, the sooner i can get it out there, the better. i like getting these songs off my chest and into people’s ears.
 
SS: I seriously couldn’t be more excited to officially release your new EP through our new-ish label, Speaker Snacks Recs! What can you tell me about the new material? Drastically different from ‘Nothing’s the Matter//Colors’?
 
MU: the new material is almost in the same vein, but i wanted to incorporate more experimental elements into the new songs – noise, improv lyric writing, odd phrase lengths. i love catchy tunes, so each one still holds onto a pop aesthetic and hopefully will be stuck in people’s heads.
 
SS: You currently live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, correct? How long have you been a resident there?
 
MU: i’ve been living in ann arbor, mi for a little over two years. i moved here for school.



SS: A TON of amazing music has been released out of Ann Arbor recently… most of which I’ve discovered through your blog Zen Tapes (name drop!). As someone that physically lives there, is this ever-growing hype warranted? What are your favorite bands/producers in Ann Arbor right now? Any new gems we (bloggers) haven’t quite discovered yet?
 
MU: ann arbor’s music scene is awesome. a bunch of my friends make incredible music and are already well known online. sad souls just came out with a beautiful album a week or so ago. lou breed and i played an impromptu set last weekend – i really respect his stuff and like talking about girls with him. kohwi is back from berlin and has a revamped live set i’m dying to see, what a dude. i got super into subvader’s djing this summer and went to a music festival he dj’ed in the appalachian mountains of nc, which was strange but true… he’s also been making some techno tunes, yummy yummy. matt gilles of zen tapes/mellows has been busy in his bedroom studio, i know that stuff will be worth listening to. you already know about chrome sparks, sup. and one of my personal favs is honey, a five-piece jazz/funk/improv/comedy group that i love playing shows with… they’re super fun.
 
SS: Back to the new EP! What inspires you creatively? Was there a specific song &/or band(s) that helped spawn ideas for this release?
 
MU: in terms of creativity, i feel like i spend a lot of my time observing the world around me and reserving my input, and i think that mess of thoughts and feelings pours out. nothing really makes sense until it’s finished, so there’s a lot of stream of consciousness and exploring musical and conceptual ideas. it’s hard not to be inspired by everything in some way – it all adds up. if i had to choose a few major musical inspirations for this stuff, it’d probably be jackie wilson, the ronettes, and dale earnhardt jr. jr.
 
SS: You have some righteous pipes my man! What singer(s) do you flock to when blaring your iPod?
 
MU: i’m all about soul and motown and phil spector tunes – jackie wilson, sam cooke, the ronettes, the crystals, the temptations, diana ross, al green, sly and the family stone, etc. these are huge influences vocally with their expression and harmony arrangements. singers like jackie wilson were such powerful performers that i try to emulate that extreme passion when i’m writing and especially when i’m performing live.
 
SS: Alright man, you made it! Any last words?
 
MU: thanks jake, i really appreciate it. i wanna send my love to all my bitches (carrie, kelly, jeneen, megan) and sean butler, DINGIJFG.
 
Mixtape Tracklist:
 
Lou Breed – Espiritu (videohome)
Pepepiano – Flesh Rails
Gracie – In Humble
Kingfisherg – Patch Face
Kohwi – Leaving is a Feeling
Wet Wings – Witching Hour
De La Montaña – Batty Haus
fthrsn – hysteria
Audego – Rhapsody for the Wicked
Chrome Sparks – Miss You (ft. Steffaloo)
Subvader – Snowdrift
Kyle Hall – Plastik Ambash
Ricky Eat Acid – all the pillows in the world
Sad Souls – Dreamcatcher

fthrsn’s special wednesday single release mixtape of smiles by fthrsn


hysteria by fthrsn
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[GOLDRUSH Exclusive] Galapagos Interview




In just over 9 months Jacob McNaughton aka Austin producer Galapagos has gone from making bedroom beats to releasing physical EP’s, hype-worthy singles, and playing our 1st Annual GOLDRUSH Music Festival alongside the likes of How To Dress Well, Teen Daze and Tennis. It’s a speedy evolution, but a warranted evolution all the same. And it’s one of the many subjects that come to head in our exclusive GOLDRUSH Interview w/ Galapagos himself…
 
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SS: Is your name in reference to The Galapagos Islands? If so, why?
 
G: Yeah, of course. The Galapagos Islands, to me at least, evoke the emotions I strive to bring out of my music. Adventure, discovery, mystery, and a surplus of animals.
 
SS: I first heard your music when I came across your Miracle Child EP, out via Chill Mega Chill. Were you homies with them prior to the release?
 
G: I had talked with Tripp and Ian a small handful of times prior to working with CMC, mostly just thanking them for posting my music on their respective blogs. It wasn’t until Tripp gave me a call to discuss my tape release that I really got to know them. So glad I did though, those guys are definite chillers in the best way possible. Chill Mega Chill is about to run the game.
 
SS: Is your Miracle Child EP cover a tripped out depiction of The Galapagos Islands? Totally reminds me of Nintendo 64′s Wave Racer.
 
G: Yes it is! It was done by the crazy talented Brad Rohloff, an (internet) friend of mine who I actually got in contact with through Anthony Engelhardt, better known as Ra Cailum.
 
SS: Do you have any music projects outside of Galapagos?
 
G: I wish. I would really love to experience being in a band. I’ve been making music alone for way way way too long.
 
SS: You just (today) released your new EP (GirlyGirl) on our new Speaker Snacks Recs label. Can you explain the the theme behind this release a little bit?
 
G: The central theme is more or less, “women”, and a sort-of celebration of them. I’m not really great at explaining things like this. Hopefully the songs can speak for themselves.
 
Click Here To Download GirlyGirl
 
SS: Do EP themes/styles randomly pop into mind? What does your creative process look like when writing new music?
 
G: All of my releases to date, including this EP, have been somewhat thrown together without focused ideas on theme or style. All my stuff as Galapagos has really just been a learning adventure, trying to find my “voice” as a producer. However, I feel much more confident in my abilities since I released my first EP, “Sounds Vol. 1“. Projects I work on in the future will be much more conceptualized and fully fleshed out.
 
As far as my creative process goes…with my headphones on and eyes all bloodshot it probably just looks like I’m nerding out on my laptop for hours on end. Basically though, I usually start by sampling something from my vinyl collection or itunes library. I bring those samples into Ableton Live and go from there chopping things up and adding beats/synths using my midi controllers.



SS: Who did the artwork for GirlyGirl? Do you take a lot of time when curating your art?
 
G: The art for GirlyGirl was actually really a challenge. I drew a ton of stuff up and tried a bunch of different ideas, but ended up going with a photo of the inside of a kaleidoscope I took with my iphone in a toy shop. The image just felt right for whatever reason.
 
SS: This is a pretty huge week for you man! Along with a new EP you’ll be performing at our 1st Annual GOLDRUSH Music Festival in Denver. Pretty stoked?
 
G: SO stoked. This past December, on a whim, I started a SoundCloud account and uploaded some of my tracks. I was just a bored 18 year old hanging out in my bedroom nine months ago, and now I’m going to Denver to play a music festival with some of the most talented musicians in the country. Almost can’t believe it.
 
SS: Ever been to Colorado before? What’s on your Colorado agenda?
 
G: Nope, never been. Can’t wait to see the Rockies. You can see the rockies from Denver, right? Also planning soaking in as much beautiful weather as possible. Austin has been waaay too hot this summer. I’m also really excited to chill my internet homie Ra Cailum for the first time in real life. Meeting your internet friends in real life is the most bizarre/radical thing.
 
SS: Who are you most excited to see perform at GOLDRUSH this weekend?
 
G: I’m a huge HTDW fan. Can’t hide it. I’ll probably be a bit starstruck.
 
SS: And lastly, what can we expect to experience during your set? Our lives flashing before our eyes?
 
G: There will definitely be FLASHING! I’ve worked on my set a lot for Goldrush. It’s going to be my best performance to date. I may have a surprise or two planned. We’ll see if the crowd can handle it.
 
Stream/Download GirlyGirl Below…
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[Goldrush Exclusive] An Interview w/ Slow Magic




Little is known about the mysterious Slow Magic other than the fact that his music is quote “the sound made by an unknown imaginary friend”. Is he truly imaginary? Is he of this world? Are the Icelandic rumors true? What does he look like? Lots of questions… few tangible answers. And with merely a week until his debut live performance at this years GOLDRUSH Music Festival I thought i’d take a stab at unmasking this illusive character once and for all. Did I succeed? You’ll just have to read my interview and find out for yourself… (Brand new GOLDRUSH Mix by Slow Magic after the interview)
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Speaker Snacks: How old are you in imaginary years?
 
Slow Magic: That is hard to say for sure. But if imaginary years have anything to do with maturity and imagination, which i’m sure they do, nine years.
 
Speaker Snacks: Ever been to Denver before? If not, how do you imagine it to look?
 
Slow Magic: I can not remember. I am sure it is a mystical place, where people are just like people anywhere else. Maybe with a bit more more crazy.
 
Speaker Snacks: Our GOLDRUSH Music Festival is your first live performance… ever. Right?
 
Slow Magic: Yes, that is correct.
 
Speaker Snacks: What does a live Slow Magic set look like exactly?
 
Slow Magic: At this point it looks like a bunch of light up buttons I press to make sounds.
 
Speaker Snacks: Do you plan on unveiling your true identity during your performance? Do you have weird features?
 
Slow Magic: I do not plan on revealing my identity. As far as weird features, some say I resemble a zebra.



Speaker Snacks: A lot of music bloggers think you’re from Iceland. Is there any reality to these claims?
 
Slow Magic: No.
 
Speaker Snacks: Why do you use symbols on your bandcamp/vimeo descriptions? Some sort of imaginary lingo?
 
Slow Magic: I enjoy the idea that there is more out there. So instead of using just letters as letters, I look for more.
 
Speaker Snacks: You seem to love the beach. Do you live near a large body of water? What’s the scoop?
 
Slow Magic: I am landlocked at the moment. This must make me dream longingly of the sea. I didn’t even realize these sounds came through in the music.
 
Speaker Snacks: Why do you call yourself Slow Magic?
 
Slow Magic: I was thinking one day of the process of making music. It is definitely slow magic.
 
Speaker Snacks: What’s on the ol’ agenda post-GOLDRUSH?
 
Slow Magic: There are a lot of things happening as far as a physical release including vinyl and cassettes. Also, a possible European tour.
 
Speaker Snacks: And lastly, what’s your real name? J/K!
 
Slow Magic: Slow Magic. :)




ℳ.Ⅰ.✕. †.▲.℘.Σ. #2 (GOLDRUSH) by Slow Magic

Read more exclusive GOLDRUSH Music Festival Interviews at tometotheweathermachine.com & magicteepee.com
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[GOLDRUSH Exclusive] An Interview w/ Corduroi




Cody Wilson aka Austin producer Corduroi was the first national-based musician that I had the honor of inviting to this years GOLDRUSH Music Festival. With that said, I figured it’d be a swell idea to sit down with him for one of our exclusive GOLDRUSH interview segments. Good idea, right?! Within this rad-tastic 1-on-1 we chat dispensary overload, collectives & dubstep… but not how you’d think : )
 
SS: If someone were to stop you on the street (say in Denver) and ask you what kind of music you played, how would you respond?
 
Corduroi: I would most likely think about it for a second then respond with “Electronic”, which is pretty damn general but sometimes it’s hard to gauge someone on their knowledge of genres and sub-genres. I feel kind of silly describing things like Trip-Hop and Chillwave and Post-Dub to people who aren’t so familiar. Unfortunately, the usual first response I get from responding with “Electronic” is “oh, you mean like Dubstep?!”. Maybe I should just tell everyone I make Dub-step.
 
SS: You currently live in Austin, Texas correct?
 
Corduroi: Yes, I’ve been here for 2 years roughly.
 
SS: I’ve heard through the grapevine that you have yourself a lil’ music posse down in Austin, a music collective of sorts. Is this true?
 
Corduroi: This is true, a lot of the local bands/musicians/artists all hang out pretty closely. I’m actually graced to be part of a fairly new collective here in town called “The Skank Family”. People of all sorts from all over are involved. Musicians, poets, visual artists, writers, filmmakers… The Skank has alot to offer! We plan weekly poetry nights, interactive live shows, parties, fundraisers, and we’ve actually got a new zine coming out soon called “Raw-Paw” which will ultimately be a culmination of these things.
 
Great friends/Local Bands – Mother Falcon, Marmalakes, Little Lo, Galapagos, Selva Oscura, Zorch, Click-Clack, Jon Cook, Motion Picture, Dr. Edlocks, SOMA, Springs, Milezo, Sphynx, Hello Wheels, Sip Sip, These Are Words, For Hours And Ours Balmoreah, Pompeii



SS: As a Texas resident, how do you view Denver’s music scene from afar?
 
Corduroi: I guess I don’t really know too much about it… I really enjoy alot of stuff coming from the Denver area that i’ve heard like Candy Claws, Pictureplane, and Gauntlet Hair. I like that denver, fort collins, and boulder are all fairly close to each other, seems like there is alot to discover between the three!
 
SS: You’ve sampled material from the likes of Dirty Projectors & Animal Collective. Can we expect some GOLDRUSH specific sampling in September?
 
Corduroi: I do have some surprises for my set… don’t want to give to much away but, yes you can!
 
SS: Your homeboy and city-mate Galapagos is also slated to perform at this years GOLDRUSH Music Festival. Can you hint at the possibility of a collaboration during the festivities?
 
Corduroi: It has come up in recent talks… we would like to do some kind of live collaboration (and probably will) it all depends on how our schedules will work up until Goldrush but we have high hopes.
 
SS: And lastly (drum roll), what do you plan on doing while in Colorado, other than attending GOLDRUSH? Dispensary tour?
 
Corduroi: Haha I’d love to do a dispensary tour, so many good breweries! I actually plan on getting
together with some of my good friends from denver and santa fe, it’s been a while (too long) since I’ve seen them so I’m quite excited. Also REALLY looking forward to meeting all of these other wonderful acts from all over… hopefully make some friends/connections.
 
Want to get warm and cozy with Corduroi’s music? Visit his bandcamp layer HERE
 
Cruise over to magicteepee.com for an exclusive video interview with Teen Daze.
 
Catapult over to tometotheweathermachine.com for an exclusive interview with Megabats.
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[GOLDRUSH Exclusive] An Interview w/ Steffaloo




With our 1st annual GOLDRUSH Music Festival inching closer and closer by the second, Crawf. (Tome To The Weather Machine), Ryan (Magic Teepee) and myself thought it’d be a good idea to whip up some exclusive interviews with our gold-bound friends. Tune in each and every Weds (to our respective sites) for in-depth, rad-tastic 1-on-1 chats with some of the games more talented people. First up on Speaker Snacks? An interview with Los Angeles, California’s Steffaloo! Read through as we engulf ourselves in nicknames, breath in some fresh Colorado air & chat about a VERY special GOLDRUSH guest… oh and did I mention there’s a free mixtape involved? Enjoy…
 
SS: How’d the name Steffaloo come to fruition? Is it a childhood nickname
or something?
 
Steffaloo: haha, well it’s actually kind of random, really. when i first moved to LA i worked at starbucks for a few months, and one of my co-workers started calling me steffalupagus, like the seasame street character ‘snuffleupagus’ (don’t ask me why haha).. and well, eventually it just somehow morphed into ‘steffaloo’ and ended up sticking. before i knew it, everyone around me was calling me that, so i kind of just ran with it. initially i thought it’d just be a cool branding name for my art and photography, but when i started playing music most people already knew me by steffaloo so it just seemed like the easiest thing to go with. i’ve actually wished many times that i could change it, but i think at this point it’s a bit endearing.. so much for being a bad ass haha ;)
 
SS: You’ve worked with everyone from Blackbird Blackbird to Pandit to Chrome Sparks. Is this a right place right time kinda thing?
 
Steffaloo: You know.. maybe. haha.. this whole thing came about because my brother tim (smokedontsmoke) had posted some of mikey’s music (who at the time was still going by ‘bye bye blackbird’). i quickly fell in love with his music and had already been in contact with mikey about album artwork that i was possibly going to help him out with. it just so happened that he was looking for a female to put some vocals on one of his songs around the same time so i just threw it out there that i’d love to give it a try. i’d been making my own music for a bit but had never really shared any of it.. mikey giving me a chance on that song is really what started it all. the collaborations that have followed have come from not only the tight knit blog community we are all a part of, but just the genuine awesomeness of all of these artists. just about everyone i’ve done music with i’ve actually had the chance to meet at some point and have become friends with, so really it’s just friends coming together and doing what we all love doing. :) and in that sense, i guess i hope i never stop making friends!
 
SS: Diversity seems to be the name of your game. How would you describe your style to a person attending GOLDRUSH?
 
Steffaloo: That’s a great question, and i guess i really don’t know how to answer it. i hope i never really fit into just one specific genre, because that would just get boring. i think i love collaborating so much because it gives me a chance to do songs that aren’t necessarily ‘me’; that i wouldn’t make myself. but i suppose my own personal stuff might fall under the folky acoustic singer-songwriter genre if we really had to choose one :)



SS: I remember when I first met your brother tim (bb), he told me that you guys used to live in Colorado Springs. Was I being punk’d?
 
Steffaloo: No no, that is completely true. we grew up in colorado springs and it’s where i spent all of my formative years- childhood, high school, college. i think i appreciate it a lot more now not living there, it’s a beautiful place.
 
SS: What are you looking forward to the most about returning to Colorado? Dry skin?
 
Steffaloo: haha, oh the dry skin.. i do not miss that. :) i do miss that clean, mountain fresh air though! i think i’m just looking forward to being back ‘home’ in a lot of ways. this will be the first time that a lot of my closest friends i grew up and went to school with will have a chance to see me play, and it will also be fun to have people in my world now see where i came from. sort of a colliding of worlds if you will.. i can’t wait to have all of my favorite people in one place! and really, i’d be lying if i said i wasn’t looking forward to the quietness of colorado. those mountains do wonders to calm the soul.. LA can get so tiring at times what with the constant stimulation it has going at all times haha.. it’ll be nice to get away for a bit.
 
SS: Any cray cray plans in the works for your GOLDRUSH perfomance? Maybe some bat biting, etc?
 
Steffaloo: haha, well yes actually. i am more than excited to let everyone know that my sister is going to be singing with me!! she lives in CO so it only made sense to me to have her join me. we grew up singing together so to get to have her not only be there, but to sing with me is beyond anything i could have ever hoped for. she is an amazing singer. i think it will really add some awesomeness to the set to have her there, and it’s personally gonna be awesome for me since it’s usually just me up there solo. i may have a couple more surprises in store, but if i told you about them it would ruin all the fun!
 
SS: What’s next? New Record? Or perhaps another rockin’ collaboration?
 
Steffaloo: Well, i’ve got my very first ever one of a kind limited run (only 300 pressed) 7″ vinyl “on fire” coming out in just a couple of weeks through the amazing jaxart records! i am so excited about this i can’t even tell you! you can still pre-order a copy thru my bandcamp before they’re all gone! ;) i’m working on some more songs for whatever follows that. and of course there are more collaborations in store, as always! i’ve also got an EP coming up later this month with ‘toy camera‘ (my side project with drew of germany germany), so i’m staying pretty busy.
 
And here’s a mixtape with some of my favorite summer jams as of late! old and new :D // DOWNLOAD DIRECTLY HERE (Includes tunes from Slow Magic, The Pharcyde & Supreme Cuts)
 
Head over to tometotheweathermachine.com for an exclusive interview w/ Quiet Evenings
 
Head over to magicteepee.com for an exclusive interview w/ Happy New Year
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UNOUOMEDUDE: Marsh EP + Interview




unouomedude – frequency

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By Zack Roif
 
Armed with more hooks than my coat rack, 20 year old Jacksonville, FL native UNOUOMEDUDE (You-Know-You-Owe-Me-Dude) has been cranking out more than his fair share of honest-to-god pop gems over the past year. His first release (as far as I can tell), Marsh, lacks a cohesiveness you’d expect from a first record– but that’s what is so redeeming about his music– he’s sure as hell got something up his sleeve when it comes to songwriting. Marsh at the very least unveils how capable of a musician UNOUOMEDUDE is, and how he can tackle way more than just the lo-fi aesthetic. From his simple romantically nostalgic single “Frequency” on Old Flame Records to the aweing vocal melodies on “Buildings”, it is clear UNOUOMEDUDE knows what he’s doing– and he’s doing it well. Keep this dude on your radar.
 
Also, I recently asked UNOUOMEDUDE a few questions regarding his ‘debt-collecting’ name, first dates, and future plans. Read below…
 
Zack: Who owes you, dude? I’m sure this is something you probably get asked in every interview–but I haven’t read any of those, so for the curious people out there who haven’t either: Where does the moniker come from?
 
Yu-No: Well my cousin was telling me about the name he came up with, “Unoiouboi”, pronounced “you-know-i-owe-you-boy”. He never used it though. Back around 2005, I needed a username for online stuff like AIM, and I came up with, “unouomedude”, pronounced “you-know-you-owe-me-dude”. I just kept it when I started doing music since I couldn’t think of anything better and my friends liked it a lot.
 
Zack: I feel like many of your songs involve an overwhelmingly familiar sense of nostalgia from a first love or first date circa the high-school era, If we were in high school, what would be your top 3 places to take a chick out?
 
Yu-No: Ha, I never really go out with anyone. I took a girl to Guitar Center once. Probably Guitar Center, a park, or the downtown area of whatever city we’re in.
 
Zack: If you had to be in a Norwegian Black Metal band, or any sort of death/black metal band, which one would it be, and what would be your stage gimmick (i.e. impaling pig heads on stage, etc).
 
Yu-No: I don’t know what band I’d like to join. I’d probably just start my own band called “Samantha”, or “Heather”. I would have flowers on stage and water them throughout the set. Or maybe I would toss vegetables for people in the crowd to take home.
 
Zack: (Serious Question): What can we be expecting from you in the future? Any tour dates we can get psyched for? Will you continue to work with Old Flame? Where do you see UNOUOMEDUDE heading right now? I know this one is a lot to take in. Haha.
 
Yu-No: Well I’m working on a new record right now, so I plan to finish that in the coming months. No tour dates yet, but hopefully I’ll be touring later this summer or fall. Old Flame is really supportive of what I’m doing and they’ve been helping a lot, so we’ll see where everything goes from here! Musically, I’ve been working with a few different sounds. The stuff I’m working on doesn’t really sound exactly like “Frequency” or my songs from Marsh, but it sounds like me though. I’m just heading forward.
 
Snag a free download of Marsh HERE or stream below.


Marsh EP by unouomedude
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An Interview w/ Hyetal




Hyetal – Phoenix

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Last July, Bristol, England’s Hyetal dropped one of the best electronic singles of the year. “Phoenix” is at once icy and emotional, nostalgic and totally of the present. Hyetal more than followed through on that promise on his follow-up full-length, Broadcast. He recently took some time to discuss his song writing process and influences for Broadcast with Speaker Snacks…
 
SS: Can you describe a little bit of your song writing process? Do you “test” the tracks live as you’re coming up with the final arrangements? Or is this the kind of thing where you write and produce the album versions, and then figure out what to do in a live setting afterward?
 
Hyetal: Once I have an initial idea I tend to get the bulk of the structure down pretty quickly. I’ve only recently started playing out live, so I had to spend a while adapting the music from the album. I’ll be testing some new stuff out as part of the live set soon.
 
SS: I notice a lot of the same percussion sounds and synth settings on multiple tracks on the album. Do you always work with familiar sounds, or was there an effort on Broadcast to tie the album together sonically?
 
Hyetal: Yeah at times I purposely limited the sound pallet I used. The focus was definitely on the overall aesthetic.
 
Read More Speaker Snacks Interviews HERE
 
SS: Broadcast’s lead single “Phoenix” was released almost a year before the rest of the album, and I understand even before much of the rest of the album was written. With the enthusiastic reaction “Phoenix” received, did you feel any pressure to live up to the hype as you wrote the rest of Broadcast?
 
Hyetal: No I wasn’t worried about that at all, phoenix was a confidence boost if anything. I’d been releasing music that had more consideration for DJs before that.
 
I really enjoyed a lot of early dubstep music, and I was definitely influenced by what producers like mala and kode 9 were doing around 2005. By last year though I wasn’t sure where I fitted into all that, dubstep had become something very different to what I was originally into. Phoenix was me not worrying at all about fitting into any particular genre, and making music with my childhood influences, something that was more personal to me. It was great to see the track so well received.
 
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An Interview w/ Javelin




Javelin – Colorado Trail

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Javelin – Gaucho

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Because we’re so darn obsessed with Javelin’s new spaghetti western themed Canyon Candy EP we thought it’d be a good idea to saddle up and head to town for an exclusive interview with founding members Tom Van Buskirk and George Langford. Read through for an in-depth look at the duos very original take on the wild wild west…
 
SS: Your new Canyon Candy EP was heavily influenced by your extensive
time touring the south. Is there one particular moment that finally
brought this project to life?
 
Javelin: I think the idea crystallized at a couple different moments. There
was the premonition cowboy track from 2006, the drive with Lucky
Dragons where we named the project, and finally the time in Marfa, TX
when we played the songs for our friends in Yeasayer in an old trailer
we were staying in. That might have been the moment it became real.
 
SS: Compared to past releases, this record sounds quite different from
what people are used to hearing from Javelin. Did the transformation
come easily?
 
Javelin: It all stems from the concept and the means… We used a similar
approach when we made the Andean Ocean Tape. In thrift stores, you
always see cowboy records and realizing sounds of the ocean tapes. We
decided to make our own versions, using some of the originals as
source material.
 
Like the interview? Read our review of the album HERE
 
SS: The track titles for Canyon Candy are quite memorable. How did the names come about?
 
Javelin: Sheer mind jamming.
 
SS: There seemed to be a predominant spaghetti western theme to Canyon
Candy. Do you guys plan on conceptualizing future releases to this
extent?
 
Javelin: We avoided sampling Spaghetti Western sounds because we thought they
were too cool already. This is definitely the only Western Album we
will make.
 
SS: Can you tell me a little bit about the records you sampled for this one?
 
Javelin: They’re everywhere in the dollar bin. “Songs Of The West” “The
Lonesome Cowboy” etc. They have great covers.
 
SS: Have you guys performed Canyon Candy live yet? If so, please tell
me you rode out on horses…
 
Javelin: Not yet, but we are in the planning stages. I’ll take the horse suggestion.
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