It’s Mothers’ Day. Slumped comfortably in an old lounge chair sits Michael Alexander Ippolito [I], who goes by “Ipp”. He’s in the bands ‘Sun’s Not Yellow’ and ‘Praying’, and as a soloist performs as ‘Fountainpen’. Nearby, Jordan Fore [J] sits on a low couch. He’s a member of Amplifier Worshiper’, and has solo recordings as ‘Murderer’. He’s also a member of ‘Sun’s Not Yellow’ and ‘Praying’. Also on the couch is Michael Amason [M], who’s released various solo recordings under aliases like ‘///∆’, is half of the band ‘Amplifier Worshiper’ and is one of the three administrators behind Cookies ‘n Cream Records, Ipp and Jordan being the other two. They all started with one thing in common: Noise Music, on cassette.
Let’s rewind a minute...
What is Noise Music?
A.) A safe-zone of primitive musical expression that requires no training, structure or discipline
B.) A nontraditional construct of soundscapes, reserved for deep-thinking beard-strokers
C.) None of the Above
D.) Both C and D
E.) ssssssssssSssssssssssk(alt)rrrrrrrrrrrrRrhrhrhztztztbbbbubbbbnn/”]≤_-#
The Noise genre is left so loosely defined that the exceptions outnumber the rules. The music can dispense with all tonality, or it can hold a single note for extended periods of time. It can be generated acoustically, electronically, or vocally. The source can be strangled by feedback and distortion, or drowned in more hiss than a snake pit in a rainstorm. It could be the precariously-balanced harmonic overtones pulled between a single bass guitar and the amp it’s pointing at, or the sonic sabotage of a record needle on sandpaper at 45 rpm. It has the potential to be both nothing and everything.
By the mid-60‘s, Noise was creeping into mainstream pop music by way of Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” and Beatles “The White Album”, incorporating tape-loop manipulation and avant-garde aesthetics. Lou Reed’s double-LP “Metal Machine Music” was considered by critics to be the ‘first commercial Noise record’ and, simultaneously, ‘the worst album of all time’. The genre has never appealed to the masses, but those that follow it are fiercely loyal.
Over the years, cassettes and Noise have reflected back on one another. Recording on the tactile (and inexpensive) medium of magnetic tape meant that the studio itself had the potential to become an instrument. Amazingly, the tape cassette is having a revival of sorts; a backlash to all the cloud-based intangible media. Again proof that what we really want to do is hold something (see Panhandle Rag Issue #1).
Stop. Press play...
What’s the big deal about noise? What should the average person get out of a Noise show?
All three of them overlap. They toss out words like Intensity, Catharsis, Expression, Purity... On the subject of live performance, Michael adds:
M ... a primordial, ‘proto-punk’ danger element.
I - The cool thing about Noise is that there’s a lot of different kinds. Some people throw garbage cans around as part of their set, and others just hunch over their mixers saying “you are not alone” over and over again. Some of it isn’t as engaging, but It all qualifies as Noise.
So how much of the Noise culture has to be seen to be appreciated?
M - I think it’s important to experience any kind of music you like in a live setting, whenever possible.
By way of an example, Michael describes his set at NoizeFest in New Orleans earlier this year... With a tattoo gun hooked up to contact microphones and amplifiers, he ‘performed’ a live tattoo on his own leg, which he’s proud to display. The set was described as “punishingly loud” -- so much so that it interrupted other acts during their performance.
If this form of expression is considered to be purer - how come more artists aren’t clamoring to do this?
J - It’s often harsh and abrasive. Not to sound pretentious, but it has a ‘higher access level’.
Ipp - It’s a very freeing experience for someone who’s not formally trained in music.
M - Actually a lot of professional musicians have their side projects in weirder, more esoteric stuff like this.
Is there a line in the sand you draw? If a piece of Noise is created digitally, do you look down on it because it lacks “tape hiss”?
M - Personally, I don’t like a flat screen; I want something I can put my hands on. If you’re trying to make an insanely loud piece of noise with a laptop, the hard drive is going to crash. I won’t discredit anyone for using a laptop, but it doesn’t cater to my aesthetic.
J - I’m kind of biased against pure digital noise. I just use a bass, two pedals and an amp.
I - Each person is going to do what they think is ‘cool’ and criticize what they think is not. I think the whole point is being able to do what you want, and not have anybody tell you ‘you’re doing it wrong’.
The general consensus is, at least in this conversation, computers are something of a ‘cheat’. Although a noise veteran like Merzbow (350 albums!) has streamlined everything down to a laptop, the hands-on engineers’ aesthetic is still quite common. It’s the trial-and-error with cables and effect pedals that produce the desired sound, not the software.
Rewind again...
How did you meet?
J - Ipp and I met in the fourth grade at karate lessons...
I - By the 9th grade we started going to record stores and learning about other bands besides Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Jordan started picking up instruments and he “pressured” me to do the same. (Initially) we wanted to reflect the things we were listening to, but then it evolved into something more self-expressive.
Michael came into the picture around 2011. He had seen Ipp and Jordan perform as Sun’s Not Yellow, and introductions at the time were brief. A few months later, they all happened to share a venue -- a tribute concert for My Bloody Valentine. The two karate students watched as Michael stood on top of his bass cabinet, assassinating his amp with guitar feedback. The concert was held on Valentine’s Day -- there was bound to be some chemistry that night...
J - ... our band Amplifier Worshiper was born through conversation at a Whataburger, immediately after doing that show. (I said to Michael) “Let’s see what happens if we turn all of our amplifiers on at once”.
How and why did you decide to start a label?
J - Ipp and I started recording and we came up with a fake label to slap on the first thing we put out. It started as kind of a joke, but then we put a Facebook page together. We had signed one other artist by that point named Soren, who made ambient dub music. After we met Michael, he kind of kick-started things for us...
M - I made them pay taxes.
I - We elected him president, with Jordan & I as co-founders. We essentially hired him to turn us into a business, build a website...
M - It’s been nice being Spiderman-In-Chief...
Why use cassettes as your medium?
I - I like making something right out of my house.
J - Cassettes are portable like most things aren’t. We can pick up tape duplicators at garage sales and eBay.
But CDs are cheap, and portable...
J - Yeah, well, it’s also the esoteric idea; tapes are analog.
I - I started doing it because I was already recording on tape. it’s kind of fun to master things on the same format you recorded it on, you know, it never goes through a computer... but with some of (Cookies n Cream)’s other bands, there’s probably a novelty to it.
M - For me it’s more about elevating the product to more of a fetish item.
“Fetish item?”
M - It’s kind of the same way people look at any collectible... you can hold it in your hands. Cassettes are more portable than vinyl, and obviously more affordable for a smaller operation. It’s fun and personal -- there are more things you can do with them besides just download the MP3.
Stop. Eject. Flip to side B... Play.
Stop. Eject. Flip to side B... Play.
Do you all like to work within these tangible limitations?
M - I think there’s a give and take... with tape it just seems so much easier (than digital) right now. Just to be able to have that instantaneous transfer, that snapshot of that moment. I would say having Jordan’s live releases available in this format adds to the charm.
J - Yeah, it’s usually done in one take...
i - ... adding to the collect-ability.
You do take some time though, to get your catalogue digitized online, if nothing else for exposure and marketability.
M - We would be in denial if we only did things via mail-order or through magazines.
J - As far as putting things online, we want to make sure it’s just for marketability because (in that format) it’s all free, just to get it out there. Some people want the physical copy. I personally wouldn’t want an MP3, I’d prefer to own it.
I - Yeah, we’d prefer if people bought the tape because, with most of our releases, we try very hard to get it to look and sound the way we wanted.
M - I came here to study art & graphic design. Back in high school, I had been in a bunch of s**t-kicking bands.
What kind of s**t did you kick?
M - Stereotypical stuff like Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, but that grew into heavier acts like Sleep and Sunn O))). The music I made kept getting noisier and noisier...
Jordan, let’s take one of your releases... Aastha by Murderer. There is a notable amount of tape hiss on the source recording. Every tape deck that someone plays this on could be introducing a different listening experience, along with a distracting new layer of hiss. Does this chance element concern you?
J - The hiss in itself is appealing to me, but I would be kind of annoyed if someone played my music on a terrible tape machine. If that was the only way they heard it, then it be a misrepresentation.
Regarding the label you operate... how'd you decide on the name?
J - Ipp and I were at a record store in Jacksonville, and he picked up a Fugazi 7-inch (the Furniture EP), and the vinyl was sort a creamy color with little black specs in it. One of us said: “it’s a cookies & cream record”...
I - I remember saying ‘if we ever start a record label, that needs to be the name of it’ and you said “OK”.
Aside from occasionally doing live backup drums for each-other for shows, the three have never been in a band together. Like 3 magnets in close proximity, one always seems to be facing the opposite direction. In fact, they’ve had trouble just arranging a way to finally live together in the same city, much less the same house. Ipp cracks a smile...
I - ... now that we’re all in Tallahassee, it’s kind of ironic we’re about to be separated again.
The whole operation is in the process of moving to San Francisco. Michael will go first (by way of a small tour), then the three of them will converge in the Bay Area by the end of September.
As you gear up for the move, are you excited as performers, as a label, or both?
I - Both. For Fountainpen, (I’ll be able) to play more shows, and moving will help Cookies ‘n Cream a lot.
M - It’s about 50/50 split - when you’re an artist living in a big city, you obviously have more people to come out to your shows, instead of just the same 10 who pay attention to you locally. At the same time it opens us up for more adventurous sounds... just being out at shows and finding bands to approach. At the same time it allows us to help anyone who’s already associated with our label.
J ... Personally I’m more excited for the label. I don’t know what I’ll be doing musically.
So far, the main function of the label is building a community for artists rather than making money or requiring exclusivity for recordings. Connecting with people seems to be the first step for Cookies ‘N Cream, so they're receptive to expanding the catalogue. Noise may have been the hub of the wheel, but each of them want more spokes...
J - I'd like to think we'll be signing more diverse bands. We will always have some focus on experimental/ambient/drone/etc, but we're definitely not limiting ourselves to that. Our rule has always been that if two out of three of us like a band then they're on.
I - I'm open to anything for our label. When I hear a band I like, I want to approach them immediately about getting them on tape. I still get overly-excited sometimes. There was a time where I wanted to sign as many bands as I can, right away. That’s why I’m glad I have these two. I have to run it past them first.
Although Ipp compares his relationship with Jordan to that of “an old married couple”, Michael sometimes bridges the gap between opposing aesthetics... it brings to mind the fictional bass player Derek Smalls (from rock-mock-umentary This Is Spinal Tap), serving as a ‘luke warm water between two visionaries’...
What matters most, the medium or the message?
J - The message. The cassettes are just a means to an end; it’s all about the music. Ideally it would be a variety of formats.
I - For my own stuff I like cassettes - that’s what it’s always been about for me.
M - For me it’s a give and take, depending on the project. Some things make more sense to release digitally, but others on tape.
Is there anything you’ll miss about Tallahassee?
M - The thing I’ll miss the most is how accepting people are about your show. In other cities, people will even react violently if they don’t enjoy what you’re doing. You’ll get kicked out of bars and never be invited back. Here, even if people hate your stuff, people will at least clap because of the effort you put into it -- even if it’s something as harsh as a pure wall of noise.
What they all agree on is that Tallahassee is losing the opportunity for anything mildly experimental to be performed live. Venues like The Hidden Hand are now closed, and the “gentrification” of areas along Gaines Street seem almost palpable. It’s as if the fringe culture is getting its eviction notice...
Will you continue to oversee Tallahassee-based acts from the opposite side of the country?
M - For as long as they stay in town or as long as they want to remain associated with us. As it is, we have someone from the Russian Federation on our label.
Musically, what are your guilty pleasures?
I - Kenny Loggins and The J. Giles band.
J - I’ve been listening to R.E.M. lately, even though I get a lot of flack for it.
M - I work at a gas station at night, and my ears have to be violated by two different popular radio stations. Even something like Bon Jovi or Fleetwood Mac is a welcome respite... back when people didn’t whine so much...
If you could pick a popular artist to make a noise record, who comes to mind?
M - Give me a bottle of Jack Daniels, Taylor Swift, an Ebow guitar and about two hours. I can make something happen.
I - If I could get (‘Jackass’ stuntman) Ryan Dunn back from the dead, to make noise today, that would be great.
J - I’d say a half-dozen trashcans, another bottle of whiskey and George Bush with a baseball bat.
M - I think Bill Clinton would be even more fun...
J - Yeah, but if I had Clinton I’d rather just go to Wild Adventures with him. We could bring George Takei along... Beck could come too.
I’ll make some calls...
Fade to Hiss.
Stop.
External Links:
Cookies ‘N Cream website: http://CNCRecords.com
Online discography: http://cookiesncream.bandcamp.com
Bonus:
Jordan Fore live @ NoizeFest - http://vimeo.com/65782057
Extra Bonus:
