1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?
Interstitia has been something I've done for the past few years. I moved away from a city I'd lived in for decades to a place where I didn't know anyone and didn't have anyone to make music with so I bought a cheap laptop and taught myself how to make sounds on it.
2.You have a new album coming out in July, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I think that previous releases were somewhat more mannered and clean-sounding with more emphasis on melody. On the newest release I worked more with samples and textures to make something simultaneously noisier and more ecstatic.
3.So far all of your music has been instrumental, are you open to working with vocals on future releases?
Absolutely. I did a remix for a great post-punk band called Secret Shame and it was a really fun experience. While I've done a few collaborations with other projects I've never done one with Interstitia and I'd certainly be open to it.
4.The songs themes on the album are inspired by Lewis Hyde's "Trickster Makes This World" and Brian Muraresku's "The Immortality Key", can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these novels?
So both books are in the vein of alternative history and anthropology. Hyde's book is a study of the trickster god in polytheistic religion and the ways that those figures helped to propel culture forward in an amoral, mischievous fashion. Muraresku's book is a little more speculative, dealing with the idea that ancient Greek religion (specifically the Eleusynian Mysteries), ideas that planted the seed for so much of Western religion and philosophy, were part of an entheogenic cult that traces back before recorded history.
I read both books around the same time and they both seemed complementary in the sense of providing a fuller understanding of the more arcane corners of human history. Some of the material was credible, some was a bit of a stretch but each book provided a fascinating glimpse into the hidden machinations of the world.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Interstitia'?
First and foremost it wasn't claimed by somebody else already, which is hard to do now. But the idea came from the way that so many of the sounds in my music don't come from the actual notes I play but from the way that the echoes and spacial effects interact with each other. The notes do what they're supposed to do but the space between the notes is where the interesting moments occur.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The title itself was a chapter in Lewis Hyde's book that really grabbed me and I wanted to reflect the Hermes character in a way that befitted the music. I used a centuries-old print as a starting point then tried to imbue it with some of the colorful, chaotic vibes of the music.
7.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians on future releases?
Oh definitely. I love collaboration. It's still amazing to me how easy it is to collaborate long-distance now. Even a decade ago, the technology would've been prohibitively expensive.
8.You also have a background playing in punk and hardcore bands, how would you compare what you are doing now musically to what you have done in the fast?
It's all part of the same mosaic. Everything I make on some level is messy and weird so making noisy electronic music isn't too far removed from making aggressive music with spacey qualities.
9.Have you done any live shows with this project or are you open to the idea?
I haven't and I don't know how I would. All of it is made on an old laptop that always seems like it's a couple keystrokes away from self-destructing. Maybe someday if I get better equipment and learn how to handle it I might.
10.The album is going to be released on 'Pax Aeternum'. how did you get in contact with this label?
Pax is the digital subsidiary of Dark Operative records which is run by a close friend and bandmate. I've known Brent for fifteen years now and we've worked together on dozens of releases in all genres. He's open to a lot of different things so it was a natural fit.
11.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your recordings by fans of ambient and electronic music?
Not exactly rousing support. The people who've heard it seemed to like it, but it's hard to get it in front of electronic fans. As a musician coming from a rock background, on a label that features more rock music than anything it can be hard to be accepted as an outsider in that scene, especially when making music that doesn't really fit into any neat genre category (I've referred to it as "punk ambient" which I don't think does me any favors). Sometimes it feels like I'm a painter that lives on a mountaintop. Every day I wake up and I paint and every time I finish a painting I roll it up and throw it over the mountain's edge hoping that somebody will find it. Occasionally people do find them but very often they just get stuck in treetops or carried off by raccoons.
12.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
I'm fortunate to have a lot of incredible musicians with whom I associate, a label that's really supportive, and the means to try anything that might catch my ear. I may not be a successful musician in terms of money or a huge fanbase but I do think I'm a success in the sense that I can do whatever the fuck I want whenever the fuck I want to do it and even if I have to put it on Bandcamp for five people to listen to then I still made something I love.
13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
My tastes are all over the place - d-beat, krautrock, dub, ambient, afrobeat, shoegaze, hip hop etc. - all get a lot of play in my house. I think with this particular album I had been listening to a lot of spiritual/ecstatic free jazz like Alice Coltrane and Don Cherry and trying to come up with something that had a similar vibe without mimicking the sound - something that could be harsh and beautiful at the same time.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for taking the time to speak with me!
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