q and also a :: High Desert

Marty Crandall (ex-The Shins and Flake Music) and Nick Noeding, Jr. (of Yourself, Pollination, et al.) are High Desert and they answered all the questions in this next q and also a.

q: What is the last song you (really) heard?

marty: The Notwist – Into Another Tune. I love the lazy string loop at the beginning and the transformation that occurs midway through. It turns into such a head bobbing rotation of rhythms and then derails suddenly. Super hypnotic.

nick: Tony Castles – Heart in the Pipes (KAUF Remix), not sure where I actually heard it the first time, but it may have been in GTA. Such a killer remix. Brass synths are my weakness, and I’d hope to incorporate those into our project a little more as we move forward. Or, you know, more brass synths in general, in everyday life.

q: What is your most common reaction to hearing your own music?

n: It’s almost identical to the grieving process, actually.

m: Like seeing an old high school yearbook photo. But one of the ones you liked. One of the ones you got to choose what you wore and your expression isn’t terrible.

q: What is your favorite artist/band to see live?

m: Thee Oh Sees are pretty amazing to behold. I got to see them twice last year at SXSW. Then again this year in Albuquerque. I think i’ve seen them 6 times. They never disappoint. Super energetic and mind bending amounts of fuzzy guitar waves.

n: TBH I haven’t been to a show in a really long time. Lets say, favorite band to see if it were 2004 or so: The Flaming Lips. Wayne walked over me in a giant hamster ball.

q: What is your favorite venue (in NYC, if applicable)?

m: I liked The Bowery Ballroom back when I was playing shows in NY. Big enough for large acts but intimate enough to be able to hear from all the way at the back of the room. And velvety curtains.

n: I canâ€™t really speak to NYC venues, Iâ€™ve only been out that way once and spent the whole time inside a NYU dorm in February. There are a few places here in Albuquerque that have been around for a long time that I enjoy, namely The Sunshine Theater and The El Rey. They’re the venues from my youth, and therefore have a certain mystique about them. Also I’ve heard good things about a place called Sister that’s bringing in a lot of artists from out of town, and that’s really something we need here.

q: What piece(s) of culture are you really really excited about right now?

n: Tumblr is pretty exciting to me currently. If you follow the right people, you get exposed to some pretty incredible things on a daily basis. It’s great if you have a short attention span, too. Also bongstagram.

Full Disclosure: Nick has blogged for GT-related tumblog Nusquam in the past, and has been reblogging awesomeness at highdesert.tumblr.com for a awhile now, so you should totally check that out.

m: I was addicted to Vine for a while. I was making little 7 seconds plays with my collection of toys and stuffed animals. I’m currently searching for the next overwhelming source of inspiration. A 3D printer would make my life complete. Or maybe this bongstagram thing?

q: Anything we should know about your latest project (whatever that might be)?

n: Funny you should ask, it actually comes out tomorrow, April 15th. It’s our first album together, and it’s been a long time in the making. We did everything ourselves, from tracking to mastering, and so what started as a means for us to reconnect as friends kind of turned into a crash course in a lot of the technical aspects of recording. We’ve both dabbled in production before, but for me, this is the first time it really seemed like an official project, and the first time I’ve tried to conform to certain standards. Also it was my first real effort in working with a vocalist, so that was pretty exciting. Marty has a knack for coming up with absolutely stellar harmonies, which meshed well with my need to layer dozens of tracks on top of each other. It’s been a blast, and I think we’re both looking forward to getting back to work.

m: I like Nick’s answer. It’s been a very exciting and fulfilling ride so far. Creating and collaborating in it’s most pure form. I consider myself very lucky being part of such a harmonious union of two noisy souls.

Listen.

Streamables:

Forces (soundcloud)