Chorist - COTFG Interview Series
COTFG: We've been following Chorist online for a bit and decided to find out a little more about him. As usual, there's always a lot more to know about someone than you can tell from their social media digital output!
Chorist:
I've been making music here and there for about 20 years in various forms. It used to be playing guitar and songwriting. These days it's mainly in the form of electronic music. I've released a couple of EPs as "Chorist" in the last couple of years.
Outside of releasing music, I've collaborated with friends on projects, such as "Wander" a sculpture/choose-your-own-adventure that you can see/experience at the downtown library. And I did sound design/music for Animal Facts Club's live performances and videos over the past few years, with more performances to come post-pandemic.
COTFG: What were your musical or general artistic influences for your historical work or current projects?
I listened to a lot of Hot 103 KTFM (shout out to Sonny Melendrez) growing up in San Antonio, and the Miami Bass and Freestyle tracks they played are some sort of deep foundation of what I like to hear.
A lot of the music from Warp Records in the late 90's and through to today. Aphex Twin and Autechre are the big ones.
Kurt Korthals (The Buddy System) was an inspiration as being the first person I knew to make music that I really liked and was in the vein of what I wanted to make.
And then various visual artists' work and writings have influenced how I think about the creation process. Baldessari's stuff regarding making up systems of rules and asking yourself interesting questions. Donald Judd's woodcut prints. Robert Irwin's biography "Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees".
What other ways of expression do you hope to explore using recorded video or live streaming ?
So far I've completely avoided video. I don't think I want to be on camera. If I did it, I would probably make something sort of didactic, or about showing process. Performance on video isn't very engaging, but I'll watch endless videos of people talking about how they work.
I've thought about doing a podcast where I talk about making tracks. I'd like to do interviews with electronic musicians about how they work at a "bigger picture" level... not so much what gear do they use or where the sounds come from, but rather how do the larger elements come together to form a piece? That doesn't get talked about as much.
What have you been listening to lately?
William Fields' "Shackamaxon" is something I'm still wrapping my head around.
AceMo is consistently releasing good stuff!
Corduroi's latest EP is right up my alley.
And the latest Oneohtrix Point Never album is great.
What does experimental/avant-garde mean to you?"
Experimental work, in the sense that appeals to me, is about exploring a new idea, learning the aesthetics of it, and creating something beautiful from it. Like having an idea for some new unknown process for creating a piece. You make it up, try it out, and see if you like it or not. And you keep doing that and refining it until it's something you like. What keeps it "experimental" is avoiding the habit of doing what you already know "works". I find it hard to do. "Avant-garde" is a historical term. :)
You can find out more about Chorist music on his website and instagram.