5 Questions
with...
1. If I knew absolutely nothing about Hypatia Lake,
how would you describe the group’s music to me?
-- Well, in terms of just the obvious moniker, we
prefer to be described as experimental psychedelic rock. I might mention
some bands we're influenced
by like Mercury Rev, My Bloody Valentine and Black Sabbath. I'd say our
songs vary in style, because the songs represent the voices of the various
characters in the fictitious community of Hypatia Lake. And, finally I'd
add
that our live show is very, very loud.
2. If I were to buy your new album Angels and Demons,
Space and Time (review),
what songs should I pay particular attention to and why?
-- "The General's Gleaming Edge" is
a band favourite, because it taps into the
raw psychedelic rock element of what we do and revolves around a central groove
created by a tight interlocking rhythm section. "YUYM" is
my
personal favourite because lyrically and sonically I was able to tap
into a
space I've been trying to get into for sometime, and the result is
an
expansive journey, not much unlike some of the tracks off of Eno's "Warm
Jets" or Floyds "Animals". The label and our radio Radio
PR, Planetary.
really like "The Lucifer's Rebellion" and it's a catchy late
sixties pop
number about rebelling angels.
3. When and where did the band form, and where did the
name come from? -- The band originally
started w/ Rando and me and a few others back in Oklahoma City to open a show
for Of Montreal and The Ladybug Transistor in
1999. We relocated to Seattle shortly after that and added Shane Browning
on
bass, and then eventually Dave Foley on drums after Rando moved from drums
to guitar. In our 8 years we had several players and they all added their
own talents, but this lineup feels the most solid.
The name Hypatia Lake is a fictitious community I created. Hypatia was the
head of the library in Alexandria and she was raped and murdered (she had
her skin filleted by abalone shells) and her corpse was dragged through the
streets and burned by an angry mob of Christians. I couldn't believe such
a
beautiful being could be treated in such a way, and so the band is a sort
of
a tribute to her memory.
4.
What was your worst on stage experience? What was your
best?
-- Wow, that's a tough one. My favourite moment
has to be a recent one, actually, where we got to open for Swervedriver,
one of my biggest
influences and one of my favourite bands, at Neumo's here in Seattle.
We
played well to about 300 or so people. It was a good night. Our very
first
show was a My Bloody Valentine reverence night, and it was definitely
a
humbling experience and a major learning lesson. I was having technical
issues and half of my shit wouldn't work. They were already behind that
night because there were so many bands...an embarrassing way to make
a
debut.
5. Do you think that the Internet (whether it be Internet
radio, legal downloading, MySpace, streaming audio, etc.) is a good tool
for musicians or is it a bad thing because it hinders profits?
-- It's a great thing. It's turning fans into the band's
distributor and gets
people to come out to shows, which is where bands sell their merch. It's
not
the best thing for labels, but it will force them to revaluate their
approach to supporting bands in touring. Another thing, is that you can't
download vinyl, so it's keeping that medium alive and the artwork in that
context is still very appealing to alot of music lovers. The only thing that
sucks are the sites that sell the bands songs and don't give any thing to
the bands. One our records was actually available on a Russian website
before it even came out, and it was being sold for 78 cents!
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