Dead Voices On Air is just one of the many musical projects of Mark Spybey. In this interview we ask Mark to share some insight into the past, present and future of his musical projects and collaborations.
MH: You grew up in England then moved to Canada in 1992. Was it time for a change from merry ole England?
MS: It was far from merry. Despite the horrors of living under a despicable Conservative Government for 13 years, we needed to branch out and see the world. I think we're quite pleased that we had the fortitude to make such a move.
MH: When did you get involved in making music?
MS: I started to make music when I was about 14. In fact, the very first band that we created was an attempt to make improvised music with unlikely sources of sound. We made tapes of water siphons and piano's speeded up.
Most of it was uninformed youthful folly but I'm extremely proud of the fact that in 1975, we were committed to ideas that have continued to seem important to this day.
MH: What was your involvement in Zoviet France?
MS: When I met Ben from Zoviet-France, they ( as a band ) were hardly known to me and to be honest, I was simply interested in making "experimental" music and working with them, because I admired them as people. I was more interested in visual art at that time and a variety of extra curricular activities such as sabotaging fox hunts. It wasn't until several years later (actually when I moved to Vancouver) that I realised how important they are.
I am tired of answering this question because I think I played a minor role in that band,it was a long time ago and that by focussing on this part of my past, I overlook what I have achieved since. I was a member for about 2 years and it's part of my resume that I am proud of. They are a great band.
MH: You've worked with Cevin Key's Download project too. How did that come about?
MS: I moved to Vancouver. It's a small town and people of like minds tend to congregate. We genuinely liked each others company. Still do and we have a chemistry that is exciting. He's a good friend.
MH: What was your collaboration with Richard Sanderson like? How does it compare to your work as Dead Voices on Air?
MS: Richard is a very dear friend of mine from the UK. We started to make music together when we were both 14. We episodically played together, most notably in strange pop bands.
In 1992 we recorded under the name Propeller in London and subsequently did some shows together in 1995. He tends to get a credit on most of my cd's because I totally respect him, his ideas, his taste in music and his approach to music making. He is a free improvisor, who has had the courage to run his own club and play live with many, many great people. He has not focussed on recording. I consider him to be very pure, musically. Like Damo Suzuki, who refuses to record in a studio and in the space of one year has released 8 cd's of live material.
MH: You have a collaboration with James Plotkin on the Kranky label. Was that a one time thing or will you two be working together again?
We were introduced through a mutual friend and when i got the opportunity to play live in New York at the Brooklyn Anchorage, asked Jim Plotkin and Jim Coleman to play with me. After that Plotkin and I traded tapes and The Peripheral Blur CD was finally pieced together by Jim himself. I am particularly proud of that CD. Jim is a great guitarist. I was also proud that Kranky picked it up as they are a great label, with several very fine bands on it's roster. I love Low, Stars of the Lid, God Speed You Black Emperor and Labradford. I'm sure that Jim and I will work together again.
MH: Can you tell us more about your double CD "Piss Frond" and the material that was recorded on CD one?
MS: Sure.. Piss Frond is a logical development . I believe in spontaneous composition. The power of it. So, we tried to combine song structures with ideas that I had created in solo improvisations. For example, the words to Sulphur came from a direct to tape improvisation. I wrote them down as an afterthought and re-recorded them at Darryl Neudorf's studio. He and Sugarpill, his partner from the band ABINTRA produced the first cd. I have them to thank for basically creating a record that I feel is most satisfying. They are wonderful people to work with and I feel lucky to have a nucleus of colleagues here (which also includes Alexander Varty and Ryan Moore) that is capable of challenging me.
MH: I know Ryan Moore is in The Legendary Pink Dots and about his dub project Twilight Circus, but don't know anything about Alexander Varty.
MS: Alex is a well respected music critic from Vancouver. He's also a slendid guitarist. Very versatile. When we recorded Piss Fron,d Darryl and several other friends said that Alex was the perfect guitarist for the job and I think he was. Alex has played with many people, including Henry Kaiser and Chris Houston's Evil Twang. He's also (with Eric Pounder) part of my PROPELLER team. Ironically, Alex is well knowm to Ryan too, although during the recording of Piss Frond, all of the contributors never actually met.
The second cd is more representative of my obsession with drones. I wrote extensively about this cd on my web site..
http://www.dvoa.com/pissfrond
MH: Invisible Records is your main label right?
MS: Dead Voices On Air are signed to Invisible Records.
MH: I really like the your vocal style on the track "Sulphur". It has a personal feel that's a fresh contrast to the jugular buldge of singers in stadium rock acts. There's another track on the first disc with vocals too. Is this new addition to DVOA's sound and will we hear more of in the future?
MS: Thanks. Vocals play a major part on every DVOA cd . Lyrics don't and that's the difference between my earlier work and Piss Frond. However, I was quite proud of the lyrics I wrote for the Download songs and by The Eyes Of Stanley Pain, I was doing more vocals than anything else. I am in awe of many vocalists and writers. For the past six months I've listened to Nick Drake religiously, Scott Walker, John Martin and generations of people leading up to artists such as Will Oldham. I have never set out to make soundscapes. I've always consciously tried to create songs. The best examples of how I have tried to deviate from the norm, are the two Propeller cd's. Each is totally composed, despite the fact that they are based on improvisations. I've always enjoyed writing poetry and want to continue to combine words with music.
Darryl Neudorf and Sugarpill are fine songwriters. So, yes, Piss Frond is probably the tip of the iceberg.
MH: You had some vocal duties on the Pigface "Lowest of the Low" tour too right?
MS: Well, I enjoyed shouting with FM Einheit at a couple of shows. I really wouldn't call what I did " a duty," though. More, reckless abandon. Fun.
MH: You have another project called Propeller. I have the "Rame" CD on Vancouver's Scratch label. What other Propeller releases are out?
MS: There are 2 cd's, Rame and Oro. A third called Argento will be released on Scratch this summer. I recently did a piece for a Hafler Trio "tribute" cd for Hush Hush Records under the name Propeller and I think I have done one or two shorter pieces for collections yet unreleased.
MH: Hush Hush Records? I've not heard of them. Can you give me a web address or contact?
MS: HUSH HUSH is a label ran by my friend Dimitri Della Faille, a belgium guy who lives in Montreal. Heworks on my web site.
http://www.hushhush.com
MH: What other projects are planned in the future?
MS: I have just returned from the Can anniversary tour in Germany as part of Michael Karoli's SOFORTKONTAKT. I hope we can work on some recordings this year. To be honest, this year is about playing live as much as possible. To that end we are planning a european/north american tour with Michael Rother and Dieter Moebius. They have worked with Neu!, Kraftwerk, Cluster, Harmonia and Brian Eno. I am very excited about this project, as we have established a warm relationship which is probably based as much on genuine good feelings about each other as it is on musical similariities or commonalities. There is a remix track for Faust that has to be done soon. A potential Belgian collaboration for Hush Hush. A stack of unfinished projects with other people and the formation of a DVOA live band after recording a new album together.
MH: How did discovering the work of Joseph Beuys influence you work?
MS: No other artist has had such an effect on me. It's very personal. I think he managed to weld together elements in a way which reinforced my basic belief in the importance of creativity. I'm generally unmoved by artistic prowess. Beuys was not concerned with that.
MH: How did you decide on the use of Toy instruments in your work?
MS: Easy to use and cheap. I also dislike music stores and feel like a man with two heads when surrounded by people who waffle on about knobs, buttons,switches and expensive plastic boxes. Toys induce an honest relationship. They are utilitarian.
MH: Your artwork stirkes me as very organic. Do you prefer using more organic materials over more hi-tech tools?
MS: I never use high tech tools to make visual art. Computer art can look like art produced by computers. Photoshop is recognisable as photoshop. The program can easily control the artist, creating skilled digital technicians and supressing creativity.
I use bits of dirt, cheap paper, newspapers, household trash and plants. Things that have been enhanced by nature. Rusted nails, sun bleached plants. Things that are always close to hand and that can be easily manipulated.
MH: Do you think there will be a balance between social classes in the future or do you see more division?
MS: I can only say that I see no immediate signs of change. On the contrary, the divison seems to be getting wider and wider. If we could get rid of some of the predisposing factors, the most abused people in society might be able to do something about their lot in life instead of directing their rage at themselves or each other.
MH: Does your work as a therapist walk hand and hand with your work in music? Do you ever use one with the other?
MS: In reality the two worlds are so far apart that they never really meet. I have no interest in drawing comparisons as one is a job that I do to make a living and the other is a hobby. I happen to enjoy both and each has completely different challenges.
MH: We know you like to cook up a steaming stew of sound. Is cooking one of your passions too?
MS: It is. We eat well. I love to cook.
MH: Any favorite recipes or dishes?
MS: I'm vegetarian. I don't eat meat nor fish. I tend to cook italian food. There are recipes on my web page, somewhere!
MH: Are there any other sites that you recommend?
The CAN site: http://www.spoonrecords.com
For info on another musical project Mark is involved in:
I am Spoonbender site: http://www.iamspoonbender.com