Jackie O-Face Person(s) Of Interest Interview: My Hollow Drum

Jackie O-Face Person of Interest Series:
My Hollow Drum / _ [ www.myhollowdrum.com ] _

[ M ] – Marcus [ myspace.com/tullymhd ] . [ P ] – pLo [ myspace.com/pmurdah ] .
[ C ] – Co Fee [ myspace.com/cofee ]

_ [ INTRODUCTION ] _

State your name and what you do.
[ M ]: My name is Tully, I am a DJ, a “part-time” beat maker, haha…and stage manager at Low End Theory [ www.lowendtheoryclub.com ].

[ P ]: paulo rafael, 1/2 of vara, graphic/visual design

[ C ]: Co. fee, producer apart of the My Hollow Drum Collective/Cult.

Describe your current surroundings and your mood at the moment.
[ M ]: In my apt late night after the Badu record release….mind blown.

[ P ]: in downtown los angeles, inside a 12 story building, on the 7th floor, in front of my computer, answering these q’s, eating haribo peach gummies.

[ C ]: In my studio/room as usual trying to be creative.

Which type of communication device are you responding to this interview with (a computer, laptop, or mobile phone)?
[ M ]: Laptop, aluminum MacBook.

[ P ]: computer

[ C ]: Laptop

What are you listening to at the moment?
[ M ]: My roommate watching soccer highlights.

[ P ]: gucci mane (memory tapes remix)

[ C ] ah too many to name I’ll just say what Im listening to right now, Oh No – Ethiopium.

_ [ LIFE ] _

Describe life in Orange County.
[ M ]:  I love living in LA…I am near all the things I love and want to be a part of at the moment, art of all mediums.

[ P ]: fucked

[ C ]: Been living here for the past 3 years and it’s cool, the stereotypes of it are true but it’s not so in your face.  There’s usually a lot of good shows and events going down but you just have to search for it a little more.

*Marcus/Paulo (Los Angeles).

There are individuals whose financial worth defines their self-worth. What does money mean to you? What defines you?
[ M ]: Haha, I’m unemployed right now, so money doesn’t really play any type of role that would be let’s say negative, or anything leading me towards taking things for granted.  As far as what defines me, I think I am always searching for the things I love that will later define me..I’m still evolving everyday…that will always change.

[ P ]: eat good. drink good.

[ C ]: I see money as a tool that can make life a little easier but it doesn’t define self worth to me. For the fact that it comes and goes so quickly it’s hard to place value on it.  When I have it, I’m grateful but it’s not the end all to me. Sounds typical but what defines me best are my actions.

What other interests do you have aside from art and music?
[ M ]: I really like food, haha, and just being with the crew and my peers in LA, feel really at home.

[ P ]: agate, halite, celestite, amethyst, selenite, aragonite, tremolite, quartz, stibnite, opal, kunzite, etc…

[ C ]: Eating good food with friends is always fun. I also like learning about tribes and how the planet was like before humans existed, things like that always blow my mind. Also other boring things like jogging, Simpsons trivia, and long walks on the beach.

What do you do to keep your mind sharp?
[ M ]: I should be doing more…mostly just reading online, digging, and just discussions with friends.

[ P ]: haribo peach gummies

[ C ]: The rare times I get a good amount of sleep my mind is real sharp and I feel real creative. Besides that, I’ll usually look up some crazy art online to get me in a good enough mood to create.

Are you pleased with your current position in life?
[ M ]: I feel I am moving forward with the things and people I love, so yes, I am.

[ P ]: yes

[ C ]: Yup.

What would you be doing if you were not involved in art, design, or music?
[ M ]:  Dayum….I have no idea at all. This is what feels the most natural, so it’s a bit difficult to say.

[ P ]: geologist

[ C ]: Psychology, maybe, a big maybe. That’s a tough one because I’ve always wanted to be involved in something creative. Before music, I wanted to get into film, mostly screenwriting. The writing was okay, but it was always stressful doing it. The process of creating music is actually pretty similar to writing since I’m always trying to express some strange idea, but the music process is way more fun for me.

_ [ MUSIC / CREATIVE ] _

How did you develop the ability to create music? Self-taught or did another artist show you the ropes?
[ M ]: I started messing around mostly on my own, but grew up watching my grandfather play numerous instruments by ear growing up and really enjoyed that as inspiration. I really got serious when I started playing the drums in the 5th grade or so, and went on from there, playing in bands, learning a little guitar/bass and an old ass drum machine my guitar player had that I was terrible at for the most part, haha. As far as this stuff we are doing now, a few heads that showed me about DJing, beats, the scene, etc were Daddy Kev and the rest of the Low End crew. Also, a close friend Alex (JunkWaffel), Blackmonk (poobah!) and my crew of course.

[ P ]: i never learned how to read or write formal music, so everything i’ve ever done musically was self-taught or by ear. if you have rhythm, you can make music.

[ C ]: Self taught. I’ve always been obsessed with music and had turntables back in high school and a cheesy keyboard from Best Buy (still have it actually). I wasn’t serious about making music until about five or six years ago when I started using Fruity Loops and realized all the things I could do with sampling.

Explain the process from conception to the completion of a track.
[ M ]: Honestly, I don’t have a lot under my belt..as far as “beats” goes. The transition from player to producer is an adjustment. But, I vary from starting with drums and jamming over it with say keys, or a sample, to starting with a sample, looping it, twisting it in my SP, and then doing drums last. I’m all over the road right now, but that’s how you find what works I feel.

[ P ]: well first, i hardly make music by myself. i usually create music as vara, with my cousin chad aka yuk. the creative process varies.

[ C ]: It varies. Sometimes, I’ll loop a sample or a random sound and play around it or make a drum pattern first and build a song around the drums.  Sampling is still a big part of what I do. It may not be as obvious as it was in my older tracks but its a technique that I still love to use.

Why the name My Hollow Drum?
[ M ]: Hahahaha, Ohhhh man…Yuk and Lo, I THINK had an oooooold track with that in the title. Something like, “Nobody Cares about My Hollow Drum” or something. Eventually, when Yuk assembled the crew he used that name. Iunno, maybe sounds a little different at first, but I love it, naturally.

[ P ]: not a lot of people know this… not even everyone in the crew, i think. chad and i have been making music for a while now. way back, for a certain project, we were into naming our song titles long or more than just a word, like a sentence.. we made one called, “nobody cares about my hollow drum”. that’s where the name came from.

[ C ]: Chad aka Yuk came up with it. He started the whole crew actually. He got it from a song lyric.

Teebs [ Brainfeeder, MHD, Dublab ]

Where do you draw inspiration from?
[ M ]: Movies, my life, my surroundings, the music I love and enjoy, and the sounds in my head everyday since a child.

[ P ]: e a c h o t h e r

[ C ]: Visual art influences my songs just as much as music itself. I have a folder full of thousands of photographs, designs, film posters, screen caps, etc. That really inspires me. Also after joining MHD I grew a lot as a producer. I got real inspired from hearing all the different styles people within the crew had and how everyone was creating their own world with DJing (is that a word?) and production.

What do you do when faced with writer’s block when composing a track?
[ M ]: Stop, chill out, switch it up, puff a bowl, haha…iunno, sometimes you just gotta get the wheels movin a little different if they aren’t on the right track.

[ P ]: eat

[ C ]: If I start thinking too much while making a beat  or put too much pressure on it, I’ll stop, then go and do something else that has nothing to do with music, then come back to it.

What type of music production software do you use? Hardware?
[ M ]: I use Logic only for sounds to record into my SP-404 or my MPC 1000. Not using any software for actually sequencing or making the tracks.

[ P ]: machines

[ C ]: Sticking with Reason 2.5 for now.

Best time to work?
[ M ]:  I have been on the daytime tip, but I used to be on the night tip before I had monitors. I just like them better sometimes, although some swear by headphones, they are good for some things.

[ P ]: spontaneously

[ C ]: Used to be late at night but making a track in the daytime is working
a lot better for me now.

How important is internet presence (regardless of field/industry) in 2010?
[ M ]: I think it’s crucial for so many reasons. It lets people gain exposure easier, lets us all communicate faster, and gives us access to any information we want or need.

[ P ]: intranet

[ C ]: It’s very important because that is how most people get their information now. It used to be through magazines, word of mouth, record shops, or shows but that’s changed. Word of mouth still exists but it happens a lot more on the internet now from Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. I think a lot of careers in entertainment at least, start on the internet now, then spread to the traditional outlets like magazines, TV, radio etc.

Describe your daily routine.
[ M ]: Wake up, smoke a bowl, hop on the internet, after that…a mixture of cleaning, making music, watching hulu and looking for a job.

[ P ]: eat. drink. work. eat. drink. eat. drink. play. eat.

[ C ]: On my days off from my day job: wake up, eat, listen to music, create music, sleep, rinse and repeat.

I love female vocals. Who would you like to work with?
[ M ]: Well, I just came from the Badu show, she killed it. but iunno if im at all near that caliber, but I mean I love a lot of vocalists…Bjork, Coco Rosie, Beth Gibbons, on and on, and those are just the more current artists..female vocalists are a fav. of mine, and most the crew.

[ P ]: female vocals! yea, mess with those a lot. right now i can’t really think of anyone specifically, but i’m down with samps!

[ C ]: That’s a good one!  It would be a lot of fun to work with M.I.A., Santigold, Keri Hilson, Missy Elliott, Bjork, Beyonce, or Amy Winehouse. A lot of experimenting in music I hear with pop music is from female vocalists, just seems they’re more open in pushing the envelope.

List some of your most memorable shows.
[ M ]: Low End Theory 3-Year Anniversary..the whole crew got to get down, umm..also our two-year anniversary show at The Crosby with Nosaj Thing, Free The Robots, Mike Gao, Kutmah & Matthew David, soooo fun and such good vibes. The two-year was probably one of the best because we chose our friends/fam to play our show.

[ P ]: MHD 1 year anniversary, MHD 2 year anniv., ALL Freakdown’s, Low End 3 year Anniversary

[ C ]: The last beat showcase we had at The Crosby was amazing to me, because it really showed just how diverse everyones sound is within  the crew. Another one was when i played at Low end theory solo, It was the first time I performed there without the crew so it was a little nerve racking but the reception I got from everyone there was real positive, very motivating for me.

How pivital has the internet been towards pushing the sound your crew produces?
[ M ]: Not so sure exactly, but I guess the fact that it keeps all our ears open to whats out there, it furthers our scape of music. 

[ P ]: pivital?

[ C ]: When the crew first started, it was the main thing we used when it came to promotion, so it was extremely important to us. Now we intertwine with flyers, posters, and stickers but the internet was a great launching pad. The internet is great because it’s the easiest way for us to send tracks to one another. Back in the glory days of Myspace it was always exciting to see what new song a crew member uploaded to their page (and hear what direction they were headed).

*pivotal. Even Jordan occasionally missed buzz beaters..

Share with our readers one artist who you dig at the moment.
[ M ]: So many, soooo many. I am biased to name all my LA favorites, so I’ll go with somebody from another region who has been really impressing me, and that’s James Blake. Nuff said.

[ C ]: These Bollywood composers who are brothers who went under the name Kalyanji Anandji. They’ve actually been sampled quite a few times, but the music they made in the 60′s and 70′s is inspires me a lot right now. There is a lot of funk, disco, and psych in their soundtracks and it was real animated. They were pretty much like the Indian version of Isaac Hayes or Curtis Mayfield.

The Crosby is our local spot. Let the world know why this is our spot and why anybody/everybody should come out to enjoy it with us.
[ M ]: The Crosby has so many of my favorite things all in one spot. The food, the acts who play, the staff, the booze, the whole look and vibe of the place inside and out, and not to mention the whole overall welcoming atmosphere…oh, and the subs hit, haha. 

[ P ]: noonedoesitlikedeydo

[ C ]: The Crosby is extended family to us, I even worked there for a little bit in their bookstore. They gave us the chance to do our residency, Geekdown, which helped out the crew in a big way. They’ve played big part in our progression. With that said, musically, The Crosby is really one of the most diverse spots in Orange County. Every night is a different theme with music for you to hear ranging from Blues, Salsa, Heavy Metal, Old School Hip-hop, to Beat music (all in a week). There aren’t too many spots out there willing to take a chance like that. Plus, the food is really really good!

_ CHOOSE [ ONE ] _

[ M ]:
Art / [ Music ]
[ Laptop ] / Desktop
Software / [ Hardware ]
Day Time / [ Night Time ]
[ Mac ] / PC
Facebook / [ Myspace ] , sorry

[ P ]:
[ Art ] /Music
Laptop / [ Desktop ]
Software / [ Hardware ]
Day Time / [ Night Time ]
[ Mac ] / PC
[ Facebook ] / Myspace

[ C ]:
[ Art / Music ] *Art and Music, one in the same to me.
[ Laptop ] / Desktop
Software / [ Hardware ]
[ Day Time ] / Night Time
[ Mac ] / PC
[ Facebook ] / Myspace

_ WORD [ ASSOCATION ] _

[ M ]:
Dubstep – In moderation
MPC-2000 – Classic
2011 – Coming fast
Summer – Coming faster
TOKIMONSTA – Talented
Twitter – Fast-paced
Goodfellas – Crucial
araabMUZIK – wtf ?
Santa Ana – Too far
Incubators – warm

[ P ]:
Dubstep – overrated
MPC-2000 – overrated
2011 – overrated
Summer – overrated
TOKIMONSTA – toki!
Twitter – don’t have it
Goodfellas – sallefdoog
araabMUZIK – ?
Santa Ana – lived in downtown santa ana for a year.
Incubators – what kind

[ C ]:
Dubstep – Waaah
MPC-2000 – Dilla
2011- Outshined by 2012
Summer – Breeze
TOKIMONSTA – Dope!
Twitter – P Diddy
Goodfellas – Classic
araabMUSIK – Heat!
Santa Ana – Crosby
Incubators – huh?

_ FILL [ IN ] _
[ M ]:
This time next year, I will be:
Older
My favorite beat at the moment is:
James Blake Untold Remix

My favorite web sites and blogs are:
Alpha Pup, Twitter, Digg, Woostercollective

Jackieo-face.com is:
Worth checking out !

The most important things in life are:
Happiness, honesty, progress.

My web site is:
myhollowdrum.com

[ P ]:
This time next year, I will be:
sitting in front of a computer

My favorite beat at the moment is:
feedback children by dimlite

My favorite web sites and blogs are:
none

Jackieo-face.com is:
yothang!

The most important things in life are:
fam

My web site is:
paulorafael.net

[ C ]:
This time next year, I will be:
26
My favorite beat at the moment is:
Between “U cant resist” by Missy Elliot and “Room Mist”  by Nadsroic

My favorite web sites and blogs are:
Funny or Die, The Onion, Collabsociety, ffffound, Them Thangs, Amazon, Imdb

Jackieo-face.com is:
The best blog ever?

The most important things in life are:
Water, Food, Family, Friends, Art & Music

My web site is:
www.myspace.com/cofee

My Hollow Drum Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Hollow-Drum/258098010045
My Hollow Drum Myspace Music Page: myspace.com/myhollowdrum
Follow My Hollow Drum on Twitter: twitter.com/myhollowdrum

Thank You!
- Jackie O-Face [ The T.E.A. ]

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