Micah Gaugh - Micah Gaugh - We Hope that our experience enhances yours

The13th AÑO: 4

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NÚMERO 36

UNA R E VISTA IMA GINARIA

MICAH GAUGH

WE HOPE THAT OUR EXPERIENCE ENHANCES YOURS

[ Interview With Micah Gaugh by Diego Centuriรณn ]

WE HOPE THAT OUR EXPERIENCE ENHANCES YOURS

In 2006 you released your first solo album, "Everything",

Decoding Society, The Veldt, Arto Lindsay, Ile Aye, Olodum,

but before entering into a solo career, what did you do before

Psidico, Maristella Mueller, Caetano Velosso, Moreno Velosso,

"Everything"? We know of some of your collaborations and the

Marisa Monte, Tin Maia, Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Beethoven,

"Micah Gaugh Trio", but tell us about all of this please.

Tricky, Rick James, Prince, James Brown, The Time, Burnt Su-

In 1994 I was asked to take a ‘leave of absence’ from Carnegie Mellon Music Conservatory, however at the same time I

gar, Teaars for Fears, Gospel Hymns, Thelonius Monk, Eric Satie, The Cure, Arthur Lee and Love, Jimi Hendrix, Handel.

joined the Cecil Taylor Orchestra which was rehearsing for 6 weeks, so I stayed with about 90 different friends and finally made the performance at the Knitting Factory. The group was

There is a special relationship between you and Brazil. How was this relationship born?

called Pthongos and the piece was ‘Between Two Poles of Light’.

I was walking in the Museum of Modern Art and a woman

I met Greg Tate at the debut of this performance and Lawren-

walked past me, she was gorgeous and smiled at me. I kept see-

ce ‘Butch’ Morris alone with Ted Joans and Jeffrey Wright. I

ing her walk past until finally I followed her into the courtyard

was 22 years old and remember being greeted by these people

and approached her. She told me that she was a dancer and was

of note and almost felt overwhelmed by my new family, it let

from the most beautiful country in the world…’Brasil’. After

me know that I had come to the right place. I began playing in

that meeting, I began to play in a jazz club off of Houston street

Greg’s band Mack Diva and went on my first European tour to

that featured Brazilian Jazz on Sundays. I played there every

Belgium. From there I played with DJ Spooky on his first record

Sunday for at least 5 months or so and learned songs from Bra-

‘Songs of a Dead Dreamer’ and I was included in an art collec-

sil and original compositions by Valtinho, Sergio Brandao, and

tive called ‘SoundLab’, with Soundlab we exhibited in the 1997

Cidinho Teixeira. Sometimes Cyro Baptista would stop in an

Whitney Biennial. In those years leading up to Everything, I

play. Carlos Slinger was a good friend of mine who owned the

played in ‘The Young Philadelphians’ with Marc Ribot, Jamala-

store, Liquid Sky. My friends and I would visit him in the store

deen Tacuma, G. Calvin Weston, and John Zorn. That group

and I would play Drum And Bass shows with him, one day he

played about 4 shows together. A rap group and I, ‘The Blank

invited me to play in Manaus at ‘Jungle in the Jungle’ a festival

Slates/ Gaugh62), later became known as Anti-pop Consor-

produced by MTV. I had to stop in the airport in Sao Paulo to go

tium. I also joined a rock group headed by the Chavis Twins ca-

to Manaus and remember crying in the airport because the wo-

lled ‘Apollo Heights’, that band was a mixture of hip- hop drum

men were so beautiful, also the climate reminded me of Pana-

programming and beats. I met a lot of rappers through Dan-

ma. This was the year 2000 or 2001, I began touring with Arto

ny Chavis from that group and we along with Swiss Chris, Joe

shortly after my trip to Manaus and he introduced me to Salva-

Chris, and Slick Rick, produced a record for Slick Rick at Lyricist

dor De Bahia Todos do Santos. I fell in Love with Salvador and

Lounge. During the beginnings of Drum and Bass I was in Lady

live there when I visit Brasil. We also toured in Sao Paulo, Rio

Miss Kier’s Drum and Bass band which played at the Enit Tour

and Porto Alegre. I love Brasil and hope to move there soon to

created by Perry Farrel. Arto Lindsay asked me to join his band

continue studying music and traveling to see the natural won-

in 2002 and in 2004 Matthew Herbert offered me a record deal

ders that the country has to offer.

with Accidental Records which put out ‘Everything’, Arto and I worked on a Choral Arrangement and 2 operas, ‘Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights’ and ‘Untitled’ a piece with Rirkrit Tararvani-

About your solo debut "Everything", it's been over ten years.

What do you remember of those years?

ja (Warhol Factory), Arto’s band also played in the movie ‘Di

Well, I do not believe that I was able to get a chance to rea-

Lami Lamina/ Dividia Acord’ a film by Matthew Barney. These

lly present the music for ‘Everything’, there was radio play in

are more of the major musical achievements before the release

Europe, but never a tour. I would still like to tour the music so

of my first solo album.

that people can get a feel for the intellectual soul offered on the record. Arto produced the record and I believe that it sounds

What are your musical influences?

great and is very relevant to anytime, much like a Classic record.

MIles Davis, Penderecki, Gorecki, Debussy, Wayne Shorter,

“Everything” is experimental, but the song structures are very

Archie Schepp, Arthur Blythe, Tribe Called Quest, Philip Glass,

ingrained in the Pop music vein. I do still perform music from

Cecil Taylor, Flip Mode Squad, De La Soul, Skinny Puppy, Mi-

the record and have several NY based musicians who have pla-

nistry, Stockhausen, Ligeti, Cecil Taylor, Virginia Astley, Sugar-

yed the music, so that project is ready to go. I have been playing

cubes, ZZ Top, Van Halen, Ronald Shannon Jackson and the

dates with The Burnt Sugar Arkestra as a steady member of the

3

horn section. Burnt Sugar recently celebrated their 18 year an-

the avant-garde music of Cecil Taylor through some band mem-

niversary. Burnt Sugar was priviledged enough to work with

bers that I had in New Orleans. Basically, I had been playing a

Melvin Van Peebles on a musical version of ’Sweet Sweetbacks

version of Avant-garde Jazz without knowing that it had been

Badasss Song’. Melvin, as busy as he is came to the premiere

done before. It was like trying to make ice-cream and then disco-

of my ballet at Lincoln Center near his home, he is the Senior

vering Baskin Robbins…or like trying to make sorvete and going

overseer who has the wisdom to teach by doing. When I went to

to Ribera in Salvador for the first time. Dan Bodwell, a contra-

Brasil in 2014, I made a fantasy movie/documentary featuring

bass player in my class at the Conservatory was also intersted in

Arto Lindsay entitled ‘Dollhunter’. I also made ‘Black Surfers

playing avant-garde music so we clicked. I had written compo-

of Brasil’, a movie with my friend and Art dealer Luiz Fernando

sitions based on studies that we had in school and constructed

Landeiro. The soundtrack to ‘Dollhunter’ is the record ‘Pessego

my version of classical/ modern music that Dan and I played.

do Verao’. I edited the movie in Cameroun during a 2 month

He told me about Kevin one day and we formed the trio. Kevin

stay in 2014. I also visited my father in Panama and made a do-

had gone to Berklee and was asked to ‘take a leave of absen-

cumentary about his life and his brother’s boxing career.

ce’ also, we had at a young age committed to music and would practice for at least 3 hours at a time for four days or fives days

You release the Micah Gaugh Trio live recordings "Blue Fairy

a week. This went on for about 2 years, we began opening for

Mermaid Princess" in 2013. What can you tell us about this trio?

bands that would come to Pittsburgh and eventually Kevin and

I started the Micah Gaugh Trio in college at Carnegie Mellon

Ian Williams formed the group ’Storm and Stress’ as an offs-

Conservatory. The first year that I was at Carnegie, I studied

hoot of the Micah Gaugh Trio. I am featured on the Storm and

creative writing. My teacher Hilary Masters instructed me in a

Stress records playing piano and singing which led to the Trio

Private course on how to write a novella. He gave me the tools

being known in the indie-rock realm. In 2013 Julien Fernandez

to write inn a long novel form, I had already written a lot of

asked us to release the live recordings of the Trio that we made

poems. After my Sophomore year in college I went to live with

in the period 1992-1995.

a friend in New Orleans. I started a band there called ‘Gaugh’s Epiphany’. When I got back to college I had been introduced to

In 2016 came “Pêssego do Verão” and maybe this is your

5 great approach to Brazil. Tell us how this album came about.

I am always painting or drawing when I get a chance. I fini-

In 2014 I traveled to Salvador Bahia and reconnected with

shed another novel last winter to complete the dypthic of ’See-

my friend Luiz Landeiro, I knew Luiz from 2002 when I went

ing in the Dark’. I have a show coming up with Arthur Jafa

to Brasil with Arto. Luis was a professional surfer at the time

Fielder at the Serpentine Gallery in London. Luis Fernando

and he took me surfing. When we got to the beach, I saw that

Landeiro Gallery of Contemporary Art is showing my pieces

all of the surfers were Black. I decided at that moment to make

upon request.

a documentary about Black Surfers in Brasil so I wrote the song ‘Black Surfers in Brazil’ to express my desire to make the film. I

You were born in Panama, you have collaborated with Bra-

had written the song ‘Pessego do Verao’ in 2004 and used that

zilian artists, and you have made an exhibition sponsored by

as the title track. The rest of the songs on the record are descrip-

the Consulate of Venezuela. What are your thoughts about La-

tions of the movie/ documentary ‘Doll Hunter’.

tin America?

I enjoy being in Brasil because it reminds me of the time that

You'll be releasing a new album in May. The main single "Re-

I have spent in Panama. Through Arto Lindsay, I have met a

membering", which takes you more towards the jazz side, has

lot of the prominent musicians in Brasil and I love to play with

just been released. Tell us what this new album is about and why

them and the feeling of family that we have. I enjoy the way that

the direction of your previous works has ultimately changed.

speaking in Portuguese makes my mind feel after being there

The photo on the cover for the record is me at the age of 22

for about a month. The language is beautiful and I look forward

when I first moved to New York. The music of the Micah Gaugh

to exploring it more. I really want to visit Chapada Diamantina

Trio is from that time period. I wrote the song ’Mariposa’ when I

and Iguacu. The warmth of the Brasilian people and the clima-

was 15 years old. The other songs with the exception of ‘Remem-

te are good for my soul.

bering’ were written up until the age of 23 years old.

What are you planning in regards to your new album "Stars For this album, have you been more open to improvisation?

And, in a way, have you taken more time to think about it and record it as you had it planned in your mind?

Are a Harem"?

I am planning to follow up on our last European tour from 2013 and will hope to visit places in South America. I believe

I used the approach that I use in creating my pop songs with

that the South American audience will appreciate the effort that

a computer. I played the basis of the song then looped it so that

we put into the recording and in the construction of the songs

it would be repetitious like classical music, finally I would give

because of their adept sense of musical taste. Music is a part of

Kevin abstract ideas for drumming on certain pieces. For exam-

life in South America and I remember going into the Ocean in

ple, I asked him to play the sound of raindrops hitting the side

Rio and hearing children singing while floating in the water, I

of a tent for the drum part. He has the prowess to pull it off and

hope that we can add some songs to the catalog of Life all over

make it musical. Henry surprised me with his bass part, but I

the World.

welcome the musicians that I play with to play what they hear in the music. I trust the players and they always enhance the music more than I could ever dream. I also wanted to create a different vibe from ‘The Blue Fairy Mermaid Princess’, that record is very aggressive. I really wanted to present the light side of the

For those who do not know your music, how would you describe the music of Micah Gaugh?

My music is based on my experience of Truth through sound and lyric delicacy.

Trio which is not less complex, but the space and the choice of the notes and phrasing makes for little clouds that float about

Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers.

in space and time.

Thank you for your interest in our experience, we hope that it enhances yours.

As far as I know of you, you're a complete artist. You do not exclusively stay in the music sphere. You're a painter, a writer, and you've even acted. Tell us about these other areas of activity.

Thank you Micah for taking the time to chat with us today.

The13th U NA R EVISTA IMA GINA RIA