"..a pleasing amalgam of Micro-Clubesque Electronics, Witch House-Industrial, & other bizarre/quirky dark atmospheres.. .."
Textbeak
Sinister Synaesthesia
Textbeak Bio:
Mike Textbeak has a long history in electronic music with his releases on labels such as Tundra Dubs (San Francisco), Lasergun (Berlin), Post_Religion, Bleak (Vienna), Pale Noir (Madison, WI), Vaatican Records (France), Xynthetic (Canada), 21/22 Corp, Swishcotheque (UK), Colin Johnco (France), and many more. He co-owns the Philtre Com imprint with co-conspirator Claus Muzak aka Lucas Kuzma of The Strange Agency (musical instrument iPhone iPad app company). He was commissioned for mixing the Precarious mix for Disaro Records, a mix for Ritual Chicago, Tamara Sky's L1L DE4TH in LA, Hip Hop Break It Radio out of Houston, the official Grim Harvest Halloween 2012 Mixtape for Мишка with actor Omar Doom (Inglorious Basterds), XLVR for the clothing company NVR MND, the massive 5 hour 3 part COVENFVCK mix, mixes for Pulse Radio (UK), PBS (Australia), Clan Destine Records (UK), and AMDISCS label in the Czech Republic among many others. His band Bath was featured on the “Why Be Blake When You Can Be Bleak?” compilation on the Bleak label with industrial legends Coil, Attrition, Sleepchamber, Nocturnal Emissions, and Portion Control. He has just finished a major 2 month tour and has opened for artists like Larry Tee, Designer Drugs, ∆AIMON, Nitzer Ebb, Light Asylum, Test Department, Skintown (Nick Turko of Zola Jesus), Meat Beat Manifesto, David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets), Daniel Myer (Haujobb), and the Legendary Pink Dots. From the early ‘90s Columbus, Ohio electronic music scene, when Mike was a member of Body Release with Titonton Duvante (Residual Records), Todd Sines (Frankie, Planet E, Peacefrog, YORE, Seventh City), and Charles Noel (aka ARCHETYPE, ARCH_TYP…21/22 Corp, Bag Pak), through the mid ’90s early 2000’s with his band Bath, to his current endeavors, he has always pushed the envelope with his compositions, visual artwork, text collages, and genre-blasting DJ sets.
Hello, how are you?
Mr. Textbeak forgot to answer this one, we'll assume he's doing swell;]
What are you currently listening to?
What's with the name, is there a story behind it?
Back in the early '90s I drew a picture of a bird and a crayon and wrote "TEXTBEAK" on it. I put it on the wall next to my bed. I guess I sort of bonded with that image and name. Started using it officially around 2000 after I did a 12" as TXT.
Which do you prefer; writing music or DJing?
Tough call. I really like writing because I like the process of constructing. I see music as a multidimensional object and therefore making songs as process of constructing an audio sculpture that moves through a set point in time. I like DJing because I love the energy and the flying by the seat of your pants feeling. I also love doing mixtapes because I love to construct a giant flow of tracks and how they interact.
Care to shed some light on your EICV7"; theme, favorite track(s), etc?
The 3 tracks "Location Detect," "Interceptor" and "Conquered" represent an alien invasion. It's a reference to Stephen Hawking's statement on trying to contact alien life; "I think it would be a disaster. The extraterrestrials would probably be far in advance of us. The history of advanced races meeting more primitive people on this planet is not very happy, and they were the same species. I think we should keep our heads low." "Location Detect" focuses on growth and movement towards a specific goal and, upon recognizing that goal, closing in on it. "Interceptor" represents conflict and thus the conflicting sonic themes. "Conquered" is a lazy grinding distorted dirge to represent the lack of necessity of haste in the completion of a task. It symbolizes the requiem of a struggle. The three remixes represent three very different takes on these sounds of oppression. H3X3N (LIL DEATH) takes "Interceptor" and jumps the tempo double-time into a sort of tech-step thrash. Apollyon's Visage takes "Conquered" in a whole new direction by rewriting the song in a slow witchy dancefloor format with a great talking sample. WMX from Bestial Mouths did the final remix of "Interceptor" and it's bass heavy with nutty overlayed edits creating a sort of mesh of sound. H3X3N's mastering perfectly pulled it all together. The artwork is a collage by Calla Donafrio of gavials, gharials, and river dophins which is a reference to a strange dream I had being on a wooden raft that breaks apart and falling into muddy river water surrounded by strange beaked creatures.
Will you be performing these tracks live?
I actually have performed these tracks in their infant stages at the last couple Bath performances. Working on a new stripped down and polished performance of them.
Got any other projects we should know about?
Working on an album for Bath for release on Bleak.at out of Vienna and an EP for ZOA ZOA with Paul from Zex Model. Also just finished a remix for "Earth" from Bestial Mouths' new release on ClanDestine Records. In the process of remixing a song from Daniel Myer of Haujobb's new 'Architect' release, and a remix for the beast known as 3 TEETH. My TXTBK's CHVяCH XV BяXK3N 7ANGvAG weekly mixtape series is nearing its 3rd year anniversary in January and I was asked to curate the new NVR MND NVR MIX mixtape series which is off to a great start. Mixes so far by BlackBlackGold, SINS, BLVCK CEILING, and Alex Wolf of Post-Religion. The next mix in the series is by Light Asylum.
What movie would work best on mute while listening to your music?
For this release, 2001: A Space Odyssey
You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Are you living your dream?
I am working on it. I feel close to it and am very happy with many things in my life at this moment. I try to have high aspirations for my art, but not needing much materialistically to be content. I have some neat things in the works.
Thanx Mike!
Textbeak & EIC have something very special for you tomorrow right HERE..;]
