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Evening With IRC us.undernet.org If you wish to reproduce ANY of this document email last sigh for permission. If you wish to link to this document, email last sigh and let us know where you are located on the web! Thanks and have fun reading. [28 Feb/11:04pm] Question: Perhaps if you could tell us a little about your solo project? <N_narcosi> Solo project is still dark in nature but instrumental, ambient- ish but with beats and some melody Question: Is their any difference in the creative process between Blood Meridian and the new one? There's continuity, but definite differences as well. <N_narcosi> BM was written more like the one plays chess with a timer except in this case David and I would spell each other at the gear after short duration. Question: Why did you leave Canada? <N_narcosi> got restless after an extended trip to SE asia, felt claustrophobic in Vancouver and just wanted to try "on" something different. Comment from Piggybank: I think u should ditch David [Collings] and recruit me. <N_narcosi> attn piggybank: are you "cute" (like a pitbull) and can you sing? -) [laughs around the chat room...] Question: What kind of music do you like? <N_narcosi> I don't particuarly follow any genre. I tend to go for music that communicates a certain emotion regardless of genre. Arvo part to Coli to gamalan to..... Question: Don: do you use much software for music creation or do you prefer external synths and such? <N_narcosi> The past six months I've been rather fond of abusing things with plugins. Illumination rounds from language was all done with plugins and about 5 sound bytes. Question: Is the track "Half Life" on the Septic compilation an older track or is this an example of the path you are following musically at the moment? <N_narcosi> Half Life: just didn't make it onto language... it was written before BM was written.... it our "led Zeppelin" tribute (Kashmir) :-) Question: Don,whats the last cool CD you got? <N_narcosi> Most recent CD was the Coil "seasonal" singles. Question: Most of us know Numb started as a "social desensitization" project, but what inspired that idea itself? <N_narcosi> Too many years at university, too many "wasted nights" -) <N_narcosi> It was the first album we did so one is still feeling one's way. We had virtually no equipment to speak of. it also felt "right' with that lineup. Working with differnt people has allowed to to try different things Question: What are your thoughts on the recent name change of KMFDM to MDFMK? <N_narcosi> I'm unaware of it. Comment: you're not missing much. Question: What do you think of Midnight Oil's technological direction? <N_narcosi> Haven't heard them in years. Question: What is your favorite method for creation of noise? <N_narcosi> I go through phases depending on what my most recent "toy" aquistion has been. Currently I'm having lot's of fun with plug-ins like D-pole, Waves, SFX machine etc. Question: So,what happened with "the Fourth Man" <N_narcosi> Dave has some material written and has been thinking about getting it recorded and released. Question: Are you influenced by European and/or Japanese noise? <N_narcosi> Neither and both probably. I just see noise as yet another texture so I don't really think so much about how it's made so much as how it fits in the context of a song. However I find the "non-stop" use of noise usually defeats the purpose as the listener becomes "Numb" to it after a brief exposure. Hence why punctuations of it are more effective. Question: So, we won't expect 8 minute Merzbow drones in the future, then:) ? <N_narcosi> Oh you never know. certainly not a whole album of them Question: What was your major? <N_narcosi> Marine biology. Question: top 5 underground ebm/industrial labels? <N_narcosi> ???? never really thought about it. Question: Do you ever use the coveted "Yamaha Workstation" to conduct any of your work? <N_narcosi> I tend to stay away from "workstation' as they usually are not as open-ended as I require. Question: Do you ever make what one's mother would call "nice" music? <N_narcosi> I've done some "nice" stuff for soundtracks. Question: Have you ever made noisy bits by opening non-sound files? <N_narcosi> Actually I've been playing with metasynth where you can open photos as sound files and then fuck with them. Question: Don: sounds neat, what's the metasynth called? <N_narcosi> It's a software package. Check the arboretum web site. Question: I hear a very Das Ich influenced sound on Half-Life. I was wondering if that was intentional or just an example of convergent evolution? <N_narcosi> Someone mentioned that in a review of the track. I guess i'm gonna have to go buy one of their discs as I've never heard them. Heard of them but never heard them. Question: What do you think of Frontline Assembly's remix's by psy- trance totems? <N_narcosi> Don't remember the mix specifically but I though the album over all was quite well done. Question: What ever happend to the Downtime project? <N_narcosi> It was a one off. we just wanted to play around with the "techno" feel of that era but there wasn't enough in it at that time for our interests. Question: Don, Do you ever plan to return to the harsher, more guitar driven sound of Wasted Sky? It's become one of my favorite industrial albums of all time, and I was just wondering if I would hear anything like "Ratblast" again. <N_narcosi> I don't know but I think the next Numb album will be quite different from BM and LOS. Question: Any news on touring at all? <N_narcosi> We've played NY city 3 times to receptive audiences each time so...... Question: Don, whatever happened to Lively Art? I mean, they had two good bands .. did they go under or did you leave them for any reason, and if so, why? <N_narcosi> Lively Art: bankrupt.... Question: Don,do you consider the work of one "ian giesbrecht" seminal in today's society? <N_narcosi> who??? Question: If you were to do a soundtrack, what type of movie... You mentioned before about creating music for soundtracks...for which films were they for? <N_narcosi> Benthos from LOS was my "soundtrack" for Titanic. I guess they didn't know about me.... Question: Don: favorite film director? fan of Cronenberg? <N_narcosi> No one particular director. Question: Data Bank A or were you just labelmates? <N_narcosi> We communicated by letter a few times (pre-email days) never met him. Question: Vancouver is quite boring isnt it <N_narcosi> I don't know as I'm in the UK these days. Question: Where do you hang out when you are there? <N_narcosi> I'm still new enough to this city [London] that I don't have any hang out as of yet as I keep finding new places. Question: So hows it so far being used and abused by droves of internet people. <N_narcosi> [It's] good practice for when I run for president. [28 Feb/11:31pm] <N_narcosi> What's with this midnight oil "thang" -) Question: How do you feel about the current state of stagnatation in the "industrial" music scene? <N_narcosi> I think the music biz as a whole is kind of asleep at the moment. I atribute it to pre-millenial distraction. but wait until the social hangover kicks in on Jan 1, 2000. Question: What do you think of brian eno's ambient records? <N_narcosi> Some of it was brilliant. Question: How old where you when you decided you wanted to make a living out of music? <N_narcosi> About 12. Question: How does it feel to be a grown man prancing in front of a bunch of 17 year old boys in studded leather collars? <N_narcosi> It can be strange some times. Numb audience tends to span quite an age group however. The "older" ones don't come out to show's much however. Question: Do you have a title for your solo project yet and when can we expect to hear it? <N_narcosi> No name as yet. I plan to have it finished in march Question: When did you acquire your first piece of musical equipment, and what was it? <N_narcosi> [My] first guitar at 12. the usual $30 special made of wires and planks. First synth in my late teens. Question: Can you play the "jew's harp". <N_narcosi> Only the "geek's" harp. Question: You credit J.G. Thirlwell for being the greatest man who has ever walked the face of the earth??? <N_narcosi> I loved some of the Foetus albums. Question: I'd also like to hear a little about what you did before Numb, musicwize? <N_narcosi> My first real band was a synth-pop band in the early 80's called Images in Vogue. we did fairly well in canada, got signed to Warners, toured with Duran Duran, Roxy Music, Depeche Mode etcetera, had a lot of fun, made no money, got cynical Question: Don, I was curious where some of the samples from the very beggining of DOTIP came from, specifically the ones on Hole? <N_narcosi> If I remember correctly they were from Videodrome and the clive barker film that I can't think of the name of (Midian was the place in it). Comment: Don-that's Nightbreed. Question: I've noticed a lot of biological references in your lyrics. Clever things such as "spinning culture stuck to the edges." Is this a remnant of your old marine biology days or is this a sort of hobby of yours or what? <N_narcosi> Yea, I'm still a tech and since junkie so that stuff still fascinates me to read about. Coming Plague was one of my favourite books a couple of years back. Question: At mention of images in vogue: how is your current relationship with Cevin Key? <N_narcosi> Fine. Do you know something I don't? Question: What do you think of mp3 "technology?" <N_narcosi> Good idea but the quality does suffer. greater bandwidth is what we really need. A T1 line in every house. Question: Was there any different writing process this time around? [on the this last cd, Language Of Silence] <N_narcosi> It was just way more about attention to detail. Kind of anal really but a lot of time was spent getting textures and noise just 'right'. LOS is meant to be seductive in that it is menat to draw the "uninitiated" listener in before fucking with them. Question: Are you doing any remixes for other artists currently? <N_narcosi> Not at present. Comment: Hey guys you can get his old group's Best Of cd on musicblvd! [reference to Images In Vogue] <N_narcosi> Really??? Comment: There's likely a moderate amount of interest in Images In Vogue because of CKey's participation; rabid Skinny Puppy fans :) Question: I can't really tell but did you use any guitar on language of silence? Such as sampled or morhphed beyond recognition? <N_narcosi> It's least mutated form is present in the choruses of Suspended. Processed bytes of it appear randomly throughout. Guitar is just another sound source. I don't use or not use it for any other reason. Question: What is your stance in regards to people within the internet community using artist's music in the MP3 format and bootlegging tracks or even entire CDs? Do you see it becoming a big problem in the future? <N_narcosi> It comes back to sound quality in the end. If you really want to hear it you will have to buy it. the good thing about mp3 is it allows potential fans to listen to a band and discover things without having to buy it. Comment: Possibly.. although I believe that mp3 format is an excellent medium of distributing work to let new people have a chance to listen to something thats not on the radio which consequently, plays mainly shit music. <N_narcosi> Radio is about selling ad time not about selling music. Comment: Don, John Peel had a program four times a week .. he did the famous "Peel Sessions" where he took in totally unknown bands and let them play live in the studio .. many a cool band have played on his sessions. He did the famous "Peel Sessions" where he took in totally unknown bands and let them play live in the studio .. many a cool band have played on his sessions <N_narcosi> I know I've got some of them. I thought perhaps there was a more recent one that I was unaware of.. hey he "made" tangerine dream in the 70's. Question: How have you and david been working together with you in london and he in canada (that is the case, isn't it?) <N_narcosi> Internet and fed-ex. Question: I find much of your less-aggressive material to be much more interesting, personally. Songs like Distorted Relations, Critical Mass or Seven Types of Ambiguity hold a lot more power than Respect or Blood to me. Do these songs take longer to record/write than the others? <N_narcosi> I like this kind of music a lot and think that it is an important balance to the "groovier" material for the albums to "balance" as a whole. for me they are about a more abstract way. Question: don: that is neat.. how lots of bands are working these days.. what do you think the advantages and disadvantages of working in this style are? <N_narcosi> More bandwidth. Comment: checkin out Numb concert pix on the net, Don u lookin GOOOOOD!! [See them HERE] <N_narcosi> Flattery will get you everywhere. Comment: When I first saw Numb I was like "who the hell is that guy on keyboards/guitar?" Question: How do you feel about chemicals or how are they possibly used in the creative process of your music? <N_narcosi> I personally believe in their use but it is definitely not for everyone. Question: Have they helped with the creation of your music in a significant manner? <N_narcosi> Take a look at the "Death on the Installment Plan" release. [28 Feb/11:59pm] <Moderator> Please do NOT bother Mr.Gordon here with business. To contact Mr. Gordon of Numb for business email to: n_narcosi (at) hotbot.com Last Sigh Magazine https://www.waste.org/lastsigh Question: Do you go to concerts? <N_narcosi> Just saw Panasonic and Masonna about 2 weeks ago. [1 Mar/12:00am] * Moderator would like to welcome everyone here! Don Gordon's alias here tonight is: N_narcosi enjoy your time with him! Question: What is the song you would most like to cover but dont for some reason or another? <N_narcosi> "What's New Pussycat" :-) Comments: lol, hehhe, hehe... Question: What did you think of pan-sonic live.. Do they have any influence on you? <N_narcosi> More a case of respect than influence. Question: Speaking of the name Numb, how exactly did it come about <N_narcosi> Briefly -- it was releated to our original "thesis" to look at desesitization through overstimulation in modern society. How's that for a "mouthful"? Question: You've worked both in a traditional studio environment (like on DOTIP), a more DIY manner (Wasted Sky, Blood Meridian), and now over the internet. Which do you prefer, and do you have any comments on their differences? <N_narcosi> Being a bit on the lazy side (ie. I hate engineering) I prefer having a creative engineer to work with. It also gives a 3rd "distanced" view on some ideas. Question: How has metropolis records treated you? <N_narcosi> very well. Question: Do you like David better? <N_narcosi> Better than----?? Comment: Last Sigh: nice chat, always good to see involvement like this. l8r all. [1 Mar/12:07am] <Moderator> Thanks! Question: Do you play video/computer games at all? Ever consider doing some tunes for one? <N_narcosi> Yes I play them. I have a low threshold of boredom though so I tire of killing things rather quickly. I'm fascinated by the technology and think there are amazing things to come in this area. I would love to do some game soundtracks. know anyone??? Comment: Try Fallout, I and II. You'll like them a lot if you don't like character interaction that boils down to murder in every situation:) Comment: If anyone would care to see some Numb concert pics [1 Mar/12:08am] <Moderator> If you know anyone about game soundtracks for Don, email him at: n_narcosi (at) hotbot.com Question: Ever consider getting your PhD? or did you lose interest? <N_narcosi> I discoverd that science was much like the music biz. your funding depends on how well your last reseach project gets reviewed and whether it has any "commerical" applications. disillusionment set in. Question: Would you ever do a purely noise album? a la merzbow, pain jerk, skin crime, etc.? <N_narcosi> I'd probably have to do it over an extended period of time and not in one "session": it's always possible Comment: I've never seen people behave so well in a chat session. Question: In Christmeister, the song Cash.. was that referring to anyone in particular? <N_narcosi> yes and no. Blair had someone in mind when we "penned" it but we opened it up a bit. the whole point of that album was to have "charachters" talking in the 1st person. much like hiring acotrs for a film. So you have the mysoginist of Cash, the serial kiler of Frantic, the speedo-sociopath of DeadInisde et cetera. [1 Mar/12:14am] <Moderator> This chat belongs to don gordon and last sigh and cannot be posted unless you get persmission from last sigh : email: LastSigh feel free to LINK to this file! Question: hey, Don, what.. exactly.. IS a shithammer, and why is it burrowing backwards? <N_narcosi> It's metaphor. it's about substance abuse. Comment: hrmm.. thanks Question: Is there a certain main influential chemical which has been used? As to say many famous musicians have used heroin and cocaine. Some prefer psychadelic drugs. Is there any certain category you prefer to others? <N_narcosi> Hallucinogens. Comment: Hey come to our club...! <N_narcosi> Send me an airline ticket and I will go most anywhere. Question: Now i'm listening to some samples from language of silence and it just sounds like a bunch of terrible dance music, how do you feel about that? <N_narcosi> Then your only hearing some of the tracks from the album. there is much more than dance music. but if your checking a "site" that the kind of material that usually get's featured. Anyways. Beats are kind of like lines on graph paper. They just let you know where you are but it's what between the lines that is. Question: Oh, if I send an airline ticket, will you play at my birthday? <N_narcosi> For that you'd also have to fly David, the gear and the lights and.... Question: how have you been settling in the UK? Have you been in contact with very many musicians there? how is the scene there as oppossed to North America? <N_narcosi> I haven't gotten into the scene much as of yet cuase I've been too busy "working". Once I get this new album out of the way i'm going to start to investigate. the british press really hate this kind of music from what I can tell. Question: Do you ever see the group going back to more aggressive oriented music like no time on blood meridian? <N_narcosi> I'm sure we will. but it's only one facet of what Numb does. the album have all had a large amount of variation within and between them. Question: Don: dont you feel sometimes that your music is derivative and caters directly to industrialites with no sense of artistic direction or intent to progress? <N_narcosi> No, And I feel justified in saying this by pointing to the "width" of ideas on each album. Hell, up until the last year or so we alwys got criticized for being to challanging, go figure. Question: I was just wondering where was Blind recorded. <N_narcosi> Vocals were recorded in a small project studio called Slack in Vancouver, it was mixed in our studio. Question: What is NUMB's relation with Front Line Assembly and Haujobb? <N_narcosi> We [FLA and Numb] come form the same city and know each other socially... and Haujobb : none. [1 Mar/12:33am] <N_narcosi> attn: dk: do you have a particular "beef" you wish to express? Answer: <\dk>: don, no way I think Numb is allright. Question: If you were ever to do a love song, whom would you want to work with on it? :) <N_narcosi> We already did one. it's called blood. Question: Could you explain how a typical Numb song begins to take shape? <N_narcosi> usually it starts around the various bytes and noise which as they take shape suggest a structure. so it's kind of ase backwards to a lot of artists that start with the groove or melody. [1 Mar/12:37am] (at) Topic by Moderator: <torque> don- blood is a tune my girlfriend loves to copulate to, and for this I am grateful mate. Question: Was there any different approach with LoS? <N_narcosi> no. it was written more like Wasted Sky except we had some newer toys to play with. Question: Ever considered using a female vocalist? <N_narcosi> We did a "performance piece" called Blood of the Lambs with female vocalist Madeleine Morris a few year s back. Question: Don, how do you feel audiopiracy is affecting your record sales? <N_narcosi> No idea but I think that indie product probably suffers more from "piracy" on a % basis than the big artists if for no other reason than it's poor distribution. ironically I believe they are collecting a tax in canada now on "blank recordng medium" which you know is never going to end up on the royalty statements of indie artists. Comment: Don: well it's mostly in the form of mp3s on the internet, I have seen sites with all your albums mp3d in totality and its just not right. Comment: N_narcosi, well most of the people who are the indie artists are creating the music because they love the music. Not because they are after money. [1 Mar/12:43am] Question: Do you like Pailhead? <N_narcosi> They don't still exist to they. I thought it was a one off from the ministry camp. it was a great record. Question: A recent band called Sinister Apocalypse stated in a recent interview: "Numb is pretty good. But they are not doing anything unique. Most of this indutrial stuff sounds the same." What do you think of this remark Don? <N_narcosi> : I don't know who they are so I would need to see it's context before answering. Question: What's it like in Japan? <N_narcosi> A little hard to answer in this limited time forum. we had an amazing time there. met some facinating artists. Question: Blood of the Lambs? Will it be released? <N_narcosi> The tapes are back in Vancouver and I've been thinking of getting them "out of the vaults" and cleaning them up. Comment: Well most of the people who are the indie artists are creating the music because they love the music. Not because they are after money. <N_narcosi> You need to pay for the equiment somehow. Question: What comics were you into, superhero stuff or darker side stuff? <N_narcosi> Both. Comment: ....ohhh, tell David he is HOTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!: <N_narcosi> Are you speaking from "personal" experience...? Comment: hahaha Question: You ever read J the homicidal maniac <N_narcosi> No. Question: Don are there any concert stories to share? <N_narcosi> Yes but my typing skills are not up to it in detail. There was halloween night in Croatia when they were having a "war" 50 miles away and then....... Question: Is he [David Collings] in Van[couver]? I wouldnt mind stalking him! <N_narcosi> Currently in Calgary. Question: I basically collect music thru mp3s on the internet, I have all your albums that way, tho I what I like, and listen to frequently, I generally buy, I've bought a couple of your albums since.. I would never of heard of you if it wasn't for mp3s and the net.. do u see a problem with all that? <N_narcosi> I posted a longer answer to a similer question earlier. In short I think there ae probelms with aspects of the net and mp3 but I agree it is a good way for poeple to [hear the music]... <N_narcosi> And in the end the sound quality of mp3s doesn't "cut it". Comment: That all depends on the size of the file. <N_narcosi> Agreed. When bandwidth gets wider for the average "consumer" the whole copyright question is going to prove to be very thorny for all intellectual properties. Question: Could you see yourself in a situation taking advantage of the Net medium and putting up rarities for the fans to grab, mp3 wise or whatever format? <N_narcosi> I've been thinking of putting up some quicktime video of concerts et cetera. Question: Don, have you ever been asked to contribute to Pigface? <N_narcosi> No. <N_narcosi> I'd be interested in working with other artists. yes. [1 Mar/01:03am] <N_narcosi> It's been a pleasure doing this but i'm gonna have to go in a few minutes. Question: Have you ever read Joyce's portrait of the artist as a young man. <N_narcosi> Yes: I quite identified with it being a young man with artistic pretensions at the time. [1 Mar/01:04am] <Moderator> OK, Don thanks tons! You did a SUPER job here and it was really FUN to chat with you! come back anytime! Question: Most unlikely influence, music or otherwise? <N_narcosi> First time I ate sushi. Started an interst in asia that has never quit. Question: Did you draw the stream of conscious lyric-writing style from it or any of joyce's other works, or was it just a spur of the moment decision? <N_narcosi> Probably more the Burroughs cut-up approach. Comment: Yeah Don, you really did good keeping up with that stream of questions. Was great of you to pop by and do this. Comment: Yes, EXCELLENT job, you handled yourself really well for somebody who is an IRC newbie and doesn't type that fast ;) [1 Mar/01:06am] (at) Topic by Moderator: Numb thank you! you KICK ASS! Question: Do you ever write out a list of words that you like and then make a song out of them? <N_narcosi> ratblast. [1 Mar/01:06am] <Moderator> One more question: Don did you have FUN HERE? <N_narcosi> yes. Comment: N_narcosi: Thank you for a wonderful evening. Tour soon. Question: Does David Collings help write songs? <N_narcosi> yes Comment: Don thanks for the info and down to earth conversation. Topic #liveonline: Numb thank you! you KICK ASS! <N_narcosi> Left the chat! |
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