"We are always looking for those never-before-heard sounds. Sometimes these are instruments which can be played in real time. Other times these are broken bare electronics that we can coerce some deranged sounds from, record them, then strip for parts and throw away."

- Vesica Piscis

Postunder : Hi, Vesica Piscis! First, I'd like to welcome you to Postunder, as we announce your forthcoming release, “Imaginary Film Soundtrack #4.”

Vesica Piscis : Hi! We are always excited for new projects, and especially projects involving global art and new media. Thanks!

PU : I must admit, other than hearing your music and surfing your website, http://vesicapiscis.net, I hardly know anything about you. Tell us a little about yourself, your background and your music.

VP : On most levels, the music, art, packaging, product, pieces, etc. should speak for itself. The idea of finishing something and releasing it to the universe should reverberate echoes back and forth to us and all over space and time when required. Compelling art distributes itself out of necessity. What could we say about ourselves that would make our work better?

PU : What does the name Vesica Piscis mean, and where did it come from?

VP : Two circles converging at their centers, and beyond… the mysticism behind your chance out between two worlds… the focusing lens of two minds merging… we could go on and on like this…

PU : The styles of music that you produce are obviously far from mainstream. What influenced you to do this kind of music in the first place?

VP : We feel our sound is probably closer to mainstream than most realize. Listen to sound effects in movies, television and radio commercials – we are breaking through. The sounds of nature provide endless inspiration. A desire to create and be excited; to create inspiring things. To an extent, we create because we have to. It is our very nature. What else could we do?

PU : Sometimes your sound gets real noisy and harsh, like some of the live sets I've heard from you, and at times your tunes are ambient; they are always haunting, paranoid, hypnotic and moody. How do you go about creating these tunes and what is it that brings that "chilly" feeling to many of your tracks?

VP : Hmmm… not quite sure… However, when we listen back to nearly a decade of lo-fi recordings, there is a certain Vesica Piscis “sound.” From lulling ambience to power noise, there is the “voice” of Vesica Piscis, more than the sum of the parts. We are not consciously making an effort to create something “haunting, paranoid, hypnotic and moody.” this is just how our sounds are interpreted sometimes. Though we have been perceived many different ways, we are essentially conduits of our higher Selves and love is our conscious inspiration.

PU : What is your method of working on music? Who does what, and what are your basic tools?

VP : Improvisation is our primary means of composition. Sometimes songs come right from these sessions, sometimes only elements of sounds and moods comes from these to be re-worked later compositionally. Like an endless remix of oneself. Our live shows are approached with this mix of perspectives, also. Set lists revolve around songs and moods alike. One thing we are proud of is the fact that we have never played a show with the same gear set-up twice. We do have plenty of traditionally composed songs, also, however, we simply don’t release them very often. Sometimes the beat is composed first, sometimes the melody arrives first. We build structures. When asked what instruments we play, our stock response is “anything that makes a sound.” This means we are not anti-digital or anti-analog, or all electronic or strictly whatever. We use a lot more acoustic instruments than is easily apparent at first listen. Our primary gear and instruments: 2 pianos, hammered dulcimer, Conn organ, various PAiA synths, hundreds of circuit bent toys and electronics, Nord micro modular, cello, acoustic guitar, Moog Opus 3, electric bass, a vast collection of windchimes, home-made telephone microphones, various objects around the house like coins and slinkys, Numark digital DJ setup, Oxygen8 MIDI controller, etc… Hardwares and softwares: obsolete PC, Tascam Porta One 4track, Tascam Porta 02 4track, Soundforge, Cubase, Total Recorder, Fruity Loops, Ableton Live, Cool Edit, etc… We both do it all, live and in the Dub Room, but Carrie Ann is obviously the lead vocalist, and Kendall does most of the engineering and soldering.

PU : We've talked before about DIY and I know you are currently building a PAiA modular and at times sell DIY stuff on EBAY. What
sort of things do you make and how do you use them in your music?

VP : Mostly circuit-bending and synth building and modifications, We are always looking for those never-before-heard sounds. Sometimes these are instruments which can be played in real time. Other times these are broken bare electronics that we can coerce some deranged sounds from, record them, then strip for parts and throw away.

PU : Who comes up with the lyrics to the songs?

VP : Carrie Ann is responsible for at least 90% of the lyrics. Kendall has interjected here and there on rare occasion.

PU : As a kid I passed through Flagstaff with my parents while on vacation. (Even got stuck without gas some 50 miles outside of Flagstaff, hehe). For some reason your music fits in perfectly in
my mind with Arizona. Do you feel this connection yourself and is it
part of what makes Vesica Piscis what it is in your mind?

VP : We are both originally from New York and spent most of our lives there. We both felt inexplicably compelled to move here since we were quite young. This area is sacred to us. We definitely feel this strong connection to our environment, but it also goes well beyond where we are physically located in space and time.

PU : When you play live what have people learned to expect?

VP : [cliché spoiler] The unexpected. Our local fans have seen us perform drunk in dirty basements screaming and thrashing the audience about on the floor and have also seen us all dressed up playing ambient music in nice restaurants for three hours at a time. We like variety. People have been dancing a lot more at recent shows. The ideal Vesica Piscis performances have displayed all of our moods, seamlessly traveling through noise, ambience, beats, and songs.

PU : Tell me more about the noisier shows. What kind of crowd shows up? Describe the "scene" a bit.

VP : There is no “scene” in Flagstaff, per se. We have heard from more than one person that Vesica Piscis is the most hated band in Flagstaff. There are also folks in town who wouldn’t miss a show, even if we played three times in a week. Essentially, we are the scene, through our own work and through our co-creation of Independent Noise Party, more on that below. Noise shows are usually for chin-scratchers, and that’s cool, but lately we’ve really been having fun getting people dancing. It’s been a while since we did a total noise performance. Perhaps we are overdue?

PU : There are Vesica Piscis CDs currently available for sale at your website, what kind of music are they offering?

VP : Since we like variety, our three currently available discs represent this: Reflections of Unending Bliss (2004) is noisy improv, Imaginary Film Soundtrack #3 (2002) is fairly ambient, and Shimmer Sounds (2001) is a fragmentary journey through the work of Vesica Piscis in 2001 – songs, beats, improvs, etc. The forthcoming Imaginary Film Soundtrack #4 will really highlight the aforementioned “voice” and “sound” of Vesica Piscis.

PU : You are a part of "Independent Noise Party", what is this group about?

VP : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/independentnoiseparty/
From the site:
“Independent Noise Party was formed September 2000 by Reverends Doug Arnett and Kendall & Carrie Ann Vesica Piscis, as an improvisational, open ended free-musicians faith-based organization (cult) and has since expanded with temples throughout all planes and dimensions. Based in Flagstaff, AZ, the reverends conduct Independent Noise Parties on all Holy Days in various laboratories, Dub Rooms, etc. hidden within Temple basements. There are several thousand devotees operating temples throughout the galaxy.”
These are parties where people were invited to make whatever sounds of their own creation they choose. There have been over 200 members over the past 4 years, our numbers are growing as it is now an international phenomenon. There are hundreds of hours of recordings archived. Someday these will be edited and released.

PU : What other artists similar to you do you like? And other genres
and artists?

VP : To us there is no internal idea of who we sound like, it sounds like us, however, our friends and fans have mentioned: Throbbing Gristle, Coil, Merzbow, Björk, Portishead, Cocteau Twins, Wolf Eyes, Zoviet France, Atari Teenage Riot, Brume, Squarepusher, Fantômas…

PU : If you could collaborate with any one artist who would it be?

VP : John Frusciante, Mike Patton, Björk, etc... So many!

PU : What's your opinion on the internet and on indie net based labels as a means to distribute music?

VP : Various forms of media exploit the arts for both weakness and strength. There are light and dark points of reference. All forms of media intrigue and inform us. Vesica Piscis subscribes to optimism and futurism, embracing the positive elements of sharing, growth and communal globalism – art for art’s sake, as it is. File sharing and trading around the globe, meeting new, exciting people, technology, thoughtful multi-culturalism, etc. are really in the hands of the people and we embrace this.

PU : Any near future plans?

VP : Always!
+ Completing Imaginary Film Soundtrack #4 for Post Under
+ Planning tours
+ Building, modifying and bending more machines
+ Positive growth
+ Collaborations with Gerritt, Faxi Nadu, 48 Cameras, and Metrognome
+ Composing new and other materials
+ Meaningful expression
+ Randomizing
+ More movie soundtracks
+ Booty-Shakin Party Beats

PU : Great! Thanks a lot for the time and the info, keep up the good
work!

VP : Thank you!