IF A NICE LADY AT THE GROCERY STORE ASKS ME WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC I PLAY, I JUST TELL HER “LOUD.”
SOMEBODY WHO’S IN ANOTHER LOCAL BAND ASKS ME, I TELL ‘EM, “WELL, IT’S KIND OF
TECHNICAL, KIND OF PROGRESSIVE.” DARE I SAY MATH ROCK?
PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO THROW THE TERM MATH ROCK AND STUFF LIKE THAT AROUND. I WOULD CALL THIS
COMPLICATED. I WOULD CALL IT LAYERED. I WOULD CALL IT COLORFUL, EMOTIONAL.
A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE, A LITTLE IN YOUR FACE SOMETIMES. BUT I TRY TO STILL MAKE IT CATCHY.
I STILL WANT TO HAVE FUN AND I STILL WANT IT TO BE LISTENABLE.
LOUD, IN YOUR FACE, CRAZY MUSIC.
I WILL PUT A CAPE ON AND I WILL GET THE SMOKE MACHINE OUT AND WE CAN CALL IT PROG ROCK IN
A HEARTBEAT.
THE TERM MONOMATH I DON’T THINK IS OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED INTO THE BIG OXFORD DICTIONARY POLYMATH
IS IN THERE BUT I DON’T THINK MONOMATH IS…MONOMATH IS SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERT KNOWLEDGE IN ONE
SPECIFIC FIELD.
MONOMATH IS A FUN LITTLE PROJECT THAT I DEVISED A FEW YEARS AGO, I WANTED TO PLAY MUSIC THAT
I ENJOYED THAT KEPT MY SHORT ATTENTION SPAN.
YOUR MUSIC OFFERS ME A MEANS TO CONTROL MY FRANTIC NATURE…YOU KNOW THIS OUTLET. I DON’T
WANT TO USE THE TERM BORED…I LOSE INTEREST, OR YOU KNOW, A BUTTERFLY COMES ACROSS AND
WHATEVER I’M LISTENING TO IF IT DOESN’T CATCH ME
IF YOUR LISTENING TO POP MUSIC YOU MIGHT NOTICE THINGS ARE REPETITIVE I’M GOING TO SPACE
OUT PRETTY QUICK AND I’M GOING TO LOSE FOCUS IT’S GOING TO BE BACKGROUND MUSIC
STUFF LIKE MONOMATH ITS GOING TO HOLD YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE.
IT’S LIKE I’M TRYING TO BUILD A PUZZLE THE WHOLE TIME. IT HAS PUSHED ME MUSICALLY
AND IT HAS OPENED MY CREATIVITY IN A WEIRD WAY WHERE ALL THOSE ODD TIME SIGNATURES THAT
GABE THROWS AT ME. YOU COULD SAY IT’S TOUGHER, BUT I SEE IT MORE LIKE FUN.
WE DO OFFER EAR PLUGS TO PEOPLE, AT THE BEGINNING OF A SHOW. VERY FEW PEOPLE TAKE US UP ON IT.
I WEAR EAR PLUGS WHEN WE PLAY. WE WRITE SO MANY TECHNICAL AND INTRICATE PARTS, YOU’RE
GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING THEM WITHOUT THE EAR PLUGS.
THEY HAVE THAT SWEET SPOT AND YOU FIND IT AND IT’S GOING TO BE LOUD.
THE LIVE PERFORMANCE IS DEFINITELY A DANCE. WE JOKE THAT IT’S THE PEDAL DANCE.
HE DANCES ON THE PEDALS. I’VE GOT SIGNIFICANTLY LESS AMOUNT OF THE KIND OF GEAR TO DEAL WITH,
BUT IT STILL REQUIRES ME TO THINK MORE THAN NORMAL
I DIDN’T WANT TO BE A TASK MASTER AND SAY, “HERE PLAY THIS, AND PLAY IT 28 TIMES IN
A ROW.” THAT’S GONNA GET OLD REALLY QUICK. IT’S ALMOST LIKE THE THIRD RHYTHM SECTION
MEMBER, THE LOOPER ITSELF. IN ADDITION TO RUNNING THE LOOPS, I HAVE ALL THE EFFECTS
PEDALS, ALL THESE FUN STUFF THAT MASK MY SLOPPY PLAYING.
SETTING THE LOOPS LIVE, IT CAN BE TRICKY. SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO RUN SIMULTANEOUSLY,
SO I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HIT TWO PEDALS WITH BOTH FEET. BRIAN HAS TO DO THE SAME THING.
HE HAS TO DO A CROSSOVER SOMETIMES, AND I’LL STAND BACK AND WATCH HIM OUT OF THE CORNER
OF MY EYE AND JUST WAIT FOR HIM TO TOPPLE OVER.
I FEEL LIKE IT MIGHT BE MORE LIKE MUSICIANS MUSIC, I DON’T KNOW CAUSE I’VE NEVER BEEN
ON THE OTHER SIDE.
MOST OF THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS COME FROM MUSICIANS. THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT
GOES INTO WRITING, TO PLAY IN ODD TIME SIGNATURES. WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE HARD LEFT TURNS IN MUSIC
LIKE THAT. AND STILL BE TOGETHER, PLAYING IN UNISON. IT’S A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW WHAT 7-8 OR 9-8 OR WHATEVER WE’RE PLAYING. FOR OTHER PEOPLE
MIGHT SOUND LIKE A MISTAKE…BUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE THEIR LIKE OH THAT’S COOL.
I THINK THAT’S WHY MUSICIANS RESPOND TO IT, CAUSE THEY, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, GET IT.
I THINK MONOMATH ADDS A LITTLE WEIRD TO THE MUSIC SCENE. I JUST WANT TO PLAY MUSIC THAT
I ENJOY AND MY FRIENDS ENJOY AND HAVE FUN DOING IT.
I FEEL AS THOUGH WE’RE BRINGING SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE IN TERMS OF MUSIC, AND THEN JUST
MELTING FACES, TO USE THAT STUPID TERM, GOD.