This week sees the re-release of a benchmark album produced by house music’s most enigmatic duo, Virgo. Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being (from Chicago house music’s new school, Mathematics Records) poses a few questions to Virgo’s Eric Lewis and Merwyn Sanders.

JM: Name of Artist/Band? Include all band members names and instruments played on this album.
V: eric lewis, merwyn sanders, instruments we used was guitar, bass, keyboard (Roland Juno 2), Roland 505 drum machine

JM: Do you consistently practice your musical craft every day ?
V: Yes we practice every other day if not every day sometimes. Merwyn has studied voice with Vocal Mechanics here in Chicago and with his uncle’s company, Opera Ebony in New York, and played around Chicago on guitar doin’ singer/songwriter material. Eric is always on his bass or guitar and created new tracks in his home studio.

JM: Do you tape yourself and listen back critically?
V: Yes we do, and that’s how we realize after coming back and listening that we may not even I like it, but on the flip side somebody else may hear and like it. Quite honestly we are very critical.

JM: Do you take every opportunity to hear other musicians local and national who perform in Chicago ?
V: Between the two us, Merwyn gets out the most to check out local bands and acts, and not every opportunity, there’s just not enough time.

JM: How do you describe your music to people? This is not a short answer. Discuss it.
V: The music with Trax records is house music. We know our music is a little different, but we consider it deep, melodic, house music. Something you can dance to but at the same time sit back listen and chill to.

JM: What image do you think your music conveys? Do not avoid the image issue!
V: Positive. Notice the song titles are all introspective. What’s life about, things we were goin’ through. So the imagery should be unique to each person that listens. In terms of a pictorial image, I would expect it to be space, be it inner or outer.

JM: What are your long-term career goals & what should other artists who are inspired by Virgo should do if they wish to follow in Virgo’s legacy to further that sound?
V: Actually, we only have to come to that now, with the resurgence of the Virgo album. We always wanted to make a living with our music and become “stars” like every musicians does, but we also saw the importance of education and other career goals. With new technology and the YouTube it is more readily available for new artist to put out music. As for other artist that are inspired by our music we would say, just make music for the sake of making music and not to make money. If you stay true to yourself it will be more fulfilling even if you do not profit greatly from it.

JM: What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
V: Most are about our experience as young men growing up in Chicago. They’re about going through life. As for theme(s) , we didn’t have specific theme in mind, but as a collection, a theme arrived inadvertently, and that is LIFE. We wanted our music to be an escape from day to day worries as it was for us making it.

JM: Who is your fan/customer base & do wish to expand that base and to what targeted audience? (Analyze this question thoroughly.)
V: We never had a particular fan base in mind and we still do not. We always wanted to make music for people to hear our emotions translated into music. We never had a”person” in mind. This stance may come from our days at clubs where all walks of life, race and ages were in attendance. Simply, we wanted everybody to listen to it.

JM: What question or questions that interviewers always forget too ask that should come up but never do . ( Present that question & be the interviewer /interviewing you by giving that answer.
V: The question that no one asks is….

How do you make the music/ work together to come up with the songs?
We feel, and we can’t be sure, that we approach/create music in a unique fashion. Most people would think that a 4:32 song would be sequenced, but we actually played each part for 4:32. If you listen carefully you will hear many mistakes. There were parts of songs that were “sequenced” but not done in the traditional fashion.

No one has asked…

How do you two get along?
We have known each other since 1977. We have never even so much as been in an argument not even on the basketball court.

Links:
Virgo Facebook // Virgo Twitter // Hieroglyphic Being Facebook

This Monday sees the Gonjasufi album launch at the Echoplex, Los Angeles. With the man himself, plus the M*therf*ckin Gaslamp Killer and Mainframe – this event is not going to disappoint. Not only are we giving away a pair of tickets but the winner will also be able to pick up some goodies as well as their tickets (the brand new album, the Kowboys and Indians 7″, plus the forthcoming Kobwebs 7″ – and will also throw in a free rare and collectable Gonasufi prayerbook).

To win, simply e-mail info@bleep.com and state the name of the new Gonjasufi album. More details about the event can be found here.

Next week sees Nosaj Thing return to London for another live show. After his incredible show at Plastic People last year, THEM! have asked him to return and rightly so. To win a pair of tickets, simply e-mail info@bleep.com and tell us Nosaj Thing’s real name.

The legendary Plastic People is under threat of closure from the police for unfounded allegations of public nuisance, crime and disorder. Plastic People is one of the most important clubs London has ever seen; possibly the darkest club in the world; definitely one of the best soundsystems in the world; and most importantly – a real breeding ground for underground music. We must not let this club be closed without a fight. The owners are seeking legal guidance. Please show your support by joining the Facebook group and stay up to date with any possible ways of helping save this club from closure…

Photo taken from the North / South / East / West project by Shaun Bloodworth, GiveUpArt and Bleep

We asked Glasgow based artist Tom Scholefield (aka Konx-Om-Pax) to tell us about himself, his work and what we can expect in the future….

“I’m an artist and director based in Glasgow, I like to keep things fun and colourful as possible. I don’t like to rush.

Things got interesting for me around the time Jamie Lidell spent the night in our spare room a few years back – a pissed up conversation about cats and animation led me to spend 6 months creating the music video for “Yougotmeup” from his Multiply release on Warp.

Around this time Matt Pyke (Universal Everything) got me on board for Advanced Beauty I created a surreal wonder through a floating fantasy island with music by Freeform.

Since then I’ve occupied myself across many different platforms of the art and design world, designing sleeves for the likes of Hudson Mohawke (Warp), Rustie (Wireblock) Oneohtrix Point Never (No-Fun)… and directing videos for DFA Records in New York. Just recently directed the forthcoming debut music video for Hudson’s Joy Fantastic which will be out very soon!

I’m currently planning the launch of my new studio/label – Display Copy, first release with be “Optimo Tracks” from an a/v installation at the Sub Club last year, featuring a remix from No-Fun boss Carlos Gifonni. Just recently started concepts for artwork on a forthcoming release on Mego, all I can say is Stephen O’Malley from Sunn O))) is involved.. it will be killer.”

, No-Fun

Jamie Lidell – Yougotmeup (Warp Records) from Konx-om-Pax on Vimeo.

Advanced Beauty from Konx-om-Pax on Vimeo.

Capracara – King of the Witches (DFA) from Konx-om-Pax on Vimeo.

Made especially for the Warp20 (Tokyo) event to celebrate Warp’s 20th birthday. As well as the standard tour t-shirt, we have the winning entry from the Tokyo design competition that was picked by Steve Beckett himself. Not for general sale outside of Japan, we have a handful of these exclusive t-shirts to give away.

Simply e-mail info@bleep.com and tell us your favourite birthday party story to win a t-shirt. State what size you are (L or M available).

New work from Konx-om-Pax who recently has designed and created music videos for the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Jamie Lidell and Capracara.

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY PRESENTS: CARL CRAIG, FRANCESCO TRISTANO & MORITZ VON OSWALD, MATMOS, BUGGE WESSELTOFT & HENRIK SCHWARZ DUO, DJ SPRINKLES & ANDRAS FOX
Friday 12 February

A one-off night at Royal Festival Hall, bringing a host of pioneers from the worlds of experimental electronics and avant-garde music. We have a pair of tickets to give away.

To win a pair of tickets, simply e-mail info@bleep.com and state what city Carl Craig is from.

Our friends at We Fear Silence have put together another killer line-up of all thing bass to push London’s Corsica Studios Funktion 1 Soundsystem to the max on February 6th. We have got a pair of tickets to give-away. Simply e-mail info@bleep.com and state what city Shackleton now lives in…

More information about this and other We Fear Silence events here.

Ceephax has a new album on Planet Mu. So we decided to talk to him about some stuff…

Who did the artwork for “United Acid Emirates” and describe the thinking behind it?
I did the artwork. It was inspired a bit by Arabic music cassette tape covers that are often quite garish and colourful. The background carpet and picture were photographed in amusement arcades which are one of the main places that have shaped me and my music. The TB-303 flying carpet ties in the arabic theme with the acid tunes! Basically a collage of some of my influences done in an eye-catching and appealing mess.

What is your studio set-up and what process do you normally go through to make a song?
Here’s a pic of my studio, mainly analogue synths and drum machines (pictured below). Normally I make a tune in a minute or two, have the bassline, chords and stuff ready in less than an hour, but if I want it to be a more developed and sound good then I spend a few days or sometimes a week or more fiddling about and turning it from a good idea into something that is a piece of music and not just a quick jam, whilst trying to retain the magic of those first few creative minutes which at the end remain the most important thing no matter what you add to it. Sometimes this works, and sometimes you lose the magic which is sad. This album is a mix between tracks that I put loads of work into and some spontaneous stuff that was made in minutes.

Tell us the most surreal / crazy gig you have had?
I think one of the strangest gigs was in Bern in Switzerland where I was on tour with 3 of my mate musicians. It was in a sort of tiny underground library squat (?) with books lining the walls and a balcony that ran all around and the stage underneath, so that most of the audience were looking down on you. Anyway we managed to get so drunk on gin and whatever else that we were flailing and falling about the stage and tiny dancefloor and playing absolutely terribly whilst the rather serious crowd looked down on us from the balcony as if we were some kind of curious new exhibit at a victorian zoo freshly imported from the Congo…well that’s what it felt like at the time. It was great fun though, possibly at the audience and organizer’s expense !

What is the best video game ever and why?
Asteroids is probably the best arcade game for me, as it’s non completable and random in such a nice way..It looks amazing too because of the Vector graphics that you can’t recreate on a cathode or LCD screen. I don’t agree with lurking though. Best home computer game..Turrican on the c64. So massive at the time, so deep, I consider it a work of art as incredible as any famous symphony or painting.

What’s next for Ceephax?
At the moment I’m concentrating on videos for my music as film/video has been something I have wanted to get into for years. It completes the Ceephax experience…