[First of all thank you for taking the time to do this interview, this one is long overdue. What is Fallow Field and where does Fallow Field depart from Satan's Din? What was your motivation in creating a separate label? You cover a range of tastes and genres so what is the defining elements of the label in particular? ]
Satan’s Din was created with the end in mind, and Fallow Field was supposed to be a new beginning. Basically I wanted to start a label free from any constraints of genre or expectation. If I get to a place where I feel that what I’m doing is being done already I try to change. Otherwise what’s the point? Surprisingly there have been many loyal supporters that have taken the journey with me and embraced the variety of projects that I have offered them. I would even say the label has gathered more of a following as a result. I think the defining elements of the label are quality, purpose and authenticity.
[Do you see your projects as a means to an end or an end itself? Do you create to create, because its what you do, or is there something you are addressing or communicating? Is there a motive?]
I see them as an end. Like everything they have their season, then they pass and are forgotten. Making music seems just as pointless as anything in the grand scheme of things but I do it because I am driven to do it. I have no motive for creating, but I do have a motive for releasing my work. It is fulfilling for me to share this part of myself with others who are existing in this same moment in time. I like the idea of it being a part of this collective ghost that we are becoming.
[I think one thing that anyone who has ever owned a Fallow Field release will say, no matter what they think of the material, is that the packaging and art, the craft that went into it, is almost worth the price of admission itself. How important is the art to your releases? Do you do all of the art and packaging on the label or do the bands do their own or is it a collaborative work?]
It was once just as important to me to explore new territory with the packaging as it was to push the boundaries of what I was releasing, but that time has passed. I am still obsessive about the artwork but as a tape collector myself I appreciate a standard j-card and jewel case for practical reasons. Elaborate packaging etc. can be cool but most of the time I just want something I can put in my goddamn tape case. Except for very rare occasions I do all of the artwork and layout but sometimes it is a collaborative effort. I don’t mind working with artists if they have images or ideas they want to use as long as it fits with the overall aesthetic of the label. I have turned down a few releases because the artwork the artist wanted to use was something I could not get behind and they were really set on using it. No hard feelings, just a difference of artistic vision.
Satan’s Din was created with the end in mind, and Fallow Field was supposed to be a new beginning. Basically I wanted to start a label free from any constraints of genre or expectation. If I get to a place where I feel that what I’m doing is being done already I try to change. Otherwise what’s the point? Surprisingly there have been many loyal supporters that have taken the journey with me and embraced the variety of projects that I have offered them. I would even say the label has gathered more of a following as a result. I think the defining elements of the label are quality, purpose and authenticity.
[Do you see your projects as a means to an end or an end itself? Do you create to create, because its what you do, or is there something you are addressing or communicating? Is there a motive?]
I see them as an end. Like everything they have their season, then they pass and are forgotten. Making music seems just as pointless as anything in the grand scheme of things but I do it because I am driven to do it. I have no motive for creating, but I do have a motive for releasing my work. It is fulfilling for me to share this part of myself with others who are existing in this same moment in time. I like the idea of it being a part of this collective ghost that we are becoming.
[I think one thing that anyone who has ever owned a Fallow Field release will say, no matter what they think of the material, is that the packaging and art, the craft that went into it, is almost worth the price of admission itself. How important is the art to your releases? Do you do all of the art and packaging on the label or do the bands do their own or is it a collaborative work?]
It was once just as important to me to explore new territory with the packaging as it was to push the boundaries of what I was releasing, but that time has passed. I am still obsessive about the artwork but as a tape collector myself I appreciate a standard j-card and jewel case for practical reasons. Elaborate packaging etc. can be cool but most of the time I just want something I can put in my goddamn tape case. Except for very rare occasions I do all of the artwork and layout but sometimes it is a collaborative effort. I don’t mind working with artists if they have images or ideas they want to use as long as it fits with the overall aesthetic of the label. I have turned down a few releases because the artwork the artist wanted to use was something I could not get behind and they were really set on using it. No hard feelings, just a difference of artistic vision.
[Like most of the labels I interview you have released cassettes exclusively. What is it about tapes that you prefer over other mediums, or is it just economical?]
I have only put out one record and it was not a good experience, so I have just stuck with tapes. If I could put out records for the same price as tapes I would do more. That way if I felt regretful about it afterward at least I would not be broke as well.
[Do you consider yourself as coming from a Metal background or a Noise background? How has one impacted the other and which do you feel is the better outlet for you personally?]
Neither. I am a true bastard in this regard. If I had to pick one influence that culminated into everything I do now it would be punk. I know that’s sounds pretty vague now but it used to mean more. I change, my tastes change, sometimes things feel right and sometimes they don’t. I just try to tap into something that inspires me.
[Which live show is better to play; a metal show or a Noise/PE show?]
Well I have only ever played live twice. One noise show and one “metal” show. They were both good experiences but the GDH show was better mainly due to the circumstances surrounding it. It was a homecoming and a borderline religious experience. Something I will carry with me always. That being said I think a noise performance gives you more freedom in regards to how you perform. I would certainly like to, and plan to play more of both. If there were more people in Atlanta with similar interests to myself I would have played more shows by now, but it’s hard for me to travel and the idea of playing to half a dozen people doesn’t exactly beckon me to the city.
[What do you look for in the projects you put out? As far as sound, what qualities are attractive to your ears? What qualities are NOT attractive to you (for instance I fucking hate the sound of dripping water or splashing)?
I just look for things that I would personally listen to. That’s it. If I wouldn’t pay for this I’m not going to put it out. Simple as that.
I have only put out one record and it was not a good experience, so I have just stuck with tapes. If I could put out records for the same price as tapes I would do more. That way if I felt regretful about it afterward at least I would not be broke as well.
[Do you consider yourself as coming from a Metal background or a Noise background? How has one impacted the other and which do you feel is the better outlet for you personally?]
Neither. I am a true bastard in this regard. If I had to pick one influence that culminated into everything I do now it would be punk. I know that’s sounds pretty vague now but it used to mean more. I change, my tastes change, sometimes things feel right and sometimes they don’t. I just try to tap into something that inspires me.
[Which live show is better to play; a metal show or a Noise/PE show?]
Well I have only ever played live twice. One noise show and one “metal” show. They were both good experiences but the GDH show was better mainly due to the circumstances surrounding it. It was a homecoming and a borderline religious experience. Something I will carry with me always. That being said I think a noise performance gives you more freedom in regards to how you perform. I would certainly like to, and plan to play more of both. If there were more people in Atlanta with similar interests to myself I would have played more shows by now, but it’s hard for me to travel and the idea of playing to half a dozen people doesn’t exactly beckon me to the city.
[What do you look for in the projects you put out? As far as sound, what qualities are attractive to your ears? What qualities are NOT attractive to you (for instance I fucking hate the sound of dripping water or splashing)?
I just look for things that I would personally listen to. That’s it. If I wouldn’t pay for this I’m not going to put it out. Simple as that.
[Do you actively look for material or do people send you demos (or this generations version of the demo tape, soundcloud/bandcamp links)? Is there anything you won't put out whether it be due to subject matter or personality, or whatever?]
No not really, not like that. I’m always looking for new music as a listener but not as a label. Sometimes one goes with the other but not that often. Most of the demo submissions I get are not a good fit for the label. There have been a few rare instances that they were, but this is usually not the case. I’m not saying their bad either, just not a good fit. For instance - I have no idea why but I’ve been getting a lot of submissions recently from these really technical, really well produced metal projects. I mean these guys are good in terms of execution, but I just can’t imagine putting it out on FF.
[In an interview in "Troubled Sleep #1" you talked about how there is a thin line between good Black Metal and Noise and that you were interested in BM influence Noise rather than just noisy BM, the latter being prophetic (I think that interview was from like 2011) and a good description of a lot of the imitation "raw" BM or "black noise" circulating since. I would say that you achieved this with more than one project, how did you set about resolving this? What is that connection? Is it within the sound alone or the connection deeper than that?]
I have found that using noise as another instrument rather than the only instrument with projects such as these to be the best route. Order of Nine Angels started out being almost completely noise driven but now that’s just another element to the sound. This to me has given the project more depth and it happened as part of a natural evolution. On my current trajectory the sound will eventually become acapella chanting while an infant is being disemboweled in the background, but I suppose that can still be considered noise.
[What are your opinions on the current state of Black Metal and Noise? Anything worthwhile going on out there, outside of your own material of course?]
I still hear promising things coming out from both styles and I’m sure things are just as good/bad as they ever were. You just have to keep your ear to the ground and look in the right places. Nothing compares to the classics in either case but I probably just feel that way because I’m getting older. Many of the artists I work with run their own labels and have multiple projects. If you’re into Fallow Field I would recommend checking out some their other endeavors as well. I am also obviously a fan of the labels that put out my work, so that would be another good place to look.
[We've chatted a few times about the occult and its influence on your work, specifically "Satanic Ritual Abuse". What is it about the occult that you find interesting, what's the attraction? Does the occult play any part in your personal life or is it mainly confined to your music and art?]
Yes, I am obsessed with the occult. Always have been, probably always will be. I relate everything to the occult. I don’t see how other people don’t. The symmetry of it, the beauty of it, it’s mark is on everything. The idea that there is something more than what we see or what we think we see has always been profoundly interesting to me. Even if this is not the case I do not want to know. I would prefer the possibility of these things to live inside me rather than come to the grim realization that everything is nothing more than what it seems. I will probably never cut anyone’s throat on an altar during a ritualistic blood orgy… but it’s nice to think that it is going on somewhere.
[In the zine I mentioned earlier, "Troubled Sleep #1", you were asked about Giallo and the influences within HNW. What, or who, is your Giallo? What wellspring of ideas does Fallow Field pull from?]
That world which is unknown, unseen and feared.
No not really, not like that. I’m always looking for new music as a listener but not as a label. Sometimes one goes with the other but not that often. Most of the demo submissions I get are not a good fit for the label. There have been a few rare instances that they were, but this is usually not the case. I’m not saying their bad either, just not a good fit. For instance - I have no idea why but I’ve been getting a lot of submissions recently from these really technical, really well produced metal projects. I mean these guys are good in terms of execution, but I just can’t imagine putting it out on FF.
[In an interview in "Troubled Sleep #1" you talked about how there is a thin line between good Black Metal and Noise and that you were interested in BM influence Noise rather than just noisy BM, the latter being prophetic (I think that interview was from like 2011) and a good description of a lot of the imitation "raw" BM or "black noise" circulating since. I would say that you achieved this with more than one project, how did you set about resolving this? What is that connection? Is it within the sound alone or the connection deeper than that?]
I have found that using noise as another instrument rather than the only instrument with projects such as these to be the best route. Order of Nine Angels started out being almost completely noise driven but now that’s just another element to the sound. This to me has given the project more depth and it happened as part of a natural evolution. On my current trajectory the sound will eventually become acapella chanting while an infant is being disemboweled in the background, but I suppose that can still be considered noise.
[What are your opinions on the current state of Black Metal and Noise? Anything worthwhile going on out there, outside of your own material of course?]
I still hear promising things coming out from both styles and I’m sure things are just as good/bad as they ever were. You just have to keep your ear to the ground and look in the right places. Nothing compares to the classics in either case but I probably just feel that way because I’m getting older. Many of the artists I work with run their own labels and have multiple projects. If you’re into Fallow Field I would recommend checking out some their other endeavors as well. I am also obviously a fan of the labels that put out my work, so that would be another good place to look.
[We've chatted a few times about the occult and its influence on your work, specifically "Satanic Ritual Abuse". What is it about the occult that you find interesting, what's the attraction? Does the occult play any part in your personal life or is it mainly confined to your music and art?]
Yes, I am obsessed with the occult. Always have been, probably always will be. I relate everything to the occult. I don’t see how other people don’t. The symmetry of it, the beauty of it, it’s mark is on everything. The idea that there is something more than what we see or what we think we see has always been profoundly interesting to me. Even if this is not the case I do not want to know. I would prefer the possibility of these things to live inside me rather than come to the grim realization that everything is nothing more than what it seems. I will probably never cut anyone’s throat on an altar during a ritualistic blood orgy… but it’s nice to think that it is going on somewhere.
[In the zine I mentioned earlier, "Troubled Sleep #1", you were asked about Giallo and the influences within HNW. What, or who, is your Giallo? What wellspring of ideas does Fallow Field pull from?]
That world which is unknown, unseen and feared.
[Who are some of your main influences within music and outside of it?]
I’m probably into a lot of the same projects that people who frequent your forum are into (old and new). Other than that, dark themes. This is what moves me the most as an artist or listener/spectator.
[What are some of your plans for the near future?]
I’m working on a few scripts for some short films that I would like to make next year.
[Again, thank you for taking the time to do this interview I appreciate it. This last line is all yours if there is anything you want to say or any acknowledgments you want to make...]
Thanks to the supporters and I hope I didn’t repeat myself.
I’m probably into a lot of the same projects that people who frequent your forum are into (old and new). Other than that, dark themes. This is what moves me the most as an artist or listener/spectator.
[What are some of your plans for the near future?]
I’m working on a few scripts for some short films that I would like to make next year.
[Again, thank you for taking the time to do this interview I appreciate it. This last line is all yours if there is anything you want to say or any acknowledgments you want to make...]
Thanks to the supporters and I hope I didn’t repeat myself.
