Chief Tizo Interviews #5: Andrew Henry

Andrew Henry is a lot of things: a musician who creates cinematic ambient/experimental/electronic music, an avid fan of films and their scores, a follower of Frank Zappa, Omar Rodríguez-López and the Dave Matthews Band (back in the day he swears), and a long-time friend of mine from our shared online forum days a decade ago. We briefly discussed film projects, the difficulty of ascertaining why he makes music, Will Long, his faux-soundtrack work, and his future in film and music.

Andrew Henry circa 20XX

Bryan Santizo: Why ambient music? What is the major appeal of it as a genre for you? As a listener and as a musician who makes it?

Andrew Henry: The "why" of ambient music is a thought that comes up a lot for me, and I can't really say I have a solid answer. I don't ever remember making a conscious decision where I said "I'm going to make ambient music." But I can't imagine any musician does that for their respective genre. I remember being really interested in William Basinski and Brian Eno in 2012-13 and discovering that you could mimic Eno's techniques in Ableton Live and make tape loops from cassettes. I just kept experimenting with those formats until good results started developing. Finding Celer - which I will address in more detail later - was the last aesthetic push from that time to put me into making "pure" ambient music. It brought about the visual element that the music lacked.

The appeal, as both a listener and musician, lies in the bizarre dynamic of repetition and freedom. My favorite ambient music is very repetitive, but it is morphed enough or has a good enough loop that you can find different things to hear. You can let the music go in and out of your consciousness - both while listening or sitting focused at your mixing board. Ambient music is also just really relaxing, which is something I have trouble with. So perhaps it all goes to the simplest explanation: I make ambient music because it helps me relax.

"The appeal, as both a listener and musician, lies in the bizarre dynamic of repetition and freedom."

BS: Surely, since ambient is a music genre that is known for its length and build up of sonic textures, it must be a difficult to assess when a piece is finished. How do you do it?

AH: I suppose there is two ways of looking at this. If the piece is based on a loop, I'll know the loop is finished when it has a flow that is either timed perfectly or where the awkward cut and overlap gels together. The loop also needs to be pleasing, of course.

I know an individual track is finished when I've had enough of it, really. The majority of my recording is done through a mixing board and effects processing, so I'm not just dragging out a loop in Ableton up to a certain marker and saying "Okay, done." I'm listening as I'm making, so once I feel that the loop or my amount of effects variance has reached its limit, I stop. Lately I've had many tracks under 10 minutes, where in the past I had stuff of 30+ minutes as the norm. This is a result of me paying stricter attention to what I'm doing. In the past I would just start the loop and put my attention to something else while occasionally adjusting the delay/reverb.

Tools of the trade.

BS: Longing and nostalgia is very apparent in your ambient music titles. Is there a consistent theme in your music?

AH: I would not say there is not a deliberate consistent theme in my music. But since ambient music is very intimate for me, it will always lead back to my personality traits, habits, and lifelong desires. So my sensitive personality is always going to shine through. I do try to keep a consistent aesthetic, and I do have a very cinematic sense of space that I touch upon with my music, so I can see how a theme comes through. So, in short, the consistent theme(s) of my music is just my personality coming back again and again. But I'm never really saying "Okay this one is about nostalgia or this person and that event." I'm never trying to tell a full story.

BS: The majority of your work is ambient, but the rest of your work that is not seems to be written from a different perspective and not as personal. Is this intentional?

AH: There's not a lot of intention there. In a musical sense, I don't view the ambient and non-ambient stuff differently. I mean there's an obvious genre and sound difference, but to me it's just "making music" and sometimes a very ambient loop or idea turns into a full fledged song. But in terms of perspective and meaning, my personal life does seep into the ambient stuff more, and that's because of the ambient music being a recreation of the visuals and moods that pop into my head. Something like "Iridescent Lovers" certainly means something to me artistically, but samples of squeaking saxophones is not what I'm trying to create and insert into my personal life. It's a reflection of what I feel all the time.

The ambient music is what I'm trying to make my life like. The non-ambient is how I feel all the time. And that comes about naturally, not because I'm deliberately trying to make those statements. 

BS: You named Celer/Will Long as a great aesthetic and musical influence. How did you come into contact with his music? Why do you enjoy it so much? How do you incorporate his influence?

AH: I came into contact with his music by browsing a forum thread about William Basinski and seeing a user suggest Celer as a similar artist. I enjoy his music a lot because it's just well done! He has excellent loops and is very skillful with incorporating field recordings. He also doesn't make music that has that weird "spa music" vibe of piano melodies and cheap pad synths, and he also doesn't do a lot of jagged noise music stuff. It's just very clean and peaceful, and that's exactly what I want from ambient music.

I'd say I incorporate his influence by trying to keep an ongoing visual aesthetic and a diary-like approach with liner notes and meanings. The sonic influence is probably obvious!

"Most of the time I just open Ableton and see what happens."

BS: You shift between genres consistently, is this difficult or more of a spitballing (see what works) type of creative process?

AH: I never see it as difficult. I like a lot of different genres of music, and I want to work in all of them as much as I can. I don't even view it as a "see what works" process either. It just happens, really. I'm aware of the genre shifts, but it's not something that's so conscious that I say "Okay, this is gonna be a dance record, this is chillwave, this is free jazz. I need to do another ambient album soon, though." Most of the time I just open Ableton and see what happens.

BS: Film is clearly referenced in your work, and you yourself have been involved in short films and even music videos. Are there any outside influences to your work you are totally enraptured with besides music?

AH: Film is definitely a huge influence, because certain film scores, or even just shots or cinematography styles pop into my head and guide what the music will do. Like I said before, I have visions or moods in my head when making ambient music - even if its not a complete image that I can describe. It's just like a shot from a movie - maybe a florescent street lamp on a summer night with a car coming in the distance. It doesn't really mean anything, but it's something I would pull from seeing Palo Alto or Paris, Texas, and I'm trying to create more context around and within that. But besides film and music, I can't really say there are other outside influences that I'm enraptured with. Maybe minimalism and asceticism. But my work is mostly about that synthesis of image and sound.

The music maker.

BS: You have done faux-soundtrack in the form of Waiting for Contact I and II, how did you form these concepts? Why did you do these time-consuming projects that were so outside of ambient music?

AH: The path of coming up with "Waiting for Contact" is so wacky but I'll try to keep it condensed. I also hope I remember it correctly!

The first "Waiting for Contact" came about because I wanted to make something like that utilized retro synthesizer sounds and Philip Glass-like compositions. The album just started as some sort of beat-less "synthwave" project but as it went on I just found myself making stuff that sounded like a film score. When I was close to done, I realized that I could morph it into some sort of weird sci-fi movie score. I'm also a pretty big fan of alien abduction stories and The X-Files, so I finished the album with an influence from the Allagash River Incident in mind. 

The album then sat on my hard drive for a while until I felt that it should be released. I thought the deliberate cheese of the first album fit in well with vaporwave, so I sent the album out to a label (which fell through), and then the album went to a sister label where it got released. I regret that decision now.

The sequel came about because the label asked me if I would do some sort of sequel. It was "commissioned", I guess. But I did these albums because the first one just developed naturally, and the second one let me flex some retro synth and orchestral ideas that are representative of where my music is currently heading.

Waiting for Contact II

BS: You are outspoken for your love of Frank Zappa, projects related to The Mars Volta, and more experimental and loosely created music, is this something that you feel you can do with ambient music? Is this something that may influence your works of fluctuating genres?

AH: Stuff like Zappa or The Mars Volta, when being connected to my ambient music, is only an influence in terms of just, you know, "doing it." Zappa and Omar Rodriguez Lopez are great artists, and they push my desire to make art (and lots of it). Those guys are a way bigger influence on my non-ambient stuff because they both jumped around to different genres, or (in more cases) blended them seamlessly. But I think it's weird to put those two artists in the same space because Zappa was a very rigid musician who composed everything and rehearsed musicians like crazy. The Mars Volta is a lot of vamping and cobbling riffs and jams together - very cut-and-paste prog. But my ambient music is more like Zappa: more rigid with a clear focus and lots of rules regarding what can't happen. I'm more in line with The Mars Volta on everything else. So I don't really view my ambient music as experimental or loose, which I can imagine is surprising.

"There are always albums to be finished or started or changed.  I definitely have lots of ideas I can execute on as well, and those would involve getting into a studio and recording other musicians."

BS: When will the Pinheads, your experimental garage rock music project, return? As a drummer do you have any special influences?

AH: I don't think The Pinheads will ever return. The whole gang of people that is involved with or connected to The Pinheads always seems to be in flux, and we all have conflicting schedules, but hopefully something comes together soon. The duo of The Pinheads will essentially be absorbed into the result of this collaborating group, and maybe it will inherit that name. But there doesn't seem to be anything coming soon, I'm afraid.

With regard to drumming, my biggest influences are Deantoni Parks and Carter Beauford. I'm a little ashamed to admit that Beauford is an influence, but I listened to a lot of Dave Matthews Band as a teenager and fell in love with his drumming. It's hard to deny his skill though. Parks is a more important influence, though. He's able to deconstruct drum kits or use traditional kits with a ridiculous style that sounds like programmed drums. Syncopated and funky drumming has always been my go-to style, and Parks just pushed that into the next dimension.

BS: What is after this? Any upcoming release plans as a solo artist or as part of something else? How do you prioritize between film projects and music?

AH: I never really know what's next, and it's not something I worry about. I have plenty of things I could release, but I have terrible habits with releasing stuff and get sort of careless or uncertain. I'm always doing something, though. There are always albums to be finished or started or changed.  I definitely have lots of ideas I can execute on as well, and those would involve getting into a studio and recording other musicians. That could start happening soon. But I recently moved and the past year and a half has been very frustrating for me, so I've felt very weird and disengaged toward my art. But now the frustration has turned to anger, so something good could come from that. 

And I prioritize film projects and music by not having any film projects anymore! But in seriousness, I never have to think about balancing them. I just start them when I'm ready to roll on them and I just pick away at whatever I feel like working on. I think I have a pretty quick turnaround (which can be bad sometimes), so most projects don't just dangle and have to be scheduled and balanced with others. It works better if I don't think about it too much.

George Constanza: "It was more like a full-body dry heave set to music."

Listen to Andrew Henry's music HERE

Chief Tizo Interviews #4: MC Coolarge

Hey folks! We promised new interviews, so here we are with a fresh interview with experimental hip-hop stalwart MC Coolarge. We discuss the lyrical content behind his old/new material, question some of his sonic influences, and get some info about his upcoming untitled LP, which is due in Autumn.

Check it here:

You can find MC Coolarge's current discography HERE.

My Dad is Dead, the end of youth, and ambition.

There's this band that I heard a very long time ago because of how much I liked the name of a song called 'Seven Years'. At the time I was barely getting into David Bowie and I liked the idea of a sequel to his song 'Five Years'. The name of the band was My Dad is Dead and I was hooked.

Yet, in those times I didn't really know about post-punk and didn't know who or what Joy Division were. So you can imagine how listening to something like My Dad is Dead was enticing and new. Unique to the point where I only listened to that song twice, saved the album it was featured on, and would return to it on and off for years.

A few weeks ago I started to listen to them again after a chance reunion while driving along with some friends when they made a few comments on the off-putting name. It sparked a lot of memories within myself and how back then I had no idea I'd be making music and running this label with Starlon and Co.

It really hit home though when I stumbled upon an interview with Mark Edwards, the founder of My Dad is Dead, from last year in which he describes how he was ready to stop the band. He details his life and how he had gone from having a period of touring and playing with his live band and then hitting an immense decline in poverty.

The realities of uncertainty in the future and how living as an artist/musician is truly a difficult one struck me (this isn't the first time...). For Mark Edwards there truly was a struggle but he ended up having a great conclusion to his beloved band and has a happy married life. It's uplifting, redemptive and ominous at the same time for me and many others I assume.

Being a musician who truly began to write personally meaningful music on my own at home, I relate to Edwards's experiences. It's tough and it's easy to get lost awash in your own ambitions.

Whatever comes along the way or whatever never comes, I at least will keep my ambitions so to be able to reflect in a seven or more years in genuine conciliation.

Here's the interview: 'My Dad is Dead bids a redemptive farewell'.

The song that started it all.

Chief Tizo Interviews #3: Thrill Touch

My favorite interview so far! Starlon and I decided to give Thrill Touch an interview before their set at the Explosion New Year's Eve show and got some interesting information! Lots of laughs all around. Oh and some release news somewhere in there... So what are you waiting for? Check it out above!

Chief Tizo Interviews #2: Lithium

The second installment of Chief Tizo Records Interviews! We have the lovely opportunity to talk with Lithium and discussed their origins, the music making process, the local scene, and future plans. An extremely amusing and insightful watch. Check it out above!

Chief Tizo Interviews #1: 14 Charisma

I had the pleasure to spend the afteroon/evening with 14 Charisma, he's releasing his debut chiptune EP entitled "No, Not Yet" on Chief Tizo Records sometime soon and I was able to interview him! Very fun and laid back, enjoy!

Chief Tizo Interviews: Dan Barrett (of Have a Nice Life)

So if you aren't familiar with Have a Nice Life by now I strongly suggest obtaining 'Deathconsciousness' (and listening to it a million times) before reading this. But of course if you're even on this blog then you should have a vague idea of who Have a Nice Life is and who Dan Barrett is (co-owner of Enemies List Records).

I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Barrett for one of my music classes' final papers, in which I ask questions about the beginnings of Enemies List and how it all works. Very inspirational! Check it out!

1. What caused you to begin your own record label? Did you have any previous experience to start with to make it work?

We started the label simply because we didn't really have another choice - we didn't know anyone, or have any hope of getting on a "real" label. We were just messing around, recording music we assumed our friends, and no one else, would hear. We started it up just to release our own stuff.

I didn't have any label experience. I'd been the 'merch guy' in most of the bands I'd been in growing up, so I knew a bit about printing shirts and CDs, stuff like that. Nothing very in-depth. We just made it up as we went along.


2. How would you classify yourself and your company as functioning musical world? What do you feel is the purpose?

We don't really function in the "music world," in the sense that we operate outside the traditional supply chain (manufacturer to label, to distribution company to record store, etc). We make our own stuff, we sell it all ourselves directly to our customers. In that way we exist outside the traditional means of producing music for sale. We're also fairly cut off from the live music world, since we almost never play live (most of our projects are recording-only).

3. What is your driving philosophy in order to make it all work, and in greater specificity, what inspires you to work for it?

I'm inspired by music because I love making it. I just love hearing new things, and that rush of putting out something really great, or writing something that connects. That's what makes me sink so much time into it. As far as philosophies, we keep our costs very low, so we're free to fail. Being free to fail means putting out anything we like, regardless of whether it'll sell well. That makes the label a very personal thing, a thing very aligned with our personal tastes, and music fans gravitate towards that.

4. Did you have any idea this is what you'd be doing now? If so, what did you think differently about it then? If not, then what were you planning to do?

I had no idea the label would ever be a thing, no. I didn't start out wanting to run a record label, and it isn't my full-time job, or anything. I just knew I liked making music. I can't really stop making music; it's part of who I am. The label helps me do that.

5. In relation to the last question, what did you learn now that you wish you knew before starting?

Never bet too heavy on anything, even something you think is a sure-thing. Be conservative, and order more if you need it. People will wait. Don't be afraid of people wanting to give you money. Make what they want, within reason.

6. Where do you plan to go from here? Where would you like to be in the next five or so years? Do you have a set plan to pursue in the future?

The label doesn't really plan, in the sense that a normal business might. In general, I try to do something - a new shirt, a record, whatever - every few months. Keeping it in the moment lets it be more than a business - turns it into a more personal thing, something that reflects where we are at whatever moment in our lives.

I'd love to do the label full time. Don't know if it'll ever happen, and don't really need it to. I want to grow it slowly, naturally, by bringing more people into the fold. That's all.

7. What do you attribute to your current successes? Do you feel there is anything that you could call a 'secret ingredient' to your success?

Really, it was people connecting with our music on a personal level. Being truly honest, and raw, about what we do connects to people in a way that you wouldn't normally see with a more polished product. That kind of connection spurs people to go out and tell other people about the record - they have an intimate experience, and want to share it. That's what grew our label, and grows it today: word of mouth. We don't advertise, we did promo once and stopped. Nothing is more powerful than word of mouth...and the only way you get that is by just sitting down, doing your best, and trying to be as honest as possible.

Thanks Bryan!

"Those drapes are kvlt as fuck."

Burzum for the upcoming cold weekend.