Interview : Sonic Boom (Peter Kember)

1. Your first musical memories?
My first musical memories ? probably more sounds than music. The first piece i remember effecting me strongly was ‘dr.who’ theme by Ron Grainer, realised via tape loops & basic electronics by Delia Derbyshire. Delia told me the swooping lead sound was influenced by a French ensemble she had seen who played glass rods – the ‘something or other Sonore’. I forget their name. (The Offline People says : Le Structure Sonore). I always really liked sounds with slow attacks & drone based songs .

2. The best record you received as a present? / The worse one?
The best record I received as a present... The first cassette I was given was a Buddy Holly compilation. I love Buddy Holly’s music to this day. I guess if I’m turned onto music by someone, I consider that a present. When i was a kid I always asked for record tokens for xmas etc., so I could go pick up stuff i really wanted. I remember my brother asking for records from my granmas one year. Never mind the bollocks & B.O.C. ‘some enchanted evening ‘. haha. Funnilly the one who bought the ‘B.O.C.’ record thought it was some old 40’s schmaltz from the title & got the shock of her life. I thought the one who went to 3 stores to find the (then in a banned sleeve) ‘bollocks’ was quite game, really. But i thought I’d save them the leg work.

The worst ? Jason Pierce only ever gave me two gifts – both records. The one in question was a pic disc of Hendrix at some god awful gig where Jim Morrison supposedly gave him a blow job onstage... he found he already had it & gave it to me... haha

3. The first record that you lost?
I don’t lose many records. I had a bitchin’ ry cooder live show from the early ‘70’s that got nicked from me. It was a killer mix & recording, but all thru hes like ‘hey, the monitors suck. can u fix it ?’ ‘hey, can u sort these monitors ?‘ and that sorta thing. I think the sound guy was using the aux sends to mix the bootleg... Ry cooder is the sorta ass that used to only play non-smoking shows in the 80’s... but i’ll forgive him that for ‘Safe as milk’ and ‘Paris, Texas’...

4. The name of your imaginary band?
It varies. Chigger & the no-see-ums was popular Last week... I’ve just started an online project under the name ‘SWITCH’. Its basically me & a bunch of friends & friends’ friends sending each other files for adding to, screwing with, looping etc etc. We also got a couple of video members. Its just getting going, but initial signs are good. Its kind of like hobby shit for folk like us in bands.

5. In which environment do you like to record music?
A good one ! Just a chill vibe. I’m enamoured with working at MGMT’s facility they share with my best man, Nick Kramer. Due to the people around & the cross pollination of different projects coming thru, its become a real fun place to work. I like people passing thru when i work. Long as they know when to zip it. I’ve got some killer friends in NY and it really makes the Blanker Unsinn experience excel.

6. What will music sound like in 50 years / 5000 years?
Well, sound only has so many possibilities... but the way they can be combined with song writing is limitless. some of my favourite music is only 5 years old. Some of it is 80 years. Music is pretty timeless.

7. Which underrated album will start a new musical genre?
Well... maybe the Red Crayola’s ‘God Bless The Red Crayola’ lp. Which so artfully predicted 30 years of independant music ? The new issue of the original tapes, mastered properly is something else...

8. Which album should never have been made?
The Tin Machine ? Bowie... c’mon dude, that was slack...

9. Your favourite album to have a drink?
I dunno. Never considered that much... Greek bazooka music. Stuff with rippling balalaikas.

10. Your dream collaboration?
I’m kind of pro-active & I usually try & hook up with people I really like. If I think they might be game for some fun. MGMT & PANDA BEAR are both dream collabs for me. In different ways too. MGMT are just like the funnest bunch of freaks u could want to meet. I really felt they made me stretch myself to their standards, and I definitely dug that. Panda Bear is differant, he’s a great freak too. It’s just such soothing soul work to work on his stuff. Playing live with him is killer. It kind of feels like being pulled along by some unseen force, with great power but some sort of compelling draw into itself. I offered to help him out on his solo shows and was pleased when he was like – yeh – thanks ! I think i have the best jobs in the world. I really love the bands i work with and not having to be the boss and take responsibility from the bottom up is re-freshing. Similarly, sharing knowledge – it’s just a treat for me to hang with people like these guys who all have different, but amazing, perspectives.

11. The record that freaks you out?
I don’t like Frank Zappa. But for ‘why don’t you do me right ‘ - the 1st b-side. Otherwise though...

12. The record you would like to listen to right now?
I’m looking for the 1st panda bear disk... er... the new Holy Shit record. I found them thru looking for stuff on UUAR records. Nice stuff... the new Animal Collective lp sounds like it’ll be astounding - from live shows of it. Theres something really primal & un-controlled about it that really stunned me.

13. The film that tickles your creativity?
A colour box by Len Lye 1935. This and other animations done by the GPO film unit in the UK in the 30’s & 40’s. They created astounding colour abstract animations ‘a matter of life & death’ and any of the Emerik Pressburger films thru the early ‘40’s. Films with strong and surreal sentiments are often a spur. I’m not much odf the film buff, but i find inspiration in film dialogue as often as actual conversation.

14. The little-known track that everyone should have heard of?
The lp – Missa Luba – an lp of Congolese tribesmen singing & drumming. One side is their interpretation of the latin mass. Stunning. Some may know ‘Sanctus’ from the equally great Malcolm McDowell film ‘IF...’. Magnetophone - 'The man who ate the man’ – amazing lp from the early 00’s. On 4AD. Luv it....

15. An album or an artist you wouldn’t want to be?
I’ll assume there are more who would rather not be me !

16. The cover version you would love to do?
Hmmm... so many... maybe something by the Yardbirds... maybe Reverberation by the 13th Floor Elevators...

17. The mashup you would love to do?
Sun Araw & Panda Bear... might be pretty bitching ?
Bo Diddley & Alan Ravenstein ?

18. The text you would like to produce a soundtrack for?
Kind of done it... Francis Bacon’s the new atlantis. Maybe I could do the full story though. I highly recommend it. If they did a film of ‘Diary of a drug fiend’ i’d love to do that - though i’d need help from some friends... but i can hear it now...

19. Have you ever had auditory hallucinations?
Yes. Mildly often. Strongly from a drug they withdrew, that was an mao inhibitor. after 1 day of taking it, I took some opiates & everything went very strange. mao dmt is a weird one too. I smoked that with crack once by mistake (it was left coating a pipe - I was only trying to smoke the dmt - i think...)

20. How would you like to die?
Quickly. Painlessly. Happily. From old age.






Go to Sonic Boom official website, to his myspace and read his wiki.

Europa tour dates for Panda Bear & Sonic Boom
TUE 29 NOV 11 France Paris La Gaite Lyrique / WED 30 NOV 11 France Lille TBC / THU 01 DEC 11 UK London Electric Ballroom

Latest News
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- Peter Zinovieff 3 CD set - previously unreleased