SSTN Noise Series # 9: Toymonger
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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Toymonger - Doors Of Deception by SSTN Noise
What are your reasons / motives for making music, and how you arrived at this style?
AF: I started to play this type of music while living in Limerick in 2003. I was doing music technology course and was feeling pretty anti-computer, so I started to play a plank of wood with strings on it. Moved back to Dublin, met Gavin and started to focus more on Toymonger than solo gigs.
GP: I'd say my motives are the same as most peoples; blowing off steam, satisfaction in a job well done, Seeing what will happen.......As long as I can remember I've always been fascinated by sound, musical or otherwise. In the first half of the last decade I played in an improv group called Murmansk with people who I still play with in United Bible Studies. Murmansk leaned towards noise a lot, but seeing Andy play solo was one of the first times I'd ever seen noise played live - Ireland is much noisier now but there weren't many people doing it then. I'm not sure how we arrived at this style - we tend to go for it and talk about how it worked afterwards. These days we're both using loops less so our playing is more nimble and more dynamic. We're thinking on our feet more.
What sort of environment it is intended for /what is the intended effect on listener (if any)?
AF: Live or recorded? Either or - I don't see it or treat it different to any other band or group that I'm in.GP: For me our music is an environment so I suppose it would be best listened to in an environment that doesn't distract the listener. We scrutinise our recordings before they're released but I just think about the effects on myself rather than the listener. Live, I'd be a bit more aware of the listeners. I hope they become absorbed in the music and that it reaches them on a visceral gut level and their rational minds don't obstruct them too much.
What sort of equipment you use (e.g. computer, hardware, home made gear, circuit bent stuff etc.) do you use to make your sounds?
AF: Pretty simple setup - cymbal, clarinet, mixer, tape delay - always trying to cut down the amount of gear I have to bring out with me / getting the most out of as little as possible.GP: In Toymonger I use or have used:
- Contact mics with or on anything.
- Vocals.
- My circuit bent walkie-talkies are good for generating bagpipe-like beat tones when they're detuned against eachother.
- Feedback Loops through crappy pedals I wouldn't put a guitar through.
- A Focusrite voicemaster pro in a feedback loop with the crappy pedals.
- I usually plug the mixer into itself but usually through a pedal or two.
- Portable recorder which I play pre-recorded loops on and also use for feedback loops and recording samples on the fly.
- Circuit-bent Yamaha Portasound keyboard.
- I endorse the Frostwave Resonator and Blue RingerV2 ring modulator and the Bugbrand Postcard Weevil
- Homemade twin oscillator with inputs which allow them to be modulated by any external source.
- Circuit bent rodent scarer. It has a test button which puts in human hearing range which I've soldered to be always on.
- Portable radio with all the shortwave bands
- Dictaphone with adjustable speed.
I'd never have all this going at once and I always set things up in a different way for each session or gig. It's really not about all the equipment it's about how well we play together.
Any memorable noise-related incidents/ interesting gig anecdotes?
GP: A couple of years back Zorilla invited us to play a free gig in Bodkins. I arrived at around 6 and the place was full of drunken hardy bucks - it was the Friday before the Christmas holidays and they were already well on the way. They were pounding their fists on the table to Sweet Home Alabama. I'd normally enjoy that song but the dread was creeping up from the pit of my stomach. Pubs are mostly shit to play in and free gigs in pubs are usually shit because drunken randomers can wander in. This time we were just in the main bar so we were the intruders. As I soundchecked I made a mental note of the alpha male - the one standing on the table flexing his biceps. With all our gear onstage running away wasn't going to be an option so we got Diarmuid of Zorilla (who also plays sax in United Bible Studies) to drum with us just to have a big lad behind us onstage. I decided to employ the strategy of pre-emptive hatred. You can listen to the arse end of our set. Not our finest hour but the audience reactions are funny. It's fun to alienate and annoy people but it's an easy hollow victory compared to playing well and inspiring people.
Info on upcoming gigs, preferred web address, releases etc.
AF: We have a tape coming out within the next month or so called 'Animal Kindgom' on munitions family.
Technically I run the munitions family, which has started to become more active lately after a few years
of nothing in particular.
Gavin runs/is part of deserted village, the two of us co-released the toymonger LP a couple of years ago.
Still a few copies of it knocking about. Other stuff i'm involved in that might be of interest is Reptile Brain and Boys of Summer. All this stuff is available here: http://munitionsfamily.
http://www.thumped.com/bullets has links to the facebook group and myspace and all that internet shit, probably the easiest way to keep up with gigs.
Semi-related, munitions family is bringing over dutch synthesizerist Stellar Om Source on 29 May - It gave me a chance to put together a lineup of some of my favourite stuff in Ireland right now - Cian Nugent / Scented Candle / School Tour - there's more info here.
GP: 3rd May. Solo set at the Zaum night in the Quad in Cork.
23rd June: Sudden Infant, Family Battle Snake and Toymonger in The Joinery Dublin
In mid July I'll be joining Avanti Maria in some capcity for a few dates around Ireland. One or two of these will be with Toymonger.
Track is excellent!