Bart Graft – Interview

2025/11/23 //
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DD Somehow, I didn’t notice until very recently that you are from Ireland. I haven’t been there yet, what is it like? Does that environment shape your music?

BG It’s great here. I’m from a small town called Fethard, steeped in Medieval history and architecture. It absolutely shapes my music, I would say – especially the ambient tracks. A recent one I recorded called “The Green” from Ten Pearls is from an early memory of a street here of the same name. It’s where my grandparents lived. The often drab weather, and scenery set off ideas for sure!

DD And where does your artist name come from?

…the name Bart had me thinking of The Simpsons a bit.

BG The artist name is from a friend of mine who suggested it. I was looking for something that sounds kinda 80s, or retro, or whatever, and Bart Graft kinda stuck. 😂

Kinda rhymes with arts & and crafts haha.

DD I see:)) Your ambient tracks are some of my favorites so far. On the more energetic side, I especially love “Hello World” and “Computer Age”.

What are some of your earliest and most memorable experiences with music?

BG “Hello World” & “Computer Age” were heavily inspired by 80’s Library Music. Wanted to get that high-energy, sorta cheesy sound, and keep them somewhat technical also! I was a staunch metalhead when I was younger, listening to Metallica & Pantera etc…which slowly evolved into more melodic metal in Type O Negative.

I bought Zappa’s album “Cheap Thrills” one day because I kept seeing the cover art whenever I was browsing for music. Threw it on the stereo that evening and I couldn’t stop laughing. The absurdist humour with the ridiculously technical music just threw me… I remember specifically after hearing the “Hot Plate Heaven at the Green Hotel” guitar solo, I couldn’t make sense of it. It was my first time hearing modal playing. I loved it so much. That solo alone made me start playing guitar more than the bass I began with…

That same year I bought Jane’s Addiction’s “Ritual de lo habitual” and after hearing that, I knew I had to start making music. It was the perfect album and sound.

DD I see, rad:))

I’ve only recently gone all the way back and started listening from the beginning of your Bandcamp page. Did something really click or inspire you around 2015 when the first release came out? it seems like you’ve had a huge amount of releases in a short period.

BG For sure yeah, I just had a huge amount of ideas I wanted to explore musically. It was all a learning period as much as it was creatively prolific. I was learning the chops with production & songwriting, and the best way to document it was to release my work, I felt.

I remember the early releases were massively inspired by Scritti Politti and Prince. I was probably addicted to creating music. 😂 I just had an almost overwhelming amount of ideas and drive to create.

DD And are you more self taught and/or have you studied in more of a university way?

Also, when I listen to your music it often sounds like a band, but if I’m correct all of the music comes from you solely. Is their a purposeful aim for a larger kind of sound overall?

BG I’m fully self-taught on everything. I genuinely have very little theory knowledge. It’s all a result of years and years of intuitively learning music by ear. Yes! I record everything. The aim is definitely to get a huge sound. I tried to stylize the production quality on Pink Floyd’s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” – Huge, spacious, reverb-drenched sounds. Almost like a sonic vista of sorts. I think having good drum tracks determines the quality of the song…Like the old saying “A band is only as good as its drummer.”

DD Have you ever and/or would you like to soundtrack films?

For me, your music is very visual. It’s very easy for me to listen to your music, and imagine some kind of scene playing out in my head.

BG Yep, I’ve worked on a few short films before. “Meat is Murder”, “Word of Mouth” with directors Ben Kavanagh and Luke Murphy. I’ve also worked with Bogus Films on their short “Softcore”.

All amazing experiences. I would absolutely love to write more music for film and would jump on any opportunity to do so. Vangelis, Angelo Badalamenti, and Thomas Newman are all huge musical influences on me.

That’s amazing to hear also, Jimi. Very glad it inspire visuals for you!

DD Sweet:))

Did you have a Bandcamp listening party recently, for ‘Jewel in the Crown‘? I was there!

Also curious how you first connected with the Business Casual label? They have a gigantic collection of releases.

BG Yeah man, Business Casual threw a listening party for ‘Jewel in the Crown’. I put one on for Ten Pearls also!

I was always a fan of Business Casual and what John does over there. Jerome over at the Become Eternal label actually suggested I should send in a demo, so I did and they approved it. Was really cool working with BC!

DD I just watched your music video for ‘Unending Desire‘ that came out recently. How did that come together, is this all original footage?

BG I’ve been spending more time lately developing my albums, and Unending Desire is the next release which I’ll hopefully get out early Summer. The music video is from a Hirokazu Kore-eda film called After Life (1998), he also directed Maborosi which I used clips from in the “Form on White” video!

DD Excellent, do you have any regular disciplines or routines that help you stay sharp creatively?

Also curious how many instruments you play, and if you sing as well?

BG I find just listening to new music sets off my creativity usually. I like to look at art also. Some paintings immediately spark ideas! It’s weird, but it works for me! I usually just browse Wikiart.

I play, bass, guitar, piano mainly. I don’t sing at all – probably have the worst singing voice of all time, not a note in my head. 😂

DD And what is your favorite thing about being an artist? and is there something that seems to be the most challenging?

BG I think creating art is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced. I love the opportunity it grants us to share ideas with the rest of the world. I think creating art is almost meditative, in the sense that it improves your overall well-being as a person.

It can be challenging to articulate some ideas, but that’s the fun of it. It’s hard work, and it pays off when it comes together! The challenges help me grow as a musician and artist and I welcome them.

DD I love that, thank you for sharing. I’m also curious if you perform live? I can imagine some pretty wild shows..

BG I don’t perform live at the moment at all man! I reckon I’d need a band to get the sound right. 😂

Possibly someday though! I would like to!

Bart Graft

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– Jimi Jaxon

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Categories Interviews

Will Roesner Interview

2024/11/01 //
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DD – When I first met you in august of this year (2024) you were in the middle of making a song every day that month. This was in addition to working another job amongst other things. How did you stay disciplined to accomplish all these songs in a daily routine?

WR – I’m not entirely sure how I stayed disciplined. I went into each day knowing that I had to make a song, and that I would make a song. I guess I just planned my days around it, and if I ended up not making a song on any given day, I would’ve been pretty disappointed, so that motivated me.

DD – What inspired you to go on this journey in august?

WR – I had just moved to Seattle and I was going through a breakup. Being in a new city, I was meeting a lot of new people, and working a new job, and things in my life were generally very different from how they had been for a long time.

I think making August was a way to bring some consistency into my life in a transitional period.

DD – Roughly, how many hours per day would you spend making a song?

WR – It varied a lot. Some days I sat down and wrote and recorded the song in one sitting, it took maybe an hour. Other days I started making the song in the morning and worked on it all day until it felt done. Most days I had work and other stuff going on so I had to start later and I would work on them until 4 or 5 am. I lost a lot of sleep.

DD – Are you surprised at any of what has been produced in this month long expression?

WR – I’m definitely surprised. I had no idea what to expect. I thought maybe some of these would be too embarrassing to release, but I’m actually really proud of how they all turned out. I wrote some of my favorite lyrics I’ve written- like the ones on “We Do Really Bad Things”, and I made certain choices in songwriting that I would’ve never made without the freedom that this project brought. The chanting/spoken word in August 27th comes to mind.

DD – What are some of your earliest and/or most significant musical or creative memories?

WR – At a really young age I remember figuring out that I could anticipate when certain things would happen in songs. My mom would play music in the car and I realized that I knew when certain sounds were going to happen because of the rhythm of the song. It’s a pretty distinct memory to me. I feel like it was kinda the moment I figured out what music was.

I also remember wanting to draw all the time.

DD – How did the environment of New Orleans affect your development? How does living in Seattle now affect your creativity?

WR – New Orleans is an extremely creative city. There is a strong and distinct energy there. Living in that is intense and inspiring. It’s also inspiring to be surrounded by so many other creative people who make awesome stuff. New Orleans was where I made my first real songs, and I think that environment fueled a lot of things I’ve created.

Seattle feels really similar though honestly. There are people making really cool art here and I’m inspired by them all the time. I also feel like Seattle has a lot of history with alternative music and the people of this city love that genre. This is good for me, since I love it too. I also feel like the rain and the trees are really inspiring to me.

DD – Who and/or what are your biggest influences and inspirations?

WR – I’m influenced by movies and photos a lot. I feel like I’m a really visual person so, things I see often translate into music I make. I often start my albums with the cover already decided. This album was no different. As for people, I’m really influenced by my friends who have been so supportive of me for so long. As for artists- Elliot Smith is a huge and obvious influence to me. He has influenced pretty much everything I’ve made. Adrienne Lenker’s songwriting has also been a large influence on me for years now. Alex G is a big one as well. Not just his music, but the way he makes it as well. For “August” specifically, I felt really inspired by Arthur Russel. He’s probably my favorite artist. There’s an intangible feeling that I get from his music that I haven’t found anywhere else.

DD – Do you have any formal music training, or more self taught? It sounds like you play a lot of different instruments.

WR – I took guitar lessons for a bit as a kid, but the rest of the instruments that I play are all through trial and error and exploration. Also in college I studied music theory and got to take vocal lessons which I really enjoyed!

DD – Do you remember your dreams? I’m curious if they consciously play a role in your creativity?

WR – I remember some dreams but they don’t really play a role in my creativity. I used to be into lucid dreaming, but I haven’t remembered much from my dreams in a while. They are pretty all over the place.

DD – How do you translate your productions into live performances? Do you perform solo and/or have some kind of a band play with you?

WR – I like playing with a band. We take the songs and make them louder and make them rock out more because it’s really really fun. I play solo on occasion, but I’m really into the idea of making the live versions of the songs a unique experience and different from the recorded versions. The live versions are really different.

DD – Does the artwork for your releases ever come after the music is made?

WR – This is a great question, I sort of answered it earlier. I think for my favorite stuff I’ve made, the artwork is a very early part of the process. For some things the art has came later, but I try to know what the artwork will be really earlier on, it’s a really important part of my process.

DD – How would you describe your music and/or sound?

WR – This is a hard one for me to answer. I think of my music as pop music. I’m mostly just trying to make things that give me “that” feeling. That’s all really.

DD – Do you have a message for someone who is interested in becoming an artist, and is not sure how and/or where to begin?

WR – I think making art is great. It’s something to do. My advice would be, do it, because then maybe you won’t be bored.

Also- like the stuff you like, and think about what it is that makes it special to you, and try to emulate that.

Categories Interviews

DÉ DÉ MOUSE Interview

2022/06/22 //
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Greetings! Here we have an artist that’s become a regular in my performances lately. I feel like, DÉ DÉ MOUSE has some of the most distinct productions around. There’s nothing quite like this, and it’s a pleasure to call this producer a friend and bring him onto Disco Droppings for a conversation.

DD – What have been the most challenging aspects of learning to produce your own tunes?

DDM – It’s always a series of challenges. However, the big challenge for me was the production of the album “farewell holiday!“. It was very difficult to balance my signature style with oldies music.

DD – What have been the most memorable ways supporters have described your music?

DDM – One and Only.

DD – Do your albums usually take a similar amount of time to create?

DDM – I made “farewell holiday!” over 3 years. I made “be yourself”, “nulife” and “dream you up” in a year. the 1st album took over 4 years. Making an album is always challenge for me. And I wanna take on new challenges every time.

DD – Do you enjoy video games? Have you ever thought about a video game where you make the music? What might that look like?

DDM – I have loved video games since I was a kid. I especially like Metroid, Final Fantasy, Wizardry, Tactics Orga, KOF, Street Fighter and more. I’m currently making a BGM for a game called “World Flipper”. And I’m writing songs for rhythm games such as Beatmania and Dancerush Stardom. I am very pleased that my music is loved by game fans. I love RPGs, so it would be great if I could make the music for RPG.

DD – How would you describe the visual elements of your art? Like the artwork for instance, and other visuals you may incorporate.

DDM – I think of themes and stories with making music. This is very important to me. the artwork is connecting story and music for me. I love abstract art and abstract music of course. However, in the project “DÉ DÉ MOUSE”, It’s depended on the theme of my album to connect story and music.

DD – What is your current production set up? How has it evolved from when you started, and where do you see it heading in the future?

DDM – Ableton Live 11, Steinberg CUBASE 11. I make music just on my macbook only. And I’m working on a macbook speaker (no speakers in my studio). I made music by using a Roland synthesizer and an Akai sampler at the beginning. However, I found it’s very convenient to use a PC for music production to reduce the time of equipment maintenance. I love the evolution of technology and the vintage, so that one day I’ll start making music with both.

DD – Do you have any favorite songs to play on piano that are not your music?

DDM – I’ve used Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” and “Arabesque no.1”. But now I hardly play the piano.

DD – How do you stay motivated?

DDM – I feel every day like I wasted a day if I didn’t make any music. I make music in cafes and restaurants during the day. I also go for walks and cycling.

DD – What would you say to those interested in becoming an artist and/or being more creative and expressive?

DDM – Believe in yourself more than anyone else. And listen to people’s stories. Not everyone needs to be the same. Shape your world.

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– Jimi Jaxon

Categories Uncategorized

New Music – WD4D, Jimi Jaxon and Crebenebez

2019/12/18 //
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Hi there! Hope ya’ll are well. I’ve let this blog chill for a bit while I worked on some other areas, and now I have new productions to share. This past summer I collaborated with my good friend WD4D on a track. We brought our vibes together, this one showcasing more of his ideas and production, giving credit where credit is due. What came through is U Kno, a playful hip-hop tune with local remixes enlisted by Sphyramid and OCnotes. The artwork was done by Seattle local Jesse Danger Dyer, the idea being to create a new creature inspired by WD4D’s and my energies combined. Pins celebrating the release are available now through the Care Package Bandcamp. 

Over the last few years I’ve been experimenting more with creating ambient music. This was in a way centered around making background music that has played quietly on my Hollow Earth Radio Disco Droppings shows each Thursday (5PM-7 PST), and going through a personal grieving process about my mother. Recently I felt that enough material was gathered to turn into a release. I used a picture I took right here in Washington on the ferry as the artwork and had my friend Crebenebez master the 4-track release called Ambience. I would say this is the largest original body of music of my own that I have shared so far. Presented on 7 Deadly Records, the label I operate which joins a varied collection of music. This recently was lifted up by Dave Segal over at The Stranger, who named my EP one of the best local releases of 2019.

The same producer who mastered that ambient journey, Crebenebez, followed that up with an adventurous EP One on the Disco Droppings bandcamp. He is out of Vancouver B.C., friend and collaborator with my label mate Working Class, who is featured on 2 tracks. I am super impressed by the way they presented this release to me fully formed, needing zero constructive critiques on the music. I had one small suggestion laying out the artwork done by James Moore, which was for the most part, already realized. Big cheers to everyone involved with that release and Crebenebez for creating tunes with such vibrancy, and for allowing me to release them.

– Jimi Jaxon

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Categories Uncategorized

Bruce

2018/02/27 //
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I will let Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter lead this. I am quite moved by this sharing. Really struck on so many levels.

I’ve been on this unfolding journey learning about Bruce Lee and his energy. Recently read a wonderful book written by Linda Lee, Bruce’s wife entitled, “Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew”. Followed up by visiting the Wing Luke Museum, here in Seattle. They have had a thorough exhibit on Bruce, and because of the significant positive reception it has been expanded, with the final installment coming March 10th, 2018. In the words of the museum..”Building on our popular Bruce Lee exhibit series, A Dragon Lives Here hones in on Bruce Lee’s Seattle roots and the fact that Seattle, now known as a city for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurs, also played a key role in shaping Bruce Lee and his groundbreaking approach. Follow us for updates!” Very hyped that this will be installed for a full year.

There has been so much said about this man, I’ll leave it to these groups and individuals and encourage you to explore and meditate for yourself. The Bruce Lee Foundation is a great resource, and run by his family, it is a living continuation of the energy Bruce set in motion so fiercely. 

And if your in Seattle and are interested in learning martial arts, I recommend Fusion Kung Fu. Reach out to Sifu Michelle at info@fusionkungfu.com 

Take Care,

Jimi Jaxon

 

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