So! This feature has been in the works for a while. Ben, with whom I did this interview below is a close friend and former work buddy over at Victor’s Coffee House. Since hearing about this 3-piece band of his I was anxious to share it with the world. If you’re in Seattle tomorrow, Aruvius Thud will be playing their last show for a while over at The Hideout (1005 Boren Avenue, 21+), I will most certainly be there! In the future keep your ears peeled for my remixes of this band, forthcoming on my label, 7 Deadly Records. Alright, here we go..
DD: What got Aruvius Thud interested in the sound your currently producing? It’s got an almost medieval quality.
A medieval quality you say… that seems to be a reoccurring description of our sound, though there was never any concious effort on our part to make it that. Our original intent was to create what we called an “analog” band; by which I mean nothing digital. The plan was all acoustic instruments, voice, and recordings to be done on analog gear. So perhaps, that is where the association of our sound with something of antiquity comes about. As we progress as a band we have made some compromises to that original vision as a matter of practicality, but i think at the root of our music is something very organic from which I hope a multitude of manifestations may grow.
DD: A wonder with the words. What are some of your most unconventional influences?
I would have to say our unconventional influences include flowing water, bird songs, trees (both standing and fallen), and the relationship between vast landscapes and the dream state.
DD: How did you feel about your performance at the 2011 NW Folklife Festival? I thought it was mesmerizing!
Mesmerizing… thank you! Overall we felt good about our folklife performance. we were very appreciative of the turnout. Everybody listened so attentively that we all got shaky nervous, so I don’t think we played to the best of our abilities. At the end of our set one of those extreme old time folklifers (with the folklife hat, t-shirt covered in a decade worth of folklife buttons and schedule in hand) came up after the set and said it was the best he saw all festival. so that made me feel all right about being so nervous. Good times.
DD: How do you feel about your music being remixed? I’m in the process of re-working those 3 Aruvius Thud demo songs I’ve been listening to.
I’m excited to hear what you come up with. I think danceability is definatley something that our music lacks. I’m quite curious to hear how you would translate it. Actually I want to hear it right now. why am I not listening to it right now?
DD: Cause it’s in the works! What’s the best encouragement you’ve gotten as an artist?
The best sort of encouragement for an artist is when their art escapes the personal association with the artist. As if a person could listen to a song, or look at a painting, not knowing anything about, or even who the artist is and feel like it came from them. Or like when you get the feeling of, how did they know that I knew this before I knew that it was something that I already knew? That sort of thing.
DD: Any final words?
Don’t know what else to say… thanks for paying some mind to the band and for giving your time to support the efforts of others. you got a good thing going with your blog. I look forward to the thud remixes via Jimi Jaxon.
Aruvius Thud on Facebook
See ya’ll at the Hideout tomorrow,
Jimi Jaxon
dd 