INTERVIEW TO {AN} Eel
First say welcome to this written interview in Cian Orbe blog. In this time we know more about the experimental composer and sound artist: {AN} Eel
https://panpanpanaviandistresscall.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL88084EE8F88A505E
https://soundcloud.com/nealretke
https://www.facebook.com/-AN-Eel-Neal-D-Retke--499622230055214/
- {AN} Eel is your only moniker? or you release music under other alias?
I have, in the past, been a part of bands & other projects using different names - The
bands were Pavlov’s Industrial Sarong / The Good, The Bad, The Ugly & The Other
Guy / Hippies with Guns / Pan Pan Pan ( Avian Distress Call ) as well as others - But
yes, most of my sound output was created as {AN} EeL
- In what year did you start making music? which was your first band?
Well, It’s difficult to say when I started. I always enjoyed, and was fortunate enough to
fail at formal training at a very young age. I think this served to ensure a love of music
going forward. I don’t think I’d ever have stayed interested if I had to learn about musical
theory or notes or shit like that
I started playing around in “ Bands “ and with others in and around 1986, and was fairly
active for a number of years before leaving the area. It was not until 2011 and a reunion
show that I got back into being very active with performing / recording
- Which inspiration you have from the place where you live? There's some inspiration
from your country in your music?
Well, being relatively new to where I am I don’t think it’s had too great of an effect, but I
also travel a lot and have lived in a lot of places - I think we are always a product of our
environments, but in particular I think the concept of this being an area of four seasons,
with an emphasis on the last two ( I’m in Ontario, Canada ) is very much an influence on
me - The still & quiet isolation of winter - The beauty & crispness of fall. These create
environments that literally sound like nowhere else I’ve ever lived.
- Which are your favorite music projects and visual/plastic artists who inspire your work?
Well, over the year I’ve had lot of really big influences. But I think it’s different being a fan
of music & a creator of sounds - For the most part, I think I’m really inspired by specific
artists or projects I’m working on. While I do occasionally collaborate with unknown
quantities ( Producing mixed results ) I usually prefer to collaborate with folks with whom
I share some affection for their work and / or connection with as people . In this, I find
much inspiration for the work itself.
- How do you see the current Experimental music scene?
Disorganized. Fractured by ridiculous infighting. Constantly struggling against
mainstream prejudice & rejection. The best place to be.
- What has been the experience of make live performances?
I am, at the core, a live performer. While I enjoy the process of creating sounds in other
contexts, I feel like I’m most productive / luminous when I have a live setting to interact
with.
- Most of your cover artworks are very funny, which are the main concepts that you use
in all your visual art?
Well, Thank you ~! Above, I mentioned that I spent a long time away from making
sounds - Well, I’ve never spent much time away from making visual arts - In fact, during
that absence mentioned above I was a tattoo artist, as well as an active participant in the
Mail Art Scene.
So I think the visual art aspect of any creative project is one that’s always going to
appeal or resonate with me. I have a sort of spin on it that’s heavily influenced by
underground comics / drug culture as well as early animation - I think that might be
where a lot of the humour in the images originates from.
- Which is your favorite song and album created by yourself?
Going to have to go with Vials of CLEAN urine, a release from 2015 - Not that it’s
particularly better than other albums but It was the first full length player that was just
me. Prior to that, it would have to be the SASQUATCH series of comps where I
collaborated with some amazing artists, such as KK NULL, Ralph White, Pillgrimess,
Kazumoto Endo, G.X. Jupitter Larsen & others. It made me realize how cool doing this
stuff could be.
- Tell us about the concept & the creation process of your latest album "Cyclopean " self-released
Well, it’s a matter of having had some fascination with cyclopean characters since a
young age - The Odyssey , the old greek myth, really captured my imagination and the
part about the Cyclops somehow stayed with me. Then you add the fantastic stopmotion of Ray Harryhausen, and it’s been a lingering image in the back of my eyes for a
long time. - Regarding this specific release, it was a matter of creating a series of “
Sketches “ and sewing the together. I wanted to have some very bare bones songs as
well, which there are.
- Tell us about the underground music scene in Toronto, Canada. and which are your
favorite artists from your country?
Well there are certainly a lot of great ones - I would say, to name a few - GASTRIC
FEMALE RELEX, THE BIM PRONGS, NOT THE WIND / NOT THE FLAG, KNURL, THE
NIHILIST SPASM BAND, GARBAGEACE, FLESHTONE AURA, ect -
Regarding the scene itself - Well, to be honest I find it a bit in the doldrums, which is
honestly kind of unfair. I understand there’s a thriving scene in Montreal, and. I don’t
think we can say anything about this year, but in recent years I’ve found it to be lacking
an energy that should be there. But the underground / D.I.Y. scene I travel in has been
under assault from various forces ( Mainstream / Government / Social, ect ) and I think
that’s a big part of it. But another aspect is I came here from Austin, Texas which had an
insanely lively music scene, and was in fact having something of a renaissance of
underground ( Particularly noise ) stuff as I was leaving there - Not fair to compare
anything to that special magic of the right place & time. But having said that, the scene
here seems to me like it’s longing for “ Glory Days “ and somehow not appreciative of
what seems to me like a pretty deep pool of talent here - But that’s how these things go,
travelling in cycles.
- We have always seen that you love collaborations, which have been your favorites?
It’s always particularly thrilling to collaborate with artists whose works you’ve long
admired - I am fortunate enough to have collaborated with K K NULL & Mitsuru Tabata,
both of whom were in Zeni Geva, one of the mightiest bands to have ever existed.
Similarly, it was thrilling to collaborate with Frank Pahl, and G.X. Jupiter Larsen. But an
entirely different thing is when you have a nice working flow with your collaborator - In
this sense, I would have to say that while I’ve come close to this with my sonic amigos
Alwin Van Der Linde, Lezet & Wilfried Hanrath, all regular collaborations, I think working
with {RE}:Tkus would fit that description. I think it’s because Petkus & myself were IRL
amigos in Texas, and that personal connection always sort of touches the work.
- Any anecdote that you want to share with us in the creation of some track?
Not really honestly ~ ! Nothing particularly noteworthy has happened doing so, other
than my ongoing struggle with technology. I am not a “ Tech “ guy, and while I’d like to
blame other things, I’m also an old dude who just doesn’t “ Get “ a lot of tech shit - As a
result I tend to use the simplest resources involved, and use Audacity for my audio
editing needs. I guess I have had a laugh on the handful of occasions where I thought I
was recording something but wasn’t a particularly persistent but frustratingly irregular &
unpredictable occurrence. Yeah, Let’s go with that.
- Which is the motivation to create v/a compilations, can you tell us the process for
compile the albums?
With compilations it’s often very easy to create sounds, either the theme of the album
dictates the ideas - I think my main motivation for doing these is to find new sounds, to
build or reinforce relationships with labels, and am usually really happy to participate in
them. There are a lot of lacklustre comps out there, and I’ve been on my share of these
( Hell, I’m sure I’ve contributed my share ) and I’m fortunate in that I don’t find myself on
very many of those.
I think though, in general, I can speak to what is my overall process. I am most
interested in improvisation & spontaneity - I feel like “ Happy Accidents “ are responsible
for more sublime moments in my sonic enjoyment than any amount of technical prowess
or engineering gloss can provide - In general, I’ll gravitate to an interesting but poorly
recording / mastered sound work before I’ll be enjoying a more slick & polished end
result if it’s less complex & engaging. I strive for these intersections where ideas hit
oxygen / random reality & everything goes delightfully sideways - Of course, you can’t
make bank on it and I like to think that I do some interesting things in the meanwhile
while I’m waiting for this stuff to happen, but it’s all really about those moments that can
only occur randomly.
- Any news for 2021 in your music project?
I have an album that is likely to be the largest profile one I’ve ever created coming out
early in 2021 - Not a lot I can say about that one as yet. I also hope I might be able to
play a few shows in 2021, but who knows what’s going to happen with that.
- Any other thing that you want to say to your listeners?
I am very grateful for the support & interest that I’ve encountered doing this stuff. It’s
great - To people reading this who want to try music stuff, get out there- Do it. We’re in a
golden era - To my fellow sonic travellers - Keep doing what you’re doing, even if it’s in a
style that’s not for me . I Love that so many artists are taking their own destiny in their
hands, and creating their own sonic worlds & identities. I look forward to a day when we
can just have artists & musicians create art.
And also, I really want to say this - Fuck Spotify. Support the artists you enjoy directly.
Go to Bandcamp or Internet Archive, or anything but corporate pimps. We can do better.
RELEASES ON CIAN ORBE NETLABEL:
- Alien Neighbors (EP) (2018) (with Yaka-anima):
