Jazznet Denmark : How did the adventure of Upsilon Acrux begin, how did you meet and decided to start you awesome band ???
Upsilon Acrux : Well this was in the late 90's, we were all living in San Diego county and desperate to play some interesting music. We'd all been in some lame bands , by we I mean Cameron Presley and myself, we'd known each other since high school. We were really into MBV and Polvo and King Crimson and was just getting into Krautrock, we had nothing till we met Jesse then things started to work out. I've always believed that if you don't have a great drummer ..as a rock band w/ out a singer you are shit out of luck.
Jazznet Denmark : What music do you yourself listen to and is there some kind of music that inspires you ???
Upsilon Acrux : Lately my favorite thing is Conlon Nancarrow and Aphex Twin, usually I have 2 performers that I'm obsessed w/ and make mix cds of along w/ a ton of other things for inspiration, like recorded conversation and korean murder movies and my dog for the last album along w/ the Meters and Xenakis mixed cds, and before that for Galapagos Momentum it was Beefheart and Van Halen + Japanese Horror films and pop art. But I always come back to the majors, Coltrane, Ornette, KC, Magma, This Heat, Fahey, Bailey etc...
Jazznet Denmark : If you should mention 5-10 records that have meant something to you and your music, what would they be ???
Upsilon Acrux : That's hard... off the top of my head in no particular order..
Henry Cow - Western Culture
King Crimson - Lark's Tongue in Aspic
John Coltrane - Interstellar Space.. really all of them
Ornette Coleman - Shape of Jazz
This Heat - Deceit
Faust - Munich and Elsewhere
Neu - Neu2
Peter Brotzmann - Machine Gun
Conlon Nancarrow- Lost Works
Takemura - Scope
Jazznet Denmark : You are in my ears a group of musician who are in constant movement and going in many different directions from track to track and from release to release. Where do you get your ideas from and what is your secret (if you have one) ???
Upsilon Acrux : I'd like to think that the longer we go the more refined our ideas will become, more singular and less like the stuff we've heard. I think like most people that do things that people think are out there, there's a humanistic theme an emotional center that people who aren't digging for will never see. A recent example would be Synecdoche, New York which a lot of people see as abstract or too clever or whatever, but I think it's just the most realistic look at the mindset of an artist and what artistic people go thru when creation is involved.
Our last album was influenced by a lot of different things but the long song in general was about my dog and most of it was written while walking him, it was just about me losing my best friend and how much i loved him... but people make it what they want to make it.
There's no secret, these songs are my life, and the other band members' life. There is always ambition behind what we're trying to accomplish but at the end of day it's our diary nothing more.
Jazznet Denmark : What are your plans for the future and what will be the next release from Upsilon Acrux - a live album perhaps ???
Upsilon Acrux : Funny you should say that, we're recording a live record and filming it as well, maybe we'll get a collection of old stuff and make it worth people's while. After that, who really knows.
Jazznet Denmark : If a new listener was about to buy his first recording with your music. Which one would you recommend as the best introduction to your music ???
Upsilon Acrux : I guess it depends on what they like.. but here's my general rule, if I say the name of our band and you look at me like "what?" you probably won't like it, if you're more like "really!" then the odds are good you'll find something good in there.
Jazznet Denmark : Your music is hard to put in any musical boxes, because it has so many different styles mixed with each other. In my opinion you belong in the progressive/rock/experimental part of the music world. Do you agree with that and what are your opinions on that genre and genres in general ???
Upsilon Acrux : I understand the need for genres for people who need to be organized and it helps people and bands gather steam if they're in a genre that's popular. I used to think there was 2 kinds of music, good and bad and I was only interested in doing good. but now I try to see the good in all music like my man Coltrane who rarely had anything bad to say about anyone. I'm better than no one and we're all peers so I've thrown my stupid pedestal away. My aim is simple , say what's in my heart in a way you've not heard and along the way hopefully even if it's a second or 2, some unprecedented music, some music that's 100% me. We'll see if it ever happens.
If you ask me, I'd say more or less we're a rock band w/ some leanings towards some obscure music but most of our songs payoff like rock songs and we don't do a lot of improv and I believe the experimenting should be finished by the time you reach a stage except for the top 1% but that probably works w/ all art and artist.
Jazznet Denmark : You have released numerous recordings over the years, both on the Cuneiform label and others. Is there some of them in particular, you see as more important or landmarks in your production than others ???
Upsilon Acrux : I guess as far as production goes, I would say the new one is by far the best. The recording on the first record is quite good as well. The second one I did myself so it's rat-ty w/ some sparks here and there. The 3rd people really like but 1/2 of it sounds really trebly and the other 1/2 was taken from sessions from the first album. The 4th should've been the one and I think it's real clean but could use some boost here and there. Galapagos could use more drums for sure and low end and probably some editing as well. As far as landmarks.. shit, maybe Volucris because it's such a weird mix, having an entire drumset on each side completely separate from each other, we might come back to that actually. I was proud of taking that stance.
Jazznet Denmark : At your concerts and on your records as well, how much is improvised and how much is planned before start ?
Upsilon Acrux : There are energy sections where there is freedom for noise etc.. but that's built into the song so it's planned but the sounds are not. On the new record though there is a drum solo and that goes as long as Chris wants it to go.
Jazznet Denmark : What's your best advice for young aspiring musicians ?
Upsilon Acrux : Make money, play music that pays, this is a lonely path and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. And anyone who's wants to go down this path wouldn't be looking for advice from anyone.
Jazznet Denmark : What are your funniest and worst experiences performing in front of an audience ?
Upsilon Acrux : I guess the worst would be playing for no one, or 5 people, that sucks and it's hard to build any kind of momentum though it has happened. The best.. I guess most the european tour has been the best, getting encores nearly every night, playing for an entire audience that has never seen us and getting their honest reaction. Touring w/ the Locust is my american highlight, they're amazing as a band and as people plus they bring in kids that want to fuck shit up and open minded people, that's among my favorite audiences to play to. Nothing like coming out playing a little guitar intro and then just total chaos.. giant pits.. to our music?? crazy.