Aaron Spectre / Drumcorps FAQ

– Where are you from?  I was born & raised in the middle of Massachusetts, USA.  I moved to New York City in 1999.  I moved to Berlin, Germany in 2003 and have been touring the world making music ever since. 

– What are you musical influences?  American hardcore like Cave In, Converge, Botch.  Whatever I got to see locally, Sam Black Church, Snapcase burned into my mind at an early age.  Later… Dead Can Dance, Brian Eno.  Jungle music.  Nine Inch Nails.  Arovane.  I like music with something to say, variety in texture, pure emotions.  Dynamics.  No posturing.  Interesting sounds. Sounds themselves aren’t enough for me though, there needs to be honesty and urgency to hold my attention.  Experimental music is great for ideas, but I find myself returning to that middle ground - those who mix variety with raw emotion and a dash of experimentalism…  or just do the tried and true so well that you have to listen in awe.  Recently been getting into Michael Gira.  Life, love, and hope.  Darkness as a necessary reaction, not darkness for darkness’ sake.  Dedication, playfulness and seriousness of craft.

– Who did the Lost Tracks artwork?  London-based photographer Kevin Martin shot all the Lost Tracks images in brilliant wide format.  I long for a gatefold vinyl release which will do them true justice.  Kevin Martin aka The Bug, bless his music, is a different guy.  Same name.  Apparently, there was also a Northern Ireland bomber with that name, as other Kevin Martins may have unpleasantly discovered when going through passport control…

– How long have you had dreads?  14 years.  they are getting too heavy and sometimes hurt like hell.  I might cut them soon, 14 years is enough.  – How can I get my hair to do that?  I have no idea.  My hair does this naturally; I’m Jewish.  I’ve never put any of that gunk in my hair that you all ask me about.  Wash it with petroleum-free shampoo and get on with your life.  I thought I was weird until I played in Israel, looked out from the stage, and saw a sea of doppelgangers smiling back.

– Are you a Rasta?  No.  People have worn dreadlocks for centuries - especially some of my Jewish ancestors.  You guys, especially in cozy European towns, need to PLEASE get over the ganja smokin rastaman stereotype and look deeper.  Sometimes I spin Jamaican influenced music, and I like the sound.  As far as championing a culture and a belief system that isn’t mine, I’ve never been about that.  You can find a general theme of resistance and self-reliance across many cultures - and this is what needs to be encouraged - not divisive stereotypes.

- Are you vegan / vegetarian / do you smoke weed?  No, no, and no.  Look beyond the dreads please.  I eat less meat than I used to out of environment and health concerns, but I will have some from time to time. 

– yo d00ood ur music rulez, can you teach me how to use my cracked copy of Ableton Live / send me your sample library / which plugins do you use and can you send them to me?  Please do your homework & do not contact me with technique questions.  Explore on your own, it’s more fun and you will develop your own voice.  Plugins, I take a minimal approach with basic filters, EQs, and boring stuff.  There’s no plugin that you can throw on the master and it will make good music for you, yet.  That will change in a few years when the AIs take over, but right now you gotta do it yourself.  Wander for long enough and eventually you discover you’re going in a specific direction.  It takes years.  There are no magic shortcuts.  Some links to get you started: ableton.com/tutorials /  freesound.iua.upf.edu

– yo d0oo00d, i just wrote a track!  it doesn’t have a bassline yet, or a main melody, and the levels are kinda off, and it sounds kinda crap.  but tell me what you think!  bless/big up/safe/respect!!!  okay grumpy mode on.  I appreciate that some of you myspace generation internet people can’t do 10 seconds of work without some kind of validation, but that’s not how I operate.  Please do not send me your music unless you are 100% finished and confident that it’s killer.  Maybe in the future I’ll start a production help section here - I do genuinely enjoy hearing people develop their sound over time - but please fish for compliments elsewhere.