Welcome to ZINETERVIEWS, an ongoing monthly feature where DUM DUM contributor Bryxan Amsterdam conducts an interview with a band via text message. For our third installment, Bryxan speaks to Emily Reo, pop/visual shoegazer from Orlando, Florida.
Before I even got a chance to interview Emily Reo, I was already almost-puking from a case of the ol’ punk-haus miscommunication. You see, while the toilet was being plunged (or the sink or whatever), I had found a box of food in the kitchen with some pretty good eats in it. I got started straight into some chips and salsa when I noticed the chips were hard as hell and the salsa tasted like Bette Midler’s taint (please don’t ever ask). I asked my friend if the salsa he picked up from the co-op was bad. “Oh the food in that box?” Yes, the food in that box. “That’s not from the co-op, man, that’s the trashbox!” I made the OHMIGODI’MGONNATHROWUPNOW motion with my body–which kind of looks like OHMIGODI’MGONNASHITMYSELF–and I moved back and forth a little, gagged, and screamed for the nearest beer to wash the taste of rancid salsa out of my mouth.. overhearing P say, “It’s probably not as fatal as the killer wasp sting on the back of my neck.” Ha. And then I found five dollars!!
We had some technical difficulties with using GChat (shit internet connections on both end, probably), so we switched to text message halfway. Though all of the interviews I transcribe are unedited, this one has been rid of some techniiikal brewhaha ‘are you there’ ‘hello’ ‘lets try this other thing’ type of shit. like life, sometimes technology just doesn’t fucking work and you have to throw everything out, along with your liver.
Text from Emily Reo: hey, is here better?
Text from Bryxan Amsterdam: Yes. So are you working with breakfast of champs now? What are some other labels you love?
ER: i worked with breakfast of champs for witch mtn, but they’re all doing other things at the moment. some of my all time faves would have to be paw tracks, kranky, nnf, and graveface. also mj mj, crash cymbals, wonder beard and impose put out some amazing cassettes. there are a ton of others, especially ones that are more vinyl and digital specific now that the internet has started becoming the new homeroom. oooh, kassette klub too! jordan lee is such a winnter.
BA: dig. how is NYC life?
ER: nyc life is much crazier than orlando life. i moved up at virtually the least attractive time of the year, but walking around in blizzards and making snowmen was pretty fun. shit got real for a second and i learned a bit about the badside to new york but everything’s starting to settle in. now i’m trying to spend every day off in a different park. ps, from what i’ve discovered, the most incredible part of nyc is the free (donation based) artist-made mini golf course on governor’s island. you hafta go.
BA: yeah I miss NYC like crack. Tim from gang gang dance told me about the ultimate nyc spot. It really changed my life/ La Monte Young’s dreamhouse sound installation in TriBeCa. The dollar pizza spot on St. Marks iz also my jam
ER: YES TO BOTH! we kidnapped some of the cloud nothings guys + a few more pals during cmj and went to dreamhouse. that’s an awesome reminder to go back soon. and what’s so great about 2 bros pizza is there are two next to each other (with one store in between) so you can get pizza to put on your pizza. i can never justify passing up mamoun’s falafel for 2 bros though.
BA: Two of them ?! Fuck. I moved to olympia and they double up on za shops!? mamouns is the shit. I am walking to a dinner party thing mad late right now and all this talk of pizza is fucking up my world!!! Tell me about visual artists you dig , who inspire you , or anyone who’s poetics ignite something for ya. You seem to be pretty aesthetically involved in yer work. ,…
ER: hmm my inspirations are more from the aesthetic of something i see in passing, but not as much from a particular source like with music. andy goldsworthy blows my mind, and inspires me in almost every sense. i wish i could be as in touch with my surroundings, and the way he exhibits this is beyond me. some of my favorite collages come from dwight pavlovic, who does visual work with his fiance as fig + fox. he also writes for get off the coast and is half of crash symbols. but most of the time i’m inspired aesthetically by photography which i’m super passionate about, but i’ve always loved to paint as well. looks back through images i’ve saved, i’ve done a pretty awful job of tracing the artists. i’ve got folders and folders of anonymous gems. a giant collection of images i love are posted at delaykittensnuggleparty.tumblr.com
BA: ha wonderful ! when I was living in NYC I found myself always very very pulled towards a few certain esoteric aesthetics. the color red. Churches. Roses. The city is pleasing on the eye mostly. For me anyway. I’m starting to get deeper into photography. Took a 25mm nostalgia machine with me to SXSW this year! I think I get the visual stuff from my dad. He is awesome.
ER: oh man, that’s incredible! there’s nothing like shooting film, it’s a puzzle you have to align perfectly and the suspense of not being able to see your photo immediately or take a million shots makes each one so much more rewarding. i hope you enjoyed it. i totally get what you mean about ny, for the most part you can’t see past a certain distance and building after building can become monotonous to the eye so i’ve noticed myself interested in the small or hidden or accidental visual situations you can happen upon here. an old doorway that looks beautiful for some indescribable reason, a tag made with awesome colored spray paint, all of the amazing murals on walls which can really transform a place. something really special is the use of painted advertisements. it’s a cool way to employ artists and it looks way better than a billboard or sign.
BA: I miss NYC graffiti so much. So much hidden art in nyc. Is judith supine still glowing on the street? West coast freight train art is always awesome to see. And most of the shit I see these days
ER: oh man, i wish. i haven’t seen any of hers around here.
BA: What? Really? Damn. S/he used to get up pretty big.
ER: his*
BA: Pardon
ER: ha
BA: MY b I fucked up as well.
Any street artists you dig?
ER: we see paul richards everywhere around our apt! i’m also super into the idea of drop spots, making street art even more accesible and actually personal. we’re brainstorming a way to combine this idea with a fmly project, among a few others 🙂
BA: Ahhhh that sounds awesome! it was really great chatting with you Emily. Any records coming out you wanna mention?
ER: once we’ve got a bigger living space in brooklyn, we’re going to get to work on some of our interactive plans. exhibitions in the future fmly penthouse!
BA: Hah righteous! Well be sure to keep me up to speed. I am digging the FMLY vibe and yer tunes are wonderful. Thanks again,..
ER: hmmm! i wish i could say i had something to promote currently, but the move to new york paired with the desires to expand my knowledge of recording and explore new methods of creating sound has set me on a slow pace. but! i just completed two tracks for a 7″ that will hopefuly be available in the fall. if i’m lucky, dwight pavlovic might help me out with the art 🙂 while all that gets wrapped up, i’m keeping busy with a few collaborations and tree hopping + experimenting with philip seymour hoffman on a new project. thank you so much for talking with me! it’s fantastic to have company at 2:30 in the morning. give truman peyote huge verbal hugs for me when you speak to him. hopefully we’ll all get to meet you at this year’s fmly fest! <3
BA: awesome. I have to send you a copy of my zine, Funkadelic Forever. You’ll dig for sure. Hope I didn’t keep you up!
ER: please do! and not at all, i’ll probably be watching the sunrise. have a great night!
Check out Emily Reo on MySpace and Bandcamp.