MUSIC BLOG

Microfiche: Ready and willing to get the party started

• Author: Mike G
• Published: Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I myself cannot go to the release party this Saturday for Microfiche's debut EP, Jetpacks and Laser Beams, and I am super pissed about it.

For one thing, you may recall when we blogged about Microfiche's Craigstlist post looking for a new keyboardist a couple months back. Well, they still haven't found someone permanent, but the master keyboardist whose stylings help shape the Jetpacks EP, Heidi Blobaum, is back in town for the release party. I hear she's leaner, meaner, and readier than ever to throw the fuck down. So there's that making me feel foolish for leaving town.

And of course, this will surely be one hell of a party, as all Microfiche shows are. I once hosted them at a house party and they definitely had the crowd movin. I dig their sound big time, and I'm not even really one to dance much. Which is actually why I like them: As an instrumental rock band making thoughtful, well-composed music, they appeal to the post-rock lover in me. The musician in me appreciates the fact that they all have serious chops on their instruments (which include bass, drums, and guitar, in addition to the aforementioned keys). And then of course there's the fact that their shows are actually fun, danceable, lively affairs. I'm not gonna say they're the complete package, but...

The record release party is going down this Thursday at SUB-Mission gallery. Word on the street is there will be hijinx and lowjinx involved. Head on down and pick up one of the 300 limited-edition, hand-numbered vinyl EPs.

I spoke with Heidi, Tim (bass), and Amol (drums) about the creation of the EP, the trials and travails of seeking to replace Heidi, and more. Here's what they had to say.

WTM: Where'd the name of the album come from?

Amol: Our general love for sci-fi technology and my personal desire to own both of these items one day.

Tim: It came to us in the studio when we were recording the EP. It was written on a whiteboard along with some other stuff we needed to take care of. We'd take care of some things: re-record intro, track the drums, record a tambo track etc, and erase them off the board. Jet packs and laser beams hung on through thick and thin though, so we decided to keep it. I think it describes the record well, there's a lot of thrust, and then a bunch of focused lead lines that emerge from the madness.

Heidi: We've all been wondering when we'll get our fucking jet packs that have been promised to us since Back to the Future 2. Jet packs are aspirational — they represent the promise of modernity, the hope of the future, the endless possibilities of a time to come that will sweep us out of our current, quotidian existence. Laser beams, well, that was just tacked on to sound good, honestly. The laser beam plus cat meme was a big inspiration, to me at least. But both jet packs and laser beams are a nice counterpoint to microfiche — an outmoded technology, of course. So putting together our band name, representing a dead technology that people 5 years younger than us no longer remember at all, with jet packs — the coolest possible thing that the future can possibly offer us, save perhaps robot butlers — well, that was a no brainer. Bet you're glad you asked that question, eh?

WTM: For sure, super glad. Where'd y'all record? How was that process? Did you run into any obstacles that helped shape the sound?

Amol: We recorded at Studio SQ in San Francisco with Phil Manley from Trans Am. It was a great experience and we learned a lot about honing in on the parts and tightening up the sound, without getting too washed out in the details. Staying focused on the total output of the songs, vs. obsessing over the minutiae.

Tim: Yeah Phil was great about helping us with the process, recommending times to move on, and letting us know when he thought we could nail something better. We recorded pretty much everything live, rather than laying down tracks one at a time. We've gotten some very nice feedback about our live show, so we wanted to make sure that energy stayed intact on the recording.

Heidi: Studio sessions are so great because they essentially become your home for a few days. It's like going to the Esalen Institute for meditation camp or something — the studio itself becomes this creative incubator, where the smells and sights and nasty takeout meals and sleepless caffeine-fueled nights result in this tangible, amazing product — a RECORD. SQ had just the right atmosphere, and the band and Phil and the great dudes at SQ were just so chill yet focused on what we were looking to accomplish. It was the most relaxed yet productive recording session I've ever had.

WTM: What sound did you set out to capture? Did it turn out the way you planned?

Amol: The energy we try to put out there in the live situation but with a little more polish and a few studio tricks. We really just wanted to capture the essence of the band, and have something to share with people.

Heidi: We were looking for the live sound, something really immediate and real.

WTM: What are some of the biggest non-musical influences that shaped this album?

Tim: The sounds of hope, despair, patterns, the lack of patterns, fear of mechanical men and whale calls, architecture. I used to describe our sound as an argument between a bunch of instruments who are actually really good friends. I think the act of discovery factors heavily into our music. Being an instrumental band supplies a different set of challenges. Since we don't have a vocalist to build the songs around we try very hard to have interesting things happening all the time, without getting too manic-sounding. If we do our jobs right, you'll be discovering new melodies, riffs, trills, fills and spills every time you listen to the record.

Heidi: Cats. Always cats.

WTM: You self-releasing? On a label?

Amol: Self-releasing the digital for free and putting out the vinyl ourselves, it's the new music industry baby!

WTM: Where'd you get your vinyl printed?

Amol: United. They were patient in working with us as we had some issues with the test pressings, but they came through in the end and the record sounds great!

WTM: For the release party, who's playing keys? Is Heidi back in town or have y'all finally found a replacement?

Amol: Unfortunately, we have not yet found a replacement. We have definitely had some great auditions, but we have not yet found the right fit. Please let us know if you are interested! And c'mon, no one can really replace Heidi!

Tim: Yeah, what Amol said is accurate. We're stoked that Heidi is in town, we played all weekend and it's just like old times. She lives in NY now though so local keys/synth players are definitely encouraged to drop us a line at microfichemusic{at}gmail. If keys aren't your thing, we're open to talking to all sorts of collaborators, so don't be shy.

Heidi: Heidi rulez.

WTM: Microfiche, while a very cool-sounding word, is also a very outdated technology. Yet your sound is not at all a throwback style. Discuss.

Amol: We like irony.

Tim: For those that don't know, Microfiche is an old archiving medium, sort of a un-networked proto-internet where you can browse tons of information, but in a semi-structured linear way that you can easily throw off-sequence by moving the slide around in the wrong direction. So the short answer is that there's a lot of imagery that tells a story.

But really I think it gets back to the instrumental thing again. Conjured imagery is very important to this band. Without lyrics, the listener doesn't have as much of a "guided tour" of the sonic landscape as they might be accustomed to from a lot of other music. Yeah, I just typed that. One thing we've always said is that we draw diagrams for your ears and mind. Sometimes when we're discussing song structures, I like to put forth this idea of us emerging from one part, as if it's the woods ("Wilderness" is actually one of the songs on the EP), and coming into a bright clearing, or some other landscape. Or the idea of being on a train/spaceplane and shooting through all sorts of different locales in one trip.

WTM: Any tour plans in support of the EP?

Amol: First order of business is finding some new members. We''ll take it from there.

WTM: Anything else you want to add?

Amol: We have some special tricks up our collective sleeve for our record release party. Don't miss out on DJ Third Arm Blind!

Tim: And door prizes at the party! We also want to give a hearty shout out to everyone who made this happen, John and Jeremy at Studio SQ, Phil Manley, Mike Wells Mastering, Matt Rebholz, who did the amazing etching that our cover is based on and the etchings that adorn the labels on the records themselves, and Andy Baron for driving the screen printing process for the jackets. By which of course I mean record jackets. But hey, if anyone in SF wants to get the art screened on a jacket-jacket, we still have the screens, so holler!