Brooklyn's finest Senator of Sound Dillon James Rego is ALASKAS. Rego will be testing his creative limits by recording 100 songs in the month of April. It's an unparalleled journey into artistic freedom, and FYM can't wait to hear the results. Art Director J Thomas Codling recently had the chance to speak with Dillon Rego, and as he delivers his insight on the world of ALASKAS, we decided to pepper in archived photos from the I Am Yours video shoot! Cheers.
ALASKAS THE INTERVIEW: Graphics, Photos, Questions - J Thomas Codling
FYM: Dillon, could you tell us a bit about the history behind your band moniker Alaskas?
Dillon: All ask us, why you ALASKAS? All I can say is: Alas... cuz.
FYM: FYM has been to hundreds of shows over the years, and your are one for the most original/unique talents we have ever seen live... Can you tell us a bit about your approach to music- specifically your signature song building vocal loop arrangements, and past or present, who/what are some of your sonic influences?
Dillon: You guys are tooooooooooooo flattering. This really happened upon my move to Seattle in summer of 07. I'd owned a looping pedal for some time, but hadn't used it to compose. Then I started, as I was in a new town and wanted to operate solo, on my own time. I fell in love with the restrictions that looping gave me. It sets limitations that are really fun to explore and to bend to create and compose. A lot of my music is started on ideas about how to use and manipulate my set-up to execute a new technique that I haven't done yet.
You know, I don't really listen to much other loop-based music. I find a lot of inspiration in trying to compose like someone that doesn't have these limitations.
As far as influences go, I've always been a big hip hop fan and I think a lot of the attitude and production inspires me. The past few years I've just been really into classic 60s doo-wop, Motown, and soul. There are certain chords, notes and melodies in pop music of this era, and these styles that just make my heart melt. When I get struck by those particular sounds, I just fall in love with life, all over again.
FYM: FYM has been to hundreds of shows over the years, and your are one for the most original/unique talents we have ever seen live... Can you tell us a bit about your approach to music- specifically your signature song building vocal loop arrangements, and past or present, who/what are some of your sonic influences?
Dillon: You guys are tooooooooooooo flattering. This really happened upon my move to Seattle in summer of 07. I'd owned a looping pedal for some time, but hadn't used it to compose. Then I started, as I was in a new town and wanted to operate solo, on my own time. I fell in love with the restrictions that looping gave me. It sets limitations that are really fun to explore and to bend to create and compose. A lot of my music is started on ideas about how to use and manipulate my set-up to execute a new technique that I haven't done yet.
You know, I don't really listen to much other loop-based music. I find a lot of inspiration in trying to compose like someone that doesn't have these limitations.
As far as influences go, I've always been a big hip hop fan and I think a lot of the attitude and production inspires me. The past few years I've just been really into classic 60s doo-wop, Motown, and soul. There are certain chords, notes and melodies in pop music of this era, and these styles that just make my heart melt. When I get struck by those particular sounds, I just fall in love with life, all over again.
FYM: Can you tell us a bit more about the ambitious music project (recording 100 songs in the month of April) you are about to undertake, -why you decided to do it, and where/when will your fans be able to hear it?
Dillon: It's the beginning of springtime and I'm trying to sow some seeds. I've been feeling very inspire lately, and I just want to express and finalize a lot of these ideas. I've been feeling very "on my grind", but a lot of the perfectionism in me lets me over-think ideas too much. It leaves me to abandon some inspired ideas and to run too far and to reach too far. I want to share with the world my ideas in their purest. Expressions of the moment finished as they come, instead of revisited for too long and overt hought. I've lived the last 286 months of my life being very particular with my recorded output, but I'm gonna try something a little bit different for this particular month. Not planning on making like 10 cohesive albums here or anything. But struggling and inspiring myself to consciously create several times a day and to expand my ideas about recording and composition. To make recording/documenting the process more of an accessible routine, rather than an isolated occasion. Ya feel me?
Expect a lot of everything, all across the board. Maybe some stuff that's been brewing up in me that the world isn't expecting. Check back in at dillonjamesregoisalaskas.com I'll be, at least, updating every couple of days with my mindset, some photos, videos, and maybe tracks as they come. I haven't decided exactly how these recordings will surface yet, so I guess just keep checking in. We'll find out together.
Oh yeah, 100 tracks is a lot. I'm down for collaboration, tracks to remix, requests, recommendations, and, of course, words of encouragement.
HOLLA ATCHYA BOY: alaskas@highfivesandhandshakes.com
FYM: How does playing East Coast shows compare to the Santa Rosa, and Seattle scene you’ve previously been a part of?
Dillon: It's the beginning of springtime and I'm trying to sow some seeds. I've been feeling very inspire lately, and I just want to express and finalize a lot of these ideas. I've been feeling very "on my grind", but a lot of the perfectionism in me lets me over-think ideas too much. It leaves me to abandon some inspired ideas and to run too far and to reach too far. I want to share with the world my ideas in their purest. Expressions of the moment finished as they come, instead of revisited for too long and overt hought. I've lived the last 286 months of my life being very particular with my recorded output, but I'm gonna try something a little bit different for this particular month. Not planning on making like 10 cohesive albums here or anything. But struggling and inspiring myself to consciously create several times a day and to expand my ideas about recording and composition. To make recording/documenting the process more of an accessible routine, rather than an isolated occasion. Ya feel me?
Expect a lot of everything, all across the board. Maybe some stuff that's been brewing up in me that the world isn't expecting. Check back in at dillonjamesregoisalaskas.com I'll be, at least, updating every couple of days with my mindset, some photos, videos, and maybe tracks as they come. I haven't decided exactly how these recordings will surface yet, so I guess just keep checking in. We'll find out together.
Oh yeah, 100 tracks is a lot. I'm down for collaboration, tracks to remix, requests, recommendations, and, of course, words of encouragement.
HOLLA ATCHYA BOY: alaskas@highfivesandhandshakes.com
FYM: How does playing East Coast shows compare to the Santa Rosa, and Seattle scene you’ve previously been a part of?
Dillon: I've pretty much only been playing in Brooklyn out here so far, but it's been fucking great. I love the DIY scene out here. It's massive. It feels a lot less cliquey and enclosed as other places I've been a part of. The openness and acceptance out here is incredible. Everyone speaks their mind and no one is afraid of anything. That's just east coast attitude, I suppose. At shows, people seem more eager to come up to talk to me and express their immediate opinion, forge a friendship, and stimulate collaboration. Shouts out to Brooklyn, love you babies!
FYM: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
FYM: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Dillon: I don't know about ever, but recently my roommate clued me into a piece of knowledge that Wayne Gretsky received from his father. It's something along the line of: Don't skate to where the puck is, skate to where the puck is gonna be.
FYM: Describe your plans for the rest of 2011, any big tour plans? (we definitely want to see you in seattle again soon!
Dillon: I'm trying to figure out 2011 right now. Kinda just re-arranged my life to be able to work on all of this a lot more. 100 songs in April. I got a 7 inch coming out on Crikey Records in May, along with some east coast shows with my SF boy Amir Coyle. Shooting to do a full West Coast tour sometime this Summer. I miss you guys! I'll definitely be out there this year. Seattle, Portland, Oakland, Santa Rosa, LA, you're in my heart.
FYM: What are your thoughts on the digitization of the music industry over the past few years, and what it means to a recording artist like yourself.
FYM: What are your thoughts on the digitization of the music industry over the past few years, and what it means to a recording artist like yourself.
Dillon: The internet makes everything fast. I dunno, man. Exploding genres and people using free and cheap technology to try to recreate music of the past is definitely strange. Small, independent players can have a lot power right now. I just want artists to PUSH. Push hard. Advance the art, create what is personal to you. What you NEED to create. Push yourself. Push. Push. Push everyone. To be static is moving backward. We need a forward progression.
FYM: Who would be the ideal record label you would love to be signed to?
Dillon: Good question, what's even out there right now? Hmmmmmmm, it's really funny that soft drink producers and magazine publishers put out a lot of records these days.
I love having friends put out my records. It just feels right. I mean I wouldn't mind the backing, and promotion of a larger label, but I don't really know one in particular that I would really like to work with. Actually, Jack White's label looks like they are putting some "neat" ideas into their records. Haven't heard a single song off of anything he's put out, but I bet he's probably a cool guy to have be your Label Dude.
FYM: Will you please record your Hounds of Love Kate Bush cover?
I love having friends put out my records. It just feels right. I mean I wouldn't mind the backing, and promotion of a larger label, but I don't really know one in particular that I would really like to work with. Actually, Jack White's label looks like they are putting some "neat" ideas into their records. Haven't heard a single song off of anything he's put out, but I bet he's probably a cool guy to have be your Label Dude.
FYM: Will you please record your Hounds of Love Kate Bush cover?
Dillon: Almost 2 years old! Yeah, that's a collaboration with USF. We totally meant to record, somehow never got around to it. I'll ask my boys again, maybe that'll be 1/100th of what I record in April. Fingers crossed.
FYM would like to thank Dillon for taking the time to visit with us. Check out his website www.DillonJamesRegoisAlaskas.com
FYM would like to thank Dillon for taking the time to visit with us. Check out his website www.DillonJamesRegoisAlaskas.com
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