My interview with JRCG. He released his latest album, ‘Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra)’ in August via Sub Pop Records. 

Diya: Good morning Justin, it’s lovely to see you. How are you doing on this fine September morning?

JRCG: Good morning, Diya. Great to see you, too. Thank you for having me. Yeah, it’s a beautiful morning in the Pacific Northwest, just getting started…Yeah, it’s great to be here.

Diya: Awesome, let’s start from the beginning. I did some digging and learned that your artistic origin story stems from relocating to the Pacific Northwest and finding solace in Seattle’s local punk scene. Can you tell me a little bit more about your musical background and how it informs your artistic philosophy to this point?

JRCG: Oh, yeah, definitely. I grew up kind of half in the Northwest and half in Arizona. And I was kind of, you know, from an early age interested in punk music, but wasn’t really fully introduced to [it] in real life up until moving here to the Northwest. And I became kind of immersed in the local DIY punk scene and warehouse spaces and house shows and my foundation was built upon that and kind of revolving around this local record label called Iron Lung Records, just based around the band Iron Lung and they’re sort of international, like, world network of punks and was sort of taken under their wing and learned about just so much of the inner workings of artistry and just how to be in a band. And yeah, I gained so much from being a part of that world that luckily was so specific to the Northwest, but also had this sort of network to like-minded artists all over the world. So I was very fortunate to find them when I did.

Diya: A lot of Grim Iconic is made of electrified fuzzy synths combined with bursts of noise and charged drums. I love how this release is utterly saturated, from cover to cover, with energy. I love just the amount of dynamic noise there is in this release. Can you tell me about your creative process of this album, as well as its sonic and emotional landscapes, and how they show up through some of your songwriting, vocal and instrumental choices?

JRCG: Yeah, definitely. Kind of going off of the last question too, it’s like having that kind of more punk foundation or growing up immersed in people making a lot of noise or art within noise. And that’s kind of just embedded in like influences that I take and what I kind of make naturally, I feel like. But I think growing up in that scene too, I was also kind of clued in on people who are really sort of pushing what aggressive or punk or experimental music can be. And, you know, I think that is where I would love to have this music sit in line with or be related to. I love the idea of punk not having to be this traditional sort of approach. And it’s just more of the intention. I grew up also in Arizona and I am Mexican-American. And equally with the punk influence, I am pulling from all this Latin music history and influence that was also around constantly and and still is. And so marrying those approaches, but also seeing the similarities and connecting those as something that was deeply influential or motivating behind making this record. And really just sort of presenting like my own take on how these influences can be pushed further or seen in different lights, you know?

Diya: Absolutely. Speaking of which, with your background in the Seattle punk and DIY scenes, as well as your familiarity with Latin music, you went on to make experimental music that was uniquely Latino in its experimentation with past releases like Ajo Sunshine and the Watch soundtrack. How would you say the music on Grim Iconic is influenced by your past work and musical background?

JRCG: Yeah, definitely. I think just growing up in that world and having it be a part of who I am, you know, speaking about being Mexican. And I think also inherently being a drummer first and foremost. I start anything kind of based around rhythm. And that’s just kind of an easy access point for me to build momentum behind any sort of inspiration or anything becoming a song. It starts kind of rhythmically for me. And, and I think both punk and Latin music speaks very fluently to that and it’s easy to access that source of inspiration through the rhythm for sure

Diya: Definitely. I definitely noticed how drum-forward and rhythmic this release is, especially I know and some other outlets you talked about how this specific release is more rhythm forward than some of your past work. I definitely noticed that. And from noisy krautrock-inspired sensibilities to influences like Adam Curtis and Miles Davis. I’d love to know what were some of the main inspirations for this project, and this could be other music, media, literature, film, spiritual occurrences, cultural experiences, religious epiphanies, et cetera.

JRCG: Yeah, absolutely. It’s funny, you brought up the Adam Curtis influence…That was something that was deeply influential for me. I think the title to me best made a nod at that sense of disillusion that Adam Curtis talks about a lot in his documentaries and his work. And I really loved that the title sort of embodied that. But also at the same time, for me personally, Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra) feels sort of slightly tongue in cheek or sarcastic. And I like that it didn’t have this message of disillusion with a mopey sort of overtone to it. It had this sense that, you know, you’re pushed so far past a point of shock or anything, it becomes almost surreal or you’re unfazed, you know? And I like that the title also has this spiritual aspect of it. And I think that all tied into it. It made it so complex, and kind of in a cool way that I think really lent itself to the music, because the music, like you said, is very lush and front to back filled to the brim. And I thought that they both kind of catered to each other–the music and then also the title. But other than other influences, I was just so focused with rhythmically pushing something forward, but also having something that, to me, captured a moment, whether it be that sense of disillusionment or that sense of playfulness around being experimental. Those were the two targets that I kind of had while making it.

Diya: Yeah, definitely. I’m interested in Grim Iconic’s artwork as well. It’s beautiful and natural, yet psychedelic and almost saccharine and dizzying. I’m curious about the cover art’s direction and the story behind the photo.

JRCG: Yeah…Very similar to the title of the record, I had [the cover photo] very early on in making, and both the title and the photo kind of stuck. You know, usually I’ll have a working title or some imagery that I’ll work off of and it’ll change throughout the process. But for this record, both the title and the photo were kind of around the entire time. The photo was taken by a friend, Ellen Rumel, here in Tacoma. Super amazing photographer. She’s also kind of immersed in the Northwest punk scene. She’s taken tons of amazing photos of artists and bands up here. And yeah, I was just drawn to this photo pretty immediately, I think just because it was so beautiful. And I thought, like, paired with this music, I wanted a pretty intense contrast. Not that I don’t think that the music has its beautiful moments because I definitely do. And I do think that it is soft at times. But I just thought that the lushness of the photo, what was happening with the nature in it felt like it complimented the wildness and the density sonically within the record.

Diya: Absolutely, I feel that too. I’m also interested in the music videos in this album, they’re so uniquely shot and edited. I really liked the quick editing on the video for “Cholla Beat” and how it creatively shows off your range of skills on this album. The video for “Drummy” is also a favorite of mine. With its vivid colors, trippy shots, and layered visuals, it’s like a carefully curated fever dream. The video for “34” is repetitive and surreal, flipping a domestic situation on its head. And the video for “Dogear” is somberly lit, disorienting, and expressive. And all of these videos carry forth a common theme of surrealism and chaos and that sort of disillusioned, disoriented state, especially in the sequencing and editing of the shots. Can you tell me a little bit more about the choices to include these types of visuals in your music videos and how they function in tandem with your album’s themes?

JRCG: Yeah. I think that so much that I draw from is cinematic stuff. And like, I’m always sort of referencing how the flow of a record feels in the lens of a full album and how it can kind of mimic how you would digest a movie or something, anything more visual. So that’s always kind of in the back of my mind. And making the music videos was kind of an interesting thing because I’ve never really done that before. So it was an actual opportunity to sort of lean into that side and try different things. And, you know, I made two of the music videos with an old friend of mine, Mitch Wells, who plays in the band Thou. And him and I have always talked about collaborating in that sort of way–not necessarily with music videos, but just with my music incorporated into his video stuff. And so this was a unique opportunity to do two videos together and see what we could do. We did both “Drummy” and also “Cholla Beat”. And yeah, you know, I love the opportunity to attempt to make the visual side credit what’s happening sonically. And like you said, quick edits and like a lot of jarring movements, but also not really fully getting a full picture of what is going on. And I think that’s all sort of things that ended up lending itself to the actual music, especially in this three to four minute, short template.

Diya: Yeah, definitely. Especially videos–I think maybe, like, “Drummy” and even “34”. I feel they have kind of a plot going on, except with “34” it’s just very condensed.

JRCG: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s an interesting one too, because I originally had something with a little bit more planned for that. And then working with video stuff–I mean, I’m very new to it. And you have to sort of be quick to adapt when things aren’t gonna work out. You have to pivot very quickly, from what I experienced doing these videos. And, you know, “34” was one of those. And it ended up being sort of a day-of switch up, or it was like, “OK, this is what the concept is going to be. Now we’re going to just roll with it.” And I’m really happy with how that turned out. I love things that feel like narrative, but not very clearly delivered or, like, not overly delivered. As a viewer, I like to feel like I have to work a little extra hard to sort of put it all together. And you know, hopefully that’s not annoying for others, but I personally enjoy things like that.

Diya: Yeah, it definitely gives your viewers a bit more to pick apart instead of just handing it to them on a plate.

JRCG:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Diya: Yeah, I agree. You’re playing a show at the Zebulon in LA on October 8th. What are you looking forward to the most about this venue and location?

JRCG: Oh, I love playing Zebulon. It’s a great spot. It sounds wonderful. What they’re doing right now with their curation is just kind of unmatched. You know, I think that they are just nailing it as far as the artists that they’re bringing in and the community that they’re trying, and from my view, succeeding, in creating there. So yeah, I think that it felt very exciting to end the tour at Zebulon, just very comfortable and also just a good ending to a long trip.

Diya: Absolutely. Let’s talk gear. What would you say was the most essential piece of gear on the particular sound of Grim Iconic?

JRCG: Well, not just limited to Grim Iconic, but for pretty much all the records I’ve made under my name–the Korg MS-20 is my favorite instrument aside from percussion and drums. But I think sonically, if I have one thing that I could not live without, it is that synthesizer, even though I threw it in the video. But yes.

Diya: I was going to say, you loved it so much you had to let it go.

JRCG: Well, I got a lot of blowback on that because people were like, “How could you throw that?” But just for anyone listening who had that reaction–that one was actually broken before it was thrown. So you know, there was no saving it as is.

Diya: No Korgs were harmed in the making of this video.

JRCG: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

Diya: Lovely. Lastly, if you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three pieces of gear with you, what would they be and why?

JRCG: Okay, the Korg MS-20 for the reasons I said, but honestly, getting into synthesizers, that was one of the first ones I ever got. And then I had a couple others. It was funny when I had the other synthesizers, it made me understand the MS-20 better and I ended up just kind of reverting back to that. And from there, I’ve just kind of been riding it out, kind of sprinkling other things in and around it, but really having that be a comfortable home base as far as starting and trying to build inspiration. So I definitely would have to choose that. Aside from that, I would probably choose…I mean, I feel like it’s cheating to just say the whole drum set, but maybe I’ll try to get a little bit more creative with that. Okay, I have these specific drumsticks that I used on the record that I really love how they sound recorded. They’re, like, some weird artist edition, but they’re titled like a ride stick and they sound really beautiful on ride symbols–to get super in the weeds here. But yes, I love how those sound recorded and I never have fancied myself a gear snob, but while creating I have stumbled across certain little things that I do really love. And those drumsticks for whatever reason, are one of them. The other thing I would say was a microphone that I use and it’s an Electro voice 635, it’s an omnidirectional mic. It’s one that I use live and I have used live for a long time. I play drums and I sing live. And sometimes it can be challenging in the sense that this microphone is right in front of me, and it ends up picking up a bunch of my drums. And it can be challenging because to mix that, you have all these drums kind of bleeding into the vocal mic. But I feel like it has also become part of the sound too. Sometimes the things that people try to avoid end up becoming part of what makes something special. And I think that’s probably one of them. And I just love that mic. I love what it’s capable of. And I’ve used it many times.

Diya: Absolutely, I’d love to catch that effect live, especially with the tracks where you have noisier vocals. I feel like the high end on the drums being picked up might really compliment that.

JRCG: Yeah, it’s pretty. It can be a little bit of a hard thing to harness on the mixing side for whoever’s doing that, but yeah, it’s definitely effective.

Diya: Awesome. Thank you so much for chatting with me. It’s been wonderful to learn about the process of Grim Iconic and the recording and the inspiration that went into it, so thank you.

JRCG: Absolutely. Thank you for having me.