While I've always enjoyed electronic music, and have incorporated the Buchla synthesizer I own into our music, I think the rock format is what keeps it interesting.
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10 questions for rick franecki of vocokesh
by cactus dan
1. vocokesh seems to be successfully mining the same post-krautrock psyche vein as circle, acid mothers temple, subarachnoid space, et al. how do you see your music, genre-wise?
...I've always been a fan of krautrock, 60's psychedelia, and other types of experimental and improvised music, though it's often hard and pointless to too ridgedly catagorize things. we seem to have found a niche in the space rock psychedelic scene that exists worldwide.
2. vocokesh is made up of some parts of your other well-known band, f/i. can you speak a little bit about the relationship between the two bands?
I left F/i back in 1991, due to some problems with an ex member. Initially, Vocokesh had few ex members of F/i collaborating. The two bands sort of traveled a parallel course. I rejoined F/i on a part time basis a couple of years ago. We did a CD, released last year on the submergance label. We all remained friends.
3. what is the milwaukee music scene like, now? how does it compare to the old f/i days of the 1980s that also spawned boy dirt car, die kreuzen, the amadots, the oil tasters, tense experts, plasticland, couch flambeau, violent femmes, bodeans, and the like?
In my opinion, at the moment, there is not much of a scene in Milwaukee. The period of time you mentioned, the late seventies/early eighties, now seems like sort of a golden age. There was a great deal happening back then. I don't follow the local scene much these days. There's probably stuff going on that I'm not aware of.
4. which do you enjoy more--recording or playing live gigs?
I don't really like playing live at all, never did. That was another reason I left F/i, I didn't want to go on a European tour. I enjoy working in the studio, manipulating sounds, playing with tapes, doing wierd stuff! I have played many live gigs with various bands in my past, but struggled with stage fright!!
5. some of the tracks on the new cd have a strong electronic element, which I assume grows out of your solo electronic music work. do you try to balance the more abstract electronic tracks with more rockish trance groove tracks? could you ever see vocokesh going totally electronic and ditching the guitars and the drums?
NO!! While I've always enjoyed electronic music, and have incorporated the Buchla synthesizer I own into our music, I think the rock format is what keeps it interesting. Many years ago, I was very much into industrial music and various types of sound collage, but it became boring. Drum machines appear on the 'Tenth Corner' CD, and I like using them for certain things, but nothing beats a live person on percussion.
6. what music are you listening to at home for pleasure these days?
I'm not into alot of newer stuff. As of late, I've been listening to Hawkwind, Amon Duul ll, Guru Guru, Spacemen 3, Lots of 60's stuff.
7. how often do you play live these days and are any tours in the works?
Vocokesh have never performed live. If we do it would just be a local gig, we've thought about it. No tours are planned.
8. from out here, metal seems to be quite big in milwaukee, what with jack koshick's metalfest every year. does that scene understand/appreciate your vocokesh vibe?
I'm not a fan of metal at all! I don't think any of the metalheads have heard of us!!!
9. are you working on a new album?
Yes. We have a new album already in the can. 'Tenth Corner' actually is a portion of a CD we did for Drag City that they rejected!! We kept three tracks, threw the rest out, recorded new stuff, and spent a good deal of time shopping it around. Meanwhile, we'd been recording new material with a new drummer.
10. what does the word vocokesh mean, exactly?
Go find either of the first two albums by Blue Cheer, and read the liner notes carefully. The name is sort of a tribute!!
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