CYBER ZINE FOR AUDIO EXPERIMENTALISTS
G.X.JUPITER-LARSEN Interviewed by Miss Amy
Young
In 1979 while I was locked in my room listening to Cheap Trick records
and getting into Punk Rock, GX Jupitter-Larsen was taking the picture
and smashing it into the ground, literally! Twenty years ago, this May,
marks the first Haters' performance. For the last twenty years Larsen has
provided somewhat of a chaotic balance in the world of Noise by
giving function and amplification to inanimate objects and also by providing
the best soundtrack possible to the process of decay- -the actual sounds
amplified, sometimes at levels that have been described as "maddening!
And the incitement of madness is vital to the heartbeat, I say!
He is the man behind the Survival Research Laboratories' videos and live show
sound for the last seven years and has an extensive Haters' discography.
I could go on and on, but perhaps you should just read more about someone who
just may be responsible for why i don't hear things quite the same way
anymore.
Miss Amy Young: Not that your reputation doesn't precede you, maybe you could
begin by giving a little history of The Haters
GX Jupitter Larsen: Well, it's the 20th Anniversary of The Haters. It all
started back in '79 in New York when I got tired of getting kicked out of
Punk Bands for refusing to learn how to play my instrument. People at the
time talked about Punk as if it was noise, but it was never noisy enough for
me. So one thing led to another and I started The Haters. At first no one
could be in the group if they knew how to play their instrument. But I soon
got rid of instruments altogether and just started smashing stuff on stage.
Then we started to smash the stage itself. Then we'd destroy the whole club.
But after trashing venues around the world for 15 years I have to say it got
a little boring. So for the past 5 years the performances have been less
destructive, but a lot louder. The amplification of erosion, like sanding or
grinding, is now the main force behind the releases and the live gigs.
Amy: Why erosion?
GX: I find decay gorgeous! Perhaps because the lack of it is a sure sign
there's a lack of everything else! You can't eat anything without doing some
kind of damage to your digestive system. Yet, without the decay going on in
your stomach, there wouldn't be the pleasure of another delicious meal.
Outside in the world around you, the process of rot and decay is merely the
natural environment digesting nourishment.
Amy: You told me of a recent performance where you premiered your Untitled
Title Belt. I've told many people about this and you would not believe the
response!
GX: The response to my noise belt has been truly amazing! The belt is
designed to look just like a traditional championship wrestling belt. But
this implement functions as a combination microphone, distortion-pedal, and
noise generator. Damion Romero of Speculum Fight did the electronics for me.
Its great; you'd never know just by looking at it what the thing can
actually do.
The belt is an acknowledgement of the aesthetic traditions that I subscribe
to; my own and wrestling's.
If I had an artistic predecessor, I'd have to say it was Gorgeous George.
George was a psychiatrist turned wrestler. He single-handedly transformed
Wrestling into the theatre of the absurd we know today. I would like to
think I've transformed Noise into the same kind of spectacle George made
Wrestling into.
Amy: Have you done anything with film or video lately?
GX: Recently I co-produced an episode of FUCK TV on Channel 53 here in San
Francisco. In it, three young Victorian ladies were counting sand only to
wind up eating the stuff. And they really did eat it!
Amplified erosion was used as the soundtrack, because without erosion, there
wouldn't be any sand to count.
Amy: Are you working on any SRL (Survival Research Laboratories) projects
right now?
GX: I've been doing the soundtracks for all the videos and live shows for
Survival Research Laboratories since '92. And during that time SRL hasn't
been allowed to perform all that often. It's either the Fire Chief or the
Police Chief coming down on Pauline for one reason or another. There's some
talk of a show in Oakland later this year, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Amy: It seems that the Noise scene is far smaller here (NYC) than in the
West and Southwest even. Do you at all agree that this can be attributed to
region?
GX: From what I've been able to figure out over the years is that it all
depends on how active the region's central players are. The Noise scene is
like a secret society; the only way you can know about it is by knowing
somebody else who's already into it. In regions where there isn't a lot of
stuff going on people will be more likely to make their own fun.
Amy: Tell us about your new collaboration CD with conceptual artist David
Ireland.
GX: David was totally into doing the project. He'd never had the
opportunity to do an audio release before. I wanted to work with him because
I'd always had a great respect for his attitude towards what he does. The CD
has three collaborations, all of which contain sound fragments taken from
David's audio archives of 500 Capp Street, and were re-edited by myself. I
prefer working with people who are not into the Noise scene because I find
the results more unpredictable. It's more fun that way. My next
collaboration is with Scanner. The CD should be out this summer. It doesn't
sound like anything either of us have ever done before!
Amy: Have you seen any performances lately that have blown your mind?
GX: Funny you should ask. A few weeks ago I was in L.A. and took in a
performance by Fin. It was great! He made an oil-barrel into a speaker.
Now I'm not saying he put a speaker inside an oil-barrel. He actually
converted electrical signals into sound through the cylinder body of the
barrel as if it were a speaker. The barrel itself was wired to vibrate in
order to emit sound. It wasn't that loud, but the fidelity was phenomenal.
It really didn't sound like anything you've ever heard before.
Amy: And lastly, do you have any big fantasy projects you would like to do?
GX: I've always wanted to get shot out of a cannon. Perhaps this will be
the year.
You can contact GX at:
Polywave@yahoo.com
Or visit:
www.nd.org/haters
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