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Interview w/ G-Man
Scott G writes and records under the name The G-Man. With his albums, GRIN GROOVE (2002) and ELECTRO BOP (2003), both on San Francisco-based Delvian Records, he crafted a new form of music known as grin groove which fuses the beats of dance music with the melodies of pop. His two favorite reviews of his work are both three words long: "Moby meets Bowie" (by producer Pete Anderson), and "Moby meets Devo" (by TV producer Paul Rich). A member of the National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP), he writes (as The G-Man) about music for many organizations, including MusicDish.com and StudioExpresso.com. His artist and product reviews are found all over the Internet via the Immedia Wire Service.
JA: I call your music "the rhythm of machines with melodies of the heart" because you mix electronica with pop song structures and hummable tunes. Do you find this approach an advantage or a disadvantage when dealing with the very different worlds of dance, pop, and electronic music?
G-MAN: It's a plus for people who are looking for something new. And it's a big plus for me because I love music that brings together two styles or two genres.
JA: Or more.
G-MAN: Or more, right! I like the fact that DJs are using rhythmic elements of my songs to make new tracks for BPM and RPM radio shows, and for clubs. But it's just as exciting when soundtracks use parts of my album tracks. And it's a kick to find out someone is recording a pop or smooth jazz version of one of your songs.
JA: You have had one album a year for two years; are you keeping up that pace?
G-MAN: Yes, in January, 2004, Delvian is releasing THE PLATINUM AGE OF THE REMIX, with dance/trance mixes of my songs by some pretty big names. And my next album of songs, SONIC TONIC, is already recorded and scheduled for release in the Spring.
JA: Who are the remixers on PLATINUM AGE?
G-MAN: THE PLATINUM AGE OF THE REMIX has tracks by producer Matt Forger, whose name is on more than 200 million albums because he was the recording engineer on albums and singles by Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, and many others around the world. There are a couple remixes by F. Troy, of the band Mortal Loom, who works with Chris and Cosey of Throbbing Gristle. F. Troy also worked with Mark Isham on the "Blade" remixes. There are some cool lounge-trance remixes by jazz pianist William Morosi, some really pulsating stuff from a great guy named Random Distribution, who took a remix of one of my songs to #1 in Russia, and a guy named DJ Insane, who took a remix of one of my songs to #5 on a European dance chart.
JA: There seem to be dozens of categories of electronic music or electronica, including trance, house, hard house, etc. Can you explain all this to us?
G-MAN: Nope.
JA: Really? (Laughter)
G-MAN: Yup. You know, I read Remix, DJ Times, and XLR8R and several other magazines, and I still can't categorize things. Plus, my stuff is played in clubs on every continent, but I simply cannot tell you when something crosses over from one genre to another. I just let the music flow over me and enjoy.
JA: So how do you describe your music?
G-MAN: "Highly-organized noise." Your description of machines with a heart is pretty good. The sounds I create are a blend of very modern machine-driven rhythmic music with a pop approach to the melody. I really do love click-track music like Devo as well as big, soaring, romantic melodies like the songs Martin Fry writes for the band ABC. And I like to tell people that my songs are a blend of the best of eighties pop with the sensibility of what music will be in about two years. That probably sounds egotistical, but I truly believe music is going to sound like my albums soon - it's just that music doesn't know it yet.
JA: Do you write on a keyboard, use a computer, or what?
G-MAN: I write with a guitar or with a sequencer, I hardly ever with a keyboard.
JA: How does that work?
G-MAN: Writing with a sequencer? Depending on the unit, you adjust the pitch, the tempo, the pattern, and sometimes the chord progression. It can become an interesting battle to make the machine play the tune you have in your head. Sometimes I give up on the sequencer for a moment, and quickly record chords on a guitar or even just hum them. Then I'll go back to the sequencer and try shaping a new song to fit the way the machine is leading me.
JA: So you tend to write the music first, then the lyrics?
G-MAN: Yes, most of the time. Any time you hear a love song of mine, like "Object of Desire" (from GRIN GROOVE), then you can bet I wrote the lyrics first, but the rhythmic material is almost always "music first, words second." I feel comfortable shaping lyrics to fit whatever breathing room the song offers.
JA: You write music reviews, so do you tend to trust the reviewers of your albums?
G-MAN: Oh man, I HAVE to trust them - they've compared my music to Moby, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Pink Floyd, Devo, P-Funk, Art of Noise, Frank Zappa, Thomas Dolby, Gary Numan, Heaven 17, OMD, and Spandau Ballet. It doesn't get any better than that! I mean, I love every one of those artists, so it's a rush to read things like that. Of course, I don't like reading reviewers who don't get it, or who obviously don't enjoy new music, or who can't write well. But I have been extraordinarily lucky with reviews so far. Let me repeat that: so far.
JA: How do you like being on an indie label?
G-MAN: It's great. Delvian Records is part of The Gate Media Group, and they have excellent distribution with AEC, Galaxy, Goldenrod, etc., which means they work with Tower, Barnes & Noble, Borders Books, FYE stores, and lots of the smaller chains. Plus, they were the first indie label to sign a deal with Apple iTunes. Delvian only has a dozen or so artists, but they handle the distribution for tons of artists who aren't on their label. So it's a small company with big-company clout.
JA: Can you tell us about G-Man Music & Radical Radio?
G-MAN: G-Man Music & Radical Radio makes radio commercials, plus we record music for both radio and television spots. Just this year, we became a strategic alliance partner of Venus Triad, which is the commercial division of Venus Music, so we utilize their studios for recording and mastering, plus they have salespeople in the field to rep our work.
JA: So we've heard your music in commercials even though we don't know it's you?
G-MAN: Absolutely. I've got commercials out there with music that's electronic, rock, pop, rockabilly, and jazz. There's even one with a rumba.
JA: Do you get handed a script or just told the style of music they want?
G-MAN: Either way, but quite often I'm the one writing the script, especially for the radio commercials. I've been in the advertising business ever since I got out of college. What's different now is that more and more often, it's my music that's going on the soundtrack of the spots. Just like I'm blending musical genres, I'm blending advertising and music, art and commerce.
JA: So, you're a musician, a commercial producer, and a journalist - anything else?
G-MAN: Well, I've had a couple plays and one screenplay produced under a pen name, but they were directed so badly I'm glad my name isn't on them. And besides, having three things - music, commercials, and columns - is more than enough!
Article by: Janice Amy
Submitted: December, 2003
Photos: provided by artist
Artist Website: www.gmanmusic.com
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