|
Interview with Mr. Kronemyer
Q: Your songs seem to embody pretty much of a nihilistic outlook. Is there anything that's important to you?
A: You know, I used to have ideals and standards, but now all of that's pretty much gone. I mainly am interested in things that have no apparent meaning. They can be pursued aimlessly, that is, they don't result in the making of something, the accomplishment of a result, the betterment of mankind, etc.
Q: Isn't that rather selfish, or at least solipsistic?
A: No I would characterize it more as self-less. If properly implemented, it can result in the abandonment of ego - a merger, if you will, between the act and the actor. By doing something completely insignificant, you become that way, too. I will concede to you, though, that it isn't particularly altruistic.
Q: Who would you cite as your main creative influences?
A: 20th-century people, writers like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. Musically, composers such as Shostakovich, Anton Webern, and a bunch of minimalists like Penderecki, Lutoslawski, etc. Plus a good dose of 1960s rock-n-roll.
Q: Who do you like to hang out with?
A: I really don't have any friends, come to think about it.
Q: Do you have any thoughts on the creative process?
A: The most interesting thing about it is what I would characterize as its indeterminacy. What compels the author to write a particular word, or the composer to write a particular note? It certainly isn't being in touch with some mystical creative force. Works have structure and style, of course, but there's room for wide variation within any format. I think the most compelling ones are those that start out as random experiments, or that document links between freely-associated elements -- the interaction between chance and necessity. As opposed to those that are iterations of some specific form, or genre.
Q: Who do you imagine as the type of person who will enjoy this music?
A: Anybody who's interested in the world around them the contemporary social milieu, if you will. Its different - like trying to achieve perspective on something, when you're doing it simultaneously. Like the phrase "acting normal," which always cracks me up, because it contains within itself it's own negation, or comprises the premise of its own contradiction. When you think about it, things really attain significance only in juxtaposition to their usual environment. So, if you like that kind of dissonance, you should like this a lot.
Q: Do you have a favorite color?
A: Azure blue.
Q: And what do you usually eat for breakfast?
A: Oatmeal.
|
