SEAN CIMINO & ISOM INNIS OF PEEL

Hi Sean and Isom, thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology. Stepping through each of the tracks on your latest EP, the sonic atmosphere conjured in Catch & Release is a wonderfully dreamy soundscape peppered with bubbly synthesizers and echoed vocals. Was there a certain sound that you were specifically trying to channel in this track or simply an overall sound that presented itself for you to discover?

Isom - The song started with a drumbeat and arpeggiated bassline that I played inspired by Kraftwerk’s TransEurope Express. Sean’s response was to record a lush guitar line over the mechanical rhythm section that created this dream-like atmosphere along with his vocal performance. There was an instinctual flow during the recording process where we didn’t second guess the parts - we just allowed them to exist. A dream logic sort of presented itself from that openness.

Rom-Com is another track with some haunting synth sounds and on a technical level, exactly what equipment did you employ on this track and throughout the EP?

Isom - We used the same gear and palette of sounds for the entire EP. Each song juxtaposes instruments against analog synthesizers and drum machines. We’re constantly trying to chase where the human meets the machine. At the start of Rom-Com, we used a pattern Sean programmed on his Korg ER-1 as a click track and I improvised over it on the drums while he played guitar. After we got an expressive take, we layered synths from my Profit 6 and Juno 106. This was the workflow we adapted for pretty much every track.

In Persona, what was the subject matter you were exploring and trying to convey in the track?

Sean - There’s a tongue in cheek tone dealing with internet culture and the nice personas we create that don’t necessarily reflect reality.

The title track Peel has a very 80’s nostalgic feel with its synths and swirling guitars. Were there certain artists of that period you were inspired by in creating Peel?

Isom - The visual inspiration heavily informed the sound. Sean was influenced by the ethereal works of Robert Irwin and the interactive communication projects of VGTV of the early 90’s. It gave the song a unique overarching theme and feel. Guitarists from the UK like Robin Guthrie and Johnny Mar were a big influence, looking to the 80’s and early 90’s. There’s definitely synthetic nods to Terry Riley as well.

The psychedelic bliss out of Citizen X is like an auditory rollercoaster ride mirrored by its wavering vocals which beautifully winds down the EP as the final track. It begs the question, was there a lot of thought put into the track listing and the overall flow of the EP?

Sean - Yes, we wanted the EP to flow and be presented in one continuous listen. The hypnotic groove in Citizen X I think guides the chord and key changes which we felt was the proper bookend.

Both of you being multi-instrumentalists, was there an added ease in creating these richly layered and textured tracks by harnessing a broader instrumental awareness compared to that of approaching it through a one dimensional musicians eyes and ears?

Sean - Definitely, there’s an added ease maybe as multi-instrumentalists. However, it was important for us to limit the amount of layers and treat the production like a live performance.

The EP was recorded in a concrete loft above The Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, how conducive was the physical location to the ethereal sound on the project?

Sean - Very conducive. The cavernous reflection of the space is really a character in the EP- the sound of the room makes an impact on the recording that just exists - you can’t EQ it out or change it - it’s baked into the recording, so we just embraced it.

Broadcast006 the interactive clip that was produced by art director Taylor Giali and photographer Robbie Jeffers is an innovative piece of work. Where did creative lines between what you wanted to achieve with this intersect with Taylor and Robbie and where did they diverge?

Isom - We're inspired by music and art from the early Factory Records/4AD era- graphic designers like Peter Saville and Vaughan Oliver, where the music and subsequent art share the same spirit and have equal importance. Sean and Taylor came up with the concept - and Robbie really understood our influences and is a master at capturing image and light. The video was a simple idea but had an incredibly complex execution - Taylor and Robbie had both the creativity and the skillset to make it happen. Also Danny Roberts and Jon-Kyle Mohr were able to create something totally new in their coding with an infinite split screen.

The film clip for Catch & Release in all its monochromatic beauty is another stunning piece. Did you feel that the choice of black and white enhanced the message of the track and a colour palate that speaks louder than the rest of the spectrum?

Isom - My wife Carlson who directed and wrote the treatment was interpreting Peel’s visual world through her lens. She felt that black and white mirrored the romantic, dreamy mood of the track. The way Sean treated, manipulated, and edited Carlson’s footage was reminiscent of our recording process.

In the current conditions during this global pandemic, do you feel that the music you have created is in some way reflective of the myriad of social / emotional consequences of such an event that even though it may not have had any bearing on the tracks original inception and production but simply at this point in time at this given moment in 2020, the music has attained little something extra, albeit unintentional?

Isom - I think sometimes you’re unintentionally channeling ideas that can be foreshadowing. I’ve noticed with many of my favorite artists past or present that there’s a collective consciousness that comes through and speaks to the times. One of our goals with this project was to treat every bit of content as if it was a relic or a show in the physical world. We wanted to represent every facet of a band digitally, which certainly has new resonance now considering the pandemic.