June 2003
by Rik
Mercurine. Damn, that's a really nice name. When I first heard
it, it conjured images of quick, slippery, silver balls of liquid
bouncing around the room, moving faster than you could catch
them. Something otherworldly, beautiful, and maybe just a little
scary, but in a good way. And I think that's a good description
for the new collaboration between Mera Roberts and Byron Brown.
Both Mera and Byron have a rich past with their own bands (Oblivia
and Human Rhythm Composer respectively) and now they're entering
the future with Mercurine.
Mera and Byron were kind enough to take a few minutes to answer
some questions I had, so why don't you stop chasing those silver
balls and see what they have to say?
Rik: Knowing that Mercurine
is a collaboration between the two of you, what do each of you
bring from other projects to create somethng new?
Mera Roberts: I don't know if I
bring anything from other projects except experience. With Mercurine,
I have to approach songwriting differently than I ever have;
this is not a situation where I'm writing exclusively by myself,
and I'm not being brought in to learn/create a part for material
that's already written.
Rik: What was it about each
other's work that attracted you to working together?
Byron Brown: Mera and I have made
lots of music in different projects playing with all sorts of
people. I think we've both learned a lot on the way to this
point that is Mercurine. I think we see in each other talent
and professionalism and musically we are on the same page or
at least the same book. The songs on Spitting Embers (Mera's
solo release) sounded different to me than anything anyone else
is doing right now. That got my attention also.
M: Well, Byron is just about the
perfect musician for what I had in mind for Mercurine. His influences
run similar to mine, and he's a brilliant player. Byron's music
(in addition to his guitar work) shows a lot of versatility.
It's awesome.
Rik: Is there a particular vision
or theme that separates Mercurine from the work you do separately?
Does working as Mercurine free you from any confines you feel
with your own work?
M: Yes, and yes. My concept of Mercurine
was that it would combine influences of the music that moves
me the most into a unique entity. These influences do not necessarily
fall into the same musical categories; for example Cocteau Twins
and house music. Pursuing this concept has been a learning experience
- form does not necessarily follow function. My solo work (Oblivia)
has become more focused to be suitable for movie scores, so
I keep most the Rocky-Rolly out of that.
B: I think in my own work there
aren't many confines. If I want to make a song that is forty-five
minutes of me grinding my guitar against the speakers no one
is going to stop me. In Mercurine Mera is challenging me to
try lots of different ideas, and we put the music before ego.
Rik: How do you distinguish
between a song for one of your own projects and a song written
for Mercurine? How would you define the essence of a Mercurine
piece? As the two of you work more together, have you found
that Mercurine has developed an identity of it's own separate
from the rest of your music?
B: Mercurine is just a baby
taking its first steps now but I can see some personality developing.
A Mercurine song is maybe a little more futuristic and upbeat
compared to my other projects.
M: Mercurine is definitely starting
to gain momentum, and that is really exciting! Songs I write
for Oblivia are typically more delicate and they lean toward
classical music. Mercurine tends to be more dancey and not as
somber as other projects I've done.
Rik: Have you noticed that I've
mentioned your name six times in the first three questions of
this interview? Does that seem like an inordinate amount of
references? I personally love the name. How does it represent
what the two of you do?
M: Well, now that you mentioned
it, I noticed. I guess it's not an inordinate amount of mentions
if I didn't pick up on the repetition! I'm glad you like the
name. I like it too. The name is something I've been tossing
around for a few years, using it as pseudonyms, etc. Naming
this band Mercurine just seemed to fit; the name actually came
before the band.
B: Mention us all you want. Mercurine
Mercurine Mercurine.
Rik: How do you think recent
world events are going to shape pop culture? Do you think we'll
see a return to the 80's Cold War Dance on the eve of the Apocalypse”
mentality, a resurgence of 60's political activism, or something
else? Have recent events changed your own view of what you do
musically?
B: I hope that something good comes
out of it, not just another student pose. We were in the middle
of recording our first songs around September 11th. It was really
hard to get back to music after that morning. Mera's post apocalyptic
imagery of lost innocence in the lyrics on Walking West”
seemed to suggest new meanings but we kept on with our plans.
M: After seeing the Towers get hit
and eventually falling, I felt like everything I was doing just
lost any kind of importance. It took a long time to rein myself
in again. Luckily we were working under a deadline to get the
Mercurine demo finished, and that helped me focus. As far as
the effects of these world events on pop culture, it's difficult
to say. I hope music gets more creative as people are forced
to cope with things they've never seen or dealt with in their
lifetimes.
Rik: Through all of your combined
experiences as musicians, what are the things that you've learned
that have had the greatest impact on who you are as artists
today?
M: It's hard to pick out things
in particular. I think every experience teaches me a lesson
and helps me evolve.
B: We could write a pretty good
book, mostly of things not to do. Music makes life much more
dramatic. Who am I?
Rik: If both of you could be
Star Trek characters, who would you be and why? Who would the
other person be? Does this say anything about me that I'm really
curious to know?
M: It says you're a Trekkie, and
perhaps even a gamer and/or comic book collector. (I prefer
to call them Graphic Novels —ed.) My knowledge of Star
Trek is rather limited—ah—maybe I'd be the Borg Queen!
And Byron, a Tribble. KIDDING!!! I don't know who he'd be. Whatever
he says, he is. His Star Trek knowledge is far greater than
mine. Maybe I'm a Tribble.
B: The world is only big enough
for one Shatner but captain Kirk's inspiration has taken me
places I never would have gone on my own.
Rik: Your turn, ask me a question,
any question, and I'll do my best to answer it.
B: Rik, Has faruzza balk ever contacted
you?
Rik: No, she hasn't yet, but
I hear that she's written a song called The Nose of Rik MacLean”,
so I mean, yeah, that's nice…
Rik: Word association. Mercurine:
M: Sparking, metallic-tasting liquid.
B: Now.
Rik: Dreams:
M: Speech.
B: Always.
Rik: Cats:
M: Meow.
B: Crazy old lady.
Rik: Tofu:
M: Pops.
B: Miso.
Rik: Oblivia:
M: Half-light. Suspended.
B: Mera.
Rik: Human Rhythm Composer:
M: Byron.
B: The lonely world of the
Rik: Los Angeles:
M: Someplace.
B: Home.
Rik: The Future:
M: Sleep.
B: 2001?
Rik: What do you see in the
future for yourselves musically as individuals and as Mercurine?
Do you have plans for any live shows, and if so, what could
one expect from a Mercurine performance? Will you each continue
to pursue solo work?
B: More music. Getting better hitting
our stride. I'm dying to play live. I can hardly contain myself.
A Mercurine show will feel as live and immediate as is synthetically
possible. My solo stuff is not often a priority. It comes when
it comes and I don't promote it much.
M: Yeah - what he said! I'll keep
on with Oblivia but for now that project is still in a bit of
hibernation until Mercurine is up and running.
Rik: Anything else you'd like to
say?
B: Donuts are good but don't eat
too many.
M: Never try to smuggle chocolate-covered
cherries into Canada on a hot day.
Rik: Wise words, very wise words
indeed. Okay, you've read the interview, now go listen to some
of their music! The Mercurine mp3 page is here, and when you're
done there, you should check out Oblivia and Human Rhythm Composer.
Go, run along, there's nothing more to see here…
This interview was written by Rik, who has never played a Live
Action Role Playing Game, but did play Dungeons and Dragons
during a particularly dark period in Junior High… |
