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Following up their mysterious self-titled 7" that was included in the first press of The Hamiltones In Space LP, Moon People returned this month with a stand alone, six-song demo cassette that mixes weirdo instrumental surf with electronic soundscapes, using solely a Casio DG-1, reshaping the textures and tones and utterly destroying surf rock conventions and any possible Dick Dale or Spotnicks comparisons. We chatted with the band's masterminds John Toohill and Nick Reynolds all about how a cheap guitar-shaped synthesizer spawned the new band and the tape's highly caffeinated sessions.
What is the "classified" information behind Moon People? How did this idea spawn between you two when working on Hamiltones material?
John Toohill: Well Joe, if we told you it wouldn't exactly be classified anymore now would it?!
As for how it started, I honestly don't remember. I think Nick just wanted an excuse to buy that broken guitar shaped synth and it sorta got outta hand.
Nick Reynolds: It was as good a purchase as any other novelty instrument I own.
Compared to previous Swimming Faith releases, this Moon People demo tape is pretty exploratory and genre-defying. Was there a particular vision when recording or did it come all together spontaneously? Also did most of the demo recordings come together in one take?
NR: In one take? You've never played a DG-1…
JT: Man, I can only assume the later editions of those Casio "guitars" are more accurate and responsive. If we sell outta Hamiltones LPs maybe we can buy one and find out because the mucked up one Nick found for cheap has a real mind of its own. As for the music, we kicked around the idea of doing "synth surf" then just dove in.
NR: Maybe if we ever decide to play live, we can get that DG-20, yeah.
Did it feel weird going fully digital and focusing on just using the Casio DG-1 and no electric guitars, bass, or drums?
NR: The Casio DG-1 is debatably an electric guitar. It's a guitar; it uses electricity. Maybe "electronic guitar" is more accurate. Obviously Casio thinks it's a "digital guitar." It's not a midi controller, though. What comes out of the 8th inch jack is what you get. Because it has the same mechanics as a guitar and bass guitar, it was probably less weird for us than if we had been using a keyboard based midi controller.
JT: This is actually how the Guitar Hero device should have been made. Then all those nerds could actually play guitar.
Is it appropriate to call this the first tape appropriate for plants from Swimming Faith?
NR: There are no plants on the moon, but if Mort Garson says it's appropriate, then who would I be to argue?
What were some of the highlights while recording?
JT: Nick drinking an entire French press of coffee and eating a bunch of my roommates snacks. In his defense, he thought it was my food.
NR: John's been making me coffee in a mocha pot more recently. I like a nice pot of coffee.
Let's dive into some of the tracks here. What can you tell me about the opener "Lunar Secrets" and the idea behind that one?
JT: I don't actually remember which track we recorded when. We basically would just get together, simultaneously write, record, and mix a song all in one day. Then move onto the next whenever we could link up again.
NR: It's essentially the same work-flow as writing and demoing songs for The Hamiltones, except that Hamiltones songs have that extra step of going back and recording as a band. Moon People is pretty satisfying in that way—when you get to that point where you are happy with the song, it's just done.
I really like the second cut "Draculas.... in Space?!" the most. What were the inspirations behind this one?
JT: Thanks. Some of these songs are a pretty huge stretch to be called "surf" music. I recall we had to often tell ourselves we need to bring in classic elements of the genre and not drift too far away. I don't know which side of that thought process this song falls on and maybe that's what makes it good? The titles always came later and are usually from some joke between us two that I forget the meaning of.
How did you guys lead to "Chained to the Void"?
NR: It was initially just going to be called "Space Chain." It's a pretty obtuse reference to a song off Rumours.
JT: Oh yes, another easter egg to tie it to Mick's long-lost "Fleetwood in Space" demo tapes, which is where we got The Hamiltones LP title from.
What's the story behind the impressive and incredibly striking cover art?
JT: Sarah Egg lives in Cleveland, I like her art a lot, and we met a few times through Science Man playing there/mutual friends. Nick and I wanted someone new to do the art for this project and it seemed like the perfect reason to finally hit her up. We just sent her the music and told her to take a little inspiration from Uriah Heep album covers.
Will there be more sounds from The Moon People in the near future?
JT: Buy us a DG-20 and find out.
NR: Seriously, if someone gifts us one, we will become a live band.
Lunar Secrets is out now on Swimming Faith Records.