JANUARY, 2011

LAST MONTH I WAS ASKED TO COMPILE A "MIXTAPE" FOR THE VICE MAGAZINE BLOG. I DID IT AND IT'S CALLED "SPF NOIR." THERE'S AN INTERVIEW AND ARTWORK, TOO.

TALKIN GONDOLAS WITH HOLY SHIT

OR YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT HERE:

SPF NOIR ON MEDIAFIRE

AND HERE'S THE ARTWORK. (IT'S CASSETTE-SLEEVE SIZE, IN CASE YOU'D LIKE TO PRINT IT OUT.)

FRONT COVER
BACK COVER

NOW, THEY ALSO ASKED ME TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT THE MIX I MADE - SOME KIND OF AN INTRO. SO I DID. APPARENTLY IT WASN'T 'VICE' ENOUGH, AND THEY DIDN'T RUN IT. BUT IT'S VERY HOLY SHIT SO HERE IT IS.

WHO WAS IT, THE GERMS? WHO SAID "WHAT WE DO IS SECRET." WELL I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. IT'S LIKE HEARING AN EMITT RHODES SONG IN A WES ANDERSON MOVIE, AND THINKING, HEY, THAT'S OURS. AND GETTING STIFF ABOUT IT (AND NOT THE GOOD STIFF). BUT THE FACT IS, THAT ATTITUDE, THAT SAME LINE OF THOUGHT, IS PROFFERED BY THOSE -- WE -- WHO ALSO GO 'ROUND SAYING "IN A PERFECT WORLD THIS WOULD BE A HIT, EVERYONE SHOULD BE SINGING THIS" ABOUT SOME 'HOPE'LESS BEDSIT FAVORITE.

WELL HERE'S WHAT I LISTEN TO. I'M SHARING SOME SECRETS, SURE, BUT IF YOU CARE THEN I CARE. SOME ARE STAPLES IN THE HOLY SHIT CAMP (ELECTRONIC, McCARTHY, THE PINK DOTS), AND SOME ARE TRACKS THAT I JUST CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO THESE DAYS. BASICALLY, IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT THE INSIDE OF MY BRAIN SOUNDS LIKE, HERE'S ME FLASHING. AND YEAH, IT'S ALL VERY PASTY, AND WHITE, AND ENGLISH, BUT FETISHES ARE FETISHES AND DON'T NEED EXPLAINING COS THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. IT'S LIKE TRYING TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF A PAINTING.

IT OCCURS TO ME THAT MOST OF THIS STUFF ISN'T NEW. THERE IS ONE SONG THAT CAME OUT, IF YOU CAN CALL IT THAT, IN THE LAST YEAR (NUNZIO FATTINI; GO TO HIS WEBSITE! NUNZIOFATTINI.COM! YOU'RE WELCOME!). ANOTHER'S ONLY BEEN ON MYSPACE SO FAR (THE JOE WAINE TRACK), BUT WILL BE A 7" ON POROUS RECORDS QUITE SOON. AND THERE'S A HOLY SHIT NUMBER I COULDN'T RESIST SHARING, MAINLY COS I JUST FINISHED IT LAST WEEK. IT'S CALLED "A PLACE IN THE SUN," AND IT'S A MARINE GIRLS COVER, AND THIS IS THE FIRST "LIGHT OF DAY" IT HAS SEEN.

AS FOR THE REST, CHANCES ARE THE BULK OF IT IS NEW TO MOST READERS & DOWNLOADERS. I COULD BE WRONG, AND COME TO THINK OF IT, I WOULD LOVE TO MEET ANY OF YOU WHO ARE INTO THEY GO BOOM!! OR ALWAYS, OR IN EMBRACE. I DON'T KNOW, DO POP FREAKS READ VICE? I KNOW MOMUS CONTRIBUTES, OR HAS, SOMETIMES. AND GOD, I'D LOVE NEIL TENNANT OR CATH CARROLL TO GET IN TOUCH. mattfishbeck@gmail.com

I PUT THIS TOGETHER IN THE SPIRIT AND THE MANNER IN WHICH I USED TO MAKE TAPES AT MY FRIEND BRANDT LARSON'S HOUSE. THERE'S AN OLD FURTHER SONG CALLED "GOING TO GLENDORA," AND THAT'S WHAT THAT'S ABOUT. HOLING UP IN A BIG HOUSE FULL OF RECORDS, LOSING YOURSELF IN A VIBE, AND MAKING YOURSELF A SOUVENIR. BRANDT (AND REX) ALWAYS MADE THE BEST TAPES, BUT I MADE A FEW SEMI-GEMS. GEEZ I MET ARIEL WHILE I WAS MAKING A TAPE AT BRANDT'S.