Hi everybody! Its me, Uncle Garo! I am here to interview a growing force in the live electronic music scene here in Chicago- CoyoteDG!!!! Let’s begin, shall we?

UnkG: First, I would like to thank you, Coyote, for agreeing to do this interview. I know you are a busy man with numerous other pursuits other than electronic music! We’ve played a couple of shows together this past year, and I have witnessed you rock the set on each occasion. I want to ask you, what first gave you the idea, the motivation, to make and play electronic music live?

CDG: Well, this is really a two-part question, because I’ve been making electronic music for much longer than I have been performing it. It all began during the summer after high school graduation. I began hanging out in a decrepit goth/alternative club called “The Option,” where they played a mix of goth, rave, 80′s jams…and Daft Punk, which was pretty much the heaviest beat I had ever heard up until then. During the same summer, I was spending a lot of time in my friend’s basement drinking Jewish wine, watching music videos, and playing with his collection of Apple computers. One night he showed me this program called Rebirth, which was a software emulation of the three legendary pieces of music hardware: The Roland TB-303, TR-808, and TR-909. It was basically a bassline generator synchronized with two drum machines, and there were all sorts of little virtual knobs and effects that could be manipulated to affect the sounds. Pretty cool. I soon downloaded a demo version of Rebirth to my family computer, and tried to emulate the French house sounds. Unfortunately, the demo would freeze after fifteen minutes, so recording music was out of the question. And making music on a computer was pretty lame.

A desire to vary my sound palette led me to purchase a variety of drum machines and samplers. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that making music on a bunch of little boxes was pretty lame, so in 2001 I bought an Apple G4 and a Pro Tools interface. I was attracted to Pro Tools’ graphical display of soundwaves and the ease with which they could be cut, pasted, and mangled. This naturally led to flirtations with IDM, techno, and sound design in general. In 2003 I self-released my first EP, Snowdrift.

After moving to Chicago in 2004, I found myself making music, but I didn’t have much to contribute to an actual physical community of electronic music fans. I could produce as many beats and songs as I liked, but inviting a bunch of drunk people into my house to jam out just wasn’t practical. Obviously, I had to bring them the music out to them. At the end of 2006 I bought my first laptop and a copy of Ableton Live, and the rest is history.

UnkG: Sweet answer, Coyote! I knew you wouldn’t let me down! Your past contains parts that are very similar to my own. I know that you too are an avid cyclist. I have found that cycling had a great influence on my music when I was a messenger. Do you find that your cycling influences your most excellent compositions?

CDG: Cycling, especially street racing, has a tremendous influence on my music. Likewise, techno music informs my racing; I almost always listen to some serious bangers before I head out the door. To be honest, I think I prefer biking, because beat-making pretty much confines you to a table and chair!

There are three elements of racing that I find inspiring musically:

First, bicycling is an inherently rhythmic activity. Breathe in, breathe out. Right foot, left foot. The rhythm or “cadence” of pedaling can act as a metronome of sorts. It’s hypnotic.

Second, there is a dynamic of tension and release involved in any given race. Racing to run a traffic light before it turns red. Tension. Squeezing through Michigan Avenue traffic on a Friday night, while another racer is right on your tail. Tension. The release comes when you’re safe again on the open road (though if you crash then you obviously have a problem on your hands). Techno works the same dynamic, running a beat or sound to its breaking point until it’s nearly unbearable, then releasing the pressure.

Third, there’s a certain “ecstatic freedom” in zooming down the road on a metal frame that’s powered only by your legs. You can go anywhere and do anything. And Chicago is a great city for fast bicycling. Everything is moving, the scenery always changes, and the resulting feelings inform my compositions. The sound should be fresh, stimulating, and ever-changing.

UnkG: Yes, definitely. I have found the same to be true. Such a wise answer, Coyote! Cycling and electronic music share much. No doubt, the same goes for cooking, sex, and personal finance. Do you have other non-music activities that influence your music?

CDG: Girls, weather.

UnkG: Word. The gifts of nature do truly inspire. As do musical works. Coyote, what music has inspired you?

CDG: The first music I can remember hearing is Phil Collins. My father used to play the hell out of those old tapes on road trips to Florida. There were a lot of New Age electronic jams played around the house back then. Tangerine Dream, Kitaro…my father has an indelible love of dramatic melody. Really geeky music. Conversely, my mother was attracted to more soulful, funky sounds. Sly and The Family Stone, especially. But the first music I discovered on my own was industrial. KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, Wumpscut. Then I got into rave music. Dutch trance, tech house. Now I listen to pretty much anything but new country and hard rock.

UnkG: That’s tight. I understand the new country, but no hard rock? Not even a lil’ 38 Special, or something?

CDG: I’ll leave the System of a Down jams to the tattoo artists out there. Someone once told me that every tattoo artist either listens to Tool or System of a Down.

UnkG: Oh, heeeell no! Did you know, Coyote, that I am an Armenian-American, and that System of a Down is the heavy metal voice of the young Armenian-American nation? Its all good. I will give you several System of a Down mix cds complete w/poster and trivia quiz. Anyway, I know that you are the proud owner of an Armenian designed bike frame, are you not?

CDG: About a year and a half ago, I was looking to purchase a new track bike and a buddy of mine had a frame he was trying to get rid of. It was made by some guy named Harry Havnoonian. Huh? Never heard of him. I ended up buying the frame, threw some blinged-out components on it, and named it “The Pharaoh.” After further research, I found out that Havnoonian was an Armenian-American operating out of the Philadelphia area, and that he also produced frames for the U.S. Olympic Racing Team. The bicycle is currently my most prized possession, pure and simple.

UnkG: Wow! “The Pharoah”? That is truly dope. And now, my friend, before we wrap up, we arrive at the lightning round where I will pose some questions to you rapidly, and you can give us a one word answer! Let’s begin!

You are trapped on a tropical island, the beautiful natives demand to be entertained. What is one piece of gear that you would want in that situation?

CDG: A xylophone. No wait, a steel drum. You can use it to collect rainwater.

UnkG: Haha! Awesome. And where, out of all the places that you have played, is your current favorite place to play a set?

CDG: The Eldorado Club.

UnkG: Tight. And, where would you like to play, where you have not played before?

CDG: Panoramabar.

UnkG: Panoramabar? Where that?

CDG: Panoramabar is a club in Berlin. It’s pretty exclusive, and the ceiling lights up.

UnkG: Remember when you did the soulja boy remix at Funky Buddha Lounge- wasn’t that awesome?

CDG: Yes. That was my first DJ set using Ableton Live. I’m usually somewhat dissatisfied with my work, but that set was pretty good. Naturally, I didn’t record it.

UnkG; When is the next time we play a show together?

CDG: Valentine’s Day Weekend!! At The Eldorado Club. That’s gonna be a fun party. The last one they had was like walking into a scene from “Blade Runner.” Videos projected onto crumbling facades, strange electronic music, a mysterious man with a cane… The atmosphere was truly unique.

UnkG: Yessir! It will be a fantastic Valentine’s indeed! I always have an excellent time when we all play and party. Well, my friend, I have many more questions. Perhaps too many for just one interview. I say we adjourn for now, continue at a later date, and we’ll call this session the first of a series! What say you to that, oh mighty Coyote?

CDG: Yeah, dude. Just wait until I flip the script and start asking YOU questions.

UnkG: Ha ha! Bring it, brutha! You know I’m ready for anything, anytime, anyplace! Coyote, thanks again for sharing your time with us! We’ll meet again for the sequel, and I’ll see you at the shiku-garu party!

Well, everybody, thanks again for visiting us at momentsound.com. Don’t forget to visit often for interviews, live recordings, and up to date show/party information. This is Garo signing off and saying “Love is the answer!!!!”