If you're familiar with those artists, you know that they exhibit a hyper child's messy energy with a mad scientist's instinct for tinkering with gadgets to his/her own twisted agendas. These rogues typically mash up breakcore, gabber, industrial-tinged IDM, and drum 'n' bass into tracks that blare in-your-face like Sam Kinison with an ass boil and ricochet with beats better assessed by ballistics experts than music crits. With releases on Mike Paradinas' Planet Mu (Broken, 2002) and Tigerbeat6 offshoot Violent Turd (Method/Freaked Out Mess, 2003), as well as loads more on Zod and his own Addict imprint, Doormouse has scuffled his way to high-profile obscurity.
Doormouse began music-making in Milwaukee. I wonder if that city influenced his music at all, and if there was a scene of like-minded fiends pushing him to ever-crazier feats of sonic mayhem?
"I live in Miami Beach now," says Doormouse, "but Milwaukee has a great music scene. The hiphop/downtempo/abstract/hardcore scenes are all intermingled, in events and collaborations. Drop Bass was always a strong force and is still releasing music; Zod is really blowing up; Wobblyhead is holding its ground with the mellow stuff. So, yes, Milwaukee did influence me and still does. People are crazy there. They drink a lot, they party a lot, and, at certain times, really go for the music. Miami has a lot of chin-scratchers. In Miami, I work alone or with Otto, and almost never go out, so I'm not sure if there are a lot of 'like-minded' people, and don't really care. I like people that think differently than me."
What sort of show can Seattle expect from Doormouse? How many pairs of Depends should people bring?
"[They should prepare for a] live experience," Doormouse says. "I play off of electronic equipment, but don't just sit there and click, click, click. Lots of interaction... and a life-sized moose made of bats and noodles."
Doormouse has toured several countries, so I ask if he's had any strange, hilarious, or ludicrous anecdotes to relate from his touring experiences. His response is surprisingly straightforward for someone who says he plans to release a Pat Boone tribute box set this year.
"I played at a youth center in Heemstede, Netherlands, in November. Most of the kids that showed thought I was a four-piece punk band. They tried to leave during the opening DJ, but the club manager somehow convinced them to stay. By the end of my show, they were all convinced that punk rock didn't have to have guitar, bass, and drums." Damn, that's touching. DAVE SEGAL
For more info, go to www.addictrecords.com.
With DJ Naha, Firestorm Viper, Nogunri, Bacteria, Submunition. Thurs Feb 5 at Noc Noc, 1516 Second Ave, 736-4159, 9 pm-2 am, 21+, $3.
