Interview: Battles
by Jeremiah Griffey
When word dropped that Battles decided to add vocals to their already imposing sound more than a few people started playing the role of skeptic. On one hand, the band’s electronic noise maestro Tyondai Braxton decided to handle the duties, and typically everything he touches turns to gold. But on the other hand, why would Battles, a nearly perfect band, tweak their sound so dramatically?
The resulting “Mirrored” (Warp) exceeded the expectations of both camps. Braxton manipulated his voice in such strange ways that one could argue whether or not they really are vocals. A classic “What is art?” philosophical quandry. He single-handedly upped the ante. Drummer John Stanier (Helmet, Tomahawk) met the challenge. So did guitarist Ian Williams (Don Caballero). Add bassist Dave Konopka to the list. The many layers of their newest creation bounce back and forth, dizzying the ill-prepared and intoxicating the initiated.
While drinking that idea in, sit tight while Ty and Ian answer a few questions.
What prompted you to add vocals to your sonic repertoire?
Tyondai Braxton: After practice one day we all went to get a drink at the local watering hole. I walked into the joint all inconspicuous-like with my hands in my pocket. Still looking down, I threw a quarter into the jukebox and the crackle of the record started. The whole band got the vibe and started snapping their fingers. I broke into Sinatra’s “New York, New York” jumping on a pool table, lifting this cat’s Fedora off his head with my pool cue and flipped it on top of my head. Ian, Dave and John just looked at me dumbfounded. Not only didn’t they know I could sing, it was the first time I’d spoken a word in their presence.
Ian Williams: After having been involved with making instrumental music for a decade and a half, I can say it’s a relief to have vocals. It starts to feel unnatural to make another eight minute stretch of rock music without the human voice. Like you lost perspective on why you were ever involved doing instrumental music in the first place.
A few people I’ve talked to find the vocals rather alienating and bizarre. Why did you decide to treat the majority vocals in such a way?
Tyondai: Vocals take on a different meaning in this band, as do the other instruments. There’s no set role. I sing without effects on this record. I also sing with effects. Sometimes the vox play a lead role, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the guitar or bass plays a lead role, sometimes it doesn’t. As a whole, I was conscious of neutralizing the voice in this band and using it as I would any other instrument. The sound of this band exists because the baggage of obvious definition has been neutralized. The same line you think sounds really happy, someone else says is terrifying, because the music isn’t telling you how to feel. I wanted the vocals to be able to play that role and shed the “sing for a rock band” stigma that comes with it.
Given the individual histories of everyone in the band, do you have trouble with egos or anything like that?
Tyondai: It’s a very democratic band, so the inner workings are set up in a good way. We’re not kids and have our convictions about the way we go about things so sometimes we butt heads. But this is a band. That’s how it is in any kind of co-op. The flip side is we rely heavily on each other’s personality. It’s the fuel that gives the band such a multidimensional sound.
Are you surprised at how well you work together, given your diverse musical backgrounds?
Tyondai: On paper, yes I suppose. Because we are so different, we all give each other valuable insight and have learned a lot from each other. The given is everyone in the band has an extensive musical background, not just what the press has reduced it to. John doesn’t just listen to “hardcore” and I don’t just listen to “experimental” music. This could’ve gone horribly, horribly wrong, though I’ll agree.
Ian: When the band formed, I knew it could be a very good band if we figured out what to do with ourselves. Great actors working with a shitty script will still make a bad movie. It was a bit of a process to get to where everyone could fit into a role where they served the band well.
A lot of your song titles (especially on your earlier EPs) seem coded. Is there any reason you’ve named a lot of songs so oddly?
Tyondai: The EP songs’ real names were all reduced to acronyms because the real titles were just as meaningless. We just gave them titles to remember what song was what so they were all stupid and funny titles. And for this new record we didn’t really do that. No detail is too sacred that it can’t be destroyed.
In a lot of ways your name invokes your sound. Are there any hidden meanings? Has your band name taken on new meaning in the current political climate?
Ian: I like the name because it’s stupid and simple. Nothing too clever. And I felt like a more aggressive stance is what these times are all about, for everyone, for good or for bad.
Tyondai: If you want it to it can. The name of the band is apropos in that it’s a very loaded name and also be neutral. It could be the name of a hip-hop group, it could be the name of a death metal band. It means something, it means nothing.
2007 Mirrored (Warp)
2004 EP B (Dim Mak)
2004 Tras (Cold Sweat)
2004 EP C (Monitor)
