Red Fiction / Secret Chiefs 3 / Estradasphere (Jason Schimmel)
1. What are your top five albums that were released in 2020? (In order 1-5)
- Mr Bungle - Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo
- John Zorn - Baphomet
- Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville
- Tigran Hamasyan - The Call Within
- Igorrr - Spirituality and Distortion
2. What band did you discover in 2020 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
I’ve played a ton of Secret Chiefs 3 gigs all over the world with my good friend and drummer extraordinaire, Kenny Grohowski. I discovered one of his main projects, Imperial Triumphant this year. They released a killer metal record Alphaville, produced by one of my close friends and frequent music collaborator, Trey Spruance.
3. How will you remember 2020? (In terms of music)
2020 was an extremely brutal year for the survival of independent musicians and creators, but I think this intense struggle has given birth to some of the darkest and most timeless records of our lifetime.
4. What can we look forward to from you in 2021?
Hopefully lots of live shows with Red Fiction to promote our new album Visions of the Void, which came out in November 2020 on John Zorn’s label, Tzadik Records.
5. What records are you looking forward to most in 2021?
I am mostly looking forward to hearing records from bands that are out of my immediate musical realm. I love being surprised by a new band or collaboration. With that said I’m also psyched to hear upcoming releases by The Melvins, Meshuggah, and Henry Threadgill.
6. Trying to put a positive spin on things, what is your favorite development from the global pandemic this year? (Is there a new medium you enjoy, a specific song or collaboration, personal news, etc. that was a bright spot?)
I fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine in 2020 by releasing my new record on John Zorn’s label. He was one of my earliest musical heroes and has been a huge source of inspiration for me throughout my life. To have Zorn embrace my music and stand behind it was definitely a high point for me this year.
