Musician/ Filmmaker:
Espen J. Jorgensen
Gets Candid
Interview By: Ginger Coyote
Espen Jorgensen is a mult-talented filmmaker and musician.. He has done some astounding work not mention all the talented people he has collaborated with .. I was very impressed by his talent.. One of the people that he has worked with is my pal Bill Gould bass player for Faith No More and CEO of Koolarrow Records...So, I decided to interview Espen to find out more about him. I hope that you enjoy the interview...
Punk Globe:
Thanks so much for the interview Espen. Can you give the readers some background on yourself?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Good question. It depends on the day you ask. I direct films, write comics and for some reason make sounds which turns into music. Mute Records released my debut in the sonic world, Soundescapes with Simon Fisher Turner, did a doc about comics called The Sequential Art, where I also worked with Billy Gould, and have released too many albums with Rupert Lally.
Punk Globe:
Where in Norway were you born Espen?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
I grew up in the far north where itīs dark or light 24/7. A great place to go mad.
Punk Globe:
Tell us about growing up in Norway and what got you interested in doing films?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Norwayīs somewhat free. The US which insists on being the land of the free, isn't really, is it? If you can think of it this way: Norwayīs the opposite of the US, in many ways. I grew up between a lake and a forest, which I think is good for a child - to be close to nature. I live in the city now, which is an organism in itself. But to answer your question - film is in many ways the ultimate medium as it combines sound and pictures. You can make really great things, but you can also easily make crap, which draws me to it.
Punk Globe:
Who were some of your favorite filmmakers?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Iīm not sure anymore. Those I thought was onto things has somewhat delivered indifferent productions the last couple of years. But, one canīt always do good things. Weīre only human after all. Besides, Iīve seen less and less films after I started working with film. Same goes with music. But, Kubrick never disappoints.
Punk Globe:
Did you attend film school?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Yes, unfortunately. My intention was not to, but I tried it and it was a waste of time and money. The experiments I did along the way was beneficial though ..luckily.
Punk Globe:
Tell us about your very first film?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
If we skip the shorts and first experiments in film, then the comic book documentary The Sequential Art is my first official film. Iīm not drawn to fiction in film. The “music videos” I do for my music projects are merely an attempt to not do a music video, just make plants dance, people nauseous or unleash epileptic seizure. I might sound malicious, but I find music videos really boring, and Iīm trying not to bore myself to death while working on these, and challenge the viewer, so..
Punk Globe:
At what age did you discover your musical ambitions?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
I had always been tinkering with sound from childhood, but not taking it seriously. I tried to learn how to play certain instruments, but nothing stuck - itīs as if my mind and body just rejects structure, and is more drawn to a jam, an exploration of sound, or meditation in a way. So, from the very beginning and to this day I donīt know how to cover othersī songs because I canīt read notes and really play in a traditional way, and I donīt want to either.
Punk Globe:
Who are your musical influences?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
I might sound like a schmuck here, but - none as Iīve never learnt how to play othersī music. Sure Iīve listened to stuff through the years, but.. Everything I do is intuition, a sort of communication with the tools/instruments I use, sometimes a wish just to hear how a circuit bent toy sounds if I run it through a fuzz pedals with tubes, and from there I develop “something”. Some call it music, Iīm not so sure.
Punk Globe:
What was your first film that you composed the score for?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Iīve never composed a score for a film, but music from Soundescapes was used in Mark Cousinsī film What is this film called Love? This is the same director who did the monumental the Story of Film. Cousins liked two of the tracks, tried to edit certain scenes to our music, and said that they helped solve the edit.
Punk Globe:
You were influenced by Simon Fisher Turner. Tell us about his appeal?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
I wouldnīt say influenced, but I really liked his soundtrack for the beautiful David Lynch produced and Michael Almereyda directed black and white indie film Nadja, which was released in the 90s. When I rediscovered Turner, I heard his music and thought that he could maybe do something with my recordings. And he did. Luckily. Soundescapes consists of 98% of my sounds which he edited, mixed and restructured into songs.
Punk Globe:
Tell the readers about how you finally made contact with him?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
It was the golden days of Myspace. I wasnīt looking for him, but clickedy click and he was there. I sent him a mail including some download links to my recordings and said: I like your way of working, if you ever need any sounds to play with, feel free to use these. And in return he started sending me these songs, which really surprised me.
Punk Globe:
Soundescapes is brilliant tell about it?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Well thank you! Itīs a bastard child. Iīm not sure how to describe it, but it ranges from noise to rave to things that might sounds like a breakbeat take on punk to ambient and dark, disturbing meditation music.
Punk Globe:
Tell the readers about your other collaborations with Fisher Turner?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Thereīs a release on-hold. I have too many other releases with Rupert Lally which I need to get out of the system first, so Iīm afraid we wonīt see that before 2014.
Punk Globe:
You did a documentary about comic books called The Sequential Art. How did that come about?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Iīve always been interested in comics, but felt that people didnīt know enough about comics so I thought Iīd preach the gospel, and focus on more original and personal comics than those you find dressed in spandex. So thereīs everything from Judd Winick who talks about his graphic novel, Pedro & Me, which was about Pedro Zamora, whom he met and befriended during MTVīs the Real World, but also how it was to lose him. Zamora died of AIDS right after the series was finished on the airing. He was an AIDS educator, and the book also focuses on Judd taking over the torch after Pedro on that front. Itīs a great book. Read it if you can. But the doc is also about Sam Kieth, the first artist on Neil Gaimanīs Sandman, who talks about wanting to do more personal stories through comics instead of doing superhero comics. The Spirit creator, Will Eisner gave me possibly his last interview before died, Hopeless Savages artist Christine Norrie talks about her book Cheat, and Thomas Ott takes us into his rather disturbing world/head.
Punk Globe:
You worked with some amazing musicians doing The Sequential Art. Tell us who?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Well first and foremost Bill Gould. I asked if he wanted to contribute with a 20 sec piece, and he wound up scoring 95% of the soundtrack. At first I didnīt think of asking, but he gave me access to the whole Koolarrow Records catalog. Only problem was that most of his bands rock too hard, and thatīs kind of problematic to have in the background of someone talking. In the old trailer you can hear music by Düreforsög, Alexander Hacke and Not from There amongst others from his label. They didnīt make it into the film, but Kultur Shock and Harmful, which Bill released, can be heard in it.
Punk Globe:
How did you meet Bill Gould ?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Bill was actually mixing a Kultur Shock album here in Oslo when I met him - at X-mas time of all things. Itīs hard to not like Bill so we kept in touch after that.
Punk Globe:
Have you worked with Bill on other projects as well?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Yeah, and whatīs interesting is that weīve done various things, and havenīt done anything twice, which is how I prefer to do things. The soundtrack being him doing everything and me only consulting, the Harmful music videos I directed and shot, and the Fugly EP, which was me saying: You want to try something different? Edit my recordings and make music out of it, which he did.
Punk Globe:
Tell us about Fugly ?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Well, itīs another bastard child, isnīt it? Genre and song structure is often defined by my collaborators - Bill, Simon, Rupert - I just record whatever I feel like in the moment, and seldom do a second take. Elsewhere is this odd mix of everything, while Fugly is more in hip hop land with beatboxing and all. I told Bill to baptize the hip hop track as Elsewhere was kind of untouchable in the marketing department, and he came up with Fugly - as in *cough* fucking *cough* ugly.
Punk Globe:
Did it take a long time to arrange schedules and such to get the CD finished?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Actually I wanted to release Fugly as a surprise birthday present to Bill. In other words, I released it behind his back. But Iīve had a pretty non-stop schedule since 2011, when Soundescapes was released. 2012 and 2013 has been worse with a ton of releases with Rupert Lally. 5 EPs/albums, and two more to come this year. I was hoping for a vacation, but it doesnīt look good.
Punk Globe:
How have the reviews been?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Surprisingly very positive. Soundescapes got a few bad reviews, but also some really good ones. I get a kick out of the bad ones though.
Punk Globe:
Tell us about the videos you have done?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Well, every video is different, or at least I try to approach them differently. They need to communicate with the visuals and opposite. I try to focus on the things we take for granted, and set them in a different light.
Punk Globe:
Who are some of the people you have joined forces with?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
I guess we donīt have to introduce Bill, but Simon Fisher Turnerīs been around for a long time - actor, musician, artist - been kicked in the balls by Sid Vicious, starred opposite Robert Mitchum and scored almost all of Derek Jarmanīs films. Rupert Lally is a Brit stranded in Switzerland, who Iīve made most of my albums with. Iīve never met Rupert though. We just make stuff together.
Punk Globe:
I personally think that you and The Floydian Device and Ms. Ligaya make contact. Ms. Ligaya is a filmmaker and The Floydian Device composes music for her films.. Although they are both very talented, as you are and do alot of multi tasking.
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Iīll have to check out their stuff then!
Punk Globe:
Tell the readers a bit about doing Noisense?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Noisense was me taking it a step further - another experiment. I recorded this noisy track with this circuit bent CD player, and gave it to Flattbush guitarist Bradley Walther and to Rupert, I wanted to hear how different their takes would be. The noise track that I recorded, which is also on the EP, is hard to work with, but I think they both did an interesting job - two very different takes.
Punk Globe:
How did you hook up with Robert Lally and Bradley Walther?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Iīve known Bradley longer than Rupert, but Iīve never met them. It was the same case with Simon, but I eventually met him when he did a gig here in Norway. That wasnīt the plan though.
Punk Globe:
Do you have any Internet addresses you would like to share with us?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Well, if one wants to check out the music I did with Mr Lally then head over to www.rupertandespen.com Fuglyīs at http://espenjjorgensen.bandcamp.com/ An abandoned site for some of my work is at www.thesequentialart.com And then you have a bunch of videos at http://vimeo.com/user8728710
Punk Globe:
What is in the future for you Espen?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Actually Iīm trying to cut out music. I havenīt recorded anything in months, and Iīm trying to get these projects out of my life. In September Rupert and I will release an EP with Zorba the Greekīs Lakis Karnezis. A month or two after that Lally and I will release our last album, which is this hybrid rock album. Iīm trying to write more comics, but tend to wind up in them instead. The super talented comic book artist, Kevin Cannon put me, or my alter-ego Espen Fram, in his sequel to Far Arden, Crater XV, which was just released. Thatīs kind of flattering. And I have another film to finish or scrap. Not sure if I want to complete it.
Punk Globe:
What would be your dream collaboration?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Dream collaboration? A duet with the astonishing Ginger Coyote.
Punk Globe:
That alone will get you on the cover of July Punk Globe Espen!! Any words of advice to up and coming filmmakers and composers?
Espen J. Jorgensen:
Yes. Stay away from the music and film biz! I canīt promote those ideas enough. If you want to work within these fields do it for yourself, not to get famous, get rich, or walk down the red carpet, because itīs not very likely that itīll happen. Sorry. Make something meaningful, and you wonīt be sorry.