You might remember a post from a month ago in which I gushed about CGI dog’s single “Kitchen”. A couple weeks ago, the Los Angeles-based musician released “Wish 2”, a propulsive tune with a sticky hook and fuzzed out textures provided in part by a power drill sample. Wanting to dive further into the mind behind the music, I had the opportunity to chat with CGI dog about his process and the people influencing his work.
HotK: You describe your upcoming album as a bridge between your interests in the past year. What are those interests and where does your inspiration to create music come from?
CGI dog: I’ve been really into the uptempo breakbeat sound lately. I think the most important album I’ve thrown myself into in terms of inspiration in the past five years or so has been Primal Scream’s Screamadelica. There’s an exciting, propulsive energy bottled into that record and I find myself trying to think in similar terms. I’ve also been working on some more dance-oriented instrumental songs, and in a couple other areas I’m excited about. In the past I might have thought a bit too hard about keeping some sounds separate from each other, but I’m finding a lot of satisfaction in chasing the demo to the end and seeing where I end up.
I’m very much inspired by friends and the music they are working on. My room mate and Best Picture partner John War has been making some incredible electronic rock songs recently and has his own great album he’s working on. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that his sound is an inspiration for my own music. I have friends up in the Bay Area who host a weekly music and arts party and they are putting out a great record as Brain Cleaner soon. My friend and former room mate Dorvin Borman is also working on a bunch of really lush dream pop songs that I want him to release soon. No shortage of inspiration with such talented friends.
There’s so much value in having a circle of people to support each other and collaborate with. When working with other people, whether as part of Best Picture or when you bring in other musicians for your solo projects, how does your process differ compared to when you’re doing things by yourself?
For my own music I’ll bring in friends to help with a song when I hit a block and am unsure of where to go. I like collaborating, it makes the process more rewarding. I like watching friends interpret and develop ideas and I love reacting to and shaping their contributions. I might give them a little direction if I have something in mind but usually I like to just let them feel it out and trust the process. There’s always something I can work with.
For Best Picture it’s a little different but I’d say the experimental spirit is very much the same. We’re pretty much always on the same page in terms of constructing and shaping songs. Every decision is about what is best for the song, and having worked with John on so many projects since high school it’s rare that we’re not on the wavelength. In fact I can’t really think of a recent time when we disagreed. I think it’s when we start sending songs out to artists or other people that the process changes. We put a lot of trust into our collaborators, and when we send them a song it feels like we’re taking our hands off and giving them the reins. We might give minor notes or make tiny edits in the mix or whatnot but by then the song has its own identity. I think giving your collaborators that freedom for them to make it their own is probably the most important part of that process.
You mentioned in a press release that “Wish 2” survived several setbacks and that it was frustrating keeping it alive. When faced with creative obstacles, how do you determine when it’s best to push through them instead of scrapping a project?
I think stepping away from what you’re working on is a really crucial step in the process. Having that space to forget about a song or project, and having the opportunity to come back to it with a different view is vital to understanding whether it’s worth moving forward with it. There’s been plenty of times when I’ve been very happy with what I’m working on while I’m “in” it, only for me to completely 180 when I return to it after some time. There’s been ideas that I’ve started, have set down, and picked back up years later that make me think “wow this sounds better than I remember.”
And even using that time to start new ideas definitely clarifies whether the other song or project is worth moving forward with, or whether old, unfinished demos would sonically go well with newer ideas. It’s all about allowing yourself to work at the pace you need, and the time to see how the pieces fit.
For sure, sometimes you gotta recognize when you need to give a project, and yourself, some space to breathe. Obviously the story behind each song is different, but how does your songwriting process typically start?
If I’m lucky I might come up with a line or two while I’m starting a song, and that usually helps me later on in the process. But most of the time it happens in stages. I pay closer attention to flow and delivery before I really settle in on lyrics or song meaning. Usually that point comes a bit later, when I’ve had more time to sit with a demo. I’ll record vocals in waves and make changes over time. Maybe a different word here, or re-record a line to hit a better delivery. But I don’t like agonizing over lyrics, overthinking can be a devil.
I’m trying to push myself to write more from experience and to take more risks these days. In the past I’ve been a bit timid in putting myself out there and have relied too much on ambiguity in writing to serve a purpose rather than a message or meaning.
It takes a lot of courage to put any kind of art out into the world, even if it isn’t explicitly personal. Is there a central message or meaning that you want to convey with the album?
The message is always changing and evolving as I’m working on and recording new songs, maybe that is the message? Many of these songs are about moving forward while learning from and letting go of the past. That there’s strength in self-preservation and that we all need to shed a couple layers before we can make way for growth.
Do you have a release date set?
I don’t have a date yet for the album. Lately I’ve been wondering when to release, part of me wants to just keep releasing songs at this pace for a while until I’m happy with where the album is. Currently have about 12 songs either done or near completion, though there’s a couple newer ones I’ve been working on that feel very good and I’d love to complete those and include them as well. But I’m enjoying releasing at least one new song a month for the foreseeable future, maybe two at a time, or an EP before the album. Playing it out right now, but it’ll all lead to the album.
One final question for you, have you watched Call of the Wild, the film starring your namesake?
Not yet! But I have a bit more time on my hands these days so maybe I’ll put it on if it’s online. I have noticed more web ads for it since I started releasing these new songs. I’m praying for our SEO overlords to spare me but I guess I asked for it! Woof.
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Listen to “Kitchen (Crown Mix)” and “Wish 2” below and support the artist by purchasing the songs here.