Artist Interviews Hausu Mountain Records Interview

Doug Kaplan and Max Allison run the Chicago-based experimental record label Hausu Mountain. They talked with Features Department Co-Director Mick R about the origins of the label, what kinds of artists they like to work with, their opinions on psychedelic music, and their unique approach to avant-garde art. 

Featured Tracks (in order of appearance): 

"Steam Room Sauna Holla" by Sharkula x Mukqs

"Help Desk" by Wobbly 

"Rhododendron pt. II" by d'Eon 

"Fungal Abundance" by Prolaps 

You can check out Hausu Mountain's catalog online on their site. 

"[We're interested in] musicians that are able to... convey excitement and fun, but also maintaining a dedication to total experimentalism [and] genre recombination... [T]here's a whole group of people that have just associated experimental music with listening to a fan for an hour... they're just like, 'Peace! I don't want to deal with that. That sounds really, really boring to me.' [W]e want to work with the people that are [experimental] but able to make [it] fun and engaging for musicians and non-musicians alike." - Doug Kaplan

Produced by Mick R. 

Photo Credit: Doug Kaplan & Max Allison 

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Artist Interviews Durand Jones & The Indications Interview

This week, Features contributor Mike Nikolich speaks with Durand Jones, Aaron Frazer, and Blake Rhein of the Bloomington, Indiana-based retro-soul/contemporary R&B group, Durand Jones & The Indications. They talk about their recording process over email due to the pandemic on their new record Private Space, losing power at a recent show at the Vic, and their origins at Indiana University.

"I have favorite moments more than favorite songs, I feel like. For me, I love the end of Private Space. What Ben Kane, the mixing engineer, did in those moments, I close my eyes and I just see all these different kinds of greens and colors swooshing. It's really beautiful. That's my favorite moment on the record it still gives me chills when I got really good headphones on and I'm listening to it."

-Durand Jones

Produced by Mike Nikolich.

Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz

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Artist Interviews Damiana Interview

Natalie Chami of TALSounds and Whitney Johnson of Matchess have joined forces to create the experimental music project Damiana. They spoke with Features Co-Director Mick R about the origins of the band, making their new record Vines, techniques for improvising music, and how they came up with their band's name. 

If I'm having a good improv set usually something happens in that set where it's like, "Oh wow! That  made me curious!" ... Something strange happens, you hear a sound that's unfamiliar, and you're like, "I want to try to keep pursuing that as long as it makes sense." - Whitney Johnson

Vines is out now on Hausu Mountain Records.

Produced by Mick R. 

Photo Credit: Doug Kaplan 

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Artist Interviews Hard Femme Interview

This week, Features contributor Matty G speaks with local artist Jean Cochrane, who performs as Hard Femme. Jean discusses their latest release, A Layer of Topsoil, and how the album was initially conceived as a group effort became a solo project during the pandemic, the effect Chicago has had on their music, and their safer and more relaxed bike route mapping project, Mellow Bike Map.

"I think that can-do ethic with very little investment in local social standing but then also the BMF of the music industry writ large is something that I really respect; that kind of raised me in a sense and it's an ethic I try to pursue." - Jean Cochrane

Produced by Jessi D.

Photo Credit: M Slater

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Artist Interviews Jaimie Branch Interview

Jaimie Branch is an accomplished jazz trumpeter and composer from Long Island, who once upon a time called Chicago home. For this week's episode of the CHIRP Radio Artist Interview Series, Features Co-Director Mick R. caught up with Jaimie to talk about latest album Fly Or Die Live, her connections to Chicago, and how she balances her singing with her trumpet playing on her song "Prayer for Amerikkka pt 1 & 2."

"Music is on the side of beauty. We need to put it into the world however we can." - Jaimie Branch

Fly Or Die Live is available from International Anthem. 

Produced by Mick R. 

Photo Credit: Abdesslam Mirdass 

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