Cosplay 101

The Japanese love non-standard contractions. Examples include digicam, sekuhara, and, of course, Pokémon. And these are merely the tip of the iceberg.

But what of cosplay? At its core it is a simple combination of the words “costume” and “play,” and yet at its heart it is so much more. The phenomenon is both a thriving sub-culture in Japan and abroad. It’s like some wondrous cult, where adherents can’t help but gush about its simple majesty while those of us on the outside stare slack-jawed and shift our weight uncomfortably.

Deeper still lies the fact that cosplay is, perhaps, the nerdiest of endeavors. It effortlessly combines tried and true geek elements from across the board. It’s one part roleplaying, one part collecting, one part DYI work ethic, and a healthy splash of alcohol mixed together with good, old fashioned nerdly obsession.

While I am, to put it bluntly, teh cosplay n00b, I just so happen to have at my disposal two excellent examples of its North American proponents. While participating in their earlier Q&A session with Hipster, please!, Karl Olson and Rai Kamishiro were nice enough to take on a few extra questions concerning the fine art of cosplay.

Drink the Kool-Aid and read on.

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For the uninitiated, would you care to give a little overview of cosplay?

Karl: Dressing up as a particular character from something, and that "something" can be anything from a book to a video game, and anything in between.

How long have you been interested in cosplay?

Rai: Since I was tiny sized reptilian, but actively involved in it since middle school. First cosplay was as Ash from Pop'n Music in Japan, and as Goku from Saiyuki in the US.

How competitive is cosplay culture? Is there a lot of camaraderie between cosplayers, or is it more a game of one-upmanship?

Rai: As much as nerdcore is competitive, I would say. There's a lot of people in it for the fun, and a lot of people in it for the attention. There's a fine line between gushing about someone's character and competing with them though. Prolly less "I did you one" feelings in nerdcore, but it can be a battlefield out there.

I've gotten people that have cosplayed the same character as me from Gintama being so awesome about it that the whole group ended up going for parfaits, Taiwanese cosplayers loving my orange Agito (AX, the only place aside from Tokyo Big site that you'll find four flavors of Agito....) and I've had Shonen Bats challenge me to skate battles.

Bent their fucking bats, too.

What's the biggest cosplay event you've ever attended?

Karl: Well, I don't think I've ever attended an event that was strictly about cosplay, but the biggest event I've attended that has cosplay at it was probably Anime Expo. The final attendance for that event was well over 40,000 people, and I'd say about 1/5 of the people there were cosplaying.

The bulk of cosplay focuses on emulating the looks of anime, manga, or video game characters. Can you cosplay outside these bounds? Could I cosplay as, for instance, Harry Potter or James Bond?

Rai: Of course. A mild hobby of mine for a while was going to movie screenings cosplaying as a movie character. I also had much funs cosplaying Kenny from South Park.

he he he, only since I've done Willy Wonka (Chocolate factory) and Viktor (Corpse Bride).

Karl: Considering that I've seen a lot of Harry Potters, Legolases and Capt. Jack Sparrows at anime cons, sure. Granted, there is a lot of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean doujinshi (fan comics,) but if we're using doujinshi as a guide for cosplay, then everything from Star Trek to the band Aerosmith is fair game. Besides, I think it's ultimately quality that counts.

How acceptable is it to cosplay as a character of the opposite sex? Could I, for example, cosplay as Tootie from The Facts of Life?

Rai: Er, cosplay would not exist if not for crossdressing Japanese school girls.

Seriously.

I've not yet cosplayed a normal female character. Did Guu from Jungle wa itsumo Hare nochi Guu, but it's questionable if Guu is a human shaped entity much less female. Rai's list has been all sorts of mostly male characters, like Sephiroth, Byakuya, Edward Elric, L, Genjyou Sanzo, Kurogane, Shonen Bat, Sakata Gintoki, Agito, Kenny, and Ichigo (In goth-loli) just to name a few.

There's a lot of (in)famous crossplayers out there; perhaps Rai will be one some day.

Karl: This gets back into quality. If you can convincingly crossplay, most people don't have an issue with it. It's the Man-Faye type stuff that is sort of unsettling (though to be fair, Man-Faye is very nice fellow.) Actually, the guys who go the kigurumi (with the full masks made to look like a given anime character,) can be outstandingly creepy in a way, but they usually do a great job of looking like the character. It's just a very jarring visual at points.

Many cosplay costumes are quite elaborate. Is cosplay an expensive hobby?

Karl: Depends on who/what you're cosplaying. If you're cosplaying a Gundam or Transformer with custom molded armor and electroluminescent lighting all over the place, that can be immensely expensive. On the flipside, there are characters that can be done with very plain clothes and right haircut.

How does cosplay relate to Japanese Gothic Lolita culture?

Rai: Mildly, [though] a lot of lines are blurred as one emulates the other, but often the cultures themselves are completely different. A cosplayer's aesthetics as a gothic lolita might differ highly from the mindset of when they cosplay. Cosplay is more appreciation/emulation, and gothic lolita is more expression/synthesis.

What’s more important to pulling off a great cosplay: the right costume or the right attitude?

Rai: Yes.

On one hand, y'can't just be a whole asshole about the thing. I've had cosplayers so cliquish I've wanted to go about ripping some brightly colored wigs, but you can't go in to it with a T-shirt that says "School girl B" and expect people to worship you either. I've had more fun with a dashed together Gintama group than with a polished FF [VII] group, but being told you're the only Bishy Byakuya seen in the biggest convention in America from a ridiculously cute Rukia has its ego stroking merits. And how my ego was stroked.

(Of course the fact that the very same little sister character told me later that I was totally having my ass uke'ed by the Renji I was trooping with was another ego matter entirely.)

Karl: The right costume obviously helps, but you can sell a less than perfect costume if back that up with the attitude.

What are your personal favorite characters to cosplay?

Karl: Well, since I'm usually press at most events I attend where cosplay is going on, I like characters who have relatively plain clothes and hair color close to mine, so I can cosplay without looking unprofessional. You might think that people wouldn't recognize that I'm cosplaying as such, but when some knows a show, they'll pick you out of a crowd no problem. I know I want to cosplay some of the characters from Honey And Clover as such, because it's a very realistic but funny slice of life series about art college students, and thus their are a number of characters in plain but distinct clothes that I could cosplay. Beyond that I really love that show, so there is a definite emotional connection too.

Rai: I had too much fun beating people as Shonen Bat.

Rai with sadistic tendancies? No, only when people are asking for beanings in the head by my golden bat. And what “thunks” they made, too.

Sephiroth was fun for a while, but dealing with obsessive (read: offering to rape in bushes) fangirls and toting a sword bigger than I was got old after a while.

Ed was fun, especially hanging with his English VA, but again, the fangirls. (This time in Shota flavor!)

Kenny was a blast just for the death scenes, and L had people offering to sign my death note.

What is the strangest or most elaborate cosplay costume you've ever seen?

Karl: Probably the people who cosplay convincingly as giant robots. The level of detail that can go into those costumes is crazy. Some of the Elegant Gothic Lolita cosplay is very impressive too, especially when they are replicating a style from a given magazine without buying anything off the shelf.

Rai: Hmmm, a glow in the dark light up freyja from FF. Made of the \/\/-|-|\|.

Strangest has got to be the two Hard Gays (actually a Japanese comedian) that showed [up] to AX.

Would you consider members of the Society for Creative Anachronism or other such groups dedicated to historical recreations cosplayers?

Karl: In an odd way, yeah. I mean, it's the same mindset at the very least - you're dressing up as someone and you're out to have fun.

In what ways do American cosplayers differ from their Japanese counterparts?

Rai: Hmm, less personal Moe involved. A lot of American cosplayers take it so personal that they have a hard time talking about their character, but a lot of J-region cosplayers I know will rant about the Moe or talk with me about pairings of their character since they have 25-35 events a year they can go to, instead of one or two a year. It's awesome to see someone portray their characters well, like a Zoro and Usopp I met two years ago at Sakura Con who looked good and acted extremely perfectly in their parts, but it's also fun to talk with a Agito about how you don't like the IkkixAgito semi-cannon pairing in the series, but could totally go for a AkitoxKaitoxAgito without them thinking you're going to stalk them and find you some bushes.

Halloween is just around the corner. Any tips for folks looking to give cosplay a try?

Karl: If you have big costume ideas, start now, and get ready to lose sleep if you don't. Beyond that, there are a million simple cosplays that can be done with just buying the right clothes, the right wig, the right accessories, and a little bit of sewing.

Rai: Enjoy the self. Don't get pissed if people don't know who you are. Even the King of All Cosmos gets drunk and trashes the universe, but only do that if you've got a 5cm tall kid that loves you enough to rebuild it. It's about your moe for the character, not other people's envisioning of it. School girls, avoid the tentacles. All their candy are belong to us.

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And there you have it: the skinny on cosplay from two individuals who have paid their otaku dues. For more information on the cosplay phenomenon, check out your local library… Okay, that may actually be a bit of a stretch, but there are an abundant number of online resources that can be employed to such an end.

I would like to take a moment to thank both Karl and Rai for helping me put this feature together. Their input was invaluable and their exuberance palpable. I sincerely hope that those of you who, like me, were a little ignorant as to the concept of cosplay now find yourselves enlightened. At the very least, I hope you can appreciate the fact that I was able to connect cosplay with seminal 1980's situation comedy The Facts of Life. I aim to please.

By my calculations, you still have more than 72 hours to put this new knowledge to effective use. Tarry not, for Halloween waits for no man!

BoCon 2006

Greetings, my loyal nerdy constituents.

I am, at present, putting the final touches on my third October feature, but I wanted to take a moment to hip anyone in the Boise area to a little gig news that you may be unaware of.

This weekend, BoCon 2006 will be held at the Visual Arts Collective, and the Saturday night show will feature nerdcore superheroes MC Plus+, MC Router, and Beefy. For those not in the know, BoCon is an open-source cultural event. In this sense, open-source refers not only to software, but also to music, art, and digital works in general. The main focus of the con is “to demonstrate how creative individuals can build successful careers through collaboration and sharing.”

That’s an idea that I can definitely get behind, and I imagine many of you can as well. So, if you happen to be in the area, why not check out BoCon. And if you do, give lots of love to Beefy, Plus+, and Router.

On zombies

This Saturday, Shaun of the Dead will make its network premiere on Comedy Central. Even if you’ve seen the film in its original, unedited form, you should still be there to catch it in all of its f-bomb redacted glory. If you have yet to watch this cinematic masterpiece: what the fuck is wrong with you?

I’ve made no secret my abhorrence of the undead. I don’t like ‘em, and I don’t trust ‘em. For other such zombiphobics in our ranks, this film stands as an excellent training tool. It teaches valuable lessons such as:

• During an impending zombie holocaust, ensure that your cell phone is set to vibrate.
• The local pub? Not such a good place to hideout.
• Don’t say the zed word.
• And, perhaps most importantly, David is a cunt who deserves to be eaten alive.

For the keen observer, there are a lot of little jewels to be gleaned from zombies in the media.

Max Brooks’s Zombie Survival Guide is an invaluable resource; not only is it a good read, but it also espouses the mantra “Organize before they rise!” Truer words were never spoken.

Likewise, Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore’s ongoing comic series The Walking Dead also gives some important tips concerning the undead. Foremost among them? Atlanta is a deathtrap. You aint’ gotta tell me twice.

Text-based MMORPG Urban Dead gives a fair overview of life in a zombie-infested wasteland. Special attention is to be paid to looting. Romero and Dead Rising were right; the mall is a treasure trove of zombie repelling goodies.

Speaking of gaming, you might also consider playing a little Resident Evil to sharpen your combat, critical thinking, and asinine puzzle solving skills. It may be important to note that, in addition to the valuable zombie avoidance exercises touted by earlier entries, Resident Evil 4 also surreptitiously teaches you how to deal with testy Spaniards.

So there you go. Armed with the knowledge provided via these pop culture outlets, I now loose you all into a world on the brink of disaster. Sure we’ve got all this hype about flu pandemics and WMDs on the news, but where’s the talk about the darkness at the edge of town? Where are the warnings to avoid cemeteries and to bar your windows? Where are the PSAs about being sure to “cut off the head or destroy the brain?”

Nowhere.

If figures.

The zombie's two favorite meals? The slow and the uneducated.

Stepping on Tokyo

When recently pressed for a more detailed bio, J-nerdcore artist Rai quoted from an essay she wrote in third grade, reading:

"It is sunny today. Granma makes yummy food. I do not have many friends, but Grandma says that people can change if they want to. I want to be Mecha Godzilla when I grow up."

The thing that preyed on my mind as I set forth in interviewing Rai was the nagging feeling that nothing I wrote could possibly be more entertaining than that particular missive. I simply couldn’t fathom that I, with my limited writing acumen, would ever be able to explain to you the thoughts and motivations of this artist in any more charming or accurate terms.

What I failed to include in this equation, however, was the unique brand of energy that Rai herself would bring to the proceedings.

The following may well provide you with the answers you seek concerning the mysterious artist, but it’s much more likely that those that are rectified will be summarily replaced by more questions. Rai Kamishiro is an enigma wrapped in a riddle tied up in a kimono and encased in that inexplicable alloy “Space Titanium.”

She is Mecha-Godzilla. Hear her roar.

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As a life-long monster movie fan, I feel obligated to ask: Are you really Mecha-Godzilla? ;)

Of course I am. GYAOOOOO! You doubt the reptilian roaring of the almighty Mecha-Godzilla? Can you not hear the mecha-feet kicking down your door?

You originally hail from Kyushu, Japan but you currently live in Bellevue. What brought you to the states, and how long have you lived in Washington?

My parents moving over pretty much dictated my moving over to America. Stepping on one too many building may have something to do with it too, but I choose to believe it was military orders for THEM that got us sent over to the USA. I've been a Washington reptile for about 4-5 years now.

What drew you to nerdcore and how long have you been interested in the genre?

One of my roommates back in boarding school used to wake me up with either Bad Religion/Alkaline Trio or mc chris. I didn't know much about nerdcore then, but I still remember that “Ratz” was ingrained in my brain for a good six months. I was more rock/punk/gothloli centered until Ultraklystron suggested I do nerdcore.

You took part in the “Night of Nerdcore” gig that took place after this year’s Penny Arcade Expo at The Shark Club. Was this your first performance as a nerdcore artist?

It wasn't my first performance as a vocalist, but it was the first as in nerdcore. It was odd not having a band behind me, but I suppose I'll get used to it. I heard “Kill Dash Nine” live, and it had a lot more impact live. Seeing Karl meltdown on stage before me was a little nerve-racking, but luckily by the time I had to worry about performing “Sleeping Forest” live, I was done with the first verse.

So you’ve preformed as a vocalist before? What kind of music did you write and/or perform before turning to nerdcore?

Mostly in a cover band. Was fun, like Giant Karaoke. I wrote more rock-esque songs, although I did record a game theme song with my cousin for a tiny game her friend's brother was making. I didn't hear much of it, but 2 to 1 (with my luck, at least) is was a H-game.

You work closely with Karl “Ultraklystron” Olson. Are there any other nerdcore artists with whom you’d like to collaborate?

Heee. Lots. I heart Baddd Spellah, and I've always wished for a set of male vocal cords thanks to MC Frontalot. Nursehella's songs make me giggle in happiness, and I think the most irritating thing about having to go home early/not being allowed in the Nerdcore Night club for long was not getting to hear the Futuristic Sex Robotz live. I have a few people I'm talking to about specific collaborations, but I'm always open to the opportunity to make music with other nerd shaped peoples.

You’ve faced criticism because of the eastern (J-rap) style of your Rhyme Torrents contributions as well as the foreign language element. Were you surprised by the reaction of those who thought Rai’s music was not “nerdcore enough”?

Not really. I've dealt with cosplayers, doll owners, anime elitists, racial purebloods, gothic lolitas, and your standard all around racists. Fuck 'em. I've noticed that some nerds are the hardcore elitists they rap about being shunned by, and it's fucking ridiculous.

It's too easy for people to shrug off my music for not being nerdstuff because it's in Japanese. But that's not for them to decide, is it?

I think that a lot of nerdlings need to realize that there's more to being a nerd than computers, MMORPGs, and coding. I fail to see the logic in someone bashing me for their own failings in reading the translation, micromanaging what makes a nerd nerdy, or trying too hard to look up my frilly skirt to keep up with the words. A lot of nerd culture is about one-upping someone while putting others down, and I refuse to play with others since I'm a hikikomori.

To the average Japanese snack human, cute Jpop and Idol Seiyuu style music has to be the most socially unacceptable aspects of Japanese nerd culture, and I find nerdcore artists trying to be the equivalent of gangsta genius fucking stupid. I love hiphop, but I have to laugh at nerdlings rapping about beating down and popping caps. And leave my wigs alone too. I need them for cosplay.

What is it about Rai and her music that makes her so nerdcore?

My motherfucking figure collection. Seriously. I could sit here and list all the nerdy activities I participate in, but the debate will go on, but all arguments in nerdcore either explode or implode, and the only destruction I get paid for is stepping on Tokyo. The fact that I've made two songs and counting on my next album devoted to respectively the candy rolling level on Katamari Damacy 2 and ABJDs, made more references to Oh! Great! and Ichi the Killer than anyone cares to count shouldn't mean anything to people who don't think of me as nerdcore. If they've made up their minds in saying I'm not nerdcore because I'm Japanese, all the power to them; I've got doll clothes to sew.

Ok, I have to ask: just how big is your figure collection?

Er, lots of Bleach, lots of Tsubasa, surprising amount of Naruto, Mecha Girls, Rozen Maiden, some Berserk, and hidden Kabuki froggies, with Kaneda attempting to lord over it all. If you include the dolls, I guess I have about 1400~1600 USD worth of plastics?

Damn. That’s a lotta toys!

You have a new album in the works. Have you settled on a title?

...No... Rocket Punch maybe. I liked Air Gear enough to nab Sleeping Forest for a song title, maybe for the album? I suspect I'll think about it when it's wrapped up and I can listen to the thing all the way through.

When do you expect the album to be finished?

Hopefully sometime in October. It mostly depends on when Karl has time free, so it's hard for me to say.

Do “Sunny Sunny Sunday” and “Big Lie” (your Rhyme Torrents tracks) give a fair indication of the style of your newer work, or will we be surprised by different tones and sounds?

....I'm hoping it'll sound a lot different. “Sleeping Forest” has some serious R&B roots compared to anything else, and “Lv.1” and “Shinjuku Holocast” will be defiantly surprising. “Mechanical World” will be borderline, but “Lemon Sherbet” and “Blueberry Garden” are more poppish than the others.

What are your musical influences?

They vary from what I happen to be into; right now I heart m-flo like no other, but when I started nerdcore I leaned more towards HALCALI and Rhymster. The first rap music I actually loved was by an artist/group that made music for Konami called Des-Row. They were the awesome, and I demand you go play DDR Extreme 2 now just so you can hear DAIKENKAI (Y'know, that one song in kanji that no one can read.)

Ah! That song! ;)

Your lyrics are full of references to otaku culture. How long have you been interested in anime?

Lessee, coming home from middle school everyday, I watched this kids show centered around a samurai robot, then Ranma afterwards, so yeah, Rai was brainwashed at a young age. Not to mention watching Akira late at night when I was too young to think anything but "Hey, that guy explodeded!"

Rai is an obsessive Otaku in some of the weirdest ways; don't even get me started on my Gundam-kit style BJD dolls. Anything that you can pop the head cap off and change the eyes of has got to be cool.

I kinda get a lot of people telling me I'm not an "Otaku" because I'm female and don't look like Densha or the Akihabara denizens, but I blame it on the school girl DNA and try and bat off the Cuthuluites. (Hey, how was I supposed to know that both Taimashi AND Eko Eko Azarak were based off of Lovecraft?)

I think it all comes down to the simple fact that Cosplay owns my soul.

Do you think that your love of anime and your interest in nerdcore work well together?

I think it does. I've gotten a lot of comments that anime isn't quite nerdcore, but the fact that the sci-fi conventions are dead and rotting compared to the ani-cons we've got out here says something. Anime is a great love of mine, so at this point there's going to be more anime references than anything, but I'm edging towards rapping about my love of BJDs, cosplay culture and Bellevue (Living in downtown Bellevue has enough WTF moments to fill two CDS XD.), and stuff that I think is nerdy, but not quite anime or, depending on who you ask, isn't nerdcore.

You’ve stated before that you get paid money to play Xbox 360 games. How did you end up with such a fantastic job?

Craigslist.

Seriously.

I heart my job.

Do you expect the 360 to reign victorious at the conclusion of the next-gen console wars?

Yes. With all the titles coming out in for the holidays and planned for the next year, the Playstation will be fucking eaten by the 360. The XBOX has always had better graphics and game play than PS2, it's just been the lack of games that held it back. With titles like Dead Rising, Ninety-Nine Nights, Tenchu Senran, Phantasy Star Universe, not to mention Blue Dragon (Or the stuff I can't talk about). XBOX shall rise supreme against the false king of Sony and their UFO controllers!

Seriously guys, it's fucking awesome.

The 360 has reportedly floundered in the Japanese marketplace. To what do you ascribe this lack of interest on the part of the Japanese gamers?

Timing and a vast misconception of what Japanese gamers will buy. With time it'll get there. With the mass of games coming out with the release of the PS3, I believe that a lot of them are what it'll take to persuade someone to go out and buy a 360 rather than a PS3.

What kind of nerd is Rai?

Orange flavored with a side of soufflé. I'm a Dolly obsessing manga collecting huge boots wearing Agito coat flailing, rollerblading, torrent mongering, sleep deprived resin lusting 2-D conning Baby the Stars shine Mutha loving BRIGHT obsessive ota-stinking gingerbread shaped invisible man.

In closing, could you briefly summarize what fans of nerdcore need to know about Rai?

Mecha Godzilla for the win!
Eat your cookies children!
Music = LoveXPeace

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We nerds are a beautifully diverse tribe. Such is our greatest strength. At the same time, it often proves to be our undoing. The important thing to remember, however, is that way you geek out – whether it be with comics, video games, anime, stamp collecting, model cars, baseball, motor scooters, modernist literature, or bottle caps – is secondary to the simple fact that you geek out. Sometimes, one among our number may get her geek on in a new and exciting manner, in a way different from both those who came before and most who will follow. I feel Rai is an excellent example of this.

Rai is certainly the least “established” of the nerd musicians I’ve had the pleasure to talk to. And yet, by the same token, she espouses the same spirit, the same level of self-awareness and self-acceptance, the same blissful eccentricity. Okay, probably more eccentricity, but you get the idea.

J-nerdcore isn’t even a genre as such; it is more a mechanism to describe the manner in which a particular artist combines her enjoyment of music with her love of a culture. But the name is unimportant. The label insignificant. The style secondary. It’s the heart of the geek experience, that boundless energy and ceaseless devotion to whatever it is that really drives you, that makes the nerd. And Rai has nerd energy to spare.

Weekend update

There aren’t many things that will get me blogging on the weekend. Generally speaking, I have a lot of cereal to ingest, a lot of Noggin to watch with my boy, and a lot of housework to half-ass my way through while the wife’s at work. A man has to have his principles. But some things will make me break this particular taboo.

Today I will cover two such items. Afterwards I will resume my regularly scheduled sloth:

The Beefy/Snyder track that I mentioned in my previous post has made its way to Song Fight!, and I humbly suggest that you all vote for it in this round. As a rule, nerdcore generally triumphs in confrontations such as this, but don’t simply trust the outcome to the fates. For many of you this is, perhaps, the only vote that you’ll have the opportunity to cast that actually counts for something. Don’t squander.

Let me preface this next item by saying that I’ve never been one to root for the home team. I seldom let geographic proximity influence which pony I pick. Both Beefy and DJ Snyder, for example, live a fuck-zillion miles away in the hinterlands of Ye Olde West Coast, but I give them mad love because they deserve it.

Still, since the Carolinas have no nerdcore of which to speak; I do have a vested interest in my brothers and sisters from the state of Florida. In addition to being very talented they are also completely fucking insane, as demonstrated through the following clip. Observe as MC Wreckshin and Fanatical shoot an impromptu video for a cover of Mindless Self Indulgence’s “Faggot” in a local Wal-Mart. Pay close attention to their balls, which are apparently huge and made of cast-iron. (Oh, and Fanatical’s are figurative, not hidden beneath her Rainbow Brite dress.)

Nerd news in brief

There are some things that are going on. Believe it. Even now things are occurring. Some of these things are nerd related. I shit you not! Here I will mention some of them briefly. Thus the title of this post.

• This weekend, Optimus Rhyme and MC Frontalot begin their fall mini-tour. This is, of course, not to be confused with the dreaded "Fall Minotaur." The former takes place in Cambridge MA, NYC, and DC and features Shael Riley and Doug Powell. The latter roams the wilds of northwestern Washington state and eats children.
• Beefy and DJ Snyder have once again joined forces in the name of a Song Fight! The track is a triumph of awesomeness. Don’t believe me? See (hear) for yourself!
• This month marked the notable death of an American rock ‘n’ roll landmark. CBGBs, legendary Bowery rock ‘n’ roll club, closed its doors for real on the 15th. This should disturb you not merely as music lovers but also as nerds, as geeky art-rockers Talking Heads cut their teeth at the venue.
• Another unfortunate passing this month is that of video game developer Clover Studios. Last week it was announced that Capcom will completely dissolve the studio early next year.
• Good news for the non-athletes among us: it appears as though our ranks will swell in future generations, as age-old playground activities are being banned from schools nation-wide. This shouldn’t be a problem, as American youth are renowned for their level of physical activity and svelte physiques.
• And lastly, in case you missed it, here’s last Friday’s Foxtrot comic. It is of particular relevance to our people:

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 9: It Was a Dork and Stormy Night

Modern life can be scary. Even perfectly natural things (like parenting) can send one spiraling into a pit of ultimate darkness. My beloved son, for example, has recently been relegated to the role of plague-bringer in our household. It seems like he introduces some new pathogen to our family nigh every week. Yes, daycare has turned him into our own little Outbreak monkey.

What I’m getting at here is that I am perpetually catching or recovering from some horrible disease. This week is no different. You may notice that, during my interludes in this particular podcast, I sound a bit phlegmy, a bit congested, a bit “snuffled up.” Of course, it’s much more likely that you’ll simply think I sound even more rural than usual. For this I apologize.

Musically, this episode is similar to the previous installment. This should come as no surprise. I had a lot of fun putting together song lists for both parts of this year’s Halloween Crap-tacular, and I can honestly say that I am giving serious thought to other seasonally-themed episodes. Of course, I’m not sure how well other holiday music will fit into the whole “nerd appeal” aesthetic of my podcast. Is Arbor Day nerdy? What about Flag Day?

Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 9: It Was a Dork and Stormy Night Size: 43.8 MB Running Time 47:51

Intro: The Damned – “Smash it Up (Parts 1 and 2)”

I think that punk rock is easily relatable to nerd music, and I’m not just talking Elvis Costello. Both speak to and for the marginalized masses. Goth, on the other, is just plain nerdy. I’m serious, people. Goths are just nerds with black nail polish.

Z’s 1^st Interlude: “I doubt it’ll take.”

I go out of my way to pull in not only music that is blatantly nerdy, but also stuff that is more furtively so. I think a lot of the songs featured in this episode qualify as the latter.

Track 1: Sesame Street dialogue / virt – “What a Horrible Night” / DJ Chrono “Simon’s Symphony”

What better way to start a subset of orchestral ReMixes than with a clip from “Monsterpiece Theatre?”

Track 2: Lost Boys dialogue / Shelley Stuart and the Five Stars – “Vampire Husband”

In the 1950’s and 60’s, you could pay a nominal fee to have your poem set to music by “professional” musicians. This is a surviving relic of our nerdy, creepy past.

Track 3: Dracula dialogue / Pilchard – “Belalugarage is Dead” / more Dracula dialogue

I’ve been looking for a mash-up of “Bela Lugosi is Dead” by Bauhaus for ages. Little did I realize I already had one, compliments of Son of Monster Mash-up.

Track 4: Shael Riley – “Technomancy”

I failed to remind you that Shael will be opening for MC Frontalot and Optimus Rhyme this Saturday at Crash Mansion. Shame on me!

Z’s 2^nd Interlude: “Naked, septuagenarian Satanists”

I understand that Rosemary’s Baby is supposed to be scary, but naked, devil-worshipping retirees are just so non-threatening. And wrinkly.

Track 5: MCeeP – “Somebody’s Watching Me” / X-files Theme

I sometimes feel I don’t do enough to promote newer nerdcore acts on my podcast. MCeeP managed to take a notably crappy song by Berry Gordy’s kid and make it fun. Major props to him for that.

Track 6: Ghostbusters dialogue / Don loves you – “Don't cross tehstreams!!11”

Ray Parker Jr. vs. Skee-lo. Thanks again, Son of Monster Mash-up!

Track 7: Fanatical – “Mad Science” / Oingo Boingo – “Weird Science” / Goofy science film strip

Fanatical is another excellent nerdcore up-and-comer. I would like to formally apologize to her for what I did to her song with this mix. Sorry, Fanatical. :(

Track 8: essexboy – “Freaky Teethbusters”

I hope this wasn’t Ghostbusters mash-up overkill.

Track 9: Nightmare on Elm Street dialogue / DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince – “Nightmare on My Street”

Listen closely as a Will Smith exposes us to those paltry acting chops that have had us all disinterested in everything he’s done that wasn’t “Six Degrees of Separation.” On a side not, why does Will’s alarm clock go off at three in the morning? It’s a mystery!

Z’s Final Interlude: “Except for MCDJ.”

MCDJ was nice enough to remind me about the Bride of Monster Mash-up compilation. We both downloaded it and talked a bit about our favorite tracks. He did not approve of “Highway Reaper.”

Track 10: Divide & Kreate – “Highway Reaper”

Marit Bergman is the Swedish songstress covering “Highway to Hell.” Just in case you were wondering.

Bonus: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Once More, with Feeling OST – “What You Feel Reprise”

I was a big fan of Buffy. Even the weird episodes where folks spontaneously burst into song or didn’t speak at all.

That’s it for the Halloween Crap-tacular. I hope you had at least half as much fun listening to it as I did putting it together. A quarter of the fun? Fuck it! I hope that listening to this podcast did not cause you physical pain and bowel incontinence. Sometimes it pays to aim low. Feel free to share your thoughts, song suggestions, and costume ideas. Have a safe, enjoyable, and liquor-soaked Halloween, everybody!

When life gives you turds

While I’m sure it’s a memory that most would just as soon forget, the subject of Wired magazine’s less than stellar article on nerdcore has again become a topic of discussion. Though the community as a whole was (characteristically) divided as to exactly how offended to be at Wired’s lackadaisical coverage of the Rhyme Torrents compilation and the genre in general, it was commonly agreed that the magazine A) had a skewed perspective concerning nerdcore from the get-go and B) did nothing in the way of research (read: listening to the songs and reading the abundant artist info already provided) to rectify that pre-conceived notion. Worst of all was the simple fact that the item really did nothing but cast caricatures, both literally and figuratively, of most of that handful of artists it chose to spotlight.

Never one to let her objections go unnoticed, MC Router was at the forefront of those who most fervently criticized the piece. And now, some four months later, Router has elected to restate her arguments in verse.

I downloaded “Unwired” from her MySpace and listened to it a few times. I immediately liked it, but there was something about it that struck me as – to pin a name on it – odd. The fact that, rather than working solely with her 1GB band-mate Tbyte, Router had chosen another pair of coconspirators was interesting, but certainly not unheard of. And even the fact that this duo consisted of Beefy and Benjamin Bear, artists who have exchanged unfriendly words on a number of occasions, was fascinating in itself, but still not the true peculiarity of the song.

It wasn’t until my fifth or sixth listen that I realized what was so amazing about the track had less to do with who made it and more to do with what was made.

“Unwired” is so drenched in emotion that it is (whether you agree with the sentiment or not) undeniable. Benjamin Bear’s production is an eerie stew of nearly harsh glitch-hop and comically sarcastic voiceovers that seems to simultaneously compliment and play against both MCs. Beefy, for the first time to my recollection, manages to sound legitimately, fiercely angry – and this, I would like to remind you, is a man who once ended a diss track with the phrase “have a wonderful day.” And Router, no stranger to anger and angst, sounds positively indignant and utterly self-indulgent. Her writing is acrid and her flow is quick and careening. Even the quality of her multi-tracked vocals gives the indication that there is not one but dozens of individuals MC Routers on the mic; all of them pissed!

In the end, it’s the fact that this song is a high-water mark for all the artists involved that speaks to me. It’s that irritation and disappointment and, yes, maybe even a little egotism are so sharply honed that makes me, as a listener, take note. Rather than continue simply complaining about something they disliked, each of these three musicians harnessed their emotions into song, because that’s what they do best, and I commend them all.

For me, at least, this song stands out as a prime example of not only harnessing one’s feelings into music, but of taking a negative and making out of it something remarkable.

What’s that old saying? Something about how if life gives you turds you make… poop juice? Something like that. I forget.

The bald and the beautiful

While western New York is buried under a metric shit-ton of October snow, Manhattan is hot and getting hotter as we approach next weekend’s MC Frontalot/Optimus Rhyme show at Crash Mansion. And it’s a good thing too, as Front, OR’s Wheelie Cyberman, and show opener Shael Riley are each undeniably bald. Coincidence? I think not! I hypothesize that the sheer levels of their respective rockitude inhibit the growth of hair. That or they’re in some sort of cult. Either way, it is a show not to be missed.

Unless of course, you live in a remote, god-forsaken locale like myself. Down here we have more pressing problems than freakish snowfall and the soul-shaking crush of follicly-challenged MCs.

Goddamn ninjas!

How I Feel

If you were (for whatever perverse, irrational, heretofore unexplainable reason) to chart the ever-present and torrential beefs between members of the nerdcore scene, I can say with some certainty that the name “Ultraklystron” would not appear in the list of offenders. However, if you were to ask any member of the nerdcore community with whom he’d like to write, to collaborate, to perform, or to meet for an afternoon bubble tea, that same name would easily top the list.

Karl R. Olson (Ultraklystron’s other moniker) has long since established his name among the nerdcore faithful. He is a man who both possesses such a staggering cache of geek cred and obscure knowledge as to seem the unapproachable uber-nerd, yet remains perhaps the most humble, down-to-earth artist in all of nerdcore. His strong production, well-paced flow, and intricate lyricism easily win over fans, even those who, like me, have only the most rudimentary understanding of the otaku culture which he so celebrates. Whether you spend your nights locked in the basements making your own fansubs or are aghast to discover that Robotech was, in fact, cobbled together from three entirely different Japanese series, Karl’s earworms will wriggle their way into your iPod and your subconscious.

When I approached Ultraklystron for an interview, I was greeted with the exact kind of warm enthusiasm that I expected from such a personable artist. Yet I was still surprised by Karl’s simple charm and the unflinching honesty with which he approached each question. When an artist tells you what he thinks, it is par for the course, as music (for most) is itself about the communication of personal thought and philosophy. But when an artist tells you what he feels? Well, those words are true gems.

Read on to learn more about nerdcore’s foremost otaku, what makes him tick, his feelings concerning the current musical climate, and what he truly thinks about the future of the scene.

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While you MC under the name Ultraklystron, you generally refer to yourself simply as Karl. This sets you apart from many other nerdcore rappers who seem to use their stage names almost exclusively. Is Ultraklystron merely a name you've given to your "stage presence" or is he an integral part of Karl Olson?

It's basically an artist name, something to allow me to create a little distance between myself and the music I make, so I can write some songs that aren't really about me - it's not quite the level multiplicity between say "Eminem," "Slim Shady" and Marshall Mathers, but to an extent it means I can rap with a certain degree of fiction in it - I don't always have to be me, though when I'm not, I often end up delineating that I'm being facetious in song anyway. However, when it comes to online participation, to ensure that I never have to change names in the event of someone trying to claim that they have the rights to my artist name, I use my real name because no one can really take that away from me.

You see, I used to the name "The Stereo Logic" back in the late 1990s/early 2000s, but then some band with the name "Stereo Logic" (which coincidentally I'm fairly sure formed after I started writing music under "The Stereo Logic") threatened legal action if I didn't change my name. Rather than fight a petty legal battle with a band on the other side of the country, I changed my artist name to "Ultraklystron," then changed all my online names to "Karl Olson" or some variation there of.

Where did the name Ultraklystron come from?

Out of that spat with that other band. I went through the dictionary looking for a cool-sounding word that began with a K, and when I found Klystron, which is a high powered electron tube used for broadcasting, I figures that was pretty good. Even though I would be the first musical artist with the name, I wanted to ensure that nobody could really say they were their first, so I added the prefix Ultra, and at the time that didn't register anything on Google, so I knew I had a genuinely original name. On the plus side, it also sounds like it could be some kind of 1970s super mecha show, so it's kind of cool to work it from that aspect too.

Indeed. I had always assumed it was a reference to some obscure mech-based cartoon as well! ;)
You've credited mc chris and MC Frontalot with peaking your interest in nerdcore at age 18; Prior to that you were involved in electronic music. Do you think that you bring a lot of your preexisting electronic sound and style to your current nerdcore endeavors?

Well, yes and no. I mean, there are certain electronic music influences that really translated really well into Nerdcore - obviously Trip Hop, Illbient, Downtempo and Drum n' Bass roll into Hip Hop and Rap very naturally, especially given how experimental the production of Hip Hop has been since producers like The Neptunes and Timbaland have stepped onto the scene. However, certain tracks are definitely geared with a purely Rap or Hip Hop sound, and a bit of a retro sound at that, so those tracks show little if any direct influence.

However, all my Nerdcore has benefited from the fact that because I've been working with electronic music since I was 13/14, I've really learned as much about production, mixing and mastering as I can. I mean, strictly speaking, I've been recording music since I was 10, as I became interested in writing grunge/alternative rock then, so I grabbed my mom's guitar and a boombox with a built-in mic and went from there. Really, I think the most important thing my prior musical experience has given me is years of working out by trial and error how to make a decent sounding song both in terms of composition and production. I've had 12, nearly 13 years of working out how to make a track, you know?

That makes sense. How goes the work on your new album, OpenSource Lyricist?

Every time I think I'm done with my work, I spot a flub I was glossing over previously and that I don't want to end up on the finalized album, so I'll end up doing retakes on it. I have few tracks that have gone through countless mixes and three different versions of the vocals. It's probably a little over-perfectionist, but when I listen to some of the work on "revision4920" it's almost embarrassing. Besides, if I'm going to charge people 8 bucks for it, it ought to be worth that money, or at least as close as I can currently make it worth that money.

Of course, getting the collaborations to come together hasn't been easy either. Nursehella is so far away and thus a little difficult to record with, while Jerry Holkins (aka Tycho) is usually quite busy, and so getting things wrapped up with him is proving to be tricky too. This has all been made worse by a pretty intense schedule for me as well: I was barely in town for most of July, and August ended up a little busier than I expected as well. I mean, both have been great sports about everything, and there has been progress - the lyrics are mostly written, and the backings are done, it's just getting everything together outside of that. I'm probably going to do some recording with Nursehella during PAX at my place so she and I can get our track done, and I'll try to see if I can get Tycho to commit to a solid time frame for our collab.*

Of course, it's made even more problematic by the fact that I have another album's worth of material written (lyrics and backings) that some part of me thinks should supplement some of the existing tracks on "Opensource." The topics are a lot more current, at least relevant to me after having lived a very busy summer.

You're also currently working with J-nerdcore hip-hopper Rai as well as the aforementioned Nursehella. Do you feel that their individual "flavors" of nerdcore mesh well with the Ultraklystron style?

I'd say so. I mean both artists have only shown a fraction of their range at the moment, and so I know they are both good if not great MCs who can work with pretty much anything they're thrown into. Honestly, when it comes to MC skills, I probably come up short compared to Rai and Nursehella, and to a lot of the Nerdcore scene in general, so I'm happy to work with them at all, regardless of contrast in styles.

I mean sure, Rai sort-of has to work with me at the moment because she doesn't have recording gear nor any software, and that also means that her style is going to end up by default somewhat more sonically congruent to mine because my production style is all over it, but Nursehella has Baddd Spellah and a home studio, and thus would not have to collaborate with me unless she wanted too. There are some lyrical inconsistencies between Nursehella and I, but for the track we're collaborating on, that's actually going to be to our advantage because my relative innocence contrasted to her more experienced viewpoint is going to make for what I think will be a very good, fun song.

I mean, there is aspect of the fact that when there are gaps, if they are in the right space, it can force me to reach and create something new, or at least highlight a contrast that's aesthetically pleasing rather than jarring. Regardless of whether a gap is bridged or highlighted, the important thing is that end result is good, and I think I can make great songs with both of those artists regardless of any gaps.

Are there any other specific artists that you'd like to work with?

Hmm, that's a tough question. I'm pretty much up for working with anyone as long as there is a good concept for the song to back it up. I mean, I'm working with Benjamin Bear and Eggskin on track for Ben's upcoming album about PokeBalls, and I'm doing it because a crunk track about PokeBalls appeals to me - it's witty in an accessible way or at least pretty smart-alecky.

To put it another way, I don't think there is anyone who I wouldn't collaborate with, as long as I could tell that the track could be good.**

With developments such as the Rhyme Torrents compilation project and the Nerdcore for Life documentary, nerdcore has never been hotter. How do you think such interest will influence the scene?

Well, it will either start getting people sales and gigs or it won't. I doubt it'd be an MTV-thing ever, but I could see it at least creating a Nerdcore circuit between areas with a good number of nerds, various anime/comic/computer/game conventions and so on. I think we could probably have a couple more mc chris-sized acts - it's not particularly unlikely. I think we might see some producers get brought into the mainstream though - Baddd Spellah is very good, and I could see him getting production work after the "Nerdcore For Life" documentary runs at SXSW.

Though still an underground movement, does the sudden growth in popularity of the genre carry with it any inherent dangers?

If the popularity growth is very uneven, there are some artists who feel that they are entitled to attention who might not get it even though they've been in scene longer, and they might get really ornery and ticked off if they don't get what they feel is owed to them. That's mostly an internal strife issue, and really, that's been a problem with Rhyme Torrents from the second the forum has been up, especially because it came together a good 3 years after their was a number of second-gen nerdcore artists coming into the fray, and especially because you have a mix of people whose online persona is their real-life persona, and people whose online persona is a front and who are not their words on the net. All more popularity would do is probably throw napalm on an already burning match. It might not cause trouble, but the scene seems to have beefs over the most inconsequential and nit-picky things, so if someone became huge there is certainly the possibility that all sorts of trouble could come out of it. It's almost depressing - I mean, you would think that of any demographic, nerds, people historically picked on and bullied, would be the last group of people to act like petty jerks to each other, because you'd think we'd unite on the basis of what we have in common and move from that point, but yet that's not always the case. So yes, there are inherent dangers, but they seem to be extensions of the existing culture more than anything else - not anything new or unique.

I mean, I don't care after a certain point - I'm probably one of the worst positioned artists to actually make a living off nerdcore regardless of how popular it becomes because my decent/good production skills are dramatically outweighed by my incredibly inaccessible lyrics and so-so delivery. Even some of my otaku friends don't understand what I'm referencing, let alone the average person, and that assumes I managed to deliver the lyrics well in the first place. As such, if nerdcore explodes and creates a lot of internal drama or something, odds are I'll have little to nothing to do with it. No one will likely be angry that I became successful ahead them, because I doubt I'll ever be successful as a Nerdcore artist. I might, maybe, end up as a successful producer, but outside of maybe the occasional anime convention or small club performance, I doubt I'll ever be much of a stage artist. I make it for me and whoever wants to listen to it, knowing full well that a lot of people could care less. As such, thought about what happens if the scene gets big doesn't effect me particularly. I just hope that it's not too damaging to scene when/if it takes off.

So what's your take on the current state of nerdcore hip-hop?

Musically, it's never been more vital - we have tons of albums being made, and a good number of them are going to be not just good, but great. Like I said, we have room for a few more mc chris-sized acts - full time musicians who nationally tour and play to sold out crowds.

Socially though, it's really uneven - they're are moments of awesomeness, and their are moments of real bitterness, and the bitterness needs to stop for the long-term health of the genre, because if it keeps up, we'll keep seeing artists trying to distance themselves from the label rather than embrace it, so what might happen is some Nerdcore artists will intentionally do everything they can to just go into traditional underground or mainstream rap because it's not as embittered.

You’ve been described as nerdcore's greatest cheerleader. Do you see yourself as an ultimate supporter of the genre – as nerdcore's Mr. Niceguy – or does that title go to someone else?

I think while I try to be nice and positive, it is something I have to make an active effort to put forth - I'm not naturally positive; I just don't want to be a jerk either, and really, I often wonder whether I'm actually getting anywhere with that. In fact, I've probably ticked off more people than I think when it comes to "Scenester Blues," and I can easily see where someone would find that to be a very insulting (if not condescending) song. I mean, the public reaction hasn't been that way, but because the perception is that I'm trying to be nice, people might not want to be so coarse as to tell me that I'm being a jerk anyway. I'd rather them be coarse though, because that'll be the only way I'll know if I messed up.

Additionally, I don't think any one person can be considered Nerdcore's greatest cheerleader, and if there were, I would not put myself in that role. I mean, you have people like High-C who took the initiative to not only put a compilation together but who worked ceaselessly promote it, something really anyone could have done but that only High-C had the vision to do; and Dan Lamoureux, who has spent a large amount of time and a considerable amount of money putting together a documentary that at the very least will be a wonderful keepsake for the people involved - a rare look at their lives from the outside looking in, and as if for only a moment, we were all famous, and worth talking about - and that at most could result in a number of nerdcore artists being offered record deals after the film is screened at SXSW. I mean, yeah, I want to see a positively minded, constructively critiquing community, but I haven’t really done much to draw attention the genre outside of introducing some folks to it at anime cons. I mean, yeah, every little bit helps, but where I figure at best I've maybe introduced 100 folks to the genre (I'm probably being waaaay generous,) people like High-C have introduced to it to millions, and Dan could stand do something similar depending on how people react to his documentary. I mean, the documentary that's being shot that is primarily MC Frontalot oriented could also do a ton for the scene as well. I may be vocal, but if someone told me that I wasn't pro-active, that'd be a very legitimate comment.

It could be argued that it’s the qualities of your realistic outlook and your drive to support the scene even through rough times that legitimize your contributions, not to mention your own impressive artistic output, but I digress.

Do you still suffer from the scenester blues?

Yeah, but for a different reason. I mean, I was hoping that after all was said and done with documentary stuff and all that, that maybe their would be some more relationships between artists, and while I feel more of a connection with some of these guys, because I've met them now, I feel that at the same time it's falling apart too. Hella, Router and Beefy left Rhyme Torrents, which sucks. They are great artists, and thus their absence isn't positive either. I mean, I don't get how we’re supposed to learn to understand each other and work together if we shut ourselves off from one another. I can see why they'd do it, but it's still somehow depressing.

Sure, on the flipside, I have a renewed and immense respect for all the artists who were in the post-PAX nerdcore live show in Kirkland and the scene in general as such. Every last MC at the nerdcore show except myself layed down a fantastic set, and in general they acted like professionals, and were very cool and nice people. I mean, watching those artists, some of whom were taking the stage for the first time ever rise to the occasion and deliver excellent sets, and to see the camaraderie between the MCs was fantastic. I mean really, after seeing just how talented those people were first hand, it really made me question whether I should be in the genre as an MC. I may be able to do solid studio work, but live, I just don't compare to these guys, at least in my opinion.

So I guess I'm kind of up and down on the scene, but I think the long term, wonderful stuff will be coming out of it - great and unexpected collaborations, nerdcore record labels - you name it, it'll probably happen at some point, because the talent is there. I'm probably more skeptical than ever about my role in nerdcore's future in some ways, but I think on the whole it's looking up.

Anime is a huge part of not only your music but of your life. When did you first become interested in Japanese animation and culture?

Well, though the first anime I saw was Galaxy Express 999 way back when I was 3, and though I watched Noozles almost religiously when I was 5-7, I really didn't get into anime as anime until I saw a promo for Tenchi Muyo on Cartoon Network. It was the minute and half version, and it just seemed so unlike anything I'd seen out of Japanese animation. I mean, I'd caught some episodes of DBZ, Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing, but they didn't really hit the right spot.

Neither did Tenchi really until the time and space adventure arc in Tenchi Universe - I watched it only occasionally until then. However, once I saw that, I was hooked hard. It was just so fresh and funny. Then later on the dramatic aspects of the series sucked me in and by the time all was said and done I really wanted to see more, and thankfully Toonami on Cartoon Network was in it's golden era – they followed Tenchi with Blue Submarine No.6, Outlaw Star and The Big O, all of which were awesome.

I might have fallen out of the anime fandom had a friend not turned me on to fansubs, but that access to content basically ensured I was always discovering something new that I knew I wanted to buy the second it came out in America. I think the first show I was really hooked on via fansubs was Earth Maiden Arjuna. That show still blows me away in ways that are almost hard for me to define. Granted, I think even if good new anime stopped coming out, and I sort of fell out of the active fandom, their are some animes that have had such a profound impact on me that I doubt I'd ever sell off all my stuff either - I will never let go of my Haibane Renmei DVDs or Confidential Confessions manga for example. Those works had too much of an emotional impact on me to want to let them go.

Anime and the otaku/conventioneer lifestyle seem to be the focus of much of your lyrical content. What other subjects and issues do you broach through verse? Are there any subjects that you'd like to touch on in song that you've yet to get around to?

Well, on the new album which was written while I was particularly focused on computer science classes and computer repair (during the course of Opensource almost everything in my computer died at some point - hard drives, motherboard/processor, ram, video card and the power supply), so there is a lot more of that kind of nerd culture on the CD. I mean, the name Opensource Lyricist alone very directly speaks to that.

I think also I’m more lyrically aware of the fact that is the second album I've written and that I did actually manage to get some attention for my first album, so the result is some lyrics that have a bit more a egotistical edge, at least in a sarcastic sense. I over-exaggerate to a silly extreme, like I'm some kind of huge and important mc, that when it works for a track, and then on the flipside I'll get really self-deprecating, claiming I can't talk to girls at all, though that's total garbage too because I'm pretty social for the most part. It's arguably a bit more hip in its attitude at points too - I mean one song has the words "Vivian Westwood" right the chorus, and that's not a nerdcore brand to reference except that I only know about the brand from a shoujo manga.

I think it's a bit more personal though - there are songs that are almost completely non-referential, and they are really more direct. There is some more storytelling in it as well which strides the line between fiction and fact, but regardless of whether it's real, the format is more intelligent and evolved regardless. The production is also glossier and eschews the samples from archive.org that were heavily used previously in my music. I guess at the very least, it's not "Revision 4920 v.2.0," for better or worse.

Do you still find yourself "working that grind of the Five to Nine?"

Now more than ever. I was out in California for most of July doing animation press stuff (Anime Expo, San Diego Comic Con, interviewing animators at Dreamworks and hanging out with an animation historian,) and August has ended up being equivalently packed (two more conventions thanks to Anime Evolution and Penny Arcade Expo, I interviewed animators at AKA Cartoon, and I'm working on a website for a friend of mine in LA.) Of course, I still have a backlog of DVDs to watch and review, a few interviews to transcribe, some con reports to write up, an album to complete, an album to produce for Rai and somewhere in here I need to transfer to a 4 year college. For someone who isn't getting a paycheck, I sure have managed to find way too many ways for me to fill my time.

How does the H.O.B.O. (Horrible Otaku Body Odor) of this year’s convention season compare to that of previous years? ;)

Actually, it's been pretty good in terms of a lack of H.O.B.O. Granted, I usually make a point to stay out of the anime con dances where it's at it's worst, but I did go to the "rave" at Anime Evolution with Nursehella - it was outdoors though, there was basically no H.O.B.O. Why, even at the DDR machines at PAX, it was fairly fresh.

Time for the completely unfair question of this particular interview: which is more important to Karl Olson, anime or nerdcore?

I'd probably be miserable without either. Anime (and manga comics and animation in general) gives me relatively passive entertainment, while Nerdcore (and music creation in general) gives me creative, active entertainment, so both are staples of my personal way of decompressing from any other responsibilities.

At the end of the day, what do fans need to know about Karl Olson?

I'm almost never really happy with my work, and the fact that some people apparently are is probably one of the few comforts afforded to me when it comes to working in music outside of the fact that it's cathartic for me, but if I ever do or say something you dislike or disagree with, tell me up front. I'd rather have honesty than artificiality. Beyond that, I just want to keep doing what I'm doing. The scale of distribution and attention will vary, but I think I've come to terms with that. I don't need to be a rap star, or even an internet celebrity. If I can make some kids (and I use kids loosely to mean anyone younger than me) happy, if I can get them into a genre of music they wouldn't otherwise try because it doesn't speak to them directly that often, I think I've done something good.

Beyond that, I just want to make a living. If that's off of music somehow, cool. If it's off a comp-sci degree or journalism, that's cool too. Otherwise, as long as I can still tap out new songs on my midi keyboard, I'm content enough that even if I'm working in a mediocre, dead-end job, I can survive. Probably (more like definitely) a bit of a melodramatic thing to say, but it's how I feel.

Lastly, Karl, what is the nature of nerd?

Anyone focusing in on something to extent of it being an obsession, while not being patently mainstream. You can and do have literary nerds, or train nerds, or interior design nerds, and all sorts of nerds. In fact, I could totally see nerdcore about subjects that a lot of people would never expect, but it'd be entirely valid because the mentality would fit. I actually hope to see that someday too.

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When I began thinking about my October feature(s), the first artist that came to mind was Ultraklystron. After all, who better to celebrate the season of Halloween with than a man who’s no stranger to costume? What better man than one who’s photographed in an elaborate cosplay get-up or a J-novelty hat as often as he’s caught in his street clothes? Better yet, who better to focus on, as the scene undergoes its own unique brand of growing pains, than a man who tempers his good will with a healthy dose of pragmatism?

Karl is the kind of guy who, even when he’s frustrated, irritated, or otherwise jaded by the scene and its frequent bouts of squabbling, will not pass up an opportunity to help out a fellow nerdcore artist. Likewise, he’s the kind of fellow who, even though he’s doubtlessly burned out from a hectic convention season where he conducted innumerable interviews of his own, doesn’t hesitate to make time for a little Q&A on the other side of the table.

The scene supports Karl Olson because Karl Olson supports the scene, and fans enjoy his work because, despite the depth of his production and the lavishness of his lyrics (not to mention his own insistence to the contrary), he is a genuine talent who truly enjoys what he does. More so, he reminds us all to ask the age-old question; if we’re not having fun with our endeavors, why exactly are we performing them at all?

The one thing to which I can personally attest is that Karl’s attitude is infectious, and no matter how many hours I spent cobbling my questions and his answers into some semblance of order, it simply never felt like work.

---------------

*Post-PAX update: Well, Tycho expressed renewed interest, and though I've yet to email him about said interest, I think the fact that he brought it up first when I ran into him was a good sign. The fact that he also noted that it was odd for him to sign my badge because we're collaborators was interesting, because I guess that means he sees as more than just a fan of his comic strip who happens to rap. Either way, Jerry is an incredibly nice guy, and really responsive and welcoming to the PA fanbase in general, so I figure even if even if take a long time, it's probably not that big of a deal - it'll come together eventually.

As far as recording with Nursehella, that came apart because of all the documentary shooting and the general busy-ness of the weekend. Somewhere that'll get done, but it might not be any time soon. She's a working lady, so finding time is tricky. She's probably going to be down here for the mc chris show though, so we might be able to record then.

**Post mc chris update: I did record with Nursehella while she was out here for mc chris, and I'm working on a collab with David Abramz too.

Tour news

Here is some tour news of which you may not be aware. Diminutive voice actor mc chris has lined up a number of shows, including these:

10.06.2006 fri
los angeles, CA
the roxy - theroxyonsunset.com

10.07.2006 sat
san diego, CA
the garage - myspace.com/oithegarage

10.08.2006 sun
tempe, AZ
the clubhouse - clubhousegigs.com

10.10.2006 tue
las vegas, NV
jilan's (upstairs) - jilianslasvegas.com

10.11.2006 wed
albuquerque, NM
launchpad - launchpadrocks.com

10.12.2006 thu
oklahoma city, OK
the conservatory - conservatoryokc.com

10.13.2006 fri
austin, TX
emo's - emosaustin.com

10.14.2006 sat
san francisco, CA
gamespot private party (invite only) - gamespot.com

10.15.202006 sun
fort worth, TX
the aardvark - the-aardvark.com

10.16.2006 mon
houston, TX
walter's on washington - 4215washington.com

10.17.2006 tue
baton rouge, LA
spanish moon - thespanishmoon.com

10.18.2006 wed
new orleans, LA
republic - republicnola.com

10.20.2006 fri
nashville, TN
rocketown - rocketown.com

10.21.2006 sat
bloomington, IN
rhino's - rhinosyouthcenter.org

10.28.2006 sat
northhampton, MA
pearl street club - iheg.com

10.29.2006 sun
baltimor, MD
ottobar - theottobar.com

10.30.2006 mon
washington, DC
rock and roll hotel - rockandrollhoteldc.com

10.31.2006 tue
wilmington, DE
mojo 13 - myspace.com/mojothirteen

11.01.2006 wed
charlottesville, VA
satellite balloom - satelliteballroom.com

11.02.2006 thu
carrboro, NC
cat's cradle - catscradle.com

11.03.2006 fri
mount pleasant, SC
village tavern - village-tavern.com

11.04.2006 sat
atlanta, GA
the loft - theloftatl.com

11.06.2006 mon
jacksonville, FL
jack rabbits live - jackrabbitsonline.com

11.07.202006 tue
orlando, FL
the social - thesocial.org

11.08.2006 wed
fort Lauderdale, FL
culture room - cultureroom.net

11.09.2006 thu
st. petersburg, FL
state theatre - statemedia.com

11.10.2006 fri
gainesville, FL
common grounds - cgcoffeehouse.com

11.11.202006 sat
tallahassee, FL
beta bar - thebetabar.com

11.12.2006 sun
pensacola, FL
gutter lounge

11.15.2006 wed
birmingham, AL
the nick - thenickrocks.com

11.16.2006 thu
memphis, TN
young ave deli - youngavenuedeli.com

11.17.2006 fri
st. louis, MO
creepy crawl - creepycrawl.com

11.18.2006 sat
carmel, IN
carmel performing arts center - performingartscarmel.com

11.19.2006 sun
cincinnati, OH
top cats club - topcatsclub.com

11.20.2006 mon
toledo, OH
the bijou - bijouknoxville.com

11.21.2006 tue
detroit, MI
the hayloft - hayloftliquorstand.com

12.07.2006 thu
NYC
rebel - rocksoff.com/rebel
ages 18+

12.09.2006 sat
hartford, CT
webster theater - webstertheater.com
all ages

12.10.2006 sun
boster, MA
harper's ferry - harpersferryboston.com
ages 18+

You can disseminate the delights of his new release Dungeon Master of Ceremonies by sharing the following link with your friends.

On the Frontalot... front, myf has been forced to drop out of the October 23^rd show in DC by virtue of his age, which is a pisser. Still, if you live/work/play in the DC area and would like an opportunity to share a stage with Front and the undeniable Optimus Rhyme, take it up with the man himself.

Speaking of Optimus Rhyme, Beefy has been confirmed as the opener for their December 2^nd gig in Seattle. Now, if only I could convince him to hook me up with an autographed copy of OR’s new album School the Indie Rockers, my life would surely be worth living!