24 April 2009 (released)
24 April 2009
If you like the alternative, the weird, the experimental, pop music of man vs. machine, then Glasgow’s Geordi La Force will be right up your street. Combining art and visual displays with the most out-there, bizarre music I’ve ever experienced; Geordi La Force is just one musician with a laptop making music that will literally blow your mind, and scatter your brains all over the walls. As Geordi La Force prepares to play Hinterland Festival next week, Music-News reporter Susan Ford caught up with the comical frontman.
Hello Geordi La Force! Tell me about your act...
Geordi La Force is one man (Guitar) and a Laptop. It’s instrumental, technical with some random video footage during live performance to boot. I hate describing the music as a genre but; Technical/Alternative/Progressive Rock/Metal/Jazz-Fusion is the closest thing it sounds to.
What do you aim to achieve through your music?
Get laid.
Nah joking of course!
Basically I just want to show that you can do a set-up like Geordi La Force and still sound like a full band live. Other than that, generally push the boundaries of what kind of music the band can play - I generally do not believe in boundaries or limitations to what music a band should play so I try to throw as much music into the mix that I personally love and in turn inspires me.
All your songs have bizarre titles, where do they come from and how well do they represent your music?
Well I believe the world is a funny place, a lot to laugh at etc and therefore a lot of that inspires those song titles. Also its instrumental the music, no lyrics so no real "meaning" to the songs themselves so its not like I have to think of a really meaningful song title (Though in itself I guess that would be quite comedic if I took myself THAT seriously!).
Generally yet again I think there shouldn't really be a rule system to how you do music. Be that your sound, your image or even your song titles.
Where exactly does your unique sound come from? Is this the work of just one man?
Me and "Cancer Man" from the X-Files meet up now and then with Walter Skinner and Richard Dean Anderson to hang out and generally contact aliens all day to give us the new song transcript - We get most the copyright though cause Aliens suck at common law it seems!
Other than that i just write all the music and give it to my Laptop then pray it doesn't blow up!
Most of the influences come from just not being that pre-judgemental on all types of music I guess? Like I try to keep an open mind about all music "genres"...from say "Jazz-Fusion" to "Avant-Garde" type music or whatever. I believe its all experience and therefore contributes to your final sound when your creating your own unique work - Hopefully that is the way the music comes over.
Just how excited are you about playing Hinterland?
Well on two levels I am very excited and also in one way quite saddened - I am very happy to take part in something as unique as Hinterland and share the stage with such great bands, new bands like 85 Bears and bands that I have high regard for already like Edie Sedgwick.
However this will be my last show ever in my hometown as I am moving over to Tokyo Japan to pursue my main band called "Dissident Genro". Geordi La Force will always still be active but I have focussed all my attention on Dissident Genro.
I hope it will go well this show, it’s going to be my farewell to this country in some ways! [We hope so too, Music-News will miss you when you leave – Susan]
What can fans, or people who are going to Hinterland purely for the discovery element, expect from your live performance?
Hopefully they can go away saying it sounded like a full band live even though its one guy and a Laptop. Other than that the usual - which is that I hope the music seems new enough to them or unique enough to make an impact and hopefully will check out my other stuff like Dissident Genro etc.
"Hated by the press, loved by everyone else" (Geordi La force Myspace page) - have the words of the press influenced what direction you take with your music?
Nah not really to be honest. I knew 3 years ago when I first started Geordi La Force that the press in this country wouldn't really bother with the music like they do with say modern day "Lady-Ga-Ga" or the "Ting Tings" etc.
I have to be honest and say that this is unique to the UK and the UK only, I have had more praise or "interest" (and experiences) with my music in Europe/America/Japan however GLF finds itself like MANY unsigned and signed bands (bands on Major labels in other countries in some instances) struggling to cut through the cynicism that the UK does oh-so-well.
Personally I think its all about "gate-keeping" which drags the music scene down here. From your magazines/zines/tv/podcasts/promoters/record labels - far too many closed minds and far too many over-used ideas - You pretty much know it can't be helped when your press persons turn around WITHOUT listening to the music and say "Ah its been done before hasn't it?" - For example with my own music i get categorised with "Aphex Twin" or "Squarepusher" (e.g "Electronic Music") but my music is the polar opposite of theirs...its just because I have a Laptop.
So really to be honest it just influenced a move change to a different country, not a musical change.
