Audio Dregs: Ambient Noise from Portland

18 Aug 2008 Category: Events & Exhibitions, Film / Animation, Music, Worldwide

Audio Dregs: Ambient Noise from Portland

Beware of grumpy wizards! Silk-screened flyer by Audio Dregs founder E*Rock with Zeloot that comes in ten variations. Courtesy of E*Rock.

When this year’s Sonar Festival proudly featured a nice video selection of experimental electronic music label Audio Dregs, we knew we had to investigate further. Although based in Portland, this label has a tight connection with Japan, releasing artists like Mumbleboy or Lullatone. How come? PingMag had a chat with co-founder Eric Mast a.k.a. E*Rock, the sympathetic musician, designer, clip director and multi-talented artist. Thanks to Ian Lynam for connecting us!

Written by Nana A.T. Rebhan


Album cover for Strategy’s “Music For Lamping” on Audio Dregs. Artwork by Trisha Schlobohm, design by Tim Schaar.

First, congrats! Your label is already more than ten years old. How did it start?

I started when I was young to make tapes in small numbers of friends’ music, and it grew from there. I’m not a very commercially motivated person, so I never wanted the label to become too much of a job where it wasn’t fun anymore. The beginning of the modern Audio Dregs label started when I asked my brother if I could release a 7″ of his early electronic pieces and we kind of took it from there, doing more real CDs and vinyl. My car had broken down at the same time that my rock band was breaking up, so I realized, living in Portland that I could live without it and so I used the money that would have been spent on repairs, gas and insurance and put out records and rode a bike instead. It was better for my health, better for the environment, taught me new things and also better for everyone else involved!


Ratatat’s “Cherry” directed by E*Rock, from Audio Dregs.

Great decision! And your brother is still part of it?

His band is pretty much a full time job for him now. He’s always doing design, making videos, writing new songs, doing remixes and producing other bands and touring half the year… But I still send him designs I’m working on to get his feedback, but he’s more of a silent partner.

E*Rock and Zeloot mural for the “Feral Kingdom” group exhibition in Glasgow last year.

Now we are curious: Why does a Portland-based label have so many Japanese artists on its roster?

I’m not sure how that happened really; we’ve made some nice friends there somehow, some people I met through Mumbleboy and some I met through Lullatone. But also my old friend Ian Lynam [ours too!] has lived here for a few years. I feel like people in Japan are a little more open to music that’s both melodic and experimental. Whereas in the US, people often need things to be part of a genre for them to understand it. So Japan has always embraced the music since the early days of the label.


Lullatone’s “Wake Up Wake Up” directed by Lullatone.

Nice to hear! How would you characterise the Japanese electronic scene?

I have a pretty limited scope of the Japanese scene; mostly through people I’ve worked with or most of whom I know I was introduced to through Lullatone. However, there are several artists that I like the way they create music in a really spacious way: Miroque did really cool stuff, and Yuichiro Fujimoto also runs a good label of gentle, organic experimental music. Also the magazine and label Afterhours is really cool. They mainly focus on music outside of Japan but are also pro-active and helped me a lot and set up some shows the first time I went over there. OK Fred and Map also are good underground music magazines in a similar vein that I’ve been in contact with at some point.


Melodium’s “Felt Melt” directed by Torisukoshiro.

Ah. You mentioned earlier to us that Audio Dregs isn’t just a label, it’s more. Like what?

I like it to be more of a creative community. Lots of the musicians released their first music here and I’ve wanted it to help them develop, and showcase ideas and creative output. We used to have picture galleries with artists’ visual art as well, in the days before Flickr; as well as videos, animation and a print magazine. I would like it to inspire people to do their own thing, as well as helping the artists directly involved.


Still from a Flash video by E*Rock with awesome music by Yacht. Watch it here.

As jack-of-all-trades, you are having so much creative output at the same time…

It’s probably too much. Maybe its not possible! It might be better to focus, but its impossible for me to focus. It’s just not my style to do only one thing — although the more videos I make, the less music I can make. I just finished a short tour with Ratatat and I are in LA working on some art collaborations with Trudi. I’m also working on some new rock videos by Portland bands 31Knots and Shaky Hands, I have a couple art shows in the works, and some album covers for other people outside of the label. I’m also doing some illustration for Yeti magazine and trying to finish two new zines of drawings… then I can finish up an album of my own music. I’ve been too distracted and haven’t released an album in maybe seven years.


Tobiah: “I Love Your Music” directed by E*Rock.

Wow, you are busy, indeed! Overall, how do you get inspired for your vast visual work…?

Most of it comes from listening to the music. Even if I’m drawing or painting for myself, I’m often motivated by music. But the label was also a good experience for design. Designing for it has let me experiment and grow as a designer. I’ve always been interested in design and studied it in school, but I tend to design more like a painter and have my own set of rules that I apply to it because of that. The label has been a really good outlet for developing new ideas, also in trying to keep a somewhat consistent style to the covers.


O.Lamm: “Genius Boy” by Kumi Kamoto, illustration by Shoboshobo.

And how do you work when doing a video?

It’s always different — but I always start with the audio, usually follow my first instincts on hearing it and what it reminds me of. I used to do everything in Flash, which is great for animation that’s synced with an audio track because you can see the waveform and react to each frame. In maybe 1998, my friend Mumbleboy introduced me to the program when I was doing sound for his animations and I learned a lot of tricks and techniques from him. Nowadays, though I’m shooting with film and mixing animation with more live footage using After Effects and Final Cut and a few other in any new video.

E*Rock’s nearly completed mural for the Rad Summer store, Portland.

So, what’s your favourite clip and why?

Probably the Gameboy Homeboy video that Ben Jones and I made for Beck. We worked really hard and fast and there were a lot of new techniques and styles for us, but also the energy level was really good. I like to collaborate a lot and this was the perfect example because it pushed us both way further than we had ever really gone on our own. We had talked about working together for years, so this felt like a real victory and was also the start of our Wyld File crew.

Lastly, what are your plans for the label in the future?

Ideally, I’d love to have someone to help me run the label and promote it so that I had more time for music and video. That’s always hard to balance.

Hope you’ll find help soon! Thank you, E*Rock and Audio Dregs!

47 Comments

  1. They’re adorable, even without “proper” lyrics most of the time. They remind me of the quirkiness of some advertisements. B-)

    Posted by: Kym on August 18th, 2008 at 7:30 pm

  2. [...] Original Verena [...]

    Posted by: Audio Dregs: Ambient Noise from Portland on August 18th, 2008 at 7:39 pm

  3. great article! eric is super talented and i’m glad to see something here talking about a little of what he does.

    Posted by: selena on August 19th, 2008 at 5:37 am

  4. super article. Good luck to eric in his all life

    Posted by: sözlük on August 19th, 2008 at 6:35 pm

  5. E*Rock paints great canvases too!

    Posted by: Afan on August 23rd, 2008 at 3:44 pm

  6. great article!

    Posted by: kira on August 23rd, 2008 at 4:10 pm

  7. i loooooooove this art form <3
    thank you sooo much for this!

    Posted by: chinger liefde on August 26th, 2008 at 11:03 pm

  8. That guy Eric is awful. He always hits on me.

    Posted by: Ian on August 27th, 2008 at 12:23 am

  9. Thanks so much for this
    Please make an article about label Sonig
    http://www.myspace.com/soniglabel
    they are very sharp and bright too

    Posted by: younger on October 14th, 2008 at 8:39 pm

  10. Thanks for the recommendation

    Posted by: bursa evden eve nakliyat on April 27th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

  11. Thanks for the recommendation

    Posted by: Musicdes - Listen to Indian and Pakistani Music on February 15th, 2011 at 10:20 am

  12. john gray

    Posted by: the best teeth whitener online on May 25th, 2011 at 8:07 am

  13. I enjoy this Website. Keep giving great information.

    Posted by: Fat Loss on June 7th, 2011 at 3:56 am

  14. Here’s another great article on the subject: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/why-do-we-need-personal-development-to-be-successful

    Posted by: personal development on June 16th, 2011 at 4:54 am

  15. Nice Website! You should promote it from the messaging console at QuickSendSMS.com. Easy to use, nice and quick and you can text friends about it for free.

    Posted by: QuickSendSMS on June 17th, 2011 at 10:50 am

  16. Great blog with interesting content. I have bookmarked and will return. Have a Great Day!

    Posted by: the diet | Isabel Los Rios on June 19th, 2011 at 11:50 am

  17. You should promote it from the messaging console at QuickSendSMS.com. Easy to use, nice and quick and you can text friends about it for free.

    Posted by: louboutin on June 21st, 2011 at 5:50 pm

  18. This is a extermely nice article and very interesting. I have bookmarked and will check back often.

    Posted by: Free Website Traffic|Free Traffic on July 13th, 2011 at 7:48 am

  19. Your articles on creative designs are awesom. Please keep up the good work.

    Posted by: Affiliate Marketing Reviews on July 14th, 2011 at 9:52 pm

  20. what is unified communications,unified communications definition,

    Posted by: InBound Marketing & Sales Consultants on July 15th, 2011 at 11:25 am

  21. This is the best soccer website ever!!!!!!!!!! And u can shop from the ads they r all right!!!!!

    Posted by: Soccer on July 18th, 2011 at 1:20 pm

  22. Forget about NFL Football, bring on more womens Soccer

    Posted by: Affiliate Marketing Reviews on July 21st, 2011 at 2:26 am

  23. If u like soccer visit us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted by: Soccer on July 22nd, 2011 at 2:48 pm

  24. süper sitee buyrun

    Posted by: goruntulu sohbet on July 24th, 2011 at 12:47 am

  25. Uh. Cute pyramiddy neon wizards.

    Posted by: Fence PA   on July 28th, 2011 at 5:49 am

  26. Electronica. Europeans and Asians seem to appreciate it more. Just a thought.

    Posted by: Wedding Videography NJ on July 28th, 2011 at 6:16 am

  27. Hmm, not really feeling this article here.

    Posted by: Pergola Construction on July 28th, 2011 at 6:36 am

  28. Multi-tasking rarely ever works. Focus is key!

    Posted by: Video Production Philadelphia on July 28th, 2011 at 6:48 am

  29. Your blog posts are awsome. I like it. Please keep updating your posts.I think it is great for facial treatments for acne.

    Posted by: facial treatments for acne on July 28th, 2011 at 8:32 pm

  30. That is an attention-grabbing subject and also you carry up some really attention-grabbing points. I by no means thought of it like that.

    Posted by: Marketing Strategy Template on August 16th, 2011 at 5:37 pm

  31. I always prefer to undertsand a brand new means of looking at it. Thanks for the information. I always like to undertsand a new means of taking a look at it. Thanks for the information.

    Posted by: Examples Viral Marketing on August 17th, 2011 at 12:54 pm

  32. I really would like to learn more information about your business, what is it and why is it important.

    Posted by: Perfect Pitch Recognition on October 10th, 2011 at 11:41 pm

  33. Find thousands of the best jobs in Hyderabad - top companies, profiles

    Posted by: Railway Recruitment Jobs on October 19th, 2011 at 9:43 pm

  34. You have done a wonderful job communicating your message.

    Posted by: men watches online on November 4th, 2011 at 12:42 pm

  35. I enjoyed studying this post. I am completely satisfied to search out this put up as a result of I’m interested within the topic.

    Posted by: christian louboutin on November 10th, 2011 at 1:09 am

  36. Collecting figurines has become more popular lately and many people are turning to the internet to locate them.

    Posted by: Figurines on November 21st, 2011 at 4:50 pm

  37. Thanks for the interesting post. I swear, you learn something new every day.

    Posted by: professional bra fitting on November 23rd, 2011 at 4:42 am

  38. anuncio, anuncios, anuncie, anunciar, classificado, classificados, classificados gratis, anuncios classificados gratis, imovel, imoveis, autos, automoveis, automovel, veiculos, carros, motos, celulares, video-games, computadores, dominios, cameras digitais, livros, quadinhos, revistas, cds, cd, dvds, DVD, hd, informatica, eletro-eletronicos, eletronicos, audio, video, decoracao, joias, relogios, esportes, lazer, negocios, filmadoras, videos, selos, moedas, ferramentas, antiguidades, raridades, oportunidades, promocoes, empregos, curriculos, servicos, artigos esportivos, empresas, produtos, vestuario, revistas, Sao Paulo, sp, Rio de Janeiro, rj, parana, pr, classificados, katavendo, kata-vendo, catavendo, cata-vendo, an�ncios, gr�tis, gratuitos, gratuitamente, empregos, oportunidades, comprar, vender.

    Posted by: Kata-Vendo - Bons ventos para seus neg�cios on November 24th, 2011 at 12:50 pm

  39. Thank you for good content..

    Posted by: gps best maps on November 28th, 2011 at 6:36 pm

  40. Anuncie no Katavendo e usufrua DE TODOS OS BENEFICIOS OFERECIDOS, NO KATAVENDO voce encontra: anuncio, anuncios, anuncie, anunciar, classificado, classificados, classificados gratis, anuncios classificados gratis, imovel, imoveis, autos, automoveis, automovel, veiculos, carros, motos, celulares, video-games, computadores, dominios, cameras digitais, livros, quadinhos, revistas, cds, cd, dvds, DVD, hd, informatica, eletro-eletronicos, eletronicos, audio, video, decoracao, joias, relogios, esportes, lazer, negocios, filmadoras, videos, selos, moedas, ferramentas, antiguidades, raridades, oportunidades, promocoes, empregos, curriculos, servicos, artigos esportivos, empresas, produtos, vestuario, revistas, Sao Paulo, sp, Rio de Janeiro, rj, parana, pr, classificados, katavendo, kata-vendo, catavendo, cata-vendo, an�ncios, gr�tis, gratuitos, gratuitamente, empregos, oportunidades, comprar, vender.

    Posted by: An�ncios Gr�tis, An�ncios Classificados - Kata-Vendo on November 29th, 2011 at 12:14 pm

  41. thanx for your valuable post….bookmarked it…love to see this type of interesting posts again and again.

    Posted by: Enes Osmanovic on January 1st, 2012 at 5:25 am

  42. Cele mai noi stiri

    Posted by: news on January 7th, 2012 at 5:52 am

  43. Thank you. O like this post. I would like to share at my facebook account.

    Posted by: zayifla on January 11th, 2012 at 7:50 am

  44. Thank you. I’ll sharing the post at my twitter.

    Posted by: Laptop Özellikleri on January 12th, 2012 at 7:08 am

  45. Hi Very informative page, I will be back to view more. Keep up the good work.Play free flash games at http://www.gametriot.com ,It is a place for one who cannot live without gaming.

    Posted by: fast food games on January 16th, 2012 at 12:03 am

  46. This piece of information is a gem for me, very helpful, really a great piece of writing, thanks for the effort made, really impressed.

    Posted by: Temple Jewellery on January 23rd, 2012 at 8:25 pm

  47. Hi ….. I have information about Whirlpool washers, you should read them and get tips and tricks commersial business with Whirlpool washers.

    Posted by: whirlpool washers on January 27th, 2012 at 8:23 pm

  • Share and Enjoy:
  • del.icio.us
  • digg
  • Fark
  • NewsVine
  • RawSugar
  • Reddit
  • YahooMyWeb
Previously on PingMag