
Brannon Hungness/Eavesdrop Cosmic Interview
Q: You have a long rich history in music with some notable players. Can you talk about that and your time in New York specifically?
A: I met Glenn Branca at an electric guitar festival in Minnesota in 1993. Page Hamilton got busy with Helmet and could no longer play in Glenn's ensemble so Glenn offered me the gig. I played in his ensemble from 1994-1996.
New York was an exciting place then. I worked with a lot of others during that time period. Elliott Sharp and Virgil Moorefield (ex-Swans) are a few of the more prominent names. Then I played in the Minneapolis-based band Hammerhead for a while. Most of the time we were on the road.
All throughout this time my main group, Oblivion Ensemble, was touring and settling for a while in various cities to record. Finally, I settled in Rochester New York and have continued recording and touring. Tony Levin (bassist for John Lennon, Peter Gabriel, and many others) and Joe Locke (vibraphonist appearing on records by Beastie Boys and many others) appear on the new album The Ecstasy of Agony. More recently, I have recorded with Jerry Marotta (drummer for Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and many others) and Rupert Greenall (keyboardist for The Fixx) for the next trilogy of Eavesdrop Cosmic albums. Trilogy B with be released on January 25, 2019.
Q: Can you talk about the relationship the three albums (Hit, Closed Eyes Open, The Ecstasy of Agony) you released have to each other?
A: They were recorded in order from Hit to The Ecstasy of Agony to Closed Eyes Open, but I've numbered them in from 1 to 3, The Ecstasy of Agony, Closed Eyes Open, and Hit. There really is no definite order. In fact, the first album I recorded will be part of the third trilogy which will be released May 31, 2019.
Q: There will be a book and movie as well that is connected to the albums. What information can you tell us about that?
A: All nine albums in the three trilogies are available with books. The nine books are related to the novel and motion picture, When the Alphabet Hides in Your Mouth, which will be released on November 23, 2018. In turn When the Alphabet Hides in Your Mouth is the first motion picture and book in a trilogy. The second film has already been shot and shooting for episode three is set to start this fall.
Q: You have a long rich history in music with some notable players. Can you talk about that and your time in New York specifically?
A: I met Glenn Branca at an electric guitar festival in Minnesota in 1993. Page Hamilton got busy with Helmet and could no longer play in Glenn's ensemble so Glenn offered me the gig. I played in his ensemble from 1994-1996.
New York was an exciting place then. I worked with a lot of others during that time period. Elliott Sharp and Virgil Moorefield (ex-Swans) are a few of the more prominent names. Then I played in the Minneapolis-based band Hammerhead for a while. Most of the time we were on the road.
All throughout this time my main group, Oblivion Ensemble, was touring and settling for a while in various cities to record. Finally, I settled in Rochester New York and have continued recording and touring. Tony Levin (bassist for John Lennon, Peter Gabriel, and many others) and Joe Locke (vibraphonist appearing on records by Beastie Boys and many others) appear on the new album The Ecstasy of Agony. More recently, I have recorded with Jerry Marotta (drummer for Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and many others) and Rupert Greenall (keyboardist for The Fixx) for the next trilogy of Eavesdrop Cosmic albums. Trilogy B with be released on January 25, 2019.
Q: Can you talk about the relationship the three albums (Hit, Closed Eyes Open, The Ecstasy of Agony) you released have to each other?
A: They were recorded in order from Hit to The Ecstasy of Agony to Closed Eyes Open, but I've numbered them in from 1 to 3, The Ecstasy of Agony, Closed Eyes Open, and Hit. There really is no definite order. In fact, the first album I recorded will be part of the third trilogy which will be released May 31, 2019.
Q: There will be a book and movie as well that is connected to the albums. What information can you tell us about that?
A: All nine albums in the three trilogies are available with books. The nine books are related to the novel and motion picture, When the Alphabet Hides in Your Mouth, which will be released on November 23, 2018. In turn When the Alphabet Hides in Your Mouth is the first motion picture and book in a trilogy. The second film has already been shot and shooting for episode three is set to start this fall.
Q: There are some amazing sounds, tones and textures you capture on these albums. Can you give us some insight in the production, recording and techniques you utilized in the creation of these songs?
A: Thanks a lot. I'm happy you like what I've created. That's what it's all about for me. I just do what I love! I spend the bulk of time working alone. On some albums I record just about everything myself. Sometimes, I'll write out parts for other instruments I don't play and hire great musicians to perform the parts. Other times, I like to go into the studio with other musicians and engineers and see what they can contribute.
Q: Eavesdrop Cosmic is more then just a band name. What does Eavesdrop Cosmic represent?
A: There's the band and there's the production company, Eavesdrop Cosmic Productions, LLC. It's a big umbrella that my music, filmmaking, writing and visual art can all fit under. The name comes from a line in the Hit book, which is a single short story about a couple vacationing in the woods while taking a fictional hallucinogenic drug called Nylatol. The line is "I feel like I've been eavesdropping on the cosmos." I like the rhythm and the way Eavesdrop Cosmic roles off the tongue.
Q: What else should we know about you and your music?
A: I grew up in the middle of nowhere, Seriously, rural North Dakota. There wasn't much to do and there weren't many other kids around. So I created my own worlds. Getting a guitar for Christmas when I was five was huge. I drew and wrote on a lot of pages. Then I got into recording. I recorded hundreds of albums while in junior high and high school.
Not much has changed in many ways. I live a mostly reclusive life and spend the majority of my time creating.
Back in the day, signing with record labels was typically a bad experience. I always wanted to do it independently. That time is now. So I'm excited to be putting out a large body of work. Really! There's a ton of stuff coming out soon.
A: Thanks a lot. I'm happy you like what I've created. That's what it's all about for me. I just do what I love! I spend the bulk of time working alone. On some albums I record just about everything myself. Sometimes, I'll write out parts for other instruments I don't play and hire great musicians to perform the parts. Other times, I like to go into the studio with other musicians and engineers and see what they can contribute.
Q: Eavesdrop Cosmic is more then just a band name. What does Eavesdrop Cosmic represent?
A: There's the band and there's the production company, Eavesdrop Cosmic Productions, LLC. It's a big umbrella that my music, filmmaking, writing and visual art can all fit under. The name comes from a line in the Hit book, which is a single short story about a couple vacationing in the woods while taking a fictional hallucinogenic drug called Nylatol. The line is "I feel like I've been eavesdropping on the cosmos." I like the rhythm and the way Eavesdrop Cosmic roles off the tongue.
Q: What else should we know about you and your music?
A: I grew up in the middle of nowhere, Seriously, rural North Dakota. There wasn't much to do and there weren't many other kids around. So I created my own worlds. Getting a guitar for Christmas when I was five was huge. I drew and wrote on a lot of pages. Then I got into recording. I recorded hundreds of albums while in junior high and high school.
Not much has changed in many ways. I live a mostly reclusive life and spend the majority of my time creating.
Back in the day, signing with record labels was typically a bad experience. I always wanted to do it independently. That time is now. So I'm excited to be putting out a large body of work. Really! There's a ton of stuff coming out soon.