Bisc1
It's Electric
2008-04-17
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When Synthesis caught up with Bisc1, he was taking a well-deserved vacation. Graphic designer by day, musician by night (he even does volunteer work for children once a week), Bisc was taking it easy amidst the chaos of this year’s South by Southwest. Out back of the Four Seasons Hotel just a couple days after his first full-length album When Electric Night Falls was released (on March 11th)—and fresh from his performance at the Def Jux showcase the night before—the Queens-based artist filled us in on his many hats.
You played the Def Jux showcase last night. How did that go?
It was great. A lot of fun. We definitely had a good set. If I had played an hour later, it would have been a completely different scenario in terms of people, but it was very positive. Feedback was dope.
Is Def Jux interested in signing you?
My man DJ Ese, he label manages Def Jux, and he owns Embedded [label that released When Electric Night Falls], so there’s always this tie between the two. So I don’t know in terms of them putting music out, but I’m good, man. My connections are the same as they would be if I was on Def Jux, so it works.
The album just came out on Tuesday, so you’re basically celebrating the release here in Austin…
Yeah, I haven’t even had the time… I mean I’ve thought about it. I brought this bottle of champagne. We’ve been meaning to celebrate, but I guess it’s all one big celebration.
You’ve put out a mixtape and one EP, and now this full-length. It seems like things are moving pretty quick for you…
It’s funny you say quick, because other people I’ve talked to say, “It’s been three years, you haven’t put out a full-length. What’s taking you so long?” I mean, it feels good. It’s a dope accomplishment. I’m happy to actually have a focused record. None of the records I’ve done before this have been focused records. So that’s cool. I’m very happy with it, not enough that I’m going to settle with it. There’s still time for elevation, you know, but in terms of the project, I’m happy with it. I hope that the world receives it well, but this is the point that I never really think about...how the rest of the world takes it.
You’re a graphic designer also. Is it a different mindset for you to create in that mode as opposed to with your music?
Yeah, yeah, it’s very different. With design, I have to cater to other people. When I sit and talk to someone, before I work on their artwork, there’s definitely an interview that takes place. I have to understand them and their style and what they want and what they’re looking for. Some people come to me for what I do and it’s really easy, but for others, I really have to work with what they need. With music, I just do what I want to do. I’m yet to be at a point where I have to worry about who’s listening, and hopefully I never get that in my head. I have thought about that before, in sessions, but once you get that in your head, it takes away…
Design is beautiful, I really enjoy doing it, and it pays the bills, and for that I’m grateful. Music has been a hobby that has elevated to be something very serious. If I can flip the balance, then I will. I have the skill sets to continue to do all my record artwork, to do my Web site. I can do everything myself, and still freelance hustle to make a little extra on the side.
Having that background gives you control over the entire product.
Yeah, and actually, it was a very overwhelming experience to do my record art… And it was when I did the first EP, the Basics EP, because it’s easier to make other people look good than to figure out how you need to be represented. The process on both of those records—designing them—was definitely long and much more extensive than most. But at the end of the day, I thought about giving creative control to someone else to do it, but I couldn’t let that go. I feel like it’s too much of me. But it’s given me the chance—the 12-inches off of it are my artwork, it’s all hand-screen printed, they’re all signed. I made hand-screen printed posters. So at the same time I have this music thing, I’ve got the music, the visual package, I got the other visual pieces off of it, so it becomes this greater body of work than just me rapping on a record.
Do you create fine art also?
Not really, no. I paint walls, and at this point, I’ve been doing them on a freelance level for certain companies. I haven’t really had the time to go do burners all day. It’s also been cold in New York, so when it gets warm…it’s something I put in the backseat to finish this record and really stay focused and not risk my livelihood to do that, but it’s well in need. I don’t do fine art, but I do enjoy painting on walls, which is in effect fine art. But if I’m home, and I’m not doing design, I’m doing music.
I read that you made the album entirely at night.
Everything, yeah. It’s how I function. I go to work in the day. I design in the day. I write on the train, so sometimes that process is started in the daytime, but really when I sit down and create for myself is at night. That’s when I get into my zone, you know? The title, When Electric Night Falls, is basically like, being in New York, or wherever you are now, it’s all electric. Hip-hop is super electric, the trains on the third rail are electric, everything about this culture that I cherish and enjoy a livelihood from, it’s from electricity. I had this abstract conversation about it, and it kind of lent itself to the record, to the sound of it. I feel like it’s heavy, it’s got synth in it, it sounds electric.
That was something that first jumped out at me about the record was that heavy synth sound. Is that something you’ve always incorporated into your work?
No, it’s not. When I was working on the stay up project, which wasn’t really focused like I said, because it was a mix tape, there was a few joints that we had made, me and Johnny Vegas, with that sound, and I sat back with Johnny and SC from my label, and listened to the body of work that I had, and we all picked what we were feeling most, and everyone gravitated toward that sound. I sat back with the producer Johnny and put together this landscape to run on, and we basically found that sound and moved with that sound.
Do you play synth at all?
No. Honestly, I’m trying to learn. I’ve got this MP and this Korg mini joint. My uncle is an amazing keyboard and piano player, and I was just with him recently, and he was teaching me chords and all that, but by no means is any of that played on the record. I wish, man. That’s another thing I need to get into. I really want to get into production more, but I already do so much.
Especially with another job, I suppose.
Yeah. Maybe in time and the tables are turned a little bit more. I mean, my job is at a minimum. I only work three days a week, and that gives me a balance to do my music. I work with kids, too. One of my days, I do a volunteer program. So I get a nice balance of different things going.
You played the Def Jux showcase last night. How did that go?
It was great. A lot of fun. We definitely had a good set. If I had played an hour later, it would have been a completely different scenario in terms of people, but it was very positive. Feedback was dope.
Is Def Jux interested in signing you?
My man DJ Ese, he label manages Def Jux, and he owns Embedded [label that released When Electric Night Falls], so there’s always this tie between the two. So I don’t know in terms of them putting music out, but I’m good, man. My connections are the same as they would be if I was on Def Jux, so it works.
The album just came out on Tuesday, so you’re basically celebrating the release here in Austin…
Yeah, I haven’t even had the time… I mean I’ve thought about it. I brought this bottle of champagne. We’ve been meaning to celebrate, but I guess it’s all one big celebration.
You’ve put out a mixtape and one EP, and now this full-length. It seems like things are moving pretty quick for you…
It’s funny you say quick, because other people I’ve talked to say, “It’s been three years, you haven’t put out a full-length. What’s taking you so long?” I mean, it feels good. It’s a dope accomplishment. I’m happy to actually have a focused record. None of the records I’ve done before this have been focused records. So that’s cool. I’m very happy with it, not enough that I’m going to settle with it. There’s still time for elevation, you know, but in terms of the project, I’m happy with it. I hope that the world receives it well, but this is the point that I never really think about...how the rest of the world takes it.
You’re a graphic designer also. Is it a different mindset for you to create in that mode as opposed to with your music?
Yeah, yeah, it’s very different. With design, I have to cater to other people. When I sit and talk to someone, before I work on their artwork, there’s definitely an interview that takes place. I have to understand them and their style and what they want and what they’re looking for. Some people come to me for what I do and it’s really easy, but for others, I really have to work with what they need. With music, I just do what I want to do. I’m yet to be at a point where I have to worry about who’s listening, and hopefully I never get that in my head. I have thought about that before, in sessions, but once you get that in your head, it takes away…
Design is beautiful, I really enjoy doing it, and it pays the bills, and for that I’m grateful. Music has been a hobby that has elevated to be something very serious. If I can flip the balance, then I will. I have the skill sets to continue to do all my record artwork, to do my Web site. I can do everything myself, and still freelance hustle to make a little extra on the side.
Having that background gives you control over the entire product.
Yeah, and actually, it was a very overwhelming experience to do my record art… And it was when I did the first EP, the Basics EP, because it’s easier to make other people look good than to figure out how you need to be represented. The process on both of those records—designing them—was definitely long and much more extensive than most. But at the end of the day, I thought about giving creative control to someone else to do it, but I couldn’t let that go. I feel like it’s too much of me. But it’s given me the chance—the 12-inches off of it are my artwork, it’s all hand-screen printed, they’re all signed. I made hand-screen printed posters. So at the same time I have this music thing, I’ve got the music, the visual package, I got the other visual pieces off of it, so it becomes this greater body of work than just me rapping on a record.
Do you create fine art also?
Not really, no. I paint walls, and at this point, I’ve been doing them on a freelance level for certain companies. I haven’t really had the time to go do burners all day. It’s also been cold in New York, so when it gets warm…it’s something I put in the backseat to finish this record and really stay focused and not risk my livelihood to do that, but it’s well in need. I don’t do fine art, but I do enjoy painting on walls, which is in effect fine art. But if I’m home, and I’m not doing design, I’m doing music.
I read that you made the album entirely at night.
Everything, yeah. It’s how I function. I go to work in the day. I design in the day. I write on the train, so sometimes that process is started in the daytime, but really when I sit down and create for myself is at night. That’s when I get into my zone, you know? The title, When Electric Night Falls, is basically like, being in New York, or wherever you are now, it’s all electric. Hip-hop is super electric, the trains on the third rail are electric, everything about this culture that I cherish and enjoy a livelihood from, it’s from electricity. I had this abstract conversation about it, and it kind of lent itself to the record, to the sound of it. I feel like it’s heavy, it’s got synth in it, it sounds electric.
That was something that first jumped out at me about the record was that heavy synth sound. Is that something you’ve always incorporated into your work?
No, it’s not. When I was working on the stay up project, which wasn’t really focused like I said, because it was a mix tape, there was a few joints that we had made, me and Johnny Vegas, with that sound, and I sat back with Johnny and SC from my label, and listened to the body of work that I had, and we all picked what we were feeling most, and everyone gravitated toward that sound. I sat back with the producer Johnny and put together this landscape to run on, and we basically found that sound and moved with that sound.
Do you play synth at all?
No. Honestly, I’m trying to learn. I’ve got this MP and this Korg mini joint. My uncle is an amazing keyboard and piano player, and I was just with him recently, and he was teaching me chords and all that, but by no means is any of that played on the record. I wish, man. That’s another thing I need to get into. I really want to get into production more, but I already do so much.
Especially with another job, I suppose.
Yeah. Maybe in time and the tables are turned a little bit more. I mean, my job is at a minimum. I only work three days a week, and that gives me a balance to do my music. I work with kids, too. One of my days, I do a volunteer program. So I get a nice balance of different things going.
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