Jorge Castro

TO ANYONE WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR, YOU ARE A NATIVE OF PUERTO RICO. AS FAR AS I KNOW YOU ARE THE ONLY ARTIST RELEASING EXPERIMENTAL SOUNDS IN YOUR COUNTRY. IS THIS CORRECT, OR HAVE ANY OTHER ARTISTS EMERGED SINCE YOU BEGAN? That is incorrect. There are many artists working on uncommercial electronic music here. And it's been like that since the 70's and the first computer music laboratory (at the University of Puerto Rico) and in the 80's through various bands/artists like legendary band La Iglesia Atomica & many others.

CAN YOU GIVE US A RUN DOWN ON PUERTO RICO MUSIC INDUSTRY IN GENERAL, ARE THERE MANY INTERESTING BANDS YOU WOULD RECOMMEND? If you want to talk about mainstream music, it's just like everywhere else. There's no major interest in anything that isn't pop or Tropical Musics (Salsa, Reggae, etc) from radio stations. Except for college radio of course. There are lots of bands I would recommend: Superaquello, Los Psiconautas, Oruga, Polbo, Balloon, Unidos No all play a wide variety of styles and are all very interesting. There are many others which I'm sure I'm forgetting right now.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? The sound itself. Concepts are not that interesting to me. Although I have worked with them in the past (and still do). When I record or play I'm not thinking about what happened that day or how I've been feeling lately. I'm always concentrating on making things sound good.

WHAT IS IT THAT ATTRACTS YOUR EARS TO EXPERIMENTAL SOUND? DO YOU BELIEVE IT CAN HAVE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON THE MIND? It works in different ways for different people I guess. At least that's what I get from talking to everyone after a show or when listening to an album.

YOU RELEASE SOUNDS UNDER A FEW DIFFERENT GUISES. CAN YOU GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THESE PROJECTS? Yeah. Origami Subtropika is just me doing Noise. I wanted to have a harsher noise project and since I had recently joined the Origami Republika collective I went ahead and started that. I also perform under my given name and of course, with Claudio Chea as "Cornucopia". Also there's this little thing called JAZ which is myself with Aidan Baker & Mr. Zac the Man from Melbourne.

DO YOU BEGIN WITH PARTICULAR THEMES FOR EACH COMPOSITION YOU CREATE, OR DO YOU PREFER THEM TO BE MORE UNIVERSAL & OPEN TO DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS? I never have any set themes. I hear sounds in my head & try (& usually fail) to create them with equipment. The usual failure in the creative process brings fourth other ideas. So my tracks usually end up being completely different than when I first think of them. This is a good thing. Interpretation is also a good thing. And people always come up to me with all these crazy stories about what they "saw in their head" when they listen to these sounds. I love that.

HAVE YOU ANY PLANS TO VISIT AUSTRALIA FOR A TOUR? Of course. I would love to go everywhere. You payin'?

WHEN YOU FIRST EMERGED YOUR RELEASES FOCUSED MORE ON HARSHER NOISE. HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR SOUNDS, IDEAS, OUTLOOKS HAVE CHANGED FROM PAST TO PRESENT? I've always have had the same approach. I guess somewhere along the way I found out the exact sounds I prefer. I started out wanting to emulate the Harsh noise artists & with time I found my own voice. Though I know I can do much better.

WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES, AS FAR AS RELEASING YOUR OWN SOUNDS / UPCOMING RELEASES ARE CONCERNED? I'm supposed to have a "solo" mini-CDR on Dreamland soon. My first Australian release. It's called "Staring Down at the Sky". All guitar sounds. Quite Metal!

With the other projects:
- Origami Subtropika EPs on Zeromoon, Chondritic Sound & Cipher Prod. (from Tasmania!)
- JAZ CD album on Sono (Puerto Rican label)
- Cornucopia CDs on Sono and The Locus of Assemblage (UK)

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS TOWARDS CD COPYING, MP3 & SHARE WARE MUSIC WEB BASED PROGRAMS? I don't have much of a problem with this. Even as an artist. I don't mind if people share my music. It's done wonders for bands like Sigur Rós, GY!BE. Everyone should look into their examples before judging. They still sell records.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON CDRs BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD FOR EXPERIMENTAL LABELS IN THE FUTURE? It's a good thing but I think there must be a bit of quality control from the label-heads. Some labels release shit like it doesn't matter. And that makes our little community very confusing for someone who's starting out & has genuine interest. It may turn some people off.

THERE IS DEBATE IN REGARDS TO USING LAPTOPS FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE? DO YOU AGREE WITH THE "AS LONG AS IT SOUNDS GREAT ITS OK" PREFERENCE, OR DO YOU BELIEVE IN GIVING AN AUDIENCE MORE OF A SPONTANEOUS IMPROVISED PERFORMANCE USING LIVE INSTRUMENTATION COMPARED TO SITTING BEHIND A SMALL MONITOR? Well, I always read these big arguments about this and I think it's a bunch of bullshit. Our music is about listening, not theatrics. Is there anything to see on a DJ's performance? What is there to see in a Noise pedal performance, someone turning knobs? Is that entertaining? I think it's complete nonsense to dismiss someone's music just because they use a laptop. If it sounds good, that's enough for me. There's a great essay by Kim Cascone on this subject, It's called "Laptop Music: counterfeiting aura in the age of infinite reproduction". Check it out.

Thanks dude.
- Jorge (doesn't own a laptop anyway)
Contact: cornucopiapr@hotmail.com