INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background.

Hi, I'm Gripping Beasts, an artist currently living on the road and traveling around the USA.

Tell us a bit about yourself. (Location, artist name, the works!)

I am currently moving from Richmond, VA (❤️ everyone in RVA) to Mt. Vernon, WA. I picked my artist name from a style of art the Vikings created that I've always enjoyed, but also as an alternative name for humanity; after all, what are we but a bunch of gripping beasts run amok? I aim to capture every inch of humanity in my music, from the primal to the modern, the gritty to the pristine, the despairing to the hopeful.

What's your musical origin story? (When did you start? What inspired you?)

I started writing music right when COVID began, after being evacuated from the country of Eswatini, where I was teaching sex ed. My inspiration was largely drawn from the vibrant music scenes of Southern Africa and Boston, where I attended college. Both scenes were as different as you can imagine, but they were full of the same vibrant lifeforce that COVID worked so hard to stifle. My goal in composing music is to capture that facet of human experience, the seam where sound meets mind, and the way that instant brings people together.

What were the driving forces or pivotal moments that inspired you to pursue music?

This is going to sound incredibly pretentious, but my biggest musical inspiration is the koans of Dogen. My mom was a theology student while I was growing up and gifted me a copy of his works, and they have resonated with me since. His writing on the ephemerality of the moment is something I seek to capture in my music. I want listeners to be utterly lost in the exact second of sound they are hearing.

Another key force that inspires my music is my Jewish upbringing. I have always been taught to wrestle with G-d, and I take this to mean question all things you were taught to consider holy. As the genocide continues in occupied Palestine, I have had to confront the reality that many of my compatriots have never been taught to wrestle with G-d. My music is me recording this wrestling, as best I can.

To end on a lighter note, the final moment that inspired me to start composing was a DJ set in Mbabane. I don't know the DJ's name, nor can I even remember their face, or a single song that played. But it was the last time before COVID where I felt alive. As the Gqom and house, and old pop cuts pounded around me, I knew I wanted to make people feel something, anything. Even if my music isn't gonna make anyone go crazy on the dancefloor, I hope it will make you feel.

MUSICAL IDENTITY

How would you describe your style of music?

My music defies conventional genres, or at least I like to think it does, and I push boundaries where I can. I blend my myriad of influences into a cohesive whole. The biggest of these influences are the IDM bangers of the '90s and '00s, the Gqom of Eswatini, Jazz of every era and region (but especially Buena Vista Social Club), Stoner Metal with an environmentalist bent, Psych folk/whatever the hell Comus are, and any electronic music that pushes sonic borders. The tapestry I weave may contain only a thread of some of these influences, but every thread is essential to the integrity of a woven work, be it sweater or song.

How is your personality reflected in your work?

To create is to beg to be seen, and my music is me begging to be seen. All people are born with souls in constant flux, and my music reflects this, with tracks that alternate between the spiritual and the skeptical, the dissonant and melodic, the hopeful and the mournful. My use of electronic glitches, interspersing physical modeling synthesis of "real" instruments, reflects my soul —a thing of constant motion adrift in time. Sometimes I wish I were a poet, and I suppose I am, but my words are oscillators and filters.

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

I go into every song with a list of emotions I wish to convey, some experiences I wish to shape from aether to sound. I will start with something simple, then add an element that exemplifies the core of what I am going for, then let the music wash over me.

CURRENT WORK

What is the name of your latest releases?

a star exploded two billion years ago OR my hard drive died two weeks ago

What was the inspiration for that release?

This lil mini ep came about as two tracks that were about my mental health, or rather, the lack thereof. I have always struggled with mental health, and both these tracks were intended to be about that, and about how I am still here despite my tribulations. The first song is inspired by one of the last good days before my bipolar landed me in the hospital, when I saw an emergence of cicadas, and it restored my love for nature. The second track is a little darker looking to show the crushing weight of being committed and all that comes with that, but in the end, I am doing much better, so it has glimmers of hope.

What challenges or unexpected moments did you encounter during the writing/recording process?

The tracks here were supposed to be incorporated into my (still in the oven) debut album, but due to a freak accident, I was only able to preserve the unfinished demos. The title for the ep comes from the guy who looked at my computer, saying an exploding neutron star might have been what annihilated my hard drive, and I sorta just ran with that.

PROMOTION & ENGAGEMENT

What strategies do you find most effective for promoting your music?

This is something I am still working on. I am a creative above all else, and while I find it easy to talk/write about my work, I find it hard to pitch it. I think my favorite was working on the Neo Clowns Discord's mixtape. I had a ton of fun writing music, voice acting, and world building with other creatives.

How do you engage with your fans online and offline?

I try and post regular life updates and random snippets of tracks I'm working on. Oh, and lots of pictures of the paintings and sculptures I see during my travels across the country. These inspire me a ton, so it is nice getting to share what random works of art are giving me that creative juice. I do most of this posting on Instagram. Offline: As I am currently traveling, this is a bit difficult, but I love doing DJ sets and have done a bunch of fun house shows the past couple of years. I'm hoping once I land in WA, I'll be able to find fellow creatives I can DJ/do other live performances with.

What upcoming promotional activities or releases are you most excited about?

So I am still working on my debut album, but I am already looking forward to its listening party. I did one for my last ep and it was an absolute blast. I had friends from all over the world tune in, as well as people I have never met. I'm also planning on doing a video talking about my biggest influences, and I'm looking forward to hearing the reception to that!

How can folks contact you (socials/email/websites etc)

I'm really only active on Instagram @gripping_beasts, and I check my email beastsgripping@gmail.com when I can. I do have a TikTok, but I very rarely post or check that, and only made it cause a friend of mine made me.

ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS

Is there