I caught up with Jackson, the elusive owner of Merck Records at JFK airport in New York, on a layover from a flight between Miami and Paris. As we sat in an Internet cafe, surrounded by Merck Records bodyguards and Flat Earth Jihad stormtroopers, we sipped iced lattes and he laid out his opinions and views.
Igloo: Which album started IDM?
Jackson: Well, the common answer is Artificial Intelligence on Warp. And I’m gonna have to agree with that. Just about all of the “big names” were on that CD.
Igloo: Why did you start Merck Records?
Jackson: Boredom. No, wait, let me think of something witty.
Igloo: Was there a record you wanted to see released that no one else was releasing?
Jackson: That was part of it. There was also a tremendous boost in online Internet musicians and very limited outlets for them. Money, free time and a pile of good music going unappreciated.
Igloo: How does the Internet figure into IDM? How important was it in the creation of Merck Records?
Jackson: Merck Records is the Internet.
Igloo: The entire Internet?
Jackson: No, just portions of the Internet. Approximately 2.71% of the Internet. And IDM would be small and isolated without the Internet. Merck Records is a symbiote with the Internet.
Igloo: Is IDM still progressing or is everyone just copying Autechre?
Jackson: IDM is slowing down — progressing, but much slower. It’s expanding more horizontally than vertically now and there is a large portion that is going back and re-covering ground that was sparsely covered on the way to this point. Some of the re-covering would be considered the Autechre copying, but there are still people pushing things.
Igloo: Why has it slowed down?
Jackson: IDM has expanded to cover a lot of ground. Essentially, it is the music of other electronic genres that don’t quite fit. Squarepusher and jungle, Aphex and techno, Machine Drum and hiphop, and so on. And the general common factor that groups it all is melody. It’s slowed because melodies have really been thoroughly explored. Music in general isn’t progressing so much, thus the experimental versions of it aren’t either. I think the furthest music can go is into the noise/glitch/microsound arena…and that’s been covered. It’s kind of working backwards toward IDM. Really, I think the realm of possible new and listenable music is shrinking, thus the slowing.
Igloo: Will there be an event or technology that sparks a new spurt of creativity and experimentation? If so, what is that event/technology?
Jackson: There will be, but I have no idea what it would be. I imagine it’s going to be something that expands upon sound as we know it now. I can’t foresee the future of this music, but I know there will be something to expand it. It’s got to be something outside of out the realm of what is possible right now.
Igloo: It’s going to be something that plugs directly into your brain and bypasses your ears completely. Mark my words.
Jackson: Yeah, a brain implant could be possible. Maybe some kind of brain visualization thing. God knows.. but it will be wild.
Igloo: Q: Who would win in a fight: RDJ or Ae?
Jackson: Well, AE because there are 2 of ’em.
Igloo: One of them is rather small, though.
Jackson: Hmm. Do 2 Autechres = an Aphex? I think that’s a question for the IDM list.
Igloo: Who was/is the most important/influential IDM artist:
10 years ago, 5 years ago, now abd in 5 years
Jackson: 10 years ago, or 9 or so.. definitely Aphex. 5 years ago, it was Autechre. Now.. hmm. It might still be Autechre — they are definitely still pushing the envelope of sound. In 5 years? Who knows.. but I imagine Autechre will still be around. They’ve maintained a foothold well in front of the current trends. Actually, in 5 years, we will probably just be able to thoroughly understand what they are doing now. Or maybe they just smoke a lot. Either way, they influence a lot of people.
Igloo: Who’s the next “big thing”?
Jackson: I’m waiting and hoping for some big Japanese IDM act. They’re just catching the wave now. But the next big thing? I think maybe Brothomstates. He’s been big for years, but only to about 100 people. But he would be my official answer.
Igloo: What separates him from everyone else?
Jackson: He’s been doing what the “big names” have been doing, since they were doing it. He also has the uncanny ability to make music of the same caliber in a certain genre as some of the leading people in that genre. By that I don’t mean he’s copying.. just able to create great music from a variety of genres with his own flavor to it.
Igloo: Q: What is it about Finland?
Jackson: Weather and social structure? Who knows. It’s probably some genetic thing. It’s not just a coincidence that certain sounds have emerged from several artists in a certain area. It’s a collaborative building. You got the Detroit sound mainly from Detroit, then early IDM was mostly from the UK.. and now you have an outburst of Miami IDM.
It’s a “scene”-oriented thing. People working together can create amazing things (not to belittle the individual artist). But the Fins have some kind of overall goodness going on where they can make great stuff from hard techno to IDM to minimal ambient.
Igloo: You can drop a truck on any celebrity. Who?
Jackson: Mmm.. P. Diddy. I’m really not fond of him. People often compare me to him — a young, black record label mogul.
Igloo: Q: Britney or Christina? Explain.
Jackson: Britney by far. Christina is a slut. Britney is thick and juicy.
Igloo: Q: Which pop star would you most like to have do vocals on a Merck release?
Jackson: What is classified as a “pop star”?
Igloo: “Singer of popular music” That could mean anyone from Fred Durst to Britney Spears. But you’d better not say Fred Durst.
Jackson: Well, Britney has her strong points. I think her sexual subliminal messages are in line with the Merck style.
Igloo: Electronic music doesn’t have as much emotion as REAL music because it’s just a bunch of knob-twiddling and mouse-clicking. Respond.
Jackson: Well, emotion in music is generally associated with melody and a lot of electronic music is very strong in this regard. In the creation process, I would say it involves just as much emotion as any other music — even more so because you have such socially inept computer nerds making it. And also because you have to express emotion without
any words. But emotion in music is subjective. Everyone takes from it what they want.
Igloo: Q: Which one IDM release from the past would you most like to have released on Merck?
Jackson: Hmm. Ae’s Tri Repetae++ or BoC’s Music Has The Right To Children. Those are two great releases. Or any of the Aphex CDs (except Classics). But if I had to pick one, I’ll have to go with my favorite CD and say Tri Repetae++.
Igloo: Q: Why don’t girls like IDM?
Jackson: Possibly because there’s not enough girls making good IDM music. Bjork tends to get a great response from girls but she’s the only one.
Igloo: One might argue that Plaid/Mark Bell made her good IDM music..
Jackson: Very true…but her image, I think, is what gets them. It’s not so much the music.. but her image and singing. But I also think that the melodies and emotional content of IDM appeals to the macho repressive male of modern society. Instead of being emotional, he can go listen to harsh and lush melodic material and get his emotional release. But no one will admit that because we’re all too macho.
Igloo: Why aren’t females more involved in IDM production?
Jackson: Probably because the music is very geared toward computers and technology, and in our societies women aren’t pushed towards those things. I’m sure there will be more women involved as things progress. But I think the damage is done. The gender gap has taken its toll. By that, I don’t mean that women aren’t capable — they just haven’t
been encouraged. A good example is Andrea Parker. She makes the darkest and dirtiest fucking electro — and it’s entirely her.
Igloo: Q: Who is your favorite Simpsons character?
Jackson: My favorite has to be Homer
Igloo: That’s the correct answer.
Jackson: But for the right reasons. Most people don’t truly appreciate him properly. Some other characters also have really great moments, like Ralph or Professor Frink. They are really dynamite.
Igloo: Homer has infinitely more depth than any of the other characters.
Jackson: For sure. Bart was just the “cool” front. Homer is the realness.
Igloo: If you could choose a new first name, what would it be?
Jackson: In line with the last question, it would have to be “Max”. Last name “Power”.
Igloo: As the proprietor of a small label, how do you feel about Napster and related music-trading technologies?
Jackson: Napster is great, both for personal reasons and for label reasons. I trust there are some people out there who will buy the releases that they download and like. And I think it’s good even if they grab it and just enjoy without buying. Whatever the case, fighting Napster is futile. People want music, cheaply and easily. There will be a place for “physical” releases for a long time still. But it’s definitely had an impact on them. When you buy a CD, you’re paying mostly for packaging. Napster cuts out the middleman.. and the crap. I’m all for it, though I do enjoy harassing the various Merck pirates out there.
Igloo: I heard you’ve had several of them killed.
Jackson: Those are unsubstantiated rumors. But in Miami, we don’t fuck around.
Igloo: Q: What do you have planned for Merck in the future?
Jackson: I’d like to do more vinyl since we’ve been doing a lot of CDs. We have more music from the musicians we’ve been putting out already — Syndrone, MD, Brothomstates, Machine Drum, etc. Just shooting mainly for that high
quality, enjoyable music.
Igloo: Q: Who’s the man?
Jackson: Brad Pitt. I’ve been watching Fight Club recently. No, wait, that’s gay..
Igloo: Too late. It’s ok, though. He was the man in that movie.
Jackson: I liked him in 12 Monkeys. When actors play crazy people, it’s always entertaining for me. Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, Dicaprio in The Beach, etc.
Igloo: Final Q: What shape is the earth?
Jackson: Flat.
Igloo: Correct. Thank you for your time.
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