I first came across Six Organs of Admittance thanks to a flyer posted on a light post near where I work. Seeing the name as I walked by, I decided it must be some screwy local band. Who else comes up with a name like that? Surely not anyone who ever makes it out of their hometown. This was several years ago, back when Ben Chasny was putting out Six Organs discs on tiny Holy Mountain Records.

Fast forward a few years to 2005, when Chasny debuted on Drag City. The reviews were more prominent, the marketing more, well, existent. I wondered how a local band could have signed to Drag City without generating much heat in town. That's when I finally decided to look into things and discovered that Six Organs wasn't a local band, and that by dismissing them as such years before, I had missed a chance to stay abreast with what would become a favorite act.

I tracked down School of the Flower, that first Drag City disc, intrigued by reviews that mentioned John Fahey and other so-called American Primitive guitarists. What I found was something more than that, something that, while it is certainly related to Fahey's work, is different, more expansive with its Eastern tones, drones and singing. I quickly filled in much of the rest of the band's back catalog, then kept up contemporaneously as The Sun Awakens and Shelter from the Ash were released.

When I saw flyers around town with the name Six Organs of Admittance this time, I knew to mark the date on my calendar. I wasn't disappointed despite the several-year's build up of anticipation. Chasny started the show solo, performing new and old tracks on his acoustic guitar, his hushed vocals washing overtop. He then was joined by Magik Markers guitarist Elisa Ambrogio, whose quiet demeanor cloaks a fiery player. Chasny moved to electric guitar, but still played fairly quietly. In contrast, Ambrogio, when she finally did play, unleashed a pained squall from her guitar, her body contorted as if in the kind of anguish that yields such pained cries. Later, the duo were joined by Ian Wadley, the drummer who had backed excellent opener Mick Turner, and things took on an even more free-form feel. It was a short set, but one that captivated.

Chasny spoke with me by phone before coming to town, touching on the evolution of his sound, his preferred recording techniques and his distaste for categorical labels.

You have an evolving sound and presentation with Six Organs. You’re using studios more and, according to your label, you demoed these new songs when in the past you haven’t.

Eight years ago, those records would have been the actually record. Since I’ve been recording in a studio, there’s a lot more think time between the cassette tape and the studio, which was good. It’s good to not have to worry about the improvisational factor. The last two records were pretty heavy on that. I had sketches, would go into the studio… and rely on everybody to just play their part. I’ll always do that, but I wanted to see what it was like (with demos). That was experimental for me.

Does this record sound different as a result?

I think it sounds the same. To me it’s all coming from the same place. It’s not really… I wrote the songs. It’s all coming from the same center. The older records have an immediacy to them that would have been lost. It’s hard to say… all four-track stuff, all demo stuff has that. For me it’s really exciting to record in a studio because there’s a lot of amps.

Singing and other instruments: Are these popping up because you’re more confident about their use as time goes by, or are they simply what you need to put across this music at this time? You’re also using standard tuning here?

It’s pretty organic… I feel like I’m working my way back to my original music that I made when I was a kid, when I was 20, that was noisier… slowly working its way back.

I’m not getting away from an original acoustic sound, I’m getting back to the noisier stuff. Maybe I’m trying to counteract the natural process of aging.

Studios have a lot of tracks. Since I work with layers and textures, four tracks is a bit limiting.

This is the first time I’ve used (standard tuning) in Six Organs. I just wanted to do something experimental… using more standard techniques. See, can I do something interesting with it?

With most songs, the music provides a bed for the lyrics, which really drive what the song is about. With yours, the vocals seem very much like another instrument. How does that configuration, and instrumental music in general, allow you to get across what a song is about?

It’s definitely more about the music. I’ve ever really been concerned with telling crystal-clear narrative in the first place. I’m no Dylan. I’m not trying to do that. The experience of the record, from beginning to end. That’s what I’m after. I’ve been listening to a lot of Japanese music. I can’t understand what it’s about. It sounds heavy or like it’s about blackness and the cosmos. I’ll look at a translation of the lyrics and find that’s what it’s about.

Your live shows are very different from your records: Do you ever try to capture that on your records? Worry about alienating fans?

It mostly has to do with the space I’m in. If I go in and it’s a very loud bar, I won’t be able to get across the Octavio Paz stuff. Someone like Richard Youngs. His are actually different, no set list. Mine are not really like that. I just change the dynamics. I play the same songs, but if it’s a really quiet gallery, I will feel like an asshole if I hook up my two Fender twins and blow 200 watts.

What has it been like playing with Elisa Ambrogio from Magik Markers?

It’s great. It gets lonely playing by yourself on stage. She’s the only person that has been allowed to play guitar solos in Six Organs. People are always scared. They don’t want to mess it up. The only person her playing reminds me of is Keiji Haino or Rudolph Grey.

There seems to be a resurgence of instrumental acoustic music by young guitarists. Why is that, and how do you fit into that? What do you think of the term ‘New Weird America’?

It’s weird because I was doing all this stuff before people heard that name and it caught on. It’s really underground American music. Back in ’89 you could call it indie rock, but now that is pop music. I call it American Underground music.

I have been playing guitar for a while. There’s huge diversity between those guys. Steffan Basho-Jungans, his playing is very bizarre. James Blackshaw is a traditionalist.

You work with a lot of different artists that give you a chance to do a lot of different things. Do you bring something back to 6Organs from all of those that you can identify?

It’s more in attitude. With Comets (on Fire), whenever I go out with those guys, it’s about friendship. I don’t bring back anything from that band than a headache and a beer gut. Will (Oldham), he taught me that it’s important not to kill yourself when your on tour. Take time out for yourself.

What does the future hold for you?

I’ve been obsessed with Moondog lately…

Labels: Monday Interview, music