12/09/09
Text: Nik Mercer
In the worlds of techno of all shapes and sizes, house music, and what we at the Anthem camp are calling "Med-NRG," John Selway and Elliot Taub, a.k.a. Neurotic Drum Band, need little introduction. Taub, who, when working on his own, goes by the alias Ulysses, has been providing every corner of the globe from his hometown of New York City to Hong Kong with the juiciest techno jams since 1991. The man behind one of NYC's first electro parties―the Regressive Technologies series―continues to work the 1s and 2s today, while maintaining his own label, Scatalogics, and pumping original tunes. His latest, "Latin Combo" (The Wurst Music Co.), just dropped yesterday.
Selway, on the other hand, is mostly known for the endless number of collaborations he's been a part of and his significant trope of solo material. From 90s techno duo Disintegrator to the electro-funk outfit Synapse, the man has been all over the place for about 20 years. Oh, and he too has his own label, CSM, which specializes in minimal techno cuts.
Prompted by the latest Neurotic Drum Band release, the hypnotizing, spacey electro classic that is "Neurotic Erotic Adventure," we decided to hit the guys up with a handful of questions concerning their past, present, and future (how very Ebenezer Scrooge of us!) Read on for the full story and be sure to nab the MP3 below to sample NDB's sheer genius.
Neurotic Drum Band - Neurotic Erotic Adventure (MP3)
Let's start by talking about the two of you individually. John―you've been around the block, to say the least. Disintegrator, Smith & Selway, Synapse, and Rancho Relaxo Allstars are all groups you've been in. You also have a minimal techno label, CSM. What inspires you to do so much friggin' work? How did it all begin? Also, you seem especially predisposed to collaborate with people, as a part of a band or a producer or label man―why is this?
John Selway: It's funny that you put it as "so much friggin' work" because actually I've struggled with a lifelong habit of procrastination, having tons of ideas that don't make it out of my brain into musical reality. I can daydream for hours about music but sometimes it takes the right inspirational kick to get me working. One of my key ways around that problem is to collaborate with people. Working as a team takes a bit of the self-editing pressure off and things get moving quickly. Since I like so many different kinds of music, collaborating lets me explore even more areas. And I find also that often, the outcome is greater than the sum of its parts.
Elliot―you too have done a tremendous amount of work since the early 90s? What gets you going? How did your music career begin?
Elliot Taub: I got started DJ'ing shortly after I got to college in 1991. I had always been a voracious music fan and when I found out that my alma-mater (Tulane University) had a free-form radio station I signed right up. I ended up doing radio there for five years. At my first scheduling meeting, where we reconciled show times with school schedules, there was a space to check off any specialty shows you thought you might be interested in. I had checked off "techno" and since apparently nobody had ever checked it off before I got to do the show. The Techno show wasn't a mix show originally, but I took it upon myself to learn how to mix so I could do it properly (apologies to those who suffered through any of my less successful early 90s mixing experiments on the air). When I graduated I moved back to New York and started playing at parties, eventually moving into production in the late 90s. Håkan Lidbo was a big help to me early on. I had met him on a shuttle bus to the WMC around 1998 and he gave me some invaluable pointers.
Do either of you have day jobs?
J.S.: I somehow manage to get by as a musician and DJ. I quit my last day job in 1999, but even that was music-oriented. I was a sometime-manager/buyer/sales clerk/data entry guy at Satellite Records for several years in the 90s. Low paying in salary but high paying in vinyl, music industry experience, and exposure.
E.T.: I'm a Designer at Nickelodeon.
How'd you both wind up in New York City?
J.S.: I was definitely one of those kids who grew up watching movies and TV shows set in NYC, dreaming of making my way there. I got my chance early through my violin studies. As a kid I used to commute from D.C. every month or so for lessons with my violin teacher. As a teenager, I was very fortunate to be allowed to go up alone. Having a touch of freedom to check things out really clinched things for me. I had my heart set on living and working in NYC from then on.
E.T.: I grew up in Hauppauge, NY. It's a suburb on Long Island. I used to come into the city as much as I could growing up; it's the only place to be if you're from the suburbs.
