Computer Club Interview: SXSW 2010

How did you come up with your band name?

It actually ties into my EP name. I was struggling for ages to come up with a good artist name for this project, and one day I was talking with my friend Nick online and he asked what are some of my nerdy secrets from high school. I went over a bunch, but the one that stood out was me being president of the computer club. After this I figured a great EP/LP name would be 'Nerd Secrets,' which I figured is very apt these days. I think it's interesting how, by 1980s 'Revenge of the Nerds' standards, most everyone is a computer nerd these days. Interesting how times have changed.

How did you get started with music?

Many a moon ago, when I was in grade school, I picked up a guitar. As my artist name would lead you to believe, I've been a computer nerd since I was very young, so as I developed with music I kept learning about music and technology at the same time. When I started computer music, technology was much more archaic. For instance, one had to fork down loads of money for hardware, an essential piece being a basic sample,r which started at $3000. Nowadays you can buy software plugins for a fraction of this cost that would destroy most old hardware beast-samplers. At any rate, I kept on making music, and just after the year 2000, I started making drum and bass under the name Evol Intent with my friends the Enemy [aka Treasure Fingers] and Knick [one half of mashup project Ludachrist].

What's your biggest vice?

This is a hard one. Not trying to bring the mood down here but I'll go with letting myself obsess and getting depressed over minutiae and things out of my control.

I see that you are releasing your EP next week, 'Nerd Secrets.' How did you come up with the name?

Yes, I'm excited about the EP release, and I'm doing a physical release with a concept I'd say is pretty awesome. I bought a lot of old 5.25 floppies, and I'm shoving my CDs for Nerd Secrets in them. I'll have some at SXSW and WMC -- find me for one. The digital release is coming out on So Sweet Records.

Is there a full-length CD coming also?

'Nerd Secrets' was actually intended to be a ful- length, but I opted for the EP instead. So far I don't have anything planned, but I am thinking about another LP concept for the future.

If you weren't doing music as your career, what other jobs would interest you?

I'd probably have fallen into my Management Information Systems career post-graduation, which would more than likely have me hiding in a server room somewhere, hating life.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Radio pop. Most recently I enjoyed Calvin Harris's 'Ready For The Weekend.' It's a genius pop record.

What's the craziest thing you've experienced while on tour?

Playing a show outside of Pittsburgh, PA, I got picked up by the promoter in a small Ford Probe which was packed full, so I had to put my bag in between my already crammed-in legs. Then driving three hours into the woods to the other side of the state while some kid in the seat behind me is smoking God only knows what. Play the show on a farm to a bad crowd, then come to find the promoter didn't have a hotel for me. Thankfully the guy who drove me up there came through and had me a place to crash. Getting booked for a Computer Club set by a promoter who marketed the show to the Evol Intent crowd, thus leading to a strange turnout of confused fans.

Besides performing at SXSW, what are you most looking forward to about it?

I went and played SXSW last year, but not at any official showcases. It was a blast, and I couldn't wait to go back this year. SXSW is in many ways more fun than the following week in Miami for WMC. I enjoy the fact that I can watch bands when I feel overloaded from electronica, and also since Austin doesn't tend to part one with their money as badly as Miami does. [laughs]