I make music as TOBACCO (on Ghostly International) and Black Moth Super Rainbow AMA!

i love how your BMSR stuff taps into that melted-Slurpee, deep-summer sugar-glazed jackoff boredom core at the center of my brain. my question is: how did you know?

braj i was there

Will there be any chance we'll be seeing some new Black Moth Super Rainbow music in the future?

yes!

How about some more Demon Queen, please.

no plans but anything is possible

I love the tracks you did with Aesop Rock. Can we expect any future collaborations with Aesop or any other rappers?

thanks!

if only i could answer that... but there'll be something somewhere in the future

what is your favorite song on the new tobacco album?

i want this to be the real doseone

either way it's "let's get worn away"

Hey Tom, I love the work that you do.

My question is relatively simple, can you explain your workflow (or flows) when making a track?

Do you start with drums, a bassline, a melody? From other stuff I have read I know that you stick pretty much with hardware. Do you use sequencers often for your synth tracks or play most of it live while recording?

There's just so much to your sonic goop that seems impossible to capture.

i don't have a typical workflow. i just go. it all starts with a sound or a beat or a lyric or a word or a bassline or whatever and i go from a couple hours to 10 years to finish a song. (i've only had 1 song that i'd been writing for 10 years) but like the new bmsr album, some of the songs started in 2012 and i'm still writing them and might be for a long time.
no sequencers, everything played live.

What has been inspiring you lately?

Love all your work, man. My Dandelion Gum LP is on constant rotation.

this: https://horizonfire.bandcamp.com/ makes me wanna get all melodic again

hey Tabasco! so excited to hear new album!!!

I was curious if you plan on releasing more instrumentals like you did with Exorcise Tape? Thanks for doing another AMA

oh yeah for sure. working on something now that will definitely get the instrumental release when it comes out.

[deleted]

somewhere between 40-60 fans i believe

hey! i wanna like to start by giving countless thanks for opening high school freshman me up to a lot of new music. i managed to sneak into your madison show underage earlier this year and had a blast. What’s your opinion on age-restricted shows? I absolutely get why they exist from a legal standpoint, but it can suck a lot being 18 and barred access from my favorite artists.

thanks!!

yeah i wish we could do more all ages shows but a lot of it has to do with the types of clubs we play and that we've got the stigma now of having some adult visuals. those visuals are mostly gone now and i'm gonna try harder in the future to get more all ages shows.

WTF Tobacco you know some of us have regular jobs? I've been a fan for 10+ years now and love having my brain melted into puddles regularly by you. Thanks for crushing it in Brooklyn, looking forward to the fall shows. Oh yah, and can you PLEASE do a Start a People vinyl press? Ive never been the same since hearing Primary Color Movement!

yeah, we're gonna press all that stuff on rad cult in the next couple years

How did the Eric Wareheim video for Streaker come about? Did he contact you about it? Did you have any input in making the video?

Also any albums this year catching your attention? Thanks man. Big fan.

i've known eric for a long time now. he did my kickstarter video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QAVFZB_Oyo) and a live intro video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivlvz95Q8II) so we'd been talking about doing a video for a while.
i am starting to forget exactly who came up with what in the video but i think we pretty much developed the idea together then he took off with it.

i'm loving the prince rama album

From one musician to another, do you ever hit slumps where you just have no inspiration or motivation to work on music? If so how do you deal with that?

yeah all the time. i just do something else and try not to worry if it's gonna come back. no point in forcing it. i'm always half prepared to start making pizza

Did you know the beat you made for "Motorlicker" might be the filthiest and most glorious thing of all time?

bless you

how is the next bmsr album coming along?

so slow

Hey, thom. Really enjoy all of the stuff you make. My question is, what was different from making sweatbox? Ultima 2 was amazing and so was maniac meat and fucked up friends but i feel these two first songs on sweatbox is coming from a slightly different, more mature type of Tobacco. Cant wait to see u in LA.

yeah man i'm all grown up now! everything i've done is always so vibrant and i wanted to do something more focused with less color. i don't know what the focus is but i can tell it's there.

Hi Tobacco, what's your favorite Longmont Potion Castle track?

way too many but one that comes to mind is the one where he's trying to buy the super nintendo from the depressed kid

Hey Tobaxxxo,

Your music and its popularity are a product of the Internet age. You remarked in past interviews that Pittsburgh wasn't the most welcoming scene and the Internet seems to be where you found your earliest fans.

Do you see the Internet and social media as more of an advantage or a disadvantage for rising artists, particularly in light of local scenes and the over-saturation of music on the Internet?

You also expressed anti-RIAA sentiments back in the early 2000s when Black Moth was just getting started. How do you feel about (illegal) file sharing now that music is a career for you?

the internet was an advantage 9 years ago or whenever bmsr got noticed, because it wasn't so saturated. i don't know how you would get noticed now. i'm overwhelmed with the amount of shit out there and i gotta think other people are too.

i still think file sharing is where it's at. try the album. if you like it, buy it or go to the show when it comes to town.

Hi, Mr. Tobacco!

Your music (to me) always sounds like a rollercoaster about to go off the rails. I love the chaos and imperfections in your tracks. What draws you to the sound of degradation?

i never wanted to make stiff music. it's gotta breathe. imperfections are what give anything its personality. i like the rollercoaster off the rails thing

I'm not sure you would say if you were, but are you, in any way, affiliated with Omniac?

If not, what are your thoughts on the work by Omniac? Do you appreciate the apparent style similarities to yours in terms of music, artwork, and song title names, or do you consider it a blatant rip-off?

i'm surprised people think that's me. it doesn't bother me if someone is a little overly inspired by what i do. i'm only bothered when they give the impression that they are me.

"only thing offensive about it is people thinking it's me and i'm that bad of a writer"

from Facebook

yeah!

What is like working with odd nosdam?

smooth as his cherub skin

Hey man, what attracts you to using certain masks and visuals in a show? It's so different and unique, just wanted to know how you pick and choose what YOU think is beautifully fucked up.

You are my favorite artist, please come back to Boston, we love you!

i like the stuff that almost looks good but ends up coming out awkward.

thanks and we'll be in boston in the spring for sure

might sound like a silly question, but do you enjoy the vapor wave remixes done by high tides? This is one of my favorites https://youtu.be/h0lNPjzrmaI

i enjoy them so much that i release their music:

https://radcult.bandcamp.com/

Hi, huge fan! at what point did you realize that your music had started to get followers?

whats your favorite work that you've done?

and lastly, what would be a dream collaboration for you?

Its my dream to make music that not only I like, but others like and you're a huge inspiration for that and thanks for all the cool music you've made over the years!

thanks! i think it was when we had gotten home from touring dandelion gum with flaming lips then aesop rock and there were enough orders coming in that i didn't have to get a job. it was a crazy feeling.

sweatbox is my favorite right now because it has the best sound and feels real nice, but maniac meat was the most fun.

i got my dream collaborations in beck and longmont potion castle. never expected the beck thing to happen. he's a huge reason i started making music.

Hi! Lemme start by saying Im a huge fan. I saw you and we briefly met in Houston TX, and Ill go ahead and admit that I acted super weird, lets just say I was "altered". Ive heard before that you dont use much or if any drugs at all, and my question is how do you feel about someone experiencing one of your shows in that state? (as Im sure many do.) Personally I dont need anything to enjoy your stuff, but as far as seeing it live like that it was a singular experience.

haha, i don't care what someone does to enjoy a show. i think haunted houses are more fun after a few drinks. i would just want you to know what you're getting into at one of our shows because i've heard a lot of stories of people having a rough time.

I just want to say thanks for making music and making it original. My girlfriend and I saw you with the stargazer lillies in Oakland. Was an amazing show. What would be the best way to say hi to you after a show?

if my soul's not crushed, i'll always come out to say hi after the show!

hey tobaxxo, i just started a new band and i need help with a band name. any suggestions?

you guys will be called Pube Damage

I've seen you play at Brooklyn Bowl a couple times, and I see that you have two more dates scheduled there this fall. What is it about Brooklyn Bowl that keeps you coming back?

Also, one of those fall shows will be solo, and the other will be with a band, right? Looking forward to seeing what a full-band Tobacco is like!!

i just love the way it feels in there. probably my favorite venue.

the sept 13 show will be the usual 3 person electronic thing, and after that we'll be a 4 piece band without any sequenced parts.

I'm a bit of a late comer to your music. I discovered your stuff last summer and have been listening practically non-stop ever since!

Do you have any words of advice for someone looking to obtain vinyl copies of Fucked Up Friends and Maniac Meat, without paying a fortune for someone's used copies?

Also, any new tee-shirts planned for the new album? I dig the hoodie, but choose to wait if you're going to release some type of shirt instead. Cheers!

yeah! we got those albums back on rad cult now and maniac meat will be the first to be re-released. my advice is to hold out at least 6 more months.

yeah, trying some new stuff that hasn't been done with tshirts for the tour

I know you've stated in the past you don't do drugs, but does it bother you that that's the implication? Or just comes with the territory?

Also, can you please come back to Austin? The Mohawk show from two years ago or so was one of the best I've been to

used to bug me but comes with the territory. i can't expect everyone at the shows to have studied my reddit ama's haha.

we'll be back in austin, probably in the spring

Do you design your own posters/shirts/album covers? It's just interesting how individual the aesthetic is overall, so if it all comes from you, that's cool. Just curious...love your music.

i do the album covers and the tshirts, but i always have someone else design the posters. don't know why i set that precedent but just realizing it now

Can you get Ryan Graveface to just repress all of your early stuff already? Also, do you still live in Pittsburgh? Is your rent ridiculously cheap?

we got all that stuff back on rad cult and will be rereleasing slowly.

yeah i'm in pgh still. i don't rent but i know it's gone up.

Wanna pick yer brain upaire'. Favorite donut and your go to Mortal Kombat pick?

is this the real dorosoto??

What happened to the music video for "Born on a Day the Sun Didn't Rise" where you and the band were sitting in an empty white-walled room with colorful balloons floating around?? I think a clip was used as a promo for the then upcoming Eating Us LP and I haven't seen it since!

that was an mtv thing. the mayor of showbizz must have taken it down.

Hey dude,

You went on tour with the flaming lips. What is Steven Drozd like?

he is a nice boy

On your last tour you had some pretty interesting video accompanying your set. It was one of the more memorable shows I've seen. Can we expect something similar on your upcoming tour?

it's a different show now so the visuals have a new focus and i don't wanna spoil it if you haven't looked it up yet. lots of video though.

You are great and I'm kicking myself for missing your last show in Chicago!

I like to imagine that the Ghostly people are all best friends. Does anyone at Ghostly hang out together?

haha they all might but i'm not invited

One of my favorite artists of all time! What is the method behind the tones you coax out of your synth?

thanks! i apply lamaze techniques to my playing.

I really respect that you're one of the few electronic artists who's music is unique enough to stand out, while everybody else is just background noise at various BPM.

My question to you is what was your first piece of digital music equipment, and why did you choose it?

thanks!! sp303 sampler. i got it to replace my 4 track and still use it today

Were all the crank calls on the Sbarro Hot Topic record genuine reactions?

yeah, nothing in those calls was edited.

Hey man thank you for taking the time to do this AMA. I'm long time fan of yours and I've always wondered, did you aim to have your voice sound like a woman's in BMSR or is was it accidental? Also are you ever going to tour Australia?

thanks! it just worked out that way. i always was going for smooth and the higher register stuff sounded more human. no idea about australia yet

Dear tbxxo,
In your interview with Noisey you mentioned 'reaching festival goers in new and innovative ways'. Any chance youll be at Coachella next year?
Your music has forever changed my life. Thank you for all that you do♡

that was just my way of being a dick and trying to make myself laugh. i don't think coachella has any interest in what we're doing.

What recording are you most proud of? LP or EP, BMSR or Tobacco,

right now it's a tossup between sweatbox dynasty for the sound and maniac meat for the fun

You still selling that trailer?

haha, editing more calls now

Hey Tobaxxo, good music great job, questions incoming. 1. Are you still thinking about releasing an album of just your prank calls? 2. Do you engineer your own records or have some outside help? 3. I know you're not big into touring but are you looking forward to these upcoming shows?

1. yeah, editing some stuff now
2. i do everything myself
3. i am looking forward to these. my view on touring is softening as i go. we got a full band for this one so will be fun.
   

Were you actually broadcasting "podcasts" on CB radio at one time? If so, do you still do it and what channel?

yeah but that was 2009. here's a link to one: https://tobaxxo.bandcamp.com/album/mohawk-skeleton-meat

i don't remember exactly how we did it but it was from the top of mt washington in pittsburgh and i think we probably moved around channels throughout the show

Hi TOBACCO, been a fan for a long time! Are you into the Pokemon hype?

not yet

What's the significance of Pool City? Recently spent a weekend in Pittsburgh, saw McKnight Road and eventually found the store. Thanks so much for the music!

you just have to go in there and breathe it in and you'll know

What the fuck did I just watch?

your favorite new video

What sort of music do you listen to? Or maybe what are you listening to right now?

i am loving something i found on bandcamp called horizon fire. don't know if it's a person or a band but i haven't heard music that's gotten me in the soul of my balls like that in a long time

Hey Tobacco. What's your live setup for upcoming Tobacco shows? Full band, just you and some machines, or…? I look forward to seeing you in Denver.

full band this time! new fumes is part of the band now

hey Thom! been a big fan ever since Maniac Meat first came out. however, I am a really big fan of your Allegheny White Fish tapes, have you considered trying any of those tracks out in a live set? I'd love to be able to hear your take on them now. Also i love your addition of a live drummer in your sets now, makes your set sound so full! thanks for your time man and I'll see you at the crocodile in October!

thanks!! looking at trying one of these now that it's a full band...

Whats your zodiac sign?

aquarius

Can me and Little Ted have sex in the trailer?

Big fan.

i dunno abaht all'at

Hiya, TOBACCO. Thanks for all your lovely musics. Dandelion Gum melted my mind and I've been riding your good vibes ever since.

My question is, what's been the biggest non-musical artistic influence on your work? Got a favourite visual artist/book/cartoon/anythingataaaall??

i was a little kid when grossout stuff was popular. garbage pail kids and shit like that. bold faces, neon, snot. it's such a big part of everything i touch.

Hi, I'd only heard of your stuff in passing so I went to look you up, and got these warnings from my AV:

http://imgur.com/a/8rl8Y

http://imgur.com/a/TO6nf

Might be worth looking into.

I suppose for a question: which album of yours should I start with?

yikes! thanks for the heads up.

start with maniac meat!

Howdy!

What kind of creative vibe would you say you were running on in Ultima II Massage?

It's one of the craziest aesthetics I've ever heard, and I'd love to know more about what you were shooting for.

i think my vibe during that time was kitchen sink. i kinda remember going for everything at the same time. that turns people off, but i'm still really proud of that one

How'd that Zaid Maxwell album come about? I thought Radcult was almost exclusively your material.

it started to become a place for friends with good weird shit. a lot of people thought high tides was me but is not but worth checking out if you like bmsr.

So, I'm actually a former Tobacco user, and recently quit, (3 mos. XD ) Question: are you proud of me?

yes

How did the BMST/Freescho split 7" with come about?

i told them i was dying of entitlitus and asked them if they would pretty please get back together for one song

hey, i think ur music is pretty cool. but can you make your tracks a little longer? once you get into a track, it already ends :(

aw man i was just planning on making them even shorter

Hi, big fan! I was introduced to you though the Beck Spotify playlist. Ever considered doing a playlist of the tracks you like?

yeah, there's one up now!

What happened to Allegheny White Fish Tapes vol. 2?

Greetings from the now defunct BMSRFans forum btw.

didn't seem like there was much demand for it but it could still happen eventually when there's a lot of downtime

I heard that you listened to some Shwaa albums at dorosoto's house. Can you eleaborate on that experience?

it was like having a zeblin inside me

Tobaxxo, what's the secret to immortality?

bung implants

What kind of 4 track tape recorder are you using to record albums?
When can we expect a new single from Sweatbox Dynasty?
What's your favorite Freescha song?

i don't have a 4 track anymore. i'm just using a pioneer tape deck.
i don't know if i've seen a schedule for another single but they'll probably do one more before it comes out.

best freescha song is moving or babies in your body

hey tobacco! what's your favorite pittsburgh neighborhood? just moved to the north shore.

aspinwall but i don't know why

about 6 years ago I planned on seeing you in New Orleans as Black Moth Super Rainbow. Unfortunately, I was a dumb, drunk 18 year old and choose to go back to a chick's dorm room instead. Totally wasn't worth it. I have been waiting for another chance to see you since then, and it hasn't happened.

So my question is, will you ever come back and play New Orleans again? I would love to have some of your synths melt my face off.

yeah we'll be back, maybe in the spring

Hi! Saw you at Hawthorne Theater and it was awesome. Whats the next sound for BSMR? Dandelion gum psychadelic or pop/hook Cobra Juicy or something else? Gangs in the garden on the highway is the best kind of car music.

still figuring that out. that's part of why it's taking so long.

how will this new album prepare me to deal with the crazy mixed up higgledy-piggledy world we're now living in?

I could really use a pick-me-up right now, pal.

everything i do is a total escape in that it has nothing to do with reality. it's how i look at it at least

Do you own any M.U.S.C.L.E. things? If so, do you have a favorite?

i still have my red claw from when i was like 5. one of my prized possessions.

Hey Tobacco huge fan! Where in Pittsburgh should I buy a burger?

hey!

tuesday nights they have burgers at smoke and it's as good as you can get

I saw you, um, a year or so ago touring with The Flaming Lips, and fell in love with your music. What do you think about those guys?

they are good boys

What sort of feel are you going for with Sweatbox Dynasty? I remember you said recently that it was meant to be heard on cassette, which I dig. I really appreciate the heavy distortion and dilapidated sound on Ultima II. Is there any main things that were in your head while making the new album?

ps see you in october :)

heavier and more dense but less scattered than ultima. a little less colorful. the pacing is more direct. really just further down the path i guess.

Hey man! Big fan, come to Portland, OR!

Which project do you prefer playing live?

thanks!
tobacco has always been more fun because of the material. bmsr is nice but the tobacco stuff feels right live.

What's your reasoning for making a lot of your physical products limited? Are you doing it to cater to your biggest fans that want to support you, or is it better for you financially to only have small runs of some cool swag?

it's easier to not have stuff sitting around. we don't plan on things selling out quickly. it's usually thought out so we make enough to last a year but doesn't always work out like that.

Just wanted to say that you and BMSR got my into synths about a decade ago and I really appreciate that. Always dig your stuff.

Planning any new releases by Sbarro Hot Topic?

i'm editing some stuff now, but sbarro had a name change. soon..

Hey Tobacco. My question for you: is/was there another musician at any point in time named Tobacco as well? There's an album out there called "Don't Deny Your Weakness" by Tobacco. It's a great album, but it certainly doesn't sound like you and it's listed under a different tobacco on spotify/itunes/etc. I've been unsure if that was you at another point in your career, or if that's someone else altogether

yeah different tobacco. those guys are euro i think.

Hey, man. Just checked out some of your stuff so I'm totally new to it.

Do you have any music tech experience or sort of musical training of any sort?

thanks! no experience or training. still learning my notes

DUDE yes! Thanks for sharing that Rolling Stone article that you got to contribute to - love what LPC puts out.

How much interaction do you have with other Ghostly artists? Most of that label is great, and they even tour out here sometimes... any chance of seeing you in Hawaii?

Stoked for the new tunes; the video may become iconic for you. How did you get into the masks as a motif for you?

Thanks for doing this~_~

i just do my thing so no real interaction with anyone.

i'd love to play hawaii, and will be living there soon, but the clubs aren't feeling me!

I like your music, but hate that anytime I upload videos with your content in the background (i.e., radio) I get an automated DMCA takedown notice from 'CD BABY'.

Have you ever considered dropping them?

It's super lame to be trolled by the automated system on YouTube even when I cite credit and often recommend even more of your music to people who ask...

my stuff isn't with cdbaby so hopefully you aren't getting notices from them. it's all with distributors who deal in the digital rights shit. there's nothing i can do about it. i get hits against my youtube channel for my own music sometimes. the only other option we have these days is to not sell our music in stores or anywhere but bandcamp, but we're not there yet.

Can you talk a bit about how legal or illegal drugs influence your work?

they don't at all. i can't handle them. just don't like the feeling.

My wife and I have missed you the last 2 times you've been to Louisville, Ky. Any plans on doing a tour with the new album?

zanzabar oct 20!

So like a shittier mgmt?

that would be hard to do