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Music

Listen to RxGibbs' Lush, Cerebral "Temptations"

Plus, we talked to the Michigan native about otherwordly sounds, past lives, and future projects.

"Temptations"

Michigan native RxGibbs (aka Ron Gibbs), member of shoegaze band Auburn Lull, is set to drop his LP Contact April 2 on Cascine. Gibbs previously released tracks "Contact" and "Macro," and is now premiering his new single "Temptations" here on Noisey. Contact is by turns lush and mesmerizing, while demonstrating that RxGibbs can create an eminently danceable track. Ambient electronica and shoegaze influences from Slowdive and Seefeel to Aphex Twin and The Orb all merge on an album that is sure to be one of the best pieces of ear candy of 2013.

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We caught up with RxGibbs yesterday to talk about remembering past lives, crafting otherwordly sounds, and how we are currently living in one of the most creative moments in music history.

Noisey: Tell us about the genesis of RxGibbs.
Ron Gibbs: Before I started making this kind of music, I was doing more drone-based ambient solo guitar stuff. Around that time, I was also getting divorced and ended up moving into a little one bedroom apartment where I couldn't really play guitar loudly anymore. So, I got myself a copy of Ableton, a pair of headphones, and tried to see what I could come up with. I instantly got hooked on trying to make beats, so I ended up melding ambient soundscapes with a more uptempo backdrop.

Does Detroit's musical history factor into what you do?
I definitely admire the rich musical history of Detroit. I love Motown, the Stooges and Detroit Techno. Michigan also had a lot of great "space rock" bands around in the mid-90s, a lot of whom are still making music today. But for a long, long time I mostly listened to a ton of British music. Bands like The Cure, New Order, Primal Scream, Slowdive, and Seefeel had the biggest impact on me. I thought those bands were all so ahead of their time—back then everyone was excited about Nirvana, but to me, that was all old rehashed stuff. I thought, "Why listen to Nirvana when you can listen to My Bloody Valentine?" It didn't make sense to me.

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Was Contact recorded on a laptop or in a studio? And how do you typically start a song?
On my desktop in my little basement studio. I bought a house a couple of years ago just so I could have my own studio. But I'm just mostly using Ableton with a MIDI keyboard, some other cheap keyboards that nobody else wanted, and a Yamaha DD-55 drum pad. I usually start a song with a loop or a simple beat, and just build on it from there. I might add some bass or a synth chord to start, and from there, it's just all happy accidents. If things don't come together pretty quickly for a song, I tend to lose interest in it really fast. I've got about 10 albums worth of music that I'll probably never finish.

Contact seems cerebral in that it encourages imaginative thinking when listening. Was that an intention or just a byproduct of the style?
I would say it's really just a byproduct of the style. I don't really put too much thought into what I'm doing. I just try to find sounds that are pleasing to my ears. If my music could encourage people to think, reflect, and relax, that would be an added bonus for sure.

I hear some early 90s sonic signatures in your work—The Orb, Aphex Twin and Orbital, amongst others. Is this coincidence, or were you unearthing those styles on some archival level?
It's definitely not a coincidence. I'm 40 years old, and all those bands were some of my favorites back in the 90s. So I think naturally that sound has seeped into my music. But I'm also continually inspired by all the great new music coming out today. I think we live in incredibly creative times. I'm just trying to keep up.

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You've cited MBV and Slowdive as influences. Is that found in your approach to sound design—washes of synths, reverb, and breathiness?
Yes, I would say I'm most drawn to those bands because of their sound design. I'm always a sucker for some good reverb or a huge wall of blissed-out synths or guitars. Those types of sounds can at times be almost otherworldly. But, really, I just want to make people dance.

Any recent epiphanies that were particularly mind-blowing?
I recently watched an old Dateline show that was about young kids who supposedly remember their past lives. As soon as these kids are old enough to speak they begin to talk about things they should know nothing about. One kid talked about being shot down in a plane by the Japanese in World War II, and would later give details about his experience in World War II that could be verified. It's pretty crazy stuff—it blew my mind. I tried really hard to conjure memories of one of my past lives, but I can barely remember my 20s.

What is happening culturally that's really tripping your trigger?
I'm just excited about all the great new music. I think, due to the technology that's available nowadays, we're experiencing one of the most creative eras in musical history. It only seems to be getting better.

What's next for RxGibbs?
Well, I eventually hope to get a live setup going at some point, but in the meantime, I've got a bunch of projects in the works. I'm already working on new RxGibbs music. It's a little bit dancier. Also, my band Auburn Lull is working on a new album, and has an EP in the bag. Plus, I've got a couple other collaborative projects with some other friends that I'm starting.

So, hopefully there should be a lot more music coming in the not-so-distant future.

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