steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

indieville: How and why did you start making the music you make?

Mochipet: How? Very badly. Why? Scrabble didn't cut the cake anymore.

i: What music were you exposed to as you were growing up?

M: There wasn't much music around when I was growing up. My parents are probably the most un-musical people you would ever meet. This isn't because they don't like music, but at that time Taiwan, culturally, didn't have any music. The only thing that was around was generic imports like waltz and cha cha. And that was only for dancing at formals. It's funny because every time I go home now my parents ask me about my music, and they want to dance to it...and I say "OK you can try" ...then I play it and they're like...a ...maybe not...

It wasn't until I moved to the States and started hanging around with heavy metal kids that I actually heard any music. And that music was loud - loud and angry. Mostly bands like Morbid Angel, Death Angel, (anything with a dying angel in it was good), Testament, stuff like that. This is when I started playing guitar.

i: What's currently in your cd player/tape deck/turntable?

M: Cd Changer: Essential Charlie Parker, Jazz Masters, Charlie Parker (bebop bird), Charlie Byrd (Concord Years). I guess I have a Charlie thing going on.

Tape Deck: Tony Robbins. But it's Broken :(

Turntable: Osbert Sitwell - Reading from Wrack Tidesend, and Bionic Booger Breaks

i: How do you find and choose all the sounds and samples that you use? How do you incorporate them? What's the process like?

M: It all random really. I don't really have a process. I leave the processing up to my computers. Most of the time I just pull out the Ouija Board and summon the great spirits for guidance.

i: Excuse my ignorance, but how do you get those obscenely intricate beats?

M: How are they created?

Ok, I wasn't going to tell anyone. But I guess I should share my knowledge with the world. Here is a link to my secret recipe for beets: http://www.diabetic-recipes.com/recipes/APR98_6.3.htm

i: What made you choose to release a free cdr?

M: It was too expensive to release a free cd.

i: What has the general public response to the cdr been? How many people have requested a copy? How have people reacted after listening?

M: They either think I'm the next music messiah...or the worst musician that was ever born. One person actually offered to pay me to stop writing music. Another offered a dollar to remix more Radiohead. I haven't seen a penny yet. I've sent out a few hundred cdrs at least off of www.mochipet.com.

i: How did you get involved with Btrendy? What was Btrendy's involvement with the cdr release?

M: Btrendy is just a label for my music and the music of my friends. What is my involvement with myself? Well...I don't think you want to know about that.

i: What is your dream label?

M: Well, I've been labeled as: Jap, Nip, Gook, Hawaiian, Flip, Stupid, Weird, Quiet, Confused. But I don't really like any of those and they aren't very accurate either. I was just in China and if they wanted to address you as "Sir" they would call you: "Ah Hey Goo." It translates to "Dark Brother." I thought that was kind of cool. But I don't think I like labels, to tell you the truth. They don't make any sense to me.

i: Why'd you call yourself Mochipet?

M: It's a long and boring story so I'll make it short. When I was little, I live with my grandma in Taiwan. We didn't have as much money as we liked so sometimes I couldn't buy toys and stuff. As every little kid does, I got bored very fast. So my grandma would make these little animals out of mochi (mochi is a doughy pastry for those who don't know) and say: "There, play with those, those are your mochi pets." The mochipet served as a double purpose. Cause after you were done playing with them, you could eat them. I was not amused at the time, but now I think it's pretty funny.

i: Are you Aphex's Twin? Or have you heard that so many times that you just want to snap my neck for saying it?

M: Yes, I'm actually Aphex Twin. Richard is just a cover for me in Europe. Pretty soon we'll have an Indian AFX Twin and African AFX Twin. Collect all 4! Special edition carrying case also available soon. I don't know why everyone thinks I sound like AFX twin. I don't think I sound like AFX at all. It's weird. It's like when I was writing music back in junior college and this ex-hippie type guy came up to me after a show and said, "Dude, you sound just like Frank Zappa!" I'm like, "Who's Frank Zappa?" Back then I had never even heard of Frank Zappa, let alone his music. So then I went to the library and checked out one of his CDs and thought...man, this guy is pretty good!

i: Autechre's Sean Booth vs. Britney Spears. Who would win?

M: Britney for sure. She's fucking mean and she's got the fake boobs for armor. Sean Booth could only confuse her with his beats. But Britney's too dumb for that.

i: What's with the banjo?

M: I just felt electronic music needed some banjo. I mean, when was the last time you heard banjo in a modern day tune? It's a dying instrument. Heck, if Bella Fleck can do it, why can't I?

i: Do you actually like rap music or are you just making fun of it?

M: I like good music, and rap, like all music, has good and bad artists. But if you mean, "Do I like Old Dirty Bastard and Nelly?" I'd have to say yes. They're fucking two funky characters. I like any music with character. It's got to have style ya know. I'm lacking in the style department so I have to borrow some from them. Kind of like what Kid606 does. Borrowing, without asking...you're gonna need glue...you're gonna need lots of glue!

Actually. the "Taiwan Kid" CD I'm working on right now is going to be based as a HipHop/Rap Album. But it's going to be fucked up rap. More fucked up then what you've heard so far. I like the out-there sounds of Dr. Octagon, Anti-Pop Consortium, and Blackalicious. But I think it can go further. There's un-charted space out there and I want to take specimens from all the planets.

i: What is your favorite colour?

M: What is this? Blind Date? Yellow...of course!

i: What frustrates you most?

M: Myself. I'm probably the worst person to deal with. I can't even deal with myself. Sometimes I have to just ignore myself cause I'm just such a fucking idiot. If I wasn't such a wimp I would have kicked my own ass by now!

i: If you could be any animal, what would it be?

M: I am an animal. But if you mean not human, I think I want to be one of those Glowing JellyFish/Fish/Fucked-up things deep in the ocean. I was watching Discovery channel the other day and they look fucking sick. Imagine having your own lightbulb in a clear skull!

i: If you could play a concert anywhere, where would it be?

M: In a bathroom somewhere. It doesn't matter where. Probably a pretty big one to fit a lot of people. That way you wouldn't have to miss part of the show to go to the bathroom. And the acoustics would be fucking great! Diffusing would be up to 120%. They would have to clean it though, I can't stand stinky bathrooms. Yeah, a bathroom show would rock. Either that or live at the Red Rock. But I would only play if John Tesh was on stage with me.

i: What's the meaning of life?

Listen to Mochipet...all day...all the time...you're getting sleepy! Buy records from Btrendy! There is no meaning to life. It's just a stupid excuse to get all religious and prey to some dead guy.

i: What is you favorite musical genre of all time?

M: What's a "musical genre?" Is that like one of those monkeys that carries around a tin cup and you have to give it money or it'll crap on your head? I don't like those things. They fucking suck.

i: So what's in store for the future? Another Radiohead remix?

M: No more Radiohead remixes. I got some death threats for the last Radiohead Remix I did from some weirdo diehard fans. I guess they thought it was against the holy grail to remix Radiohead or something. I don't know, they were weird. They had this whole website analyzing Radiohead lyrics and the meaning of life or something. Like a Radiohead religion... Who would of thought?

i: Any final words?

M: "Don't hate me because I'm pliable"

Mochipet's new cdr was released on the Btrendy label, www.anticow.com/btrendy/