Collective Consciousness of Stargazers.

Intros, interims.

It's Wednesday.

No edits.
[Anyone want to be my editor? Anyone want to do some interviews? Anyone like having like really really deep house eye sockets I DO. aud520@gmail.com holler.]

If you're (not) working until seven & if you're totally wired, get to know Mitchell Ildo Henkin of Collective Consciousness of Stargazers (formerly of Aeaeae) and find out what he thinks about the periodic table, bright c o l o r s, Tymon Brown's wardrobe and. . Morgan Freeman. and more offbeat talk about animals. like turtles in the buff.

[Eric Selle Photos]

Hello!

Hi!

Who am I speaking with?
You are speaking with Mitchell Ildo Henkin of the recently just formed Collective Consciousness of Stargazers.

"Recently just formed." How recently?
Like, Tymon and I just agreed on the title about 20 minutes ago.

Tymon--is this the same Tymon Brown of Seth and the Swan?

Yeahh.

Solid. How do you guys know each other?

Him and I have had a sort of on and off musical relationship for the past few years. When he moved to Maryland about 2 or so years ago, we officially got to know each other. Before that, he performed at some arts festival and I expressed my interest to start a band. He said yes, then moved here, and yes it became.

So you saw him perform at an arts fest, you guys hit it off and started to collab?

Yeah. Like at first it was him, Danny Wetzstein, Danny's little brother, Marcus, and me. Tymon was living at Danny's house.

--and this is all in MD.

Yes ma'am. I was a terrible drummer and a terrible vocalist but wrote the lyrics and worked on turning them into songs. Then we got Ari Mizani as a drummer, and then I was only a terrible singer. Then Ari was too busy, so we got Bryan Flynn as a drummer.

So your band experience has been very rotational.

Yeah. It sort of shrunk into just me and Tymon and whoever wanted to help out.

You mentioned lyrics--so you're mainly a lyricist?

Yeah. Tymon is definitely a better singer than I am but I am the sort who wants to express his own words. Like, the stories are personal.

Are your songs more abstract, or would you say they're pretty literal?

I would say abstract. Some seem abstract, but are pretty literal.

As a musician, or artist, what would you say you want to offer an audience? Or what do you find in music? What connects you to music?
Atmosphere. Sometimes music is an escape, and sometimes music enhances an emotion. Music can create an experience of its own, or change an experience completely. Music is everywhere. Like, sometimes you are driving in a car and you roll down the windows; music adds to the experience of driving. Or at night when there are crickets adding to the silence; a sort of silent ambiance.

So do you think music influences people subconsciously? They don't even realize why they're feeling a certain way, but it's because of the music?

Sometimes. Sometimes people listen to music and they don't even know what it is about it that they love. There is just "something about it."

Why do you think people do not people realize what they're connecting with in the music?

Well, there is something deeper than just the sound. Maybe the sound or total music connects on a level they can't express, or it hit something inside of them that they didn't know was there.

Cool. Music has many elements that can relate to many people on different levels; relative to different moments, certainly. What is your favorite element of the periodic table?

Haha. That was pretty well put. Umm mine would be whatever I relate with at the moment. There is no way I could narrow it down.

Okay. Between Fe and Sb, which would you rather eat?

Hahaha. Wait. What is Sb?

Antimony. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimony

This is interesting.

Basically, Would you rather eat carbon steel or paint?

Ooo. Paint. I used to eat paint when I was little.

Really!

Uh huh.

Like, off the wall?

Nopes.

--or from the bucket.

Out of the container.

Did you think it was cream cheese or something? Because one of my siblings used to sit under the table and eat cream cheese.
I loveeeee colors. No. They were just colors.

Awesome. So you were really attracted to the colors?

Oh yeah. Colors and sounds are very closely related for me. Like, have you ever heard a song and visually it connected to a color or design?

Yes. Like, oh. There's this one song by Max Tundra that makes me think of carousels that blink from a natural frame to something overexposed & saturated. So, yes. So then, many times for you, when you hear songs, will they translate visually?

Yeah. Like complex beats and rhythms make design and pitch, and guitar sound makes color.

What's your favorite thing to draw/paint when you hear music?

Ooo. I wish I could draw and paint well. I have horrible motor skills. I just like blending colors and I make shapes when I draw or paint.

Well, horrible is objective, I'm sure.

Hahaha. For sure. But I have no technical ability.

Do you like hats?

Yeah. I am told I have a good hat head.

What's your favorite kind of hat to wear?

I don't own any, though. Umm.

Ah.

I don't know. I don't own many things. I don't connect to material things, really.

Is it easier for you to travel that way? Because I know it's a little hard for me to travel because I'm surrounded by so many clothes, and it's hard to choose what I want to bring with me.

Haha. Well, I have nothing else to compare to, so I don't know.

Lacking in material belongings must be freeing, though.

I guess. I hate packing. I mean, I still need clothes to wear--enough to last the trip. I just don't have much variation. I don't care about what I wear, really.

Do you like clothes with a lot of colors?

I own a bunch of khakis, some cords, and a few of the same shirts. I tend to wear more faded colors. I have friends that wear alot of bolder colors, which is nice.

Do you like Tymon's wardrobe?

Hahahahahahahahaha. It reflects his personality so much.

Yes, Tymon is a very decorated fellow. If you could give Tymon a Mitchell Ildo Henkin-curated makeover, where would you start?

His vests.

Ah, a little Renaissance-y.

Bordering on Aladdin.

Touche. Okay. So. Speaking of Tymon, let's talk about your music. You guys are collaborating on this project--what was the name again?
The Collective Consciousness of Stargazers

And how did you guys come up with that name? Any inside jokes? Or you just liked the ring of it?

Nope, no inside jokes. We were just throwing names around forever and we both connected to it.

Kind of like Stargazing for names.
Nice. Yes. And we realized any group of people share a consciousness.

And who plays what?
I do most of the writing for this project and Tymon and I both sing. He plays guitars. I add beats when we don't have someone better. The band is all sort of being formed as ideas.

Do you have a synth?
We had a keyboard where you could change the sounds to sound more experimental.

Okay--maybe you can answer this question: I came across this claim online when I was researching good electronic devices to purchase; keys & synths, etc. Someone remarked that "no self-respecting keyboard has built-in speakers." Is that true?
I don't hold an opinion about those things. Like, I don't care. Maybe I have no self-respect.

I'm sure you have self-respect. Being in a band is totally self-respecting. You have to get up on stage and it's an assertive job.
Indeed. I was kidding, but, word. I try not get caught up in all of that, 'a real musician does this and a good one does that.' Good music, bad music; just create for the sake of creating. I don't care what you do or do not do.

So you wouldn't put a value judgement on a lot of music? Would you say the perspective is relative (to situation)? (--since music creates mood & atmosphere, as we spoke about earlier.)
I mean, some music doesn't capture me and I do tend to pass judgment sometimes, although I try not to. Judgement is something I feel I need to work on.

Do you like Polaroid cameras or digital cameras?

I like both very much. Polaroids are nice. The Polaroid creates an atmosphere of its own, but digital can be manipulated, which is fun.

True. Do you ever manipulate pictures on Photoshop? I used to when I had a PC and I miss doing that.

I don't know how but I have seen friends do it. Photoshopping is fun to watch and fun to be a backseat driver to. Like, tell them what to do.

Have you ever seen Driving Miss Daisy?

Hahaha. Yeah.

Really? How was it? I've never seen it, actually, but I remember the elder woman from ads on old VHS's and I think VH1 covered it in one of those shows they used to do when I used to have a TV and watch VH1.

I liked it. It is also a good book. 'read it for grade school.

Books! Did you prefer the book or the movie?

The book and movie are very similar. I like Morgan Freeman, and I don't remember the book very well. So, from memory, I would have to say the movie.

Morgan Freeman always seemed like he'd be a good relative to have. I wouldn't mind if he were my uncle or grandfather.

That would create all sorts of confusion. Racially, uncle would make more sense.

Sometimes, things don't always make sense in all sorts of disconnected ways. Random circumstance.

Yeah. Those things make life interesting. Sometimes I wish things would happen. Like, huge things that wouldn't amount towards anything. They just happen. People always need a reason

and that takes something beautiful out of some things.

Are you into existentialism? Or exoskeletons? Do you like turtles?
I am into everything except turtles. Unless they are ninjas or if they have islands on their backs.

Right? Because why do turtles have a shell? Or should we even ask that and just let the turtle be?

I have always wondered what a naked turtle looked like. I never Google imaged it because I want to see it in real life.

That imagine definitely sounds unsettling to me. I would think a naked turtle might be slimy.

They would be wrinkly, I think, like a little old green grandpa.

Sent at 3:23 PM on Wednesday.

[. . . where Mitch put on the reporter hat for a brief. . ]

So. Do you think art should be created for a point? A cause or a purpose to it?

Well I think there is so much art out there in all forms, and if you release something into this already huge glob of art, people are going to take it. and get what they want from it.

Yeah.

--and that's cool, that's great for inspiration but, I also think if you have a clear goal or a clear motive or foundation behind your art, that creation is more solid and can stand on its own and maybe last.

Word.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So there's definitely two sides. Sometimes you need that globby release and sometimes a release is what you want. Art is also a great proactive tool for asking questions and getting answers--if you want answers.

Indeed.

Alright, speaking of solid foundations and original creations, was it tough deciding on a cover for the upcoming event?

Yes, for the most part. The songs are not my number one picks. I needed to keep the people I am performing with happy. But the songs will be fun. They just are not the music I am used to doing.

What is the music you are used to doing? Who are your favorite artists?

My favorite?

Like, who would you listen to when you roll down the windows in the car going 85 toward Tampa? Backroads, no cops. You can go as fast as you want in a red car in your favorite hat and sunglasses.

I suppose as of right now, I love Pink Floyd, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, and Radiohead.

Would you rather be driving to Tampa or would you rather take a train?

I would rather go North. Haha. I am not a big fan of the sun. It burns me.

Oh, word. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I would love to go anywhere with large prairies and huge blue skies and large fluffy clouds and a tree with lots of shade.

That sounds like Arizona.

Ooo. and lightning storms. Lightning storms are so marvelous.

Lightning freaks me out, so I wouldn't be able to join you and Tymon when you tour there.

Why should we even go then?

So you can take like a lot of pictures for me and I can put them on my Facebook.

Deal.

Okay. One last question: If i'm supposed to stamp people at covers, should I only stamp the 18-20 yr olds, or should I stamp everyone and just use different colors?

Ooo. Use glow in the dark neon colors and when the lights go out and music starts, there will be glowing colors everywhere waving around and leaving streaks in the air.

I like it. Done.

YAY. Alright.

Okay, thanks for the interview!

Thank you. It was fun.

Awesome. See you saturday!

Bye bye.

AnonyMitch is offline.