There’s a requisite impossibility of effectively relating
what it is about instrumental music that is so inspiring. It’s an
inability that is made all the more frustrating by the simple fact that
to demand its definition is to negate its organic allure. A prime
purveyor (read: instigator) of this arresting potion would be Martin
Dosh, whose electronic wizardry on his latest album, Wolves and
Wishes, showcases equal parts hiphop, rock, jazz, world, and
ambient noise. If this reads as intriguing, wait until you hear
it.
A Minneapolis native, Dosh delved into music at an early age, taking
piano lessons before graduating to the drums at the age of 15. The
hodgepodge of influences evident on his recordings stem from a
childhood and adolescence spent listening to such varied artists as
Run-DMC, the Cars, and New Order; and the result of such a broad-scoped
stimulus has been a wall of sound. The crux of the technique involves
Dosh’s deft musicianship on drums, Fender Rhodes, xylophone, and
keyboards, which are played by him alone, then looped in 12-second
intervals, constantly shifting and morphing until what you have is more
like the soundtrack to a wistful dream than it is an indefinable
release from San Francisco-based Anticon Records.
“First and foremost, I’m trying to create something that is
pleasing to me. If I can achieve that, then I have succeeded,” Dosh
explains. “Of course I want people to like whatever it is that I
do, but I’ve come to realize over the years that that is totally out of
my control.”
Wolves and Wishes features collaborations from the likes of
such far-reaching musicians as Andrew Bird (who Dosh also splits time
drumming for), Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Fog, and Odd Nosdam, all of whom
layer fantastic bits of dissonance and verve to counteract the more or
less focused latitude of Dosh’s compositions.
Dosh’s live performances are a sight to behold. Seated alone (by and
large), the drums kick in jazzy, funky spitfire grooves atop of which
Rhodes and keys are stacked in a cosmic interplay, followed by a few
tasteful xylophone blips and maybe a pipe being thrown to the ground
for a shot of ambience. Dosh is careful not to read into his processes
too closely, however, and seems to prefer that the spark forged at the
time of writing be the only impetus behind its merit.
“Every night, I go to the basement and hit record and do something
improvised,” explains Dosh. “Perhaps a scrap of it has a bit of
something that when I listen back later, brings up a feeling in
me.”
For now, Dosh seems content to build upon his already rocketing
infamy as an explosive musical force, but mostly, he’s just a humble
father of two following his heart and his passion.
“When I started playing solo, I had no template, no one to emulate,
so I’m proud that I discovered these things on my own,” says Dosh. “But
the thing I’m most happy about is that I get to do it for my job. It’s
the best job ever.”