Andrew James Cox is a multi-talented artist and musician. According to his website, Andrew grew up in an abandoned resort in a remote region of northern California, graduated from CalArts in 2009 with a BFA in Art, and currently works for Hydra Head Records. He makes enormous cardboard transformers, tiny comics, and regular sized videos (among other things). Keep reading to find out more about Andrew’s interests, including new trends in American Black Metal and Europe’s larget fire festival.

Hi Andrew! Who or what are 3 of your biggest influences? Pink Floyd, Boba Fett, and Michael Jordan.

What have you been listening to lately? I managed to restrain myself on Record Store Day this year and only bought one thing: the Oval/Liturgy split LP (Thrill Jockey). Oval is a one man electronic project that is glitchy and spliced. It reminds me of Aphex Twin, especially Druqks. I read that he uses samples from CDs that he has scribbled all over with a marker. You can listen to O, his 2010 double disc album for free on his bandcamp page: LINK. Liturgy has come up in the new wave of American Black Metal, similar to Krallice, and maybe Wolves in the Throne Room. They have referenced Rhys Chatham as an influence (another favorite of mine who’s written and conducted pieces for hundreds of electric guitars), which totally makes sense for the textured maximalism of Liturgy. Their album Renihilation is full-blast, dense intensity from beginning to end. On this split, though, the material is more dynamic, building up and scaling down. They have a new full length, Aesthetica, coming out May 10th on Thrill Jockey. This split is a nicely idiosyncratic LP, since the songs are of pretty divergent styles, but equally experimental.

If you could go one place and see one thing right now, what would it be? (you can time travel, if need be). Up Helly Aa. At the end of January in Lerwick, Scotland they dress like vikings, carry torches, and burn a galley.

Tell us about a project you’re working on right now. I always work on a bunch of projects at once. Right now I’m working on a music video for Helms Alee. I am animating them like Beavis and Butthead making fun of their own video, which will be a bunch of short re-creations of nineties music videos. I also just put out Pocket Book 4, which is a small collection of drawings and stories. I bought a color laser printer to make them myself, since it cost about the same as getting them printed elsewhere, and redesigned my blog and webstore. I’m designing a shirt for Cave In. I’m recording some songs with Dream Homes. I’m slowly formulating a screenplay for a ghost movie. I’m helping out with the Eternal Telethon. There’s a few other things I’m working on, but I’ll cut it off here.

Thank you, Andrew!

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