Q: What was your favorite part about making “Beyond the Perpendicular”? The song starts softly, drawing in the listener. It has a groovy and sophisticated feeling to it.
RJ Bacon: My favorite thing with all of the tracks was turning a chord progression or a riff idea into the finished piece. Working on my own with the instruments and arrangements, like a jigsaw puzzle, is a buzz. I gain great satisfaction out of the whole process.
Q: How did you first get into music? What inspired you to start writing or creating your own?
RJ Bacon: I started out in the mid-seventies playing bass in a typical rock-garage band before embarking on a carer in the film industry, which put a pause on my musical ambitions for years. I did dabble with some ‘Portastudio’ four track recordings for a few years as a hobby. It wasn’t until recent years that I rekindled my love for playing and recording. I have always loved cool, bluesy jazz. With the ability these days to build a studio of one’s own, all the pieces have fallen into place.
Q: Who do you cite as an inspiration for your music, generally? Whether as a professional inspiration or in your personal life?
RJ Bacon: From a genre perspective, I guess Oscar P., Miles, Art Pepper, and those type of artists. They are who I listen to and who inspire me the most. I also love the producing side of things and that drives me along.
Q: What inspired this specific song?
RJ Bacon: I had been listening to some minimalist jazz When I say that, I don’t mean overly simple music. Just fewer instruments being used. There is a band in Adelaide, Australia called “The Boy’s Club” who funnily enough are three ladies: a vocalist, a double bass player, and a drummer. I was listening to their album and thought it was very interesting. It inspired me to try a similar thing, with mine being sax, bass, and drums, of course.
Q: How would you describe the music you create?
RJ Bacon: I try to make the albums sound like you may be in a slightly smokey jazz club, late in the evening, with a small band playing in the corner. It’s kind of old-fashioned, retro stuff but that’s the vibe I’m going for.
Q: If you had to pick one album that should be considered mandatory listening for everyone, what would that album be and why?
RJ Bacon: That’s a tough one. Dark Side of the Moon? Pet Sounds? I think the honest answer though would have to be Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. It really is the complete package and I never tire of listening to it. Every play seems to reveal something new. The more you read about how they achieved it, the more fascinating it becomes.
Q: Are you currently working on any projects we should look out for?
RJ Bacon: Currently, I am putting the finishing touches on my next, unnamed album. It is similar but different. A little more complex, certainly for me, and I hope to release it in the next few months.
Interviewed by Kat Rendon
