There's been a lot of talk about Kevin Barnes (Of Montreal's frontman and lead creative force behind its tripped-out, high-soaring, resounding pop experiments) and his potential collaboration with producing-musical-performing master, Jon Brion. When "rumors" first started circulating about the pair's possible partnership, some dismissed it as a hoax or an illusion resulting from wishful thinking.
The fact is, the creative association is in fact happening...as we speak. According to those who are hired to know such things, Barnes is currently in Los Angeles working with Brion on 16 tracks that were initially meant to comprise Barnes' next Of Montreal installment, False Priest. Though Barnes came out to L.A. in mid-February to see what might come from the meeting of the minds, either way he has an album on the way, whether it's molded by Brion or not. False Priest is due out sometime this fall.
Both Jon Brion and Kevin Barnes are men at the top of the musical creative ladder. One in middle-age and the other just hitting his prime, whatever happens with the L.A. sessions should be worth hearing, if only for the fun of it. I had the opportunity to meet both Brion and Barnes for previous interviews on other subject matters: I talked to the elder about his days with Elliott Smith and the rise of the iconic Los Angeles club Largo, and spoke with the younger on the eve of his most recent creation for Of Montreal, Skeletal Lamping.
I've pasted a short excerpt from my time with Barnes, in which he speaks about his ongoing creative obsessions. Perhaps I'll concoct a way to re-post my interview with Jon Brion as well sometime in the near future.
Kevin Barnes: "I always say to myself, 'God, I'm such an imitator,' but the only way I can be slightly original is to combine musical influences in an uncommon way - to make a collage that has never been done before...and the process is the most fulfilling aspect of it all. When I'm making music, it's like a meditative experience. I just put on my headphones and I go somewhere else. I enter a dream state."
Well, one way to get something "uncommon" is to join forces with a proven creative genius and see what happens. Seems like Barnes is being true to his word.
Of Montreal
Jon Brion on MySpace
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