I have had the privilege of having Guillermo as a tour-mate twice this year. There are few (literally) people that I can stand to travel with for an extension of hours/days/weeks. Mr. Pizarro is one of those few.
It is my pleasure to introduce, Guillermo Pizarro.
Before you got in to experimental music, what types of music had you played?
I was mostly involved in the metal scene. The main band I was a part of was a progressive death metal type of band with some world music and drone elements that started to sneak their way into our sound, especially towards the end.
What was your first exposure to experimentalism?
I used to be a member of the Guitar World forums and I remember one of the posters there had mentioned Merzbow, sunn O))) and Xasthur. Those names just stuck out to me, especially the O))) symbol. I wanted to know what their deal was. I didn't like any of it at first, but it definitely made an impression. I remembered Merzbow because of how much I disliked it. Why would anyone listen to that? For me though, sunn O))) made it all click and helped close the gap between metal and experimentalism.
From the first recordings I heard of yours, to recent work and performances...you have definitely changed up your methods. Guitar-based drone to manipulating objects, voice, and blasts of noise... What has motivated this progression, and what drives you, creatively?
I think a combination of striving for that personal growth and
being around my peers has helped with that progression. Like most, I take a
little bit of all my influences and mix it up in a pot to make my own.
I'm very driven by my surroundings and personal experiences.
Some people really dislike a small town and complain that there is nothing to
do, and sometimes they are right; there isn't much to do, but I like to be
proactive about it and try to get something happening instead of complaining. I
love the sleepy little town that I live in and I think it's responsible for a
big part in my sound.
So, why bother with
experimental sound? Why not just join a metal or hardcore band like everyone
else around your locale?
It's just not in me. When I
was in a metal band it felt so forced and unnatural. The other guys in the
How does your current
pursuit allow you to better express yourself?
Hmmm… this is tough to
word. The sound and emotion I'm trying to convey just matches. It allows me to
go to that state of mind needed for me to express myself without sounding
forced. I might not like the final product, but it would be less cringe
inducing than trying to write a metal song about it.
Do you see yourself
creating/performing in the experimental realm, exclusively, years down the
road?
Yes and no. I think I'll always be involved in the experimental
realm, but I don't see myself being exclusive to it. That's a little too final.
I'd love to eventually take what skills I'll hopefully pick up and apply it to
some weird, experimental folk type of setting. I'm a huge Tom Waits fan and
even though he's a direct influence on me now, I'd love to further apply that
influence into something new.
This year, you released
Glasswerks. But, only half of it is made up of glass manipulation, right? Talk
a little about the release?
This is true, only the title track is made up of glass, but I
thought it was the strongest of the 2. The "werks" part of Glasswerks
is supposed to represent anything metallic going on in the recordings, which
both tracks have.
Recording for Glasswerks started in November of 2012 and ended
in April of 2013, two sessions. It was my first time recording anything in many
years. Kenny from Mystery Ton Studios had just opened up shop and was looking
for clientele, so I jumped at the opportunity. I knew Kenny's band; Time
Columns dabbled in some experimentalism and psychedelic sounds so I thought it
would be a good match. I really think that studio is a big part of my sound, he
provides a lot of tools at my disposal that I wouldn't have otherwise along
with a warm, homey environment that I like when creating.
You started touring as a
solo artist this year. What has it been like performing these pieces live? How
has the responses been?
It's definitely different live, I usually record my pieces in a
way where I can't perform them the same way in a live setting, but I like that.
It creates another challenge for me and it still gives the performance that
unique "one time only" feel of an improv piece.
I know you've been
recording a good bit this year. What can we expect of the new material, and
when can we expect it?
Shorter, concise pieces
without losing their density and power is my goal for this new material. Spoken
sections will also be incorporated, nothing too manipulated. I have been
recording a lot, but so far I only have a short EP of Zack Kouns material for
his 365 songs project and a 2nd full length. Some of those Kouns songs will
most likely make it on to a split that I owe SEVEN1878. The 2nd full length
will also have a DVD to go with it of a short film that my cousin, Diego
Tipacti has been working on for months now. I'm shooting for a spring 2014
release and that will probably be it for major releases for that year as I don't
want to over saturate my discography.
What is the next step for
you, artistically?
I've barely made a dent in what I have to say in the
experimental/noise genre, I'll definitely continue down that route and
challenge myself. The spoken stuff is still very, very new to me and there is
so much room for improvement. Other than solo work, I still see myself
continuing guitar experimentation
with Arterial. Arterial has definitely been a
liberating project for me in that I'm able to focus solely on the guitar, but I
still have the satisfaction of using other methods for solo material.
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| BLK TAG by Basha Teez |
There is the occasional BLK TAG (Chris Videll & James S.
Adams) performances that I take part in
as well. That's a fun outlet for me, too. I usually utilize guitar for BLK TAG
and I'm able to satisfy my drone hunger through them.
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