A dizzy encounter would best to describe the music of Keith Canisius, coming from Denmark
Room: Hi Keith, how are you? I have been listening to your music for quite sometime now, I think it's fantastic! What other things keep you busy aside from writing music?
Keith: That’s a good question since I had to start figuring out other things to do, to get a little away from having music on my brain 17 hours a day. Or at least getting music down to a more normal level in the sense that I can put it away in my mind, when I’m not doing it. I’m usually pretty good at having hobbies and getting new ones from time to time, but these last couple of years, music took over everything. I guess being in love with music almost my whole life and suddenly discovering that you can make good albums in your bedroom, had me recording and producing a lot in order to learn how it’s done. I was lucky to release 2 solo albums (Waves & Ferris Wheel Makeout) in this learning process.
So I would say that I’ve reached a point where I’m starting to be pretty satisfied with my work. Especially the new work I’m doing for my 3rd full length release and the EP coming out June 6th is satisfying, because I can feel that I’m getting better all the time and trying out new things all the time. But now where I learned doing my own music, I can relax a little more and do other things I used to do with full enjoyment, like playing Xbox, chess, going running, go fishing, reading & perhaps start skateboarding again.
Keith: That’s a good question since I had to start figuring out other things to do, to get a little away from having music on my brain 17 hours a day. Or at least getting music down to a more normal level in the sense that I can put it away in my mind, when I’m not doing it. I’m usually pretty good at having hobbies and getting new ones from time to time, but these last couple of years, music took over everything. I guess being in love with music almost my whole life and suddenly discovering that you can make good albums in your bedroom, had me recording and producing a lot in order to learn how it’s done. I was lucky to release 2 solo albums (Waves & Ferris Wheel Makeout) in this learning process.
So I would say that I’ve reached a point where I’m starting to be pretty satisfied with my work. Especially the new work I’m doing for my 3rd full length release and the EP coming out June 6th is satisfying, because I can feel that I’m getting better all the time and trying out new things all the time. But now where I learned doing my own music, I can relax a little more and do other things I used to do with full enjoyment, like playing Xbox, chess, going running, go fishing, reading & perhaps start skateboarding again.
Room: When did you know that you were interested in music?
Keith: Some of the earliest private music moments I have are from being 4 years old watching videos of Van Halen (Jump) and Howard Jones. I remember I wanted to have the same haircut as Howard Jones and be like him when I grew up. My parents wouldn’t let me have a Mohawk haircut though.
Keith: Some of the earliest private music moments I have are from being 4 years old watching videos of Van Halen (Jump) and Howard Jones. I remember I wanted to have the same haircut as Howard Jones and be like him when I grew up. My parents wouldn’t let me have a Mohawk haircut though.
Room: You debuted into the music scene as Rumskib in 2007, a really fine tuned record, I must say. Is there a difference between Rumskib and your previous solo works musically?
Keith: Rumskib was maybe more guitar fixated from my point of view. Since I didn’t sing that much on the record all though I wrote a lot of the songs, I guess I wanted to do some nice things with the guitars a little more than on my solo albums. On the new album I’m working on, the guitars are even less present than of Waves (2009). The synths and vocals are more in front on the tracks. I guess it all comes down to doing something nice for each song I make. Creating something I feel is special to me.
Keith: Rumskib was maybe more guitar fixated from my point of view. Since I didn’t sing that much on the record all though I wrote a lot of the songs, I guess I wanted to do some nice things with the guitars a little more than on my solo albums. On the new album I’m working on, the guitars are even less present than of Waves (2009). The synths and vocals are more in front on the tracks. I guess it all comes down to doing something nice for each song I make. Creating something I feel is special to me.
Room: Who are your main influences that made your sound what it is today?
Keith: I try to change my sound from album to album. But Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, MBV, Boards of Canada, 80’s electro pop, Neil young, Animal Collective, Ariel Pink among many others have done things where I found it interesting and perhaps wanting to incorporate something they did into my own thing. Either producing my vocal in a similar way, coming up with strange chords, using my Whammy bar, idea’s to synth sounds etc. Things like that I guess producing musicians pick up on from other artists that inspire them.
Keith: I try to change my sound from album to album. But Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, MBV, Boards of Canada, 80’s electro pop, Neil young, Animal Collective, Ariel Pink among many others have done things where I found it interesting and perhaps wanting to incorporate something they did into my own thing. Either producing my vocal in a similar way, coming up with strange chords, using my Whammy bar, idea’s to synth sounds etc. Things like that I guess producing musicians pick up on from other artists that inspire them.
Room: Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Keith: It is always a hard question to answer. I guess I react a lot on moods, settings, people, movies and nature. Sometimes I Imagine the world without sound on and I have to put sound on things to understand them, myself and also be understood by others. I feel a lot in moods. Moods I want to generate into sound. It could be moods from a picture an expression on a face, a landscape perhaps? Something that is hard to put concrete words on, but makes me feel something intense or interesting, I want to put into sound or capture in mood for music.
Keith: It is always a hard question to answer. I guess I react a lot on moods, settings, people, movies and nature. Sometimes I Imagine the world without sound on and I have to put sound on things to understand them, myself and also be understood by others. I feel a lot in moods. Moods I want to generate into sound. It could be moods from a picture an expression on a face, a landscape perhaps? Something that is hard to put concrete words on, but makes me feel something intense or interesting, I want to put into sound or capture in mood for music.
Room: Please describe the sound you create on your own words?
Keith: I created some different things these last years. I guess I’m always searching for ways to create these special moods like I tried to explain. In a way the genre of music doesn’t always mean that much in order to get there and then again it does, but as long as people try to think what’s behind genre I’m happy. Genre is just the label on the book that perhaps makes you want to read it. I always flirted with 80’s dream pop. I grew up in it, so it’s hard to get out it, but on the new album I almost have done, I would say it sounds way more like psych pop with some dream pop & Shoegaze undertones to it. I set one rule for my new album and that was to leave chorus effects off on the guitar this time, to try something different. I want to try lots of things out, rather than labeling myself into a certain genre. I will let other people do that.
Keith: I created some different things these last years. I guess I’m always searching for ways to create these special moods like I tried to explain. In a way the genre of music doesn’t always mean that much in order to get there and then again it does, but as long as people try to think what’s behind genre I’m happy. Genre is just the label on the book that perhaps makes you want to read it. I always flirted with 80’s dream pop. I grew up in it, so it’s hard to get out it, but on the new album I almost have done, I would say it sounds way more like psych pop with some dream pop & Shoegaze undertones to it. I set one rule for my new album and that was to leave chorus effects off on the guitar this time, to try something different. I want to try lots of things out, rather than labeling myself into a certain genre. I will let other people do that.
Room: Kindly name a few artists that you find interesting and that I should check out?
Keith: The last couple of years I’ve been inspired by artists like, Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Boards of Canada, Steve Reich, The Beach Boys, Deer hunter, Atlas sound and others. I don’t think I’m the best at discovering new bands. I usually take time to understand and get the feel for a few at a time and then I move on to new ones, hopefully, but without saying completely goodbye to the ones I loved. The point is to move and develop yourself without getting stuck with the same thing all your life. I would be bored doing the same album every time.
Keith: The last couple of years I’ve been inspired by artists like, Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Boards of Canada, Steve Reich, The Beach Boys, Deer hunter, Atlas sound and others. I don’t think I’m the best at discovering new bands. I usually take time to understand and get the feel for a few at a time and then I move on to new ones, hopefully, but without saying completely goodbye to the ones I loved. The point is to move and develop yourself without getting stuck with the same thing all your life. I would be bored doing the same album every time.
Room: Thank you Keith! Should you have any messages to the readers?
Keith: Come toDenmark
Keith: Come to
