Engineer.Producer.Throat singing enthusiast.This edition of Fistful of Questions goes out to three time Grammy award winner Marc Urselli. Marc Urselli
In the 90's I used to sign all my writings and publications as "Marc Urselli-Schaerer"
What music projects are you currently working on?
I am producing a Ramones tribute record with various metal bands doing their take on The Ramones.
What was the first instrument that you played?
Piano when I was a kid. Then later some drums, some bass and some guitar.
Tell me about one of your first musical memories?
My earliest memory connected to music is seeing my mother cry when John Lennon died. I was 3. But my earliest musical memory is building instruments in music class during my 1st elementary year in Switzerland. I was 7 years old and I built a fog horn with a piece of garden hose and a kalimba with some metal knitting needles compressed between two pieces of wood.
What was the name of the first band you were in?
"General Store". We released 3 demo tapes and we were a rock crossover band in the 90's. Way ahead of our time and our little town ;-)
Tell me about the genesis of SteppenDoom.
SteppenDoom started as a doom metal project for music I wrote with a 12-string electric bass that I acquired some 12-15 years ago. I then recorded some slow drums to go along the bass lines and thought that the heavy tones would be well matched by throat singing, which I was always fascinated by and was one of my favorite vocal sounds. From there I set out to contact all my favorite doom metal musicians and all the best throat singers in the world.
What inspired the name SteppenDoom?
The love for throat singing and for slow doom metal and the conviction that they belong together and are perfectly complementing to each other.
Where did the inspiration come from to combine throat singing and doom?
I grew up in Europe and the first time I heard any form of throat singing, it was actually the ancient "cantu a tenóre" from the island of Sardinia, in Italy. Later I got into the most popular style of throat singing, which is the one practiced by the people of Tuva, Mongolia and Siberia, and which is now inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.
I have always felt a strong attraction and interest towards different styles of group chanting, prayer singing and other tribal vocal expressions and extreme usages of the human singing apparatus: Gregorian religious chants, Tibetan buddhist mantras, Korean pansori singing, Inuit katajjaq duets, Maori haka ceremonies, Indonesian Kecak trance chorus, indigenous American Indian chants and of course all styles of Mongolian & Tuvan throat singing.
Do you remember when and where you were when the idea of throat singing and doom first came to you?
I think I was in the US and it was about 8-9 years ago... Being a lover of all things dark, low, deep and mysterious, I have been a fan of the low and guttural sound of the "kargyraa" style ever since it first danced within my cochlea. Growing up I developed an appreciation for various genres, including metal and many of its sub-genres: in particular doom metal and death metal, which, coincidentally, I would also consider another extreme use of vocal chords. At some point during my obsessive research for the darker, the weirder, the far out and the extreme, it dawned on me that throat singing and doom metal are a perfect sonic complement to each other. At that very moment I decided I would make this a record that would bridge the gap between two cultures that have rarely, if ever, interacted, let alone collaborated. My intention was to create a global cultural exchange that would create a tangible connection between the Western metal scene and the non-Western folkloric music scene.
How long did it take you to write and record SteppenDoom?
It didn't take long to write it, only a week or two, but the recording took years because it required getting in touch with all these musicians from all over the world. Some of them are nomads riding horses and living in yurts without internet and I had to employ intermediaries, translators etc.
It was a true labor of love which required a lot of efforts!
Who did the album art for SteppenDoom and what inspired it?
The overall art concept was mine, but the design was by Joshua Wilkinson and then Łukasz Jaszak helped finish the vision. The artwork was inspired and based on pictures from Tuva and Mongolia taken by photographers Nurmukhamed Battur (Mongolia) and by Duu-Daryi Tyulyush (Tuva). I found both photographers on Instagram while looking for photographers from those areas.
If you could insert yourself into any one band what band would it be and why?
Probably Nine Inch Nails. They've always been one of my favorite bands and I've yet to work with them. That said, I am more of a producer than a musician.
Have you ever heard a song and immediately wished you had written it?If so... What was the song and artist?
I don't think of myself as a songwriter so that doesn't really cross my mind much, but I do often wish I had mixed a certain album or a certain song. I aspired to make records that stand the test of time and are listened to for decades to come. The records I produce and record and mix are my legacy.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Tons of industrial bands like NIN, Ministry, Die Krupps, Front 242, Front Line Assembly, Swamp Terrorists... Tons of doom metal bands like Sabbath, Type O Negative, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost... Tons of jazz and crossover artists such as Zappa, Zorn, Zu and any other cool artist that starts with a Z ;-)
What's a pop song that you'd like to do a metal cover of?
Any song can be made in any version and that's actually one of my favorite things to do and in a way it is what I am doing with the Ramones tribute album.
What band have you witnessed live that has really impressed you with their live show?
I go to one or two shows every night, so I've seen countless shows in my life... NIN, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Ze Ibarra, Mike Patton, Sabbath are some of the best shows I have seen, but I also go to tons of smaller shows by bands who continually inspire me with their amazing shows!
When you think about different styles of music do particular cities come to mind?If so, which styles of music and cities go together?
Obviously NYC is one of the capitals of jazz as well as punk, but I also associate punk with London, which obviously has produced some of the best rock bands ever. I associate industrial with Berlin, grunge with Seattle, Reykjavik with that unique ambient-pop sound that Iceland is so known for. I associate LA with glam rock and obviously Birmingham with death metal and Oslo or Helsinki with black metal...
What's the weirdest experience you've had while in the studio?
I've had a very bad experience in a studio in London where I was treated like shit by the owner who called me a "fucking idiot" and asked me not to touch any of the gear, even though I was the engineer and producer on the session. That will go down as the weirdest studio experience I've ever had and I hope I'll never have another one like that. Needless to say I am never going back and telling everyone not to go there... the studio has green walls...
The year is 1992.Where are you at and what are you listening to?
1992 is pretty much smack down in the middle of the period when my music collection (then on tapes) exploded and my tastes really broadened... I was listening to tons of Seattle grunge (Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees) and LA glam (Guns'n'Roses, Skid Row) rock but I was also getting heavily into industrial music (Die Krupps, The Young Gods, Das Ich)... I think some of the most influential albums of my life were made between 85 and 94 or around that...
What advice would you give young musicians that are just starting out in the music business?
Don't! ;-)
Just kidding.
Do, but ONLY do if you are ready for heavy sacrifices and for prioritizing music above all other things. If you can't commit to that order of priorities it's gonna be very hard to make a living in today's music industry, or lack thereof...
What is an absolute band killer?
Sometimes its managers, sometimes its labels... mostly it's money-related.. It's important to surround yourself with the right people and with people who have your best interests at heart... To most managers and labels, bands are just an asset to exploit, so they will be treated as such, and if they don't produce results they will be thrown away like an old rag...
Have you ever recorded a song that you really didn't like, but a band or musician really did?
Sure, happens all the time, especially early on in one's career.
When you are an engineer you don't always get to choose who you work with, but you have to take the work to make a living. It is not the job of an engineer to like a song. It is the job of an engineer to make sure the song sounds great.
If you were to start your own music festival what would be the name of that festival and who would be the three headlining bands?
Big Ears is one of the best festivals I've ever been to. It has the best line ups and a great name. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. When something great exists, rather than making a copy it's best to do something different!
What's the longest time you've gone without bathing?
That depends on whether you are talking about the sea, a lake, a bathtub, but if you are talking about hygiene I shower every day, except if maybe I am camping in the wilderness and there are no showers in sight...
What's one thing that most people don't know about you?
That there are many many more things they don't know about me...
Is the Fistful of DOOM show in the top 10 of your favorite music podcasts?
Of course! How can it not be? ;-)
Do unicorns sleep standing up?
I don't believe in unicorns. I believe in baticorns: bats with one horn who sleep upside down and when they wake up they just let go and impale the victim below with their horn. A bit like Australian drop bears.
You're driving cross-country and you can only listen to one album the whole time.What album will it be?
Kind of Blue, maybe... or... Dark Side of the Moon... depends which country I am driving across I guess...
You are writing a book about your life thus far.What is the title of that book?
Sound Life
What is your favorite song by Taylor Swift?
Who?
(I am quoting Ozzy here ;-))
Sleep or High On Fire (if you had to choose)?
Sleep because they were one of the first doom metal vinyl albums I've bought some 25-30 years ago!
Doobies or Boobies (if you had to pick one)?
Boobies all day long. I don't smoke and don't do drugs. I'm high on life...
Waffles or Pancakes (if you had to pick one)?
Pancakes, but very rarely.
Star Wars or Star Trek (if you had to choose)?
Star Trek because I grew up on that and I had never seen Star Wars until the pandemic forced me to sit down and watch all 7 or 77 or however many chapters there are...
Favorite band t-shirt you own?
A Faith No More one that says "Mother" in the front and "Fucker" in the back.
Fondue Chinoise in Switzerland, strictly the way they do it there!
Days of War, Nights of Love... It sums up the anarchist way of life I once naively believed in...
The first Matrix maybe?
I appeal the 5th.
The only one I ever played as a kid was DOOM.
I wonder if it subconsciously influenced my musical tastes...
Favorite Professional Wrestler?
I've never watched wrestling and the only wrestler I know of is Hulk Hogan but wrestling is ridiculous to me, it's like lipsyncing at shows. If you can't do the real thing, get off the stage or the ring...
Big thanks to Marc for taking the time to answer my questions.I really appreciate it.If you are reading this then you should click on the link that is conveniently provided below and wrap your ears around SteppenDoom.Collaborators on this project include Matt Pike (SLEEP & High On Fire), Steve Von Till (Neurosis) and Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed) to name a few.If you have never heard throat singing before.You are in for a treat.If you have heard throat singing before.You are still in for a treat.Any way you slice it you are in for a treat.~El Pedo Caliente (aka Uncle Jameson host of the Fistful of DOOM show)
https://steppendoom.bandcamp.com/album/steppendoom
