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Gordon Voidwell – “White Friends” [d/l at rcrdlbl]

Magic, music and the social constructions of manhood are a few subjects that come up during our chat with Gordon Voidwell. His music might tempt you to draw comparisons to acts like Prince and Chromeo, but the whole steez is a very particular brand of subversive funk that’s all his own.  The singer/songwriter/musician/multiple slash haver perceives the world through a very distinct lens, and whether its political statements, paper chasing, or psychedelic drug references, the Voidwell experience draws you into it all.

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AS: What was your favorite illusion as a child – be it an imaginary friend, magical powers, secret underworld below your bed?

I never put much stock in magic or illusions. I guess that’s partially the result of growing up in the “shit is real” – often too real – section of the gangster-ass Bronx that I grew up in. At an early age, I was overly preoccupied with the “real” and so I’d always look to ruin a magic trick or illusion. As I got older, I began to put more stock in magic, but only as it pertained to things like coincidence, fate and LSD flashbacks.

AS: What intrigued or amused you most about adults as a child?

Adults are essentially larger-bodied children with more money and more evolved psychological disorders. As such, they’re equally temperamental. As a child, I’d get a lot of joy from seeing adults’ moodswings and cranky behavior. It’s sort of amusing to think that no matter how old we are, we are still subject to irrational ass behavior. I still celebrate that.

AS: Who was you all time favorite person as a child? Movie star, relative or otherwise.

I really liked Shawn Kemp, the power forward for the Seattle Supersonics, but I also liked Bruce Lee and I also liked this one G.I. Joe named Stalker. It’s kind of creepy that my favorite G.I. Joe was named Stalker. It’s also kind of racist that the G.I. Joe named Stalker was black and wore essentially a cat burglar’s costume. So it goes. Never cared too much for Michael Jordan, aside from his sneakers. I was, however, wholeheartedly charmed by Michael Jackson and did sincerely love Andy Rooney. I’m extremely embarrassed by how male-centric my list is…major props to society for that! You were successful in erasing all my favorite females from my memory!

AS: From the looks of it, you completely let loose on stage. Do you find supreme freedom in your performance?

Supreme freedom is an interesting concept. I’d find supreme freedom if my performances paid a little more and if my loan officers at Sallie Mae and Citibank forgave my student loans. Then I could really let loose. But yea, performing can be quite liberating. The stage is one of the few spaces where I feel comfortable letting go. Part of what you’re seeing, however, is me simply trying to outperform other bands. In that way, I’m not letting loose as much as I’m calculatedly “going in.” Consequently, I perform my entire show on level 10 and feel exhausted by like the 3rd song. Then I go to sleep. Then I wake up and spend the whole day trying to find my phone so I can read what people said about me on twitter.

AS: If your freedom had a texture what would it be? If it had a smell and/or taste what would it be? Why?

My freedom would be green and smell like my leather wallet. It would be tasteless. Its texture would vary from crisp and rigid to soft and worn. It would put my kids through college and buy my girlfriend expensive shit. It would allow for my parents to finally own their own home. It would tell stories of blood and mayhem. It would do all this for me because it’d feel so happy to have finally met someone that appreciates it.

AS: Why music? You could have chosen any media outlet to express yourself.

Oh, this ones easy. I have perfect pitch.

AS: As a representation of the inner workings or your creative expression, how important/necessary is preparation prior to a performance for you? How important is the placement of your band mates, their visual aesthetic, etc?

I believe musical performances are best when they pay close attention not just to the aural, but to the visual as well. Eventually I’d like to play shows where each of my band mates are wearing ornate costumes and there is live video triggering and animals onstage. I care a lot about visual aesthetic. I think everything from clothes to facial expressions are equally important to the actual music being performed.

AS: While peeping your performance at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC this past summer, some of your followers heard a track ["Be A Man"] that declared, “I’ve never learned how to be a man.” That’s not verbatim, but that was the vibe of the song. What was the inspiration for that track? How much does the inspiration for that song has to do with race, class?

That’s a song about my father. I have a strange relationship with him. Even though he didn’t raise me I find myself inheriting traits of his that I really don’t want to inherit. Real shit like how I treat women and how I treat myself. I wonder sometimes if I’ve properly learned to be a man. I also wonder what exactly it means to be a man?  These are things I struggle with. I ultimately believe manhood is constructed, but I still sometimes find myself subscribing to these normalized ideas of manhood. It’s not a song directly about race and class, but I think anything I do – by default of my center – is about race and class.

AS: Some of your music deals with race relations. How has the issues of race and class touched you – in your school daze, community, personal relationships and otherwise?

Race is a construct. It’s never affected me…

I wish that were true.

I grew up with these polar ideas of white and black and rich and poor. I think American youth are educated/socialized to think along polar lines. If anything, that is the failure of our society/school systems. I grew up in a middle income house. Neither of my parents made six figures, but both valued education. I grew up with really rich kids and really poor kids of varying ethnicities. I’m hyper-aware of race and class but I also realize neither are telling of an individual’s character…unless they’re white males. We can pretty much assume the worst about white males. Jusst kiddddddding…

AS: Finish these sentences:

Black men are..

Really different in Ghana than they are in Bed Stuy.

Black women are..

Not a homogeneous sect…

The Black community is..

Sometimes winning the war, but also sometimes losing…

AS: What is your favorite season? Why?

Fall in NYC. Winter in Accra. Spring in Paris. Summer in Minneapolis/St.Paul.

AS: What can Gordon Voidwell listeners look forward to in the future?

Within a month, I’ll be giving away a lengthy mixtape for free. Listeners can also look forward to me legalizing gay marriage in each state. Also, if I’m ever elected president I’ll be giving out reparations to black people, native americans, women and tall, skinny supermodels. Also, If I sell a million records, I will give out reparations – but this time I will include racist, patriarchic white men aka my money managers. In fact, they will get the lion’s share. Why? Simply because that is the way business is conducted in this town. Always has been.

AS: This space in the interview is left for you to declare whatever you so choose, What do you have to say?

Thanks for reading this. Thanks for conducting it. Hi Ghostface Killah!

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Linkage:

Voidtwitter // Voidspace

Purchase –> Ivy League Circus EP