Interview: Gladys Lazer
Gladys Lazer is the solo project of Tel Aviv-born musician and drummer Gal Lazer, former drummer with NYC-based guitar virtuoso Yonatan Gat. His debut EP, (released in July on Boiled Records), distills a time when he had no home and traveled the world on music. Recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in the countryside of Southwest Georgia, the debut EP, Candy World/Bye Past, features eight instrumental pathways: sonic vignettes that combust breakbeat, post-jazz, krautrock, and trip-hop.
Debaser presents Gladys Lazer on Thursday, September 14 at Pressed with Philadelphia’s Pulgas, and local band Soft Life. Lazer will be joined by a full band, including two woodwind players. The show is all ages, and the entrance of Pressed is physically accessible. Entry is $8.
Interview with Gladys Lazer
The music on Candy World/Bye Past is described as ‘nomadic’ – can you describe where, when, and how the songs were developed and recorded?
The album was recorded in a time when I was mostly on the road, playing 200 shows a year with my former band, so it was only between tours when I was able to get recordings done for myself. The music on the album was recorded in these different places – a lake house in rural SW Georgia, a recording studio in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in small rooms in Brooklyn and New Orleans. Each session was different than the other, and deserved finding a different working method. The music was never pre-written, all of it was born and developed in the recording process.
What do you listen to while you’re travelling?
This obviously changes a lot, but traveling or not my heart usually pounds hard to Aphex Twin. I used to tour for a long time in this van that had only a CD player. These were my 3 favorite CD’s from the van’s CD selection. 1. Gavin Bryars – Sinking of the Titanic, 2. Joao Donato – Quem E Quem, and 3. an Alice Coltrane/Kraftwerk mixed CD.
Some will know you for your virtuoso drumming with Yonatan Gat. How does the process of writing music on your own compare to working with other musicians?
What I enjoy about making music on my own is that every element gets to meet my standards or else it doesn’t fly. I enjoy making music on my own more right now, because I enjoy the total independence.
It’s different making music with other people based on what’s your roll and influence in the music making, the people you’re working with and their components. I think that it’s important to have a clear vision walking into a recording project or any project, in case you work with other people that vision better be mutual and clear. Generally, I found that having fun while working is a good sign, especially when the fun is shared.
What is one tip you would offer to artists on the road?
One tip would be to be present and in the moment the more you can, that’s a good way to ride the wave of massive changing information coming at you and not get overwhelmed by it.