cruft for the world.

July 22, 2005

Fictional Interviews III / tachikoma



Tachikoma's huge SUV strolls nonchalantly down the wide road at noon in the blazing heat. Three wheels high in the air, the right back one down low to the ground as the bass speakers blast the zion pulse of dub through the Vancouver air.

Tachikoma isn't driving. However, he is wearing a crown of laurel leaves and painting his nails with a glossy enamel. Beside him are two enormous, antiquated japanese synthesizers with wooden panels and black metal casings. He is smoking what looks like a cheap Pom Pom cigar.

BAI: This reminds me of A.J.'s barge.
T: No argument here.
BAI: Did you pay for all this with royalties?
T: Naturally. Of course, not just from blipsandifs, but from the other record company that released my disc.
BAI: In England.
T: That's the one.

A breeze picks up as Tachikoma cleans a small glass pipe in pure alcohol.

BAI: How would you like to promote your albums? I mean, if you had a lot more money.
T: TV ads. Like K-Tel.
BAI: Aren't you the one pressuring the label to set up a Paypal account?
T: Of course. We should be selling heroclix figures of Moil and Golden Calf. That would bring in mad crazy money.
BAI: But there's the security issue. Encryption and so forth.
T: Hey. I just worship technology. I don't design it.
BAI: I'm sure I'm sorry.
T: You should be.

Tachikoma's cell phone rings. He shouts for a few moments over the noise of the stereo, then hangs up.

T: Sorry.
BAI: So I heard you signed on to fill the blanks in blipsandifs' content-hole.
T: Indeed. And I have a bunch of filmscores to pull off for jason in the next few weeks too...
BAI: That's quite a schedule.
T: Frankly, I'm worried. I haven't made a lot of tracks recently.
BAI: Are you gonna be dropping some generative shit?
T: Nord Micro Modular?
BAI: That's the one.
T: I used up most of my classic patches on previous soundtracks. I think I'll still be working in Reason and Live.
BAI: How about "Machine Robo Hono" ?
T: How do you know about that?
BAI: Communications technology.
T: I see. Yeah. There are various giant robot anime themes I plan to be sampling. No one gets that. I've been sampling anime for years. Even my dron/remix project has samples from anime in it. Oh well. "Chacun a son gout."
BAI: "Everything rare for the rare."
T: "We are all guilty of everything."

Our literary oneupmanship had reached a high point and a simultaneous low point. A bad sign.

Tachikoma sighed, exhaled grey smoke, and gazed up at the sky. Although it was sunny, a light snow was falling.

The SUV rolled leisurely on in the dying evening.

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