UNDERGROUND ODDITIES - Interview

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Tell us about Underground Oddities?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

Underground Oddities is a YouTube channel that I made as a way to showcase who I think are the most creative and interesting artists working in the underground music scene.

I mainly make reaction videos on there (for now).

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What got you interested in reviewing music in the underground?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

The reason I chose the underground niche is because its what I've always been interested in. The underground, whether its music, or movies, is where artists can experiment and push boundaries, and I love that. There's a lot less interference from old folks in suits, so a lot of the time there's no filter or big wrinkled finger pointing down from some executive office telling you what you can and can't do.

Artists have room to breathe in the underground, maybe not as much room to eat, but you gotta pick your poison.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Do you think art direction factors into your decisions to review an artist/project as much as the quality/uniqueness of the music?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

I've been sold on an artist just from their YouTube thumbnail. Visuals are extremely important for musicians, how you decide to display your musical project is incredibly important I think. I'm a very visual-oriented person, sometimes a mediocre song with an amazing cover art or video will make me like the audio more than I originally thought.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Do you think there are underground artists you have reviewed that have the potential for mainstream success?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

Absolutely, JELEEL! being the first person who comes to mind. I can already see that dude doing a backflip on the Grammys red carpet. He's a super nice guy by the way.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

In your opinion, what separates the underground vs. the mainstream?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

I think what makes something mainstream isn't necessarily numbers, but where you would hear the artist. I don't think I'll ever hear a Death Grips track echo out from a Walmart speaker. I doubt that the new Ford F-150 ad is gonna feature a cut off a Merzbow record.

Mainstream = easily digestible for the masses. Not necessarily a bad thing by the way, I like some mainstream stuff. But your average, everyday person doesn't want a challenging or unconventional record to listen to.

Me? I want that record chucked at me like a fucking throwing axe.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

Why is the underground so essential for music discovery?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

The underground caters to so many different genres and tastes, so if you're looking to discover more music, these rabbit holes are bottomless and sprawl out into every direction- there's so many unique artists out there waiting for you to find them, you just gotta dig a little.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What projects are on your radar at the moment?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

The new TOKYOPILL album Dopamine Online is really, really good. Love that.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What projects are you excited about that have not been released yet?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

I'm dying to hear Freddie Dredd's new album. I'm also praying BLACKHANDPATH releases something new this year.

ETHEREAL.PRESS

What's next for Underground Oddities?

UNDERGROUND ODDITIES

I wanna try some new formats with the channel, maybe branch out into film related content. I have a bunch of strange, fucked up movies in my collection that I'd love to talk about and show everyone.

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ARTIST LINKS: YOUTUBE - INSTAGRAM - TWITTER