The Pendu Organization an interview with Todd Pendu
You do a lot of interesting things under the Pendu Org, Arts and Actions name. I’d like to ask you a bit about all of them, but what was yr aim and inspirations for starting Pendu Organization in the beginning? And could you tell us about the philosophy behind Pendu Org?
It’s so hard to say what Pendu does in a sentence. All of the various activity is related. It’s basically a loosely connected series of curatorial projects that cover everything from visual art to performance/live music to putting out records to just about whatever really. I wanted something that included the arts in a connected kind of way. I like to think of Pendu in terms of making good mixtapes. As an artist and as a curator, I am a collagist… arranging seemingly different parts into something that makes sense, even if in a weird kind of way. I like to keep people curious and guessing. I like to stay fresh and current, always new. I want people to see new things or at the very least, see things in a new way.
It would be easy to describe Pendu Sound Recordings as a ‘noise’ label but there is obviously so much more than that to what you put out, how would you describe PSR? And what do you look for in the artists you put out?
Yeah, I have put out a lot of noise-oriented projects, that’s true, but as you have pointed out, I’ve done more than just that. I have a new release from gloomy songstress Chelsea Wolfe… she’s the least noisiest thing I’ve put on my label, but her stuff still gets pretty intense and out there at times. I can’t get enough of this record. In general, it’s not so much noise, but intensity and atmosphere that I’m looking for when putting out music. There’s that certain “not-quite-definable” something that strikes me in a way; a certain mood or feeling, mostly intuitive.
Whats coming next to look forward to on PSR, and is there anything you are especially proud of releasing over the last, what is it 7 years?
I’ve put out very few records and tapes for as long as I’ve been around. But yeah, I’ve been putting out records since my first release in 1997. For a long time, I was just putting out my own stuff, but very quickly I was putting out stuff from my friends, and music from people that I’d contact. As far as records that I’m proud of? The new Atelecine LP from porn star Sasha Grey is seriously amazing. I put out her debut 7” last year and it was a great start, but this one is even better. I’m very excited about having that out very soon. A specially limited 7” with Mater Suspiria Vision is also coming very soon. MVS is by far one of the most exciting music acts around right now. I’m more than thrilled to be working with them.
You also have some music projects of yr own, Mialessot, which is no more I believe, Abuse Report, Barkminer, Feral Comb, and Chaos*CM*Majik what I have seen you describe as yr suitcase electronics project, can you tell us about these, and any future Chaos*CM*Majik releases/happenings?
Chaos Majik and Ghost Moth are the only two projects still extant. The other projects such as Mialessot and Abuse Report are on hiatus and may or may not resurface. CM has 4 cassette releases on several small noise labels. I have lots of music recorded. I just need some record labels to approach me, then I’ll get some more music out there.
There is also Ghost Moth, yr project with free jazz legend Daniel Carter. How did this collaboration come about, and will there be any more releases for Ghost Moth? With the Ghost Moth stuff is that straight improv or do you set out a starting point and see where you end up and edit, or do you work off a theme set before hand?
Ghost Moth has been around since 2006… I knew Daniel as a fan first, but he was also a regular customer at The Strand Bookstore where I worked at the time. We used to talk every time he came in. Eventually, he gave me his number and I called him and the rest is history. We’ve been playing ever since. With Daniel, it’s 100% spontaneous; I don’t like the word improv. We make music based on the principles of the Temporary Autonomous Zones laid out by Hakim Bey. If you’re not aware of it, it’s something I recommend you check out.
You make a lot of yr electronic instruments yrself. What got you into that and are you looking for a particular sound when messing with circuits or is it trial and error?
I’m definitely not a technician… My soldering is sloppy and I don’t understand schematics really. For me it’s all trial and error. I work intuitively and am always looking for sounds that can be manipulated to the point of being absolutely customized for me. Something unique, but at the same time, something that is visceral; a sound that I can really make a psychical connection to.
Who would you say are yr main musical inspirations looking back, besides the raw creative impulse that made you decide to make music?
I was into Death Metal, Industrial/Goth, and Hip Hop as a kid growing up in Florida in the 80’s. I’m very much a product of that. As far as my exploration into noise and weird sounds, I’d have to say my biggest influence was Man Is The Bastard. I saw MITB in 1996 in Tampa, FL and as much as loved the doom of the duoing basses, it was their noise interludes that turned me around and got me trying to do all kinds of weird shit. That shit blew my mind back then.
You also have a book published of poetic texts, Analekta: Semantic Texts, and I believe working on a non fiction book. Can you elaborate a bit on these for us?
Yeah, I published this book in 2001. It is a rough draft for a larger work. I hope to do more with it in the coming years. It’s an occult, Pythagorean, mystical working of texts. An attempt at creating imaginary worlds that only reflect what can be imagined but impossible to be made physically real. The non-fiction book I am working on is about a radical group of anarchist poets from the 1830’s who were called the Bouzingo and pretty much set the bar for counterculture ever since. They did some pretty out there shit for their time.
You have also written for Foxy Digitalis and have yr own online magazine. Pendu Magazine. Which is full of interesting things. How important is writing to you? I know you have a interest in the esoteric too, are there any particular texts and writers that have had a profound effect on you in the occult and otherwise?
Writing is important for me. Lately, I don’t feel I get enough done. There’s so much more I want to say. As far as esoteric writers, none higher for me than Austin Osman Spare, Carl Jung, and Georges Bataille.
One thing I noticed on the Pendu Magazine site was the tarot deck you are working on with artist Jesse Gelaznik. The illustrations I have seen so far are amazing. Will these be available at all? And could you explain yr relationship with the tarot and its connections to Pendu Org, the name for instance?
I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long while now, but it wasn’t until I started talking to Jesse Gelaznik about Tarot that I finally was able to get these ideas out of my head. I read tarot professionally out of my apartment here in Brooklyn, so it’s in reading the cards that I began to develop conceptual ideas that went beyond the decks that I own. We are working really hard on this project together and I hope people enjoy it. The first card that we worked on was “The Hanged-Man” and it came out beautifully. It can be seen on the website along with the others. We now have 11 cards finished on our way toward doing a 22 card Divinatory Deck with and extra 23rd card known as “The Darkness.” The deck is inspired by Chaos Magick, Alchemy, Hindu Tantra. The name “Pendu” comes from the french meaning the “Hanged-Man” and refers to the 12th Trump of the Tarot. The card refers to mysticism and to gaining new perspective and that’s what I try to pass on to attendees, listeners, and viewers of my various projects and events. I plan to have the deck ready for sale by the beginning of next year.
Back to the music side of things you also put on some shows in NY with Salem, Gatekeeper, Gary War, No Bra etc. Some of the most interesting bands and artists around atm. With free absinthe too. What bands artists around atm are you especially digging? And can you fill us in on the NY eye and Ear fest. Which has an truly amazing line up by the look of it. Makes me want make the journey over to catch it.
Yeah, my weekly party at Glasslands here in Brooklyn has hosted so many artists and DJs including S4LEM, Light Asylum, Gatekeeper, White Ring, DJ Traxx, Excepter, Medio Mutante, Tearist, DJ Busy (Telepathe), DJ Lauren Flax, Led Er Est, Robin C (XX JFG/Tri Angle Records) White Car, Mirror Mirror, Blondes, DJ Venus X, CREEP (DJ set), Madden, DJ Gavin Russom (DFA), DJ Frankie Teardrop, Kevin ‘Dj Nightline Duffey’, NO BRA, Omega Jarden, Laurel Halo, Gary War, Balaclavas, Desert of Colors, Slava, Figure Study, Fostercare, Fake Babies, Konnichiwa, Living Days, Follower, The Gamut, SSPS, DJ Sean Ragon (Cult Of Youth), Esque, George Quartz, Religious To Damn, Neud Photo, Head Trip Conception, Other Crimes, DJ Harrison, Lauren Dillard, April Christiane, DJ Josh Werner, Hearts of Darknesses, Hours of Worship (DJ Set), Neud Photo, DJ Hayden Payne, New Yoga, DJ Jeralyn, Blush Response, and on it goes… I love all of this stuff. It’s hand-selected and what I think of as quality arts. I want people to experience something new every time they walk through the doors of the party. Who new dark shit could be so much fun? And yeah, Pernod Absinthe helps.
The NY EYE & EAR FEST is in it’s 3rd year… It’s a showcase of the dark underground bubbling out of NY as well as a fair for NYC-based record labels and artists. This year around 40 bands will play in 2 days at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. All of the bands are listed on the website. We have Blank Dogs, White Ring, Effi Briest, Xeno & Oaklander, Blondes, Fostercare, and so many more playing. Should be a sick showcase. I’m definitely excited about it.
Finally if you could invite 3 persons living or dead from any time to a dinner who would they be and why?
Georges Bataille, Marcel Duchamp, and Austin Osman Spare… I can’t even imagine what would happen in that room. Something amazing. Something weird. Something brilliant.
