TRISTAN WELCH & DOUG KALLMEYER OF REQUIEM

When you are in the middle of nowhere, you are halfway to somewhere. For Tristan Welch this is where he found himself when facing a painful period in his life. Dealing with feelings of devastation and grief, the cathartic portal out of such an awful time was through music. Through total musical immersion and channeling feelings of loss, loneliness, and sadness through a creative filter, Welch was able to manage his trauma in what eventually become the track Deadwood from Requiem’s debut record POPulist Agenda’s.

As Welch so openly and honestly explains, Deadwood is the first track that started the album. “The mood that created the song is fairly simple – my mom died about two months or so before I got married. I have a somewhat strange family dynamic and my mom and I were the two left living in the northern Virginia area. I spent years doing my best to alienate anyone close to me when I was addicted to drugs, and I spent years rekindling our relationship after I got clean. After she passed my dad sold the house to myself and my ex-wife. Fast forward five years I was getting divorced, sitting in the basement alone in what was my mother’s house that had turned into “my family’s” house. I had released a solo record that started to sound more “song like” which had different sounds and was in a groove with making little guitar lines that I like and I found one that was easy to play that occupied my brain. I’ve always had a thing for repetition. One of my favorite activities growing up was throwing a baseball – over and over again. I liked to shoot a basketball from the same spot over and over again. I like martial arts and repeating a certain form over and over again. Something my mom and I did was play Rummy over and over again. A simple game that repeats itself but is slightly different every time. So in times of turmoil I sometimes think about things that brought me comfort – and playing that game with her was one of them. So, I repeated the line as if we were playing multiple hands until the end when one of us was holding the deadwood. I feel like I lost the hand ultimately.” An achingly philosophical take on what precipitated the emotional reconciliation between deeply personal matters and the universally open world of music.

One of the most fascinating things about instrumental music is how emotion can be conveyed purely through sound. The fundamental way emotive forces are injected into a track is through its technical underpinnings which are overtly expressed without even uttering a word. This is most certainly the case with Deadwood as fellow band member Doug Kallmeyer explains when discussing how one knits together the practical with the ethereal. “Deadwood is the track that birthed the approach to completing the entire album, from a mixing and arranging standpoint. There is a common thread between all these pieces, encapsulated in Deadwood- a central theme that is introduced, then developed and built upon, hypnotically. Keeping this introduction and envelopment in longer form, building the momentum and bringing the listener to the point of the crescendo- then, catharsis- a responsive theme, once again built on hypnotically, to a final release.” And it is the catharsis that Kallmeyer speaks of that unites Requiem’s entire body of work.

The inception of POPulist Agendas may have derived from the track Deadwood but a whole album can be a great many things. Sometimes it is simply instrumental experimentation, sometimes a creative playground, perhaps a crystallization of a moment in time, maybe a political expression, or an expressive and cathartic outlet. Individually for Kallmeyer and Welch POPulist Agendas falls differently across that spectrum. As Kallmeyer states, “I feel POPulist Agendas easily falls into every category, excluding the tedium of politics. The creation of the album actually had multiple unintended paths. It began as a cathartic release for Tristan, who instigated the process by creating the initial movements during an emotionally challenging period. For Andrew Toy, (percussionist) and I, there was no defined agenda for the pieces so we were allowed to do as we pleased- all performances were captured separately, so there was no feedback and we were left to our own experiments. For mixing and arrangements, after a brief period of trial, there was an epiphany moment, and the album then came into focus very quickly.” However, for Welch, the record was broader in its gestation period and the number of niches it filled. “This album was put together so long ago on my end. Roughly three years at this point. Instrumental experimentation does ring true for myself and I believe as a collective. I’m not a guitar player. I’m hardly a musician. The guitar is simply the sound source I’m most comfortable with, albeit limited. That leads to a tremendous amount of experimentation. I only use my guitar to try to create an expression of feeling. I’ve never learned a song written by someone else. Which leads to the points of records being a moment of time or a cathartic process. Both of those are true. At the point where I was laying down the foundation of the songs, I was spiritually bankrupt and in a search for something greater than me. I had demons I was fighting, losing a long-term marriage, financial despair – and of course, torture can lead to creativity to process such things. POPulist Agendas is a practice of putting sounds together in a digestive manner to bring common emotions into something that we can’t run away from.” That inescapable feeling is a prime example of how Requiem sonically express intangible emotions and converts that into a solid state of sound. In explaining how he sees the conduit between concept and creation, sensation and sound, Kallmeyer describes how that is achieved. “The act of doing, uninhibited, allows one to explore the tangible possibilities. But no matter how much you prepare, the intangible is always at least half of the equation. You have to be open to the idea that intent is just preparation, and to be willing to let it go in the moment of inception.” Welch on the other hand takes a different approach and summarises it in more of an unorthodox way. “I’m not really a person who watches movies or TV – but I can use that form of media as an example. I can watch a show or a movie – all the way through and 100% committed. At the end of it, I won’t be able to tell you what happened, who said what, or anything specific. I will know how I felt watching it though and if that feeling was strong enough to warrant it taking up space in my brain. I’ll know “that movie was really funny” and want to laugh again – but I couldn’t repeat the punch line – nor do I want too… I just know the mission was accomplished by the creator and me the audience member. Songs – I can only repeat a few lines from certain songs I’ve heard a million times. But I don’t see a tangible value for karaoke. Did they express their lyrics in a way to make me feel? I know what sadness is – I don’t need you to explain that to me – make me be in your gut while it’s turning, and the empathy may take over me – then I’ll come back wanting more. Nothing is worth explaining in the art.” This, however inexplicable, must take a form that can be processed. Individually this has no limits but commercially there are always restraints.

Going from the luxurious sonic excursions and limitless timeframes of Requiem’s earlier works such as 'The Smell of Burning Plastics' and 'Growth;Mold' to the relative confines of 'Accelerated Dreaming' and 'Tired, Hot and Bothered' on POPulist Agendas. Condensing such expansive soundscapes into tight radio-friendly tracks whilst maintaining the same level of intensity in heavily reduced timelines is a balancing act. An artistic tightrope that Requiem walks with skillful precision as Kallmeyer notes. “Requiem has always been a very performance-based group. Every mix on POPulist Agendas was a dub- style approach, implementing negative mixing techniques (muting of tracks to create space and to allow focus), movement, and reactive audio paths- for example, effects chains of brutal distortion or a wall of reverb that is then side- chained dynamically giving you the ability to feed the occurrence with one instrument as you mix, but the result is governed by what another instrument in the mix is doing. This kept the process true to the aesthetic of reaction and improvisation- the mix is alive, unto itself. It can’t be repeated exactly. The sonics were guided through the full expression of each piece, based on gut reaction. I believe this made it possible to reduce each piece to its’ core movements but retain those complete experiences in a condensed time span. There was no plan, this was what benefited the music the most.” Elaborating a little further Welch states, “The previous tracks mentioned were practices in immediacy. And those are sounds we enjoy and will forever investigate. With the sounds of POPulist Agendas the biggest difference is they were written in separation – while the prior music was written and performed together with a loose blueprint. What creates the amazement of these new tunes is that a foundation was laid down, with time and care but still a little abandonment to let the feeling sit. The drums were tracked without much perfection – they are live and processed in real-time. So once again the lack of perfect hit creates the same feeling that we had before. The post-production and deep bass was done on feel – it took a long time to finish – not because we needed the right sound but because we needed the right emotional environment to create. And once it hit, ‘Tired, Hot & Bothered’ had the glorious feel that I intended from the start.” It is with such insights that it becomes clearer as to not only how Requiem produces their work but how as band members, they work together.

In some instances, working separately or remotely can stymie creativity considering how in a group dynamic each member feeds off one another’s live energy but for Requiem, it is not a concern, and each play to their respective strengths. To understand the technical side of their production Kallmeyer begins by detailing the kit used to create sonic spaces. “Reverend guitars, lots and lots of pedals by makers like Capitalist Death Cult, Arturia VSTI, Ableton Live software, UAD plug-ins have been key (Thermionic Culture Vulture and Raw), Arturia controllers, Novation Launch control in place of an analog desk. Tama drums. Nothing that is not easily obtainable. While technology has allowed a universe of possibilities to be achieved through the simplest equipment setups. The methods explained previously, using the equipment in a way that it becomes reactive and not corrective, provides the results that elevate the music. Chance. Mistakes. Using it “wrong”.” On the other side of the instrument fence Welch explains his contribution. “As of now what I use for guitar is what I have and what I’ve found to work – there’s more things I could use to get the sounds I hear in my head but they cost money. Simply I have a fairly large pedal board of effects pedals and loopers. Over the years I have stopped using amplifiers and like to run things directly into a PA system or the recording device to get the clearest version of the sound I’m creating possible. I don’t like the amplifier changing what I’ve done. It’s controlled chaos in a way. When it comes to actual guitars I like the brand Reverend – for the cost they are the most comfortable guitars for me. I’ve gone through phases where I’ve watched videos of every possible music device – at this point I don’t care. I just want to create and it needs to be efficient for me to hit my end goal. Whatever that may be.” Such experiences have been garnered through understanding both sides of the artistic coin. Kallmeyer as a touring sound engineer for acts including Blonde Redhead and Phantogram and Welch a mainstay of the D.C. underground music scene. Valuable lessons were learned during their time in the creative wilds and living on the musical fringes. Principally, as Kallmeyer declares, “What not to do. And that is something that usually involves the extremes of ego- it is very hard to temper individual creativity when put into the situation of relying on just that to survive. Artists are always poor at that, which uninhibited, of course fuels great works. But the idea of longevity often gets lost- there should be a development, an arc to improvement, not just a populist agenda of the next big thing.” Sharing his own thoughts Welch says, “I simply feel music alone is not enough of an artistic statement. I’m not saying I’m reaching that goal but I’m trying. Sound is just one aspect of everything – and the proof of that is the labor involved with a production. All labor is valuable. We have spent our lives providing labor for other artistic goals - only now are we doing something for ourselves. This is a collection of our experience and attempt to create an environment rather just a recording or a concert.” That being said, Requiem is after all a trio, and what visual artist Monika Stroik brings to the outfit is absolutely integral to the sound, aesthetic, and stimulation for the band. The visual artistry Stroik produces is both action and reaction to the music Requiem produce as Kallmeyer articulates when describing Stroik’s visuals for the two of their videoclips. “Like all sonic aspects, Monica develops her content just as we all develop our individual parts. We all use our intuition, based in the moment, and react to each other. The video for ‘Tired, Hot, and Bothered’ was a departure as it was an experiment developed more as a post- audio production. However, the video for ‘Immaculate Inning’ is a pure performance on her part, and is as solid an arrangement and as important as any sonic attribute. It is obvious. This is very important, and as we develop the two aspects continue to intertwine further. Drilling a little deeper into Stroik’s methodology, Welch mentions, “Just by chance currently the visuals are put to the music and reactive to the music. Monica has programs that react to the soundwaves while she is building her shapes, colours, and images. I’m sure we’ll try the opposite at some point. While she does add vocals for us which has only been done in a live setting – the visual element is the voice of the music. Without it – the voice wouldn’t be as strong.” Uniting the technical forces of Welch and Kallmeyer and the visual medium Stroik provides, the trio delivers exceptional live performances and this is attested to by their live shows and attendee responses.

The multi-sensory and multimedia live shows are a legendary experience. By blending mediums, elevating a performance to the next level can be achieved as Kallmeyer goes on to explain. “With combined visuals and sonics, there is an opportunity to gain and maintain an attention span that is beyond the individual mediums. It allows for an increased development of each sensory aspect, as well as heightening the impact of each. It enables total immersion, and the forgetting of oneself in the process.” Welch goes even further by saying, “It’s pure artistic expression. I don’t want to dismiss someone or a group of people showing up and playing their songs and letting that be it – but that isn’t an interest of ours. We want an immersive experience. The music and the visual aspect are together. They are one. Sometimes the colours may not exactly match the sound – but with happiness there is sadness – and they are one. I want the full spectrum of existence to be felt in all senses.” And that is particularly true for how Requiem have touched fans in ways that only music and multi-sensory experiences can. Sharing some of the feedback encountered Kallmeyer recalls some of the powerful ways their music has influenced people. “The best reactions are always the ones where people express being transported out of self-awareness, and into complete immersion. We have been approached after performances by people describing a healing experience- specifically, those suffering PTSD, and anxiety disorder. We believe this is due to the nature of this multi-sensory immersion, and the synch of theta and alpha waves due to use of frequency, duration, and cadence. We are currently studying these phenomena in order to expand on this phenomenon. For Welch, however, “I admit I’m a difficult person. I don’t want what I have and when I get what I want – I don’t want it. I’m in a constant state of discontent. I never really want to be alive but I’m not suicidal. When talking to me I seem fairly well adjusted but when talking I find it extremely draining and try to avoid it. When people hear my music after knowing me slightly they always seem to say “well now I understand what’s going on inside your head”. I guess what’s difficult is letting people to get know you through the music alone. We have found people relate to the music in other ways which is nice, they say it’s beautiful, they say it helps them focus, and they say it helps with their mental health. Maybe they hear the journey of spiritual growth which also comes with failure.” Proving that live performance is as much about the band as it is about the fan, the cyclic nature of performance art and sonic experiences are powerful indeed. Heightened by its absence, the live experience for Kallmeyer and Welch recently culminated in a post-Covid show that served to reignite that burning desire to perform live and to share the collective experience with others. “Rhizome in DC, our first live performance since covid lockdowns, stands out. It was held outside. There was a surround sound audio system, and the full building was used as a projection surface. Just being in a large group again was cathartic unto itself, but the spatialization and scale of the event, after so much time in more confined spaces, served to heighten the experience. It was nice to have a sense of hope” says Kallmeyer. Adding to the experience at Rhizome Welch states, “We have been able to most capture our essence there by performing outside and using the venue itself as a backdrop for our images. We’re also able to run our own PA system to run the music in surround sound so every audience member gets a taste of the twilling experience that we are creating.” An experience that is easily accessible and broadly appealing. Not being anchored to one type of musical genre is creatively liberating but can come with the pitfall of opening a multiverse of options whereby the seemingly endless possibilities can produce an immutable inventive weight. In reconciling the two dichotomies, Kallmeyer keeps it simple. “I believe we make “honest music”. We all have different influences and motivations, and skills levels. We make what feels best- that is the only intent. If we share that feeling, that is what is important. The pressure of endless possibilities is easier to bear than the safety of the known limitations.” A simple yet profound assessment, particularly when considering the challenges of creating. A point that is echoed by Welch. “I think we are just being who we are. Lots of my favourite musical artists have created things that fall into different categories and it still sounds like them. Some bands start one way and evolve into another. I don’t like being called an “ambient musician” or “experimental artist”. Not that I think those are wrong really and I understand putting things into a category because I do it too – but I know the feelings my music encompasses. I know that the things I make can sound anxious and nervous – which I feel doesn’t fit the ambient “wallpaper” mode. I know our crescendo’s are not like those of the post-rock power house bands and I know my “riffs” are not heavy and our electronic elements are not typical of bigger names people think of. I’m not going to sit here and say our sound is so unique but really – especially on this record – I don’t know who else sounds like us. I’m already bored with it and want to move on to something that sounds better and more expansive. There are many times in my life and even currently where I think “I want to start a hard-core punk band” but here’s the thing – I can’t. I can only use art as expressiveness and fitting into a mold doesn’t accomplish that goal.” Yet ultimately it is what the music does for both Kallmeyer and Welch. What music gives them that nothing else does. For Kallmeyer it is a physical release. “The only time I’m not experiencing chronic pain issues are when immersed in musical performance. Music gives me actual pain relief. From a worldview, music brings people together in a way nothing else does, and provides respite in pure emotion. It provides a connection within the performing group to act as a conduit for transcendent experiences.” And for Welch, “Music is simply the only art form I personally feel relatable. It’s the most personal form of expression someone can give and that’s why I enjoy listening to it so much.” Both deeply personal but relatable aspects of pleasure that the musical world can offer and the joys that a life lived within the musical sphere can afford. These aficionados of sound both give and take from the music but based on POPulist Agendas it is safe to say they have given far more than they have ever taken.