INTERVIEW WITH DANA SCHECHTER FROM INSECT ARK
Tell me about Insect Ark. When did Insect Ark form and a little bit about your history?
Origin of the name?
Insect Ark formed in late 2011. My friends in the band Enablers were looking for
someone to join their tour in Europe, but they only had room for one person in the van.
I’d been wanting to do something totally different for some time, and I wanted to do it
alone. In short, I brainstormed and wrote a set of material in a couple months’ time and
put it out for a road test. Insect Ark has changed a lot since then, it seems like long ago.The name to me sounded like an electrical hive, but contained, sort of like the music I was starting to make, and since it was a solo project, it seemed suitable.
My wife and I live on the outskirts of town, kind of that intersection between country
and city where you can hear the noises of the city merge with rural landscapes. The
insects were very distinct last night, and I remarked about their musical capacity. The
insects have always been quite rhythmic to me, like they are composing some sort of
locust symphony. You stated that you have a kinship with the insects. Can you elaborate
further on that statement?
I love their freaky mysterious bodies, their mechanical structures. The ones that sing, like
locusts, are a special kind. I am especially fond of ants and am in awe of their social
structures. And moths, I find them beautiful. That said, some insects are assholes. I’ll kill
a mosquito any day.
You played with one of my favorite artists, Michael Gira, in Angels of Light. Swans are
and will always be in my top 2 (Neurosis is the other). I've only had the pleasure of
having a a few brief conversations with him, and he was always very cordial and kind.
But, being in a band with someone that has a focused, unique musical vision is different.
What was that experience like and is MG as intense as he seems?
Yes, often times he was. Gira is a very focused and very determined person. I like him, we
get along well, but it wasn’t always easy being in his band. He worked us hard, but I
went into it knowing that. There’s a trade off, anyone with that kind of dedication has the
potential to push people up to, and past, their normal limits. I enjoyed that, personally.
There is a very neat synergy that happens between the listener and the artist. It goes
unmentioned quite often. I think a lot of artists take it for granted and maybe some
listeners do, too regarding the interplay of the two necessary components. It's so strange
to me that music began as something as primitive as beating rocks together and it
eventually morphed into black metal. How cool is it to know that someone is humming
your work in their head?
It feels good. Music, like art, is a form of communication, and all beings communicate in
different ways. I just want to touch people with what I do on some level. If someone is
emotionally affected by something I’ve made, then I’ve achieved one of my primary
goals.
Who are your main influences going into Insect Ark? How does your approach to this
music differ from your previous work like Bee and Flower?
I listen to everything from metal to classical, soundtracks to noise, Motown to ambient.
It’s all mashed up inside me. It’s always been this way. I don’t think the process of
writing differs greatly, though the approach itself in instruments and song form changed,
it’s all coming from the same place.
To me, music is more alive now than it has ever been. I can find out about a new band
or familiarize myself with older favorites for seemingly forever. With the rise of the
internet offering so much diversity, why do people still claim that there is nothing
exciting happening in music? Do you think it's out of pure laziness or just a lack of
searching? In my opinion, there is no excuse.
Many people are fine with listening to the same classic rock (or whatever) they grew up
on. For others, pursuing new music is essential. If people can’t be bothered, it’s their
loss. They probably fall into the category of people whose lives are not defined by music,
as many of ours are. We know there’s the risk of oversaturation, with everything being
available the internet, but again if you’re not up for it, stay with your 38 Special or
whatever, if that makes you happy. As far as online music goes, I welcome the ability to
discover new bands if I feel like going down a rabbit hole. But I’m frustrated by the
element of social media that expects artists to present a constant stream of witty and
crowd-pleasing tidbits of their lives to make listeners feel included. It has nothing to do
with the music itself. I guess I’m just a private person and I don’t enjoy participating in
social media very much. But I understand that this is how it is now, and I know it helps
people discover and define their realms of interest. I’d just prefer to make music that’s
compelling than try to sell my music or myself as a brand.
