BEA Interview #8: Necharsian

[SquishypuffDave]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Necharsian. (Also, we are floating in space.)

SquishypuffDave: What music did you listen to when you were younger? What did your family listen to?

Necharsian: When I was younger I literally didnt listen to music. I remember when I was maybe 13 or 14 we had to do a school project about our 5 favorite bands and I had no idea what bands I even liked. I think thats one my earliest music memory; it forced me to listen to something. Ended up doing the project on Linkin Park and Billy Talent and Blink and the like. I think that's why I even started listening to them in the first place. That and they were cool to like. In terms of my family, no one was really into music either. My dad didn't play us CDs or records or anything. My mom playing Dixie Chicks in the car is about the only thing I can recall from my family's music. They didn't influence me much in that regard haha.

Oh nevermind my first music memory is listening to Stacy's Mom a few years before the school project. Everyone in my class knew that one. What a great jam.

SquishypuffDave: When did the love of music start? Was it a gradual thing or was there a breakthrough moment?

Necharsian: During highschool I started to branch into other kinds of music, although very slowly. And even then I wouldnt have called myself a huge music fan. As weird as it is Kamelot was one of the first bands where I was like "whoa". I tried finding similar bands and started to branch out more. This would probably have been when I was like 17 or 18. I remember Postal Service and Three Days Grace also being revered by me around this time. After that it just sky rocketed. I found all these new genres and bands and sounds that I had never even heard of. And then I found this site. So I think it's always been a gradual thing, with plenty of wow moments in between.

SquishypuffDave: If not music, what were your hobbies growing up?

Necharsian: Ice hockey. And lots of it. I think I know more about the sport than music. Id spend hours playing it (not very well mind you), watching it, studying it. I was collecting hockey cards like a music nerd and his records. Me and one of my good friends live right next door to each other and after school almost everyday we'd go and play road hockey or mini sticks in doors if the weather was shit. And I still obsess over it. It is Canada after all. One of my buddies kicked me out of his apartment after a heated hockey debate once. Good times.

SquishypuffDave: What is good music? What is bad music?

Necharsian: Damn. Dive right into the impossible questions. I dont know. That recent "what song do you hate" thread got me thinking of what songs I actually hate. And I couldnt really think of anything specific. I think there is very little music that I would actually ask someone to change if they were playing it in their car for instance. Most of the time if I rag on something it's because I just don't have any emotional connection with. But I can tolerate someone playing Vampire Weekend or Weezer without screaming and crying. Hell someone could probably trick me into saying something not terrible about the Deftones if they tried hard enough. I guess the answer is simply: the listener.

If you like some kind of music, you're striking some kind of emotional attachment to it. If you don't like something, there's just no attachment. It's not as black and white as that but it's definitely the easiest way to describe it. Everyone likes different things, so I would never say that something is absolutely worse than something else (in terms of general music).

SquishypuffDave: Can you think of any instances where music has filled some sort of emotional need? Does music have therapeutic value for you or is it simply a case of listening because you enjoy it?

Necharsian: Hm well I'd say that for the most part when I listen to music alone I listen to predominantly sad music. Or atleast not happy tunes. When I'm with friends, it's predominantly happy music. (I once played beer pong while Sun Kil Moon was playing in the background. It was stupid dont ever do that).

The most vivid emotional need that I know music filled is when my grandpa died a few years ago. Right after I found out I listened to Hospice (he died in a hospice) and it was the one of the most emotionally jarring experience I've had with music. It's also one of the reasons I find it odd that other people love it so much. I probably wouldn't if not for the strong personal feeling I have with it. I don't have those kinds of experiences with all my favorite albums, they all have expanded my mind past just "listening to music". But I do think just simply enjoying music is underrated. Everyone seems to be trying to understand it or something but I just listen to what I feel like listening to. It depends on mood in terms of what Im feeling like hearing, but I think just enjoying music is therapeutic.

SquishypuffDave: Metal is evil and satanic. Also it's just noise. How can you justify listening to that filth?

Necharsian: It can be evil and satanic! But it can also be some of the most emotionally raw music out there. I often hear people complain of the vocals, but I would definitely not listen to black metal without the shrieks. It's what gives it that complete psychological torture that I love about it so much. With singing it just doesn't give off the same affect. That kind of metal is meant to give off that lack of hope or crushing of the soul that singing just can't do.

Metal is also incredibly diverse. More diverse than people give it credit for. All of the different sub genres are unique in their own way and give off different feelings (atleast to me). I can sleep to things like Drudkh and Coldworld but couldnt to Immolation or Death. Judas Priest pumps me up while Warning makes me sink into despair. And metal keeps incorporating new and interesting ideas into it. Shoegaze. Ambient. Post-rock. (Im still looking out for that Twee-Death metal though Mancy). Hell theres black metal with dulcimers instead of guitars. Metal just never gets old to me. Theres so many sounds to it it's impossible and stupid to categorize it all as satanic garbage.

SquishypuffDave: Why all the sad music? Is sad your favourite emotion?

Necharsian: Its not my favorite emotion by any means. It's weird because I dont think I experience as intense of sadness as when Im listening to music. In a way it acts like a purge. I listen to all this sad music and I can just go out after and have a good time and not be sad. It's like this sad music is telling me that my life isnt shit and I dont even know what real sadness is. I guess it just puts things into perspective that your life is never as bad as it seems. Or something.

SquishypuffDave: What tunes are you digging at the moment?

Necharsian: Was on a grime phase this past week so lots of Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Kano and Scrufizzer. As well Ive had some depressing black metal (Forgotten Tomb, Coldworld, Mortualia, etc) on a lot.

In terms of this year's music I cant recommend Julianna Barwick's new album enough.

SquishypuffDave: What are you all about? What's your deal? Got any profound life philosophies to impart?

Necharsian: Haha I ask myself these questions almost everyday. I don't really know what the hell im doing in life but Ive more recently decided to just start experiencing stuff. I want to do more things that Ive never done before. See things Ive never seen before. I have this inner feeling sometimes where I just see if I can picture me doing certain things. Like "can i picture myself scrambling this mountain" or "can i see myself asking this girl out" or whatever. If the answer is no I try and do it. It's more impulsive than that, but basically Im trying to break out of my comfort zone, little by little, for no other reason than I want to. So yeah the best philosophy I can give is just "fuck it". It's my motto and it does good things.

SquishypuffDave: What have been some of your most difficult comfort zones to break out of? Have there been times where you were stuck in a comfort zone and missed a big opportunity?

Necharsian: Ive always considered myself pretty shy, so just taking those opportunites to meet new people was, and to an extent still is, a huge comfort zone to get out of. I love meeting people now, but I would in no way call myself an extrovert. Oh and public speaking. I actually really love public speaking now but in high school I would never be caught dead doing presentations without basically reading right off of a piece of paper (dont ever do that). Presentations are now one of my favorite things that I get to do reguarly in uni. One last one would be my fear of heights. Still havent really conquered it but bungee jumping and cliff diving are pretty nice steps.

In terms of missing opportunities, I try and not think about those haha. Or atleast I think things usually work themselves out anyways. In my first year of highschool one of my good friends at the time kept telling me of this girl who had a huge crush on me. I had no idea who she even was then. My friend ended up getting us to meet up and call each other and shit. But I never really seriously pursued it. No idea why. She got a lot hotter later on and dated a good friend of mine for a while. We're actually pretty good friends now and laugh about how we almost got set up with each other. Missed opportunity maybe, but I dont regret it or dwell on it or anything.

SquishypuffDave: What drew you to BEA and what kept you hanging around?

Necharsian: I cant really remember what I was searching for that made me find this site (I think I may have been looking for a place to just make a list of my music) but I stuck around probably because what's popular here was so different than what I was used to. I mean I obviously knew the the beatles, LZ, The Who, etc were cherished as classics, but I didnt know much about what was held in regard past those. I knew who Radiohead were but I had no idea they had such a following. Ditto with Arcade Fire. This site's overall taste was so much different from my friends or family it opened a whole new world of music I had no idea existed. Not necessarily in new bands (although this definitely happened) but a "Radiohead vs Beatles" argument wouldnt have made any sense to me before BEA.

I believe I posted in the forums right when I made an account here. Probably said something dumb but I do remember bonding with Gary over metal, Jhereko's Aziz Ansari avatar (thought it was actually him originally), looking through 40footwolf's chart, and jack and manc amongst others joining almost at the same time. I joined at the perfect time it seemed. BEA had a cool community vibe (or clique depending on your view). I didnt really have anyone to talk to about music in the real world, or atleast to the extent I wanted to, so this place fascinated me. Still does.

SquishypuffDave: What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? What assets do you bring to this website? Where do you see yourself in ten years? Why should I hire you?

Necharsian: Probably my ability to chameleon myself to different social groups. It's not really that I act like a different person around certain people, but that I can adapt to what my different friend groups. I can be friends with basically anyone and Im pretty easy to get along with too (as long as you can understand what sarcasm is).

Biggest weakness? Ugh theres so many.. maybe the fact that i procrastinate everything. No wait thats a strength. I donno I dont like ketchup and it hinders my abilities to fully embrace the diverse field of french fry eating.

I bring the self proclaimed best ever user and basically the best chart too. That's what I bring to the site. And black metal. And inspiration for your besterville. What else could BEA ask of me?

In ten years I hope Im doing something that I cant even fathom myself doing. I have almost no plans for the future and Id like to keep it that way. Ill be graduating within the next couple years but I really want to travel and see shit. I just really want to listen to Sometimes while taking a cab through Tokyo. One can dream.

You should hire me because Ive got the chops to get what you need done and then some. You better believe I have the experience and drive to get us to where you know you want to be. Im a winner. I once got a 4th place ribbon in track and field for triple jump when I was like 15. I puked all over some statues of the heads of former Australian prime ministers. I won a BBQ competition by making bacon wrapped scallops. I own various records but not a record player! Hire me because Im the best.

SquishypuffDave: What have been some of the most profound life events you've experienced?

Necharsian: Hm well I dont know about profound but I had a pretty neat experience recently. Me and a couple friends went to the mountains and decided to mountian bike up to the base of this mountain. It was about 14km one way and we ran out of water about 2/3 of the way up because we're big dumb idiots. The trail ended up going to a valley in the middle of like 6 or 7 mountains, completely secluded. It was really beautiful. We then decided to scramble up one of the mountains to the top (again no water just some beer). Well we did and the top was just breathtaking. It was just a perfect view of the whole mountain range. I fucking love mountains and forests and nature and stuff.

I suppose my trips to Australia and Whistler were also pretty great to me. Australia because it was the first time out of the continent (aside from like Costa Rica and all inclusive shit). It still hasnt hit me that I was really there, and when I left it just felt like Id be back. Whistler was just visiting friends but it seemed like it made a longer impression on me than even Aus. Not sure why this hit me so much but one of the friends we were visiting was one of my very best friends back when we were like 7. We were still friends through high school, but didnt talk as much. Since he moved like 3 or 4 years ago we had only talked like once. When we first got there we were all just chilling at this lake and just shooting the shit when I brought up the fact that we hadnt talked in so long. And he was like ya but thats how good of friends we are. We hadnt really talked in years but the second we were reunited we were talking like long time friends. And it was true. We still knew each other as if we were still bffs.

SquishypuffDave: What songs will play at your funeral? What will be written on your tombstone?

Necharsian: Song: Call Me Maybe. Written on my tombstone: "HELP THEY BURIED ME BUT IM STILL ALIVE"

Also I have a bet with a friend that whichever one of dies last has to spit on the other's grave.

SquishypuffDave: Are lyrics important?

Necharsian: There are songs/albums that I think are elevated because of how personal the lyrics feel to me. Hospice is one that comes to mind. But generally I dont pay much attention to the actual words but rather treat them like another instrument and make up my own themes on what the song is about. This comes in handy in things like death metal where I have no idea what the hell their saying. If the sound of the voice fits with everything else, then Ill probably like it regardless of what is actually being said.

SquishypuffDave: How's your love life?

Necharsian: Pretty alright! Ill be going for drinks with a girl from school this weekend so we'll see how that goes too.

SquishypuffDave: Do you have any desire to have a go at creating music?

Necharsian: Yeah actually more recently I have thought about creating music. But I dont think Id be able to handle the learning part haha. I wish I wouldve learned to play guitar or piano as a kid and now it just seems like it would take forever for me to be anywhere near a competent musician. So I don't anticipate anyone will hear a Necharsian mixtape any time soon.

SquishypuffDave: What is the future of BEA?

Necharsian: Honestly, I have no idea. I dont think the overall chart will change much as time progresses, but I do think that the forum really helps expand others' tastes (including myself). I think the more people that become active in the forums, the more interesting music will be found. I guess I am just hopeful that more and more interesting people find there way to the site. Maybe a death metal fanatic or something.

SquishypuffDave: What is the future of music?

Necharsian: More interesting sounds and ideas. Music is in a great place right now and I cant even imagine the kinds of great albums that will be released in the next 5-10 years. I am very excited for the future though. And maybe we'll finally get that twee death metal band the world has been dying to hear.

SquishypuffDave: What is the future of art?

Necharsian: Oh god you are asking the wrong person for art in general. Besides music I am basically a plebe in most other forms.

SquishypuffDave: What is the future of mankind?

Necharsian: Time machines and flying cars and space travel.

SquishypuffDave: How many times have you worn sunglasses to the clubs?

Necharsian: Answer: 4. Or 3.5. Friend put them in her purse because she didnt want me wearing them anymore. Im a v embarrassing person to be around sometimes.

[GeevyDallas]

Yo what Scrufizzer were you listening to fam?

Also great interview, drop the hand on that bitch when she's drunk

[alelsupreme]

Good thing you left the Sunglasses bit till last, chucked my laptop across the room out of disgsut when I reached it.
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Romanelli wrote:

We're all fucked, lads.

[Saoirse]

Great interview. Necharsian never seems to have any trouble being himself,and a great defense of metal in there, also some profound questions that are becoming Dave's trademark. Wundervall job dahlings

[meccalecca]

[AlexZangari]

More excellent questions from Dave. Interesting bet you have with your friend there, Necharsian.
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kill yr idols

[SquishypuffDave]

[nutso42]

Have you got links to the other 7 interviews?

[SquishypuffDave]

I'll find them and post them in the interview thread.

[nutso42]