Good music, sharp thinking and words which stem from the heart. This is Goatfoam in an interview that flows like fresh water.
Describe your sound in three words!
Cryptic, instrospective, therapeutic.
Who or what inspired you to start making music?
My father would always spin vinyl and play guitar when I was a kid, though I learned guitar on my own as my first instrument.
Things became more cohesive when I accidentally discovered a bootleg version of Sound Forge on my uncle’s computer. This made me realize: “hey, you can record audio and experiment with it!”
What was the idea behind ‘Serotonin’?
“Serotonin” manifested when I was broke and my electricity was getting disconnected.
The song encapsulates in part, the process of assimilating your anxieties by pondering and letting your mind create pathways towards resolution.
Detuned synths, trippy beats, many organic elements and a psychedelic touch. Tell us a few things about your creative process. In general how far is the initial idea from the final track?
The creative process on my end is similar to that of painting and sculpting. I usually start by browsing from a catalogue of voice memos, notes and videos I’ve collected over time.
From that root idea, I let the rest manifest. Though sometimes I imagine full songs. The majority of the recording process is instinctual and therapeutic for me. Sometimes I might go record with an idea in mind, and come out with something completely different. After all recording is done, so begins the process of chiselling the audible sculpture and making everything fit, to the best of my ability, with the tools available. What fascinates me the most is the fact that we get to imprint an expression through a medium that reproduces via electrical impulses and magnets. Trips me out every time.
You spent a significant amount of time in New York. How easy is it to ‘make it’ there for a young (or not so young) artist nowadays?
I personally found the experience challenging and nutritious, there are so many people from so various universes creating amazing things. But it was mainly expensive for me to live there. That struggle sometimes fuels you and pushes you in interesting ways. Think of it as an incubator of sorts. There’s always a perpetual desire to sublimate your experience.
In general it requires a lot of work to “make it” as an artist, not only creatively but also logistically. NY is currently saturated with music and unless you have good connections, you could drown in the distortions. I used to think all it took was to make a pretty song for one to get “discovered” by someone that will provide you with the opportunity. Truth is, said idiosyncrasy stems as far back as the 60-70’s when labels wanted to invest in any band and offer them record deals.
The industry has morphed exponentially since then. Nowadays it is rare for labels to take chances and sign you. They usually want you to have a following and decent branding before even considering it. Once you establish some sort of presence, you become “visible”.
This is all relative though, because we could just meditate in music and keep creating perpetually during our time in the physical plane.
Can you tell us an artist you admire and justify your choice, please?
Hard question. Presently one artist I admire would be Mid Air Thief. Aside from creating such an organic and beautiful album “Crumbling”. He’s managed to stay off the radar and let the music speak for itself. I do recommend listening to the record, it’s warm and very well produced.
In what state of mind do you imagine your audience listening to your songs?
Great question! The mood of each song varies, it can be comforting at times if you need a break from reality while embracing your own creativity to arise. Or it can be edgy and unusual.
It feels nice on a warm afternoon drive. A walk around the neighborhood. It’s somewhat of an introvert sound. Hence, it sits well if you are having some alone time, enough to enjoy the world through naturalistic observation. Mood enhancer of choice also applies, if you choose to…
What is this one thing that we should definitely know about you?
I’ve once swum the Amazonas river(Peru) to retrieve a soccer ball.
Secret Eclectic 
1 Comment