With The Groundskeeper, Kenneth James Gibson has created a full of suspense, cinematic experience, drawing on organic sounds and utterly enigmatic themes! Read our interview with the producer below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Under the ocean.
Vocal harmonies, strings, guitars and a moog sub bass. Tell us a few things about The Groundskeeper. What is the story behind it?
The sound of music speaking with the ghosts in my cabin / studio and surrounding mountains of Idyllwild. Lots of spirits up here. One in particular loves to turn the lights off and on and speak to the cameras late at night. He’s the Groundskeeper. Mile up surrounded by stars in space. It’s really not as dark as it sounds, its just normal old mountain stuff with a small twist.
Musically speaking, the piece started with a layer of vocal harmonies from my friend Victoria. They were intended originally to be backing harmonies on another track I was producing for my friend (and Victoria’s husband) Eric’s project Headshoppe, but weren’t used. I processed and built the layers into evolving swells then had one of my string players, Benedikt Palier, add violin in his studio in Austria and fly them over. From there I added guitars, synths and a ton of processing.
Which is your favorite and most intense piece of instrumental music?
It changes all the time, but today I’ll say Popol Vuh’s “Aguirre III”
If The Groundskeeper was a movie, which movie would that be?
Somewhere between Holy Mountain, The Shining, and 2001 Space Odyssey.
Your music is very cinematic. In which place or state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Thats very hard to predict. Somewhere between manic and depressive?
Born in Canada, raised in Texas, moved to Los Angeles. Does where you live matters if you want to Break through in the music industry?
I don’t believe so. Music should speak for itself. I have never played the game correctly though so I wouldn’t really know. I never lived in LA to “make it”. I love LA because for some odd reason I have a never ending romantic dream of vintage Los Angeles that’s filled with canyons, sunsets, plush couches, and cowboy boots.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
A girl by the name of Vivian Jones who’s record I just produced. Its not out yet but you’ll hear about her in the near future.
Tell us something about yourself that is not related to music!
I have a cat named Cockles Berry. She’s the Meadows Heavy Recorders mascot.
Thank you!
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