Scientific American is Andrew "Andy" Rohrmann. Andy makes beats and electronic noises on computers. After playing in local bands for a stint in his native Seattle, Andy became interested with the idea of making music on his own. Using computers to mix up his favorite elements of hip hop, jazz, and electronic music, Andy came up with his own unique blend as Scientific American. The past few years have been filled with shamelessly promoting things such as cars (Volkswagen), charge cards (Discover), and cameras (Hewlett Packard) in the form of music for television ads. In between these jobs, Scientific still finds time to perform live, featuring lots of button pushing, some turntable work and even controlling video from the stage. Andy is a busy man as he also runs a label(Mass.Mvmnt), picks content, writes music, d.j.'s. and works as a designer and graphic art director. Mass.Mvmnt was founded in 2004 in the Pacific Northwest, as a group of producers and artists dedicated to the freshest in innovate electronic influenced music. Both a label and collective, if the Mvmnt has one goal … it's to connect listeners with new and inspiring sounds. Mass.Mvmnt releases everything from dance music and glitchy 303 hip hop to dub ambience & jazz influenced techno. Andy took time to speak with us here at NECODO.
NECODO: How did you come to love electronic dance music, what were your first influences & memories?
Andy: I fell into electronic music from a hip hop angle...
Scientific American is Andrew "Andy" Rohrmann. Andy makes beats and electronic noises on computers. After playing in local bands for a stint in his native Seattle, Andy became interested with the idea of making music on his own. Using computers to mix up his favorite elements of hip hop, jazz, and electronic music, Andy came up with his own unique blend as Scientific American. The past few years have been filled with shamelessly promoting things such as cars (Volkswagen), charge cards (Discover), and cameras (Hewlett Packard) in the form of music for television ads. In between these jobs, Scientific still finds time to perform live, featuring lots of button pushing, some turntable work and even controlling video from the stage. Andy is a busy man as he also runs a label(Mass.Mvmnt), picks content, writes music, d.j.'s. and works as a designer and graphic art director. Mass.Mvmnt was founded in 2004 in the Pacific Northwest, as a group of producers and artists dedicated to the freshest in innovate electronic influenced music. Both a label and collective, if the Mvmnt has one goal … it's to connect listeners with new and inspiring sounds. Mass.Mvmnt releases everything from dance music and glitchy 303 hip hop to dub ambience & jazz influenced techno. Andy took time to speak with us here at NECODO.
NECODO: How did you come to love electronic dance music, what were your first influences & memories?
Andy: I fell into electronic music from a hip hop angle...loving artists like Mantronix, The Bomb Squad and Erik B. and Rakim. In the late 90s I started hearing instrumental hip hop like DJ Krush, Coldcut, etc. and their related labels (most notably mo wax and ninja tune) and it grew from there. Where my interest in electronic music veers toward non-dancefloor material, the other partners in Mass.Mvmnt (the three members of fcs north, ams, jsw and mug frosty) are much more involved in techno, and thus we find a balance for the label as a whole.
NECODO: How did this turn into creating and running a record label ?
Andy: We've been involved in music in the northwest for years, as producers, promoters, and just fans in general. Starting a label for us is not so much a business move as it is a natural extension of day to day life. Our focus isn't so much on pushing product as it is being involved in a more abstract way. For example, we put just as much emphasis on the mixes we host on the site as we do on our 'legitimate' releases.
NECODO: Is there a creed or manifesto to Mass.Mvmnt?
Andy: We like to draw connections between aspects of music that maybe people wouldn't normally draw. We're not a 'techno' label, or a 'downtempo' label, we're a loose collective based around more abstract concepts of community and art, and hopefully in the end people will see those connections as well. If someone approaches Mass.Mvmnt because of our involvement with Riow Arai, maybe they'll come across a techno mix by Jerry Abstract that they wouldn't have found otherwise. When you stop looking at everything you create as a potential product or "revenue stream", you start to do more interesting things. For example, the Scientific American/Plastiq Phantom split 12" is actually a 3-way collaboration with visual artist Nando Costa (now head of nervo.tv). Releasing the vinyl was the last piece of the puzzle, after a song was created by me, remixed by Plastiq Phantom, and then used as the soundtrack for an animated short film by Nando.
NECODO: Can you tell us something about your production to distribution process? You hear the song you want and then what happens?
Andy: The first priority for us is that we have profound respect for anyone we work with. Secondly is there something we can do for an artist than no one else is currently doing, or even thinking of? The Riow Arai and Nongenetic collaboration is an excellent example. We were all longtime fans of both Riow Arai and Shadowhuntaz (Nongenetic's primary group), and we helped make the connection between the two. When they hit it off so well and ended up making an album together, was a pleasant surprise to everyone involved.
NECODO: How are your artists able to work with the same tools that everyone else has and keep their sound fresh?
Andy: A lot of it has to do with the huge variety of influences and not being tied to producing within any specific genre. It gives you much more room for general creativity. The result is difficult to define, but ultimately in my mind it leads to better music.
NECODO: What is the current state of electronic music in the US, in the world and where do you see it heading in the future?
Andy: Artistically it's better than ever. while there is certainly a larger amount to sift through thanks to technology, the quality vs. crap ratio is the same as its always been. Also, I think genre jumping in dj sets is more widespread these days, which makes the whole experience that much more interesting.
NECODO: How do you discover your talent to put out ?
Andy: The old fashioned way: word of mouth.
NECODO: Any last words on where you see digital and vinyl releases in the future and how they will continue to evolve in dj sphere and the public's consumption?
Andy: I think digital distribution opens up a lot of opportunities to redefine what constitutes a legitimate "product". I'm hoping we see a lot more creativity in how these products are presented in the coming years.
NECODO: Andy, it's been a pleasure do you have any parting words?
Andy: Just to note that we have a catalog of 'mixtapes' always available at massmvmnt.com. I think that about sums it up. thanks again!
