Lord Litter interviews Adam Naworal

Lord Litter: How *feels* life in Jacksonville Florida these days? I'm asking because life became kinda miserable in Berlin recently. I LOVED to live here before they turned the city into a money making maelstrom where too many people are in danger of being attacked just because they are *different* .. like black, gay, Muslim, Jew, homeless, woman ..whatever.

Adam- Jacksonville is a complicated place. There's a lot of nice people, beautiful scenery, interesting museums, etc., but it's also becoming VERY gentrified. The formerly exciting and somewhat scary Five Points district in particular has become less a place for weirdos to congregate and more of a hipster's dream. As for the politics, they're about fifty-fifty. We have an unfortunate hard right-wing presence but we also have a lot of good folks willing to fight against such disgusting things. 


LL: Making underground *culture* do you think it's important for Planet Earth? - I know this probably sounds kinda silly - I just sometimes imagine if no one would make *different* culture, what would happen to Planet Earth?

Adam- I think it is! Not everyone can get into Top 40 stuff that we're told is the hot new thing. I think underground culture promotes understanding and creativity across all lines. I also think being in touch with others who feel strongly about humanistic and sociological concerns helps to foster an air of defiance at the racism, sexism, etc. that's contaminating societies worldwide. EC is one of the best examples of that in my humblest of opinions, for here I am, getting interviewed by Lord Litter, something I never dreamed would happen!

Adam enjoying the view at Ravine Gardens State Park; photo by Aimee Grace Naworal

LL: Do you listen to what could be defined as *conventional music* - and if so to what/whom?

Adam- I suppose "conventional" is in the ear of the listener, but I do have a soft spot for the Ramones, the Saints, Cub, and other less experimental branches of punk and indie pop I've also been known to listen to more traditional jazz and classical. Overall though, I feel a great song is exactly that regardless of genre, accessibility, etc.


LL: What raised your interest in *different sounds/music*?

Adam- In high school I got into the more mainstream side of industrial music (nine inch nails, KMFDM, Skinny Puppy, etc.). From there I discovered Throbbing Gristle and SPK and (to my later chagrin) Boyd Rice/NON. RE/Search's Industrial Culture Handbook further introduced me to Cabaret Voltaire and the much more obscure Z'EV, Johanna Went, and R&N. Also around high school I discovered black metal and grindcore, which I saw at the time as metal and hardcore taken to their furthest limits, and what the US and UK press refer to as "krautrock", from where I went to other less-mainstream prog and psych Naked City got me into free jazz, a genre that to these ears is similar to early industrial music. Once I discovered the Nurse With Wound list in college, my future as a fan of odder music was sealed!


LL: What brought you in touch with the *underground*?

Adam- My first encounters with the tape trading scene was through grindcore and industrial. Around the late Nineties-early '00s there were still a lot of distros that kept the spirit alive, and I got to hear a lot of new sounds while also getting to trade things I enjoyed with like-minded individuals.  I first started performing experimental music at the late great +SoLo in Jacksonville circa 2012. Once I met Aimee I realized I had found the perfect partner for such endeavors.


LL: Do you have other interests besides *underground culture/music*? In your mail you talked about:"...to volunteer at the museum with Aimee".

Adam- Of course! I also enjoy reading books on various topics (everything from splatter movie reference guides to collections of odd facts, with the occasional novels, short story collections, and art books thrown in) and a wide variety of movies (low-brow splatter trash to high art films). I have always loved hiking and visiting museums as well. We volunteer about once a month at the Mandarin Museum in Jacksonville. It's nice being able to share my love of history and local lore with visitors! Also, from time to time, I've been known to play tennis, though I'm VERY rusty compared to when I was in high school.


LL: The more I look at what is going on at the moment the more I think artists need point out what they think is NOT ok at the moment. Artists from the 1960s to the 1980s more or less always pointed out what they thought was NOT ok .. all this fell very much asleep I think - any thoughts on this? 

Adam- I agree completely! Artists should feel the freedom to express their views in their art. After all, if a so-called fan of yours ends up getting offended at your anti-Nazi art, did you really want them as a fan to begin with? Expressing your views through your art is a perfect way to separate the wheat from the chaff, while potentially winning new fans who agree with your outlook.


LL: What gave you the idea to interview each other (which I think is a very good move to do something *different* and new!)?

Adam- Honestly, Ditlev and I had writer's block at the same time, and the mutual interview was my suggestion to cure it. It worked! I then got to thinking about things said by others (yourself included!) on EC re: Facebook culture and how it doesn't REALLY give any insight into the person behind the posts. I felt that all of us talking to each other and asking questions of each other would foster an even tighter community.  I hope everyone likes the idea!