Via Email, 9 October, 2000

Last Sigh: Where are you located? Could you tell us about your music background? Do you have any academic music education or are you self taught?

Paul: Just moved from London to Brighton. Been involved in music since I dropped out of school.  [I] started out as a punk, progressed onto feedback and drum machines -- started ‘Lo-tec’ in 1990 which was as noisy and manic a 3 piece band could get-kind of Skullflower meets Painkiller meets Crass but total chaos as we didn’t know what the fuck we was doing?!?!? And we refused /couldn’t play the same song twice. Total improv. Lo-tec burnt out after 3 years (RIP). Did some experimenting with a few bands who couldn’t get it together so I decided to stop wasting time and go it alone. [I] started Ocosi about 96-97.

Last Sigh: What did you listen to when you were a teenager, what decade was that? Did any of the music/ bands from your younger years influence you in what you create in the past few years? Who were they?

Paul: At school (about 80-83) I used to get bootleg punk and hardcore tapes which made me aware how sonic live recordings were. Loved the sickness of Crass and early hardcore like Rudimentary Peni but I also got into Brian Eno’s early ambient stuff. Then hip-hop got me concentrating on the beat side more. But feedback and sonics will always be a part of my process as they are a really pure form of sound to get lost in. I think Ministry and Godflesh kick all ass in this dept 100%.

Last Sigh: What type of music do you prefer to create and listen to? What moved you to get into minimal dub-ambient?

Paul: I actually feel lost when it comes to sound as there is so much influence in music and it’s easy to drowned in what’s around you. There’s always a little Skinny Puppy in me that want’s to take it all apart, fuck it up. I like what's underneath a track. Something in the mix that catches your attention-imagination and this can be more apparent in minimal stuff. But nothing compares to a balls out sonic jam noise festival on Acid.... And dub has always been part of my sound as I‘ve always used lots of delays.

Last Sigh: What people have you worked with past and present? You are creating music under a few different projects; those being Ocosi, Writhe and Drowned. Is anyone else involved with these projects with you or are you doing them on a solo basis?

Paul: Solo. But remixing and collaborating is also very much part of Ocosi. Mick Harris has been a great help. I made an album using John Everall’s (Tactile) supplied sounds but he seems to have vanished.... And The Dustmite, Horchata, Mothboy, Dev79, Ranu+Orphan Drift) to name a few are all fellow conspirators and good mates.

Last Sigh: Are you still working with Kanal in any capacity?

Paul: I think we might be doing some new GB10 [Gaitor Bait Ten] tracks soon... a second album was made but got shelved for being too distorted or bass heavy or something.

Last Sigh: Where did you get the name "Ocosi"? What’s the meaning of it? Is there any philosophy in your music or behind it?

Paul: Ocosi is a name meaning ’Spirit Tracker’.

Last Sigh: What type of gear do you use for creating your music?

Paul: Ensoniq ASRX sampler/korg, boss, roland fx. record onto minidisc. And just got a Mac so will move on to midi soon. But Ocosi will always have an organic edge.

Last Sigh: What or whom prompted or inspired you to get involved in the music you create?

Paul: It’s just in me I guess...

Last Sigh: You once stated that you would like to work with Mick Harris [Scorn]. How did you get involved with Mick Harris and in what capacity have you worked with him? Are you looking to work more extensively with Harris in the future? Whom else would you like to work with?

Paul: Mick is the best at what he does and I would like more interaction with him in the future for sure. And if it happens it happens. At the moment I’m more into exploring Ocosi territory. I have loads of respect for Mick but there are a lot of scorn clones out there and I’m not interested in that.

Last Sigh: How do you feel about the use of MP3’s in the music business? Do you feel MP3's are an asset to musicians or a hinder? Do you have an opinion about the Napster lawsuit that is currently being decided in court?

Paul: Anything that says a big fuck you to McBig record companies is fine with me. Too much bullshit money involved in commercial music. Music should be freely available and definitely stolen from the larger money sucking labels.

Last Sigh: What is the music scene like in your area? Do you play live? If so, where have you played? Do you have any upcoming shows?

Paul: Ocosi has done live shows in London in the month long sound and visual constellation for Orphan Drift at Beaconsfield Art Center which resulted in the Radius Suck comp. I’m going to sort out some shows in 2001.not sure where or who with yet.

Last Sigh: What do you think of MTV?

Paul: I’m not really phased. It’s Candy Coated Cakk!

Last Sigh: What do you do with your time other than make music? Are you trying to get to the point where your music sustains you financially or is it more of a side-project for you?

Paul: There isn’t much money to be made in experimental music, as most of the labels are tight arsed. I make music because I like music. I’m not money driven. If I’m not on a track I’m stoned.

Last Sigh: What can we expect from you with future releases? Do you think you will broaden your musical sound in the future or will you continue more with the minimal beat laden-ambient of which you are becoming known? Where can we find you on the WWW? Do you have any samples of your work on the net we can download?

Paul: Going to make changes to the Ocosi site soon: www.geocities.com/ocosis with downloads and on page sound as well hopefully. Up next will be the Horchata/Ocosi collaboration album on Zero1Media with a killer cover by Mike P. then Rocky Dustmite’s comp on Hushush/Hednod- Lo-End Recon which I think is the best comp so far... Plus the Blankmove- abstract drum+bass on Manifold’s new side label Economy... plus a full new Ocosi album on Economy as well as the Economi$ed comp which is out now. As for the Ocosi sound - I’ve just sent an Ocosi EP to Hymen/Ant-Zen, which is a really different sounding Ocosi with no breakbeats or hip-hop influence. The Ocosi sound will always be evolving as I don’t believe in getting stuck.

Last Sigh: Thanks for taking the time to give us some insight into your music and your world. Is there anything else you’d like to relay to our readers?

Paul: Be yourself. Fuck the clones and cheeeeeeeeeerrrsss!

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Ocosi Bio-Discography:

Ocosi was formed in 1997 from the ashes of guitar/noise/feeback/drum machine outfit   LO-TEC. Lo-Tec's sound was raw and too strong, way out for London audiences and was hugely an unconstructed sonic barrage comparable to a messed up Skinny Puppy meets Ministry meets Skull Flower meets Pain Killer... (Amazingly we always played as headliners at most of londons main venues). Lo-Tec was disbanded in 1994 as there was no market here for our sound.

After a stint experimenting with beats/drugs I met up with Si. Smerdon in '97 and Ocosi was formed (the name came from a drone track I'd made and the word Ocosi means 'spirit tracker').  All Ocosi material is made at my home studio TASK.  After some early noise shows in London Ocosi caught the attention of Mick Scorn Harris who wanted to release us on his label 'Possible' but the label collapsed (bad timing) and then 'Invisible' were interested by then they fell out with lablemate Mick Harris and we were all dropped.  Canadian lable 'Negative Air Research' stepped in and Ocosi's first album [in] was released feat heavy locked grooves/dub/drones using live drum samples supplied by Mick Harris. [in] was very well received.

The next release was 'Radius Suck (Orphan Drift Recs): a dark electronica comp I mixed-put together feat: erem/kanal/erem/a.hayleck/su8m3rg3d +ocosi side projects;sadist/surface/task.

Gatorbait10 (collision substance) was the collab. of ocosi+kanal (a follow up will follow in 2000) 100 copies ltd.

Other releases include:
Experimental sound terrorism 'gone too far' (est recs) - ocosi/mick harris/dijislov/tactile=more rise+converge (collision substance):su8m3rg3ed's comp. horchata'biomass/necromass remixes(zero 1 media):two ocosi remixes.

Up"n'coming in 2000:
ocosi/horhata(|zero 1 media)full collaberation of darkness (also the last ocosi session feat. si.smerdon. We split on differences/some bullshit and now he solo's as mothboy) lo-end recon (hushhush/hednod) rocky 'erem/dustmite's new comp feat:ocosi/mickharris/ tactile/silk saw/not breathing/turn/+ others
ocosi'hearandloathing'(manifold economy)full ocosi darkhop album blankmove (manifold economy)f ull album of twisted abstract drum+bass).

Ocosi has several new labels interested/to invade in 2000 also some new collaborations boiling as we speak plus some live shows this winter...

[The Ocosi album which featured mick harris wasOCOSI-[IN]NAR RECORDS which is a Canadian lable. Was supposed to work with Mick Harris on a project at the Box (Mick’s studio) but Mick was getting shit from Invisible at the time so it fell through. Then Mick decided to send some live kit samples on a cd. The samples were rough but the album was made over a couple of days.]

Links to our files on Paul Molyneux:

Reviews:
Radius Suck [Ocosi Compilation]
Writhe [Ovoid]
Drowned [Drowned]
Ovoid [Ocosi]
Gaitor Bait Ten
Interview:
Gaitor Bait Ten -- An evening with some dangerous guys.