Ian Svenonius

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Ian Svenonius
Ian Svenonius during Nation of Ulysses
Background information
Origin	Washington, D.C.
Genre(s)	Rock 'n' Roll, Post-Punk, Gospel Yeh-yeh
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	vocals
Years active	1988–present
Label(s)	Dischord Records K Records Southern Records
Associated acts	Nation of Ulysses The Make-Up Weird War David Candy Cupid Car Club

Ian Svenonius has been the singer of various influential music groups, including The Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, and currently Weird War. These groups have all been based in Washington, D.C.

He is also the author of the book The Psychic Soviet.

[edit] The Nation of Ulysses

Main article: Nation of Ulysses

Ian Svenonius' first musical formation was The Nation of Ulysses. This was not a rock 'n' roll group in the normal sense, but "the group as political party." ^{[citation needed]}

The Nation of Ulysses philosophy has been described as "a relentlessly provocative (and entertaining) jumble of teenage rock 'n' roll rebellion, leftist radicalism, anarchist punk polemics, and abstract intellectual rambling," ^[1] which gives the sense of "an off-kilter, almost tongue-in-cheek approach to a 'perpetual 18-year old's' view of America, and life in general." They conceived themselves as being a political party disguised as a rock 'n' roll band.

Explaining their intent, Svenonius said "it's basically a new nation underground for the dispossessed youth colony. It's all about smashing the old edifice, the monolith of rock and roll." ^[2]

Asked about their use of the medium they claimed to counteract - rock 'n' roll - Svenonious declared "Well, it's a camouflage, to allow for movement, revolutionary liberation from the constraints of everyday composure, basically allowing anybody to move in anyway that they want and to lift spirit to a plateau to destroy 'parent culture.' " ^[2]

Nation of Ulysses claimed not to make records, but weapons. Discussing their second release, Svenonius asserted: "it's like a blueprint for the destruction of the Parent Culture. It's like a zip gun ... It's an instruction pamphlet for kids on how to destroy their home life, you know, their domestic state." ^[2]

Although their first album was named 13-Point Program to Destroy America Nation of Ulysses didn't align themselves with a particular political philosophy: "We don't usually address normal political dictums. We aim toward the everyday fixtures of life, like aesthetics, sound, non-spoken things that are inherently political in nature instead of, like bogus politicians who focus on glossy surface issues which avoid any kind of revolutionary change." ^{[citation needed]}Nation of Ulysses record sleeves were festooned with broadsides inspired by the Futurist screeds of F. T. Marinetti, the situationist polemics of Debord and Raoul Vaneigem, and the bulletins of the BPP. Their ideology and clothing were largely influenced also by politicized 60's street gangs like The Vice Lords (Nation) and the VLN's pantherized kin The (Almighty) Black P. Stones Nation.

Nation of Ulysses record covers were direct homages to El Lissitzky and Rodchenko, Russian Constructivists from the 20's and 30's.

They made a fanzine called "Ulysses Speaks" which was an extension of the ideology propagated in their liner notes.

Svenonius described the Nation of Ulysses as "a shout of secession. We don't want to be involved with the United States and the structure that exists. We've introduced a whole new form of currency that takes its form in garbage...we indulge peoples' repressed whims and make them banal in doing so. We basically want to create a new sense of who we are community-wise. A nation of youths."

Besides punk rock 'n' roll, Nation of Ulysses incorporated elements of doo-wop, R&B, and avant-jazz in their sound. One of their mottos was "Look Out . . . Soul Is Back!"

Starting life simply as 'Ulysses,' The Nation of Ulysses was four members until the addition of guitarist Tim Green late in 1989. This is when the band changed from idealism to actionism.

Nation Of Ulysses toured extensively in USA and Europe with bands like Beat Happening, Fugazi, Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Slant 6 among others, and were known for their extremely physical performances, with incidents of broken bones and other injuries suffered by the members. They usually wore suits and greased hair on stage, although they sometimes wore matching shirts and pants of a more casual nature.

In 1991 Ian Svenonius was featured as teen-oriented Sassy Magazine's first and only "Sassiest Boy in America." He was interviewed at length in the magazine's October issue, much to the disbelief of many in the punk community.

In late 1992, the NOU disbanded, with Tim Green going on to become an engineer and record producer and member of the group "The Fucking Champs" while James Canty, Steve Gamboa, and Ian Svenonius went on to form The Make-Up.'

In a Make-Up interview, Svenonius explained the reason for the split:

"Nation Of Ulysses broke up because the epoch changed with the advent of digital music and the Nirvana explosion. We were faced with what's now known as indie rock, a sort of vacuous form. We had to determine our next move and this is it."

Nation Of Ulysses:
- Steve Kroner-Guitar
- Tim Green-Guitar
- Ian Svenonius-Voice
- James Canty-drumkit
- Steve Gamboa-Bass guitar

[edit] The Make Up

Main article: The Make-Up

The Make-Up is a group that, years after their dissolution, still divides listening society. They were one of the most controversial bands of their era, and were highly influential in terms of aesthetics, performance, and philosophy.

Ian Svenonius served as the voice of the group, James Canty played guitar and organ, Michelle Mae was on bass guitar, and Steve Gamboa sat behind the drumkit.

Formed in 1994, The Make-Up seem at first glance to be a Rascals style, "blue-eyed soul" group, but they were actually more complex. Make-Up's intent in the beginning was to create ad-lib narratives over danceable 'vamps' so as to address imminent situations onhand, and to re-energize the often staid, bland, and formalistic ritual of rock 'n' roll. Appropriating Gospel music's use of the congregate as a "fifth member" the Make-Up was bent on audience inclusion through call and response vocals, lyrical "discussion" techniques, and destruction of the fourth wall via physical transgression.

Discussing the appropriation of the form --as opposed to the content-- of Gospel music, Svenonius said "Our music is gospel-based. Its rhythm-based, with a subverted guitar. And that's because the guitar exists at the same tone as the voice. Its the same frequency as the voice. We don't want those things to compete. We want to make a gospel, oratorical, sermon-based, ad-libbed form of music."7

"Gospel music seems the most immediate, the most passionate and bendable form. We want to revitalize rock'n'roll and make it a communicative thing, rather than an alienating theme; the rise of dance music seems to be because rock bands seem to be increasingly dropping the ball in terms of making their music relevant to anyone but themselves" Svenonius explained.

One concern of the group was to keep their music "stripped down" and minimal. This hinted at their aversion to letting communication be upstaged by technology. As Svenonius explained: "People think that we invented the car and we control the car, we drive the car, but really the car drives us! The car made us build enormous parking lots, parking garages, streets everywhere. The entire planet is now paved because of the car, so who rules who? . . . Similarly, in a band sooner or later your amplifiers start taking over and the sound becomes cataclysmic and there’s no communication. That’s why rock’n’roll’s so alienating, because guitarists got so loud . . ."

They always wore matching uniforms on stage which they commissioned specifically. There were at least a dozen distinct uniforms during the group's existence, in a variety of colours and styles. Asked if wearing these uniforms was a considered ideological statement, Svenonius answered: "Of course it is. The way we look onstage is to minimize this association with our individual personalities, to exhalt the higher ideology and the meaning of the band."

While they released both "live" records and "studio" records, all were created with an eye toward spontaneity. Most studio songs were cut as they occurred to the group at the moment. Therefore their studio records themselves were in a sense, quite "live." Make Up were highly influenced also by bubblegum music, particularly the continental variety called "ye-ye music." The factory style of production that this sort of music had utilized interested the group, who were dedicated to expanding the workforce as opposed to the rock 'n' roll trend (begun by The Beatles) toward self sufficiency and "downsizing" labour. This expansive attitude was related to their utilization of the "congregate" or audience as a group member.

Through the synthesis of these two disparate and even contradictory forms --Gospel and Ye-Ye music-- Make-Up devised the hybrid style they called "Gospel Yeh-Yeh."

The Make-Up released records through a large variety of independent or "indie" labels, most notably the K and Dischord companies.

The Make-Up's single Free Arthur Lee was a major factor behind the new awareness and subsequent rehabilitation of that star's career. They were also involved with anti-embargo pro-Castro groups and other anti-imperialist aggregates.

Make-Up were joined in late 1999 by a fifth member Alex Minoff (of the group 'Golden'), who played guitar with the group until their dissolution in early 2001. The group were known also by their many community activities which included a nite-club called Cold Rice where they disc-jockeyed every week, a harbinger of the now ubiquitous weekly nite-club band-DJ scene.

This attempt to co-opt the vitality of the 90's dance scene was typical of The Make-Up. Svenonius on the rise of dance music: "We're not interested in countering it. It makes sense to me that techno, "rave" and dance music should go over in the face of rock 'n' roll because it's democratic for everybody to express themselves. Whereas a lot of rock 'n' roll isn't even entertaining at all, let alone allowing people the voice for expression. That's what the Make Up has come to remedy; We want to be at once entertaining and inclusive in terms of using the Gospel form to sort of breathe life into the old Frankenstein monster."

Make Up recorded with many producers including Brendan Canty, Calvin Johnson, Guy Picciotto, Royal Trux ("Adam and Eve"), John Loder, and Ian Mackaye. They toured extensively across five continents with many other groups such as Dub Narcotic Sound System, Royal Trux, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Ted Leo, Slant 6, Lung Leg, Mr. Quintron, Blonde Redhead, and several other rock 'n' roll organizations.

Make Up dissolved they said due to the large number of counter-gang copy-groups which had appropriated their look and sound and applied it to a vacuous and counter-revolutionary forms. The members went on to form the groups 'Weird War' (Ian Svenonius, Michelle Mae, and Alex Minoff) and French Toast (James Canty).

The Make-Up:
- Ian Svenonius - Vocals
- James Canty - Guitar/Organ, Vocals
- Michelle Mae - Bass, Vocals
- Steve Gamboa - Drums

[edit] Weird War

Main article: Weird War (band)

After Make Up disbanded, Ian Svenonius and bass player Michelle Mae continue collaborating in the group Weird War.

Weird War was initially formed as an umbrella organization in 2001 A.D. to encompass disparate anti-authoritarian groups. At first it included Neil Hagerty (Royal Trux) and Jessica Espeleta (Love as Laughter) on guitars, and Steve McCarty (later of Dead Meadow) on the drumkit. This version of the group released the Weird War"S/T" LP through Drag City Records from Chicago,Ill.

These collaborators soon left to pursue other programs, and Weird War became "Scene Creamers" with Ian Svenonius singing, Michelle Mae on bass guitar, Alex Minoff (of Golden) on guitar and Blake Brunner on the drumkit. In this incarnation they released the cult classic "I Suck On That Emotion" lp, also through Drag City Records.

Losing the name Scene Creamers in a legal dispute with a French graffiti artist collective of the same name, the band reverted to the name 'Weird War.' Since then, as it's membership has become static, with the addition of Argentinian Sebastian Thomson (of the group Trans Am) on drums, it's intent has become more cosmic.

In fact the group claims that "Weird War is the sole answer to the hype-based careerism, empty formalism and vacuity which has infected what was once a genuinely creative underground rock 'n' roll scene"1

They are also quoted as saying:

"Weird War see the clone nature of the revisionist groups as a direct analogue to the fascism and conformity which defines 21st century America, and their general idiocy an infiltration conspiracy by counter-intelligence forces."1

Such rhetoric however is not neccesarily mirrored by the group's lyrical content. "I don't actually like rock and roll lyrics that are political because lyrics are almost irrelevant in rock and roll. What lyrics are is just an incantation, a kind of spell. A political band isn't a band with political lyrics. A political band is a group that's creating a narrative that guides the culture towards, well, towards destroying the ruling class, in whatever way" Svenonius told an interviewer.2

Nevertheless, songs like AK-47 "addresses the technology gap which faces modern Anti-colonial guerilla fighters" and "could be called a celebration of nationalist resistance movements worldwide which fight Anglo-American imperialism"

Their album "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em" features guests such as singer Jennifer Herrema of RTX and Chicago composer Azita on piano.

Songs like "(Why Do Guys Like) Girls Like That" are dance-based and the group cites Compass Point Studio production as a reference. Compositions like "Wet Paint" could be classified as "psychedelic" and betray the influence of Eddie Hazel and Black Biker Rock of the late '60's. On many songs, guitarist Alex Minoff appropriates an East African sound as well, in homage to the liberation movements of that region.

Weird War has toured extensively on three continents.

Weird War:
- Ian Svenonius- Voice
- Alex Minofff- Guitar, Percussion, Voice
- Michelle Mae- Bass Guitar, Guitar, Voice
- Sebastian Thomson- Drumkit.

[edit] Other

In 2001 Svenonius collaborated with the English conceptualist/producer Mike Alway of If.. Records to create the record Play Power under the name David Candy. It was released through Jet Set / Siesta Records. This was part of a series of "Magazine-Style Records" which included other imaginary acts such as Death By Chocolate, Maria Napoleon and Lollipop Train. In 1993, Svenonius and the Nation of Ulysses/Make Up members James Canty and Steve Gamboa were involved in a short lived aggregate called Cupid Car Club. This group released one EP on Kill Rock Stars Records.

Other Discography
- Cupid Car Club "Join our Club" EP 7" Kill Rock Stars Records 1993
- David Candy "Play Power" LP/CD Jet Set / Siesta / If . . Records 2001

[edit] The Psychic Soviet

Cover of The Psychic Soviet.

In July of 2006, Svenonius released a book of 19 essays entitled The Psychic Soviet (ISBN 0-9656183-9-0). Pocket-sized and bound in bright-pink plastic with beveled edges, its form reflects "The Little Red Book," a Bible, or the sort of foreign-language dictionaries favored by travelers. The "Instructions" which preface the book state that The Psychic Soviet "should clear up much of the confusion regarding events of the last millennium - artistic, geo-political, philosophical, et al" and encourages the reader to "refer to the book in case of ethical quandaries, arguments, and social feuds."^[3] The writing addresses the strange ascent of the DJ as a "star," the "cosmic depression" that followed the defeat of the Soviet Socialist Republic in the Cold War, and the odd status of rock 'n' roll as a religion.^[4] To date, The Psychic Soviet is the most complete collection of written material by Svenonius.

The Psychic Soviet (ISBN 0-9656183-9-0) (Drag City Press) (2006)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Nation of Ulysses

[edit] Albums

The Sound of Young America (Dischord/K Records)
13-Point Program to Destroy America (Dischord) (1991)
Plays Pretty for Baby (Dischord) (1992)
Birth of a Ulysses Aesthetic (the synthesis of speed and transformation) (Dischord) (1992)
The Embassy Tapes (Dischord) (2000)

[edit] 7 Inch Singles

Nation of Ulysses (Dischord/K Records)

[edit] Appearances on Compilations

Pulley Compilation (Simple Machines)
Greg Sage and the Wipers (Tim Kerr Records)
Kill Rock Stars (Kill Rock Stars)
International Pop Underground Convention (K Records)
Fear of Smell (Vermiform Records)

[edit] The Make-Up

[edit] Albums

Destination: Love - Live! At Cold Rice (Dischord) (1995)
After Dark (Dischord) (1996)
Sound Verite (K Records) (1996)
In Mass Mind (Dischord) (1998)
Save Yourself (K Records) (1999)
Every Baby Cries The Same - Hey! Orpheus b/w Grey Motorcycle / I Am If... (Slowdime Records) (1999)
I Want Some (Singles Compilation) (K Records) (2000)
Untouchable Sound - Live! (Drag City & Sea Note) (2006)

[edit] 7 Inch Singles

R U A Believer b/w Version (Dub Narcotic remix) (K Records) (1995)
Blue Is Beautiful b/w Type U Blood (Black Gemini Records) (1995)
Trans-Pleasant Express b/w Meta-Matics (Black Gemini Records) (1995)
We're Having a Baby / This is ... Young Vulgarians b/w Slant 6 (Time Bomb Records) (1995)
Substance Abuse b/w Under The Impression / Have U Heard The Tapes? (Time Bomb Records) (1996)
Free Arthur Lee b/w Version (Dub Narcotic Remix) (K Records) (1997)
Untouchable Sound b/w I Didn't Mean 2 Turn U On (Woo Me Records) (1997)
I Want Some b/w The Cranium (Slowdime Records) (1997)
Wade in the Water b/w Remix (The Designer) (All City Records) (1998)
POW! To The People b/w (Lung Leg) (Southern Records) (1998)
U R My Intended b/w The Choice (K Records) (1998)
I Want Some b/w Pow! To the People (Giant Claw Records) (Australian release) (1999)
Born On The Floor b/w Little Black Book (K Records) (1999)