Interview: undocument (Brian Pampaselle)

undocument has now released 2 albums in addition to a number of mix tapes and remixes. He scored the independent film, "Vitamin D," and also creates his own original beats for hip hop artists, through vinyl sampling and DAW arrangement, and customizes all of his own songs for live performance matched with live visuals. His newest is his second album, "Pleasures," which was just released in May which marks even more musical diversity in his repertoire. To top it off, he just recently won first place in the "Killer Artist" contest.

Without further ado, we give you the man himself, master beat maker extraordinaire, Brian Pampaselle :

Volterock: How did you get started in music?
undocument: My family always had some music playing in the house while I was growing up...so it was ingrained in me from a very early age. The transition into making my own music was seamless as I've always been very creative.

What musical instruments do you play?
I started out playing guitar and then bass, and through the years I've picked up a little piano here and there.

Describe your approach to music production.
I really like to get to the emotional center of my songs, something I hope is apparent when you listen to them! Basically, something has to grab me before I consider using it in a song, either a chord progression, or a sample or a synth sound...it all has to move me in some way. So that basically is the genesis of my approach. After that, it's really about doing what it takes to compliment and further the song to a satisfactory completed state. Sometimes that's just adding some drums...other times it's an elaborate process and very involved.

What was the name of your first band? Are there any recorded songs online somewhere?
I formed my first band in high school and quickly developed a crush on the bass player. So she and I try to ignore that part of our lives for the most part! I don't think we even finished a full song, much less got one into a recorded state!

How does your style of music blend with the scene in the area that you live?
Not very well, actually. I'm all over the place musically, and it's always been a struggle to fit into a particular "genre" that truly encompasses all the weird aspects of where I want to go with my music. I'm not daunted about it though, I've always wanted to do my thing anyway.

What is your greatest accomplishment so far?
The past few years have given me a number of accomplishments that all could be considered my "greatest": Performing live in front of my friends & family, playing a live set on the radio, releasing my first album, gaining fans from all over the world, even getting interviewed right now!

What other hobbies do you do besides music and writing?
I like to play video games, but don't get enough time at it to call it a "hobby"...I like to cook, watch movies and television if the show is right, and of course, sleep. I really like to sleep.

Who is your personal hero?
I'm not sure if I have a "personal hero." There's a lot of people I look up to, but that's just part of my personality. I'm always looking to better myself, and when I find a quality in someone else that I think could work to improve me, I adopt it into my routine. It's a bit of a broad answer, but...

What is the most important lessons you've learned from your Father/Mother/mentor?
Another tough one to answer. See above.

What recent book would you currently recommend?
    My favorite novel is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and The Devil In The White City (but neither of those are particularly recent). I recently finished Neil Strauss' "Everyone Loves You When You're Dead," which is comprised entirely of interviews he had with many, many famous musicians and actors and was particularly insightful to the personal lives of celebrities.

People in high school said you were ___.
    I'd like to say "weird" or even a "loner," but in all honesty I doubt very much people said much about me back in high school. I was friends with a lot of people back then, but I don't think I left too much of an impression, which I think suited me at the time.

What do you do when you get a day off?
    What the hell is a "day off"?

What is your most treasured possession?
    My wit and good looks. They haven't failed me yet.

What is your favorite website?
    Right now, I'm going to have to go with an easy one: www.reddit.com ...if you know where to look, it's just jammed full of interesting information and helpful ideas. And funny cats. So many cats.

What 3 famous people would you like to have dinner with?
    This is a tough one! I settled on David Bowie, Clint Mansell and probably Nathan Fillion.
    Not at the same time though. Gotta spread that out.

What is on the horizon for undocument? Where do you see undocument in 10 years from now?
    In ten years I'd like to be doing more soundtrack work, while still releasing my own albums, and working with other artists and producing for them.

If you could have one unexplained mystery answered, what would it be?
    Great question! So many possibilities...
    Lots of stuff comes to mind: the JFK assassination, the Taman Shud case, the list goes on and on. The real problem I find with unexplained mysteries is that, as much as I'd like to find out what really happened, so rarely is it that the truth is more interesting than the theories themselves. I guess I would like to know where does the other sock go in the dryer?

How may we reach you to book a live performance?
    I'm always looking to play gigs! The best way to reach me is via my email: info@undocumentmusic.com

What's the best way to stay up-to-date with your live shows and new music productions?
    My website, it's the official place to find out what's going on with undocument: www.undocumentmusic.com , but you can also check my facebook for additional stuff that doesn't quite fit into the website: http://facebook.com/undocument