- A blistering two-hour live recording from one of the greatest minds in house music.
- You never know what you're going to get if you see the name Hieroglyphic Being on a record or a flyer, but there's a good chance it'll be some of the best, most jacking house you've ever heard. Jamal Moss embodies the spirit—and the past, present and future—of Chicago's house music scene, but he also carries the torch for Afrofuturism, free jazz and avant-garde music. He follows in the footsteps of important figures like Sun Ra and Ron Hardy, his work blending these traditions with a healthy dose of post-punk, too.
For more than two decades, Moss's Mathematics Recordings label has been one of the premiere sources of raw, analogue house music, helping put producers like John Heckle on the map. He has a sprawling solo discography, encompassing projects such as I.B.M., Members Only and The Sun God. He also put out one of our favourite albums last year with Thank U 4 The Tracks U Lost, released on Modern Love under his given name. (For more on Moss's illustrious career and personal history, revisit our ORIGINS film from 2015.)
Live, Moss usually jams on a few pieces of gear, to fantastic and sometimes bewildering effect. This RA Podcast is a two-hour recording of a live set from public records in New York. It features all the raw, powerful house music you'd expect—made with two iPads and a MIDI controller—but it's also loaded with gorgeous, ghostly melodies and an opening section that touches on trance, trip-hop and '90s electronica. This is a rare live recording that captures a genius at work.
What have you been up to recently?
Minding my business best I can. Being mindful of others and respectful with my interactions and being a better human in a fractured realm, and avoiding drama / toxic traits. Ascension, basically, also. Levelling up my sonic skill set in production, recording and live performance.
How and where was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
The live performance was recorded at public records in New York on October 28, 2022. Basically two iPads I've been using since 2013, and a MIDI keyboard controller.
Just testing out material to see how the targeted audience would react to it and fine-tune the compositions to be better for consumer entertainment, or build hype for future commissioned opportunities.
Can you tell us more about your upcoming film work? How does your music factor into it?
SoMuchNoise2BeHeard—120-minute variety show, ongoing since 2020. Produced by Heuristics & Hieroglyphic Being. Going on our fourth edition. It's on some old-school access cable TV, Videodrome vibe, and word-of-mouth propaganda. The platform puts a spotlight on various forms of visual & sonic art and 8-bit pop culture. Artists from all walks of life. A uni-mind of fractured conscious expression. This one is about giving more exposure to artists off the beaten path that's not with Flesh 4 Fantasy antics.
Then there are two small visual films, in collaboration with a Venezuelan artist based in Belgium that was finished in 2019-2020. That will be released in October, with an album of experimental sounds. These mini-films are about enhancing the visual minimalist concepts sonically of the director-designer from Venezuela.
You like challenging audiences and seeing how they react to your music. What do you do if audiences don't seem to be into it?
Not really—I do it more two challenge myself and my reality. I rarely hear my sonic sketches out. Even when I perform live I rarely look up at the crowd for feedback.
I just channel my purpose and the masses find an intuitive way to respond.
The audiences that come see me are part of a sonic cult, an audio demographic personality. They came for cleansing. So the thought of audiences not being into it isn't an option.
What's one club or party that had a major impact on you as an artist?
The club: The Muzic Box (Ron Hardy), cause that's where Chicago house music began, period.
Parties: Anything Lil' Louis (Diamond Corp) from The Bismarck to The Hummingbird to Dancers to Medusa's on a Sunday night.
What's one social or political cause you want the world to pay more attention to?
Social: Rebuild Foundation by Theaster Gates.
Political: Humanist principles of justice and of valuing the dignity of each individual also lead us to support equality and oppose unwarranted discrimination.
What are you looking forward to in the near future?
Doing more arts in residence and A&R work, and mentoring the next who will one day replace you. And also producing a few indie documentaries and film projects under SoMuchNoise2BeHeard.
Photo: Robert Featherson