Q + A with Chrome Sparks by Darcy Ujjainwalla
Discosalt recently caught up with Jeremy Malvin aka ‘Chrome Sparks’ who captured our ears with his song ‘Marijauna’. His eclectic drums and unique style bring listeners to an alternate universe of innovative samples and brilliant synths. He is a soon to be Brooklyner from Ann Arbor and all around nice guy, here he is, ‘Chrome Sparks’.
DISCOSALT : Who are you?
CHROME SPARKS : I’m still figuring that out, but I’m from Pittsburgh and have been living in Ann Arbor since the Fall of 2009. I came here to study percussion in the music school here at University of Michigan. Over time, my musical focus shifted, so I left school last December to focus more on my own musical endeavors. I’ll be moving to Brooklyn in a few months.
D: Do or Die Bed Stuy! That’s wicked man, you’re going to have a blast. Besides the fact that it sounds awesome, why ‘Chrome Sparks’?
CS: In high school, I was making electro under the name Professor Purple. The music I was making eventually split into two camps, with more personal downtempo tracks on one side, and dance tunes/remixes on the other. To draw a distinction between projects, I just brainstormed Chrome Sparks out of nowhere. I originally wanted it to be Chrome Heart, which I think has something to do with how the music was electronic and the same time alive, organic, and beating (super lame, yea?). Thankfully some metal band already had that name, so I swapped heart with sparks.
D:[Laughs] well, it certainly worked out for you. What are you working on these days?
CS: Lots of new music, though I’m not sure how I’m going to go about releasing it yet. Doing the bandcamp thing was great, but I’ve been talking to some labels and I probably want to go that route. The goal was to finish an LP by the end of the summer, but I feel like the stuff I’m working on finishing up right now doesn’t necessarily work as one cohesive event. I might wanna do a couple more EPs or singles before I hit my debut LP. I’m also working on making tracks that I want to use for other projects with different vocalists and rappers. ‘Promises’ is a lofi pop project that I’ve released a few tracks for on Bandcamp (dontmakepromises.bandcamp.com). I want to do more shit like that. Also, I’m gearing up for a fall tour with Stepdad, a band in which I play drums. We’re doing a co-headlining tour in Sept and Oct with Rich Aucoin and super special guests Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt.
D: Sounds like you’re a busy man, I can’t wait to listen to check those out. Besides ‘Call me maybe’, what’s in the ipod?
CS: [Laughs]… always a lot of Caribou, Stereolab (the band and the podcast), Little Dragon, Hudson Mohawke, Four Tet, Toro Y Moi, Shigeto, Shuggie Otis, Yellow Magic Orchestra, & SBTRKT. Been listening to a lot of bands like Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Tame Impala lately as well. Love that shit. Other stuff I’ve been jamming lately includes Holden, Luke Abbott, Stargate’s Hexplore Superfluidity, and Ital.
D:You’ve got a superb taste in music. Your from Ann Arbor, Forbes recently rated Ann Arbor as one of the most ‘liveable’ cities in the U.S, in your opinion what makes it so liveable?
CS:It has everything. Quality everything. I love it. I live in a downtown location where I have everything I need within a block… an incredible coffee shop (comet coffee), groceries, record stores, great food, art galleries, theaters, and so much more. There are beautiful parks, rivers, and tons of resources for anything you can imagine thanks to the university. Rent isn’t too bad and the town is so youthful thanks to the university. It’s really great here.
D: If Ann Arbor is so ‘liveable’ then why are you moving to the Empire State?
CS: I don’t need ‘liveable’, I need as much opportunity as I can get. I’ll turn 22 this October, so I feel like there’s no better time to go for it and give nyc a shot. There are so many talented musicians there that I want to work with and so many opportunities for DJing, trying new shit, eating incredible food, and going to killer performances. I go there a lot and it gets harder and harder to leave every time.
D:Well, I think you’re going to blossom in NYC and I wish you all the best. It’s been a pleasure, any last words?
CS: The pleasure was all mine. And follow me on twitter (@chromesparks)