It's New York Fashion Week and we’re nearly as excited to find out what’s playing during the shows as we are to see what’s on the catwalks. We asked some OC friends to hit us with their Fall/Winter 2012 show soundtracks.
When Dana Wachs isn't working her day job—traveling the world doing live sound for bands such as MGMT, St. Vincent, and Cat Power—she’s recording and performing under the moniker Vorhees. Recently, she was asked by Rachel Comey to perform a live accompaniment to her Fall/Winter 2012 show (above). I got a chance to speak with Dana about her music, her connection to Rachel Comey, and more, after the jump.
Chris Puidokas: How did you come to play at the Rachel Comey show?
Dana Wachs: I've been friends with Rachel for about 14 years now. I've DJ'd her shows and after-parties, dressed her models, helped pick the live performers, and have assisted with audio production in the past. I secretly hoped she'd ask me to play this season!
CP: How did you start the project Vorhees?
DW: Vorhees was born from my own musical desires to play and experience textural sounds that I was not hearing in music around me. I had a guitar and random effects pedals, plus an EBow I found on the street. I would experiment and try to make the guitar sound less like a guitar and more like a synth, enjoying the strangely organic yet manipulated and processed sounds I conjured. I started playing casually in whatever space I could find, with Sadie Laska (I.U.D./Growing). But then my touring schedule as a sound engineer forced me to become self-reliant. Now I am strictly solo.
CP: Where does the name come from?
DW: Vorhees refers to a town I grew up in that's actually spelled Voorhees. Most people ask me if it has anything to do with Jason Vorhees of Friday the 13th, which is appealing but not the fact of the matter.
CP: Where do you draw inspiration from?
DW: If I was to draw a common thread through all that inspires me, I would say there is space and tension involved. Think Altman's 3 Women, Dan Flavin's light sculptures, and the desert.
CP: When you go from being the sound engineer to the performer, do you feel a greater freedom?
DW: Bands like St. Vincent and MGMT gave me incredible freedom to manipulate their live sound with effects and vocals, and I'm very proud to have supported some phenomenal performances. But performing my own music has its catharsis built in. I also build a lot of improvisation into my live sets; not being responsible for leading anyone else provides me with all the freedom I need to go with my immediate instincts.
CP: How do you start working on a new song?
DW: I experiment with the sounds I can create with my guitar and effects units. I am especially enamored with my Eventide H3000, (popularized by Tony Visconti's use of it on David Bowie's Low) and my new Moog Cluster-Flux pedal. When I get interested in a sound, I start to compose around it. It's an abstract process, really. I wish I could explain it better!
CP: What’s next for you/Vorhees?
DW: I will be recording la