Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Sacha Mullin

THE RELEASE

Sacha Mullin, a highly regarded fixture of the Chicago music scene and a creative singer-songwriter, is about to release his third solo project, "Casino Wilderness Period," a joint effort with Dog & Pony Records and Dipterid Records. Mullin's artistic path has been characterized by daring partnerships with avant-garde bands including Dead Rider, Lovely Little Girls, and Cheer-Accident. Mullin was hailed as a "angel" or an "alien" and a "vocalist extraordinaire" by the Chicago Reader and was assisted by the late Julee Cruise. Mullin goes on an auditory Alpine trip, forsaking the flatness of popular pop in favor of soaring, progressive songs. This builds upon the critical acclaim of his 2017 solo album "Duplex," which received praise from BBC6, Vocalo, The Big Takeover, and The Wire.

The thumping first song "Arranging Flowers," which is the centerpiece of Sacha Mullin's new album "Casino Wilderness Period," is a sonic storm in which Mullin's expressive vocals blend with Emily Bindiger's ethereal harmonies and ride atop Todd Rittmann's driving drumming. The track's cutting lyrics, which are set against a towering, serpentine musical canvas, analyze society's fixation with celebrity, riches, and existential reflections. The music video, directed by the imaginative German artist Glass Void, is an analog glitchy one. One of the album's jewels is "Telepathy," which combines the smooth R&B of Mullin with the elastic jazz improvisations of Judi Vinar and the unwavering backing of Annmarie Cullen to create a moving gospel choir story that explores themes of reflection and connection. The somber disco-meets-country ballad "Margaret," the heart-pounding "Waves," and the cinematic, cosmic finale "Window Out," which pays homage to Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick's timeless refrain, "the windows of the world are covered with rain," with Mem Nahadr's eerie whistle tones, further unfold the album and envelop listeners in a rainbow of emotions.

THE INTERVIEW

If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?

Annmarie Cullen, Emily Bindiger, Mem Nahadr, and Judi Vinar. All four of these musicians influenced my approach to voice, harmony, structure, honesty, and adventure, all just by being themselves. They’re such important vocalists and writers for me, and I learned a lot both directly and through osmosis. The fact they’re all on this album together is somewhat full circle for me, and is such an honour.

Were there any personal experiences or stories that influenced the creation of the album, and if so, how did they shape the final product?

Certainly the themes of the record come from heartache, existentialism, and unrest. But the experiences that come to mind during the shaping of the record are mostly ones of encouragement when times got hard. Julee Cruise, who sadly couldn’t be on the record, would always go out of her way to tell me what I was doing was “important” and that I had to keep going. The same with my friend Gabriel Riccio. I demoed a lot of work at his place, and he really supports what I do to such a visceral level. There are several other instances that I hold to my heart. But despite the numerous industry challenges I encountered on the path to this moment, it's all the unwavering emotional support that we have to thank for our current celebration of the record.

How did you approach the selection and arrangement of the songs on this project to create a cohesive and impactful listening experience for your audience?

I tried to balance subjects and sounds. It’s important to me to try to either build off of a previous track’s sound, or to give an immediate contrast. It’s a bit of a storyboard that way.

There were a few things that I demoed that never made it beyond a sketch because it was evident they didn’t have the immediacy I was looking for at the time. Some were fully completed songs, but I knew it was wrong for what else was going on in the album, so I dog-eared them for a later date. The album’s first written song was “Margaret”, but that took a minute to find its sound, while “Waves” was, I think the first completed, and that one went really fast. The end result of both of those songs made it clear they were supposed to be on the album no matter what.

Whereas I was really fond of “Power!” and “Love Sisyphean”, both of which were intended for an earlier stab at the record. “Power!” is very electronic and angry, and “Love Sisyphean” is essentially a rock tune. As the rest of the album took shape with more of an R&B and jazz influence, it became clear that these two tracks didn't quite fit into the evolving musical landscape. They get to live in as CD bonus tracks, while the A side of the album maintains its driving energy, and the B side assumes a more dusk-like, reflective quality.

How do you see this album representing your artistic evolution or progression, and what new elements or techniques did you experiment with during its production?

I feel that this record is the most cohesive solo record I’ve done, especially as I discovered a newfound confidence in myself during the making of it. A lot of that had to do with me really committing to the idea of myself as the subject of the record, rather than just myself singing material that happened to be about me. It’s really strange having to think of yourself in third person so much, but when I step back, I hear a big step up in my performances, in the production, all of it. I’m always the one playing the piano and keyboards on my records, but Todd Rittmann, my producer, pushed me even more than before to think of my piano parts texturally rather than just as accompaniment. Despite the complexity of the record, every element that survived the editing process was purposeful.‏

Can you share any memorable or profound moments from the recording or writing sessions that had a lasting impact on you personally or creatively?

When Judi Vinar was visiting Chicago, she was hosting a Circlesong session at a nearby college. The practice of circle singing is really freeing, and you sort of loosely meditate on improvised ostinatos, and a soloist paints a melody on top of a group of people, singers of all skill sets, who are supporting you in a loop of sound. I hadn’t done one of those sessions in a long time, and when it came time to reflect on my own recordings, this experience truly liberated me from the compulsion to control every small aspect of my music. I mean, I was still specific about what I wanted, and there were still casual battles between myself and the songs and all that, but it felt like I could give myself a little more leeway to relax and trust it that certain elements would reveal themselves naturally, and that the music would be all the better for it.

For quite a while, I had been gripped by the fear that I wouldn't be able to accurately convey what I heard in my head on the recording, and ironically, that fear was becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Right after the Circlesong session, Judi and I took a taxi to the studio and joined Todd. There, she added beautiful harmonies and improvisations to the mix. Judi had once been my voice teacher, but in this instance, I finally took in the most vital lesson of all – the art of allowing things to just be.

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