Kellum: I think some of it is very interesting, but it's a style still in its infancy. For me, a lot of it sounds like software demonstrations. I guess I don't hear the kind of gut-level expression that I hear from a guy playing the oud [Arabic lute] or the saxophone. I'm sure people who are working in the style would find that a meritless argument, but what can I say? There's a Simon Wickham-Smith record that's coming out on VHF that's a laptop thing, and I guess the difference for me is that I hear him in it, just like I could pick out a recording of him playing the piano, or singing. There's a personality to it that gives it the added dimension that really makes it for me.

I have done some guitar-with-laptop things, mostly solo. There's some of that on the most recent Doldrums' sessions, where we had the laptop processing my guitar live and providing this weird glitchy accompaniment to our "regular" sound. I'd like to do more with it but there's only so much time in the day.

Can you hark back to the taping of Acupuncture? How come it sounds sort of different to your other albums? Were you trying to something different then?

Kellum: Acupuncture and Feng Shui were basically from the same set of two sessions, both of which were recorded live to DAT. We didn't use multitrack until Desk Trickery. Feng Shui has some sections with a lot of overdubs, and Acupuncture hardly has any. I guess Acupuncture is more of the "rock" material, and Feng Shui is more drifty. In retrospect, I think there was maybe one really good record between those two, but oh well.

Well, how do you think Doldrums sound has evolved? Frankly, there seems to be little change between Secret Life of Machines and Desk Trickery.

Kellum: Hmmm, you think so? I guess our "style" is sort of polyglot. We haven't done a record of just "rock" or "drone" or a remixes record, so I guess I can see what you're saying. I agree that there's an evolution from the first to the most recent and I think Desk Trickery is somewhat of an end point in terms of exploring our group sound/dynamic/interaction as it is. I think that's part of the reason for our inactivity.

Kellum: I think we would all like to play and record more, but if it doesn't work out, it won't be any great tragedy. We've been lucky to do what we have.

I think this is related, but perhaps only loosely. I've managed to listen to a couple of Chomsky MP3s. What do you think of Chomsky? Did you ever suspect that Matt had that straight-forward poppy sound in him?

Kellum: I think Chomsky's record is very, very good. I think they are fine writers and fine players and deserve to be tremendously successful. They have worked very hard and obviously enjoy playing together. I am sure that Matt prefers more straightforward stuff, but he also enjoys playing with Doldrums and other "far out" groups, too.

Art-rock, space-rock, avant-rock, psychedelic music. Do you have a particular distaste/preference for any of these categories?

Kellum: Not really. At this point in the history of rock trivia/criticism/documentation minutia, I'm not sure that any of it really means anything anymore. Personally, my reactions to records are purely on a visceral level these days. The history, classification, pedigree, political concept, record label, etc., have really ceased to have meaning for me outside of being curiosities. I know most people don't feel that way at all. I think our records partly slipped under the radar of the underground mainstream--you know what I mean?--because we didn't have an extra-musical angle à la Godspeed You Black Emperor! (political epic rock), or Flying Saucer Attack (Anglo-mystic). We're working in sort of an eclectic style, and it's hard to get a grip on the records without a fair amount of effort. I have to admit that I was a little bummed to see Desk Trickery pegged as some sort of rock "parody" in a couple of places. I guess some people aren't ready to accept non-ironic wah-wah jams yet.

If you asked me, I'd say that Doldrums worked in the psychedelic rock Tradition, à la The Grateful Dead and Ash Ra Temple. But with the other guys coming from totally different backgrounds than me, they would tell you differently, I'm sure.

I don't imagine you're a big fan of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, what with the song "God Speed You Young Actress!" on Desk Trickery. But what about Flying Saucer Attack? VHF released two early albums of theirs, so I imagine you were at one time fond of them?

Kellum: I like Godspeed fine. The title is just a jokey phrase, it's not a dis. It's an instrumental. A lot of the titles are made up at the last minute. Until we're putting the artwork together, they tend to have exciting titles like "5.11.97 #8"

I was very lucky to release three FSA records on VHF and remain close with Dave Pearce. That he doesn't record for me anymore has to do with his personal business dealings rather than any sort of change in our relationship. It just works out better for him to record for Drag City, who sell many, many, many more records than I do.

Kellum: I think you can already get the entire VHF catalog on Napster. I don't know whether to be surprised, or offended, or what.

As far as what's around the corner for the label, it's mostly more of the same. We have a little family of groups, individuals that we have long term relationships with, and for the most part with my very limited free time I can manage one release by each of them annually. So, upcoming are releases by Richard Youngs/Simon Wickham-Smith, Sunroof!, Pelt, and Vibracathedral Orchestra. There's also debuts by From Quagmire, who are long-time friends from the D.C. area--who work in a very original fragmented art-song style--and Black Twig Pickers, who are a straight-up bluegrass/old-time group from Southwest Virginia.

The connection to Black Twig is that one of the guys in the group is in Pelt, but they are not indie types slumming, they are very much in the raw/primitive American tradition. Mostly, I want to keep things in the family, so to speak. I think we've set up a pretty good system where I am able to help these folks do their thing. I wish I had more time and money for VHF, but we're doing the best we can within our limits.

And finally, I have to ask, we've gone back and forth for sometime now, as you must be close to or at the end of your patience. Why not do this over the phone? Early on you said you were a "lousy interview," but I think we've done pretty good.

Kellum: I'm just in and out of the office a lot and it's difficult for me to talk for an hour or two, whereas with email, I can sit down and answer a question and come back to it hours later if necessary.

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