PUSH IT 3 / seth cardinal dodginghorse

PUSH IT ISSUE 3: SETH CARDINAL DODGINGHORSE

PUSH IT / NOVEMBER 2021 This is the third installation of a four-part zine series.

These independent publications are an attempt to help “fill the gaps” that are missing in the Canadian Music Centre’s archive (please see previous issues for more info).

Lawrence Teeth image courtesy of seth cardinal dodginghorse @sadbirthdays https://lawrenceteeth.bandcamp.com/ All Photos of seth cardinal dodginghorse by a.Aliermo

on.cmccanada.org | @cmcnational

I happen to be in “Calgary”, the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations and the Métis Nation (Region 3), in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

Before travelling I connected with seth cardinal dodginghorse through social media, as I was drawn to their work. I loved that they had a shoegazy band, but also a practice in capturing field recordings in places that were meaningful, and using that as a starting point to create experimental tracks. While I appreciate sound and music for the ways in which their bare essences elicit multi-dimensional sensations, I relate wholeheartedly to the personal stories, cultural identities and socio-political resistances that artists like seth infuse into their practice.

seth cardinal dodginghorse pictured near their home in the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta

seth’s compositions are expressions of their deep connection and affections for their cultural and familial roots and the land which has been a part of them for thousands of years. When I listen to seth’s work, I sense a profound yearning for a return to a time and space when the seams between their people, their land and a universal reverence were immaculate. When I listen to seth’s compositions, I feel this longing, heartache and outrage too.

I feel honoured and privileged that seth welcomed me to their home, the picturesque Tsuut’ina Reserve on the outskirts of Calgary. seth lives in a house with their partner and grandpa—about 100 feet away their mother and other relatives live in another. seth and I talked about our mutual understandings of care and

commitment to family and laughed about how puzzling it was that other folks could be willfully detached from theirs.

We drove out to one of seth’s favourite places to capture field recordings. Part of the rez is hundreds of acres that the Canadian Army leased for 99 years for training purposes. When they left in the 90’s, they also left a handful of landmines that are still being continually combed for, as well as remnants of building foundations. About a decade later, the film Passchendaele was shot there, and for some reason, they left parts of the movie set there. It was all so shocking and surreal to see but somehow there was still beauty to be found, much like seth’s works.

The sentiments that are expressed in seth’s work are certainly intensified by their use of

old analog gear. The way they are able to create the exact textures, hues and depths of sound to compose pieces that immerse you in their raw emotions, is incredible. seth’s studio is filled with beautiful vintage machines that they salvaged from various second-hand sources. When I was there, they had a workshop area with a few guitars they had taken apart and were rebuilding. It was really inspiring to see an artist so connected with their gear, and looking back now, there is a wonderful parallel between this practice and the way seth is connected to their land, loved ones and values. I feel really lucky to have caught a glimpse of seth’s personal and creative life and look forward to hearing their evergrowing repertoire!

- april www.aliermo.com @2kulit2kuwit

Right to left, seth pictured in front of their home with their partner and grandfather

seth cardinal dodginghorse seth cardinal dodginghorse is an experimental musician, cultural researcher, Prairie Chicken dancer and multidisciplinary artist working within performance, printmaking, installation, sound and video. seth is Amskapi Piikani (Blackfeet), Tsuut’ina and Cree.

They grew up eating dirt and exploring the forest on their family’s ancestral land on the Tsuut’ina nation. They have performed and shown their work across so called “Canada”. seth pictured in their home studio with their cat.

IN CONVERSA

seth working with their multi-track cassette recorder, the Tascam 488 MKII

ATION What instruments/gear do you use? What is your set up like?

I’m 27 but I’m a nerd with an old soul when it comes to the gear that I’m drawn to. I grew up going to thrift stores because my family was poor and it was easy to find all kinds of tape machines, instruments, and video cameras for cheap. A lot of what I found was broken so I would pull things apart and teach myself how to fix them which is important when working with older gear.

I have a home studio where I record and practice with my band. The setup that I use now isn’t very different from what I used as a teenager, I mainly record with a Tascam 488 MKII which is a multitrack cassette tape recorder. I bought that Tascam after I saw a video of the Moldy Peaches using the same model when I was 16. The nice thing is because it’s portable I’ll move it around the house and even bring it with me when I travel. I have a Fostex 16 track reel-to-reel that I use for songs that need more guts. In my studio I have my drum kit, guitars, and pedals. I leave everything plugged in and mic’d up so when I have an idea I can write it out and have it recorded immediately. I record all analogue because I taught myself to use analogue equipment at an early age and it’s easier and faster for me. I don’t know how to use a computer when it comes to music production. The only digital recorder I have is a zoom recorder for field recordings and what I do usually is transfer the zoom recordings onto my Tascam.

SOME OF THE GEAR SETH HAS BEEN USING LATELY...

GUITARS

Profile Acoustic 1962 Fender Jazzmaster 1965 Fender Mustang 1978 Telecaster Deluxe

AMPS

Fender Hot Rod Deville III 1965 Black Front Fender Bassman

PEDALS

Early 90’s Green Russian Big Muff Neunaber Wet V2 Reverb Pedal Boss DD-7 Boss Tera Echo 2 Frantone Peachfuzz

TAPE MACHINES DRUMS

Tascam 488 MKII Tascam 424 MKII Fostex E16 Pearl Drum Kit Ludwig Acrolite Snare

What guides your creative process? What is important to you when putting work out into the world?

My love of music and wanting to make it guides my creative process! Music is my most favorite thing in the world. I love listening to other people’s music and I love being able to create songs and sounds. When it comes to creating music, I’m always open to discovery and understand that there isn’t one way to be creative with it.

I’m someone who always has ideas, my issue is getting lost in them or not knowing where to go with them.

What guides me out of a rut is creating audio collages, experimenting with arrangements, sonic textures, and different production styles. I’m self-taught when it comes to music and recording so a D.I.Y mentality guides everything I do.

Before I put work out in the world, I make sure that I’m happy with it. I create music for myself so if I’m happy with it that’s all that matters.

Please tell us about your track “Unlearning My English” This song is about time travel and is part of the score I created for the documentary series “Voices on the Rise” which is about Indigenous languages. Eli Hirtle the filmmaker asked if I could create some songs for an episode that featured one of my grandfathers speaking Tsuut’ina.

Unlearning My English is actually another song I made for the same documentary titled isagha uwa isuu (granny and grandpa in Tsuut’ina) reversed and mixed differently. I made isagha uwa isuu first which was sonically and thematically inspired by Residential Schools. My grandparents are survivors and in the past few years I’ve started to think more about how those schools have affected every aspect of my life, even my music. By reversing and remixing that first track about Residential Schools I was able to create something new that to me felt like traveling back in time to when no one in my family spoke english.

PHOTOS : Above, seth’s regalia is dear to them.

The piece on the far left is one of their firsts and was made for them by their aunt : Right, a photo seth took of their grandmother while they were in art school : Opposite page, top left, seth is an avid music lover and has an amazing library of LPs : Remaining images, seth’s studio space emanates their tactile connection to their process and works

Please tell us about your track “The Last Day in Our House” This song is about the house I live in which has lots of familial history. It’s hard to sum it all up but my family was forcibly displaced from our ancestral land and home on the Tsuut’ina Reserve for the construction of a major highway. Our house was also removed from the land with us to another part of Tsuut’ina. The whole experience was traumatizing, and it can be hard living and working in this home because of it. Generations of my family lived, grew up and passed away in this house on its original land.

I made this song when I was beginning to unpack my grief with being displaced from the land. I realized at this time my house had a spirit and was also grieving. Through recording this song, I was trying to capture myself and my home communicating with one another and having a conversation. I was also trying to remember what it felt like to spend the last day in this house on my family’s land.

I started creating this song by putting a mic in front of the furnace of my house and recording it. My gut told me that was where I’d be able to “hear” my house.

Then I listened back to the furnace and tried to respond to it. I instantly found a chord on my guitar and recorded my response in one take. This track was created through intuition and experimentation, I didn’t have any planned ideas, I just had a feeling and wanted to see where it took me, and I ended up with this song.

Images taken during a field recording session on reserve land that was previousy leased to the Canadian military

Please tell us about your other project Lawrence Teeth.

Lawrence Teeth started as my solo bedroom project called soft cure in 2013. In 2014 some friends joined soft cure and helped make it a live band. We started playing shows and festivals. In 2017 after years of playing in two bands at the same time and simultaneously going to art school I became burnt out and took a break from playing live but I kept recording and writing music. I struggle with depression, so music plans and releases I had planned between 2015 and 2019 I ended up putting on hold, but the pandemic has actually helped me finish those ideas and also make peace with my perfectionism to an extent haha. When the pandemic started, I decided to rename the project Lawrence Teeth because of a dream I had. In the past couple years I’ve been able to self release music again.

I would describe Lawrence Teeth’s music as pastel wave but it could also be described as lofi, dream pop, indie rock, shoegaze, and black metal.

I’ve made so much music privately at home that I forget I haven’t shown most people the wide range of sounds I’ve explored, so sometimes I

don’t think they believe me when I talk about having made certain styles of music.

Right now Lawrence Teeth is myself and my super talented friends, Ana Villanueva, Andy Lehman, and Dan Auger.

Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to tell us about or creatively what you are excited about at the moment?

Lawrence Teeth is going to be recording an album in a legit studio hopefully by early 2022!

I’m excited because I’ve never been in a studio for one of my own projects, just to help others.

I have a name for the album and most of the songs written already. It’s harder to gather now with the pandemic but I want to work with my bandmates on writing new songs for the album so everything still might change but I’m excited!

Is there anything else you would like to share about your work?

The only thing I can think of is that I look forward to safely traveling and playing live music again, if anyone wants to do a show I’m down!