Claire Cessna on Live Streaming in the COVID-19 pandemic

KITSCH MAGIK -  What's your project name and how long have you been active? 

Claire Cessna - I’m part of a truly ridiculous number of music & noise projects at the moment, but I guess the main three are Niku Daruma, SHAME HOLE, and burnt-feathers. Those have all been active since mid to late 2018. 

KITSCH MAGIK - Where are you from? How did the pandemic effect where you’re living right now? 

Claire Cessna - Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, a gaping pothole of a city but I love it with all my heart. I’ve hardly been out in weeks, so I guess I can’t speak too too much for the outside world, but from what I can tell it seems like half of it is in full apocalypse-preparation mode, while the other half is just trying to push forward continue life as normal. Huh, sounds a lot like my internal monologue lately.

KITSCH MAGIK - How are you doing during this pandemic? Has it made you more creative?
   
Claire Cessna - Well, I’ve definitely been conflicted. The quarantine, plus the uneasy state of the world in general, has been driving me pretty insane in a lot of ways. But at the same time, I consider myself and my family pretty lucky. We still have jobs and we’re doing the best we can to stay on stable footing. And the extra free time has absolutely made me more creative, OR at the very least it’s helped me force myself to be more creative! Although in the past few weeks I’ve surprisingly been spending more time drawing and writing and doing graphic design stuff, instead of just focusing on my usual noisy output. That’s not to say I’ve neglected noise, though. :)

 

KITSCH MAGIK - There has been a sudden peak of live streaming of performances since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Have you watched or played any? What was your experience if you did?

Claire Cessna -  There’s a facebook page called Harsh Noise Support Network that hosts livestream noise shows. Niku Daruma got to play one a few weeks back with Spreaders, JHK, and Many Blessings. It was so much fun! I’m also going to be doing a burnt-feathers set on my friend Teuthis Galore’s youtube show, “Variable Fields,” sometime in the near future. And of course I’ve been watching the shows, too. I love seeing people reach out and do creative stuff from hundreds or thousands of miles away from each other. It helps me remember that there’s still actually a world out there, haha. Keep the shows coming, everyone!!

KITSCH MAGIK - When did you notice people start to organize live streaming events? 

Claire Cessna - Almost immediately! It was amazing. I think I first saw the Harsh Noise Support Network page get posted like 2 days after I started self-quaranting? Or at least, that’s what I remember. Time has been moving so strangely.

KITSCH MAGIK - Why do you think it took a global pandemic for a shift like this to happen? You would think the noise community would have jumped onto this beforehand, right? 

Claire Cessna - I think a lot of people had so much other stuff to focus on. Nobody wanted to make time to watch a noise livestream, even people who enjoy noise. But something like this virus brings about such a radical shift in the way we live our lives, we have no choice but to reevaluate how we interact socially and creatively. When the old pathways get closed off, we find new ways! The internet is amazing for that. I hope the appreciation of livestreaming doesn’t die off whenever the venues do reopen again. But at the very least, this will make everyone appreciate the in-person shows more. 

  KITSCH MAGIK -Do you think that a need to live stream performances has helped the noise community in a way, compared to other genres?  

Claire Cessna - It’s making it easier for people to learn about what noise is, as a concept. The floodgates of exposure are opening. Obviously it’s just a lot more convenient to click a link than to go to a venue. Now, I know “harsh noise” and “ease of access” aren’t terms that typically belong together, but I support getting the word out to more people that could find real value in this kind of thing.

KITSCH MAGIK -  Do you think we are going to see more artists host live streaming events after this is over?

Claire Cessna - I hope so! Especially international acts that I’d probably never get to see otherwise. We should be using technology to our advantage here!

KITSCH MAGIK -   How do you think this will change the landscapes of heavy/noisey acts?

Claire Cessna - I think an increase in exposure will lead to a lot of new people coming up with new ideas for how to explore the vast expanse of sound. Noise is supposed to be unrestrained, but sometimes even noise acts (myself included!) will end up adhering to genre conventions that shouldn’t even be there. So, I’m hoping to see more new faces flooding in and shaking things up, and maybe the noise scene can take a big breath of fresh air.

KITSCH MAGIK -What is the first thing you are going to do after this whole thing is over?

Claire Cessna - I can see it going two ways. Either I’m gonna book way more shows than I can possibly handle and go on tour forever... or maybe I’ll just adjust to the reclusive lifestyle, get lost in a pile of synths and cassettes, and never be heard from again.