DEAN RISPLER – Intervista al bass punisher dei The Dictators NYC
ENGLISH VERSION:
Hi Dean, how are you? You’ve just come back from a tour. What did you like most from it?
Hi, Monica! The most recent tour we were on was in California. We played 6 shows there in all different cities. It was fantastic. It always is. I wish we could go more often. We played Sacramento, San Jose, San Francisco, Hollywood, Long Beach and San Diego. Slim’s in San Francisco was a real highlight again. It’s a great club and we got to play with D.O.A.
When did you start playing the bass? And why did you choose this instrument?
It’s funny – I didn’t start as a bass player at all. I started playing violin in school when I was in fourth grade. I believe I was about 9 years old. When I was 12, I discovered my mom’s guitar – she plays a little bit of guitar, piano and some other instruments. I quickly abandoned the violin and was playing guitar as much as possible. But, as we all know, there are a million guitar players out there – and not a lot of bass players. I was always attracted to the bass, so I started playing with friends. I really didn’t take it seriously until I was in university. That’s when I started to get hired by bands to play bass. I now play both in many different projects, but I am mainly known as a bass player.
You are a musician and a producer. How can you follow your work and passions together?
I will tell you this – it is not easy. It’s a lot of hustling and a lot of hours put into work for very little. But I must like it because I continue doing it. As far as production goes, that has slowed down quite a bit. I am only doing about 4-6 recordings per year now just as a producer. I am not an engineer – I am just not that technical of a person. I have one of my best friends, Jesse Cannon, do almost everything as far as engineering and mixing. He is amazing and works so fast. That allows me to just concentrate on working with the band and getting them ready to record – whether that means fixing songs and/or arrangements, or just getting the musicians rehearsed enough to be completely prepared for the studio experience depends all on the artists and where they are at. So, yes, I guess I align my work and passions quite well.
As a musician, it’s also a lot of hustling. I tour a few months per year with The Dictators NYC. I also play shows with a metal band called Kosmodemonic. I play guitar with Osaka Popstar which is a pop-punk/power-pop sort of thing that has been highly enjoyable for me. Plus I am playing bass with both The Star Spangles and a brand new band called Swilson.
How has the music world changed since you started?
It has changed dramatically. Some of it is great. The fact that home digital recording has gotten so good has allowed bands to record for next to nothing. And social media outlets like Bandcamp, Facebook, YouTube and Soundcloud have completely cut out the record label middlemen. Now bands can put out things without a label and without anyone telling them what they can or cannot do. But there is also a downside – no labels mean no label support, making it more difficult for bands to tour. And, honestly, there are a bunch of bands out there that need to be told what to do. They have no clue what they’re doing and need guidance – whether that means with recording or just straight-up management or possibly both.
What were the musicians who mainly inspired you for your career?
So many. Actually there are too many to mention. But I can say that when I was about 12 years old, I decided that I was going to be a musician for life. I was really into Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath – all the stuff most suburban white kids in America would have been listening to in 1982. I specifically remember reading Creem magazine and seeing a picture of Eddie Van Halen playing live with a caption that said “Hey! It beats workin’ for a living!” For some reason, that stuck with me. I thought then and there that I would never ever want a “regular” job ever. And, for better or worse, I have kept that promise to myself. As far as musicians who helped me along the way? There are so many and I am sure I will forget some. But the two most influential were my guitar teacher, Steve Amend, and drummer extraordinaire, J.P. “Thunderbolt” Patterson (who I started playing with in 1992 and still play with him now!). Both of them taught me so much and I have to thank them for the musician I am today.
In your opinion, what’s the importance of the social network in the music?
I am assuming that the question is about social media networks, correct? I think it’s absolutely the most important thing in music right now. It’s what almost everyone uses to find and listen to new (and plenty of old) music. I honestly do not think a band can survive nowadays without presence on social media. I know there are probably exceptions, but it can only be a very small few. As mentioned earlier in my answer to a changing music world, social media outlets that deal mainly in music (e.g. Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube) have given musicians and artists such a great opportunity to share what they create.
What are you planning for the next year? And what can we wait from Dean Rispler in the future?
Plans include a new 7” from The Dictators NYC, a new LP from Kosmodemonic, tons of new music from Osaka Popstar and, hopefully, a debut LP from Swilson. I have other things going on as well, but that’s more than most musicians put out in 5 years time. So I will leave you all to that.
Hi Dean, how are you? You’ve just come back from a tour. What did you like most from it?
Hi, Monica! The most recent tour we were on was in California. We played 6 shows there in all different cities. It was fantastic. It always is. I wish we could go more often. We played Sacramento, San Jose, San Francisco, Hollywood, Long Beach and San Diego. Slim’s in San Francisco was a real highlight again. It’s a great club and we got to play with D.O.A.
When did you start playing the bass? And why did you choose this instrument?
It’s funny – I didn’t start as a bass player at all. I started playing violin in school when I was in fourth grade. I believe I was about 9 years old. When I was 12, I discovered my mom’s guitar – she plays a little bit of guitar, piano and some other instruments. I quickly abandoned the violin and was playing guitar as much as possible. But, as we all know, there are a million guitar players out there – and not a lot of bass players. I was always attracted to the bass, so I started playing with friends. I really didn’t take it seriously until I was in university. That’s when I started to get hired by bands to play bass. I now play both in many different projects, but I am mainly known as a bass player.
You are a musician and a producer. How can you follow your work and passions together?
I will tell you this – it is not easy. It’s a lot of hustling and a lot of hours put into work for very little. But I must like it because I continue doing it. As far as production goes, that has slowed down quite a bit. I am only doing about 4-6 recordings per year now just as a producer. I am not an engineer – I am just not that technical of a person. I have one of my best friends, Jesse Cannon, do almost everything as far as engineering and mixing. He is amazing and works so fast. That allows me to just concentrate on working with the band and getting them ready to record – whether that means fixing songs and/or arrangements, or just getting the musicians rehearsed enough to be completely prepared for the studio experience depends all on the artists and where they are at. So, yes, I guess I align my work and passions quite well.
As a musician, it’s also a lot of hustling. I tour a few months per year with The Dictators NYC. I also play shows with a metal band called Kosmodemonic. I play guitar with Osaka Popstar which is a pop-punk/power-pop sort of thing that has been highly enjoyable for me. Plus I am playing bass with both The Star Spangles and a brand new band called Swilson.
How has the music world changed since you started?
It has changed dramatically. Some of it is great. The fact that home digital recording has gotten so good has allowed bands to record for next to nothing. And social media outlets like Bandcamp, Facebook, YouTube and Soundcloud have completely cut out the record label middlemen. Now bands can put out things without a label and without anyone telling them what they can or cannot do. But there is also a downside – no labels mean no label support, making it more difficult for bands to tour. And, honestly, there are a bunch of bands out there that need to be told what to do. They have no clue what they’re doing and need guidance – whether that means with recording or just straight-up management or possibly both.
What were the musicians who mainly inspired you for your career?
So many. Actually there are too many to mention. But I can say that when I was about 12 years old, I decided that I was going to be a musician for life. I was really into Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath – all the stuff most suburban white kids in America would have been listening to in 1982. I specifically remember reading Creem magazine and seeing a picture of Eddie Van Halen playing live with a caption that said “Hey! It beats workin’ for a living!” For some reason, that stuck with me. I thought then and there that I would never ever want a “regular” job ever. And, for better or worse, I have kept that promise to myself. As far as musicians who helped me along the way? There are so many and I am sure I will forget some. But the two most influential were my guitar teacher, Steve Amend, and drummer extraordinaire, J.P. “Thunderbolt” Patterson (who I started playing with in 1992 and still play with him now!). Both of them taught me so much and I have to thank them for the musician I am today.
In your opinion, what’s the importance of the social network in the music?
I am assuming that the question is about social media networks, correct? I think it’s absolutely the most important thing in music right now. It’s what almost everyone uses to find and listen to new (and plenty of old) music. I honestly do not think a band can survive nowadays without presence on social media. I know there are probably exceptions, but it can only be a very small few. As mentioned earlier in my answer to a changing music world, social media outlets that deal mainly in music (e.g. Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube) have given musicians and artists such a great opportunity to share what they create.
What are you planning for the next year? And what can we wait from Dean Rispler in the future?
Plans include a new 7” from The Dictators NYC, a new LP from Kosmodemonic, tons of new music from Osaka Popstar and, hopefully, a debut LP from Swilson. I have other things going on as well, but that’s more than most musicians put out in 5 years time. So I will leave you all to that.
