On June 15, Fascinator is dead set ready to drench the world with his brand new LP Water Sign. Preceded by singles the likes of Sex Crystals and Drenched Out, it’s set to be another 12 tracks of beautiful, inscrutable Fascinator weirdness.
In a futile attempt to decode this enigma, we asked the man for 10 things we wouldn’t know about Fascinator. Safe to say, we’re even more confused than when we left off.
Things we learned today: noodle beards exist, masks don’t work, and not even Fascinator knows everything there is to know about Fascinator.
1. You can stay in a Fascinator-themed hotel room
I recently designed a room called “The Fascinator Suite” in a New York hotel. I saw a psycho-analyst who helped me visualise my subconscious and let that inform the design. It came out very blue and watery.
2. Everyone has been in Fascinator at least once
Fascinator has had around 100 members. Most of them only playing ‘air’ instruments though. Even my little niece played drums in Brisbane when she was three years old.
3. I used to have a thing about playing in tiny spaces
I once performed in Wim Delvoye’s tiny chapel at MONA in Tasmania and a toilet cubicle at 1000 Pound Bend in Melbourne.
4. There once was a man from Nantucket
Parts of Water Sign were recorded in a barn on Nantucket. The island immortalised in Moby Dick.
5. The Fascinator mask
The ‘cult of personality’ wave in music was getting on my nerves when I first started Fascinator, so I always made everyone wear these silly masks. The idea was that a barrier of anonymity would let the music speak for itself, but it also served as a protection mechanism against the terrifying prospect of performing solo.
My manager finally convinced me to take it off; now the stage feels like one big nudist beach.
6. Dinner, Drinks, Dancing, Daybreak
I occasionally make situational DJ mixes called Dinner, Drinks, Dancing and Daybreak. I’ve tried them out. They really work. Check my SoundCloud.
7. The Mirage
One year I performed on an art car called ‘The Mirage’ at Burning Man. I decided to do it at sunrise and there was literally no way to let people know when and where we were doing it but still managed to gather an audience of freaks including one guy with a flame thrower and another wearing a disco ball boxing glove.
8. Church of Fascintology
Fascinator has its own religion. We believe in all the other religions, cults and secret societies and don’t eat anything that can fly.
9. Noodle Beard
In my video for Dead of the Night I wear a noodle beard. It was quite difficult to construct and to keep on long enough to film while my friend ate a few bites using chopsticks.
10. Lord Meditators
Whilst in Paris for DJ gigs last year I was asked to support The Avalanches in Amsterdam the following week. Having no one around to play with me I asked two Dutch friends if we could work out something for them to do to help fill up the rather large stage at Paradiso. We decided it would be cool if they just sat on stage and meditated for my whole set. Since then I’ve done it a bunch and people seem to really enjoy the experience. In LA I went to gently wake one of the meditators up by touching her on the shoulder at the end of the show and she fell right off the stage.
Be sure to hit up the new album Water Sign on June 15th, as well as catching Fascinator on his upcoming tour:
Thurs 21 June – OAF Gallery, Sydney – Tickets
Fri 22 June – Dark Mofo, Hobart – Tickets
Sat 23 Jun – Workers Club, Melbourne – Ticket
