Swallowing Bile is the harsh noise,
power electronics project from Ethan Ebling. One of his most recent releases called “Obsession” (which I reviewed a while ago) became a very wanted item in the collection of the noise listener, and his
live performances are drawing quite some attention as well. In this interview
he talks about his influences, the equipment he uses, his personal view on
sound and the future plans of Swallowing Bile.
JM:
To start this interview with, What does your project Swallowing Bile stand for
and what do u want to tell with this project?
SB:
Swallowing Bile is entirely personal and it represents my own personal
depravities..in terms of what I want to present to the audience, it's difficult
to say. I cover a wide variety of subjects but I usually stick to a theme that
still resounds with me on a introspective level.
JM:
Aside from Swallowing Bile, are there any other projects or bands you are/were
involved with?
SB:
There are a couple of other outlets in which I am involved in! I am in a
collaborative HNW project with Quentin Rhys (Wet Dream Asphyxiation) called
MOS, a Black Metal project which I will not disclose at this time, as well as a
Harsh Noise project that I will also not name at this time (I apologize!).
Currently I am a vocalist for a band called Black Houses although I can't think
of an accurate description to describe our sound. The recordings can be found
here, and our "Demo" CS will be available
shortly via Exquisite Corpse. I have done guest spots on a few other projects
but nothing that I am a full-time member of.
JM:
Is sound your only outlet, or do you have other disciplines in the arts?
SB:
Sound is my only creative outlet, yes. I delve into visual art a bit when
creating covers but that's about the extent of it. I would love to continue
working in that field, however.
JM:
Are there other artists that you feel related to, or which inspire you as an
artist?
SB:
There are too many to name! I have come into contact with so many fantastic
individuals (all of you whom have been supportive, you know who you are!), and
I believe that their material is relatable on that connected level. However, in
terms of relation solely based on thematics/sound, that narrows it down quite a
bit. My first love was HNW sonically, therefore the classic artists have left a
monstrous impression on how I view sound (Dead Body Collection, Wet Dream
Asphyxiation, Cannibal Ritual, An Innocent Young Throat Cutter, The Rita,
Burial Ground, and more...). Over time I became interested in exploring the
Power Electronics and Harsh Noise realms further, and from there I would say
that the most inspiring projects are ones that cover unique grounds with lots
of emphasis on atmosphere and strong themes (Teeny Bopper, Deathpile, Climax
Denial, Bizarre Uproar, Brethren, Slogun, Deathkey, Nicole 12, Taint, Rape-X,
and Pleasure Fluids to name a few...). I allow myself to be inspired by fellow
Power Electronics projects but I prefer to find the inspiration for new themes
and sound to be drawn strictly from my own experiences.
JM:
And are there any other influences beside music (books, art, ..) ?
SB:
As taboo as it may sound, personal experiences and aural exposure always leaves
the biggest impact on my approach to Swallowing Bile. I do enjoy a wealth of
media (books and film), but it hasn't been a major part of my own material and
is more of a private interest!
JM:
Can you tell me a bit about the equipment you like to use for your project?
SB:
Of course. The gear I use is very simple...I always rely on field-recordings I
take myself to be the basis of the sound. I like to use minimal distortion
(although with my earlier material I was very interested in trying to muddle
the sound with 5-6 DOD's in a chain, haha...) and let the source itself remain
moderately organic. I employ a microphone with either a reverb or a chorus
pedal and have an alternative chain that is attached to a contact-microphone
that is useful for getting unique textures in collaboration with the
field-recorded "base". It isn't always this way, but I like to keep
this formula pretty constant in one way or another.
JM:
What can you tell me about the intriguing artwork you used for one of your most
recent releases "Obsession"? The use of color and subject seem rather
rare in the noise scene.
SB:
The artwork for "Obsession" was put together by Jim Haras (Fusty Cunt
Tapes, Deterge, PTM, etc...). He does all of the artwork for the material that
is released on his label and creates the pieces while listening to the
recordings themselves. That artwork was his translation from a sonic realm to a
visual platform while listening to the tape and I think it fits very well and I
am glad that you enjoy it!
JM:
What are the the future plans of Swallowing Bile?
SB:
I have an LP being released on Die Song entitled "Secluded" and that
will be available very soon alongside a plethora of other material (both
released on the label and distributed). A few splits are in the works as
well...
Swallowing Bile (Bandcamp)