FAQ 4 Your Fav Mystic Prophet Philosopher Artist
Q: Why is Viveka only available
in CDR and MP3 form?
Q: Matt Searles Rules! What can I do
to help the cause?
Q: What's Matt working on now?
Q: What's Jungian Psychology?
Q: What's "A Pattern
Based Cognitive Aesthetic Theory?"
Q: What is Microtonalism?
Q: When's Matt going to play a show
near me?
Q: I run
a web site, blog, e-zean, or some other such thing... and I wanna do a think
on Matt. What do you got for me?
Q: I dig what Matt Searles is doing and want
to collaborate with him, what shall I do?
Q: I dig Matt's work and would like to use
it in my project, what shall I do?
Q: Why isn't there more
of Matt's guitar playing on Viveka?
Q: How can I get music from Matt's Back Catalog?
Q: Why is Matt a Mac Guy?
Q: Who are Matt's main musical
influences?
Q: Who are Matt's main visual influences?
Q: Does Matt have any graphics I
could put on my personal site?
Q: Who did Matt support for president
in 2004?
Q: How can I trade links with Matt Searles?
Q: Who is Mark Hanser?
Q: Who is Evan Pew?
Q: Who is New Ape V?
Q: What is Fresh Meat?
Q: What is Flash?
Q: Did Matt really make
this whole web site on his own?
Q: Did Matt really make
all the music on Viveka?
Q: How can I get Matt to play my
party?
Q: What's Matt's Favorite films?
Q: What's Matt's Favorite CD's?
Q: What's on Matt's reading lists?
Q: I think Matt is wicked hot and I'm totally
in love with him!!! OMG!!! So how can I meet him so we can, like, get married
and stuff?
Q: I got a question that isn't on the F.A.Q.
list, what should I do?
Q: Why is Viveka only available in CDR and MP3 form?
A: I'm starting from nothing, and trying to build something. I have no budget for the manufacturing of a CD run. The idea is that if I can sell enough CDR's and MP3 downloads I'll then have the money for a manufacturing run. Or perhaps I can team up with a label who has deeper pockets then one whom hasn't had a job since Clinton was in office?
Q: Matt Searles Rules! What can I do to help the cause?
A: Central in Modern internet marketing is getting the fans to help spread the word. The roll of me, the artist and marketer, is helping to empower my fans in there word spreading adventures... to these ends I recommend, if you haven't already.. Sign Up for the News Letter and join the Community..
Q: What's Matt working on now?
A: I'm working on many many things. I'm working on the follow up to the follow up to Viveka, I'm working on new 5.1 surround sound music projects, I'm working on building a DVD, I'm working on this web site, I'm working on a collaboration with Mark Hanser, I'm doing a bit of web design, and I may even have a few other tricks up my sleeve.
Q: What's Jungian Psychology?
A: Carl Jung was a groovy psychologist from Switzerland. He was a contemporary of Freud, but I would argue Jung is a hell of a lot more interesting. One of the interesting parts of Jung's psychology is dealing with the psychology of religious experience. For him it didn't matter if there was a god or not, it was an empirical fact that the concept of a god exists and we can study the behavior of this idea via the magic that is the empirical method. This leads us into an exciting journey into the inner reaches of the human psyche.
Q: What's a "Pattern Based Cognitive Aesthetic Theory?"
A: A "Pattern Based Cognitive Aesthetic Theory" is a complicated matter. Basically I believe that aesthetic experience. is, at least in part, a Cognitive event that has to do with learning and our relationship to certain core issues of our lives. For this reason it seems to me that psychology makes for a good mode of inquiry into questions of aesthetics. Beyond that I'll tell you it has something to do with 'association patterns' and 'pattern based music.'
Q: What is Microtonalism?
A: Microntonalism generally refers to music that uses intervals that are smaller then a semitone, which is the smallest interval in conventional western music. Sometimes music that uses intervals not found in the 12 tone equal tempered system will be referred to as microtonal even if there are no intervals smaller then a semi tone.
Q: When's Matt going to play a show near me?
A: Probably not any time too soon. For the moment all my work is studio based and thus un-tour-able.. however project that would make touring possible are in the works... so stay tuned.
Q: I run a web site, blog, e-zean, or some other such thing... and I wanna do a think on Matt. What do you got for me?
A: I suggest you first go to the press kit section of this web site.. after that, contact me if you want or need more. As a rule of thumb.. I'm desperate for publicity.. thus probably available for whatever...
Q: I dig what Matt Searles is doing and want to collaborate with him, what shall I do?
A: I'm interested in finding collaborators of various sorts... to score music for films, multimedia, and games.. to do motion graphics / animation for films.. and other.. finding other sound artists to play with.. other intellectual folks to share ideas with... etc... Anyway, email me telling me, briefly, where your coming from, why you want to work with me, why I should want to work with you.. no attachments please... links to your web site.... etc.
Q: I dig Matt's work and would like to use it in my project, what shall I do?
A: Write me an email. Briefly tell me what you are doing and why you'd like to use my work, and why I would want you to use my my work (economic / status compensation, your doing something that would be meaningful for me to be apart of.. like a progressive cause or charity, or a student / non-commercial project of some interest) and then depending on what my reaction to your plea... you may be granted some sort of limited use rights.
Q: Why isn't there more of Matt's guitar playing on Viveka?
A: A part of what the Viveka project was about was seeing what I could do with electronic music given my current skill levels and the level of technology in my (then) current studio. I used very little guitar work because combining my guitar work with my electronic music proved to my a real pain in ISO Egg; I wanted to have a pain free project where I could then aim a bit higher in non-guitar areas.
Q: How can I get music from Matt's back catalog?
A: Ummm.. you can't, not till I make it available. Basically, my back catalog is a mixed bag.. some good stuff some stuff that I find a little embracing. I'm thinking of making a section on the site where you can check out some of the contents of the back catalog and order CDR's or download MP3s of the tracks you like.. to get a feeling if anyone is really interested in the back catalog.. but I want the focus to stay on the new work.. which generally doesn't suffer from the same flaws as the old work.
Q: Why is Matt a Mac Guy?
A: Well I've been using Mac's since 1990, so I really really know them. I've used PCs and Amigas, but the Mac is my fav... In my opinion Macs are designed way better then PCs, the operating system is better suited to the creative mind... But I admit I'm not a PC expert, and I'm sure the PC has lots of virtues, I do so love those ultra high end 3D graphic cards for serious 3D Apps, but over all I'll have to say that the Macintosh is just a far superior mashine... at least in my pseudo-humble opinion.
Q: Who are Matt's main musical influences?
A: Ozzy, Sabbath, and Zappa... Heavy Metal in general and maybe Cage to..
Q: Who are Matt's main visual influences?
A: My favorite painter is Max Ernst. Klimnt is up there for me to, along with Chuck Close.. and various new folks.
Q: Does Matt have any graphics I could put on my personal site?
A: Coming soon. (under the heading of "free stuff")
Q: Who did Matt support for president in 2004?
A: My first choice was Clark (oh how I love foreign policy) but Kerry was my guy. A lot of people thought Kerry was someone you where for if you didn't like Bush.. and while I think this is true in some measure.. Kerry was a guy to be for. You know Bush was basically trying to put something over on the American people.. I guess he must have pulled it off or something... and I don't think that's just a north easterners view of things.. sooner or latter I'll explain this in the sound art politics section of this web site.
Q: How can I trade links with Matt Searles?
A: Well send me a link to your site.. tell me why you want to trade links with me, what your sites about, and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Q: Who is Mark Hanser?
A: Who is Mark? My gosh.. umm.. well you can go to markhanser.com to find out in his own words... I'll tell you that I met him in the S.I.M. program at the Massachusetts College of Art... He own's some of the works of Alester Crowly.... digs Sabbath, Ozz, Zeppelin, Frita Carlo, among others... He is a painter, graphic designer, performance artist, model, Mac user, vocalist, man of letters, teacher (having recently gotten his masters in art ed from Harvard.. which I understand is a fairly good school?).. I'd describe him as a bit of a scatter brained Mr. Rogers of S&M.
Q: Who is Evan Pew?
A: Him and I are currently not talking. I met him at Mass Art. He was an illustration major... Love's Radio Head, The Beatles, Nirvana, The Doors, The Beastie Boys, Frank Zappa and the Mother's of Invention's Freak Out, and Jack Kerouac... He's a recovering Catholic... We've done a lot of drugs together over the years... We attempted to start Fresh Meat together.. but he failed to live up to his end of the bargin.. a point at which I still feel a bit screwed by.. among other things... I have some harsh feelings here you see... but he's a character in my art.. You'll find him in my videos.... and in my biography... so he's worth noting.. and I'm always thinking I'll write him or email or try and contact him.. and you never know.. maybe we'll speak again and Fresh Meat will rise again from the ashes? Well yeah.. he does have some answering to do... but you know.. stay tuned to find out what happens.... Oh, and if you happen to be the Evan Pew to whom I am referring... um.. don't you think you ought to be calling me or emailing me now instead of blankly staring at my web site in wonderment?
Q: Who is New Ape V?
A: New Ape V is Evan Pew by another name.. if you switch the letters around of New Ape V you'll get Evan Pew.
Q: What is Fresh Meat?
A: Fresh Meat was an ill-fated collaboration between myself, aka creepy guy, and New Ape V. It was a kind of experimental art rock with electronic music and hip hop sort of thing.. complete with some multi-media.
Q: What is Flash?
A: Flash is an ultra groovy web technology for streaming interactive animation and web applications development.
Q: Did Matt really make this whole web site on his own?
A: You would doubt me? Yee of little Faith! Of Course!
Q: Did Matt really make all the music on Viveka?
A: You would doubt me? Yee of little Faith! Of Course!
Q: How can I get Matt to play my party?
A: Well wait till I have a live show that I can bring to your party.. and then we'll talk.
Q: What's Matt's Favorite films?
A: Follow this link: Film Viewing List
Q: What's Matt's Favorite CD's?
A: Follow this link: CD Listening List
Q: What's on Matt's reading lists?
A: Follow this link: Matt's Reading List
Q: I think Matt is wicked hot and I'm totally in love with him!!! OMG!!! So how can I meet him so we can, like, get married and stuff?
A: Umm... I'm a little afraid for you! You know don't know me, I'm a stranger, and your already in love? Marriage? My gosh! Umm.. well if you where sane.. I'd tell you I was single.. and why don't you email me or IM me sometime... as I can use all the help I can get in the romantic department these days.... or you know.. I'm not currently in a situation where I don't get out quite enough.. or meet new people quite enough.. but seeing as you aren't sane.... umm...
Q: I got a question that isn't on the F.A.Q. list, what should I do?