TJ HORN – Controlled by Rhythm
We have a special interview for you with the creator of TJ HORN – CONTROLLED BY RHYTHM. A documentary about a self-taught drummer.
SPECIAL INTERVIEW BY DOCUMENTARYSTORM.COM REPORTER JOSEPH HIRSCH
Hey Joseph,
Thanks for doing this for us, it’s folks like you guys that get our work out there and seen by the people who will love it.
I know that T.J Horn was self-taught, but did he cite any major influences on his drumming technique?
One of the reasons why I wanted to do this piece was that TJ’s influences are extremely diverse(that and his sexy voice). Just setting up shots was a lot of fun cause TJ would be playing hip hop beats to pass the time. According to TJ his influences are The Roots, Nofx, Mastodon, Deftones, Cave In, Depeche Mode, The Sex Pistols, Dan The Automator (just to name a few!)
This seemed to be intentionally made as a vignette, but will there be any follow-up with T.J. or is there any additional footage from which a longer documentary could be made?
This piece was made as part of the mini-doc series that we have been doing over at McFarland & Pecci. The idea was to challenge ourselves and create a new way of filming documentary style content that focused more on emotion and the visuals stimulated but it. Most interview stuff you normally see is just talking head VH1 Behind the Music crap. We like to take a more experimental approach. One of our other popular releases was on UFC fighter Dan Hardy. So the short answer to your question is not, everything was specifically shot to be this length. Leaving you wanting more is a good thing.
I ask, ultimately, because I’m especially concerned about his hearing. Will he eventually go completely deaf, or has he already?
When we started this film TJ was starting to notice the effects of not wearing hearing protection. I thought there was something beautiful in an artist that was sacrificing himself for the quality of his creations, but that being said it wasn’t like he was doing it intentionally. One day you wake up and feel the effects. These days however he has been taking precautions to keep from losing it completely.
I’ve noticed McFarland and Pecci have shot several music videos and concerts. It made me think of Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz” and I wonder, since the coverage of the concert footage in “Controlled by Rhythm” was so good, have you ever considered potentially shooting a multi-act metal equivalent of “Last Waltz” or “Monterrey Pop”?
We have been making music videos now for about 8 years and yes that idea has come up. We have spoken to a few bands about doing a feature length piece, but its all about the right band, the right show, and the right timing. The closest we have would be the Meshuggah Alive DVD that Ian(McFarland) directed. He has some really awesome short segments between the live performances. Definitely check it out, also write to your favorite band and tell them you want us to do it! Haha.
Lastly, T.J says he primarily works “shit retail” gigs, but as a former (amateur) drummer myself, couldn’t he gig at Buddy Rogers or some music center, having his cake and eating it too in the sense of at least getting to be around drums full time?
TJ is one of the busiest mother$@ckers that I know. He has rehearsals almost every night of the week and is usually playing two or three shows every weekend. I think having some “zone out” time is important for him, and keeps him hungry.
Thanks for showcasing Controlled by Rhythm and keep and eye on our vimeo page and website mcfarlandandpecci.com for the upcoming new pieces. The new ones are gonna be amazing! If you want constant updates follow me on twitter MikePecci
Loading...
