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Blending rhythmic synths with heart pounding percussion while featuring rich arrangements, Portland based electro-pop artist Patternist aka Gabe Mouer is pulling away from the pack. With his latest track “Don’t You Try,” he is emerging as a stand out artist to watch. He will be releasing a new single for the next four months, all culminating in an as-yet-untitled EP release.
GroundSounds recently caught up with Patternist to talk about his latest projects, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering Patternist, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you started making music?
When I was 13 I discovered the band Saves the Day, from then on I knew I wanted to be a songwriter and that became my whole focus. I taught myself to play the guitar and have been pursuing music ever since. I fronted an indie/emo act for a few years that led to some great but fleeting opportunities, somewhere along that journey I got really disenchanted with the ego balancing that goes with maintaining a group, so I quit to go back to school. But I always knew that school was just something to do in the interim while I experimented with different sounds to find out what kind of artist I wanted to be. After I graduated, I booked studio time to record the tracks that became Youth is Fading.
How did you decide on the moniker Patternist?
The project was originally called Light Club, but for legal reasons I was forced to abandon that name just last month. I wanted a name that I knew no one else would have, something that would be unique to this project. So I took an idea that I love from psychology that theorizes that the brain has evolved a tendency to see meaningful, intentional patterns even where they might not exist (like the face on Mars, subliminal messages when you play a record backwards, divine signs on burnt toast, etc.) and I created a word around it.
What is one local spot that every visitor should see or check out in Portland?
You know, I’m probably going to catch some flack for saying this because it’s such a “touristy” thing to recommend but, as you may already know, Portland is home to one of the biggest bookstores in the country, Powell’s, which is a 3 story building taking up an entire city block. I think exploring Powell’s and the streets surrounding it would be a good place to start if you wanted to get a hint of what Portland has to offer in a short visit. Also, food cart pods.
Can you tell us about the creative and writing process involved with the track “Don’t You Try?”
Don’t You Try started with an odd little guitar loop and a drum beat. I like to find something to anchor a song, whether it be a beat, a loop, a guitar riff, and then build around that. For this track I had a very specific sound that I was going for, I knew from the get-go what kind of song I wanted it to be, so the music came about fairly quickly. Like so many of the songs I write, I’ll start with a vocal melody in mind and after sitting with it for a while I’ll grow to hate it. After a long bout trying to toy with a completely different idea, the chorus melody popped into my head all at once. I can get very obsessive about those things.
Can you tell us about the visual concept involved with the music video for “Don’t You Try?” What was it like working with director Josh Bailey?
To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what the video means, haha! With Don’t You Try we (the team who worked on the video and myself) spent a long time batting around various ideas but nothing really excited everyone until Josh came up with the “door” scenario portrayed in the video. At the time, I think everyone involved just wanted to take a risk and try something different – the idea was so odd, somewhat abstract in a sci fi kind of way, it felt like it was worth going for. But Josh is the only one of us who knows exactly what is happening in the video.
Josh and I have worked on a few projects together; last winter I scored his first short film Arcadia Bay and from there he worked on the video for my song What We Found. I like to think we work very well together, he’s really supportive and enthusiastic. I think we have a sort of reciprocal working relationship where we both will help each other out with one another’s projects. I’m very grateful to have met him and the whole team he works with.
What is it about soulful indie-pop sounds and elements (rhythmic synths, heart-thumping percussion, lush arrangements) that attract you to it?
The goal of this project is to take these aspects of modern pop music that are satisfying emotionally, like big drums, “soulful” vocals, catchy hooks, etc, and combine them with arrangements that are, hopefully, a little more unique and creatively inspired. This particular genre was the most compelling because it touches on those elements in a way that resonates with me. At the end of the day, music is entirely subjective and what we identify with boils down to whatever our emotional disposition is. I’m trying to write the kind of music I would listen to, I’m not quite sure if I’ve succeeded yet, haha.
What musicians/bands are you currently listening to?
Lately I’ve been getting into the new Unknown Mortal Orchestra record, Multi-Love, it’s like a psychedelic take on 90’s r&b tropes. The newest from The Wombats, Glitterbug, has a few really fun tracks on it. The debut from the dream pop band Seoul is really impressive and smart. This winter I discovered The Blue Nile’s Walk Across Rooftops and it was such a breath of fresh air so I listen to that all the time. While writing this I’m listening to Darwin Deez’ Songs for Imaginative People and it’s delightfully offbeat.
Can you tell us about the inspiration for your track “Gone?”
The lyrics for Gone have been floating around in my head for awhile. I wanted to write this fairly short narrative that I thought encapsulated the impetuousness of youth so I fabricated this tale about a kid watching a drug addled friend try to fly off the roof of his house. It’s used a catalyst to explore, albeit quickly, how we can rationalize the admittedly inane things we do when we’re young.
What else can fans look forward to from Patternist?
A bunch of new music! Every month from now through October I’ll be releasing a new song and a music video. After that, the hope is to be touring by the end of the year – I’ll make sure to keep everyone posted on the details!
