MOSTLY

A husband and wife electronic duo, Mostly is representative of the past 15 years of the electronic music scene. Comprised of multi-instrumentalist Nate Cox and front woman Roxy Valentine. The duo are well known for their electrifying live shows, containing all of the production value, costumes, and excitement that many mainstream acts are known for. Progressive Man is glad to shed some light on Mostly’s musical journey and learn more about what makes them tick.
It’s great to get a chance to speak with you! So let’s start off by learning a little more about Mostly. The two of you happen to be married; did you meet through music or was Mostly something you started after you’d already been together?
Nate was a Midwestern transplant of the Art school variety, already dead set on pursuing entertainment as a career after escaping to California and meeting Roxy in 1999. Roxy was an aspirant, rock stardom obsessed singer who had never been anything but.
Tell us a little about the name of the group, Mostly. Is there any particular significance behind it?
“They mostly come out at night… mostly.”
You’ve been part of the electronic music scene for almost 15 years now. How have you seen it change over the years?
Transmissions From Afar was our first partnered Mostly release. Back then, drum n bass was the backbone of the outdoor music festival scene, which, at the time, were still just called raves. It was all about jungle and breaks: musical styles that physically showcased how competent and omni-knowledgable a DJ was with his records.
The emphasis was for on-the-spot transitioning and looping, the hand-to-record sashay of the headphoned sync; things a party-goer could witness from the opposite side of the decks and appreciate. No one even understands the musical application for a needle anymore. Every kid with a laptop thinks he’s a DJ. The lazy leverage of music editing software has shifted the focus from real-time talent to manufacturing credibility.
What we value now is how well an individual can utilize the creative interface of archaos or ableton in order to formulate the requirements of the mainstream.
With the recent growth and explosion of electronic music, have you noticed your own music changing alongside it?
When Mostly was a baby, no one knew the difference between producing homemade electronica and spinning records. Despite our arsenal of keyboards, drum machines and synthesizers, everyone dubbed us as “DJ’s”.
Since our music was synth based, people considered it “techno”. Prevalent was the incontestable belief that electronic music was repetitive, impersonal, and unoriginal. It was to traditional instrumentation what Elvis was to rock and roll, a sacrilege on the foundation of “authentic music”, a threat to everything that was considered sonically holy. So much pre-existing secernment certainly had a castrating effect on the creative process for us.
I think all those years of maintaining that whatever we produced would invariably fall on discriminating ears prevented us from the knowledge that it was really good, and hastened our determination to be successful. Needless to say, the public is considerably more receptive to us now. The influx of the oft referred to EDM has, at the very least, finally legitimized an emprise Mostly’s been pioneering for more than a decade already.
The change has forced the public to tolerate Mostly not just as “dance music”, but rather, finally, just, as music.
Do you have any projects currently lined up? Can fans expect to hear any new music or see you perform in the near future?
Mostly will be performing at the Whisky-A-Go-Go on April 10th and at the House of Blues Foundation Room on Sunset on April 19th
Tell us about the song you’re featuring, “I Am An Exit.” Is there any particular significance behind the lyrics and the title? Does it happen to be based on events in your own life?
I Am An Exit is about escapism. The earthborn desire we all have as humans to disassociate is nurtured and validated by the personification of the Human Outlet, by the “big blackout” who is “ten feet across” and “all rectangle, no hands no mouth”. I fantasize her into existence all the time.
Being married must make practicing very convenient. Do you set aside certain days and times to practice or do you randomly start jamming together when one of you has an idea?
Rehearsal is less a sanctioned event and more a pre-show ordinance. We are definitely more on the impromptu jam side of the band practice coin. We spend a fair amount of time rocking out individually as well, oftentimes one of us will create the foundation for the song on our own and then coordinate our ideas with the other once we’ve got something substantial.
You take a lot of your inspiration from the late 90’s electronic music scene. Who are some of the acts that most inspire you as artists?
The Orb, Chemical Brothers, Moby, Crystal Method, Sasha, Aphex Twin, and Fatboy Slim are probably our to - progressiveman.com

A husband and wife electronic duo, Mostly is representative of the past 15 years of the electronic music scene. Comprised of multi-instrumentalist Nate Cox and front woman Roxy Valentine. The duo are well known for their electrifying live shows, containing all of the production value, costumes, and excitement that many mainstream acts are known for. Progressive Man is glad to shed some light on Mostly’s musical journey and learn more about what makes them tick.
It’s great to get a chance to speak with you! So let’s start off by learning a little more about Mostly. The two of you happen to be married; did you meet through music or was Mostly something you started after you’d already been together?
Nate was a Midwestern transplant of the Art school variety, already dead set on pursuing entertainment as a career after escaping to California and meeting Roxy in 1999. Roxy was an aspirant, rock stardom obsessed singer who had never been anything but.
Tell us a little about the name of the group, Mostly. Is there any particular significance behind it?
“They mostly come out at night… mostly.”
You’ve been part of the electronic music scene for almost 15 years now. How have you seen it change over the years?
Transmissions From Afar was our first partnered Mostly release. Back then, drum n bass was the backbone of the outdoor music festival scene, which, at the time, were still just called raves. It was all about jungle and breaks: musical styles that physically showcased how competent and omni-knowledgable a DJ was with his records.
The emphasis was for on-the-spot transitioning and looping, the hand-to-record sashay of the headphoned sync; things a party-goer could witness from the opposite side of the decks and appreciate. No one even understands the musical application for a needle anymore. Every kid with a laptop thinks he’s a DJ. The lazy leverage of music editing software has shifted the focus from real-time talent to manufacturing credibility.
What we value now is how well an individual can utilize the creative interface of archaos or ableton in order to formulate the requirements of the mainstream.
With the recent growth and explosion of electronic music, have you noticed your own music changing alongside it?
When Mostly was a baby, no one knew the difference between producing homemade electronica and spinning records. Despite our arsenal of keyboards, drum machines and synthesizers, everyone dubbed us as “DJ’s”.
Since our music was synth based, people considered it “techno”. Prevalent was the incontestable belief that electronic music was repetitive, impersonal, and unoriginal. It was to traditional instrumentation what Elvis was to rock and roll, a sacrilege on the foundation of “authentic music”, a threat to everything that was considered sonically holy. So much pre-existing secernment certainly had a castrating effect on the creative process for us.
I think all those years of maintaining that whatever we produced would invariably fall on discriminating ears prevented us from the knowledge that it was really good, and hastened our determination to be successful. Needless to say, the public is considerably more receptive to us now. The influx of the oft referred to EDM has, at the very least, finally legitimized an emprise Mostly’s been pioneering for more than a decade already.
The change has forced the public to tolerate Mostly not just as “dance music”, but rather, finally, just, as music.
Do you have any projects currently lined up? Can fans expect to hear any new music or see you perform in the near future?
Mostly will be performing at the Whisky-A-Go-Go on April 10th and at the House of Blues Foundation Room on Sunset on April 19th
Tell us about the song you’re featuring, “I Am An Exit.” Is there any particular significance behind the lyrics and the title? Does it happen to be based on events in your own life?
I Am An Exit is about escapism. The earthborn desire we all have as humans to disassociate is nurtured and validated by the personification of the Human Outlet, by the “big blackout” who is “ten feet across” and “all rectangle, no hands no mouth”. I fantasize her into existence all the time.
Being married must make practicing very convenient. Do you set aside certain days and times to practice or do you randomly start jamming together when one of you has an idea?
Rehearsal is less a sanctioned event and more a pre-show ordinance. We are definitely more on the impromptu jam side of the band practice coin. We spend a fair amount of time rocking out individually as well, oftentimes one of us will create the foundation for the song on our own and then coordinate our ideas with the other once we’ve got something substantial.
You take a lot of your inspiration from the late 90’s electronic music scene. Who are some of the acts that most inspire you as artists?
The Orb, Chemical Brothers, Moby, Crystal Method, Sasha, Aphex Twin, and Fatboy Slim are probably our to - progressiveman.com

Every so often, just when one thinks one has completely exhausted a search for 5-foot-10-inch bisexual Native Americans in the greater metropolitan Ventura area, connections are made and switches are flipped and suddenly, like the most encouraging of all possible cultural wormholes, one finds oneself someplace entirely Other. Someplace, surprisingly, that also turns out to be vastly more worthwhile than expected. Hence the MySpace of Mostly, the Ventura duo of Nate Cox and Roxy Valentine, deftly making electronica and body-beats that come down slow, moving the heretofore unheralded faithful like a pleasant punch in the stomach. If you have never heard of them either, join the club – and by that I mean the Good Sam Club, the oldest, largest and best travel club for RVers (goodsamclub.com). Some questions for the pleasant pop pachyderm in the room, answered by Ms. Valentine.

RE: Tell me about the genesis of Mostly, where it’s going next and why Ventura now.

Valentine: The concept of Mostly was Nate’s acid baby in art school, if you want to know the truth. It began as a student project in Pittsburgh and solidified when we met in Ventura in 1999 and married similar writing styles and production ideas to conceive 2001’s incredibly low-budget, self-released Transmissions From Afar. Transmissions led to Dancefloor Macabre, and hopefully Dancefloor leads to rock stardom. Why Ventura now? Because we prefer it to its alternative: Los Angeles.

Is there a community of like-minded individuals in which you fit in Ventura County?

Absolutely. There is a consistent underground electronic scene here in Ventura. Throughout the years we’ve grown and evolved right alongside many gifted DJs and producers. Pat Harper, Eric G., Down N’ Going, and Kevin C. are a few of the talented folks we’ve shared the stage with here in Ventura County.

Is IDM [intelligent dance music] dead?

IDM is certainly not dead. Richard D. James, the Orb, Rabbit in the Moon and Orbital are arguably doing better than ever. I’d even go so far to say that popular culture may make its next turn in that direction, having beaten everything else pliable to a dead and bloody pulp. If anything, the artists who represent the scene have carved out unerodable niches for themselves and are still vastly influencing modern pop culture today – Justin Timberlake, Kylie Minogue and Madonna being good examples. Their effect is also prevalent in a plethora of electronic newcomers, Royksopp and Goldfrapp being a few of our favorites.

After extended exposure to your own songs, to what degree do they still move you?

Certainly during the construction and recording process, there are moments when you’ve got to put it down or risk endangering the sentiment. And the production of an album takes quite a bit of time when you’re self-financed, which truly does lead to “extended exposure to your own songs,” even before anyone else has heard them. But they’re still our babies, and I’d be lying if I said that we don’t still rock out to them, and that performing them doesn’t blow our minds every time.

Mostly present “Tinsel: The Silver Party,” a multi-media performance (lighting, visuals, hoop- and Maori poi-dancers, food and full bar) on Dec. 15 in McBride Hall at the Ventura Fairgrounds. 10 Harbor Blvd., Ventura, 648 3376. Tickets are $10 and are available at Wild Planet. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/mostlymusic. - Southland Publishing

Every so often, just when one thinks one has completely exhausted a search for 5-foot-10-inch bisexual Native Americans in the greater metropolitan Ventura area, connections are made and switches are flipped and suddenly, like the most encouraging of all possible cultural wormholes, one finds oneself someplace entirely Other. Someplace, surprisingly, that also turns out to be vastly more worthwhile than expected. Hence the MySpace of Mostly, the Ventura duo of Nate Cox and Roxy Valentine, deftly making electronica and body-beats that come down slow, moving the heretofore unheralded faithful like a pleasant punch in the stomach. If you have never heard of them either, join the club – and by that I mean the Good Sam Club, the oldest, largest and best travel club for RVers (goodsamclub.com). Some questions for the pleasant pop pachyderm in the room, answered by Ms. Valentine.

RE: Tell me about the genesis of Mostly, where it’s going next and why Ventura now.

Valentine: The concept of Mostly was Nate’s acid baby in art school, if you want to know the truth. It began as a student project in Pittsburgh and solidified when we met in Ventura in 1999 and married similar writing styles and production ideas to conceive 2001’s incredibly low-budget, self-released Transmissions From Afar. Transmissions led to Dancefloor Macabre, and hopefully Dancefloor leads to rock stardom. Why Ventura now? Because we prefer it to its alternative: Los Angeles.

Is there a community of like-minded individuals in which you fit in Ventura County?

Absolutely. There is a consistent underground electronic scene here in Ventura. Throughout the years we’ve grown and evolved right alongside many gifted DJs and producers. Pat Harper, Eric G., Down N’ Going, and Kevin C. are a few of the talented folks we’ve shared the stage with here in Ventura County.

Is IDM [intelligent dance music] dead?

IDM is certainly not dead. Richard D. James, the Orb, Rabbit in the Moon and Orbital are arguably doing better than ever. I’d even go so far to say that popular culture may make its next turn in that direction, having beaten everything else pliable to a dead and bloody pulp. If anything, the artists who represent the scene have carved out unerodable niches for themselves and are still vastly influencing modern pop culture today – Justin Timberlake, Kylie Minogue and Madonna being good examples. Their effect is also prevalent in a plethora of electronic newcomers, Royksopp and Goldfrapp being a few of our favorites.

After extended exposure to your own songs, to what degree do they still move you?

Certainly during the construction and recording process, there are moments when you’ve got to put it down or risk endangering the sentiment. And the production of an album takes quite a bit of time when you’re self-financed, which truly does lead to “extended exposure to your own songs,” even before anyone else has heard them. But they’re still our babies, and I’d be lying if I said that we don’t still rock out to them, and that performing them doesn’t blow our minds every time.

Mostly present “Tinsel: The Silver Party,” a multi-media performance (lighting, visuals, hoop- and Maori poi-dancers, food and full bar) on Dec. 15 in McBride Hall at the Ventura Fairgrounds. 10 Harbor Blvd., Ventura, 648 3376. Tickets are $10 and are available at Wild Planet. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/mostlymusic. - Southland Publishing