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3. Number 1 Interview Series is about Firsts and Debuts and Geneses and Solitude and Premieres. You are reading a work of Oneness. You are reading the Number One (1) interview series in the world ever of all time and absolutely. There is only one One.

5. Today The One is Brock from $quib. We premiere his song “i80ambergr1s.”

The music artist Brock Bierly from $quib came into my life by way of email.

When you are one of the most important voices in independent music today on Nina and the world at large, you exist under a perpetual onslaught. Your inbox is besieged. I’m talking publicists, demo guys, neeks and parasites. I speak of lames, civilians, parasocialites, swarms, hordes, gaggles, all manner of infestations, publicists, premiere pushas, vultchas, influencas, hatas, losas, climbas, mouthbreathas, cringestas and soul-slurping vampiyas of all creeds.

And for what?

For music like the music of musician Brock Bierly of $quib, who came into my life by way of email. $quib is Brock’s band with an individual known as Fish (“not a real guy,” Brock says). You refuse to buy into his delusional self-mythologising, the egomaniacal sputtering of an addled mind so typical of the mobile phone generation. $quib is a solo venture, and you treat it as such.

In a rare moment of lucidity, Brock sends you a release titled “83” by Bucket of Ohms, a band he’s in with friend Matt. You hear shards of quirk’d up and kook’d out pop music, scrambled and gooey and multi-textural like a well-constructed gourmet sandwich. You bite your lower lip to the point of pain and moan sensually, due to the high quality of the music. 

You continue to correspond, and more music follows. You host the music video for the schizophrenic bedroom jazz-noise-pop that is “Shiny mu midiskirt,” a heart-shredding gem you can’t believe emerged from a mind. It yields telling comments like “is this even possible”, “Holy Fuckig Shit !!” and “I love it, it’s like Jacob Collier meets Trent Reznor”. More moaning, more lip gnashing.

You get Brock to put forward the song “442noted nightcore” for a compilation you assemble for the label TT. It’s by Orbis Tertius, Brock’s band with friend Wiley. Brock follows it up with the fraught and frazzled $quib headbanga “Schrodinger.” You continue to moan as the gangrenous tatters of your chewed-up lipflesh attract horseflies and stares from posers who don’t ‘get’ creativity and being a creative amid the challenges of the attention economy.

It all culminates with an interview you conduct with Brock on Nina, a couple years after your correspondence begins. It’s paired with a premiere for the song “i80ambergr1s”: an extremely advanced, bluelight-warped digi-bossa-nova neuropop banga. Your eyes roll into the back of your head and a familiar frisson washes over you. Your temples jolt, you levitate, you speak in tongues, you moan and your long-suffering lip disintegrates. It’s a good song.

We talked about Ones.

You have one day to live, because I’m going to kill you. Your demise is unavoidable and non-negotiable. What do you do with this day?

Write a quick will and then would spend all day trying to learn how to dance footwork with no fear of embarrassment

One shot. Make or break. You’re in an enclosed space with a celeb of your choosing. Household name status. You’re so physically close you can practically taste their skin. Why should they listen to your music? Your elevator pitch.

“Oh my god Spongebob!! You were integral to my childhood you probably get that a lot though. Im sure youre busy rn but i need you to listen to this song i made this guys about to fucking kill me yeah im airdropping it to you right now thank you somuch”

One product you endorse and consent to being the face, body and voice of.

Orangina

Congrats sugarcheeks, we’re married. What song soundtracks our first dance?

“Hide and seek” by Imogen Heap. So excited for our future btw

Your public enemy number 1, living or dead.

Andy warhol maybe

A beloved one-hit wonder.

Smorez i recommend looking into his older work

First world problems y’all! Put your number one pet peeve on blast.

I really dont like when people put on a facade of untouchable cool

We’re looting the store of your dreams. You get first dibs on whatever you please. What item do you take?

Object duplicator

What’s your number-one most-listened-to song of the year so far?

Drawbridge of Sighs by RayonBase feat. Nongo

You’ve been cornered by a krew of krazies. They’re calling you names and inching towards you threateningly. What is your first line of defence?

I grab two of them and knock their heads together that usually works

I have here a medal on which the Number 1 is engraved. You can give it to one person who deserves it. They will wear it with pride, probably forever. Who do you give it to?

Heartstar3

Follow Brock of $quib, Orbis Tertius and Bucket of Ohms:

Soundcloud

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