This week’s release of Her Space Holiday‘s 10-track, self-titled album marks the end of the one-man musical project that Marc Bianchi started back in 1996. Fittingly, HSH’s final album is also the first on the Austin-based Bianchi’s No More Good Ideas label. While he has some live dates set to support the LP, the genre-defying musician mostly plans for the album to be the closing statement from HSH, who over the past decade and a half has also remixed tracks by the likes of R.E.M., Bright Eyes, Elastica and the Faint. Bianchi can now add MAGNET guest editor to his already-impressive resume, as that’s what he’ll be doing all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Bianchi: I have had two main obsessions in my life. From ages eight to 18, it was skateboarding. From 18 to 38, it was music. I never could divide my focus or attention from one activity to the other. I would do one thing, and one thing only. The desire to do either seemed to come from separate sides of the brain. In my late teens, I put my skateboard down and kept it down for many years while I chased god knows what.
A little while ago, I stumbled across the Blind video “Video Days” on YouTube. It reminded me how much I always enjoyed watching Mark Gonzales skate, even though as a kid I didn’t quite understand it. I did more digging and watched short documentaries on his painting, his photography and, of course, his more recent skate parts. For the first time, I realized that the place where my love for skateboarding came from is the same place where my love for music rests. It is a simple concept, but it finally clicked how artistic physical expression can be.
Mark is one of those rare creatures where even if you aren’t a fan of his field (and he has many), you can find your own piece of inspiration from what he does. One of those people who make you feel like their movements are graced by effortless divinity. The place where you realize that it isn’t about trying hard, but about getting out of your own way. Letting things happen. Collaborating with the entire world. Seeing this in Mark inspired me to get back on my board and reintroduce myself to the place where I first fell in love with something.
Videos after the jump.
