FAULT FEATURED: Marcus Cotten

FAULT: How do you describe your work?

Marcus:  Well it’s usually best to actually hear it. I tend to get a bit over analytical. But I will say this much without the music it’s safe to say doing film, photography or visual art wouldn’t exist for me and in this project if it wasn’t for the music. The best way i can describe my work is with my projects name channel in channel out. To me it is the constant motion of life, the constant balance I’m trying to find, the constant pattern of the ocean, the constant transposition in the leaves every year and last but not least the constant puzzles in life we are answering and not answering consciously and subconsciously. I try to mimic that as much as possible when i am creating music…

FAULT: What is the creative process of your work?

Marcus:  well lately it’s been a bit different for me. Lately music and visual art are kind of playing off of each other to influence the next idea. The creative process usually in some form comes with a fascination with something. Whether it’s with empty buildings or with a crowded super market or a swing set that makes a interesting nostalgic sound. These things will usually make up the backdrop for the set that is inside my mind and then I will usually begin to write the music and words at the same time .I usually get small film scenarios in my head when i write songs and this is how I believe I actually begin to start making photographs, visual art and short films that spin off from my song topics.

FAULT:  Tell us about your artistic background?

Marcus: Well I didn’t start playing music really until I was about 20 and i am now in my late 20?s.My first instrument was guitar and after a few months of playing i was in my first band which was a hardcore band and in about a year with being in that band we won Portland’s cream of the crop best band contest and we played some big shows and toured and I was in that band for about 4 years or so and then we called it quits. Things actually happened pretty fast for me far as my music career goes….I always think of those years in that band as my music schooling years because I learned a lot through that process. As a kid I grew up listening to mostly R&B and Hip Hop music of all kind but I’ve always been kind of a sucker for the older tunes from the 50?s 60?s 70?s music….I really didn’t start photographing or filming things or painting things until I started my project channel in channel out which was in the last couple of years. Although I always liked to sketch ideas horribly and stuff them in my pockets or leave them around the house growing up I never really was an artist. I also didn’t start playing piano tell about 4 years ago which was around the time I made my first full length record “Contaminate The Optimist” which was released by izumi/imoto records who I signed with at the time. So most of my artistic background didn’t really happen until I was a adult but I always had music in my head since I was a kid I absolutely loved it. I also think always in my head I wanted to try photography and art but it wasn’t tell about 4 years ago until I actually began to do it.

FAULT: Are you inspired by music?

Marcus: Yes, I am very inspired my music. I usually hear music in a lot of different things and sounds in life people usually don’t associate with instruments. I would say music inspires me everyday it has definitely inspired me to create other art forms other than music. I love to create it and i love to enjoy it and i love to experiment with it.

FAULT: What are you currently listening to?

Marcus:  I am currently listening to Nina Simone,Donovan,The Electric Prunes,Alfred Schnittke, Nico Muhly, Kria Brekkan, The Dirty Projectors,Aoki Takamasa,Autechre,The Association,David Byrne & Brian Eno, The Talking Heads,Charlie Mingus,Peter Broderick,Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd,The Walkmen

FAULT: What is your FAULT?

Marcus: Its my fault that I like to make contradictions also known as logic incompatibilities then contradict the contradictions because I am a over analytical man.