The Longest Journey: Blow Up Hollywood’s Steve On Death, Dying and the Joy of Music
by Jedd Beaudoin

With their self-titled debut album, Blow Up Hollywood, a project shrouded in anonymity and deeply ensconced in a patina of truth and beauty, have released on of the most thoughtful and heartfelt meditations of death and dying. Still, the thirteen-track release is able to serve as a reminder that life should be a celebration, that our fleeting moment on the planet should be a fulfilling one. And while “Floating” and “Heaven and Hell” are remarkably dirgelike, there is a near celebratory feel to tracks such as “It’s Not Me” and “Sweetest Moment,” the latter a dreamy, singable number that, like “It’s Not Me” would garner massive amounts of airplay were there world and time enough for such thought-provoking works on American radio. Flawless in its execution and most soothing when taken as a whole, Blow Up Hollywood is an intriguing, intelligent progressive pop masterpiece, as good as any you will hear this year or any year.

JB: Your songs focus on death, dying, life, birth, rebirth, etc. Whenever someone writes about matters such as that, they're almost always labeled as morbid or death-obsessed. But, the sense that I have after listening to these songs is that what you're actually aiming for is for people to accept that death is a part of living and that life should be a celebration. This isn't music that, for instance, says, “This is a cruel and twisted planet and should cease to exist now” I mean, I think we can all say that the former is largely true and some of that may be reflected in your music but I don't think the latter is.
S: I couldn't have said it any better. That's exactly right. The only way to live life to the fullest is to confront your own immortality as a human being. Death is a very beautiful thing, especially when one see's it as the ultimate transformation, whether that transformation is one of pure energy or of our consciousness surviving after the death of the body. The world would be a much better place if humanity as a whole realized how precious life is. Every moment we have on this planet is a miracle.

JB: So, what are, in your opinion, the best and worst parts of life and how would you explain the difference between having an open and honest awareness of death and hurling one's self toward it? Where do those two concerns depart from one another, in your view?

S: Consciousness is the best part of life, without which we wouldn't be having this conversation. The ability to reflect on our own existence, to wonder and marvel at the mystery's of the universe. What could be better than that? It's why we're such creative creatures. The world is our canvass and we are all Picasso's. We've created our entire lives down to these very questions
and answers. One might think we are all Gods.

The worst part of life is knowing that people live in great despair and hopelessness. It's important to be aware of our own immortality in order to live a richer life. But it's certainly not healthy to be obsessed with it on the one hand, or reckless with your health on the other. Striking a good balance is the key to everything we do.

JB: When did you first become aware of death and when did it occur to you that our culture, by and large, chooses to ignore the inevitability of it?

S: I was around five years old attending church with my mother. I asked her about the crucifix. She told me Jesus had died for my sins. Shortly thereafter I became very concern with dying. As I got older I developed such a fear of death that I became completely obsessed with it. I even developed severe panic disorder and became somewhat of a recluse. It's always been
evident that people get extremely uncomfortable talking about death. However, I think I've changed that with my unrelenting persistence on the subject, at least for the people in my immediate circle.

Most people choose to ignore the inevitability of death because of fear. The fear of the unknown. The fear of losing the greatest miracle of all,consciousness. To truly look at our own immortality is to really examine our own lives. That can be a pretty frightening thing. Our society loves mirrors but only for the external not the internal.

JB: I'm really pleased by the sincerity and intelligence with which you deal with these subjects on the album. Can you talk about the challenges you faced, both individually and collectively, as you were putting this disc together?

S: The biggest challenge was deciding what pieces to keep on the album. There was so much material. We've talked about possibility making another album out of the compositions that didn't make this one.

JB: I understand that there's a companion film in the works? Can you talk about that? What will people see and what will it reveal, do you think?

S: Unfortunately, the art of listening has become endangered. Our society places much more emphasis on visual stimulation, so I think the film will give the music a helping hand in that sense. The film is pretty experimental though, so we'll see. We still have quite a ways to go before it's finished. I'm interested to see what it reveals myself. But what's more important to me is the process. Like the music, the film is a journey whose end is not nearly important as the journey itself.

JB: Who were some of the most important people in your intellectual development?

S: I try and learn from everyone. There's always something to learn if your willing to listen. I enjoy reading about Buddhism, Taoism and Zen.

JB: We're living at a time when everyone's acting so surprised at [supposed] revelations of corporate greed and moral bankruptcy. I have to wonder if these people have been asleep for the last 25 or more years. Do you think that most of the people who are talking the loudest about this [media celebrities, politicians] are truly abhorred by it or that it's such an egregious example of irresponsibility and immorality that they can't help but shout about it, lest they be found out themselves?

S: Nothing surprises me anymore, especially greed amongst the wealthiest people in the world. It's unfortunate that some people think they'll never have enough. It's truly a shame that with so much money and food in the world that people still go hungry, uneducated, and without the proper health care, especially innocent children. But I have to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly the collective consciousness will rise up like a tidal wave and wash over the sands of corruption. But it's a race against time. Action has to replace words. We have to learn to share with our neighbors. We have to stop fearing that by giving to those in need, that we will not have enough. We have to stop asking what's in it for us. We have to stop seeing borders, whether they're our own property lines or the oceans separating nations.

Most politicians don't want to solve problems they just want to get re-elected, so they do and say whatever they think will appease their constituents. When the populous is ready for real change, that's when we'll get it. The world is the way it is because we made it this way. It's every individual’s responsibility. I am just as responsible for the child starving in Africa as I am for the homeless man on my corner.

JB: Do you think it's problematic that people seek sanctuary within institutions be it religion, politics, sports, whatever?

S: I don't think it's problematic if it serves what's best for them. Although I don't think any one institution holds all the answers. Unfortunately, the dogma of many of our cherished institutions would like nothing more than to keep us from the truth. They very often instill fear as a way to maintain control over their constituents. It's the politics of power. I think we all should become more self-reliant in our quest for knowledge and understanding. We should have more faith in ourselves and rely less on institutions. But I think that's something that will happen naturally as we mature individually and as a society.

JB: Do you welcome listeners who might be skeptical of your message?

S: Being skeptical is the most important step in arriving at the truth, without which we end up following blindly.

JB: Can you share something about the writing and recording of this project with us? I mean, from the technical standpoint. I guess I ask because there's such an honest sound to it, it's very direct, very sincere sounding.

S: A majority of the writing and recording was done in a beach house on the Atlantic, because the studio environment can be very stale and not conducive to creativity. We rented the house for three weeks, setting up our gear in the living room which overlooked the ocean. We had written about a half a dozen songs before we arrived and that really set the theme and feel. We tried to record live as much as possible, being careful not to over edit ourselves. It's all about the vibe. After many years of recording I've learned that the first take is usually the best. A lot of the compositions started by having a multiplicity of tracks and then in the mix we would slowly subtract until it just felt right. It's just like sculpting. The form is stuck in the block of marble and you chisel it away until it's finally freed.

JB: I hope Blow Up Hollywood will continue beyond this album, I assume, what are some of the things that you'd like to explore in the future?

S: We're toying with the idea of recording some completely improvisational pieces. We've also talked about making another film. This time with the film coming before the music. The great thing about this group is that the possibilities are endless. As long as the experience remains gratifying, I think the group could continue indefinitely.

JB: Anonymity seems to play an important role in the band.Is that true or is it a matter of you not wanting personalities to obscure the message of the music?

S: From the very conception of the band we agreed that the individual personalities would remain anonymous. We wanted to create an ego-less environment for the group to work in, because in the end, the music is much more important than who actually created it.