Panagiotis Andreou: The World In A Bass

AAJ: It seems like Now vs Now has been headed in the direction of other forward-thinking bands such as say Kneebody. That is people who are taking either jazz form or jazz approach and deconstructing it or simplifying it in a digestive way—emphasis on being concise rather that lengthy soloing, focused on creating a unified purpose and sound rather than individual expositions...

PA: I think Jason wants to actually go even further out-of-bounds. I don't know how long the jazz thing, as we know it, it's gonna be around. We're gonna go back in the studio for a couple of days now and we're going to experiment with some ideas that he has. He's into underground electronic music here in New York and it's a scene that's booming. It's amazing what's going on. I'm getting into it now because of him.

AAJ: Akin to what Jojo Mayer does with Nerve?

PA: Even further away than that. I don't know, let's see what's gonna happen. It's rhythm and sound. That's very funny coming from a harmony master like Jason but now he's all like completely "sonic." I don't know what to expect from all this myself. I'm experimenting too as I go along. The gear I'm playing makes me do things I wouldn't normally do. Buffering Cocoon is like a bridge from the old Now vs Now to this new one—a segue to what's coming. I showed them a Greek tune, "Pergamos." It's a traditional Greek song, a very slow nine and we did a Now vs Now take on it. I like it a lot...

AAJ: It's on the new album? I'll check it out. I've been listening to so much lately it's hard to remember titles. I may have heard it already...

PA: I have the same problem (laughs). You know the funny thing? I'm the kind of guy who wants to get something and really get into it to get the most out of it and now it's almost impossible.

AAJ: Especially now with the "electronic mode" of listening, you don't get a cover or liner notes to stare at and imprint the music onto your brain while you're listening. You click on a file name and it's like....

PA: You know it's like you win some, you lose some because on the other hand, I've gotten access to so much. It's an incredible thing. You know when I was growing up, you would get a record and it was your new baby for like the next god knows how long... (laughs)

Honestly though, people don't realize how new all this is. It's barely over a decade old. It's gonna form into something. There are so many powers that try and take it in their direction. Is it gonna be for the people? Is it gonna be money [led] by money again? That's happening but at the same time you can get yourself out there at least. I'm learning a lot and I think you have to make the best of it. I think I also have to find ways to get the phone away from me. (laughs)

AAJ: Are there any other ways the "new music reality" affects you, on the ground?

PA: I don't know what to tell you. I don't know if I'm the best person to be asked about this as a sideman, albeit a creative one. (pause) I think it's still worth it. I'm blessed to be doing this. You know how much I love playing bass? I can't explain it. It's so much fun and I get to do it. Ok, I'm not rich but...there are ways for you to survive. I'm inspired by people that I've known and that I've played with because they're doing it. So it's possible. I hope in five years I can remember this interview and say, "Yes, now I've got my shit together and I'm sure I've done everything right." If I can't, well... For now I can't complain. I first have to do what I have to do—correctly before anything else. I hate that today, people are so quick to complain. They are complaining all the time. We have this expression in Greece—"boiling in their own juice." Why? Snap out of it. Get out, do something, find it. And whatever it is that's preventing you from doing that, address that. I say that to myself as well. There's always a gorilla in the room that you don't want to address. Also there's a reality about human nature that you're never really going to be happy. We are made like that, it's in our DNA. Once you have something, you want to get something else. If you are stable in a place, ok you're bored now. I go back and forth from New York to Greece enough to have a bit of both worlds and I love it. I love going out by the water eating octopus and drinking wine but you do that every day, you're gonna go crazy, I guarantee. There's no good without the bad. I love this New York expression—"It is what it is."

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