The sparse piano on \u201cMovement One\u201d reminded me of the forbidding moods on David Bowie\u2019s amazing release \u201cOutside\u201d. By the time I got the the 3rd movement, I was already imagining a live performance and some psychedelic visuals to the material. \u201cOn the Run\u201d by Pink Floyd came to mind when listening to the chaotic but colourful piece. \u201cMovement Four\u201d delivers broken up communications and unique use of \u00a0samples much like the well-reviewed buzz act Oneohtrix Point Never. \u201cMovement Six\u201d is reminiscent of Trent Reznor\u2019s soundtrack work, with it\u2019s more linear beat and consistency. \u201cMovement Seven\u201d closes the release with some ominous bells (aren\u2019t bells ALWAYS ominous?), and a general atmosphere of warning. A calm wake-up call, perhaps. The chord choices at the end are sublime, and give the release\u2019s closing a strange calm. This is a good release for any fans of ambient or experimental electronic music.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Welcome to Independent Music Promotions, Jeff. So what inspired you to create your new album \u201cProfit Prophet\u201d?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Well, I had taken about six months off from writing music because I found myself in a bit of a rut. During that time, I was working on my blog pretty heavily and I started to learn about the beginnings of electronic music. I admittedly became obsessed with studying all of the composers during that time like Pierre Schaeffer and Milton Babbitt. After working on what would later become the first movement of \u201cProfit Prophet\u201d, I discovered that this music made me happier than anything I\u2019d worked on before because I was able to so freely explore everything. So I just kept working on expressing my ideas using that same spirit of discovery that those early electronic practitioners used.<\/p>\n What appeals to you about ambient electronic music as far as it being a vehicle for self-expression?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I think it\u2019s the absolute freedom I have in the sounds that I choose to use. I feel that when it comes to a lot of other genres, people have a rigid idea of what that music should sound like. When something exists outside of that framework, some people get turned off. Ambient music is quite different in that the cultural definition we have for the genre is much more vague. If people have fewer preconceived notions coming into the listening experience, then they\u2019re probably going to be more focused on discovering what the music is versus what the music isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve released this album, are you take the project live or record more material\/create videos?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019d honestly love to perform this material. The experience of connecting with people over something that you\u2019ve created is an incredible feeling. Unfortunately, there just isn\u2019t much of a market for this kind of music in my area. If there comes a time when it\u2019s more feasible to do that though, I\u2019ll jump on it. As far as recording goes, I am hard at work on my next album. I have four tracks completed towards a full-length album. It\u2019s going to be more in the direction that you heard in Movement Five and Six on \u201cProfit Prophet\u201d. In regards to music videos though, I\u2019d LOVE to have somebody visually interpret my music. So if there are any ambitious directors out there, let\u2019s talk!<\/p>\n Who in music do you most admire most and why?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Wow. There are a lot of people out there that I think are doing great things. In addition to the composers that I already mentioned, I\u2019m pretty wild about Tortoise. You can listen to any album from them and it\u2019s sheer perfection. I really like Olivier Messiaen, especially his later works. He made use of such rich tone colors. Mogwai has had a big impact on me as well. Their music has such beautiful pacing. It\u2019s never in a rush to get anywhere.<\/p>\n What are your views on the current state of both music as well as the business of music?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The state of music is strongly tied to the state of the internet. Currently, the internet is more or less a free place for the exchange of ideas and the music reflects that in the huge number of musicians out there that are making a name for themselves. There are a lot of opportunities out there for not just musicians but also the people that support them to live their dreams. With the threat of bills like SOPA, ACTA and PIPA knocking on the door, I\u2019m very concerned that this will have a detrimental effect on the art form. The common language of music will be stifled in the name of protecting intellectual property but we all know that it\u2019s being done by the recording industry that\u2019s currently on the ropes. We\u2019ve created a model for writing, producing, promoting and selling music that doesn\u2019t include them. We don\u2019t need them anymore. When any other industry fails because of a change in technology, the world\u2019s governments don\u2019t swoop in to save it. So why should we save the recording industry? Who tried to get legislation passed to ban computers when the typewriter industry saw a decline? Nobody, because it had become obsolete. End of story.<\/p>\n How can music fans keep tabs on Jeff Higgins?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The best way to stay up to date would be to check out my blog (www.groovesandwich.com<\/a>) or follow me on Twitter (Twitter.com\/gr00vesandwich<\/a>). \u201cProfit Prophet\u201d can be streamed for free on my Bandcamp page<\/a> or downloaded for the low low price of $5. I hope you enjoy it.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/independentmusicpromotions.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/922363811-1.jpg\" "\\"Jeff")
<\/a>When I found out that Jeff Higgins<\/a>, music blogger extraordinaire over at Groove Sandwich<\/a>, was also a musician and had recently released an electronic music album<\/a>\u00a0called \u201cProfit Prophet\u201d (no, it\u2019s not a concept album about Ted Haggard), I had to check it out. Ambient, dark and experimental, this is music you could listen to while floating through space (if you ever find yourself in that situation, I hope you\u2019re comfortable). While some may find Jeff\u2019s sound choices unsettling or overly challenging, I found them to be mind-expanding, and somewhat similar to binaural beat brain entrainment technology, which is actually designed to BE mind-expanding. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n