Picking Daedelus’ Brain

by Lo-Fi Lauren

If you all would humor me for just a moment, close your eyes. The year is 2009, and you're just a little girl. You're riding in your 16-year-old sister's Jeep Cherokkee. In your eyes, your sister is the coolest person to ever exist. Among all the insanely awesome songs she plays, there is one that stands out. It starts with an ever-so-delicate strings section, followed by MF DOOM'S iconic voice. The music, produced by an artist known as Daedelus is intricate, yet still smooth as butter. Life is buttery, like you're constantly on cruise control.

Now fast-forward to the year 2022!

It's 4 days before Christmas, your boss just closed up for the next two weeks, and you're sweeping up food crumbs. And that’s when you receive an email. It's Daedelus, telling you all about how their child's favorite movie is Kiki's Delivery Service, and that ghosts are indeed very real. Life is once again buttery. You’re in a constant, self-induced state of cruise control at all times, even if it’s hard. You can’t believe that somehow, the memories that have shaped you are coming to life in a completely different way. You happy-dance like a maniac, as your coworker laughingly asks you, “do you have a date or something?” (I certainly do not.)

Shoutout Daedelus; thanks for letting me have a glimpse into the brains of the operation. And shoutout to my sister Janna. Thanks for drawing up my musical blueprint. This one's for you. For my fellow DOOM heads wondering what song I'm describing in the beginning, it's called Impending DOOM.

What is true love to you? What does it mean?

I assume we are doing a Turing Test starting with such a question. So I'd say I've experienced true love on a few occasions, most in hindsight than during; however much I wanted to hold on the true part was in relinquishing need and accepting its transience. Here hoping I am deemed human enough to continue?

Is it better to give gifts or better to receive them?

Always gifter! Receiving most reliably misses the mark, feigned smiles make for weird curtsy thank-yous, and it all gets messy. Giving on the other hand is a javelin throw that just might hit its mark.

Are Ghosts Real?

I'll dodge this by telling you about EVP or "Electronic Voice Phenomena" where ghosthunting audiologists record in spooky places and super slow the tape to hear the spirit' emanations. So what's not to believe?

What is your Favorite Song or Songs?

I think in this case a machine would answer with whatever song was most downloaded; or a statistically viable favorite derived from an aggregate of platform data using metrics like time listened, star rated, and playlist inclusion. However, being no android, I have albums for different moods, songs full of purpose, thematically very specific productions, and a dozen other reasons why it's hopefully the song I've yet to make that's my current favorite.

Do you eat dessert right after dinner or at midnight and beyond?

Right after, like a real dining human would. Saving midnight and beyond for less sweet.

What movie can you watch over and over without getting tired of it?

I've a young child who just turned 2 and although screens aren't much in the mix Clementine has taken to watching Kiki's Delivery Service as often as we'll allow.

Grateful that this is one such movies that stands the test of time under extreme repetition. That, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Do you think The Beatles are as iconic as people say they are? Or are they overhyped as f**k?

Aside from Rock and Roll histrionics, they have one of the worst band names ever. Same for Radiohead.

If someone had something in their teeth, would you tell them?

Never; I'd rather have them live out their entire lives with whatever lodged in between than make them wonder how long it was there, what chances they may have missed, the butterfly effect of branching choices that could have been.

How many drinks do you need to have before you finally hit the dance floor?

None! Most of the reason one becomes a DJ is a solid excuse to cut loose whilst being a wallflower. That's a science fact.

What was the inspiration behind Just Briefly/Exquisite Corpse & Quiet Now ft. Busdriver (my favorites)?

Little vignettes; all the ones you've been drawn to are meditations on loss and the briefness by which we are allowed to be present for our own passings.

We bear witness to others flitting fervent flails and rarely catch a reflection of our own attempts to fly.