Jamuel Saxon was conceived from Keith Milgaten, a San Diego musician with a new found love for a more intelligent form of dance music. After a battle with drink and drugs Keith got his head down, taking on a few new members and writing a record with good vibes and structured songs. The Jamuel Saxon debut, Pre-Madonna, is an album full of ideas and deep thought – and it might even get you on the dancefloor. We caught up with the main man and fired some questions his way.
Bowlegs: So the album was written during a time when you were ‘in the throws of addiction’ – does listening to it stir up memories, emotions?
Keith: Pre-Madonna reminds me of a time in my life in which I was so desperately and frequently seeking self-medicated fulfillment, that all the memories and emotions that are “stirred up” sort of blend together in one diluted feeling of being just one drink, bong-rip or line away from true happiness. Ironically, instead of happiness, I would find myself exponentially more and more full of resentment and fearful of the future. A ton of the lyrical content was inspired by my ex girlfriend Aimee, whom which I shared the best and worst relationship of my 26 years here on planet Earth. Although I was initially angry at her for becoming distant and disinterested in our romantic union, the process of creating this record after we ended things revealed many deep personal issues which re-appropriated the blame upon my own self-indulgent actions. It was a huge growing experience.
Bowlegs: The record falls somewhere between electro-pop and dance, would you agree? What do you aim to get out of each song you record – is there a Jamuel Saxon blueprint?
Keith: Yes, I would agree. Genres have always seemed to be something I’ve fallen into rather than planned to be a part of. As far as a blueprint goes, I suppose I have been making music that I could imagine a sold-out crowd moving to. My older material didn’t have as much forceful rhythm behind it. As I continued to read the audience’s reactions to my music since 2007, I took note to what was making an impact and what wasn’t. I suppose it’s been a sort of a musical “Choose Your Own Adventure” for my listeners.
Bowlegs: It all started out as a solo career – what did the additional members bring to the music?
Keith: Jayson Ehm has provided this project with a powerful percussive presence beyond the ability of my electronic beats. On top of that, he is responsibly for most of our visual elements. Mike Griffin adds a great deal of melody with his inventive yet driving guitar parts. I believe that Mike is an angel sent from God to take our band to the next level, plus he is a truly hilarious individual when it comes to hanging out on tour. Endi Rodriguez is our bass player/cultural saving grace. While I’m busy staring at a computer screen making beats all day, he is avidly keeping up on modern art and world events. He is also notorious for having cool hair.
Bowlegs: We love the track Planetarium – it has a real driving force yet is about losing yourself in the stars (or the stars on the ceiling at least). Was this a real experience and are all the tracks autobiographical? If so what is Lighthouse Attendant about?
Keith: Planetarium was based on a friend’s school trip to an actual planetarium, in which she described falling asleep due to the calming, space-themed atmosphere. For some reason it just stuck with me when she said: “I fell asleep in the planetarium.” Then I created a vague story based on a girl waking up hours later having been left behind and essentially trapped inside. This solitary environment forces her to confront the origin of the universe’s existence and delve into her own perception of spiritual planes, worlds and dimensions. I’ve always appreciated David Bazaan’s ability to create fictional stories loosely based on actual experience, and it is a writing tactic that comes through for me more than ever on Pre-Madonna. There is a lot of real personal content in this record, and a lot of themes drawn from outside sources.
Lighthouse Attendant is about the beginning of finding my true self once I was single for a while. I use the metaphor of a lighthouse attendant as a platform to describe the isolation I felt initially, but ultimately finding comfort in the ability to sort through issues and emotions on my own. Finding that I had myself to rely on when all other relationships were falling short of providing inner solace was the most liberating revelation I have had in my early years of adulthood. That pretty much sums it up.
Bowlegs: What piece of equipment is used most on the album?
Keith: My Macbook.
Bowlegs: What does the projection show bring to the live performance? Does it accentuate the songs, or tie in with them?
Keith: I’d like to think that the projections allow the audience to let go of their own thoughts while being barraged by an array of subtly psychedelic images. This paves a way for the music to reach them more thoroughly, sort of clearing up some mental space and creating room for what is to come next.
Bowlegs: What bands would you say influence Jamuel Saxon?
Keith: Hot Chip, Cut Copy, Sugar and Gold, The Album Leaf, El Guincho, Minotaur Shock, Gardens and Villa, and The Sea and Cake.
Bowlegs: What is the plan for 2012?
Keith: I plan on continuing to write a new record with the full band, involving more ideas and collaborative efforts than ever before. I want to end up somewhere between Hot Chip and Midnight Star. I would also like to make as many new remixes for other artists as possible, expanding our name and style beyond the limits of my own song-writing. Other than that, tour as much as possible and further connect with our listeners in any way possible.
