INTERVIEW WITH NICHOLAS:
Nicholas who were the creators of MODE/IQ?
The creators of MODE /IQ: were myself, along with Lucian, Steven, and Peter. Our performances were known as Modes. Theatrical and thematic, they integrated sight and sound.
I taught myself-taught bass, guitar, some classical theory, did the vocals, intense and melodic.
Lucian, was in bands his whole life. He was originally in a band that almost got signed, but ultimately fell apart. I invited him to join Steven and myself to write original songs. His singing commanded attention and he created a lot of the band’s original artwork.
Steven was a friend from high school, he sang, played harmonica, open-tuned guitar, and added electronics. His sound was unique with synthesized texture that helped play a part in creating the MODE/IQ sound and atmosphere.
Peter was our drummer, still in high school and much younger than the rest of us. He was into bands like the Clash, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and Punk bands with messages. He was perfect fit and made it all work. As time went on, Peter off to college. This was our first setback and a new drummer was needed.
The band was constantly transforming and going from drummer to drummer. One of them was John, a good modern drummer who used electronics to enhance his sound. A good friend of John’s; Albert
produced our mini LP, “Mind/Soul” up in Buffalo and did 10,000 Maniacs’ first album. Although he helped us out, for us he was an outsider and then he left after the project was completed. Then shortly after Steven left.
Ultimately, Lucien and I had to reinvent the band. We used Commodore 64’s to program baselines, drums, keyboards and special effects. For live gigs Lucian and I often switched roles. It was all about the music and we did everything we could to get it out.
To break through we knew we needed some help, so we thought a woman would work.
We found Susan, known as Susie Q. She fit in perfectly. She played some keyboards, percussion and sang. She was also involved in the fashion industry, with visual merchandising, and concept wise she understood what we were trying to achieve using multi-media.
Soon we were back on stage, using different percussionists, musicians and dancers for our shows.
Then Lisa appeared. She was a classical keyboardist and wanted to play with us. Our band was always trying to be first, ahead of our time and Lisa added another dimension. She claimed that she was the first Japanese female keyboardist to play CBGB’s.
Next followed Joni and Lil, and the Commodore 64’s, which were huge. They were hard to set up and break down. So, I built a big box to hold them. They were all set and only needed to be plugged in, making it easy for our live shows. Mode/IQ was one of the first Garage Computer Bands combining SEQ and live play on stage. But we needed help for the shows to flow smoothly.
At this point Joni and Lil entered and worked on the Commodore 64’s, and called up the SEQ for each song.
So, here was Mode/IQ consisting of Me, Lucian, Susie Q, Lisa, Joni, Lil and 2 Commodore 64s, and let’s not leave out GORT. JVC (the company), created a biphonic, binaural stereo sound system which picked up sound just like the inner ear; front, back, right side, left side, up, down and all around. But one had to listen back through a headset to get the right effect. The system was way ahead of its time and fit right in with the Mode/IQ concept. Lou Reed used it on one of his albums. I talked to him about it during a radio interview.
No matter what the band never stood still. We played dance, modern clubs, post-punk and electric live music in the modern mode.
We explored the unlimited boundaries of transforming awareness using a multi-dimensional art form. We sold our single “Factory Worker” to Suntory liquor and opened for some big acts of the time like, A Flock of Seagulls, Grand Master Flash and The Furious 5 , and The Romantics.
Mode/IQ took a break, but never stood still. I kept writing new music and mixed the old songs. I wanted to add a DJ with the SEQ. so we worked with DJ Mic-Cee. The sound was modern and commercial and could have been on the radio. We rehearsed a set and did a live show in New Jersey, at an underground in a club called, The Saint. All the while ahead of the trends.
However, sometimes first is not necessarily good. Nothing was happening and there were no record company bites. So Mode/IQ faded away again. We sat back watching and waiting, but still creating modern music. One day while searching the Internet, I found this alternative band, Sink Tapes. They did a cover of a song on Mode/IQ’s Mini LP Mind/Soul whose title was Looking Through Your Mind. Impressive that all this music happened thirty years ago and the music is still relevant today! Perhaps, being ahead of the times could be good after all, again still watching and waiting … ultimately fading away, but immortalized in sound.
Be Forewarned Against the Difference in the Future
Q&A with Nicholas
Nicholas, can you tell us why you are not using those Commodore 64s for your live shows?
Well, we played CBGB a lot. One night on the bill was the band, They Might Be Giants. They used to bring a reel to reel with their SEQ which were real simple to set up. During a sound check they asked me why we brought all that computer stuff out, so I considered his point. I experimented with bouncing all SEQ to cassette right and left channels. It worked and turned out to be so easy for live shows. As time went on, the cassette turned to DAT and then to CD. Best of all, the band had more control for the moods and sets.
Where did you rehearse?
In the beginning we rented space for about $10 an hour. Then we decided to get our own space in Lynbrook, New York. Luckily, I had a friend Tony with a hair salon which had a big room on the 2nd floor. He rented it to us and this made life much simpler because we moved all our equipment into that space and locked the door. If we wanted to rehearse, as soon as we unlocked the door, everything was set up for us to start playing, writing, or having fun with a meaning. By the way there’s a short story attached to our rented space. There was a little garden in the back of Tony’s salon. One night Tony told us before rehearsal that the garden was littered with beer cans and roaches. He asked if we had been throwing stuff out the window. Of course, we hadn’t and told him so, and decided to keep an eye out for the culprit. Then one night in the winter while we were rehearsing, outside the window on the second floor we saw a silhouette of someone hanging upside down. Who the hell is that we wondered? We went outside and found kids hanging out on the roof listening to our music. They were the ones who threw the beer cans and roaches in the garden. So we invited them inside and explained that they were going to get us in trouble with the cops and the owner. Donny and Gerard, and some of the other guys came to all our rehearsals and became our roadies for all our shows. They were part of Mode/IQ.
After that we moved to Long Island City. Peter the Drummer was gone and Wally was the new drummer. We knew this guy who owned a rehearsal space and rented a room right over the 59th St. Bridge. Steven and I lived in Manhattan, Lucien in New Jersey and Wally in Brooklyn -this was our meeting place. Then we moved to 21st the Matrix Studio right across from Danceteria and down the block from Snafu – places we played a lot during that time. John was our drummer at that point. The John and Steven left, so we took a small room down the hall. When we implemented our new approach SEQ, drums, bass lines, FX sounds, we moved to the music building on 38thStreet and 8th Ave. We shared a room with this guy Steve, who had also had a band, and that was Mode/IQ’s last place where we rehearsed our unique sound.
Have you left anyone out who contributed to your band?
Can’t forget Daryl and Spider. Daryl had a van we called Jaws. He could fix anything. He helped us out a lot with video and sound, and he was our head roadie, a good friend. Spider played in bands his whole life. He loved Mode/IQ for its originality. He would tune the guitars, and set up. So we had Daryl, Spider, Danny, and Gerard, were in our Road Crew 95% of the time.
Did you reach your artistic goal?
We wanted to create a sound that expressed our emotional response to everyday life in New York City. We did this by expanding the conventions of rock ‘n’ roll, using passages instead of solos and sticking to the classical method of theme and variation instead of the old structure of verse-chorus-verse. We were expressionists first and foremost and not interested in merely representing reality. So we explored and then pushed the limitless boundaries of a multi-dimensional art form. A synthesis of sounds to create musical passion, our atonal music was a breathing art form with visual cues and overhead projection with the audience invited to participate in the experience.
Be Forewarned Against the Difference in the Future