A Million Keys

Interview with Jessica Rylan/Can't

Jessica Rylan is an artist and a musician who performs under the name Can’t. She also runs the label IRFP and makes her own instruments. There’s an unsettlingly sincere characteristic to her work which I like- it reminds me of Miranda July’s early performances. Click below to hear her recordings.

Listen to Can't + lonely at night

Listen to Jessica Rylan + All Over Town

Can’t plays at Death by Audio in Brooklyn this Sunday 10/14. She will also give an artist’s talk at Brooklyn College Tuesday 10/16 at 1:30pm.

How does the name “Can’t” reflect your approach to music?

When I first started playing noise I was trying to come to terms with my limitations as a person, so it just seemed natural. Like throwing a fit when you’re little because you can’t live up to everyone’s expectations.

There’s a very intimate and earnest quality to your performances and recordings. Some have made comparisons between your work and folk music for this reason. How do you feel about that?

I don’t think I’ll ever really be a folk musician because I like ugly sounds too much. But that volume level is more comfortable for me these days and it feels kind of new and refreshing. Also noise became easy for me and playing guitar makes me nervous! But I’ll always love the theatricality of the noise scene!

Could you elaborate on your philosophy towards time and sound? How has that influenced your recordings, instruments, and performance?

My thinking about time has changed a lot actually. Now I’m really interested in the direction of time, like why can it only go forwards? Also, is the unfolding of events deterministic, and even if it is, does that matter? Basically if you think of fate versus free will, if it’s all pre-ordained but you can’t know what it will be until it happens, is that any different than if it’s random?

You create many of the instruments you use. Could you explain what kind of instruments you use and how you make them?

I started building synthesizers about ten years ago. My instruments are based on the earliest wave of modular synthesizers, with an inclination to more chaotic activity, just to keep it up to date a little. Now I’m into making them really small because I don’t like to carry heavy things.

How did you first become interested in making your own instruments?

I really wanted to play a Buchla 100 like Suzanne Cianni but I didn’t have $10,000 to buy one. So, it seemed like a natural choice. Later I started working at the studio at Harvard and I got to play one there.

You apprenticed for Don Buchla over the summer. How did that go?

It felt kind of unbelievable, to actually be there. I worked hard every day and then at night we drank wine and watched the sun setting. He was very generous to me and introduced me to a lot of people. He’s an extremely smart, creative person, and he also has a real appreciation for causing trouble which was pretty exciting!

I think my favorite day was when we went to the oyster farm at Point Reyes and had a barbecue. But I also really liked working on this new project he’s doing, which will basically play Cage’s Imaginary Landscapes automatically!

You also run a label called IRFP which releases cassettes, books, and CDs. When did you begin the label? Are there any releases you would like to discuss in particular?

I started IRFP in 2002, to put out my own cd’s. At the time I wasn’t having any luck talking to labels. Now I save IRFP for special things. The label has been on been on hiatus but the Noise Show book is finally back in development – maybe it will even come out later this year!

What artists and/or musicians are you into right now?

I’m really into Naomi, which is awesome because I get to tour with her. I listened to “Music and Words by. . .” every single day at work for the whole summer. I also listened to a lot of Captain Ahab but some of the lyrics made me embarrassed if Don was around.

You have a show coming up in New York at Death by Audio on October 14th. Are there any other shows or releases or news you would like to mention?

There will be a Can’t lp coming out on Weird Forrest, a little later this fall. It’s called Private Time (part 2). It has a really nice photo on the cover where I actually look pretty good! So I’m very excited about it.