Everybody Taste recently chatted with Seattle musician Michael Benjamin Lerner, who under the nome de plume Telekinesis, released his second full-length album today—the dark and bass-heavy 12 Desperate Straight Lines. We chatted about recording with Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla, Lerner's preference for analog tape, his adoration of the band Flin Flon, and the album's excellent grimy and fuzzy bass guitar.
I understand you wrote the majority of 12 Desperate Straight Lines during the winter in Berlin on a 9 to 5 routine. Why Germany? And why the schedule? Were you just determined to start generating new material?
Yes! True. I was going through a lot of stuff in my personal life (breakup, health issues), and I had always dreamed of picking up and going to a place that is foreign and uncomfortable to write music. Berlin seemed to be like the best choice purely because I knew some people there to hook up an apartment, and a practice space. I mean, it turned out to be the perfect situation. I got a killer room in an apartment in an amazing location, and rented a rehearsal space that had a drum kit and a guitar amp and a bass amp in it. It was just so perfect. And it was amazing and cold and snowy and I got to explore and hang out with my friends. I feel completely lucky to have had that experience. I wrote a lot of songs that I am very proud of there. Like "50 Ways," "I Cannot Love You" and "Car Crash." It was fun to follow in the footsteps of Lou Reed, David Bowie and Depeche Mode.
