Writing under the guise of “Beach Fossils,” Brooklyn’s Dustin Payseur is one of the most exciting artists to emerge from that borough’s lo-fi scene in recent months. Skipster recently spoke with Payseur to learn more about the ongoing development of this project — an aquatic reverie in name and sound – and to hear his perspective on that very scene. With a Woodsist LP on the horizon and a breadth of influences both musical and otherwise, we’re simply grateful to announce that he turned down the Taoist monastery to instead work in the country’s largest metropolis.

Skipster: How did you arrive where you are now? Where are you from originally, did you go directly into college or elsewhere, etc.

Dustin Payseur: I’m originally from North Carolina and moved to Brooklyn one year ago. Before the move I considered joining a Taoist monastery, but instead relocated to the busiest city in this country. I thought it would be a nice test for
myself…. plus the idea of a Taoist monastery sounded contradictory to me. I spent a few years in college but only took classes that stimulated me (philosophy, studio art, etc) and never finished up with a degree. For the most part I dropped
my classes before finishing, but even now I read the textbooks and let it soak in. Having a teacher/guru/etc. isn’t always a necessary step in acquiring wisdom or knowledge.

S: Along with that, how do you spend a “typical” day? How long does a song gestate before you’re willing to expose it to the public?

D.P.: Every day plays out a different beat. My favorite thing to do is go to a park and lie down and forget that I live in a concrete jungle. I love writing songs and poetry/prose, so I try to do something creative on a daily basis or my mind
starts to feel stale. My typical songwriting process is recording a riff as a rough draft so I don’t forget it, and then layering it and layering it, then before I know it I have a finished track and I wouldn’t want to go back and change a thing.

S: Your name, your song titles, even the music itself… all sound very specific to summertime. Is this a particular fascination of yours?

D.P: I wouldn’t necessary say it all relates to summertime, that’s more in the mind of the listener to decide. My favorite things to do are go on vacation, have lazy days and daydream… I do those as frequently as possible despite the weather.

S: Following that, how do you imagine your music evolving through different seasons?

D.P.: My music is constantly evolving. Ever since the beginning of my home recordings as a child I’ve grown with so many different sounds; I try to let it come out as if I’m only a channel and try not to meddle too much with what is naturally going to come out. Most of the time when I’ve worked on a song or a poem or a drawing or anything, I can’t feel like I can take credit for it once it’s finished. I try to meditate for a while and forget I exist before working on a project, so it comes out as a stream of my subconscious rather than having a preset idea in mind and following through with that. I feel like working within a guideline will only end up in disappointment.

S: Brooklyn has the reputation of being a sort of idyllic, artists-only community right now. Would you support or debunk that myth? Could you see yourself operating elsewhere?

D.P: Brooklyn is anything you want it to be. It’s just a piece of land and the people make that land what it is. I like Brooklyn because many people here seem to realize that they are merely individuals in a pool of millions and have more of a chance of being recognized if they just let go and create their artwork from the heart. There are also plenty of other people here because they know they can make money
playing the current wave music, but a fad is a fad and it burns out. I love music, I grew up in a family of musicians and and it made me who I am, I could absolutely operate anywhere, and have plans on moving out to the West Coast in time. It’s good to change up your scenery and get a new vibe now and then.

S: Can you give us any information on a potential LP release?

D.P: I have a 7″ and an LP to come out on Woodsist in the near future, followed by a few other releases on undisclosed labels.

S: There’s a definite New Order vibe to tracks like “Daydream” (listen below) and “Vacation,” only it seems subverted by the roughness of certain elements. Can you speak a little to your influences, and maybe even what you’re working against?

D.P.: I have influences from all over: my ultimate favorite types of music are Indian classical, 60’s psychedelic and free-jazz. I take from all over and let it simmer, and whatever comes out is the final product. It could be compared to New Order but that’s never really been quite my jam. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re a great band, but the similarity wasn’t intentional.

S: Which artists or producers would you most like to collaborate with?

D.P.: I always thought it would be amazing to work with Anthony Braxton or Ravi Shankar… I don’t see it happening any time soon.

S: Both of the aforementioned songs ["Daydream"(listen below) and "Vacation"] are about types of escape, perhaps from a city perspective. What draws you to that concept of leaving, or being in transit?

D.P.: It’s exciting to always see Earth, life, existence, everything from a different perspective. It’s refreshing and inspiring. There’s not a lot of nature in NYC and I enjoy getting out as much as I can and going into the mountains, but I’m not necessarily trying to escape or get away from anything. I’m motivated by simple things; nature, morning sunlight, the way a leaf looks as an insect is crawling beneath it.

S: The idea of this “lo-fi” sound is becoming more and more pervasive — even among people who can afford otherwise. What do you think this reflects about where we are right now, culturally?

D.P.: I’ve always been fascinated in sound as an art, and the texture of sound itself. The early Fluxus movement was in many ways centered around what sound could be, and pushing the boundaries of what music could be (i.e. an orchestra of vacuum cleaners or marbles in a piano). To me, the lo-fi sound has a very rich texture; it feels warm and honest. I love high fidelity music as well — it all has its
place, and I don’t ultimately pick one over the other.

S: The year’s now halfway over. Any underlooked music from the past six months you want to drawn our attention to?

D.P.: Brooklyn has an amazing music scene right now and labels like Woodsist and Captured Tracks are exposing it well. Outside of the USA check out anything on Fonal Records, truly beautiful stuff.

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Michael Spreter