March 5th, 2013 
Brian Leak 
Jason Garriotte is all set to release his folktronic Reflections Of Reality Remixed double LP on March 12 via his Chords of Truth pseudonym, and he took some time to speak with us about the immense undertaking; explaining how it came to be and what he hopes listeners will gain from experiencing it.
Read through the jump and get acquainted with Jason and his ponderous musical endeavor, Chords Of Truth.
This project is massive and highly ambitious. Can you explain why you chose to do this and how it all came to be?
Well right after I wrote my first songs in 2011, I had the opportunity to professionally record them with a friend and released the acoustic album in January of last year. My musical style is minimal, acoustic folk with deep lyrics about scientific principles and spirituality. So after self-promoting the album for a few months and receiving a great response online, I decided to reach out to the electronic community to see what could be created. I had always planned on working with remixes and even bounced down all the individual tracks after finishing the album so I would have them available. After working with Tha Green Raver on a dubstep version of “Listen,” I was blown away by what was possible. So I created a remix contest and made all of my stems and songs available for free on Soundcloud (and the website) to use for creating remixes. This created a lot of exposure resulting in thousands of plays and downloads of my music along with comments and social media activity from new fans, which was great. Plus, there were now these amazing remixes that had just been created. So after the contest ended, I contacted a few of the participating producers to collaborate on full remix EPs. The idea was to have different EPs that represent different genres so that every listener could find a version that they connected with. So for months I worked with 8 producers to create full remixed EPs of the acoustic album and organized this whole project for release. It’s been quite a ride.
Are all the producers involved people you already knew or are they artists that you reached out to be involved?
I did not know any of them before this project started. This has all just come together out of nowhere and it has been amazing. So many talented artists are involved! In fact, several of the producers live in Europe so for months I woke up in the middle of the night to hear new remixes and give feedback. It’s been really interesting trying to collaborate when sometimes we don’t even speak the same language. Lucky for me they all know at least a little English because I am a typical American and can’t speak any other languages. But I’ve definitely made some lifelong friends through this project and it’s been great.
What were your initial reactions upon hearing how your songs had been transformed into entirely new creations?
For a while, it took me several listens to really appreciate a new interpretation. Sometimes at first I didn’t like it at all, then it grew on me. Pretty crazy! It’s hard to describe how it feels when a song you created is done in a totally different way. After a while I got used to new remixes much easier, but even the last two tracks we finished had featured guests who added their own lyrics and vocals. On the Chameleon Acidfolk Remix EP, Christian Recca sings a bridge for “What Life Is About” and Man-u-iLL adds hip-hop vocals to “The Power To Be Alive”. And even after all the remixes I had worked with, having new lyrics and vocals in my songs felt really strange. But in the end, I love every remix that is being released. They are all so different.
Were there tracks that you were disappointed with the outcomes of that didn’t make the cut?
Unfortunately there were. Sometimes we worked through certain issues with a track, but in some cases it just wasn’t going to work. It was definitely a difficult process.
What are you excited about the most in regards to the remixes releasing?
That music fans outside of acoustic folk will get to hear my songs. Hopefully in a style they like. And that more fans of all kinds will get to hear my songs at all because this project is really an extension of my debut album from January of 2012. So this is the first time most people are hearing Chords of Truth music and I’m excited to hear what you all think.
What direction do you think your next step will be as far as style and genre? Folk, electronic, both?
I’m not sure, but this project has definitely changed my perspective on what is possible. I think no matter what there will always be a version of me and an acoustic guitar. But I do think that my next album will be more of a hybrid sound than my original acoustic folk album. More along the lines of bands like Imagine Dragon and Alex Clare. Where the songs can be played acoustically but are more creatively produced for the album. But it’s really hard to anticipate how I’ll feel the time comes.
Can you reveal anything about your forthcoming tour plans?
I’m still looking at options, but a short tour with Cas Weinbren (The Chameleon) in the New York area in mid to late summer with his band is probably going to happen. And I am looking into other options as well, but nothing specific to share at this point. I am going to be performing a lot over the next 6 months though, so be sure to check the website for updates.
What will your live shows be like?
The shows with Cas will be with a full band playing his Acidfolk versions of my songs. Most of my other shows will vary from full bands, to me and my acoustic guitar. Lucky for me the musical parts of my songs are not that complicated so most any band can pick them up real quickly. It doesn’t really matter to me how it works out, I just enjoy playing music.
What do you enjoy the most about being on the road?
Knowing that most days when you wake up there will be a new adventure because you are in an unfamiliar environment where anything can happen. It just seems to increase the chances of something amazing happening each day. But maybe that’s just me.
Who/what are some important influences to your work?
As far as the sound, it has to come from the classic folk artists like Leonard Cohen, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan. My lyrics draw inspiration from authors like Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer and movies likes The Secret and What the Bleep. It’s really a combination of so many things I’ve learned and experienced over the years that it’s hard to even recall all of the ‘ah ha’ moments that led to my current perspective. But there is no question that my music is inspired from other great artists and thinkers of the past.
Any musicians in particular that you would love to work with?
Being a fan of folk vocal harmony artists like Simon & Garfunkel and Peter, Paul and Mary I have definitely been searching for a female singer/songwriter to possibly collaborate with. I just haven’t made the right connection yet. But other than that I don’t have anyone specific in mind at this point. I am just rolling with whatever comes next and we’ll see where that leads. Anything is possible!
What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
To create timeless musical expression that impacts and inspires people. All while enjoying the experience. I think that is the simplest way I can put it.
What do you hope listeners will gain from experiencing your musical efforts?
This may be a stretch, but if they like what they hear and think about what I’m saying in the songs, they could actually improve their lives by altering or reinforcing their perspective on existence. No different than any other technique for changing your life, but in the form of a song. This was something I realized after I first wrote these songs and started playing them all the time. I get to sing about these ideas for the rest of my life and this is what I would want to be talking about anyway. My songs seem to spark thoughts and conversations about some of the most fundamental questions about our existence. So I just hope the listeners can recognize what is possible for them and take full advantage of this wonderful experience called life. All while enjoying some good tunes.
Written and conducted by: Brian Lion
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