The Obelisk Questionnaire: Matt Lynch of Snail & Mysterious Mammal Recording
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Matt Lynch of Snail & Mysterious Mammal Recording
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I’d say I’m an artistic enabler. I’m not the rock star in the band, but I help the rock stars create their vision and make it sound as best it can be in the process. I play bass, keys, program drums, engineer, mix, and master. Along the way I end up producing if I’m tracking the band, being a sounding board and decision maker. I’ve always liked working with more underground music so I suppose I’m a producer by default since the bands I work with never have a budget for a separate producer and engineer, and being in LA for so long now I can put a band together for people in the studio if needed. I’m also a graphic designer and photographer so I’ve done a lot of album art and layouts for clients as well as shooting and editing videos and doing band photos. So yeah, creative enabler.
I started playing bass back in 1990 or so and quickly hooked up with local musicians Mark Johnson and Marty Dodson, eventually forming Snail. I moved to San Francisco and after Snail broke up, I started recording my band Plugusher in our practice space with an ADAT and a Mackie board. Word got out to other bands in our circle and that started my recording career. Fast forward to 2008 or so, and Snail got back together and recorded Blood at my spot after I had moved to L.A. I had already been recording a lot of bands and artists at that point, but the Snail reunion connected me with Eddie Glass and Nebula, and through him Ed Mundell of Monster Magnet and the Ultra Electric Mega Galactic and Ruben Romano of Nebula, Fu Manchu and The Freeks. Snail and moving to LA gave me a chance to work with some great people that I never imagined I’d be friends with. From that scene and really the scene around the Obelisk, I’ve gotten to work with other folks like Bevar Sea all the way in India, Circle of Sighs, and most recently Somnus Throne.
Describe your first musical memory.
Wow, that’s a tough one. I’m an old guy now so the memory is not what it used to be. Also, music was just always part of my life so it’s tough to pick out one thing. My parents were young and I grew up listening to my dad’s records. A few things that come to mind are listening to Purple Haze and Jimi Hendrix Smash Hits a lot, since my dad was a bass player and he and his buddy Ben would play that tune at our house and it was a favorite in general along with Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love. I also remember putting on Abbey Road quite a bit and loving Oh Darling! and Octopus’s Garden. ELO’s Face the Music and that opening backmasked intro to Fire on High freaked me right out. That kind of informed that Snail tune “Thou Art That” a bit.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Oh man, so many, but I think all of mine are as a fan and not a performer. Probably seeing Elliot Smith do Between the Bars at The Fillmore, just him and his guitar, so intimate. That song is just crushingly heavy to me, and I feel privileged now to have been able to witness it now that he’s gone. So many of the greats are gone now and I’m so happy to have been able to see some of them. John Lee Hooker, Aretha, Ray Charles, Tom Petty, Ellliot Smith. I’m hoping to finally see Tom Waits before it’s too late, as he’s a hero of mine.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I’m basically a non-violent person. I feel that putting violence out into the world invites it to come back, karma-style. But recent events here in the U.S. have me contemplating what I will do if a civil war comes to my door. I’ve even had a very disturbing conversation with a dear friend recently, spawned by Covid response difference of opinion, that brought up the old “brother against brother” sentiment. It’s very disheartening.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
A broader palette means the artist can make more specific work. Sometimes it’s overwhelming though, and it can lead to more bland work. It’s a delicate balance. Some people are good at self editing, while others need a collaborator. Some people self edit way too much! I see and hear that often while making records, where an artist will ask if this feels “like a (Band) song”. I usually site the Beatles’ white album as a remedy against this. It’s all over the place, but it still sounds like The Beatles because it’s them. All you can do is be honest with your art. If you’re honest, the progression will be a positive thing.
How do you define success?
Being able to do what you love the way you want to do it.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
The last time I saw Elliot Smith play, he was a mess. His voice was gone and he had to start several songs over again. He was loaded and probably hadn’t slept for awhile. It was just so sad and messed up after having seen him just destroy a room in the past.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I’d like to write a book about my high school years, although I’m held back by thinking it’s quite egotistical and would piss off some old friends. It’s a pipe dream, and if I did it, it would only be for myself.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
I think art in general is a process that for the artist, is independent from the final product. Many times, it’s wordless communication that can’t exist any other way, because the feeling conveyed doesn’t translate to verbal language, unless you’re a writer of course. The viewer/listener/reader will have many different translations, and that doesn’t mean that the art is any less singular; it’s just that good art is complex and can be universal. It’s a conversation between the artist and the viewer/listener/reader that happens independently of time and space. So I believe art leads to better understanding, and ultimately a more rich culture. Does it mean the artist is happy? Maybe not, but it’s a moment in time for the artist and it can be both a moment in time for the viewer/listener/reader as well as an ongoing conversation as people age and connect different experiences with old and familiar pieces.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to going out to Massachusetts in a week, getting out of the house and seeing old friends and family. Going out to Cape Cod, parking the car for a week and riding bikes everywhere, eating lobster rolls, chowder and ice cream and taking photos of the beautiful country.
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