Tarot Chords lay before you to conjure more than what we currently have. They tell of a future unlike our own. A future we're in dire need of. The tale of renaissance and the cold rediscovery of the creative spirit. Witch house, drag, ghost drone, dark wave, dark snyth, witch bass, zombie rave and sometimes even seapunk will find their way into the notes of this feature. These sounds are brought to "life" by composers who not only to test the boundaries of music today, but most importantly the paradigms that envelope it.
The flashy and classy character of Tennis Rodman dropped by the Tarot Chords house with his new record I Eat Gold. I've been checking out his flavor ever since his Japan song. He has earned respect in the supernatural music realm after creating a slimepunk villian for the oh so flamboyant seapunks. His hip-hop base gives him more of a sound that people just dipping their feet in the water will enjoy. Enjoy the Earmilk exclusive.
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EARMILK: Explain Tennis Rodman. Birth and the Parents.
Tennis Rodman: Tennis Rodman was a concept I came up with a few years back. It was originally an alias I came up with for a friend who DJs and worked at a tennis pro shop. Later to find out it was just a monster inside me. I was in an awkward transition from promoting to becoming an artist. I was into dubstep heavy at the time but had started exploring a lot of 4×4, bassline, glitch hop, noise, IDM, and just other random weird stuff. I had been promoting, DJing, producing, and rapping under a few different aliases [Morpheeus, Philthmonger] but when I found the nu wave, my homies Neuport and Enron had a lot to do with it but really when I got clearance from a certain GoombaGod, Tennis Rodman was born.
EM: What does Dennis Rodman mean to Tennis Rodman?
TR: Dennis Rodman means nothing to Tenni, really. But from a personal standpoint, the rebellion that Dennis Rodman put into mainstream culture in the 90's comes very close to my ideas of what Tenni could be capable of. #BLONDEHAIRDONTCARE 90's throwback, pose for a picture type stuff. Dennis was smart in becoming a cultural icon that drew a lot more peoples attention than a 'basketball audience.' That energy has a lot to do with the dynasty that Team Jordan was able to pull off, imo. No press is bad press.
EM: Are you the villian of the Seapunks?
TR: I don't intend to be, but it's easy to see how they could interpret things that way. I'm always pissing someone off, I think my background in promotions is a gift and a curse. I'm no dummy. I've watched how people get famous over the last few years, get noticed by influential people on social networking sites, release high quality art in a niche and watch the reblogs and repost trickle down. From Odd Future to Kreayshawn, Based God, even Soulja Boy–it's all the Internet. I get a lot of influence from the #seapunk culture, and in terms of "seaing" the internet for what it really is and how easily it can be used, I can attribute a lot of that to my Dolphin Homiez. #Splash
EM: What is Future Music?
TR: Future Music is a language. You either get it or you don't, some of us have been there, or even live there. Honestly it's just a way for us aliens to communicate, experiences and implant data into others that come into our sine-field. We are here to help #thematrixisreal
EM: How many Karats of gold have you eaten?
TR: I honestly can't say, as I gobble it by the gram. I don't eat gold, but the idea of mono atomic gold is dope, if you don't know what it is look it up. But the whole perception of Tennis Rodman to me is he's a gold gobblin goblin..on super bougie junk mang.
EM: I hear a nice blissful pad in all your songs. How does that go with your hard hip hop trap rolls and other hip hop elements?
TR: Well, as for the soft elements I make all my music to meditate to, so for me it just helps me get in my happy zone and stay there. The hip hop elements make it listenable in the club, car or wherever people aren't trying to meditate and just wanna head-nod or get down.
EM: You run a label now?
TR: Sine-Field is a Force. Sine Field Music, or SMG, is a force of executive producers of sorts, We are all over the Internets, never know what we got our fingers in. We currently work with rappers, DJs, producers, photographers, and designers, but focus mainly on artist development. We are currently planning a global domination, due out later this year.
EM: Explain slime: the past, present and future.
TR: Slime… OH THE SLIME. The slime past for me was strange, when I entered the slime, I was a ball of light, everyone who had already been infected, I assume saw me as a hero, I could bring a lot of awareness to slime! As in any energetic art form there are dark artists, I don't know if jealousy insured or what happened but I got into a crazy magick energetic battle without knowing and when I lost I almost lost my mind, this was the first time I saw how real triangles are, and I knew I wouldn't ever get that lost again. Losing a battle is much more educational than winning one. After this I quit slimepunk, it was all too much too fast too soon, from something that a few kids started as a joke. I saw how it didn't matter what you do when The Eye is on you. Everything became a lot less fun because the anonymity factor was gone, and the joke was dead. then I saw it become something… marketable… $ is the root of evil. Slimepunk showed me who I really am. The idea of a culture being based around an unknown entity morphing through weird internet famous black kids sounds weird, but we got a lot of lives to save… don't mess with slimepunk kids.
EM: Tell us a bit more about your Minn gang. 666soundclub and Neuport?
TR: Enron Hubbard, 666soundclub, and Neuport are my labelmates and brothers here in MN, none of us are from here, we all met in similar points in our lives that we wanted to get serious with music so we all support each other and push each other to do bigger and better things. We all have a different sound and look to us but somehow it all flows so nicely.
EM: Whats in the "future" for you?
TR: The Future shines so bright! I have an EP finished and an album in works with my buddy Connie Hawkins that will blow minds. Also working on huge things with my guy Enron Hubbard. I've been rapping a lot more lately and performing out, the energy is always amazing and the transition from shows to concerts is lovely. I cant say too much but we are planning some huge things with SMG and I'm as excited about moving forward with the label as I am with my own music. Touring around this summer will be awesome
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