JAKE REID in conversation with ABE GOBELLAN and JULIET TIMMONS
Jake Reid, a senior social work major at App State, and self-proclaimed “polymath,” discusses the inspiration behind his work. Jake makes music (under the name “Jork”), builds websites, and edits videos. His work is maximalist, reflective of the internet and of material overconsumption. In his words, the art he makes is “everything, everywhere.” Right now, Jake’s primary goal is to further establish connections between artistic mediums and social services.

ABE: Where do you typically pull inspiration from when making your videos? Is there a specific artist, musician, or filmmaker who inspires you?

JAKE REID: In the summer, specifically, I was listening to a lot of Legs. And a lot of A.G. Cook. And, at the same time, I was making those videos. And I made them because I was trying to remember everything, trying to document everything.

A: Do you think, moving forward, those videos will be nostalgic for you? Like, do you think your style will be the same moving forward? Or do you think it will change?

JR: I think, in the future, I still really want to talk about how fast our world has become. I want my stuff to be as maximal as possible.

A: When you’re doing these projects, are there certain steps you take? What’s your typical creative process?

JR: I think I’m most motivated by the people I’m around. So if I’m around other creative people, I feel like I need to keep up with them, like work at the same pace they are. And so a lot of the people I was hanging around were making stuff all the time, every day. So my thought process was just, like, “Video everything right now! And hopefully something cool will come out of it. And a bunch of boring stuff, too, probably.”

JULIET TIMMONS: What tools and software do you use to create the maximalist feeling that your work has?

JR: For video specifically, I mainly just used my iPhone camera. And for the photos, it was other photographers. Like, usually, photographers would come in and do a photoshoot, and I would just sit on the computer for hours afterward messing with the colors and trying to degrade it. I definitely spend most of my time either on the iPhone camera or in Adobe Photoshop.

JT: How do you approach mixing different mediums? Like sound and photography?

JR: I feel like the more I think about it, the less it makes sense. The way I would explain it—it’s literally whatever I’m into at that exact moment. And I never consume anything in its entirety in one sitting. So I’ll watch a movie for ten minutes, and then I’ll listen to a song, and then I’ll watch YouTube for five minutes. And I’m on the internet all the time. It all just meshes together and becomes what I make.

JT: Is there any feedback that you’ve received that you took inspiration from? Or that you found particularly meaningful?

JR: My dad, I think. He has a really good ear for music. He still listens to, like, Dad Rock. And then I got him into Kanye West in 2011. Usually, when I show people my music, I kind of turn off because I won’t really believe anything they say. But I remember I showed my dad some of my songs, and he was like, “You need to make this faster. Your vocals need to have more energy to them.” And ever since then, I’ve been trying to make my music faster. I think that was really good advice because, before, my music was very, like, Sad Boy on SoundCloud. But now, it’s more silly and fun.

A: So what was that transition like? From the slower stuff to the more energized stuff?

JR: I’d, like, make a whole song and then I’d, like, loop it. And I’d also pitch my voice. Because my voice is deep. So I’d make it higher. That sounds more fun.

A: Have you seen any trends or new artists in the Boone creative scene that inspire you?

JR: I like when music sounds like it’s from a robot in the 90s. It’s my favorite stuff. And I really like the dance parties. And BACR [Boone Area Community Radio]. I definitely try to piggyback off that.

JT: What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had as a creative?

JR: Right now, it’s playing live. Because, in my music, I have all these effects. And it’s so computer-heavy. It’s really hard to translate that into any sort of live setting without having to buy all this crazy, expensive equipment all the time. I kind of just wanna do what the DJs in Boone are doing but with vocals. And I wanna, like, perform.

A: In terms of your website, did you code that yourself? How was that process? The way your website is set up visually is so interesting. I’ve never really seen anything like it.

JR: Well, I have a desk job at the Turchin Center. So there’s a lot of down time. And my friend Luci was getting really into coding. I was like, “I wanna be better than you.” So like, during my shifts, I’d learn how to code. And my website is coded from scratch. I love to brag about that.

A: I feel like your website has a very specific style. How would you describe that style?

JR: It’s like everything’s everywhere. I want it to be as deconstructed and simple as possible. No words. I have no words. That’s on purpose. I can’t deal with artist statements right now. Like, I don’t think they make anyone see your work any differently. I just want the work to speak for itself. Like, with the songs, you can literally see the project files of the songs themselves. I want the process to be as much a part of the product as the art itself.

JT: Are there any projects you’re working on that you can share with us?

JR: When I finally start putting myself out there in terms of live shows and stuff like that, I definitely want to make my whole website just like “I’m performing at this time at this place. Please come for the love of God.” Other than that, I keep on thinking I’m close to finishing an album, and then I put all the songs together, and it doesn't make a good album. So making a full body of work, instead of just having a few songs, is my main thing right now. I’m doing a lot more photoshoots now, too. So just more of what’s already happening.

A: If someone was just starting off in sound, photography, editing, or in some other creative outlet, what advice would you give them?

JR: Use Pinterest. Pinterest is unbelievable stuff. Unbelievable stuff on Pinterest. And it’s easy to find stuff on there, too. Like, at the beginning, you get a bunch of corny stuff. You’ll see, like, the most basic looking dude with baggy pants and, like, a tight shirt, and he's unbelievably ripped. So of course he looks good in it. But after like two weeks on there, you start getting good stuff. So if you wanna do something, make a Pinterest board for it. That’s been my main thing. And get a friend. A friend and a Pinterest board do wonders. And make a list of the things you wanna do. Try to write down as much as possible.