Jimmy Harris of the band Jiminy tells us about his new single, and what it tells us about his views on the end of time.
We spoke recently to Jimmy Harris (of the band Jiminy) about the band’s new single, “Apocalypse Dance Party”. The single deals with all manner of coming Armageddon, and humanity’s potentially nihilistic reaction to the end. Here is that interview!
Jiminy, On The Arrangement Of “Apocalypse Dance Party”
“Apocalypse Dance Party” is quite funky in its arrangement. What influences inspired the decision to arrange this song instrumentally to be the way it is?
Thank you! Last August, after the release of “The Phoenix”, I was kicking around a bassline on a Fender Rhodes, underneath some dark chords that felt….kind of ominous, a little foreboding but still funky. At the time I had been listening to a bunch of Philly Soul music from the 70’s, Gamble and Huff stuff, but what came out didn’t sound anything like that. It felt more like some 80’s dance-pop influences popping out, like Was Not Was, mixed in with some early 2000’s dance club stuff, a genre I think of as “Jell-O shots at the Jersey Shore ” type music. Also, I had been listening to a lot of Henry Mancini stuff from the 60’s and wanted to see what those jazz-inflected string arrangements using classic vintage synths would sound like. I knew I wanted to record the core rhythm section to tape and layer a bunch of vintage synths on there. Once I had the idea of “Apocalypse Dance Party”, it just came together in this funky macabre tune that kicked off a 22-minute EP that gets progressively darker in tone and subject matter.
Jiminy, On The Philosophy Of Time’s Immutability
According to some theories, time is immutable and unable to change no matter what people do to change things if they ever got a message from the future. However, in contrast to that theory, “Apocalypse Dance Party” seems to be more in line with the more hopeful theory that things could change if we try to make them change. Which theory do you more ascribe to and why?
Now we’re talkin’. Is there no compromise between Free Will and Determinism? I actually lean towards the philosophy that most events are based on predetermined factors going back to the dawn of time. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try as hard as we can to avoid falling off a cliff. I hold out hope that as a species we can course correct on some of our more self-inflicted existential threats like war and global warming; but what are we going to do about an asteroid? The truth is I don’t know if we’re on the precipice of some final human extinction. Not knowing can be scarier than subscribing to a prophecy. Look at all the streaming shows about some sort of dystopian, post-apocalyptic end-of-the-world narrative. It’s a reflection of our collective fears and maybe also, a desire for control in an unpredictable world. I find it interesting that generations throughout recorded history have their own versions. The end of all time is a never-ending story, in ancient mythology and Pop Culture. Time to party!
Jiminy, On The Apocalypse & How To React To It
No matter how unrealistic, what would be your armageddon of choice? That is to say if you had to choose, what kind of apocalypse would you prefer to all the others?
That’s a tough one. My armageddon of choice would have to be something where I would have enough time to say goodbye to my loved ones, and then it would be over quickly. An alien invasion might be cool, also.
The track for your single fades out to screams of both dread and ecstasy. If the apocalypse had come and gone in reality, leaving you one of its survivors, which of those reactions do you think you’d fall more in line with?
Probably neither. If you’re too loud the cannibals will come.
On The Influences Surrounding “Apocalypse Dance Party”
What songs and musical artists influenced the lyrics of this track? What other artistic influences helped you to produce it?
I don’t think any musical artists influenced the lyrics. I was going down the apocalyptic rabbit hole of reading about natural disasters, bioterrorism, biblical, and mythological stuff, and I wanted to conflate paradise and hell, celebration and destruction. The visual of calamari pouring down from a tsunami is atrocious and absurd. Is that satire or irony? I don’t know. I didn’t want to be too heavy-handed about it. Dance in the face of death. Dance like there’s no tomorrow.
On Other Projects, Past & Future
Last year you released a song called “The Phoenix” which seems more deeply intimate than this new release (but no less heartfelt). What would it take, in your opinion, for humanity to rebound and rise like the Phoenix?
I greatly appreciate this question and thank you for seeing the connection. The Phoenix, the song and the album, were more personal and intimate. During the recording of that album, there was heavy life stuff going on, stuff we all have to deal with. I think humanity continues to rise from the ashes every day. During lockdown, people were cheering from windows and rooftops to show their gratitude to healthcare workers during shift changes. That to me is one example of the Phoenix rising in the midst of a tragic and chaotic time, and it was happening almost every day.
What is next for Jiminy? What are the next projects you’re working on?
I’ve been asking myself the same question. I’ve got a few ideas, but it’s just a matter of working on them and seeing what they turn into. It’s all one big experiment.
A huge thank you to Jimmy for allowing us to conduct this interview with him! “Apocalypse Dance Party” is out now and can be found on Spotify.
