Interview: Mike Mictlan of Doomtree

Photo By Prentice Danner

Don’t call them a collective. Don’t even call them a hip-hop group.

“We’re more of a legion than anything,” states Mike Mictlan of the Minneapolis, Minnesota hip-hop legion known as Doomtree.

Since 2001, Doomtree has been laying down beats and lyrics in the Minneapolis metropolitan area to an ever growing hip-hop community. Consisting of seven total members, Doomtree’s sound envelops several different musical styles, including punk rock. Most recently, they self-released the album No Kings, gaining mostly positive reviews from a wide variety of media outlets. As Mictlan puts it, the making of No Kings took on biblical proportions — well, sort of.

“All seven members of Doomtree sequestered ourselves in a cabin for a week in northern Wisconsin and wrote 11 out of 12 of the songs in about five different all-day writing sessions,” he says. “The music was made over the previous two months. After writing, we came home and recorded all the songs in about two weeks. Then the following two weeks we mixed and mastered it. So it’s very similar to the whole ‘Christian creation story,’ but we never rested on the seventh day. We just ate a lot and drank.”

I know when I think of hip-hop communities, both the West and East Coast come to mind — not Minnesota. But along with other hip-hop acts like Atmosphere, Doomtree have help build a thriving community of hip-hop and rap enthusiasts in the Twin Cities area. Each December brings what is known as the Doomtree Blowout, where the entire group takes to the stage at the First Avenue music venue in downtown Minneapolis. While New York has its set of bragging rights for their hip-hop community, don’t discount the camaraderie in the chilly Midwest.

“I feel like our hip-hop scene in Minneapolis is a lot more honest and hardworking than many other communities,” Mictlan explains. “There’s a big live show culture here that has always been here. But then again, I might be biased. Then again, I’ve traveled the country and there is no place like Minneapolis.”

The love for live shows in a place like Minnesota makes perfect sense — enjoy some live hip-hop while warming up in a sold-out music venue. But if you doubt the love for Doomtree outside of their local community, you should check out their touring schedule for 2012, including a stop back in March at SXSW in Austin Texas.

“I remember not sleeping, tacos, bratwurst, sweat and people,” recalls Mictlan. “Austin is already a fun town without what’s going on, so it’s pure madness with all those people.”
And while SXSW seems like a musical paradise for enthusiasts and concertgoers, it can be a daunting task to play.

“We definitely came and conquered,” said Mictlan. “[For some of us, this was] our fifth year in a row [playing SXSW]. My view is, you go there and kick ass, or else you’ll lose.”

While not yet on the mainstream scene, Doomtree has become established as a heavy-hitter in the indie hip-hop scene. Playing tours nationwide and having devout fans, including some who have tattooed the “teeth and wings” Doomtree logo — a logo that almost wasn’t.

“Well, it was either going to be that or a meat cleaver tied to a shotgun,” says Mictlan. “We thought the former would be an easier sale.”

With a community of hip-hop enthusiasts and other local artists, the addition of more crew members to Doomtree is a definite possibility in the future. With the group bringing together various different musicians and artists from the Twin Cities area, the option to expand Doomtree or promote other acts is always an option, though not exactly needed in a musical sense.

“Rapping isn’t our only asset,” explains Mictlan. “As of right now we have plenty of rappers. I see Doomtree expanding in a way that doesn’t necessarily depend on adding musical elements — there are plenty of people already close to us and live in our city whose music we would release in a heartbeat.”

With 2012 in full swing, Doomtree sets their sights on the future. With tour stops in Europe and their annual Blowout in December, things can only get better for the septet.

MIKE WATT: ON AND OFF BASS by Mike Watt

Three Rooms Press, 100 pages, hardcover, $25.00
 
Looking west from the shores of Long Beach, California stands the tall cranes of the Port of Los Angeles, and just beyond them sits the small portside city of San Pedro. It was in this city that author Charles Bukowski spent his last years of his life. It’s a place where the films such as Chinatown and The Usual Suspects feature some of their most memorable scenes.

For the punk rock movement of the early 1980s, it’s also the birthplace of the Minutemen. Unfortunately, the band’s existence was cut short when front man and guitarist D. Boon died in a car accident after the band’s van ran off the road in Arizona in 1985. Band mate and fellow San Pedro native Mike Watt went on to form the group fIREHOSE, as well as play bass in the revamped version of The Stooges.

Along with his love for music, Watt also prides himself as being a native and resident of San Pedro (his internet radio show is appropriately titled The Watt From Pedro Show). What is not commonly known is that Mike Watt has a love and interest in photography, especially capturing the environment that surround San Pedro. All of these things are examined in his photographic memoir, Mike Watt : On and Off Bass.
When I think of memoirs, especially those of rock stars and musicians, I think of a book full of stories from the road –- insight on the drama of being in a band, and a look into their youth and growing up. Basically, a book full of pats on the back and self-gratifying praise for being so lucky to do what you love (hopefully) for a living. This book, however, is the furthest things from that.

In these 100 pages, the focus is mostly on Watt’s amazing photographic images of San Pedro, taken from on land as well as at sea (via kayak): early morning shots of the Port of Los Angeles featuring the heavy coastal fog being broken up by the rising sun. Pictures of pelicans, seals, and seagulls resting ashore or on buoys. Images of cargo ships, large cranes, and other industrial equipment clash against the reflection of the water and the clashing of the waves. Watt’s ability to capture both the natural and man-made aspects that make up the community and elements that make up San Pedro really shines through.

Along with these amazing pictures, Watt also gives the reader a chance to read some insightful glimpses into being on and off the road — the emphasis being on the word “glimpse.” The written passages are quite short and small in detail. We also are given a few poems written by Watt. The diary passes span throughout the 2000s, and feature stories about particular performances, encounters with fans, thoughts on life, and his love for John Coltrane.

Mike Watt : On and Off Bass gives you a real down-to-earth look at who he is. It’s a very minimalistic look back at his life, combining the things he cares deeply about: San Pedro, music, and photography.  The book proves that you do not need to bash your fans over the head with anecdotes of how great your life has been — this simplistic approach makes for a refreshing and insightful read.