What is Chameleon Dish Archives?

Chameleon Dish Archives is an independent, DIY netlabel founded and maintained by myself, Jason Mullinax (a.k.a. Pilesar), and is the definitive outlet for my various musical projects as well as home to a select group of artists who I admire.  Catering to fans of experimental, ambient, noise, and other “art-music”, the label specializes mainly in free MP3 releases but produces small-run, hand-made CD-R titles as well.  

Why give music away for free?

I don’t give away everything I do for free (I sell CDs online and at shows too) but let’s be honest. It’d be WONDERFUL to make tons of money doing what I love, but at this stage in the game I just want people to hear my work. Some of the music I’ve created didn’t cost me much to make and I’m just excited to get people listening. Some of the stuff I’ve done cost me lots of money so I plan on charging something for it so that I can at least offset some of the costs. If I have money left over in the end then for me that’s a perk.

Perhaps one day if there’s a significant demand for what I do then I’ll reconsider my stance on this but for now, enjoy it while you can. Free music isn’t a bad thing and I don’t believe that I’m devaluing it in any way by letting people download it as such.

Would you sign a Major Label deal?

If someone was stupid enough to give me some money to record, tour, promote and distribute my work to a larger audience I would certainly consider it. Honestly, I'd rather work with a smaller, independent label who actually cares about me and my music instead of just the bottom line.

What type of music do you make?

I appreciate music that challenges, surprises, contains some elements of humor and just a dash of melancholia so therefore that is that type of music that I try to create myself. I have fun and my only hope is that some of that comes across in the end.

What are your favorite bands?

Here is a partial list of artists/groups that have deeply inspired me in some way over the years. In no particular order, I am fond of: Rush, Ween, Boredoms, OOIOO, Genesis, King Crimson ('72-'74), Yes, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Gong, Hoahio, After Dinner, Melt-Banana, Renaldo and the Loaf, MMW, Coltrane, Miles Davis, Mothers of Invention, Ellery Eskelin, Jim Black, Andrea Parkins, Zeena Parkins, Lucky Dragons, The Yeasayers, High Places, Black Dice, John Zorn and many of the Japanese bands/artists on his Tzadik label, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Melvins, The Cars, 80's Music, Classic Rock, Jazz, etc. You know, all kinds of stuff...

What instruments do you play?

Mostly, I play the drums and percussion but I’ve been known to dabble in other things like the guitar, keyboards, accordion, tape manipulation, loops, effects pedals, and more. If it makes a noise, I will attempt to play it. Sometimes I somehow manage to trick other people into playing with me either live or on recordings. The people who play with me live or on record are collectively called “The Quagmire”.

Why do you like the 4-track so much?

To me, it’s kind of like Haiku. You have very little space to work with and you have to make the most of the given parameters. There’s a certain beauty to that. When you give yourself too many options you can sometimes lose track of the essence of what you’re doing. I enjoy the limitations it presents me because it forces me to be more creative.

How do you pronounce Pilesar?

It’s pronounced Pie LEE Zur.

Why did you choose that name?

Funny story, that. Well, when I first got my 4-track, I went around recording everything that I could as fast as I could. I recorded all of these really corny songs that were floating around in my head and after listening back on them I noticed that they all sounded like the music a horny, pissed off elf would make (listen to my Negative Reinforcement album to see what I'm talking about). You see, I was in between bands, didn’t have access to any instruments, and the music I was making with the 4-track in no way reflected the “serious” music that I wanted to make with a real band (I was really into prog and jazz at the time).

The 4-track music was made with thrift store finds (children’s toys, tapes, etc.) and since I hated my voice I pitched my vocals up really high to make it kind of comical. My thinking was that if I didn’t take my vocals too seriously nobody else would either. I decided that I was proud enough of the music to release it but not really proud enough to put my name on it. Then it struck me: I’d use a pseudonym.

Later, while daydreaming about what to name this alter ego in Old Testament Prophets class, my professor mentioned the name Tiglath Pilesar III. I lazily wrote it down in my notes and then realized that Pilesar sounded like a good Elven name. Hell, why not? I started using it in my imaginary liner notes for nonexistent albums that I’d create in the margins of my notebook and decided that I’d just use it for a place holder. You know, until I could think of something better. Well, it appears that I never thought of anything better.

Over time, the Pilesar nomenclature ended up being a blanket name for all of my solo work instead of just being the name of this character I created. Go figure....