Quick, Before It Melts.

Chris Price is a man out of time. His album, Post Pop Parade, couldn't be any better named. Imagine all the blips and bleeps of early 80s electro-pop blended with staccato rap-speak, hushed, breathy whisper-sing, and an undeniable sense of the here and now, and you'll come close to understanding what Price is all about. Chris caught my attention a while back with a tune on Myspace called "And She Was". Well, here he is, subjecting himself to a little Q & A QBiM style:

State your full name for the record (and promote your own record while you're at it).

Chris Price. The album is Post Pop Parade. It's available now.

What's your earliest musical memory?

Listening to "Time" from Dark Side of the Moon.

Using non-musical references, describe your music.

A synth-pop soundtrack to those final hours between midnight and closing time and the subsequent bleary-eyed journey home through dawn-lit city streets." That, or "2007's gayest album by a straight man"...either one works.

What's the last record you bought (digital, physical or otherwise)?

I recently got The Real New Fall LP (by The Fall) on CD which is great. Freestyle Explosion, vol. 6 is on its way as we speak, so I'm looking forward to that as well. Record-wise, I just bought a box full of 45s at a garage sale last week. I haven't had a chance to go through all of them, but I saw that "Heart and Soul" by Huey Lewis and the News was in there. Nice.

What's your comfort album--the one you can always go back and listen to and enjoy?

OK Computer.

What's for breakfast chez Mr. Price?

Hangover helper...today I had coffee and very unhealthy breakfast food at a hotel in Detroit.

Your bio at www.chris-price.com--discusses your early forary into the world of adult entertainment before you were even legal to own/view/handle porn, and then the hijacking of your music by a Christian rapper. Are there parallels?

Yeah, I guess you could say the Geto Deacon album was bittersweet. On the one hand, he used a bunch of my music without permission -- but I had been pretty much royalty-less my entire life, so it was nothing new. On the other hand, his record exposed my music to a whole new demographic. I still find it hilarious that these "gangsta christian" rap kids were running around with the Geto D record, jamming out to songs built almost entirely on samples of Chris Price porno music. Ha! I mean, really, knowing that is worth more than any amount of money I could have ever gotten out of the deal.

Where do you live and what's the best thing about it?

Washington, D.C. Actually, I currently live in Virginia just outside of D.C., but the closest major metropolitan city always sounds better on paper. I like a couple of the concert venues around here...especially The Black Cat.

Who would be involved in your dream musical collaboration?

Probably Mark E. Smith or The Knife.

Describe pain.

Mainstream radio; MTV.

Who or what outside of the musical world has influenced you the most?

Besides music, there are only vices.

Beatles or Wings?

"Temporary Secretary." (You have to give the guy props for naming a McCartney II track. -J)

What was the recording process like for Post-Pop Parade?

It was a solo effort. I wrote, produced, and recorded all the songs over the course of a few years. A couple of really great people helped me finalize everything with engineering/mixing, and mastering, but other than that it was just me. I'm really happy with how everything went, and I'm looking forward to writing again soon.

Any vices?

See answer above. Are freestyle records considered a vice?

Best/worst words of advice you've ever received?

I'm looking at a fortune cookie that reads "nothing in the world is accomplished without passion" that's been taped to my computer monitor for several years now.

What's the most embarrassing record in your collection?

Best of Dance Mix USA. I hate some of the really played out tracks on there, but 2-12 on disc two is a pretty awesome stretch of nostalgia.

How do you feel about the shift towards artist's control of their own music without record label involvement?

I'm a real advocate of this. Anyone passionate and resourceful enough to start up an indie or put together a record on their own should be commended. It's no small feat, and if you can emerge from the process with any sort of finished product, that's a success in my book. Not many people can claim to have accomplished such a thing. Sub-standard or not, it is your creative vision realized, and that's worth a lot. Besides, the definition of "good" and "bad" is totally subjective anyway -- you never know who's around and on the same page as you until you take control and put yourself out there.

What are you doing later on?

Hopefully getting some sleep.

Any last words?

Cheers and many thanks for the support.

Chris Price "And She Was" (from the album Post Pop Parade, 2007)

Chris Price "Dim The Lights, Evangeline" (from the album Post Pop Parade, 2007)

Hey it's CD Giveaway time again! I've got your new copy of Chris Price's Post Pop Parade here and it's yours for the taking. Just drop me a line at quickbeforeitmelts[at]gmail[dot]com with your mailing address and "My ass is outta control for Chris Price!" in the subject line. Contest closes 11:59, Friday, September 21, 2007.

++Chris Price
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>>elbo.ws
>>buy Post Pop Parade here