Meet Public Memory

Memoryyyyyy…all alooooone in the mooooooonlighhhhhhhhht!

Now imagine me singing that dressed up like a giant, sparkly cat. I can assure you that will be seared into your memory. 

Public Memory is much cooler, I’m afraid. The brainchild of Robert Toher, this solo project offers up dark and sonic electronic tunes that are the cat’s meow. Okay, I’m sorry for all the Cats references. But here we are. 

We had the pleasure to speak to pick Toher’s brain all things music and then some. Below, the producer gives insight into his creative process, his penchant for black and white, and reveals a similar interest in our feline friends. 

Scroll on, young grasshoppers. Scroll on. 

Some Questions with Public Memory

How does it feel looking back on your 2016 album "Wuthering Drum"? Are there any major differences in your life now?

I was working on that record when I was living in LA for a year from 2014-2015. So, 5.5 ish years ago when it began, naturally my life and the world too, was much different. On the personal side I thought I'd be in LA for a long time but after exactly one year I came back east. A common story I suppose, but after being back in NY for a few more years I also grew tired of living there and moved to new england, which is where I come from. I feel a lot more at home and inspired here. No disrespect to nyc, I'm only a couple of hours away by train and I'm there regularly. But it's nice to live and work on music in old spooky new england.

What was the creative process like working on your upcoming release?

I have some tracks I'm releasing over the fall/winter that are comprised of older/unreleased material, spanning from the first LP Wuthering Drum through until after the second LP called Demolition which came out last November. These to-be-released songs sort of represent the last installment in the "first era" of Public Memory, and now I'm working on a new LP that'll be a bit different. I'm using equipment I'm not used to and taking a new approach. New tools, new ideas, etc.

Where do you begin when layering a song together?

With percussion, almost always.

Do other forms of art inform your work? If so, who/what and how?

Film, writing, visual arts, others. I'd rather not name any as to place too much importance on them. But I'm inspired by a range of things of course. Music is also very visual for me, so that's always a part of my process. That idea of music being a place to visit. At least, that's what I'm thinking a lot about for the LP I'm planning for next year.

There is a black and white motif running through your album artworks. What drew you to this ascetic?

The b+w tone was initially set by Samantha Pease, who was in the live band for a time. She did the Wuthering Drum cover and she's been primarily behind all of the album artwork since. After Wuthering Drum I very much wanted to stick with the black and white feel. WD, a single called Gate At The End, the EP called Veil Of Counsel, the LP Demolition and finally, the artwork for the music I'm about to release. The next LP may or may not diverge from b+w.

When writing a song, do you privilege harmony, melody, or lyrics first?

I suppose melody because I rarely use vocal harmonies and I never write lyrics before I have a melody. Once I have enough musically/instrumentally, I usually just sort of react to what's there, finding melodies that come naturally. Later I refine them and figure out lyrics that fit. I can't imagine just having lyrics lying around and then adapting them into a song. I know it works for some people but that's never been right for me.

If you could give one animal species (besides people) the ability to fly which would it be? Why?

Cats, for obvious reasons.

What is your take on the current DIY electronic community in NYC?

I think it's getting better. For a while it felt very pastiche, very low hanging fruit, dime a dozen "goth" and "synth" / "coldwave" bands. Yawn. We went through a terrible period where everyone was just cosplaying their idols and it was boring as hell. Finally I think that wave has crested and people are starting to find their own voices again.

What instrument do you want to learn, if any?

The Piano