I bet you were starting to think that my blog description was a lie. That there was never going to be inverview on this site! Well, if you're reading this I can guarantee you that there will be at least one interview (we'll see if an s is warranted in the future) because Mike Park of Asian Man Records (and Skankin' Pickle, Chinkees, Bruce Lee Band, Ogikubo Station, solo..solo kids, Kitty Kat Fan Club....[and I'm in Love With a Girl Named Spike "A Degrassi Podcast]) graciously agreed to let me interview him (via email [which I've found may not be the ideal interview format but that was my choice..I figured it'd be easiest to schedule around]). I was pretty excited when he agreed to the interview so hopefully you're just as excited to read it..so without further ado...
(the text below hightlighted in green are follow up musings, questions, etc. that weren't part of my initial interview email and I'm guessing may have gotten lost in the email shuffle [as mentioned below, Mike's free time is limited {and I truly appreciate that he took some time out of it to answer some of my salty questions]})
(Bold is Marc, Standard is Mike Park)
First off, thanks for agreeing to this interview.
Music/AMR Questions
Whats your favourite non punk/rock/ska album?
Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge over troubled water"
What's your favourite ska album?
Specials S/T
Do you have a favourite album or EP that you have played on?
Ogikubo Station "we can pretend like"
(I wonder if the cat makeup that Mike and Maura wore on the "..pretend like" jacket cover intended to foreshadow Mike's next release..or maybe they're just really into cats?)
What's the best album that Asian Man/Dill didn't put out, but you had the opportunity and turned it down?
Not sure 100% if it would have happened but AT THE DRIVE IN gave me their demos in the early 90's and I just didn't like it. But the live show was amazing. I blew it.
I don't know if you blew it or not, I've actually never taken the time to check out AT THE DRIVE IN. (Does anybody out there have an album recommendation? Let me know @saltybag204 on Instagram)
Did you intend on making my (music) year by releasing a Kitty Kat Fan Club LP?
Oh yes. It's all done and coming out in either late April/early May
Nice. (as an upate: Kitty Kat Fan Club's debut album Dreamy Little You is now up for pre-order on Asian Man Records online store [side follow up, if {like me} you missed out on the first pressing of Gilman Street Ripoff {dookie tribute album} the site now says that a second pressing is in the works and you can supply your email to be notified when it's up for sale)
I recall reading an interview in the past that (paraphrasing), you've (almost) always avoided bandwagon releases, you've stuck to putting out music that you liked and/or by people that you liked. With that said, one could read into the longevity of Asian Man Records as an attestation that the combination of your ethics and taste are pretty much impeccable. Does this taste carry on to your choice in salty snacks?
Of coure. I'm (I don't?) have the saltiest taste buds, but I know what's good!!
Chip Questions
What is your favourite base chip? (potato ['standard' fried, baked, kettle cooked], corn, multi-grain, sweet potato, beet, parsnip, carrot, etc)
Potato
What is your favourite chip seasoning? Not a specific brand but a general flavour. (current or discontinued [or if you'd like your favourite current and your favourite discontinued])
For seasoning I'll go all in and go for the flamin hot cheetos. Cause they're not really flamin hot, but a bit of spike and it's just yummy
Have you tried Lay's Flamin' Hot? (I'm not sure if they're regional/seasonal or not, I picked some up when I was in Oklahoma March 2018) It's been a while since I've had flamin hot cheetos (I don't believe we have them in Canada) but they might be similar. I haven't posted the review yet, but the noted in my phone say, "flavourful heat that sytraddles the line between enjoyable and a challenge"
What is your favourite bag of chips? (brand, flavour, style) Can you please explain why they are your favourite?
The original lays potato chip is the best salty snack in the world. There's no frills. It's so thin and just full of salt and flavor.
That's actually kind of surprising. For some reason I would have thought that from your ska background you'd be into chips with a bit more frills (maybe there isn't a 100% direct correlation between chips and music [haha])..though now that I think about it original Lays could pair well with Ogikubo...
I used to think that there were standard chip seasonings or flavours, then I realized that at minimum ketchup, and all dressed chips are both typically Canadian (are dill pickle and salt & vinegar regional flavours as well?). Standards appear to be a national if not regional thing. What have you found to be the standard chip flavours?
They seem to be getting more of the crazy flavours in the US, but it's usually your boring fare of sour cream and onion, bbq, salt and vinegar, and i've been seeing dill pickle pop up more and more.
What's the oddest, enjoyable, chip that you have come across as a touring musician? What's the oddest chips that you've seen but passed on trying?
In England they had Yorkshire pudding chips, but it just tasted like potato chips with a little sweet to it. I had chicken and waffles chips, but again just tasted like chips with a bit of sweetness.
I didn't try the Yorkshire pudding chips when I was there..were they Walkers? I really dig me some Worchestershire (spelling differs depending on brand) from the UK. I thoroughly enjoyed the Lays Chicken and Waffles (I'm assuming that you're talking about the Lays Do Us a Flavor ones), I'd probably place them in the top 5 Do Us a Flavour/Flavor of all time.
What is more important, the base chip or the seasoning?
The base chip for sure. A good base chip with salt and BAM!!!!
Are there any "extra" (heavily) seasoned chips in the US?
I think takis go pretty heavy on the seasoning. I do like the really hot fuego takis. And then you'll get one with just a block of seasoning that didn't get distributed properly and then you're just eating straight seasoning. That's like a bonus.
My mouth is watering just thinking about a seasoning bomb. We just started getting Takis in Canada a year or so ago so I'm just getting acquainted with them. Do you drink/shotguy (whatever you want to call it) the bottom of a chip bag to get every last bit of seasoning/chip crumbs out?
Back in the mid aughts in Canada, Old Dutch had a Rave chip line that was heavily seasoned chips. Did you ever try these on tour? (I miss their extra salt & vinegar, and their buffalo wing chips)
Oh my... if I did I can't recall
You're lucky. They still haunt my dreams, haha.
What are your feeling towards Jalapeno Dill Chips? Have you ever had any? If yes, what brand were they?
I don't know if i've had the combination of jalapeno and dill. I've definitely had dill and i've had jalapeno, but not sure if i've had them combined. Sounds like a magical marriage.
Canadian co-op stores used to produce a jalap dill ridged chip but they discontinued them about 5 years ago, that was a real bummer. Do you think the co-op made a huge mistake by eliminating this chip flavour fro their chip line?
Even though I haven't tried them, I believe the sound of them to be wonderful and therefore they made a huge mistake.
Do you consider Pringle's to be chips/acceptable chips?
I should say no, but i've eaten my share of pringles. Especially when I was a real little kid. I used to love em, but I don't buy them these days
We all make mistakes when we're kids, the good thing is that it sounds like you learned from your, haha. The best thing I can say about Pringles is that the few posts that I've written about them were really fun to write.
How do you feel about dipping seasoned chips? In my experience some people find it odd to dip flavoured chips..(ketchup chips into dill pickle dip, or barbeque chips into chili). Have you encountered the same dipping practices or is this regional?
I don't like dipping anything but torilla chips. I believe the potato chip stands on it's own. What do you think? And when dipping a tortilla chip it has to be just a plain salted chip. Nacho cheese or ranch tortilla chips are not good for dipping.
I think that there is a substantial portion of the world missing out on great joy by not dipping flavoured chips. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe people should dip chips every time they consume them, but pairing seasoned chips and dip gives you a nice change of pace. If you're into the vinegar spectrum, I would highly recommend at least once trying salt & vinegar, or ketchup (will be difficult as an American) chips into dill pickle dip (homemade dill pickle dip is tight, but Phili dip is also good). Or even Doritos Sweet Chili Heat (I think they're Spicy Sweet Chili in the States) into salsa. (on a site note, if you haven't before, try storing corn chips in the freezer [I've never tried plain corn chips from the freezer, but Sweet Chili Heat/Dill Pickle/Ketchup Doritos are top notch from the freezer])
Are there any Korean chips or salty snacks that you are aware of and would recommend?
I tried a korean bbq doritos, but it didn't taste like korean bbq. It just tasted like a thick seasoning of salt and some sweetness.
Degrassi Questions
Did you watch Degrassi during it's original run? Based on I'm In Love With a Girl Named Spike (both the podcast and the song) I'm thinking you were an early American adopter.
Most definitely. It played on pbs and I was addicted at an early age.
As a Canadian I heard Gowan's songs all over the radio when I was growing up (CanCon) and their songs were featured heavily through Degrassi Jr/High's run. First of all, are you aware of the band Gowan? If yes, did they have any cross border success possibly as a result of Degrassi?
I am not familiar with gowan. But they could have been popular here in the 80's? But I wouldn't know.
You should check him/them out, you'll probably start to notice his songs on Degrassi once you hear his voice. His greatest hits cd is quite enjoyable..(but maybe that's just because it triggers memories of childhood for me)
Did you find it odd that Joey was made out to be a bit of a bad boy (especially in the Jr high years [skateboard, kickass rock band]) yet they didn't cast his character as a punker? Why do you think there was no real male counter to Spike and Liz? (It's been a minute since I've watched either series, but I don't think the Irish guy that was Spikes love interest was much of a punker..was he?)
Not sure why there was no male punks. They did have Claude the Goth guy who killed himself and then they had that Irish/british guy who like spike who was into the smiths and stuff like that. But no GBH/EXPLOITED PUNK.
Do you follow any Degrassi podcasts? It has been hard to find an OG Degrassi based pod, the only other one that I found was a handful of years ago that the format was similar to yours and called "Back To Degrassi" (and everytime that you say back to Degrassi after a tangent on I'm in Love With a Girl Named Spike, the other pod's theme song plays through my head) however they went on unannounced hiatus after Jr High ended. Do you plan on crossing over into the High series?
Unfortunately I have not listened to any other Degrassi podcasts. I should, but I have so little extra time, that I am constantly struggling to keep up with my day to day duties. We will definitely finish the 5 seasons with the original jr high through high school.
Completely understandable that you might be a little short on time. I'm really looking forward to a podcast covering High.
I'd like to think that on an alternate earth, Degrassi Jr High would have been used to jumpstart an IRL Zit Remedy album. That'd be tight, right?
Sure, but even by the end of high school, they still only had that one song. Ha ha
Haha, good point. But one song is half of a single..so they were halfway to being able to release a 45. I'd buy a Zit Remedy 45. Is it just me or is it criminal that Craig's band didn't cover Everybody Want's Something in TNG?
Did you get into TNG? (either when it came out or retroactively)
I did. I actually really enjoyed the first few seasons, but now there's so many seasons and i'm just so behind on everything.
It was good, but eventually TNG hit a point where episodes felt like they were repeating old TNG stories. It sort of ate it's own tail around season 8 or 9. ( I haven't even touched the netflix series either, combo of overload and something about episode names with # at the start turned me off).
What flavour of chips (real or yet to be manufactured) do you think would go well with the Gourmet Scum?
Gourmet Scum would be the sponsor of the BOLLOCKS CHIP!! Which would be a beyond spicy chip. Like real FIRE!
That really makes me want to hear the Gourmet Scum
You have had a prolific career in music that's spanned many genres and had some concept albums/bands, what are the chances that you are going to make a concept album performing as the Gourmet Scum? Maybe with your fellow podcasters??
ha ha. . I'd love to do some degrassi themed music, but if I ever end up doing anything it will probably be just to cover the zits only song EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING!!!!
Please do. It could be tacked onto the SMile follow up..or you know any other album..or a 45, haha. I've had the perfect Degrassi themed band name picked out for years, I just haven't taken the time to actually write any of the songs yet..but it all starts with a great band name right?
On your future Gourmet Scum EP, what are the titles of the 6 tracks going to be?
If that were to happen it would be all chip related:
1. SALT THAT CHIP
2. NOT ENOUGH SALT ON THAT CHIP
3. NEED WATER, CHIP WAS SALTY
4. CHIPS CHIPS CHIPS
5. CHIPS FOR SALE
6. I'M IN LOVE WITH A GIRL NAMED CHIP
Hahaha, well done. Good luck on your Degrassi Palooza trip and Ogikubo Tour. I'll do some plugs for Mike.
Marc
(the text below hightlighted in green are follow up musings, questions, etc. that weren't part of my initial interview email and I'm guessing may have gotten lost in the email shuffle [as mentioned below, Mike's free time is limited {and I truly appreciate that he took some time out of it to answer some of my salty questions]})
(Bold is Marc, Standard is Mike Park)
First off, thanks for agreeing to this interview.
Music/AMR Questions
Whats your favourite non punk/rock/ska album?
Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge over troubled water"
What's your favourite ska album?
Specials S/T
Do you have a favourite album or EP that you have played on?
Ogikubo Station "we can pretend like"
(I wonder if the cat makeup that Mike and Maura wore on the "..pretend like" jacket cover intended to foreshadow Mike's next release..or maybe they're just really into cats?)
What's the best album that Asian Man/Dill didn't put out, but you had the opportunity and turned it down?
Not sure 100% if it would have happened but AT THE DRIVE IN gave me their demos in the early 90's and I just didn't like it. But the live show was amazing. I blew it.
I don't know if you blew it or not, I've actually never taken the time to check out AT THE DRIVE IN. (Does anybody out there have an album recommendation? Let me know @saltybag204 on Instagram)
Did you intend on making my (music) year by releasing a Kitty Kat Fan Club LP?
Oh yes. It's all done and coming out in either late April/early May
Nice. (as an upate: Kitty Kat Fan Club's debut album Dreamy Little You is now up for pre-order on Asian Man Records online store [side follow up, if {like me} you missed out on the first pressing of Gilman Street Ripoff {dookie tribute album} the site now says that a second pressing is in the works and you can supply your email to be notified when it's up for sale)
I recall reading an interview in the past that (paraphrasing), you've (almost) always avoided bandwagon releases, you've stuck to putting out music that you liked and/or by people that you liked. With that said, one could read into the longevity of Asian Man Records as an attestation that the combination of your ethics and taste are pretty much impeccable. Does this taste carry on to your choice in salty snacks?
Of coure. I'm (I don't?) have the saltiest taste buds, but I know what's good!!
Chip Questions
What is your favourite base chip? (potato ['standard' fried, baked, kettle cooked], corn, multi-grain, sweet potato, beet, parsnip, carrot, etc)
Potato
What is your favourite chip seasoning? Not a specific brand but a general flavour. (current or discontinued [or if you'd like your favourite current and your favourite discontinued])
For seasoning I'll go all in and go for the flamin hot cheetos. Cause they're not really flamin hot, but a bit of spike and it's just yummy
Have you tried Lay's Flamin' Hot? (I'm not sure if they're regional/seasonal or not, I picked some up when I was in Oklahoma March 2018) It's been a while since I've had flamin hot cheetos (I don't believe we have them in Canada) but they might be similar. I haven't posted the review yet, but the noted in my phone say, "flavourful heat that sytraddles the line between enjoyable and a challenge"
What is your favourite bag of chips? (brand, flavour, style) Can you please explain why they are your favourite?
The original lays potato chip is the best salty snack in the world. There's no frills. It's so thin and just full of salt and flavor.
That's actually kind of surprising. For some reason I would have thought that from your ska background you'd be into chips with a bit more frills (maybe there isn't a 100% direct correlation between chips and music [haha])..though now that I think about it original Lays could pair well with Ogikubo...
I used to think that there were standard chip seasonings or flavours, then I realized that at minimum ketchup, and all dressed chips are both typically Canadian (are dill pickle and salt & vinegar regional flavours as well?). Standards appear to be a national if not regional thing. What have you found to be the standard chip flavours?
They seem to be getting more of the crazy flavours in the US, but it's usually your boring fare of sour cream and onion, bbq, salt and vinegar, and i've been seeing dill pickle pop up more and more.
What's the oddest, enjoyable, chip that you have come across as a touring musician? What's the oddest chips that you've seen but passed on trying?
In England they had Yorkshire pudding chips, but it just tasted like potato chips with a little sweet to it. I had chicken and waffles chips, but again just tasted like chips with a bit of sweetness.
I didn't try the Yorkshire pudding chips when I was there..were they Walkers? I really dig me some Worchestershire (spelling differs depending on brand) from the UK. I thoroughly enjoyed the Lays Chicken and Waffles (I'm assuming that you're talking about the Lays Do Us a Flavor ones), I'd probably place them in the top 5 Do Us a Flavour/Flavor of all time.
What is more important, the base chip or the seasoning?
The base chip for sure. A good base chip with salt and BAM!!!!
Are there any "extra" (heavily) seasoned chips in the US?
I think takis go pretty heavy on the seasoning. I do like the really hot fuego takis. And then you'll get one with just a block of seasoning that didn't get distributed properly and then you're just eating straight seasoning. That's like a bonus.
My mouth is watering just thinking about a seasoning bomb. We just started getting Takis in Canada a year or so ago so I'm just getting acquainted with them. Do you drink/shotguy (whatever you want to call it) the bottom of a chip bag to get every last bit of seasoning/chip crumbs out?
Back in the mid aughts in Canada, Old Dutch had a Rave chip line that was heavily seasoned chips. Did you ever try these on tour? (I miss their extra salt & vinegar, and their buffalo wing chips)
Oh my... if I did I can't recall
You're lucky. They still haunt my dreams, haha.
What are your feeling towards Jalapeno Dill Chips? Have you ever had any? If yes, what brand were they?
I don't know if i've had the combination of jalapeno and dill. I've definitely had dill and i've had jalapeno, but not sure if i've had them combined. Sounds like a magical marriage.
Canadian co-op stores used to produce a jalap dill ridged chip but they discontinued them about 5 years ago, that was a real bummer. Do you think the co-op made a huge mistake by eliminating this chip flavour fro their chip line?
Even though I haven't tried them, I believe the sound of them to be wonderful and therefore they made a huge mistake.
Do you consider Pringle's to be chips/acceptable chips?
I should say no, but i've eaten my share of pringles. Especially when I was a real little kid. I used to love em, but I don't buy them these days
We all make mistakes when we're kids, the good thing is that it sounds like you learned from your, haha. The best thing I can say about Pringles is that the few posts that I've written about them were really fun to write.
How do you feel about dipping seasoned chips? In my experience some people find it odd to dip flavoured chips..(ketchup chips into dill pickle dip, or barbeque chips into chili). Have you encountered the same dipping practices or is this regional?
I don't like dipping anything but torilla chips. I believe the potato chip stands on it's own. What do you think? And when dipping a tortilla chip it has to be just a plain salted chip. Nacho cheese or ranch tortilla chips are not good for dipping.
I think that there is a substantial portion of the world missing out on great joy by not dipping flavoured chips. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe people should dip chips every time they consume them, but pairing seasoned chips and dip gives you a nice change of pace. If you're into the vinegar spectrum, I would highly recommend at least once trying salt & vinegar, or ketchup (will be difficult as an American) chips into dill pickle dip (homemade dill pickle dip is tight, but Phili dip is also good). Or even Doritos Sweet Chili Heat (I think they're Spicy Sweet Chili in the States) into salsa. (on a site note, if you haven't before, try storing corn chips in the freezer [I've never tried plain corn chips from the freezer, but Sweet Chili Heat/Dill Pickle/Ketchup Doritos are top notch from the freezer])
Are there any Korean chips or salty snacks that you are aware of and would recommend?
I tried a korean bbq doritos, but it didn't taste like korean bbq. It just tasted like a thick seasoning of salt and some sweetness.
Degrassi Questions
Did you watch Degrassi during it's original run? Based on I'm In Love With a Girl Named Spike (both the podcast and the song) I'm thinking you were an early American adopter.
Most definitely. It played on pbs and I was addicted at an early age.
As a Canadian I heard Gowan's songs all over the radio when I was growing up (CanCon) and their songs were featured heavily through Degrassi Jr/High's run. First of all, are you aware of the band Gowan? If yes, did they have any cross border success possibly as a result of Degrassi?
I am not familiar with gowan. But they could have been popular here in the 80's? But I wouldn't know.
You should check him/them out, you'll probably start to notice his songs on Degrassi once you hear his voice. His greatest hits cd is quite enjoyable..(but maybe that's just because it triggers memories of childhood for me)
Did you find it odd that Joey was made out to be a bit of a bad boy (especially in the Jr high years [skateboard, kickass rock band]) yet they didn't cast his character as a punker? Why do you think there was no real male counter to Spike and Liz? (It's been a minute since I've watched either series, but I don't think the Irish guy that was Spikes love interest was much of a punker..was he?)
Not sure why there was no male punks. They did have Claude the Goth guy who killed himself and then they had that Irish/british guy who like spike who was into the smiths and stuff like that. But no GBH/EXPLOITED PUNK.
Do you follow any Degrassi podcasts? It has been hard to find an OG Degrassi based pod, the only other one that I found was a handful of years ago that the format was similar to yours and called "Back To Degrassi" (and everytime that you say back to Degrassi after a tangent on I'm in Love With a Girl Named Spike, the other pod's theme song plays through my head) however they went on unannounced hiatus after Jr High ended. Do you plan on crossing over into the High series?
Unfortunately I have not listened to any other Degrassi podcasts. I should, but I have so little extra time, that I am constantly struggling to keep up with my day to day duties. We will definitely finish the 5 seasons with the original jr high through high school.
Completely understandable that you might be a little short on time. I'm really looking forward to a podcast covering High.
I'd like to think that on an alternate earth, Degrassi Jr High would have been used to jumpstart an IRL Zit Remedy album. That'd be tight, right?
Sure, but even by the end of high school, they still only had that one song. Ha ha
Haha, good point. But one song is half of a single..so they were halfway to being able to release a 45. I'd buy a Zit Remedy 45. Is it just me or is it criminal that Craig's band didn't cover Everybody Want's Something in TNG?
Did you get into TNG? (either when it came out or retroactively)
I did. I actually really enjoyed the first few seasons, but now there's so many seasons and i'm just so behind on everything.
It was good, but eventually TNG hit a point where episodes felt like they were repeating old TNG stories. It sort of ate it's own tail around season 8 or 9. ( I haven't even touched the netflix series either, combo of overload and something about episode names with # at the start turned me off).
What flavour of chips (real or yet to be manufactured) do you think would go well with the Gourmet Scum?
Gourmet Scum would be the sponsor of the BOLLOCKS CHIP!! Which would be a beyond spicy chip. Like real FIRE!
That really makes me want to hear the Gourmet Scum
You have had a prolific career in music that's spanned many genres and had some concept albums/bands, what are the chances that you are going to make a concept album performing as the Gourmet Scum? Maybe with your fellow podcasters??
ha ha. . I'd love to do some degrassi themed music, but if I ever end up doing anything it will probably be just to cover the zits only song EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING!!!!
Please do. It could be tacked onto the SMile follow up..or you know any other album..or a 45, haha. I've had the perfect Degrassi themed band name picked out for years, I just haven't taken the time to actually write any of the songs yet..but it all starts with a great band name right?
On your future Gourmet Scum EP, what are the titles of the 6 tracks going to be?
If that were to happen it would be all chip related:
1. SALT THAT CHIP
2. NOT ENOUGH SALT ON THAT CHIP
3. NEED WATER, CHIP WAS SALTY
4. CHIPS CHIPS CHIPS
5. CHIPS FOR SALE
6. I'M IN LOVE WITH A GIRL NAMED CHIP
Hahaha, well done. Good luck on your Degrassi Palooza trip and Ogikubo Tour. I'll do some plugs for Mike.
- Ogikubo Station (who released a fantastic album last year mentioned and linked up top) is touring up to Pouzza Fest May 12, 13, 14 and aso playing Pouzza. Then in June they're hoping across the pond and touring all over the UK.
- Kitty Kat Fan Club's debut LP is up for pre-sale and out May 31
- Asian Man Records is constantly putting out quality music for great prices with friendly and efficient service
Marc
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