We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Edem Elesh. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Edem below.
Hi Edem, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
This my favorite question but, at the same time, that’s a tough one to answer. Maybe we’re never sure of our purpose, but I’ll answer as if I know what I’m talking about. Here we go… The world I grew up in was a lot different than our current incarnation. Now it seems everybody wants to belong to some group or group-think. I never did. I’ve always walked in the opposite direction to where the crowd’s headed. This seemed instinctual and wholely natural to me. For this reason I was drawn to surfing and guitar. Seeing as I was attending boarding school in England at the time, this was a pole shift to the trajectory I was enrolled in. I was attracted to the originality and counter culture aspect of both. I saw these as the start on a path that would lead to an exciting future.When I returned to California, I played in many bands. The first of which was where I met my lifelong friend Brett Smith, who has journeyed with me for decades. He is my writing partner in KinderCrowdControl, but more about that later.
Anyway, one outfit was called Landscape Of Sound. We did well for a few years, being almost the house band at the now legendary Golden Bear in Huntington Beach. But, after hearing the music of my friend Chris Manecke and his outfit The Abecedarians (we’re still hanging), I broke away with Brett and formed Drowning Pool Music. In this incarnation we received much critical acclaim. But, as is often the story with groups, personnel problems caused an irreparable rift that resulted in me having a Satori one night; I realized I was enjoying creating our music covers and packaging more than dealing with the different personalities and band hassles. I applied to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and was accepted with a partial scholarship on the strength of the album covers and packaging I had designed (and which had garnered some notice in LA and European music magazines). Suddenly my life changed. Everything art was lucky for me, and I became aware of this. While there I studied under Roland Young. He was the art director at A&M Records in Hollywood, and was responsible for many iconic music covers. His understudy requirement for me was to create music again and design the packaging for whatever I composed. Music brought me to art; art returned me to music.
Since then, no matter what, art brings me great luck. When I create art now, I am aware that my responsibility is to be true to myself and create the best art and music I can. I’m conscious of creating a legacy of legend.
In fact, thanks to my first interview with Voyage LA in 2020, our music was discovered by a premiere music PR firm in Nashville Tennessee- BsquaredMGMT. We have worked with them quite a bit under the moniker KinderCrowdControl and, thanks to the wonderful hard working ladies there, our music has reached the ears of very prominent music industry figures who have been wowed by our sound: “like nothing else”. My purpose is to create art and music and demonstrate that being oneself in a world of “belonging” is a pursuit worth celebrating and following jealously. Hopefully, the result will be leaving the world a better place from my contributions. And loving every minute of it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Well I’m creating new art and actually have a solo show currently on display at a unique venue in Downtown LA called The Cooper Design Center. This will be up through May 26. My art took me last year to a Residency in Poland which was phenomenal. Special thanks to my great friend, and renowned Polish artist, Jacek Maslankiewicz for my invitation. It was while there creating my art alongside wonderful artists from Poland and Italy (shout out to my “sister-in-arts” Carla Viparelli), that I met Michal Soltan and his family. Michal Soltan is a well known Polish musician and performer. We hit it off and are now working together in KinderCrowdControl. He plans to come out to LA sometime this year and we’re going to see what develops. Amazing. Art and music dancing again! We’ve already released one track called Coyote Talk. It is our, what we like to call “transatlantic insanity”, which was created bouncing music back and forth between LA and Warsaw. Hats off to contemporary recording technology which makes composing music, while not being in the same physical space, a breeze. Crazy. I am also an ongoing Board Member of the IAA/USA, an arts organization that connects US artists together and creates opportunities through online and brick-and mortar exhibitions, as well as offering podcasts orientated towards art career building and the like. We are currently working on developing international exchange programs. Much like the ones that have so greatly benefitted my career. Giving back feels fabulous. I’m definitely celebrating this.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Focus, Determination, Faith. All components of great art, music, and a good and fruitful life. So, my advice? Focus on what you’re doing and where you want it to lead. Be Determined; let no one sway you from your course and remain true to yourself and your vision. Have Faith; with focus and determination, you’ll end up, if not where you thought you’d end up, but maybe, with a little luck, some place more wonderful than you could possibly have imagined. Really.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I am proud to say I have an extensive library which I’ve accumulated over the years. Many authors words have made an impact. Jack Kerouac for his love of America and his celebration of freedom. Jean Cocteau’s description of his meeting with Diaghilev who told him: “Astound Me”. Ernest Hemmingway’s melancholy description of his frugal and simple life in Paris before he became famous in “A Moveable Feast”. Anything by Charles Bukowski. He (Bukowski) taught me that it’s Ok to be outside the mainstream and to have guts and determination. “Guts over Talent” was one of his. Not to mention the message on his epitaph: “Don’t Try”. All these and many more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.edem-art.
com - Instagram: edem elesh and kindercrowdcontrol
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/adam.elesh.94/ and https://www.facebook.com/ KinderCrowdControl - Linkedin: edem elesh
- Youtube: edem elesh
- Other: kindercrowdcontrol.
bandcamp.com https://linktr. ee/kindercrowdcontrol - Cooper Design Space: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=kJC9R_AgPb0
Image Credits:
Brett Smith. All copy work.
