Joel Korte
Anoka, MN
Chase Bliss Audio
chaseblissaudio.com
How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place?
I started playing guitar when I was 15 or so (17 years ago). I’d like think I have been a musician for much longer. I’m biased of course, but I remember composing some pretty cool music on “Mario Paint” for Super Nintendo (they had a cool little music making tool on that). I think I’ve pretty much always been interested in music.
Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present?
My brother, Koji Kondo, Boards of Canada, 90’s grunge era stuff, Neil Young, The Beatles, Kendrick Lamar, Wilco.
What led to the start of Chase Bliss Audio? How long have you been in business?
The big catalyst was my brother. He died in 2007, and it really made me re-think my life. He was really interested in this concept of following one’s bliss. It took his death to make me realize that I wasn’t following mine, and I had forgotten why I was interested in electrical engineering in the first place: music.
Chase Bliss Audio started selling pedals in December of 2013. We’ve got 3 full-time employees (including me), and we just added a part-time employee. We also have some independent contractors doing some work for us.
Did you have formal schooling, or are you self-taught? Take us through that story:
I graduated with a B.S.E.E in May of 2007, however I learned a great deal about guitar pedal electronics when I was working at ZVEX from 2008 until early 2013.
What drives you as far as new pedal creation is concerned? How long does it typically take for an idea to come full circle and become a demo pedal? What’s the process behind new gear, and the eventual release of it to the public?
I really want to make a thing that contributes something new and different to the sonic landscape. The development process changes from product to product, but it seems to take me 6 months to a 1 year to get something out these days. It’s a challenge to try and line up all of the promotion, demo, and marketing materials to coincide with the technical challenges of manufacturing and releasing something on time.
What are some of the biggest concerns facing your profession today?
I think our society does not place enough value in music. It is extraordinarily hard to make money as a musician. I think this can negatively affect the gear industry because it may lead to less quality music, and less ability for gear manufacturers to innovate.
Where do you see pedal building going in the future?
I think there will be more and more sophisticated digital emulations of classic circuits and hopefully some exploratory stuff as well. I think there will always be a place for analog circuits. There will probably be more companies that digitally control analog technology since there is still so much room for innovation there.
Who are some of your favorite builders in the industry right now?
Matthew Farrow, Steve Bragg, Christian Terjesen, Roy Zichri, Scott Monk.
Name the last 5 records you listened to:
1. Frank Ocean – Blonde
2. Wilco – Schmilco
3. Wye Oak – Tween
4. Band of Horses – Why Are You OK
5. Boards of Canada – Music Has the Right to Children
The Klon hype: Love it or Hate it?
Love it. I mean, I don’t like that it gets cloned all the time, but I think it’s cool when circuits get that famous and have a certain ‘lore’ associate with them.
Thanks so much to Joel for taking the time to answer some questions! Make sure to go check out chaseblissaudio.com to peruse all of their gear – Cheers!
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