By Keith Walsh
Guitarist James “Jac” Aranda of Media Jeweler first played music on the euphonium, a tuba shaped instrument with the range of trombone, in the fourth grade. Since that time, he’s worked on a number of projects, solo and with Media Jeweler. His guitar style in that band is somewhat experimental, so I asked him about the minimalist approach that is his trademark.

“I don’t think a whole lot about theory while we’re playing,” he says. “It’s all sort of just a reaction to everything else that’s going on.” I hear echoes of great 80s new wave guitarists, of African music, and even Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band in Aranda’s playing. Aranda says that for the latest album by Media Jeweler, The Sublime Sculpture Of Being, released this year but recorded in 2019 in Omaha’s Enamel Studio, he was channeling his emotions over the end of a romantic relationship. “I think I had a little bit different of an experience than everyone else,” he says. “Because I was living there (in Omaha). We broke up while we were working on the record…I mean, I think it can kind of came out, and you can express a lot of frustration, musically, more effectively.”

Aranda is a photographer and visual artist, and in addition to Media Jeweler he has released music his own style of psychedelic and post-punk music on Bandcamp, including the expressionistic A Split With Myself, featuring his friend Megan Siebe on violin, viola, and cello. Ananda calls it “bedroom music and vocals.” Like a true artist, Ananda is constantly revising. “I think I’m going to retitle (them)…the first half is going to be called Beautiful Music, which is the name of the first track and then the second half is going to be call Annoying Noise, which is the last song on the second half.”

Jac Aranda On Bandcamp
James Aranda On Facebook
MediaJeweler.com
Media Jeweler On Facebook

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