MULTIMEDIA ARTIST Wes Tank went viral this spring with his YouTube performances rapping Dr. Seuss books over Dr. Dre beats. Now he’s preparing to release his first album, Standard Diary, which also features members of the Milwaukee bands Field Report and The Fatty Acids. The full interview with Amelinda Burich of 88Nine is available at radiomilwaukee.org.
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You’re an artist working in a variety of media. Could you sum up everything you’re doing?
I’ve been using the terms cultural producer, and multimedia artist because I’m a filmmaker, editor, actor, drone pilot and producer.
Is Tank Think a catch-all for all those projects?
Tank Think is my company, dedicated to strengthening cultural ecosystems. I really care about the arts, literacy, government, social justice, health and the environment … everything that makes the planet a better place. I’m trying to make media that supports those things.
I’m in Milwaukee, so I should try to help it, to use my talents to make it a better city.
Can you talk about your upcoming release?
It’s something I’ve been working on since 2013. It was very much a soul without a body when I first recorded it. I filled up one specific notebook that said “Standard Diary” on the front of it. I got Atari Matrix synthesizer stuff and made an album around that with just vocals and synths. I spent a long time mixing layers of my voice.
I want to make a film of the thing. It’s going to be like an Alice in Wonderland with me in Brazil or something like that. The whole thing takes place while I’m getting a prescription filled. I’m at a pharmacy … and I break out my standard diary, and it opens into a whole ’nother world.
