Check out our new feature called Inspiration is the Vibration where we talk to creative humans that inspire us. This is a space where they can talk about the music that enlightens their creative vision. Now step into the mind of Travis Egedy of ALIEN BODY. It’s pretty rad to hear from him about the music and people that inspired his brand Alien Body, his love for horror, merch designs, and his really powerful music.
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What five albums define the ethos of your brand?
SUICIDE – Suicide (1977)
Suicide was so far ahead of their time and just so RAW. This album is so incredible and just pure NYC street poetry… literally before everything. They are DIY art in its purest form. This band was really influential on my own music and some of their early show flyers were the inspiration for a recent T Shirt I did with Alien Body. I’m just a massive fan.
COMPANY FLOW – Funcrusher Plus (1997)
This has been one of my all-time favorite records for basically my entire life. I first heard it when I was in Jr. High. It’s entirely original and undeniably experimental and creative. It captures this raw New York underground energy. Independent and uncompromising. Hugely influential to me. It still sounds fresh and futuristic today, and I still listen to it all the time.
PRURIENT – Bermuda Drain (2011)
Prurient is probably my favorite artist. This album really just blew my head off when I first heard it. It’s so powerful and emotional. I have amazing memories of listening to this on headphones traveling around Europe by myself through foggy countrysides on trains. I have so much respect for him as an artist and performer.
Wagner Ödegård — Om Undergång Och De Tretton Järtekn (2019)
I don’t know much about Wagner Odegard except that he is from Sweden. I found his records at this incredible noise/black metal/industrial record shop in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. This is one of my favorite records from the past few years. Odegard’s music has such an incredible texture… I feel like I can just get lost in the waves of distortion and melody that he creates. just fantastic, raw lo-fi beautiful punk as fuck black metal.
Mortiis – Ånden som gjorde opprør (1994)
The original Goblin. I am really a huge fan of dungeon synth, and no one does it better than the originator, Mortiis. I even named my pet beta fish after him. His fantastical and dark atmospheres and worlds that he builds in his songs are a big artistic inspiration to me artistically. A true master of his craft.
What two historic events or subcultures impact your brand?
I think getting to work with the clothing brand Mishka in NYC around 2013-2014 was super influential to me starting my own brand, which later became Alien Body. Also working closely with the brand Actual Pain at the same time. I saw what those brands were doing and it really inspired me, and they were very encouraging to me as well. I would say that, and just being a touring musician. Traveling and performing on stage, selling t-shirts at shows, meeting people all over the world.
If you could give one piece of advice to a young person thinking of getting into clothing design, what would it be?
Work hard! Don’t stress about getting popular overnight. Just focus on making great work. Learn how to network and work with other people. Collaborate! And make work from your heart and do it because you are passionate about doing it. No other reason.
