- What's a San Francisco accent?

- I think it's a little faster, and I think it's more factual.

I think there's fact with San Francisco, it's about fact.

This is truth.

This is real.

This is present tense, San Francisco.

Now.

- Welcome to Forum.

I'm Mina Kim.

Fred Armisen, best known for Saturday Night Live, Portlandia, and playing Uncle Fester on the series, Wednesday, is also really intrigued by the way things sound.

From sort of pure sounds like the needle on a record to the sounds of specific scenarios, like when room service arrives and reveals your food.

Ooh!

He's collected a hundred or so of these sounds on a new album called "100 Sound Effects" and Fred Armisen joins me now welcome to Forum, Fred.

- Hi.

Thanks for having me.

- So glad to have you.

That room service one we just heard.

What were you wanting to capture with that?

- There's something about, I feel like those, the covers that they have are always pretty loud.

You know, the, those metal covers, no matter what if it's early in the morning.

So it's just, it, it's almost like it's part of the ritual of getting room service is that that dome, that metal dome, - Right.

And always that "ooh" is sort of the, when they're like raising it, it's almost like something that you would naturally say as if they're presenting something incredibly special to you.

Right?

- Yeah.

Or, or even when you do it yourself.

So let, let's say they bring it in and then you, no matter what's there, I think you just say, Ooh.

Like, even if it's just a grilled cheese sandwich, even if it's just fries, just the fact that it's it's showed up in your room is enough to say, Ooh, it's not, it doesn't have to be fancy.

- Right.

And that was a pretty short one.

But you have these longer sort of scenarios too.

Almost like a, you know, that one was like a mini sketch, but then you have ones that last quite a bit longer, like "Music Venue Employee Kicking Everyone Out While Throwing Away Bottles."

Let's hear a little bit of that one.

- If you're not with the band.

Please leave match.

We're closed.

Out you go.

If you don't have an orange wrist band, please leave.

If you're not with the venue or the crew, please leave.

We are closed out you go.

- So first of all, is that you?

That's me - That is your voice?

- Yeah.

Yes.

- I had no idea when someone suggested to me that that was you.

I was like, wait a second.

That is not him.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

It's, you know, that, that, that impatience because people are still hanging around and so this person really wants to go home.

- Right.

- Like, please leave out.

You go.

And it's, it's a, it's like a repetitive tone so that it's annoying enough that everyone really does say, I I guess we should leave.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

You had to get that tone just right.

Did a lot of work go into getting that particular piece of sound?

- That one, yes.

Because I did these mostly in recording studios and to get the layers there, there's a lot.

I, I didn't, I, I didn't, I, I kind of assumed that those sounds would just be there.

But then as I'm building these layers, I, I realized, oh yeah, I need the sound of patrons at the bar.

I need the sound of bottles just can't be a, you know, a singular bottle going into a a, a trash can.

It has to sound like they're piling on top.

So a little bit, and, and I thought it would be easy.

I, I actually went in thinking all I have to do is say, please leave over and over.

And then I realized that there has to be a lot more going on - And, and that happened a lot.

Right.

That recording sounds that you thought would be relatively simple to get actually ended up being really challenging.

- Oh, yes.

And maybe that's a good surprise.

But I, especially with outdoor things or anything that has a constant noise going through it, like the sound on an airplane, there's so many sounds on a plane, on a flight that I just, I kind of took for granted would just be there.

But there's a lot of small talk.

There's just a, there are a lot of bins closing, bins opening.

There's a lot of like clicking going on in, on planes and, and conversation.

People on their own phone conversations, people talking to each other, the flight attendants.

There's a lot, a lot, a lot.

And little dings and little bings and things going on and camping.

That, that took a lot, many layers.

- Yeah.

- Of sounds, of birds and, and things like that - Because there's just so much you can't account for, even when you could account for it, like with wine glass breaking.

- Yeah.

- It was hard to like, isolate the perfect wine glass breaking sound?

- Oh yeah.

It was like, I went to this place where you could smash glass.

It's, it's for entertainment.

It's a place in the valley where it's almost like laser tag.

You go and you can break plates and mugs and things and you, you wear a jumpsuit.

- Yeah.

- But the sound of a glass breaking if you do it for real, if I, if I really did use a champagne glass or what are those called?

Flutes.

They barely sound like anything.

It's a, it, it, it didn't register as a sound of broken glass on the recording, it just sounded like, so those, I had to sort of fake that was a bigger glass disguised as a smaller glass as a cham-, whatever, a wine glass or whatever where it would be a drinking glass.

And then that's what I had to use.

So that's false advertising, I guess.

- Well, so how did you balance that actually, the idea of wanting to get sort of these pure sounds, but then at the same time, you know, having to create a scenario where the expectation of that sound would meet?

- I, I would say it was the sound comes first.

Like it was most important that it was, it sounded accurate to the listener.

And then the title, I think that the power of suggestion of, if I say if the title is wine glass or, or, or whatever, then that, that should be enough to sort of picture it in your head that or whatever, if that's 50% of it is what the title is.

- We're talking with Fred Armisen about his new album of sound effects, which capture sounds like a wine glass breaking or sometimes overlooked sounds at music venues, camping, airplanes.

Listeners, what's a sound you'd record or would want to have in a sound effect library decades from now?

Or what do you wanna ask or tell Fred Armisen?

You can tell us by emailing forum@kqed.org, finding us on Discord, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or Threads @KQEDforum or by calling (866) 733-6786.

Is there a Fred Arman character or joke that you frequently reference or maybe a sound effect you want Fred to try to make live on Air?

- I could try my best.

Sure.

- Yeah, tell me why you wanted to do this, like, why you wanted to create an album of sound effects.

- It was just, you know, I think audiences they need it.

That, you know, no, I I, it was just, I kind of was just thinking about them in existence in my whole life and, and in your life, you know, there sound effects records have, you know, they're just, they've just been around, especially around Halloween.

There'll be Halloween sound effects.

And it was just a sort of like a curiosity.

Like where are those albums?

Where's the new one?

Where do they come from?

And the more it kept presenting itself to me in my head, I just thought, well, why don't I just do a little, why don't I just do a few sound effects?

Let's see what that's like.

And then it just kind of kept going from there.

It had its own momentum and then I treated it seriously, as opposed to just doing a few recordings and it being a joke.

I thought, what if I really approach this like a serious project and really record and really go to a recording studio?

Don't just do it on my phone.

Then it, it'll force me to put some, you know, I don't know, quality control into it.

Then it'll force me to try to, and, and it did the, the more I kept recording, the more I saw what was missing.

So I would do, like, the music ones were easy in concept.

So if there was a music venue, if there's a, there's one that's like a music store, like guitar center bands, tuning up all that stuff.

Great.

Those, I knocked out at a couple days, but then I realized I need some outdoor ones.

These all sound like they're in a studio.

Where are the, you know, camping ones?

And then how about travel?

How about airplanes?

How about, you know, going to other, other countries.

So I just kept finding what was missing and, and filling that in.

- And, and so that's essentially how you were choosing the sounds that you would include in there.

I heard that you were hoping that it, it's sort of like a sound library.

Yeah.

Like people would turn to it as a reference.

- Sure.

Because it might be, you know, fun for, for now.

But I hope that, you know, in 20 years it's something that could be sort of useful for something time specific, you know, the way that car doors close or something like that.

And then for the present day, yeah, I mean it's, it's a wish, you know, it's, it's a hope that someone will use some of these recordings.

And the camping one specifically, I did those with Tim Heidecker.

And my hope for those is that someone will use it as background noise as, so if there's a scene of, let's, let's say there's a scene of someone being stranded in the forest and they say, wait, I hear there are campers over there.

That's all you need.

It's, it wouldn't be front and center.

It's just an effect for, you know, a bigger scene.

- Well, we pulled the car door closing car rental one.

So I just wanna play that really fast.

Sure.

- Yeah.

It's locked?

No... Ah, there we go.

- So, so is that an example of, of trying to capture a moment in time as well?

'cause you mentioned car door closing in that context.

- Ye- not really.

It, it's not, it could, if we listen to it focused on it, then yes.

But the idea is if there's a scene where someone's renting a, that should, that could be in the background, that's in the background of a scene where there's a, I don't know, a car rental parking lot and you hear someone still struggling with their, their car or whatever.

Or maybe it's a wedding and someone rented a car.

It's something that's sort of played in the background.

A as far as observation, it, it, I guess it, I guess it could be.

It's more how we act around car rental doors.

I I, in my opinion, and we could turn this into a debate, but in, in my opinion, with car rentals, we're all very careful.

Like, we're very careful.

Did I close it?

I don't wanna break it.

This isn't mine.

I think it's locked.

'cause it's usually like a newer version of locking, so, oh, I think it, it locked automatically or it didn't.

So it's, it's that kind of thing.

There's a, as opposed to our own cars, where we kind of slam it a little easier and we, we know when it's locked.

- So it's, it's really about also noticing human, human nature and how we would respond in certain moments.

Right.

That's also what you're capturing.

- Yeah.

I like, like in teeny little slivers.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, we're coming up on a break again.

Let me remind listeners, we're talking with Fred Armisen and I see your calls and comments and we'll get to them.

He has put out a new album of sound effects and we're talking about the sounds that you would wanna capture and preserve from our everyday lives as well.

Stay with us.

You're listening to Forum.

I'm Mina Kim.

Welcome back to Forum.

I'm Mina Kim.

We're talking about sound with actor, musician, comedian Fred Armisen.

Here is his campfire conversation.

- This is a good one.

Hand me that log, stoke it.

- It's, I'm still mad that they made us both show ID.

And then there's another gate that must've been 50 feet past that one.

And then show ID again.

- There should just be one entry point.

And that's, that's wild.

You show it there.

And we had the reservation, we had the thing on the phone Yeah, these, you know, they've seen me before too.

That's the other thing.

And I'm like, you've seen me.

They should have a system where they communicate with each other.

I, I wanted to say something and I just wanted, I - Wanted to get, like, the reservation system is completely separate from the whole security thing.

- How did you balance how much you include yourself and how much to stage the process of creating a sound?

- Well, that, that took, that was a, a bunch of tracks, which is, which is funny 'cause I, my my image of going into a studio is that for, for sound effects records, you know, you could just go in and do everything on the mic.

But that, that actually was multi-layered with, with tracks.

And some of the crinkling is that old Foley thing of crinkling plastic for the fire.

And then the birds.

That's a loop from my backyard.

So, so I, because I live in LA I, I had to take short snippets because otherwise you hear cars and, and you know, planes and stuff.

So I had to take a brief moment of silence, of hearing a bird and looping it.

And that's Tim Heidecker.

And then the, when it comes to small talk, when you're alone with - Someone, yeah, - I think our, I think our go-to is to complain about something.

You just complain about something that you're incensed about, something at the airport, something with the driver, something.

So it's just like a where, whereas in the movies, it's usually people you pontificating or, or reminiscing or whatever.

I think a lot of our, I think, or maybe this is just me, but I think when you're bored, when you're just sitting around with people, you just complain about a restaurant, you complain about the road.

I don't know.

So this, these people are complaining about the IDs they had to show and - Yeah.

- And yeah, that's, that's how, how we set that one up.

- So as you are collecting these sounds and, and thinking about the kinds of scenarios, right, that would make good sound effects, what insights did it give you about how we move through life?

'cause as you're saying, you're noticing that a lot of times, one of the things we'll do when we're sitting around and talking with someone is complain, right?

So, so I'm wondering what insights this process might have given you into just say like, human nature or the human condition.

- I think part of it is that there is a uniformity around the world to, to, it's almost musical, like a tone of a sentence.

So if it's a flight attendant, there's just a, there's a, you know, a sort of politeness, even though it's part of the job, there's still something in the, the passenger that's also just as repetitive.

There's, there's like a volume to it.

So if a flight attendant says to me, are you all done with that?

There's like a tone.

There's like a I think everyone has the same No, I'm fine.

Thank you.

Here you go.

Thank you.

Like, there's a sort of, I don't know, there's like a, a specificity to the way we answer.

Yes.

- That's - Just, just as, you know, as part of the uniformity of what, of what that is.

It's like, you know, we, we just, I think we all do it.

And with the, with the bouncer at the music venue, I think that guy is everywhere.

I think he's in Poland, I think he's in Tokyo.

It's, I I think it's the same, you know, volume and, and repetitiveness to whatever that is of get out, get out of this bar.

I, I think it's just, you know, everywhere.

The other thing I learned is how much we don't notice that there is noise.

Yes.

Which is fine.

It's part of living in a city.

I'm not upset about it, but the amount that I had to pause for a, you know, a siren or a car horn or, or whatever it is, just, there's so much of it.

And, and the same goes for like, its absence and a recording.

I'm like, it needs more sirens.

We just, there's a lot of sirens everywhere.

You, - You clearly have such an attentiveness to sound does it ever get overwhelming for you that you notice them so much?

- I don't think it gets overwhelming.

I mean, I think may maybe many people are that way.

It might be like a musician thing or a comedian thing, but no, nothing of, and if anything it's fun.

Yeah, it's fun.

Like hearing just, it, it, it's kind of like, it, it's just something to take note of.

Sometimes I think about sounds that I'm gonna miss.

Like there are sounds of regular hotel of remote controls, like for the tv, you know, when you turn off the, I think those are gonna start going, we're gonna start hearing less and less of like remote control sounds when you're dealing with your tv.

- Yeah.

- Like you, like, I think we've already lost that TiVo sound, that bubbly sound.

- Right, right.

- So little things like that in our lifetime that are just going to, you know, disappear.

- Well, this listener Winston, is on the line from Oakland.

Winston, join us.

You're on.

- Hi Mr.

Armisen.

I don't know if you've ever gotten an MRI, but the sounds while you're getting an MRI inside the machine are quite delightful.

This rhythmic clicking and clacking.

Your comment about the airplane cabin sounds reminded me of this.

I'm getting an MRI today actually at five o'clock Pacific time.

But anyway, yeah, if you've got any tips about how to smuggle, I don't know, some nonmetallic microphone inside an MRI machine without destroying my, you know, it is quite a challenge to make that recording, I would imagine.

- Well, some people have described it that sound as scary, but also good luck today.

I hope that all goes well with the MRI.

I'd be the more interesting part of it might be, and this is something you can observe, are what are the jokes that you are inclined to make when you get in there?

I bet people make similar jokes.

Hey, I should spend my vacation here or whatever.

Some, you know, some the, I think like when people go to get hearing tests, I think they all do the same joke.

They all to the doctor.

They'll say "What?"

So it might be kind of, if you feel like it, you might not have to record anything.

Just listen to what the, you know, the medical professional there says maybe there's something that they do that they do all the time.

Maybe there's some sort of like really soothing thing that they say.

And see if any jokes come up for you that there's a chance that those jokes are being made every day.

- Let me thank Winston for the call.

- Thank you Winston.

- Whenever you're on screen, Fred, my spouse will call me over because he knows it will be a shared moment of cracking up over what you're doing.

Your stuff is reliably funny to me.

One of the ones we go back to often is your portrayal of a Venezuelan ambassador explaining how jail is, how they keep order.

If I'm cooking fish, I'll mumble to myself, overcook jail.

Undercook jail.

Thank you so much for all you do.

- Oh, that's really nice.

I I really appreciate it.

That episode was something that I was texting with Mike Schur, the creator of that show, about the idea of Sister Cities and then Venezuela was in the news back then, and so it would, you know, they just came up with this idea for, you know, just throwing people into jail for whatever reason.

So, but I, I really appreciate that.

That's very, very nice to hear.

Thanks for saying that, - Douglas on Discord writes, the Californian skit is so iconic.

Where did the Californian skit come from, Fred?

- It came from, at SNL in New York, as if people don't know what's in New York, but like, but, but my meaning we would beat, you know, the cast, Keenan, Andy, Bill, Kristen, Jason.

We, we would be at the table read and our first day back, everyone was in LA we were all in California working.

So all, we'd just start doing these jokes of like, where were you?

How did you get there?

And little by little would steal like a, "You know, turn left on Barnum and I went over..." So it just became this kind of bit that we would do.

And then, because it's just like that, I mean, people really, to this day, I still use that terminology for getting on the 5 or the 101.

So it just kind of built from there.

And, and the tone was a little bit also Dana Carvey and I'm name dropping also, I was doing an impression, a very sweet impression of his son, how much he, he, he loved him when he was trying to explain something to him like, oh dad.

And so he did this voice and that was part of it as well.

It's a, it's an impression of Dana Carvey doing an impression.

- Oh, that's funny.

- Of the cal of the California accent as well.

- Well, let's play it for Douglas.

Here's the Californians.

- Hey honey, I brought up some tangerines.

This guy was selling him on the off ramp over by the two.

Devin?

What are you doing here?

- Stuart?

Why are you home so early?

- I skipped Wilshire and took Beverly over to Santa Monica and took that all the way up.

- So that is like an impression of a Californian, but you're also really well known for doing accents really well.

- Well it, it's just how I, how I hear the California accent and it, you know, I I when they did sort of like the valley girl accent in the, in the seventies and eighties was the same kind of thing.

There's like a way to, to talk if you're from Southern California, I always see it as pronouncing every part of the word, hitting every consonant in every vowel.

Like really leaning into every part of the word.

- What's a San Francisco accent?

- I think it's a little faster and I think it's more factual.

I think there's fact with San Francisco it's about fact.

This is truth.

This is real, this is present tense San Francisco.

Now.

- I always think that like mimicking accents is kind of something that comes naturally to certain people.

Like my little brother seem to have like a knack for mimicking people's voices.

And, and so I'm wondering, you know, did you, did your parents have accents?

Like, did you feel like you had a natural ability relative to other people to, to really hear and mimic the accent?

- It, it, it's specifically from that, my dad is from Germany and my mom's from Venezuela and we lived in New York and we moved around, we lived in Brazil for a little while.

So in, in getting to hear other people speak English with different accents in New York and it, it just was, there was like a way that it was highlighted that there was, you could hear the difference.

So, and, and also that my, that, you know, English was the second language for my parents.

- Right.

I totally think it's funny how my first experience of English was accented because my parents were both born in Korea and so they spoke to me in that accented English.

And that was like all I knew until, you know, society - Told me someone else pointed out someone, you know, like, wait, that's an accent.

You're like, what?

- Can I ask you what it was like to learn after years of thinking that you were a quarter Japanese, that you're actually a quarter Korean?

- Yeah.

That was really shocking.

And it didn't seem real because, you know, the reference is to, I, I did this show called Finding Your Roots, and I thought that my grandfather was a a was on my dad's side was Japanese.

And I really took on traits that I thought were Japanese.

I there visually, I, I really like simplicity, you know, all these things you sort of make up about yourself, you know, like, I like, and, and then it turned out to not be the case and then it, I had to rethink all of that and it was really, but it was also amazing.

It was, it was amazing to really like redefine, it's like a redefinition of of, of who I am.

So yeah, it was, it was, it was, it was a shock.

But my family had a lot of mystery anyway.

I didn't grow up with this, this grandfather, he, you know, my dad grew up in Germany and so it was already sort of disconnected.

So it was almost like, it's almost like there was a, a fantastical story, a backstory.

And then it just changed a little where I was like, well this whole story is so crazy anyway, that great.

I'll take it.

But it's really, I will say it's a nice thing now to like, you know, be connected to Korean culture.

I'm like, Hey, I'm, that's, that's part of me now.

- Right.

I'm wondering when you, you sort of associated things with the ethnicity and like adopted them in your own life.

Are there things that you have adopted that are Korean to you now?

You're like, oh my Korean just explains this trait?

- Well coincidentally there was this thing happening in American culture where Korea, and this is a little bit before all of a sudden Korean culture was hugely pop culture, you know, with Squid Game and with just with K-Pop and everything.

And I feel like this isn't my imagination.

I just feel like, I think this is like this, for lack of a better word, this country is really happening right now.

So we're talking, sometimes I wonder if countries have a publicist and I wonder if Korea's publicist was like, we gotta get this country out there and like, let's make this happen.

Movies, music, do it, TV shows, go, get out there.

- Actually it was like there was a very concerted effort to get Korean culture out there.

- Something worked.

- It worked.

No, it completely worked.

And and yet you - Could do, do you think, do you think Japan's publicist right now was like, guys, what are we doing?

- Hundred percent.

- We were up there.

I know.

- We're talking with Fred Armisen, and so are you listeners.

talking about his sound effects album 100 Sound Effects, where he captures sounds from everyday life and also his life specifically some very pure sounds, some very highly specific scenarios.

And you are listeners are sharing the types of sounds that you wanna hear and also just the kinds of things that you wanna ask or tell Fred Armisen.

And Reed on Discord writes, I've always enjoyed Fred's quirky sense of humor.

He captures odd and idiosyncratic human moments.

Could he imitate the sound of closing a toilet seat that you assume is soft close, but instead it's slams and the reaction.

- Oh my God.

- Oh wow.

Okay.

- That's a very, so that is a, the, the sound itself is really quick and it's like, it's like a high pitched like kunk and it takes you by surprise, but you never wanna say anything out loud in a bathroom.

'cause it's a private place.

So it's a very private Oh man.

Ow.

I think I say ow ow.

So it's ow it's like a quiet little ow of I hate that.

I hate that feeling.

That's it's, that feels like a betrayal because you have an agreement with the toilet seat.

Like you presented yourself as something that closes slowly.

Don't do that.

That's a high pitched that, that affects my eardrums.

- Listener Abby says, I'm interested in the sound of various keyboards.

One from a new computer, one from an older one with really springy action.

Are there keyboard sounds on the album?

- No, that's such a good one.

That's for maybe for the next one.

That's a really, really good one.

Because that could go even further.

A keyboard that you're really familiar with, keyboard at, you know, at an office you're not familiar with.

So you're sort of, you know, sometimes it's like slightly different so you're sort of poking away at it.

So I like this as an idea.

Yeah.

Also the sound of those portable ones for the iPad.

- Well you do have the sound of a keyboard not working at first in a music store, - Right?

Meaning that's a music keyboard.

- Yes, a music keyboard.

- Yes.

Yeah, - That's different.

That one that's that is different though.

I'd love to play it going into the break.

We're just about to, let's do that.

- Sure.

Excuse me, I don't think this is working.

Is this on?

Oh, there we go.

- We're talking with Fred Arman about his new sound effects album, 100 Sound Effects.

And you just heard "Keyboard Not Working At First In A Music Store."

We'll have more with him and with you after the break.

Stay with us listeners.

You can call us at (866) 733-6786 email forum@kqed.org, post on our social channels on Discord, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or Threads to talk with Fred Armisen.

Tell us a sound you'd record if or would want to have in the sound effect library decades from now.

Or a Fred Armisen character or joke that you frequently reference.

Anything you wanna ask or tell Fred.

More after the break.

I'm Mina Kim.

Welcome back to Forum.

Fred Armisen is with us comedian, actor and musician known for Portlandia, Documentary Now, SNL.

And his new project is a hundred sound Effects and we're talking about the types of sounds we'd want to capture and preserve from our everyday lives.

And also the Fred Armisen characters or jokes that you have frequently referenced as well.

If you're a fan, let us know what you wanna ask or tell Fred, or if there's a sound effect you want Fred to try to make live on air.

Jesse writes, can you make the sound of finding a spider in your bed right after you fall asleep?

The reaction, the frantic capture attempt, the process of shaking out bedsheets.

- That one is more, I imagine that as like not a startled scream or a squeal.

I think I just picture like moving, lemme see if I can try to find moving around your sheets.

I, I'll just use my own jacket and it's an annoyance.

It's an, it's an annoyance, but you're, you're, you're exhausted.

So it's less of like wa and more so it's, it's a little more, just more annoyance.

I hope that sounded like a sheet.

- It did!

- Okay.

- Tank writes, Fred Armisen has a consistent habit of showing up an incredible series and making them even better if he's in it or is otherwise involved in it.

The odds are excellent that it's worth watching.

One of my favorite examples of this is his role as Geraldo in the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death.

- Oh yeah.

- He's also so much of what made Los Espookys great.

- Wow.

Thank you.

A million.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

I love getting to do stuff like that.

Los Espookys was a total joy.

So glad that, you know, it was all in Spanish and we got to shoot it in Chile and it was amazing.

I'm, I'm glad I got to do it.

And Our Flag Means Death was so fun as well.

- Yeah.

You know, Tom on Bluesky says, could you talk about your time in the Chicago punk scene with Trenchmouth - Oh yeah.

- And how that might have influenced your comedy.

Yeah.

A lot of people know so much about your career.

- Oh, the, my time with Trenchmouth and just touring around, it was all through the nineties.

Huge part of my career.

I think first of all, just all the characters we met on the road and then, you know, four guys in a van driving for eight hours is just us doing bits and joking around and doing impressions and these guys are so funny.

And I, and I think it's all the travel and then spending all that time with, I mean, it's nothing but comical.

Music is almost like a a, a very small part of it.

Most of it is just going to these towns, finding your way, unloading equipment, loading equipment, you know, dealing with promoters and, and people come to the shows and people who run the record label.

It's, it's just so many characters and also a good entryway into accents and everything.

So absolutely huge.

And then I think also just like, you know, getting to play music in front of people.

It's still an audience.

So there's like a still a relationship of doing something in front of an audience that it, like comedy or music, it, it almost becomes the same thing - You dreamed of being a musician.

What drew you to SNL?

- Oh, the B-52s, Devo, Talking Heads, Ricky Lee Jones, The Specials.

- So the musical guests that they had on initially - Yes.

But meaning that, you know, the musical guest is very much defined by Lorne Michaels.

I don't think it's like, oh, we'll just have some music guests, whatever.

I think that was his specific message about, 'cause it was important that they all play two songs and some of these bands weren't even that famous that he was like, this band, Devo wasn't a well-known band.

So there was, I I don't mean it like, as a sort of separate from the comedy, I think it was in harmony with the, with the comedy and having the specials on was a big message to me.

There was something about that that said to me, you know, come to this show.

And, and at the time it, it almost seems delusional to think that the show is sending me a private message to come.

But, but it was, it was.

And then over the years, I never stopped watching just seeing, you know, I, I always think of Mike Myers and I just think of Mike Myers, like when he did "Sprockets."

And I, I loved that sketch before I'd even seen it.

Someone explained it to me, someone described it to me and I thought, I have a connection to this show.

There's something about this show that, and - And that was like that German.

Yeah.

- Like, that's the one artist you would mimic it was incredible.

But, but all through all the, you know, Gilda Radner did some characters that were very musical and Oh, every cast member, every cast member, Eddie Murphy, I mean all the whole run of SNL I've never stopped watching ever, even now.

- So you started doing Portlandia with Carrie Brownstein while you were on SNL, right?

- Yes.

- So did Portlandia play a role in your decision to move on from SNL?

- Kind of, it was kind of, it made it easier to think, okay, then I could focus more time into doing Portlandia.

So it's, it's a tough decision, but every cast member eventually sort of comes to that conclusion.

You know, like, it, it's not even a bad feeling.

It's more like, I think I said what I wanted to say.

I think I did what I wanted to do and I'm gonna try this other thing for, but I, but at the same time, you never leave SNL, there's not one year that I didn't come back and do a couple sketches or you always end up doing, you're always a part of it.

- Yeah.

- There's no such thing as leaving.

- I've been struck by the fact that Portlandia has been getting a lot of renewed attention, both because it's on Netflix and because Portlandia memes have been been used in the protests against ICE.

What's it been like for you to see, see Portlandia have this sort of revival?

- It's something fun for me and Carrie to share because we, we made this show, so it's really nice.

It's like if you're in a band and all of a sudden your singles are getting play on the radio, it's great to connect about that again and say, Hey, did you see this?

Or, so that's the, the fun part of it.

And also that the, you know, that the humor of it resonates in any way.

Great.

I'm happy about that.

- We pulled the "Women and Women First Bookstore" where you, your character Candace and Carrie Brownstein's character Tony is arguing with Steve Buscemi's character about using the bathroom and not being a paying customer.

Let's hear it.

- Hi.

We have a strict rule that you can't use the restroom unless you're a paying customer.

It's clearly stated on the door front.

Oh, - That's what that, you know, when I went in, I, the number four threw me.

I was like, you don't, you couldn't read it.

- I spell things out.

So when people use numbers to, you know- What people, - What, what people do you mean?

- You know?

Well, like you do like, like, - Like women?

I'm not, I'm not, I wasn't being, you know - No, we don't know.

I'm just laughing.

I don't want everyone to think I'm just laughing at, at our own sketches.

But Steve, that was all improvised.

And Steve Buscemi is so funny.

He really, he is so funny.

He really plays it so real.

- When, when do you feel like you're at your best in sketches, Fred?

- I think when I'm with a lot of other people.

I think if there's a group and I, I do, you know, one or two things that kind of, there's something about it that as long as I'm not like in dead center, then I'm at my best and I'm having the most fun.

So Californians is a good example of that.

And, and feminist bookstore too.

The fact that like Carrie and Steve are there, there's something about that that just, it, it's just much, much better.

- Let me go to some more calls and comments.

Let me go to Bill next in Oakland.

Hi Bill.

You're on.

- Howdy.

I miss everything associated with a rotary phone.

Like I wish I had recorded the clicks of an outgoing call.

I know!

- But mostly it's such a drag.

They engineered out all the satisfaction of slamming a receiver down.

- I know, I know.

I'm with you on that.

Especially the weight of those phones.

They were like heavier.

The bell was in there, the mechanics of it, the machine, it looked great and I couldn't agree more.

- When you slam it down, it makes the bell ring of course a little bit because there's an actual physical bell.

- Yeah.

- But then, then when you were talking about the automatic closed toilet seat, they're gonna engineer out the fun of slamming a car door.

They're gonna make it like with a remote and it's gonna be like, we'll lose the fun of the toilet seat.

We're gonna lose this.

- I, I agree of - Slamming a car door in anger.

- I agree.

And we could even, I wonder if there's a theory that the reason there's so much anger in the world is 'cause we don't have these outlets to really express it in these short ways.

I think same goes for doors.

Like, you know, hotel doors have a sort of like, there's like a thud to them then like, oh, where's the, not that we all like slamming doors, but the phone thing specifically.

I think that those people designed it back then there that I think there might have been like a secret agreement of like, maybe let's make it so that when you slam it down you could hear the bell a little because now there's no such thing.

You just sort of tap and you're disconnected.

- Yeah.

- So I really, I couldn't agree more.

I miss that.

- Yeah.

And, and again, just underscoring your point about, about archive.

Melanie says, I went on, or Melanie, I just went on vacation with my sister-in-law and wanted to capture our two toddlers talking.

One said it's sour and mine made a shock face and said "Sour?"

It was, it was hilarious.

Can you make the sound of two toddlers talking?

Wow.

- I, that, - That's the best I can do.

I tried to make them in the distance - Depending on the age of the toddler.

Right?

That's like a really long Yeah.

That's a big age band.

- Yeah, that's a good one.

They're, I wonder if, 'cause sometimes they don't even listen to each other.

That's a perfect example.

Yeah.

Because they just react to one word and they just "Sour?"

They're almost just repeating it.

Or they are, they're just repeating each other.

It, it's never quite a conversation.

- They often play alongside each other as opposed to like with each other too.

- So Yes.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So you'd have to sort of capture, capture that part of it.

David writes, "Fred is so funny and talented.

He has a character in Portlandia who explains in great detail while housesitting how not to hit your head and other body parts in the kitchen."

Yeah.

"This character is just like my dad in real life.

So my family has gotten many laughs from it over the years."

Oh, I was so happy about that.

That was with Aubrey Plaza, that one.

And I'm so glad I'm not, that makes me curious about, was that the dad?

The father is like - That.

Fred, you mean David?

The, the listener's dad?

Yes.

- Yeah.

- He said this character is just like my dad in real life.

- So that dad must really overexplain things and act them out.

'cause I think the joke of this one was that it was acted out over and over.

So that's really funny that his dad is so, I guess really good at explaining things.

- Yeah.

But I guess it also speaks to something that I've noticed about your comedy, which is that you are striving for almost a universal experience despite the fact that we are so different.

And you talked about this earlier with cadence, right?

Or the way that people will say things too.

There's almost a universal part of it.

Yeah.

So even though the scenarios are really highly specific, for example, in the album, it, it's like they're so relatable because they're not necessarily very specific to maybe who you are individually or trying to be over the top or something.

- Well, I'm just focused on the, the use of your word cadence.

I should have used that word earlier.

That's what I meant.

Cadence.

But this is going out live so we can't edit in me saying the word cadence.

I was going for that word.

And it just, thank you for that.

That's Yes, that's what I meant.

All that.

You know, I never know.

I just, I, you know, I just, to me these are like little observations and Yeah.

And I never know if it's gonna resonate or not.

And I'm just happy if anything does.

- Yeah.

There's just something really comforting in that.

And you, you sharing that and noticing that, especially I guess these days.

Let me remind listeners, you are listening to Forum.

I'm talking with Fred Armisen.

I'm Mina Kim.

So tell me, you know, a lot of times people talk about there is like a journey to find out who you are as an artist.

And I'm wondering if you feel like you know who you are as an artist, right?

Like what it means to make something Fred Armisen.

- Well, kind of, I mean, when if, if I go out and do a standup, a version of standup, I could see by people's reaction of like where, you know, where I land in that.

And then the other sort of checklist I do is I just sort of copy what I've admired in other people.

Huh.

So, so I, yeah, I think, okay, I wanna be a David Byrne type or I wanna be a Mark Mothersbaugh type.

Am I in there somewhere?

Or Matt Berry or even Mike Myers.

I just sort of go through this little checklist of like, am I in the zone of these people?

Maybe.

But if I go for it, if I go towards it at least, maybe by the time I'm 70 or something, then maybe I will have accomplished it or some, or something close to it.

So that, that's all I do.

And then I just realized that with, with the, with the, the bed and there's a spider on the bed, I think, I think I wanna try to do the version of the person also.

'cause I think a lot of people try to save spiders and put it under a cup.

Yes.

So I'll do it real quick.

I'll just do, you'll barely hear anything, but it's a person not making a big deal and talking to the spider on the way out.

So it's like you see a spider.

Oh, come on little guy.

Here you go.

There you go.

I'm, - Yeah, I feel bad.

I totally see it.

I see it.

I see it.

- Thank you.

- Let me go to Jessica in San Mateo.

Hi Jessica.

Join us.

You're on.

- Hi Fred.

Such a huge fan.

Fellow Latina and punk rocker.

So very cool to see what you've done for like the punk scene and bringing it into SNL.

Just curious what you feel about the scene today.

- I love it.

I love- first, thanks for the kind words.

I, you know, I, there was, I'm not a cynical person, but I always, well I went through life thinking at some point this kind of music will die out.

A and I wasn't being cynical.

I was just like, you know, that's just the way things are.

And you know, doo-wop went this one, you know, you don't hear as many doo-wop bands and at some point punk won't be the same thing.

And I love every new iteration of, of, of punk that I hear.

And it makes, it just makes me feel so good that young people, without even guidance, without even like, looking to like, will you help us?

They just make these bands.

And I feel like, you know, Turnstile is a very popular band, but I'm like, when I hear their music, I think, man, they really did it.

They like, they're commercial and punk and there are just so many bands.

There's a band called Control Top that I really like.

And, and, and this is the real, the name of this band is Mannequin ***** and I really like, they're, they're great.

There's just so many.

I, I love being surprised.

I don't know why I'd be surprised, but I love that it really just like, it just keeps happening.

- Yeah.

- It's the best feeling.

And venues too.

Someone told me about a place in Portland under a bridge or some venue.

They're like, this isn't even a regular venue.

We should do shows under a bridge.

Oh, thank God.

- You- we're coming up on the end of the hour and you mentioned that as you are collecting sounds, you recognize the sounds that were missing.

Are you thinking about doing another album of sound effects?

- Yeah, I'd, I'd like to do something more specific.

'cause if it looks like, you know, maybe in a couple years, like I don't wanna make it seem like it's like this thing of like a grand moment.

But, but if it's gonna look like a library, it should be sort of eventually boring where there's a 10 of 'em.

And I just wanna get more specific.

So maybe a, a medical one, specifically medical, one that's specifically sports, one that's specifically a country, you know, maybe there's one that's only Nigeria.

And just get specific with that.

What, what are, what is the car sounds there, what are the, you know, anything like that.

- Well, I can't wait, Fred, this listener Douglas on Discord writes, What a surreal feeling to have Fred Armisen talking indirectly to me.

I'm not swooning or anything over here.

- Oh, you're so nice to have me on.

I really appreciate it.

- Well, we really appreciate you.

It's Fred Armisen.

The album is "100 Sound Effects."

My thanks to our listeners and also to Caroline Smith for producing this segment.

You've been listening to Forum, I'm Mina Kim.