Is Fred Armisen being serious? I’m finding it hard to tell. Look at all his work from the past two decades – a startlingly prolific oeuvre that includes a long stint on Saturday Night Live, his own cult sketch series Portlandia, and guest appearances in many of the best modern comedies (30 Rock; Parks and Recreation; Brooklyn Nine-Nine) – and it’s hard to find a moment in which he is not wrapped up in some kind of shtick. I’m reminded of a line from John Mulaney’s post-rehab stand-up set, in which he describes his “star-studded” drug intervention: “Fred Armisen was serious. Do you know how off-putting that is?” Today, though, Armisen seems to be playing it straight – and while I wouldn’t go as far as “off-putting”, I must admit I’m a little bewildered.
The 58-year-old comedian and musician is discussing his new album, 100 Sound Effects – a 101-track record composed entirely of, well, noises, ranging from “Wine Glass Breaking in Sink” to “Tentative Sawing”. I ask, off the bat, why he decided to make it – often a pretty rote interview question, but here, one for which I am desperate to know the answer. “I thought, ‘There are music recordings, and comedy recordings… but what happened to the library version of a record?’” Armisen responds. “Something to access, to use as a tool. An album that’s for utilitarian purposes.”
