“We’re always at war with something. If those things were tangible, how would you dress?”
Patrick Rutledge, PATx, is a self-produced recording artist, performer, filmmaker, and visual artist, and his music is just as multifaceted as he is. Each of his albums presents a new surface, but with a solid unmistakable core that is his sound. A sound that is its own unique creature– furious, complex, emotionally raw and pieced together from all the best parts of hardcore, metal, and hip-hop. With this sound, his talent for writing, mixing, producing, and rapping, along with a strong visual aesthetic PATx is definitely impressive.
JASPER: First off, is there anything you aren't good at? Videos, music, and visual art –Is it difficult to juggle all of that, and how do you decide what gets focus?
RUTLEDGE: I can’t whistle, so that’s definitely something I’m not good at. But yeah, I always find myself prioritizing ideas: some have to live in fantasy world for a bit because the resources needed are just unrealistic at this stage, others get placed in a list based on various factors like time-sensitivity, how long it would take to make, how excited I am about it, etc. etc. It gets tough to juggle sometimes, but I’d rather have a lot of ideas than a lack of.
JASPER: You say tactical gear and masks are part of your aesthetic because they are a “physical representation of raging against internal struggles and fighting adversity”. Can you talk more about this and how you’ve built your visual identity?
RUTLEDGE: I think my aesthetic has been built by my self-actualization. I didn’t really find/establish my brand until 2019, but many of its factors were cursory long before…just not fully explored or developed. Everything is representative of battling self-and/or other: the tactical gear, the masks worn, the content in the songs, the visuals. I think my brand works because it’s an attention grabber. For those who are experiencing it for face-value: great, it’s interesting enough to click. For those that stick around and really dissect it, there’s even more there for you. I reflect on the human experience like anyone else, but maybe it’s harder to push those thoughts to the periphery when I do it…it’s too loud.
I take a lot of inspiration from techwear, military gear, grunge, goth, and streetwear fashion. We’re always at war with something. If those things were tangible, how would you dress?
JASPER: What is your creative process like?
RUTLEDGE: My creative process is pretty formless in its initial stages. It can be a voice recording of me humming into my phone a melody or concept (I have countless recordings like that), a instrumental I made, or lyrics I thought of. Of course, as you continue to build on an idea, you have to introduce structure, but I always try to keep an open mental pocket for impromptu decisions and spontaneity…my best work always come from that element.
JASPER: Which of your songs is your favorite or least favorite and why?
RUTLEDGE: I don’t think I have a favorite or a least-favorite. My favorite (I guess) is typically the most-recent for a bit, and my least-favorite (I guess) is the one I listen to at a later date and realize all the things I could’ve done to make it better.
JASPER: Is there a particular verse or line you've written that you really love?
RUTLEDGE: My second verse on Lanc III (feat. H3RO) is a favorite because I think it does such a good job of encapsulating my entire experience pursuing music. A couple of other one-liners (or whatever) that mean a ton to me are, “how do you describe the feeling that you’ve been feeling? How to make it rhyme and fit it inside a sentence,” and “On my mama Heaven aint a place and we create our Hell, on my mama God and Satan both exist within ourselves.”
JASPER: What motivates you?
RUTLEDGE: I’m very motivated by my own potential. That sounds narcissistic, but I’ve always felt like just that…potential. To see the actualization of all that potential and the value it can provide is a big driver for me.
JASPER: What gets in your way?
RUTLEDGE: Of course, I can say all the external things: money, time, location, things I didn’t have a say in, blah blah blah. But really, I’m the only thing in my way. Everything is my fault…and it may seem counter-intuitive, but I find solace in that. Giving myself that full accountability returns the leverage and control (or the mirage thereof) back to me.
JASPER: How do you know when something is done?
RUTLEDGE: Something in my head just says “yeah, we’re done here.” Rarely do I finish songs in one session though. There’s song that sat halfway done for years even before revisiting and finishing them. Divine timing, laziness, scatterbrain, who knows.
JASPER: Who are your biggest influences and why?
RUTLEDGE: I don’t know. I’m inspired by everything…examples of what I wanna do, what I definitely DON’T wanna do. If you’d rather have names: J.Cole is like a big brother to me. Eminem took my innocence. Kanye West’s contribution to both fashion, public discord (good and bad), and music is inspiring, XXXTENTACION, Mac Miller, System of a Down, Ghostemane, Rise Against, Gorillaz. I’m going to look back and hate myself for the names I missed, but here we are.
JASPER: Out of all the videos you've made, which is your favorite and why?
RUTLEDGE: Crazytown is my favorite music video thus far. It is VERY close to what I envisioned in my head. I also like the theme: it is a large metaphor for protecting your heart from temptation, doubt, etc. etc.
I watched it again recently and decided that Werewolf is also another favorite. When I made it, it wasn’t quite what I envisioned, but there are some parts in there that I think are great, particularly the scene where I’m fighting myself from turning into a werewolf.
I think both visuals have the grit and aesthetic I’m going for with my imagery.
JASPER: If three of your songs were a location, place or physical space what would they be?
RUTLEDGE: “Breach” would be a sold out show where I jump into the crowd from the stage and mosh with them.
Someone listened to “Foolish” and told me it felt like Los Angeles and walking the beach, which is amazing because I created the Moving Still project in LA…much of it being conceptualized either in Hollywood, Santa Monica Beach, or Hermosa Beach.
I didn’t release this album under my name, but Crew (2014) feels like my hometown. It is a love letter to it and my friends, my “crew.” It’s under artist name TCAP803, which has its own explanation as well.
JASPER: What do you like and or dislike about the Columbia music scene?
RUTLEDGE: I love that there are so many artists and opportunities to build here. I dislike the lack of platform. Many people are doing great things, very few are doing these things at scale (whether that “scale” be profitability or audience).
JASPER: Do you have any advice for other artists?
RUTLEDGE: You’re a business, operate like it. Learn marketing, it is the answer
JASPER: Anything else you want us to know?
RUTLEDGE: I have a show and you should come. If enough people come, I’m gonna take my clothes off so…
You can see PATx, potentially without clothes on, at New Brookland Tavern on October 15th from 7-11pm for a zombie-themed experience featuring Crazy Karl, H3RO & The Villians.
Learn more about THE ExPERIENCE: OUTBREAK.