Born into a middle class family in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Owen Rodbury’s future seemed safe and predictable. His father a lawyer and his mother a teacher, they both expected him to go to college and a start a family afterwards. Things didn’t exactly go as they had planned. He could not conform to the “straight zone” and middle class 80s living. Mostly because of his condition. A condition the doctors never managed to diagnose. b0ka Recordings called up Rodbury in San Jose, California, and he agreed to a interview. He also mailed over some of his art, which he wanted to share with the world.
Owen Rodbury, can you tell us a little about yourself?
“Yeah, born in Alabama, moved to Austin, Texas about 14 years later, then got down to Brownsville, into Mexico getting fucked up, Tijuana is not the place man, got up to San Fransisco, and after that I went through most of this god forsaken country, but now it’s up and down California. Don’t have any proper education you know. But I’ve managed, here and there with good friends.”
You were 14 years old the first time you moved?
“I didn’t just move man. I ran like hell. Getting so fed up with this and that and what shoes to wear. Fuck shoes dude. I was dying all the time in slow motion and ma mama’s wondering what shoes to wear? FUCK THAT. I got 14 and I was thinking “I’m almost dead, and I ain’t seen the ocean man. Mississippi ain’t that much when you’re dying. ” That was it for me. I never looked back, not forward either for that matter. I just knew something inside of me was growing. And later I found out what to do with it.”
That you were dying, is that the condition you had?
“Yeah, I got it still. Not that much, not so intense, that’s all.”
Can you tell us what the condition is about?
Look man, I’m gonna tell you and you can laugh all you want, or you can praise me and piss all over the wall. I don’t care, but this is the shit. When I was born in 1975, I already existed. His name was Ernie LeVin living down in New Orleans, I’ve looked him up and I knew him from my flashes. From birth up till I was 24 I had extremely intense flashes, like you wouldn’t believe. Flashes of people telling me stories, giving me advice, talking, singing, fucking, everything. When you’re 9 years old, sitting in school trying to learn about stuff and all you see is a fat red neck with a shotgun screaming he’s going to kill you, you get messed up. Anyway, the flashes stopped at the age 24, I found out later LeVin died the same day I stopped seeing things. But what happens? The fucker returns. So now I’m 34 years old and still skipping in out of time or whatever, man.
How do you handle the flashes, and your own life?
That’s the deal man. I draw and paint shit I see, earlier I had to deal with it somehow, understanding what it was, so I drew. But now It’s become a habit, I just do it for kicks. When I was younger I was scared, the flashes is so exhausting when I wake up, it’s first pain like being in flames, then I freeze my ass off before I fall asleep for a long time. Experiencing that as a kid, it just freaked me out. Now, I can control it more.
Have you made money on the art you see in your flashes?
Fuck no, man. I got a guy in New York City on a corner somewhere, I keep sending my pieces, and he says he doesn’t sell’em. I don’t buy that for shit, he’s ripping me off big time. That’s why I’m heading east for the summer with some of my friends, and I‘ll tell this fucker who the fuck is getting fucked up!
How has b0ka played a role in your life?
Oh man, deeply. I give the pink donkey its blessing all the time, man. Every breath. I’m so happy you guys started up a b0ka site, by the way. Now I can see other b0kaists doing their thing everyday. The music streaming from b0ka recordings and b0ka at Soundcloud is really a blessing for me out here in California. People come up to me all the time you know sayin’ stuff like “Hey man, get me that Fjompenizer release or some Etoh music.” And will say I don’t own shit and I ain’t selling none. But I really wish b0ka recordings will release something soon. My hobo friends don’t have any computers to play it from.
What is the plan further on?
Can’t say. I’m gonna have one more cup of coffee, then I’m gonna head out the door, and then it’s wherever, man.
b0ka 
HAHA. I’ve seen this bloke running up and down like crazy on the Santa Monica pier a couple of times. Didnt’t know he made art. Nice. Thanks b0ka.
Whoa, crazy cool dude… It’s great to see some are still living life in California we like did back in the days. Reading this brought me so much joy, I think there is still hope for humanity!