Originally published November 1, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
While movie studios compete to outdo one another with the latest in 3-D technology and even pop stars like the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber are getting a bite of the action with their own 3-D concert films, Austin's The Octopus Project is leaving them all in the dust by thinking in terms of eight. With the desire to expand their already kinetic, spacey sound, the band has cooked up an idea that plays with a number of dimensions and would actually be experienced in a live setting, involving eight speakers, eight video projectors, and eight video sequences synchronized to music. The concept places the band in the center of a tent with an audience encircling them and the speakers surrounding the audience. Projected images on the ceiling replaces the night sky and watches over the crowd.
Before writing a note of music, the band took the performance idea to the Whole Foods Market flagship store in Austin, proposing to perform the project in the store's parking lot during SXSW 2010, says band member Yvonne Lambert. Without knowing all the specifications, Whole Foods agreed. However, The Octopus Project was then challenged with the task of figuring out how to make the idea come to life and write music that would do justice to such a colossal endeavor.
"We had a little bit of a freak out moment after they said yes," says Lambert. "It was exciting and scary at the same time."
The band named the venture Hexadecagon and the music that was created later went on to form the latest The Octopus Project album by the same name, which was released by Peek-A-Boo Records in Fall 2010. However, making the music for the two free live performances at SXSW and recording it for the album were two different undertakings.
For the live performances, the band first got all the technical aspects down and acquired the necessary equipment. The mostly-instrumental quartet, which also includes Lambert's husband, Josh Lambert, and friends, Toto Miranda and Ryan Figg, is already known for approaching music in an unconventional manner, whether it be in the live setting, where band members switch places and jump around from instrument to instrument, or with the mixture of sounds and textures that they incorporate in their music. If any Austin band among a sea of bands at SXSW were to come up with fitting music for such a task and represent the city's status as the "Live Music Capital Of The World," it would have to be The Octopus Project.
When it came time to focus on writing songs, the technical aspects that the band hammered out served as inspiration, says Josh Lambert. Some of the things that they tinkered with included making the sounds jump across from one speaker to another and also having tones move around from speaker-to-speaker in succession. The band took about three months to put the concept together and write the music. They rehearsed some aspects at their practice space and on the roof of Whole Foods, but the first time that they ever ran through the entire Hexadecagon show from start to finish was in front of the SXSW crowd. Fan-recorded videos of Hexadecagon on YouTube show band members continuously moving around, toggling all sorts of electronics and hopping from instrument to instrument, which is not too different from any other Octopus Project performance. It is not unusual to see Miranda play drums one minute and guitar the next, or Josh Lambert doing the same, while Figg switches between guitar and bass and Yvonne Lambert swaps between keys and the theremin. However, the reactions of audience members make it evident that the Hexadecagon performances were anything but ordinary. Expressions of awe dominate people's faces as they contemplate whether they should focus their attention on the band members on stage or on the images on the ceiling.
A friend of the band, Wiley Wiggins, helped create the video sequences, which are just as colorful as the music. Animal drawings, images of classrooms, and footage of two young twin girls are interesting and eerie enough to keep audience interest. What the YouTube videos do not capture is the movement of the sounds. Yvonne Lambert says that everyone essentially had a unique experience.
"Depending on where you were standing in the crowd, it was maybe a little surprising and unexpected, in a fun way," she says.
For the album, the band had to rethink the music and come up with ways to keep that element of astonishment for the average CD and MP3 listener, who most likely would not have the luxury of listening to the album with 8-channel surround sound.
"We were so used to hearing it in our space, where we practiced with eight big PA speakers around us and wrote with that in mind," says Miranda. "It was a challenge to reduce that down to stereo and still get the feel."
The band members accepted the challenge with glee. Having been a band since 1999, The Octopus Project is good at diving into ambitious projects head on and has an admirable eagerness to learn new things. While some band members did have some type of musical training as children, they all say that they enjoyed exploring different sounds and going on offbeat paths.
Their previous bands helped them improve the way they approach music, but The Octopus Project was started with a different focus.
"This band is the first one that was sort of more about the sounds," says Miranda. "Specifically, about trying to do things with sound more than just write some songs and play the songs."
Their dedication to experimenting with sounds paid off when it comes to the new album, which they recommend listening to with a pair of headphones. While not exactly the same as having eight speakers, the sounds do bounce from ear to ear, creating a sweet web of music in the listener's head.
On top of great music and interactive listening experiences, sometimes fans even get toys, which add a visual aspect to the physical releases. For the double vinyl release of "Hexadecagon," the band designed a zoetrope with eight different slides -- one for each song of the album. Once constructed and placed on top of the record, fans can view animations similar to the video sequences at SXSW. By not specifying which slide should go with which song, The Octopus Project give fans the freedom to mix and match.
"We wanted to make the vinyl release as elaborate as we could, to make it a really exciting object you would want to have in your house beyond just the music, which is obviously available digitally without any kind of physical packaging at all," Miranda says. "So if you're going to buy something, we wanted to make it something pretty intense and cool."
While touring with Starfucker, the band had the vinyl version of Hexadecagon available before its release date. The tour gave fans a taste of the new music, and some visuals were taken from the zoetrope and SXSW performances. With limited equipment at clubs, the band had to once again reconfigure the music and visuals to fit standard sound systems and one screen.
"We had to rethink the live versions kind of in the same way we did for the record," says Josh Lambert. "[It involved] just figuring out how we can make it as awesome as can be stereo-wise and visually with the projections."
Considering how well-executed the entire Hexadecagon project has been, from the SXSW performances to the album and tour, it is surprising that the band members are not pretentious. While all the band members exude a strong creative energy, they are not the artsy-fartsy type of people. They are just genuinely talented, curious, and above all, humble. They do not embark on grandiose projects to gain praise; rather, they do it to feed their wandering minds. Although they might do it without thinking about it, they are always challenging themselves.
"I think we like to keep it tense," says Josh Lambert. "I think we like to keep a really healthy balance of, 'Ohhh, everything could fall apart at any given moment.'"
"When things get comfortable," Yvonne Lambert adds in agreement, "we add a new element that could throw everything off."
Showing posts with label artist feature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artist feature. Show all posts
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Artist Feature: The Fresh & Onlys
Originally published October 10, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
One would think that a band like The Fresh & Onlys, which has relied on a home tape machine to record material for two full-length albums, more than five 7" records, an EP, and a few cassette tapes, had found a working formula for their recordings. However, when it came time for the San Francisco band to record its third album of effervescent garage tunes, the band members were left unsatisfied with working from home, instead desiring to try something different.
"We got really concerned about being too redundant, at least sonically," says Shayde Sartin, the band's bassist. "It's kind of good to challenge yourself with a new environment."
In the hopes of expanding their spectrum and making the music sound bigger, the band--which also includes Tim Cohen on vocals, guitar, and keys, Wymond Miles on guitar, and Kyle Gibson on drums--turned to Tim Green and his San Francisco-based Louder Studios. Green is a member of the band, Fucking Champs, and also played in the renowned punk band, The Nation Of Ulysses. His work behind the recording board is just as impressive, having included clients like Tristeza and Sleater Kinney . However, it was Green's work with The Melvins and Lungfish that most impressed Sartin.
"I love how he records sonically," Sartin says. "I like how he records guitars. I like how he records vocals. So, it seemed like an obvious choice. I felt really comfortable to go work with a person who had some kind of acquaintance."
The Fresh & Onlys is still a young band, having been formed in 2008 as a project between Cohen and Sartin. So, it is nice to hear the band members already wanting to expand their horizons. For the third album, which is entitled "Play It Strange" and will be released on In the Red Recordings on October 12, the band really wanted to focus more on the production aspects, starting with recording the songs on their own, allowing Green to become familiar with the material before recording anything at Louder Studios.
"By the time we got in there, he knew the songs, and he knew that we like to work fast," Sartin says. "He likes to work fast. We had the songs figured out. We kind of wanted to get in and get the physical parts done and then work on the sonics a little more. He was really good at facilitating working on the color of the songs."
The songs were recorded in late 2009 and now, several months later, the band members are reflecting on the end result and finding themselves to still be happy with the recordings.
"There was definitely a little more [of a] confident feel as far as the performance goes on the recordings with Tim Green, as opposed to the ones we did on our own," Sartin says. "The sounds were definitely more articulate. [The album is] way more druggy than I realized it was when we were recording it, which I like. It has a certain haziness to it that is very complementary to the songs."
The Fresh & Onlys' music is known for being hazy. Taking cues from San Francisco's historic psychedelic music scene, the band layers an aura of cloudiness on top of what essentially are good ‘ole pop tunes. "Play It Strange" is poetic, but does not lose its garage rock appeal. The album is gritty, even as songs like "Summer Of Love" and "Fascinated" have a ‘60s flowery feel, and "All Shook Up" is perfect for a beach party. Cohen's vocals alternate from ghostly to that of a crooner. Simple lines like the ones in "Fascinated," where Cohen says, "Tell me what you're fascinated by," and, "You're such a pretty girl," would have made girls swoon in the ‘60s had they been sung by The Beach Boys.
At one point, The Fresh & Onlys had a female band member who sang and played percussion. Heidi Alexander, who is also a member of the San Francisco band The Sandwitches, added an even more spirited touch to songs on The Fresh & Onlys' self-tilted debut. Her Sandwitches comrade, Grace Cooper, also contributed harmonies. One of the highlights from the debut is the song "Peacock And Wing," where male and female vocals are sung in unison. With the band's sophomore release, "Grey-Eyed Girls," the female vocals were a little less prominent, and this is even more noticeable on the new album. Alexander does sing back-up vocals on "Play It Strange," but she is no longer able to tour with The Fresh & Onlys because of her time commitment with The Sandwitches.
Like any developing band, the songwriting is expected to change a little bit from album to album. In fact, Sartin claims, his involvement in The Fresh & Onlys is the first time that he has been able to evolve as a musician and songwriter. Sartin has played with a large number of other artists including Kelley Stoltz, The Skygreen Leopards and Ty Segall, but this is the first time that he has had creative input in a band. Being a member of The Fresh & Onlys has enabled him to feed off the energy and ideas of the other group members, and vice versa.
"If you are writing songs in a room and you don't have much confidence in what you're doing, you never allow yourself to evolve. But if you're getting encouragement, you're getting feedback and you're collaborating with people, then you start trying new things."
Typically, Sartin and Cohen initiate the structure of a song. Sartin comes up with a chord structure or other musical idea and Cohen will create floating vocals on top. Miles and Gibson also help articulate ideas in new ways, with Miles focusing counter melodies . Regardless of who does what, the band members attempt to flesh out every idea without putting any of them down. The process is always positive and productive.
"I'm hitting Tim with ideas musically that he normally wouldn't come up with and vice versa, so it naturally works out in the end because he's freed up some time thinking about chord structure or thinking about a rhythm, and I'm free of thinking of lyrics and melody," says Sartin.
Not only do the band members keep an open mind when writing songs, but that quality is something they look for when deciding the labels that will release its albums. Having already worked with a handful of labels, The Fresh & Onlys decided to go with Los Angeles' In the Red Records this time around--both for the people that work there, as well as its reputation for pushing boundaries.
"It's one of those labels I've always had a lot of intrigue with, because despite their [reputation] as a garage label, they've actually done a lot of things that aren't," Sartin says, "especially in the last few years with The Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs and The Ponys. They've kind of stretched out beyond being a sort of punk label, and the owner Larry Hardy is an amazing person. He has a very eccentric taste in music and it seemed like a good fit because we weren't the typical garage band."
The Fresh & Onlys' eagerness to work with a bunch of different people has resulted in many good opportunities. The band has already toured with King Khan & The Shrines in the US and Deerhunter in Europe, and they have two tours lined up for this year, beginning with a US tour with Royal Baths and finishing off the year with one with Clinic.
According to Sartin, when the two fall tours were booked, The Fresh & Onlys were originally planning to focus on songs from "Play It Strange." However, as the band members are always thinking ahead, they will introduce new songs they have written recently as well.
Though the band has been on the road a lot in the past two years and has a constant flow of new releases, its members have not lost any of the excitement when it comes to releasing new material. Every release is a step up, and the excitement only grows.
"If we do an LP and the next thing is a 7", I'm more excited for that 7" than I was for that LP before it," says Sartin. "You take every one just as seriously and you try just as hard, if not harder. To me, [with] every release--no matter how small or big--there should be a growth. There should be a sort of marker of growth."
Direct link to article
One would think that a band like The Fresh & Onlys, which has relied on a home tape machine to record material for two full-length albums, more than five 7" records, an EP, and a few cassette tapes, had found a working formula for their recordings. However, when it came time for the San Francisco band to record its third album of effervescent garage tunes, the band members were left unsatisfied with working from home, instead desiring to try something different.
"We got really concerned about being too redundant, at least sonically," says Shayde Sartin, the band's bassist. "It's kind of good to challenge yourself with a new environment."
In the hopes of expanding their spectrum and making the music sound bigger, the band--which also includes Tim Cohen on vocals, guitar, and keys, Wymond Miles on guitar, and Kyle Gibson on drums--turned to Tim Green and his San Francisco-based Louder Studios. Green is a member of the band, Fucking Champs, and also played in the renowned punk band, The Nation Of Ulysses. His work behind the recording board is just as impressive, having included clients like Tristeza and Sleater Kinney . However, it was Green's work with The Melvins and Lungfish that most impressed Sartin.
"I love how he records sonically," Sartin says. "I like how he records guitars. I like how he records vocals. So, it seemed like an obvious choice. I felt really comfortable to go work with a person who had some kind of acquaintance."
The Fresh & Onlys is still a young band, having been formed in 2008 as a project between Cohen and Sartin. So, it is nice to hear the band members already wanting to expand their horizons. For the third album, which is entitled "Play It Strange" and will be released on In the Red Recordings on October 12, the band really wanted to focus more on the production aspects, starting with recording the songs on their own, allowing Green to become familiar with the material before recording anything at Louder Studios.
"By the time we got in there, he knew the songs, and he knew that we like to work fast," Sartin says. "He likes to work fast. We had the songs figured out. We kind of wanted to get in and get the physical parts done and then work on the sonics a little more. He was really good at facilitating working on the color of the songs."
The songs were recorded in late 2009 and now, several months later, the band members are reflecting on the end result and finding themselves to still be happy with the recordings.
"There was definitely a little more [of a] confident feel as far as the performance goes on the recordings with Tim Green, as opposed to the ones we did on our own," Sartin says. "The sounds were definitely more articulate. [The album is] way more druggy than I realized it was when we were recording it, which I like. It has a certain haziness to it that is very complementary to the songs."
The Fresh & Onlys' music is known for being hazy. Taking cues from San Francisco's historic psychedelic music scene, the band layers an aura of cloudiness on top of what essentially are good ‘ole pop tunes. "Play It Strange" is poetic, but does not lose its garage rock appeal. The album is gritty, even as songs like "Summer Of Love" and "Fascinated" have a ‘60s flowery feel, and "All Shook Up" is perfect for a beach party. Cohen's vocals alternate from ghostly to that of a crooner. Simple lines like the ones in "Fascinated," where Cohen says, "Tell me what you're fascinated by," and, "You're such a pretty girl," would have made girls swoon in the ‘60s had they been sung by The Beach Boys.
At one point, The Fresh & Onlys had a female band member who sang and played percussion. Heidi Alexander, who is also a member of the San Francisco band The Sandwitches, added an even more spirited touch to songs on The Fresh & Onlys' self-tilted debut. Her Sandwitches comrade, Grace Cooper, also contributed harmonies. One of the highlights from the debut is the song "Peacock And Wing," where male and female vocals are sung in unison. With the band's sophomore release, "Grey-Eyed Girls," the female vocals were a little less prominent, and this is even more noticeable on the new album. Alexander does sing back-up vocals on "Play It Strange," but she is no longer able to tour with The Fresh & Onlys because of her time commitment with The Sandwitches.
Like any developing band, the songwriting is expected to change a little bit from album to album. In fact, Sartin claims, his involvement in The Fresh & Onlys is the first time that he has been able to evolve as a musician and songwriter. Sartin has played with a large number of other artists including Kelley Stoltz, The Skygreen Leopards and Ty Segall, but this is the first time that he has had creative input in a band. Being a member of The Fresh & Onlys has enabled him to feed off the energy and ideas of the other group members, and vice versa.
"If you are writing songs in a room and you don't have much confidence in what you're doing, you never allow yourself to evolve. But if you're getting encouragement, you're getting feedback and you're collaborating with people, then you start trying new things."
Typically, Sartin and Cohen initiate the structure of a song. Sartin comes up with a chord structure or other musical idea and Cohen will create floating vocals on top. Miles and Gibson also help articulate ideas in new ways, with Miles focusing counter melodies . Regardless of who does what, the band members attempt to flesh out every idea without putting any of them down. The process is always positive and productive.
"I'm hitting Tim with ideas musically that he normally wouldn't come up with and vice versa, so it naturally works out in the end because he's freed up some time thinking about chord structure or thinking about a rhythm, and I'm free of thinking of lyrics and melody," says Sartin.
Not only do the band members keep an open mind when writing songs, but that quality is something they look for when deciding the labels that will release its albums. Having already worked with a handful of labels, The Fresh & Onlys decided to go with Los Angeles' In the Red Records this time around--both for the people that work there, as well as its reputation for pushing boundaries.
"It's one of those labels I've always had a lot of intrigue with, because despite their [reputation] as a garage label, they've actually done a lot of things that aren't," Sartin says, "especially in the last few years with The Vivian Girls, Blank Dogs and The Ponys. They've kind of stretched out beyond being a sort of punk label, and the owner Larry Hardy is an amazing person. He has a very eccentric taste in music and it seemed like a good fit because we weren't the typical garage band."
The Fresh & Onlys' eagerness to work with a bunch of different people has resulted in many good opportunities. The band has already toured with King Khan & The Shrines in the US and Deerhunter in Europe, and they have two tours lined up for this year, beginning with a US tour with Royal Baths and finishing off the year with one with Clinic.
According to Sartin, when the two fall tours were booked, The Fresh & Onlys were originally planning to focus on songs from "Play It Strange." However, as the band members are always thinking ahead, they will introduce new songs they have written recently as well.
Though the band has been on the road a lot in the past two years and has a constant flow of new releases, its members have not lost any of the excitement when it comes to releasing new material. Every release is a step up, and the excitement only grows.
"If we do an LP and the next thing is a 7", I'm more excited for that 7" than I was for that LP before it," says Sartin. "You take every one just as seriously and you try just as hard, if not harder. To me, [with] every release--no matter how small or big--there should be a growth. There should be a sort of marker of growth."
Monday, March 1, 2010
Artist Feature: YACHT
Originally published March 1, 2010 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
For two months in early 2008, Portland-based electropop duo YACHT set up camp in a small town located in the desert of West Texas, away from the city lights, but at the threshold of a completely different type of lights. Known as the Marfa Lights, the inexplicable dashes of lights that appear every night in the sky of Marfa, Texas, impacted Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, the two members of YACHT, in a profound way. On many occasions during their two-month stay in Marfa, the pair would grab a blanket, sit on the roof of their car, and observe the lights in the open desert. Not only did the lights go on to become the biggest inspiration for YACHT's latest album, See Mystery Lights, but they also changed Bechtolt and Evans' view of the world.
"We'd seen something truly rare, truly magic, truly unexplained, and yet evidently real," the pair explain. "Coming face-to-face with something like that changes you. It humbles you. It puts our microscopic human relevance in the grand scheme of this cavernous universe into perspective. We had long conversations about the lights and their implications to us as people. Although we're very different from one another, they affected us identically."
Bechtolt was the first out of the two to see the Marfa lights. In 2004, some people in Austin recommended that he make a stop to see the lights in Marfa while on his way to California. After seeing the lights, he drove to Los Angeles to play a show and met Evans for the first time; her band was also on the bill. Later on, while traveling together, they decided to check out the Marfa lights together.
The lights made such a lasting impression on the two that in 2008, they decided to rent a house in Marfa in hopes of producing some type of tribute to their experience. At the time, they were not sure if it would be in the form of music.
"We didn't entirely know why we had come to Marfa, except that we wanted to know what it was like to live alongside the phenomenon," they say.
The first thing that they came up with was an 8-minute compilation of mantras. Bechtolt and Evans decided to create the tribute around their own belief system after becoming interested in human rituals of esotericism and mysticism. Given pop music's tendency to feature repetitive elements, it was only natural for Bechtolt and Evans to mold the mantras into the tracks that make up See Mystery Lights.
While the songs do contain Bechtolt and Evans' thoughts on topics such as heaven, hell, darkness, and light, they do not come off as commanding. YACHT do not go off on rants; instead, they hone in on catchy one-liners , such as "It's not a place you go/ It's a place that comes to you," on the song "The Afterlife." The subtlety of YACHT's messages continue on in songs like "I'm In Love With A Ripper" and "Summer Song," where their mantras are concealed within hyper beats, metallic-sounding claps and clicks, and playful male/female vocal exchanges.
Bechtolt and Evans drew amazing energy out of the desert and Marfa lights. Whether it is the spiritual influence of the Marfa lights or the music's radiant, electronic characteristics, listening to the album is like watching the sky shift from night to morning and witnessing seasons race through time.
Considering that Bechtolt and Evans have a deep understanding of how to make a great dance song, it is no wonder they feel at home with being a new addition to DFA Records. Even before See Mystery Lights was released, YACHT toured with DFA Records' flagship band, LCD Soundsystem. While on that tour, Bechtolt wrote "Summer Song" as a love letter and salute to LCD Soundsystem.
"For us, DFA is like a golden key," Bechtolt and Evans say. "They have a kind of global recognition for being a label with excellent taste, and that vote of good confidence has given us access to all the tape decks, bedrooms, dance floors and parties of the world. People who never would have sought out YACHT have been presented with us, and have accepted us as part of the family."
In 2009 YACHT traveled all over the world in support of See Mystery Lights, including a U.S. tour with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and shows in South Korea, China, Brazil, Australia and Europe.
Being the type of people who embrace evolution, YACHT will undergo a new tour under the moniker of YACHT And The Straight Gaze; this time, they will tour as a 5-piece group. The Straight Gaze will be formed by three reputable musicians from their hometown: Rob Kieswetter of Bobby Birdman, Jeff Brodsky of Jeffrey Jerusalem, and D. Reuben Snyder of Rob Walmart.
Bechtolt and Evans have stated that they feel it is necessary to present YACHT in new forms about every six months, and this is not the first time that YACHT has presented a new incarnation of themselves. YACHT, which started in 2002 as Y.A.C.H.T. -- an acronym for Young Americans Challenging High Technology -- was Bechtolt's solo project. The now 29-year-old grew up in Astoria, Oregon and played drums in punk bands as a teenager. He became a member of another Portland electropop duo called The Blow in 2004, and for a few years was doing double-duty with YACHT. In 2007, Bechtolt began focusing solely on YACHT.
Evans, who was born in the UK and attended college in Los Angeles, contributed to a previous YACHT album, I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real, and officially became a member in 2008. Previously, she had played in various noise bands in Los Angeles and made a name for herself as a science writer, the latter of which she still does.
Bechtolt and Evans say that the transition from YACHT as a solo project into a duo was not a conscious choice, but also not totally easy.
"Collaboration is always difficult, as it requires some level of ego sacrifice -- we're no exception," they say. "However, we were lucky to have shared many powerful experiences together, most importantly the 'mystery lights.' Everything in the end has to come together, and when it does, it becomes larger than each of our personal egos or identities. It becomes YACHT."
Through their live performances, YACHT have become known as musicians who are more than just high-energy infectious music and dancing; the performances of their music also encompass visual elements. In hopes that their fans never see the same show twice, Bechtolt and Evans play around with video elements, song arrangements, and interaction with the crowd with every show.
"The visual elements are absolutely essential to our quest to radically shake people out of the preconception that the YACHT show is going to be like a 'regular' concert," Bechtolt and Evans say.
Likewise, YACHT can hardly be considered a regular band. Bechtolt and Evans see YACHT as a band, a belief system, and a business. One of the most eye- catching things on YACHT's websites and profiles on social networks is the text that reads, "YACHT is not a cult." Bechtolt and Evans find it necessary to repeatedly point out that YACHT is not a cult, as some people are quick to associate the term 'cult' with any group that expresses a belief system. But like the lyrics on See Mystery Lights, the band's websites also include statements about darkness, light, free thought, afterlife, and extraterrestrial intelligence. Bechtolt and Evans promote free expression and invite anyone to become a member of YACHT.
"There is something richly American and powerfully human about people who strike off to create their own religious or cultural identities, everywhere from starting hippie communes to having religious visions, and we really respect that tradition," the pair say . "We find it distasteful how the conservative religious mainstream condemns this kind of behavior, as we see it as true spirituality."
Despite what their detractors might say about them, YACHT have managed to take their powerful experiences with the Marfa lights and channeled them into dynamic dance music.
"We suppose that YACHT is attempting to forge connections between underground musical culture and underground spiritual culture," they say. "After all, both are motivated by the desire to create something more real, special, and rare than what is being presented by conventional organizations."
Direct link to article
For two months in early 2008, Portland-based electropop duo YACHT set up camp in a small town located in the desert of West Texas, away from the city lights, but at the threshold of a completely different type of lights. Known as the Marfa Lights, the inexplicable dashes of lights that appear every night in the sky of Marfa, Texas, impacted Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, the two members of YACHT, in a profound way. On many occasions during their two-month stay in Marfa, the pair would grab a blanket, sit on the roof of their car, and observe the lights in the open desert. Not only did the lights go on to become the biggest inspiration for YACHT's latest album, See Mystery Lights, but they also changed Bechtolt and Evans' view of the world.
"We'd seen something truly rare, truly magic, truly unexplained, and yet evidently real," the pair explain. "Coming face-to-face with something like that changes you. It humbles you. It puts our microscopic human relevance in the grand scheme of this cavernous universe into perspective. We had long conversations about the lights and their implications to us as people. Although we're very different from one another, they affected us identically."
Bechtolt was the first out of the two to see the Marfa lights. In 2004, some people in Austin recommended that he make a stop to see the lights in Marfa while on his way to California. After seeing the lights, he drove to Los Angeles to play a show and met Evans for the first time; her band was also on the bill. Later on, while traveling together, they decided to check out the Marfa lights together.
The lights made such a lasting impression on the two that in 2008, they decided to rent a house in Marfa in hopes of producing some type of tribute to their experience. At the time, they were not sure if it would be in the form of music.
"We didn't entirely know why we had come to Marfa, except that we wanted to know what it was like to live alongside the phenomenon," they say.
The first thing that they came up with was an 8-minute compilation of mantras. Bechtolt and Evans decided to create the tribute around their own belief system after becoming interested in human rituals of esotericism and mysticism. Given pop music's tendency to feature repetitive elements, it was only natural for Bechtolt and Evans to mold the mantras into the tracks that make up See Mystery Lights.
While the songs do contain Bechtolt and Evans' thoughts on topics such as heaven, hell, darkness, and light, they do not come off as commanding. YACHT do not go off on rants; instead, they hone in on catchy one-liners , such as "It's not a place you go/ It's a place that comes to you," on the song "The Afterlife." The subtlety of YACHT's messages continue on in songs like "I'm In Love With A Ripper" and "Summer Song," where their mantras are concealed within hyper beats, metallic-sounding claps and clicks, and playful male/female vocal exchanges.
Bechtolt and Evans drew amazing energy out of the desert and Marfa lights. Whether it is the spiritual influence of the Marfa lights or the music's radiant, electronic characteristics, listening to the album is like watching the sky shift from night to morning and witnessing seasons race through time.
Considering that Bechtolt and Evans have a deep understanding of how to make a great dance song, it is no wonder they feel at home with being a new addition to DFA Records. Even before See Mystery Lights was released, YACHT toured with DFA Records' flagship band, LCD Soundsystem. While on that tour, Bechtolt wrote "Summer Song" as a love letter and salute to LCD Soundsystem.
"For us, DFA is like a golden key," Bechtolt and Evans say. "They have a kind of global recognition for being a label with excellent taste, and that vote of good confidence has given us access to all the tape decks, bedrooms, dance floors and parties of the world. People who never would have sought out YACHT have been presented with us, and have accepted us as part of the family."
In 2009 YACHT traveled all over the world in support of See Mystery Lights, including a U.S. tour with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and shows in South Korea, China, Brazil, Australia and Europe.
Being the type of people who embrace evolution, YACHT will undergo a new tour under the moniker of YACHT And The Straight Gaze; this time, they will tour as a 5-piece group. The Straight Gaze will be formed by three reputable musicians from their hometown: Rob Kieswetter of Bobby Birdman, Jeff Brodsky of Jeffrey Jerusalem, and D. Reuben Snyder of Rob Walmart.
Bechtolt and Evans have stated that they feel it is necessary to present YACHT in new forms about every six months, and this is not the first time that YACHT has presented a new incarnation of themselves. YACHT, which started in 2002 as Y.A.C.H.T. -- an acronym for Young Americans Challenging High Technology -- was Bechtolt's solo project. The now 29-year-old grew up in Astoria, Oregon and played drums in punk bands as a teenager. He became a member of another Portland electropop duo called The Blow in 2004, and for a few years was doing double-duty with YACHT. In 2007, Bechtolt began focusing solely on YACHT.
Evans, who was born in the UK and attended college in Los Angeles, contributed to a previous YACHT album, I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real, and officially became a member in 2008. Previously, she had played in various noise bands in Los Angeles and made a name for herself as a science writer, the latter of which she still does.
Bechtolt and Evans say that the transition from YACHT as a solo project into a duo was not a conscious choice, but also not totally easy.
"Collaboration is always difficult, as it requires some level of ego sacrifice -- we're no exception," they say. "However, we were lucky to have shared many powerful experiences together, most importantly the 'mystery lights.' Everything in the end has to come together, and when it does, it becomes larger than each of our personal egos or identities. It becomes YACHT."
Through their live performances, YACHT have become known as musicians who are more than just high-energy infectious music and dancing; the performances of their music also encompass visual elements. In hopes that their fans never see the same show twice, Bechtolt and Evans play around with video elements, song arrangements, and interaction with the crowd with every show.
"The visual elements are absolutely essential to our quest to radically shake people out of the preconception that the YACHT show is going to be like a 'regular' concert," Bechtolt and Evans say.
Likewise, YACHT can hardly be considered a regular band. Bechtolt and Evans see YACHT as a band, a belief system, and a business. One of the most eye- catching things on YACHT's websites and profiles on social networks is the text that reads, "YACHT is not a cult." Bechtolt and Evans find it necessary to repeatedly point out that YACHT is not a cult, as some people are quick to associate the term 'cult' with any group that expresses a belief system. But like the lyrics on See Mystery Lights, the band's websites also include statements about darkness, light, free thought, afterlife, and extraterrestrial intelligence. Bechtolt and Evans promote free expression and invite anyone to become a member of YACHT.
"There is something richly American and powerfully human about people who strike off to create their own religious or cultural identities, everywhere from starting hippie communes to having religious visions, and we really respect that tradition," the pair say . "We find it distasteful how the conservative religious mainstream condemns this kind of behavior, as we see it as true spirituality."
Despite what their detractors might say about them, YACHT have managed to take their powerful experiences with the Marfa lights and channeled them into dynamic dance music.
"We suppose that YACHT is attempting to forge connections between underground musical culture and underground spiritual culture," they say. "After all, both are motivated by the desire to create something more real, special, and rare than what is being presented by conventional organizations."
Friday, July 31, 2009
Artist Feature: Nite Club
Originally published July 31, 2009 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
At the turn of the millennium, in a liberal arts school 45 minutes outside of Manhattan, there was a group of young, imaginative musicians which included artists like Regina Spektor and Dan Deacon, who were studying orchestral arrangements, modern composition and studio production while brewing shining careers in the indie and electronic music worlds. Also part of the all-star cast at the New York State University, known as SUNY Purchase, was Richard Spitzer, an Orthodox Jewish schoolboy with Cuban heritage, turned electronic music aficionado.
Spitzer, who graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2002 with a degree in Studio Composition and refers to French composer Claude Debussy as his "musical hero," not only studied alongside Spektor and Deacon, but was also involved in a number of impressive projects, including a drum and bass group called Flight Crew that opened up for The Roots. The school's strong do-it-yourself ethic enabled Spitzer to create cutting-edge electronic music one day and build classical piano arrangements the next.
"Our school was very diverse artistically, and eclectic," Spitzer says. "We had all walks of art there. It was very free."
Spitzer is now adding to his alma mater's prestigious reputation with My Tronic, his first full-length release in the United States, under the name Nite Club. The album, out on New York-based Tape Theory, is a beautiful culmination of Spitzer's history and love of electronic, indie rock, and hip hop music. The album's dance landscapes and moods are just as complex and compelling as Spitzer's background.
Before heading to SUNY Purchase, where he was surrounded by an array of artists who were all experimenting with the sounds of hip hop, electronic, rock, classical, jazz and pop music, a young Spitzer was exposed to a diverse world of music in his own home and neighborhood.
Spitzer grew up in Bayside, a suburban neighborhood in Queens, New York, in a home where music was always present. His mother, who was born in Cuba and lived there until she was 20 years old, and father, who Spitzer describes as a "Bronx boy," raised him in a strict Jewish setting where spiritual prayer and singing were common practice. Spitzer attended an Orthodox Jewish school, and while his mother, who was a music teacher, played Yiddish music on the family piano, she also introduced him to the vibrant music of Cuba.
"There was always dancing going on in my house," he says. "If someone would turn on the radio, it would turn into a party, like a cha-cha line for some reason."
While music was a big part of Spitzer's childhood, and he was encouraged to play piano by his mother, it wasn't until he was 13 or 14 that he actually started playing music.
"When I was a little baby, she would chase me around the house to try to get me to take lessons, but I finally learned on my own," Spitzer says. "My family was cool enough to embrace my playing at odd hours. I'd play in the middle of the night. I'd talk on the phone with people and play piano to them. And they kind of put up with it, so I have to thank them."
However, around the same time he was taking up the piano, Spitzer says his more rebellious exploration of music caused trouble with his parents. Behind his parents' back and against religious traditions, Spitzer listened to the brash and subversive sounds of Guns N' Roses and Dr. Dre. Upon finding the albums, his parents kicked him out of the house. Ironically, Spitzer's brother, who was a rabbi, also opened his eyes to contemporary music -- to bands such as New Order and Depeche Mode.
Unlike today, where a music fan can have trouble choosing what to listen to out of the millions of bands on the Internet, Spitzer recalls seeking out bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd simply because they had built-up reputations of being legendary. His loyalty to those bands grew quickly because his focus was not pulled in countless directions by over-saturated music scenes.
As a teenager, Spitzer was also drawn to the electronic sounds of old school jungle, house, and techno that were played on college radio. By the time he was 16 years old, Spitzer was not only attending raves, but performing at them. He had a band that started out playing a fusion of jazz and prog rock, but then transformed into a band that played live jungle at both illegal and legal raves. It was not unusual to see a 16-year-old at the illegal parties where there were no bouncers, but it was a bit surprising to see someone so young getting booked to play the legal events.
As Spitzer continued to DJ raves through college, the influence of electronic music embedded itself into many of his projects, including Nite Club. Following a 2006 EP released in the U.S. and a full-length album only released in Japan on Tokyo's Blackbudget Records, My Tronic was recorded in 2008 in Spitzer's home studio in Brooklyn. With strong pulses and fast dance rhythms, Nite Club stays true to Spitzer's days of performing live jungle. However, the soft vocals and reflective background moods are also likely to appeal to fans of bands like the Album Leaf, Mogwai, and Explosions in the Sky.
Whether it was the inherent hands-on atmosphere of living in a converted hardware store or just Spitzer's strong musicianship, the process of making My Tronic included more than just the click of a mouse and the drag and drop feature of a computer program. Spitzer mainly used an assortment of synthesizers to create the fuzzy melodies and beaming waves, but he also played guitar, drums, bass and xylophone.
By mixing in guitar and live percussion with more electronic aspects, Nite Club sounds more fitting for a dance party than for a video game. The music is fun and energetic, but doesn't take on the high-pitched tendencies of some synth-pop bands. "Change Your Love" and "Left Right" are examples of songs that provoke dancing, but are cinematic and carry a sense of sophistication. It is easy to tell that Spitzer has fun creating music, but is also very thoughtful about the songwriting process and delicate in creating the layers.
"I usually start with an atmosphere," Spitzer says. "I try to create a place or color where I can go. I try to stay focused and try to see how far I can manipulate things inside there. I always try to keep a balance... the whole goal of an album is trying to have a good proportion of sentiment and then release an energy at the same time."
While the album includes older songs from Nite Club's Japanese full-length, there is no point in the music were Spitzer's diverse influences clash. Everything flows smoothly. "National" and "BK Nights" conjure up images of old school breakdancing with their tenacious beats and short vocal segments that seem to stop time, but only serve to up the energy more. The vocals are kept fairly low-key and there are no MC chants, but Spitzer's timing is impeccable. His voice is lush, soothing, and seamlessly moves from relaxed tones to quick and sharp ones.
Also on My Tronic is a cover of "Good Life" by Kayne West, which Spitzer says he was inspired to do after listening incessantly to the album Graduation. Spitzer has received positive feedback from both non-West and fanatical West fans.
"What I want is just to be able to turn people on who wouldn't normally be into it," he says. "I was interested to see if I could take my passion that I had for the music and try to reinterpret it in my own way. It was kind of an experiment, but it was fun."
While My Tronic was released in April, Spitzer has yet to formally tour in support of the album. There have been a few Nite Club shows in the New York area and East Coast, but he hopes to tour the U.S. in the fall and Japan in the winter.
For live shows, Nite Club turns into a duo, with Steve Bryant -- also known as Cru Jonez -- on drums. Spitzer met Bryant while attending SUNY Purchase, where Bryant was also a member of the group Flight Crew. Spitzer handles the vocals, synthesizers, and computer, while Bryant keeps it bare bones with just a drum kit and no electronics.
Spitzer may be waiting until fall to tour, but he has been keeping busy with various other projects, including solo DJ sets, which he says are distinctly different from his Nite Club performances.
"I think there are different art forms," he says. "I feel like I'm learning when I DJ. When I play, it's more of an internalized thing. DJing [is] more like a dialog between me and the music that I love."
Spitzer has also been working with college friends as a member of a group called Vinyl Life, of which Phil Moffa, who did programming on one of the tracks on the new Nite Club album, is also a member. The members use a lot of analog equipment and draw inspiration from '70s music, freestyle, Chicago house, and the history of club sounds. The group will be releasing its debut full-length album on Tape Theory in August and will also be touring later in the year.
On top of that, thanks to past trips to Japan, Spitzer has had the opportunity to collaborate with Japanese electronic artists such as, Shigeo, a member of SBK and the Samos. Spitzer contributed vocals on tracks by Shigeo's newest band called Mold, and the band remixed Spitzer's song "Cape Navril," which can be found on My Tronic in its original form. Spitzer plans to work on more music when he visits Japan in the winter.
Being able to work with artists in Japan is not the only great aspect about visiting the country. During his live shows, Spitzer has noticed the fans' enthusiasm to learn about American music.
"They're so hip, and they've got their ear to the street as if they were here in America," Spitzer says. "They really do their research on artists, and they study the artists' influences. They're very well-schooled listeners."
Spitzer's tireless efforts to be involved in so many music projects seems to go back to his time at SUNY Purchase and the clash of cultures that he experience as a kid. It is surprising to hear that someone who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Claude Debussy was also involved in raves at the age of sixteen. But attending SUNY Purchase taught Spitzer how to approach music using his varied influences as well as looking at music more scientifically, he says. He also values being able to learn from his peers.
"I worked with so many great producers," he says. "I felt like I was always trying to get them to rub off on me somehow."
Spitzer's eagerness to learn and find new ways to mix genres and composing techniques has paid off, and it shows through the memorable songs on My Tronic. Around the release date, the album charted on the College Music Journal's Top 200 and broke into the top 20 of its RPM album charts.
"What I want to have is different people to come together -- [to have] different styles and fashions to come together and feel the music itself," Spitzer says. "I kind of think that there's this beauty in every style. That's my ultimate happiness."
Direct link to article
At the turn of the millennium, in a liberal arts school 45 minutes outside of Manhattan, there was a group of young, imaginative musicians which included artists like Regina Spektor and Dan Deacon, who were studying orchestral arrangements, modern composition and studio production while brewing shining careers in the indie and electronic music worlds. Also part of the all-star cast at the New York State University, known as SUNY Purchase, was Richard Spitzer, an Orthodox Jewish schoolboy with Cuban heritage, turned electronic music aficionado.
Spitzer, who graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2002 with a degree in Studio Composition and refers to French composer Claude Debussy as his "musical hero," not only studied alongside Spektor and Deacon, but was also involved in a number of impressive projects, including a drum and bass group called Flight Crew that opened up for The Roots. The school's strong do-it-yourself ethic enabled Spitzer to create cutting-edge electronic music one day and build classical piano arrangements the next.
"Our school was very diverse artistically, and eclectic," Spitzer says. "We had all walks of art there. It was very free."
Spitzer is now adding to his alma mater's prestigious reputation with My Tronic, his first full-length release in the United States, under the name Nite Club. The album, out on New York-based Tape Theory, is a beautiful culmination of Spitzer's history and love of electronic, indie rock, and hip hop music. The album's dance landscapes and moods are just as complex and compelling as Spitzer's background.
Before heading to SUNY Purchase, where he was surrounded by an array of artists who were all experimenting with the sounds of hip hop, electronic, rock, classical, jazz and pop music, a young Spitzer was exposed to a diverse world of music in his own home and neighborhood.
Spitzer grew up in Bayside, a suburban neighborhood in Queens, New York, in a home where music was always present. His mother, who was born in Cuba and lived there until she was 20 years old, and father, who Spitzer describes as a "Bronx boy," raised him in a strict Jewish setting where spiritual prayer and singing were common practice. Spitzer attended an Orthodox Jewish school, and while his mother, who was a music teacher, played Yiddish music on the family piano, she also introduced him to the vibrant music of Cuba.
"There was always dancing going on in my house," he says. "If someone would turn on the radio, it would turn into a party, like a cha-cha line for some reason."
While music was a big part of Spitzer's childhood, and he was encouraged to play piano by his mother, it wasn't until he was 13 or 14 that he actually started playing music.
"When I was a little baby, she would chase me around the house to try to get me to take lessons, but I finally learned on my own," Spitzer says. "My family was cool enough to embrace my playing at odd hours. I'd play in the middle of the night. I'd talk on the phone with people and play piano to them. And they kind of put up with it, so I have to thank them."
However, around the same time he was taking up the piano, Spitzer says his more rebellious exploration of music caused trouble with his parents. Behind his parents' back and against religious traditions, Spitzer listened to the brash and subversive sounds of Guns N' Roses and Dr. Dre. Upon finding the albums, his parents kicked him out of the house. Ironically, Spitzer's brother, who was a rabbi, also opened his eyes to contemporary music -- to bands such as New Order and Depeche Mode.
Unlike today, where a music fan can have trouble choosing what to listen to out of the millions of bands on the Internet, Spitzer recalls seeking out bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd simply because they had built-up reputations of being legendary. His loyalty to those bands grew quickly because his focus was not pulled in countless directions by over-saturated music scenes.
As a teenager, Spitzer was also drawn to the electronic sounds of old school jungle, house, and techno that were played on college radio. By the time he was 16 years old, Spitzer was not only attending raves, but performing at them. He had a band that started out playing a fusion of jazz and prog rock, but then transformed into a band that played live jungle at both illegal and legal raves. It was not unusual to see a 16-year-old at the illegal parties where there were no bouncers, but it was a bit surprising to see someone so young getting booked to play the legal events.
As Spitzer continued to DJ raves through college, the influence of electronic music embedded itself into many of his projects, including Nite Club. Following a 2006 EP released in the U.S. and a full-length album only released in Japan on Tokyo's Blackbudget Records, My Tronic was recorded in 2008 in Spitzer's home studio in Brooklyn. With strong pulses and fast dance rhythms, Nite Club stays true to Spitzer's days of performing live jungle. However, the soft vocals and reflective background moods are also likely to appeal to fans of bands like the Album Leaf, Mogwai, and Explosions in the Sky.
Whether it was the inherent hands-on atmosphere of living in a converted hardware store or just Spitzer's strong musicianship, the process of making My Tronic included more than just the click of a mouse and the drag and drop feature of a computer program. Spitzer mainly used an assortment of synthesizers to create the fuzzy melodies and beaming waves, but he also played guitar, drums, bass and xylophone.
By mixing in guitar and live percussion with more electronic aspects, Nite Club sounds more fitting for a dance party than for a video game. The music is fun and energetic, but doesn't take on the high-pitched tendencies of some synth-pop bands. "Change Your Love" and "Left Right" are examples of songs that provoke dancing, but are cinematic and carry a sense of sophistication. It is easy to tell that Spitzer has fun creating music, but is also very thoughtful about the songwriting process and delicate in creating the layers.
"I usually start with an atmosphere," Spitzer says. "I try to create a place or color where I can go. I try to stay focused and try to see how far I can manipulate things inside there. I always try to keep a balance... the whole goal of an album is trying to have a good proportion of sentiment and then release an energy at the same time."
While the album includes older songs from Nite Club's Japanese full-length, there is no point in the music were Spitzer's diverse influences clash. Everything flows smoothly. "National" and "BK Nights" conjure up images of old school breakdancing with their tenacious beats and short vocal segments that seem to stop time, but only serve to up the energy more. The vocals are kept fairly low-key and there are no MC chants, but Spitzer's timing is impeccable. His voice is lush, soothing, and seamlessly moves from relaxed tones to quick and sharp ones.
Also on My Tronic is a cover of "Good Life" by Kayne West, which Spitzer says he was inspired to do after listening incessantly to the album Graduation. Spitzer has received positive feedback from both non-West and fanatical West fans.
"What I want is just to be able to turn people on who wouldn't normally be into it," he says. "I was interested to see if I could take my passion that I had for the music and try to reinterpret it in my own way. It was kind of an experiment, but it was fun."
While My Tronic was released in April, Spitzer has yet to formally tour in support of the album. There have been a few Nite Club shows in the New York area and East Coast, but he hopes to tour the U.S. in the fall and Japan in the winter.
For live shows, Nite Club turns into a duo, with Steve Bryant -- also known as Cru Jonez -- on drums. Spitzer met Bryant while attending SUNY Purchase, where Bryant was also a member of the group Flight Crew. Spitzer handles the vocals, synthesizers, and computer, while Bryant keeps it bare bones with just a drum kit and no electronics.
Spitzer may be waiting until fall to tour, but he has been keeping busy with various other projects, including solo DJ sets, which he says are distinctly different from his Nite Club performances.
"I think there are different art forms," he says. "I feel like I'm learning when I DJ. When I play, it's more of an internalized thing. DJing [is] more like a dialog between me and the music that I love."
Spitzer has also been working with college friends as a member of a group called Vinyl Life, of which Phil Moffa, who did programming on one of the tracks on the new Nite Club album, is also a member. The members use a lot of analog equipment and draw inspiration from '70s music, freestyle, Chicago house, and the history of club sounds. The group will be releasing its debut full-length album on Tape Theory in August and will also be touring later in the year.
On top of that, thanks to past trips to Japan, Spitzer has had the opportunity to collaborate with Japanese electronic artists such as, Shigeo, a member of SBK and the Samos. Spitzer contributed vocals on tracks by Shigeo's newest band called Mold, and the band remixed Spitzer's song "Cape Navril," which can be found on My Tronic in its original form. Spitzer plans to work on more music when he visits Japan in the winter.
Being able to work with artists in Japan is not the only great aspect about visiting the country. During his live shows, Spitzer has noticed the fans' enthusiasm to learn about American music.
"They're so hip, and they've got their ear to the street as if they were here in America," Spitzer says. "They really do their research on artists, and they study the artists' influences. They're very well-schooled listeners."
Spitzer's tireless efforts to be involved in so many music projects seems to go back to his time at SUNY Purchase and the clash of cultures that he experience as a kid. It is surprising to hear that someone who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Claude Debussy was also involved in raves at the age of sixteen. But attending SUNY Purchase taught Spitzer how to approach music using his varied influences as well as looking at music more scientifically, he says. He also values being able to learn from his peers.
"I worked with so many great producers," he says. "I felt like I was always trying to get them to rub off on me somehow."
Spitzer's eagerness to learn and find new ways to mix genres and composing techniques has paid off, and it shows through the memorable songs on My Tronic. Around the release date, the album charted on the College Music Journal's Top 200 and broke into the top 20 of its RPM album charts.
"What I want to have is different people to come together -- [to have] different styles and fashions to come together and feel the music itself," Spitzer says. "I kind of think that there's this beauty in every style. That's my ultimate happiness."
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Artist Feature: Hyperpotamus
Originally published May 28, 2009 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
Instead of renting a practice space or spending all of his time fine-tuning his sound in a garage, basement or bedroom like most artists, Spanish musician Jorge Ramírez-Escudero, better known as Hyperpotamus, chose to take his rehearsal sessions to a place where thousands of people could hear him. Before he ever played a proper show as Hyperpotamus, unsuspecting passengers of Madrid's underground metro system witnessed the development of a musical project that would soon move up the ranks to formal music venues and internationally-acclaimed festivals.
Public transportation terminals around the world all have their share of percussionists, violinists, dancers, and singer-songwriters with guitars. However, one man utilizing nothing but his voice, a microphone, and a loop machine to create a type of layered acapella music that can easily be confused for the works of a group of vocalists, is sure to turn heads.
With a self-released full-length album and appearances at 2009's SxSW, Ramírez-Escudero is now more likely to be seen performing in more conventional settings. He has since upgraded to using four microphones, but says that his days in the underground metro played a big part in making connections and exposing his music to people who normally would have not had a chance to hear it.
After being in a variety of bands as a drummer and pianist since the age of 15, which included a shoegazer post-rock group called Abner, a collaboration with an electronic musician named Strand, and an electro-rock band called Kodama, Ramírez-Escudero decided to free himself from the constraints of shady record labels and heavy musical instruments. He started a project that would be simple to tour with and set up wherever his heart desired.
With a vocal styling that combines beat-boxing and soulful melodies with unexpected wails, Hyperpotamus overlaps and loops the sounds he creates solely with his mouth to create full songs, simply with the touch of a loop station's foot pedals.
When one undertakes a project as different as that of Hyperpotamus, it's difficult to predict crowd reactions. Ramírez-Escudero reveals that while some people would take pictures of him, others simply laughed at his expense.
"You had your typical acne-ridden thugs who didn't really know what to make of what I was doing and gave me ‘that look.' But you learn to not really pay attention," he says.
Others were so moved by the music that they would ask Ramírez-Escudero to sing "Happy Birthday," or they would decide to express their appreciation through breakdancing. Eventually people started offering Hyperpotamus gigs, but one of Ramírez-Escudero's favorite memories is that of a drunken Polish woman who insulted those passing by because they were not stopping to listen and pay respect.
"Anything can happen, but that's precisely the thrill," Ramírez-Escudero says. "You're exposed to such an extent that you become 100 percent vulnerable. It's a public space, and you have to deal with it."
After dealing with a dishonest record label, Ramírez-Escudero says, he acquired the thick skin needed for performing in Spain's underground metro. In fact, Spain's tangled web that is its music industry is what prompted him to quit his band Kodama; the band released an album, but its label's founder pocketed the gig money that was supposed to be used for promotion. Ramírez-Escudero quit Kodama in 2006, while the rest of the band continued to work with the label. Days later, he could be found performing as Hyperpotamus.
Upon first listen, Hyperpotamus sounds similar to something out of an Animal Collective album. Sounds seem to bounce around a dreamy, vaulted atmosphere. However, unlike bands like Animal Collective, which are notable for their creative use of electronic sounds, Ramírez-Escudero uses vocal lines to fill in the spots where a piano melody or cymbal crash would usually be heard.
Describing a purely acapella musical project with no distorting guitars or bizarre electronic samples almost sounds archaic, but the twelve songs on Hyperpotamus' album Largo Bailón, which means A Long Dance, positively push the boundaries of experimentation.
With influences that include Michael Jackson, Fugazi, Belgium artist Jacques Brel, African and Cuban music, and Ukrainian choirs, the simplest way to describe Hyperpotamus is a jumble of vocal sounds. Although that is not to say that the music has no structure. The arrangements are complicated and timed precisely, requiring a very well-trained ear and strong sense of rhythm.
Ramírez-Escudero, who started playing piano when he was 5 years old, says that his songwriting process varies from song to song. Sometimes he will write something on guitar or piano and then convert it into vocal lines. Random street sounds are also forms of inspiration and may be translated into the songs in vocal form.
"Dinamo Dominó," the second track on Largo Bailón, actually creates the image of a bustling street in the downtown area of some hip city. The song begins with the soft repetition of the song title's two words, which sounds like the chattering of people in outdoor cafes. Other vocal layers are quickly introduced and start resembling the sounds of an upbeat man humming a sunny melody while walking down the sidewalk. About midway, the song slows down and dips to two layers with Ramírez-Escudero singing a few lyrics in Spanish. The song then expands back to its original multiple layers.
All the other tracks are just as interesting and engaging. Listeners could spend hours picking out the layers. Lyrics are not found on every song, but when they are present, they add a soft, sensual touch. "Sunshine Juice" is an example where lyrics in English dominate and are used to move the music along in a seductive way.
Ramírez-Escudero produced and recorded Largo Bailón in a friend's studio between April and December of 2008. He teamed up with childhood friend Julián Martin to mix the album and released it on February 28. It was completely self-financed and can only be purchased at shows and through PayPal on the Hyperpotamus' MySpace page. He is proud of his work and to have made the money to cover the album's expenses in just two months, without any label help.
"Being self-released, I have control over absolutely every tiny aspect of the album," Ramírez-Escudero says. "For better or for worse, it's my responsibility. I'd love to have someone else do the dirty work, but I reap all the benefits and I'm happy with that."
While he does not completely rule out the possibility of working with another record label in the future, he does not put any pressure on himself to strike a deal, he says. The whole point of Hyperpotamus is to have fun and not take everything so seriously.
In a live setting Ramírez-Escudero does a great job at showing how much he enjoys playing music. While he was in bands, he shared the spotlight with other people and it was easy for him to hide behind his drum kit. However, he looked very natural commanding center stage during his United States debut at this year's SxSW in Austin. One performance, which took place in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, came close to showing what it would have been like to see Ramírez-Escudero perform in Madrid's underground metro. There were plenty of people gathered around the stage, but numerous passerbyers stopped in their tracks as soon as they heard the music and saw him moving from mic to mic, adding the vocal layers and controlling the loop station.
Even as he concentrated on monitoring the music through headphones, instead of monitors, he bounced around to the beats. His motions were part robotic and part gymnast as he stretched out his arms and swung his legs in the air.
"With Hyperpotamus it's just me. No props," he says. "So I better do something about it and quick. My shows have become more physical, nothing really thought-out or rehearsed. It's just what I'd do in the privacy of my home. No kidding."
While the songs are set compositions, Ramírez-Escudero says that he sometimes throws some vocal improvisation into the live mix if inspiration hits him. He also puts an incredible spin to beloved songs, such as, The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever."
Ramírez-Escudero says that SxSW was an amazing experience and he was able to make connections with various people in the music industry, including someone that booked him a show set for August in Los Angeles. Although he has already toured in Spain, Portugal, Holland, Germany and Morocco, he is excited to return to the United States. He is also set to perform at a major festival called Bratislava this summer in Slovakia.
"In Spain, there comes a moment where my music just can't move on," he says. "Basically because there's no space or audience for my music. It's as if you have to excuse yourself for dedicating your time to making ‘non-profitable' music. ‘Get a real job,' they'd say, while in the U.S. it's much more understood and respected."
Ramírez-Escudero's love for traveling will certainly help him spread his music on an international level. Having an international banker as a father and being born in Japan allowed him to travel the world at an early age, before settling with his mother and brother in Madrid.
"Needless to say, you learn a lot about people, different cultures, and you grow up to be more of an independent and adventurous type," he says. "I love spending fifteen hours in a plane after having stopped at a German airport for a flight connection, a sausage, and a beer... then picking up a rented car and hitting the road to God knows where."
Direct link to article
Instead of renting a practice space or spending all of his time fine-tuning his sound in a garage, basement or bedroom like most artists, Spanish musician Jorge Ramírez-Escudero, better known as Hyperpotamus, chose to take his rehearsal sessions to a place where thousands of people could hear him. Before he ever played a proper show as Hyperpotamus, unsuspecting passengers of Madrid's underground metro system witnessed the development of a musical project that would soon move up the ranks to formal music venues and internationally-acclaimed festivals.
Public transportation terminals around the world all have their share of percussionists, violinists, dancers, and singer-songwriters with guitars. However, one man utilizing nothing but his voice, a microphone, and a loop machine to create a type of layered acapella music that can easily be confused for the works of a group of vocalists, is sure to turn heads.
With a self-released full-length album and appearances at 2009's SxSW, Ramírez-Escudero is now more likely to be seen performing in more conventional settings. He has since upgraded to using four microphones, but says that his days in the underground metro played a big part in making connections and exposing his music to people who normally would have not had a chance to hear it.
After being in a variety of bands as a drummer and pianist since the age of 15, which included a shoegazer post-rock group called Abner, a collaboration with an electronic musician named Strand, and an electro-rock band called Kodama, Ramírez-Escudero decided to free himself from the constraints of shady record labels and heavy musical instruments. He started a project that would be simple to tour with and set up wherever his heart desired.
With a vocal styling that combines beat-boxing and soulful melodies with unexpected wails, Hyperpotamus overlaps and loops the sounds he creates solely with his mouth to create full songs, simply with the touch of a loop station's foot pedals.
When one undertakes a project as different as that of Hyperpotamus, it's difficult to predict crowd reactions. Ramírez-Escudero reveals that while some people would take pictures of him, others simply laughed at his expense.
"You had your typical acne-ridden thugs who didn't really know what to make of what I was doing and gave me ‘that look.' But you learn to not really pay attention," he says.
Others were so moved by the music that they would ask Ramírez-Escudero to sing "Happy Birthday," or they would decide to express their appreciation through breakdancing. Eventually people started offering Hyperpotamus gigs, but one of Ramírez-Escudero's favorite memories is that of a drunken Polish woman who insulted those passing by because they were not stopping to listen and pay respect.
"Anything can happen, but that's precisely the thrill," Ramírez-Escudero says. "You're exposed to such an extent that you become 100 percent vulnerable. It's a public space, and you have to deal with it."
After dealing with a dishonest record label, Ramírez-Escudero says, he acquired the thick skin needed for performing in Spain's underground metro. In fact, Spain's tangled web that is its music industry is what prompted him to quit his band Kodama; the band released an album, but its label's founder pocketed the gig money that was supposed to be used for promotion. Ramírez-Escudero quit Kodama in 2006, while the rest of the band continued to work with the label. Days later, he could be found performing as Hyperpotamus.
Upon first listen, Hyperpotamus sounds similar to something out of an Animal Collective album. Sounds seem to bounce around a dreamy, vaulted atmosphere. However, unlike bands like Animal Collective, which are notable for their creative use of electronic sounds, Ramírez-Escudero uses vocal lines to fill in the spots where a piano melody or cymbal crash would usually be heard.
Describing a purely acapella musical project with no distorting guitars or bizarre electronic samples almost sounds archaic, but the twelve songs on Hyperpotamus' album Largo Bailón, which means A Long Dance, positively push the boundaries of experimentation.
With influences that include Michael Jackson, Fugazi, Belgium artist Jacques Brel, African and Cuban music, and Ukrainian choirs, the simplest way to describe Hyperpotamus is a jumble of vocal sounds. Although that is not to say that the music has no structure. The arrangements are complicated and timed precisely, requiring a very well-trained ear and strong sense of rhythm.
Ramírez-Escudero, who started playing piano when he was 5 years old, says that his songwriting process varies from song to song. Sometimes he will write something on guitar or piano and then convert it into vocal lines. Random street sounds are also forms of inspiration and may be translated into the songs in vocal form.
"Dinamo Dominó," the second track on Largo Bailón, actually creates the image of a bustling street in the downtown area of some hip city. The song begins with the soft repetition of the song title's two words, which sounds like the chattering of people in outdoor cafes. Other vocal layers are quickly introduced and start resembling the sounds of an upbeat man humming a sunny melody while walking down the sidewalk. About midway, the song slows down and dips to two layers with Ramírez-Escudero singing a few lyrics in Spanish. The song then expands back to its original multiple layers.
All the other tracks are just as interesting and engaging. Listeners could spend hours picking out the layers. Lyrics are not found on every song, but when they are present, they add a soft, sensual touch. "Sunshine Juice" is an example where lyrics in English dominate and are used to move the music along in a seductive way.
Ramírez-Escudero produced and recorded Largo Bailón in a friend's studio between April and December of 2008. He teamed up with childhood friend Julián Martin to mix the album and released it on February 28. It was completely self-financed and can only be purchased at shows and through PayPal on the Hyperpotamus' MySpace page. He is proud of his work and to have made the money to cover the album's expenses in just two months, without any label help.
"Being self-released, I have control over absolutely every tiny aspect of the album," Ramírez-Escudero says. "For better or for worse, it's my responsibility. I'd love to have someone else do the dirty work, but I reap all the benefits and I'm happy with that."
While he does not completely rule out the possibility of working with another record label in the future, he does not put any pressure on himself to strike a deal, he says. The whole point of Hyperpotamus is to have fun and not take everything so seriously.
In a live setting Ramírez-Escudero does a great job at showing how much he enjoys playing music. While he was in bands, he shared the spotlight with other people and it was easy for him to hide behind his drum kit. However, he looked very natural commanding center stage during his United States debut at this year's SxSW in Austin. One performance, which took place in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, came close to showing what it would have been like to see Ramírez-Escudero perform in Madrid's underground metro. There were plenty of people gathered around the stage, but numerous passerbyers stopped in their tracks as soon as they heard the music and saw him moving from mic to mic, adding the vocal layers and controlling the loop station.
Even as he concentrated on monitoring the music through headphones, instead of monitors, he bounced around to the beats. His motions were part robotic and part gymnast as he stretched out his arms and swung his legs in the air.
"With Hyperpotamus it's just me. No props," he says. "So I better do something about it and quick. My shows have become more physical, nothing really thought-out or rehearsed. It's just what I'd do in the privacy of my home. No kidding."
While the songs are set compositions, Ramírez-Escudero says that he sometimes throws some vocal improvisation into the live mix if inspiration hits him. He also puts an incredible spin to beloved songs, such as, The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever."
Ramírez-Escudero says that SxSW was an amazing experience and he was able to make connections with various people in the music industry, including someone that booked him a show set for August in Los Angeles. Although he has already toured in Spain, Portugal, Holland, Germany and Morocco, he is excited to return to the United States. He is also set to perform at a major festival called Bratislava this summer in Slovakia.
"In Spain, there comes a moment where my music just can't move on," he says. "Basically because there's no space or audience for my music. It's as if you have to excuse yourself for dedicating your time to making ‘non-profitable' music. ‘Get a real job,' they'd say, while in the U.S. it's much more understood and respected."
Ramírez-Escudero's love for traveling will certainly help him spread his music on an international level. Having an international banker as a father and being born in Japan allowed him to travel the world at an early age, before settling with his mother and brother in Madrid.
"Needless to say, you learn a lot about people, different cultures, and you grow up to be more of an independent and adventurous type," he says. "I love spending fifteen hours in a plane after having stopped at a German airport for a flight connection, a sausage, and a beer... then picking up a rented car and hitting the road to God knows where."
Monday, May 11, 2009
Artist Feature: Ceci Bastida
Originally published May 11, 2009 in Redefine Magazine.
Direct link to article
As a 15-year-old growing up in the turbulent border town of Tijuana, Mexico, Ceci Bastida began playing in a ska/punk band called Tijuana No! in 1989. Like most politically-conscious bands, their musical influences included The Clash, Madness, and Bob Marley. It was not until after the band's 12-year career and seven years of touring as the keyboardist and back-up singer for Grammy-winning artist and former Tijuana No! member, Julieta Venegas, that Bastida started opening her eyes and ears to a wider set of musical genres, which helped shape a promising solo career.
Now based out of Los Angeles, Bastida is working with a number of musicians and producers to fine-tune her debut, full-length album. Always an active songwriter, she is enjoying the fact that she now has full control over the music. After so many years of working with Tijuana No! as one of the main songwriters, vocalists, and keyboardists, she is stepping out of the ska/punk world and experimenting with different sounds. With Tijuana No!, songwriting was more of a collaborative effort among band members, which she enjoyed, but compromising was also a big part of the equation.
"If you are a band, you are set to work as a band, and sometimes you have to do things that you don't love," Bastida says.
Tijuana No! grew into a very influential band with lyrics focused on politics such as immigration issues and the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. The music was primarily in Spanish, although there were some covers in English, and the band toured many parts of Latin America. At a young age, Bastida learned the dynamics of the music industry as one of the first women to have such a heavy influence on Latin rock music.
Bastida's solo work still has remnants of Tijuana No!'s punk aesthetic, especially in the way of powerful energy and passion, but the music is more refined and based on dance rhythms, crossing over into the indie pop category. She continues to sing predominately in Spanish; however, with a full rock band behind her and a mix of instruments, which include trumpet, trombone and Bastida on melodica, it is difficult to confine her music to one genre. Bastida also incorporates electronic elements into her music and on occasion collaborates with a handful of hip hop producers.
Although she writes her own music, Bastida works very closely with her band, she says. Since the band records and performs live with her, it is beneficial that they know the songs inside and out. The band is pretty much a set unit, with Dave Green on guitar, James Bairian on bass, Louis Castle on keyboard and trumpet, Argel Kota on drums, and Danny Rukasin on trombone. She has known Green and Kota for many years through their respective bands, and Green introduced her to Bairian, who also serves as the man behind the board during the recording sessions.
Bastida's album entitled Veo La Marea, which translates to I See the Tide, was recorded at Hangar 1018 in Los Angeles and produced by Bastida, Green, and a Los Angeles team called the Gifted, she says. It was set to be released last year, but the process of finding an adequate form of distribution has postponed the release. Bastida has been speaking with a few labels and has also considered releasing the album herself. After all, she did go the self-release route a couple of years ago with her 3-song digital EP, Front BC. There is no set release date for Veo La Marea, but Bastida is confident that 2009 is the year.
In the meantime, Bastida is taking advantage of the extra time and has been revisiting the collection of songs, she says. She is still recording at Hangar 1018, working with some new songs that might end up changing the album's original tracklisting.
"I decided that it was a good idea to continue writing even though the album was done," Bastida says. "I didn't think that because the album was complete, I should just stop."
Two of the new songs that will be added to the album are collaborations with Brooklyn producer XXXChange, who did a lot of work with Spank Rock. XXXChange sent Bastida the tracks and she wrote and recorded the lyrics. One of the end results is a dark, electro-pulsing, sultry song called "Controlar."
Adding even more variety to the album, Bastida also worked with Rakaa Iriscience, of the hip hop group Dilated Peoples, on a bilingual song called "Cómo Será." Bastida's enthusiasm for diversity truly stands out, and it is fortunate that her voice, which is almost raspy, but silky at the same time, delivers regardless of the type of music.
"I don't put pressure on myself to come up with a certain amount of songs, but I do think it's important to keep experimenting and see what happens," Bastida says. "But at one point, I'll stop, [if] I need to. You can revisit an album forever, work on it and always find things you would change, but it's also important to stop and move on. Once that happens, I'll continue to write, but with a different mentality, ready for something new."
Bastida credits her desire to experiment with music to her wide listening habits, she says. Compared to her teenage years, she now listens to more types of music, including everything from folk to electronic. At SxSW, she noted experimental musician Michacu and hip hop artist K'Naan as two of her favorite performances from the week.
While touring with Venegas, who she has been friends with for 20 years, Bastida started exploring and rethinking music, she says. She learned how to be a better musician technically, and after supporting Venegas from 2000 to 2007, Bastida started focusing on her own music.
"I was working on her music and I loved it, but I was missing that creative process," she says. "I needed for that part of my brain to be active again."
With Tijuana No!, the music's message was always more important than the technical musicianship, Bastida says. Therefore, her solo music has carried a different outlook.
"I didn't want everything to be perfect, but not messy either," she says.
Fans of Tijuana No! will recognize Bastida's voice in her solo work, but all of them may not like the new sound. Bastida says that there have already been a few fans that have expressed their discontent with her more upbeat music, but she does not let that affect her evolving sound.
"When you're younger, you kind of freak out and want people to like you," she says. "I'm glad that I don't sound like I did 15 years ago."
Some may not be able to get past the more polished sound, but giving the music an honest listen will reveal some definite edge. On the first night of SxSW, Bastida packed Flamingo Cantina with her magnetic set. Her stage presence, whether she was just singing, playing the melodica, or pounding a hand drum, delightfully hit the audience in full force, like a high-powered rocket. Trombone and trumpet helped lift and push the songs in unexpected ways, as members of her band added energy with back-up vocals. Even without a proper album release, many people in the audience sang along with the songs.
The performance was part of the Billboard en Español showcase. In hindsight, it was a bit unfortunate that Bastida was lumped together with solely other Latin artists who attract a small, distinct population of SxSW attendees. While Bastida sings in Spanish, her music carries a strong exuberant vibe that is capable of crossing language boundaries. Santa Monica's influential KCRW caught on to Bastida's music a few years ago, but she hopes more people will be open to her music whether they speak the language or not.
"I grew up in Mexico and all of my friends listened to bands that sang in English, and even though some of them didn't speak the language, it didn't matter; they still loved it."
Direct link to article
As a 15-year-old growing up in the turbulent border town of Tijuana, Mexico, Ceci Bastida began playing in a ska/punk band called Tijuana No! in 1989. Like most politically-conscious bands, their musical influences included The Clash, Madness, and Bob Marley. It was not until after the band's 12-year career and seven years of touring as the keyboardist and back-up singer for Grammy-winning artist and former Tijuana No! member, Julieta Venegas, that Bastida started opening her eyes and ears to a wider set of musical genres, which helped shape a promising solo career.
Now based out of Los Angeles, Bastida is working with a number of musicians and producers to fine-tune her debut, full-length album. Always an active songwriter, she is enjoying the fact that she now has full control over the music. After so many years of working with Tijuana No! as one of the main songwriters, vocalists, and keyboardists, she is stepping out of the ska/punk world and experimenting with different sounds. With Tijuana No!, songwriting was more of a collaborative effort among band members, which she enjoyed, but compromising was also a big part of the equation.
"If you are a band, you are set to work as a band, and sometimes you have to do things that you don't love," Bastida says.
Tijuana No! grew into a very influential band with lyrics focused on politics such as immigration issues and the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. The music was primarily in Spanish, although there were some covers in English, and the band toured many parts of Latin America. At a young age, Bastida learned the dynamics of the music industry as one of the first women to have such a heavy influence on Latin rock music.
Bastida's solo work still has remnants of Tijuana No!'s punk aesthetic, especially in the way of powerful energy and passion, but the music is more refined and based on dance rhythms, crossing over into the indie pop category. She continues to sing predominately in Spanish; however, with a full rock band behind her and a mix of instruments, which include trumpet, trombone and Bastida on melodica, it is difficult to confine her music to one genre. Bastida also incorporates electronic elements into her music and on occasion collaborates with a handful of hip hop producers.
Although she writes her own music, Bastida works very closely with her band, she says. Since the band records and performs live with her, it is beneficial that they know the songs inside and out. The band is pretty much a set unit, with Dave Green on guitar, James Bairian on bass, Louis Castle on keyboard and trumpet, Argel Kota on drums, and Danny Rukasin on trombone. She has known Green and Kota for many years through their respective bands, and Green introduced her to Bairian, who also serves as the man behind the board during the recording sessions.
Bastida's album entitled Veo La Marea, which translates to I See the Tide, was recorded at Hangar 1018 in Los Angeles and produced by Bastida, Green, and a Los Angeles team called the Gifted, she says. It was set to be released last year, but the process of finding an adequate form of distribution has postponed the release. Bastida has been speaking with a few labels and has also considered releasing the album herself. After all, she did go the self-release route a couple of years ago with her 3-song digital EP, Front BC. There is no set release date for Veo La Marea, but Bastida is confident that 2009 is the year.
In the meantime, Bastida is taking advantage of the extra time and has been revisiting the collection of songs, she says. She is still recording at Hangar 1018, working with some new songs that might end up changing the album's original tracklisting.
"I decided that it was a good idea to continue writing even though the album was done," Bastida says. "I didn't think that because the album was complete, I should just stop."
Two of the new songs that will be added to the album are collaborations with Brooklyn producer XXXChange, who did a lot of work with Spank Rock. XXXChange sent Bastida the tracks and she wrote and recorded the lyrics. One of the end results is a dark, electro-pulsing, sultry song called "Controlar."
Adding even more variety to the album, Bastida also worked with Rakaa Iriscience, of the hip hop group Dilated Peoples, on a bilingual song called "Cómo Será." Bastida's enthusiasm for diversity truly stands out, and it is fortunate that her voice, which is almost raspy, but silky at the same time, delivers regardless of the type of music.
"I don't put pressure on myself to come up with a certain amount of songs, but I do think it's important to keep experimenting and see what happens," Bastida says. "But at one point, I'll stop, [if] I need to. You can revisit an album forever, work on it and always find things you would change, but it's also important to stop and move on. Once that happens, I'll continue to write, but with a different mentality, ready for something new."
Bastida credits her desire to experiment with music to her wide listening habits, she says. Compared to her teenage years, she now listens to more types of music, including everything from folk to electronic. At SxSW, she noted experimental musician Michacu and hip hop artist K'Naan as two of her favorite performances from the week.
While touring with Venegas, who she has been friends with for 20 years, Bastida started exploring and rethinking music, she says. She learned how to be a better musician technically, and after supporting Venegas from 2000 to 2007, Bastida started focusing on her own music.
"I was working on her music and I loved it, but I was missing that creative process," she says. "I needed for that part of my brain to be active again."
With Tijuana No!, the music's message was always more important than the technical musicianship, Bastida says. Therefore, her solo music has carried a different outlook.
"I didn't want everything to be perfect, but not messy either," she says.
Fans of Tijuana No! will recognize Bastida's voice in her solo work, but all of them may not like the new sound. Bastida says that there have already been a few fans that have expressed their discontent with her more upbeat music, but she does not let that affect her evolving sound.
"When you're younger, you kind of freak out and want people to like you," she says. "I'm glad that I don't sound like I did 15 years ago."
Some may not be able to get past the more polished sound, but giving the music an honest listen will reveal some definite edge. On the first night of SxSW, Bastida packed Flamingo Cantina with her magnetic set. Her stage presence, whether she was just singing, playing the melodica, or pounding a hand drum, delightfully hit the audience in full force, like a high-powered rocket. Trombone and trumpet helped lift and push the songs in unexpected ways, as members of her band added energy with back-up vocals. Even without a proper album release, many people in the audience sang along with the songs.
The performance was part of the Billboard en Español showcase. In hindsight, it was a bit unfortunate that Bastida was lumped together with solely other Latin artists who attract a small, distinct population of SxSW attendees. While Bastida sings in Spanish, her music carries a strong exuberant vibe that is capable of crossing language boundaries. Santa Monica's influential KCRW caught on to Bastida's music a few years ago, but she hopes more people will be open to her music whether they speak the language or not.
"I grew up in Mexico and all of my friends listened to bands that sang in English, and even though some of them didn't speak the language, it didn't matter; they still loved it."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Calvin Johnson 'documents' the decades through music
Originally published January 27, 2009 in The Daily Democrat.
In many indie rock and punk music circles, Calvin Johnson is known as a musician, producer and founder of the influential, independent record label K Records. However, a better word to describe Johnson is documentarian.
As a teenager in the late ’70s, Johnson became involved with the underground art culture in Olympia, Wash., and has been documenting his community ever since. Through such outlets as, independent zines, community radio shows, cassettes, vinyl records, CDs and digital music, his experiences and creative endeavors of others have been cemented into history.
In addition to spotlighting his community, Johnson said that he has been playing music as a member of numerous bands and a solo artist for a few decades. He will be performing his solo work on Tuesday at Delta of Venus in Davis.
Johnson said that not only does the process of documenting one’s community allow for others to learn about different parts of the world, but it also equips people with knowledge, creativity and technological skills. He became engaged with events in his community while being a volunteer and DJ at Olympia’s community radio station, KAOS-FM.
“It trains people from consumers to producers,” he said.
Looking at all the things that Johnson has been involved with, whether it be writing for a music zine or starting K Records, which began as a cassette-only label in 1982, it is evident that he values creativity over following the latest fad.
“How relevant any of those mediums (community radio, cassettes, vinyl records) are, depends on how they are used,” Johnson said.
Just like the variety of mediums to express creativity, there is a lot of diversity in the K Records catalog and in Johnson’s own music projects. While the focus was on Olympia bands during the first years of K Records, the label has grown to include international bands of different genres.
By exploring the list of current and former K Records artists, examples of what one will find includes punk bands like Bikini Kill, noise rock bands like Old Time Relijun, singer songwriters like Mirah and Kimya Dawson and indie pop bands like Saturday Looks Good to Me.
Ranging from Beat Happening’s sweet indie pop in the ’80s to the funkier beats of Dub Narcotic Sound System, formed in ’93, Johnson’s music is just as varied as his label’s roster. Even his solo work has transformed from album to album.
Johnson said that his first solo album, “What Was Me,” was released in 2002 and it was very basic, only incorporating his voice and guitar. Some tracks were recorded accapella and others featured duets with K Records artist Mirah.
The following album, “Before the Dream Faded,” was released in 2005 and was a collaboration of several producers, Johnson said. The songs were expanded with the use of electronic beats.
With his third solo album, “Calvin Johnson and the Sons of the Soil,” Calvin took yet another direction by adding a full band. The album also featured a different take on some songs from the stripped-down album, “What Was Me.”
“It seemed like that they had different perspectives,” he said.
While the sound of each album is different, the passion for music remains consistent. Johnson seems to have an endless amount of ideas and he is not afraid to act on them, regardless of how strange they may seem. His droning, baritone voice calls for an acquired taste. However, the ease and honesty in his lyrics and music may help listeners overcome doubts.
Johnson has worked on music as a solo artist and as part of a collaboration with many people, but he said that he does not prefer one more than the other. As a solo artist he is able to concentrate more on his music. As a member of a group, arrangements of songs are more spontaneous and people feed off each other’s energy.
“People can influence each other in terms of the feeling,” he said.
Even when Johnson is working with bands on his record label, the spontaneous, collaborative feeling is present, Johnson said. Whether he is working with a veteran musician or a new, up-and-coming band, Johnson learns something new from every project.
“I feel like I’m their student,” he said.
Johnson said that during recent recording sessions with Chain and the Gang, he was very inspired because everyone was contributing ideas, which would lead to a string of more suggestions.
“The feeling was so good and positive,” Johnson said.
He was also in the studio recently recording his own music, he said. Fourteen tracks were recorded for a new project called the Hive Dwellers, which he projects will be released in the fall.
While many veteran musicians like Johnson often put down new music and reminisce about the “good times” of their childhoods, Johnson said that he is optimistic about the future. Music scenes are growing and improving as more people start bands and open live music venues. Johnson is just happy to continue his involvement with music.
“I’m glad that I have the privilege to work with so many creative people.”
In many indie rock and punk music circles, Calvin Johnson is known as a musician, producer and founder of the influential, independent record label K Records. However, a better word to describe Johnson is documentarian.
As a teenager in the late ’70s, Johnson became involved with the underground art culture in Olympia, Wash., and has been documenting his community ever since. Through such outlets as, independent zines, community radio shows, cassettes, vinyl records, CDs and digital music, his experiences and creative endeavors of others have been cemented into history.
In addition to spotlighting his community, Johnson said that he has been playing music as a member of numerous bands and a solo artist for a few decades. He will be performing his solo work on Tuesday at Delta of Venus in Davis.
Johnson said that not only does the process of documenting one’s community allow for others to learn about different parts of the world, but it also equips people with knowledge, creativity and technological skills. He became engaged with events in his community while being a volunteer and DJ at Olympia’s community radio station, KAOS-FM.
“It trains people from consumers to producers,” he said.
Looking at all the things that Johnson has been involved with, whether it be writing for a music zine or starting K Records, which began as a cassette-only label in 1982, it is evident that he values creativity over following the latest fad.
“How relevant any of those mediums (community radio, cassettes, vinyl records) are, depends on how they are used,” Johnson said.
Just like the variety of mediums to express creativity, there is a lot of diversity in the K Records catalog and in Johnson’s own music projects. While the focus was on Olympia bands during the first years of K Records, the label has grown to include international bands of different genres.
By exploring the list of current and former K Records artists, examples of what one will find includes punk bands like Bikini Kill, noise rock bands like Old Time Relijun, singer songwriters like Mirah and Kimya Dawson and indie pop bands like Saturday Looks Good to Me.
Ranging from Beat Happening’s sweet indie pop in the ’80s to the funkier beats of Dub Narcotic Sound System, formed in ’93, Johnson’s music is just as varied as his label’s roster. Even his solo work has transformed from album to album.
Johnson said that his first solo album, “What Was Me,” was released in 2002 and it was very basic, only incorporating his voice and guitar. Some tracks were recorded accapella and others featured duets with K Records artist Mirah.
The following album, “Before the Dream Faded,” was released in 2005 and was a collaboration of several producers, Johnson said. The songs were expanded with the use of electronic beats.
With his third solo album, “Calvin Johnson and the Sons of the Soil,” Calvin took yet another direction by adding a full band. The album also featured a different take on some songs from the stripped-down album, “What Was Me.”
“It seemed like that they had different perspectives,” he said.
While the sound of each album is different, the passion for music remains consistent. Johnson seems to have an endless amount of ideas and he is not afraid to act on them, regardless of how strange they may seem. His droning, baritone voice calls for an acquired taste. However, the ease and honesty in his lyrics and music may help listeners overcome doubts.
Johnson has worked on music as a solo artist and as part of a collaboration with many people, but he said that he does not prefer one more than the other. As a solo artist he is able to concentrate more on his music. As a member of a group, arrangements of songs are more spontaneous and people feed off each other’s energy.
“People can influence each other in terms of the feeling,” he said.
Even when Johnson is working with bands on his record label, the spontaneous, collaborative feeling is present, Johnson said. Whether he is working with a veteran musician or a new, up-and-coming band, Johnson learns something new from every project.
“I feel like I’m their student,” he said.
Johnson said that during recent recording sessions with Chain and the Gang, he was very inspired because everyone was contributing ideas, which would lead to a string of more suggestions.
“The feeling was so good and positive,” Johnson said.
He was also in the studio recently recording his own music, he said. Fourteen tracks were recorded for a new project called the Hive Dwellers, which he projects will be released in the fall.
While many veteran musicians like Johnson often put down new music and reminisce about the “good times” of their childhoods, Johnson said that he is optimistic about the future. Music scenes are growing and improving as more people start bands and open live music venues. Johnson is just happy to continue his involvement with music.
“I’m glad that I have the privilege to work with so many creative people.”
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Artist Feature: Tilly and the Wall
Originally published in the Summer 2008 issue of Redefine.
Buy a copy here
Omaha's Tilly and the Wall has one piece of advice -- watch your step.
The emerging band, which has been stomping its way into the hearts of music lovers since its formation in 2001, just released its third album. The album illustrates the nurturing and delicate relationship that Tilly and the Wall has with music. One clumsy step can shatter all of the hard work that tap dancer and percussionist Jamie Pressnall, vocalist and guitarist Derek Pressnall, keyboardist Nick White, and vocalists Kianna Alarid and Neely Jenkins have poured into the music.
Tilly and the Wall cultivated the album's vision with tender care and will not let anyone stunt its growth -- a sentiment that is explained in the song "Blood Flowers."
"I waited for something to grow and flourish with time/ I counted each hopeful raindrop as it poured to its death/ I dusted the mournful frost and warmed it with my breath/ You better watch where you're walking, there might be somebody's blood flower growing/ You better watch what you're doing, don't go fucking around in the garden."
From music to the cover art, Tilly and he Wall has carefully developed an album that creates a unique experience for listeners, says Alarid. The album is technically untitled but is affectionately referred to as O because its cover is an oval-shaped frame that can be filled with anything a listener chooses to fill it with.
However, if nothing comes to minds of the listeners, they will have artwork to choose from. The band rallied numerous artist friends and had each of them design handmade prints for the album. Each cover has a limited run of 1,000 copies. In addition, each member of the band created a cover of his or her own, and they ran only 250 copies of those particular pieces.
To ensure that each cover has its own distinctive vibe, band members gave the designers very little guidance.
"Some of them would call and say 'I want to talk about the record,'" Alarid recalls, "but we would say, 'Nope.'"
The various covers are not the only things fans can look forward to; the latest release has a great amount of confidence and finesse.
While the band's debut Wild Like Children had some memorable tracks, its overall effort was subtle. Two years later, Bottom of Barrels was released and led to opportunity; the band was given the chance to play gigs at notable music festivals, such as, the Reading/Leeds Festival and Coachella.
But O is edgy and scorching with passion. Alarid credits the band's musical progression via touring and, to put it simply: time. The band has worked on learning about each other's songwriting techniques, and each member contributes to the process.
Members of Tilly and the Wall have used their abundant songwriting skills their advantage. It would be easy for a band from such a musically-inclined city to sound identical to the handful of successful Omaha bands like Cursive and Bright Eyes, but Tilly and the Wall has managed to create a lovely coherent sound of its own.
"When you have five different songwriters, it kind of makes a unique sound because you have to make five people's sound fit together," Alarid says.
Tilly and the Wall may not sound like most bands in Omaha, but the band does have strong connections with the city's music scene. Jenkins and Jamie Pressnall used to be in Park Ave. with Conor Oberst before his Bright Eyes fame. Years later, Tilly and the Wall was Oberst's first signing to his Team Love record label, a Saddle Creek affiliate.
Oberst also had a hand in production for Wild Like Children, but for O, Tilly and the Wall turned to another Nebraskan, Mike Mogis.
Mogis, who owns his own state-of-the-art studio and has worked with a lot of staple indie artists, such as, Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, and M. Ward, brought a lot of ideas to the table and allowed the band members to carry out various ideas that they previously did not have the resources to do so. Mogis suggested an array of instruments and different micing techniques for the band.
"His brain is always going a thousand miles an hour," Alarid says.
The band always wanted to included a tap dance troupe on a recording, and the vision was made into a reality on the track "Pot Kettle Black." A 10-person stomp troupe was recorded in an elementary school gym specifically for the song. The track is a powerful, tongue-in-cheek message about trash-talking; it shows Tilly and the Wall's hidden fierceness. The vocals reveal the appealing intensity of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O and Pretty Girls Make Graves' Andrea Zollo.
However, listeners should not be alarmed by the forceful passion of O. Tilly and the Wall's gleeful group chants and hand claps are still very prominent. Songs like "Jumbler" and "Poor Man's Ice Cream" feature infectious thumping rhythms and trade-off vocals between the female and male vocalists.
The cheery attitude that is the essence of Tilly and the Wall has even caught the attention of Sesame Street. The band recorded a video for their rendition of the "ABC Song," which will be featured on the show's 39th season this fall.
As for Sesame Street characters, Alarid chooses Grover as her favorite.
"Having a monster that is insecure is so cute."
Before catching Tilly and the Wall on national television, fans can experience the band's exuberant passion all over the United States this summer. Just be sure not to trample on any thriving flowers.
Buy a copy here
Omaha's Tilly and the Wall has one piece of advice -- watch your step.
The emerging band, which has been stomping its way into the hearts of music lovers since its formation in 2001, just released its third album. The album illustrates the nurturing and delicate relationship that Tilly and the Wall has with music. One clumsy step can shatter all of the hard work that tap dancer and percussionist Jamie Pressnall, vocalist and guitarist Derek Pressnall, keyboardist Nick White, and vocalists Kianna Alarid and Neely Jenkins have poured into the music.
Tilly and the Wall cultivated the album's vision with tender care and will not let anyone stunt its growth -- a sentiment that is explained in the song "Blood Flowers."
"I waited for something to grow and flourish with time/ I counted each hopeful raindrop as it poured to its death/ I dusted the mournful frost and warmed it with my breath/ You better watch where you're walking, there might be somebody's blood flower growing/ You better watch what you're doing, don't go fucking around in the garden."
From music to the cover art, Tilly and he Wall has carefully developed an album that creates a unique experience for listeners, says Alarid. The album is technically untitled but is affectionately referred to as O because its cover is an oval-shaped frame that can be filled with anything a listener chooses to fill it with.
However, if nothing comes to minds of the listeners, they will have artwork to choose from. The band rallied numerous artist friends and had each of them design handmade prints for the album. Each cover has a limited run of 1,000 copies. In addition, each member of the band created a cover of his or her own, and they ran only 250 copies of those particular pieces.
To ensure that each cover has its own distinctive vibe, band members gave the designers very little guidance.
"Some of them would call and say 'I want to talk about the record,'" Alarid recalls, "but we would say, 'Nope.'"
The various covers are not the only things fans can look forward to; the latest release has a great amount of confidence and finesse.
While the band's debut Wild Like Children had some memorable tracks, its overall effort was subtle. Two years later, Bottom of Barrels was released and led to opportunity; the band was given the chance to play gigs at notable music festivals, such as, the Reading/Leeds Festival and Coachella.
But O is edgy and scorching with passion. Alarid credits the band's musical progression via touring and, to put it simply: time. The band has worked on learning about each other's songwriting techniques, and each member contributes to the process.
Members of Tilly and the Wall have used their abundant songwriting skills their advantage. It would be easy for a band from such a musically-inclined city to sound identical to the handful of successful Omaha bands like Cursive and Bright Eyes, but Tilly and the Wall has managed to create a lovely coherent sound of its own.
"When you have five different songwriters, it kind of makes a unique sound because you have to make five people's sound fit together," Alarid says.
Tilly and the Wall may not sound like most bands in Omaha, but the band does have strong connections with the city's music scene. Jenkins and Jamie Pressnall used to be in Park Ave. with Conor Oberst before his Bright Eyes fame. Years later, Tilly and the Wall was Oberst's first signing to his Team Love record label, a Saddle Creek affiliate.
Oberst also had a hand in production for Wild Like Children, but for O, Tilly and the Wall turned to another Nebraskan, Mike Mogis.
Mogis, who owns his own state-of-the-art studio and has worked with a lot of staple indie artists, such as, Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, and M. Ward, brought a lot of ideas to the table and allowed the band members to carry out various ideas that they previously did not have the resources to do so. Mogis suggested an array of instruments and different micing techniques for the band.
"His brain is always going a thousand miles an hour," Alarid says.
The band always wanted to included a tap dance troupe on a recording, and the vision was made into a reality on the track "Pot Kettle Black." A 10-person stomp troupe was recorded in an elementary school gym specifically for the song. The track is a powerful, tongue-in-cheek message about trash-talking; it shows Tilly and the Wall's hidden fierceness. The vocals reveal the appealing intensity of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O and Pretty Girls Make Graves' Andrea Zollo.
However, listeners should not be alarmed by the forceful passion of O. Tilly and the Wall's gleeful group chants and hand claps are still very prominent. Songs like "Jumbler" and "Poor Man's Ice Cream" feature infectious thumping rhythms and trade-off vocals between the female and male vocalists.
The cheery attitude that is the essence of Tilly and the Wall has even caught the attention of Sesame Street. The band recorded a video for their rendition of the "ABC Song," which will be featured on the show's 39th season this fall.
As for Sesame Street characters, Alarid chooses Grover as her favorite.
"Having a monster that is insecure is so cute."
Before catching Tilly and the Wall on national television, fans can experience the band's exuberant passion all over the United States this summer. Just be sure not to trample on any thriving flowers.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Summer tours conquer road
Originally published May 21, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
On part of Chico punk group Gruk's 2007 summer tour, audiences heard guitarist Scribles simultaneously play guitar and bass. He did not perform a contortionist trick, but when the band's bassist unexpectedly left the tour, Scribles covered by playing through both a bass and guitar amp.
Band members leaving midway through a tour is one example of the sudden adventures that bands face while on tour, said Rachel Loveless, Gruk vocalist. In order to have a successful tour, band members have to think on their feet and quickly come up with creative solutions.
But unforeseen problems are not stopping Gruk and other Chico bands from travelling the United States this summer.
Gruk, which also includes drummer Sean "Hipmo" Cummins and new bassist Logan "Ziptie" Keyser, have been on five national tours but will visit cities this summer they have never played, Cummins said. The band will grace Knoxville, Tenn., and Waco, Texas, with its fast and gritty punk music for the first time.
Loveless and Cummins booked all the dates themselves and are excited to spend time with friends across the country that they rarely see, Cummins said.
While Gruk's tour will reach the East Coast, The Shimmies and Social Concern plan to stay west for their summer tours.
Social Concern, which includes bassist Ami Rose, guitarist and vocalist Sarah Shintaku and drummer Bryan Lyon, is taking its punk rock sounds up the West Coast, but will venture out to Montana, Idaho and Utah.
Dreamy indie-rockers The Shimmies, is comprised of Jack Gingerich on drums and brothers Jimmy and Sean Galloway on guitar and vocals and Stephen Galloway on bass. The band will travel to Seattle and down to Los Angeles, said Sean Galloway. With the help of a friend, band members also booked the tour themselves.
This summer marks The Shimmies' first tour, but Sean Galloway did not have trouble booking shows in other cities, he said. Band members have made friends with touring bands that play in Chico, and when members of The Shimmies decided to go on tour they called upon their friends.
Gruk used the same strategy, but the booking process was a little harder than most tours because the band plays a lot of house and basement shows, Loveless said. It's hard to get in contact with people because they move or no longer host shows.
Social Concern had similar booking issues with venues and also discovered dates fill up fast because so many bands plan summer tours, Shintaku said.
While booking shows may be time consuming and frustrating, there are benefits to touring during the summer.
Attendance at Gruk shows is higher during the summer because students do not have to worry about school, Loveless said.
Members of The Shimmies are looking forward to escaping the Chico heat, Sean Galloway said.
Selling band merchandise also helps cover tour expenses, said Jimmy Galloway. All three bands will be selling T-shirts and CDs.
The bands are committed to reaching out to other cities, but Chico musicians will miss some things.
Both Loveless and Scribles miss taco trucks, friends and inexpensive beer, they said.
Members of The Shimmies miss the laid-back Chico atmosphere, Jimmy Galloway said.
"The stress level is higher in some cities, and I start thinking how people in Chico are napping."
Direct link to article
On part of Chico punk group Gruk's 2007 summer tour, audiences heard guitarist Scribles simultaneously play guitar and bass. He did not perform a contortionist trick, but when the band's bassist unexpectedly left the tour, Scribles covered by playing through both a bass and guitar amp.
Band members leaving midway through a tour is one example of the sudden adventures that bands face while on tour, said Rachel Loveless, Gruk vocalist. In order to have a successful tour, band members have to think on their feet and quickly come up with creative solutions.
But unforeseen problems are not stopping Gruk and other Chico bands from travelling the United States this summer.
Gruk, which also includes drummer Sean "Hipmo" Cummins and new bassist Logan "Ziptie" Keyser, have been on five national tours but will visit cities this summer they have never played, Cummins said. The band will grace Knoxville, Tenn., and Waco, Texas, with its fast and gritty punk music for the first time.
Loveless and Cummins booked all the dates themselves and are excited to spend time with friends across the country that they rarely see, Cummins said.
While Gruk's tour will reach the East Coast, The Shimmies and Social Concern plan to stay west for their summer tours.
Social Concern, which includes bassist Ami Rose, guitarist and vocalist Sarah Shintaku and drummer Bryan Lyon, is taking its punk rock sounds up the West Coast, but will venture out to Montana, Idaho and Utah.
Dreamy indie-rockers The Shimmies, is comprised of Jack Gingerich on drums and brothers Jimmy and Sean Galloway on guitar and vocals and Stephen Galloway on bass. The band will travel to Seattle and down to Los Angeles, said Sean Galloway. With the help of a friend, band members also booked the tour themselves.
This summer marks The Shimmies' first tour, but Sean Galloway did not have trouble booking shows in other cities, he said. Band members have made friends with touring bands that play in Chico, and when members of The Shimmies decided to go on tour they called upon their friends.
Gruk used the same strategy, but the booking process was a little harder than most tours because the band plays a lot of house and basement shows, Loveless said. It's hard to get in contact with people because they move or no longer host shows.
Social Concern had similar booking issues with venues and also discovered dates fill up fast because so many bands plan summer tours, Shintaku said.
While booking shows may be time consuming and frustrating, there are benefits to touring during the summer.
Attendance at Gruk shows is higher during the summer because students do not have to worry about school, Loveless said.
Members of The Shimmies are looking forward to escaping the Chico heat, Sean Galloway said.
Selling band merchandise also helps cover tour expenses, said Jimmy Galloway. All three bands will be selling T-shirts and CDs.
The bands are committed to reaching out to other cities, but Chico musicians will miss some things.
Both Loveless and Scribles miss taco trucks, friends and inexpensive beer, they said.
Members of The Shimmies miss the laid-back Chico atmosphere, Jimmy Galloway said.
"The stress level is higher in some cities, and I start thinking how people in Chico are napping."
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Jazz X-Press to groove for benefit at Nick's Night Club
Originally published May 07, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
Graffiti is welcome in few places on campus, but associate professor Rocky Winslow proudly displays his decorated office walls, tagged by distinguished jazz musicians including Bobby Shew and Lori Bell.
Winslow is the director of the jazz studies program and the student ensemble Jazz X-Press. Since joining the music faculty in 2002, Winslow has helped bring big-name performers to Chico, allowing students to learn from the jazz veterans. However, Jazz X-Press will go directly to the action in June, traveling to Telluride, Colo., for the Telluride Jazz Celebration.
Jazz X-Press will be the only university-affiliated group sharing the stage with artists such as The Neville Brothers, McCoy Tyner and Joe Lovano, Winslow said. Winslow has played the festival on other occasions, but the executive director of the festival, Paul Machado, invited Jazz X-Press to perform after watching a video of the ensemble on YouTube.
One perk of playing the festival is backstage passes, which will allow students to interact with all the festival performers, Winslow said. Before the students get there, they need to raise about $16,000 to cover bus, housing and food expenses for the 25-member ensemble.
The university has been a big supporter, but the group has held performances and sought help from the community, he said. Jazz X-Press will be playing a benefit show Saturday at Nick's Night Club.
The benefit show proves Winslow is not the only person with connections because it was organized by one of the students.
Tino Marrufo, grad student in ethnomusicology, plays percussion for Jazz X-Press, but is also a member of various rock bands including Mute Witness, he said. He has worked on several rock shows with Katie Perry, founder of Chico's Devil Kat Rock Productions and booking agent for Nick's Night Club, so it was natural for him to reach out to her on behalf of Jazz X-Press.
"That's what's cool about the Chico music scene, we build relationships," he said.
The show will be a new experience for both Jazz X-Press and Nick's Night Club, Marrufo said. Jazz X-Press is used to playing venues on campus such as Harlen Adams Theatre, while Nick's Night Club usually hosts punk and metal shows. Marrufo thinks it will be a great experience and add diversity to the music scene.
Winslow sees the show as a road test, he said. The Nick's Night Club stage is much smaller than the Harlen Adams Theatre stage, so the ensemble will have to learn to adjust. The situation is much like touring, where bands usually do not know what to expect from one club to the next.
"It's going to have a big education factor," Winslow said.
Learning to be flexible will be helpful when the ensemble performs at the Telluride Jazz Celebration, which has a diverse audience, he said. Jazz X-Press is scheduled to play more than one set at the four-day festival, and Winslow hopes the group will get a chance to play a variety of compositions.
Watching how other musicians work also serves as a learning experience, because with backstage passes students will be able to talk to other musicians, Marrufo said. Jazz is known for its roots in oral tradition, and students will have the opportunity to hear stories from many of the artists that they learn about in their classes.
"The experience will be educational, spiritual and social," he said.
With such a large ensemble, good social skills are a necessity.
Tanner Johns, a senior music education major, plays lead alto saxophone for Jazz X-Press and depends on his band members to add to the learning experience, Johns said.
In order for the group to sound professional, all the members have to be committed, he said.
"You just can't miss class," Johns said.
An experienced director is also a big factor in the educational experience, he said. Johns hopes to go into teaching and is learning rehearsal techniques from Winslow. He appreciates Winslow's balance between constructive criticism and encouragement.
Spending so much time with each other creates a strong bond among the group and makes performing fun, Johns said.
"Every day is an adventure," he said.
Winslow sees the trip to Telluride as a big adventure, but the accomplishment reflects well on the university, he said.
"It's a feather in the cap for the whole college."
Direct link to article
Graffiti is welcome in few places on campus, but associate professor Rocky Winslow proudly displays his decorated office walls, tagged by distinguished jazz musicians including Bobby Shew and Lori Bell.
Winslow is the director of the jazz studies program and the student ensemble Jazz X-Press. Since joining the music faculty in 2002, Winslow has helped bring big-name performers to Chico, allowing students to learn from the jazz veterans. However, Jazz X-Press will go directly to the action in June, traveling to Telluride, Colo., for the Telluride Jazz Celebration.
Jazz X-Press will be the only university-affiliated group sharing the stage with artists such as The Neville Brothers, McCoy Tyner and Joe Lovano, Winslow said. Winslow has played the festival on other occasions, but the executive director of the festival, Paul Machado, invited Jazz X-Press to perform after watching a video of the ensemble on YouTube.
One perk of playing the festival is backstage passes, which will allow students to interact with all the festival performers, Winslow said. Before the students get there, they need to raise about $16,000 to cover bus, housing and food expenses for the 25-member ensemble.
The university has been a big supporter, but the group has held performances and sought help from the community, he said. Jazz X-Press will be playing a benefit show Saturday at Nick's Night Club.
The benefit show proves Winslow is not the only person with connections because it was organized by one of the students.
Tino Marrufo, grad student in ethnomusicology, plays percussion for Jazz X-Press, but is also a member of various rock bands including Mute Witness, he said. He has worked on several rock shows with Katie Perry, founder of Chico's Devil Kat Rock Productions and booking agent for Nick's Night Club, so it was natural for him to reach out to her on behalf of Jazz X-Press.
"That's what's cool about the Chico music scene, we build relationships," he said.
The show will be a new experience for both Jazz X-Press and Nick's Night Club, Marrufo said. Jazz X-Press is used to playing venues on campus such as Harlen Adams Theatre, while Nick's Night Club usually hosts punk and metal shows. Marrufo thinks it will be a great experience and add diversity to the music scene.
Winslow sees the show as a road test, he said. The Nick's Night Club stage is much smaller than the Harlen Adams Theatre stage, so the ensemble will have to learn to adjust. The situation is much like touring, where bands usually do not know what to expect from one club to the next.
"It's going to have a big education factor," Winslow said.
Learning to be flexible will be helpful when the ensemble performs at the Telluride Jazz Celebration, which has a diverse audience, he said. Jazz X-Press is scheduled to play more than one set at the four-day festival, and Winslow hopes the group will get a chance to play a variety of compositions.
Watching how other musicians work also serves as a learning experience, because with backstage passes students will be able to talk to other musicians, Marrufo said. Jazz is known for its roots in oral tradition, and students will have the opportunity to hear stories from many of the artists that they learn about in their classes.
"The experience will be educational, spiritual and social," he said.
With such a large ensemble, good social skills are a necessity.
Tanner Johns, a senior music education major, plays lead alto saxophone for Jazz X-Press and depends on his band members to add to the learning experience, Johns said.
In order for the group to sound professional, all the members have to be committed, he said.
"You just can't miss class," Johns said.
An experienced director is also a big factor in the educational experience, he said. Johns hopes to go into teaching and is learning rehearsal techniques from Winslow. He appreciates Winslow's balance between constructive criticism and encouragement.
Spending so much time with each other creates a strong bond among the group and makes performing fun, Johns said.
"Every day is an adventure," he said.
Winslow sees the trip to Telluride as a big adventure, but the accomplishment reflects well on the university, he said.
"It's a feather in the cap for the whole college."
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Seattle's indie rock darling, Minus the Bear, melts audiences with songs from new album
Originally published April 30, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
The word epic gets thrown around when talking about music - an epic jam, an epic album. Yet, nothing is more epic than a music and laser combination.
Seattle's Minus the Bear took part in the usual album-release festivities for its latest record, "Planet of Ice."
The band, consisting of guitarist Dave Knudson, bassist Cory Murchy, drummer Erin Tate, vocalist and guitarist Jake Snider and keyboardist Alex Rose, made several radio station appearances and performed in record stores. However, the most distinct form of promotion was an album-listening party at Seattle Laser Dome.
"We like the idea of actually sitting down and listening to an album in its entirety," Rose said.
He remembers Tate coming up with the idea of the laser show, but the band had no part in the creation, Rose said. The laser artists were left to interpret the music.
It is not easy to take the laser show on the road, but Minus the Bear will dazzle Chico with its reflective form of progressive indie rock Friday in the Bell Memorial Union.
The show is part of a nationwide tour with Portugal. The Man and The Big Sleep, Rose said. Minus the Bear picked the two supporting bands.
"Those two bands were just better than the others on the list," he said.
For Minus the Bear, the tour included a stop last weekend in Indio for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Rose said. The band played the festival Saturday and had time to watch legendary artists such as Prince and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters.
Playing under the hot sun is a big contrast to Minus the Bear's songs on the chilling "Planet of Ice."
The desolate album released in August is part of the band's evolving sound, Rose said. Previous albums had a lighter, brighter feeling, but band members didn't want to bore themselves or fans by recreating the same album.
The band came up with the album title and then wrote songs around it, Rose said.
"We said things like 'that sounds icy' or 'that sounds cool,'" he said.
"Planet of Ice" is one coherent concept. The cover art of an arctic world with snowy mountains matches song titles including "Ice Monster" and "White Mystery." However, the sense of coldness is not daunting. A sun and sky of clouds lie above the white mountains.
Instead of sounding depressing, the songs give a sense of hope. "Knights" is a mind-bending track, showing the band's roots in math rock. The band plays around with time signature and adds spacey electronics.
Minus the Bear also proves "Planet of Ice" is not a dreadfully somber record with its video for "Throwin' Shapes." The video shows two rival athletes jogging and dancing around a city. The two meet up for a fierce game of imaginary basketball. Most of the band's videos are visually pleasing with a goofy storyline.
"We try to make something we would personally enjoy," Rose said.
Minus the Bear makes thoughtful music, but band members are lighthearted. When the band formed in 2001, it quickly became noticed for its silly song titles. The band's debut release, "This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic" only has seven songs, but features tracks titled "Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked," and "Just Kickin' It Like A Wild Donkey."
Bri Saseen, a senior environmental studies major, is a big fan of the band's first full-length album, "Highly Refined Pirates." The album features a song called "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse."
"It's definitely my favorite for its bitchin' track names," she said. "I can't tell you how many mixes are probably floating around entitled "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse."
The band members like that others have fun with their music though, Rose said. Last year the band released a remix album of 2005's "Menos El Oso." The remix album, "Interpretaciones del Oso," contains 11 songs remixed by various artists including Minneapolis rapper P.O.S.
"It's nice to have other people experiment with our songs," he said.
Direct link to article
The word epic gets thrown around when talking about music - an epic jam, an epic album. Yet, nothing is more epic than a music and laser combination.
Seattle's Minus the Bear took part in the usual album-release festivities for its latest record, "Planet of Ice."
The band, consisting of guitarist Dave Knudson, bassist Cory Murchy, drummer Erin Tate, vocalist and guitarist Jake Snider and keyboardist Alex Rose, made several radio station appearances and performed in record stores. However, the most distinct form of promotion was an album-listening party at Seattle Laser Dome.
"We like the idea of actually sitting down and listening to an album in its entirety," Rose said.
He remembers Tate coming up with the idea of the laser show, but the band had no part in the creation, Rose said. The laser artists were left to interpret the music.
It is not easy to take the laser show on the road, but Minus the Bear will dazzle Chico with its reflective form of progressive indie rock Friday in the Bell Memorial Union.
The show is part of a nationwide tour with Portugal. The Man and The Big Sleep, Rose said. Minus the Bear picked the two supporting bands.
"Those two bands were just better than the others on the list," he said.
For Minus the Bear, the tour included a stop last weekend in Indio for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Rose said. The band played the festival Saturday and had time to watch legendary artists such as Prince and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters.
Playing under the hot sun is a big contrast to Minus the Bear's songs on the chilling "Planet of Ice."
The desolate album released in August is part of the band's evolving sound, Rose said. Previous albums had a lighter, brighter feeling, but band members didn't want to bore themselves or fans by recreating the same album.
The band came up with the album title and then wrote songs around it, Rose said.
"We said things like 'that sounds icy' or 'that sounds cool,'" he said.
"Planet of Ice" is one coherent concept. The cover art of an arctic world with snowy mountains matches song titles including "Ice Monster" and "White Mystery." However, the sense of coldness is not daunting. A sun and sky of clouds lie above the white mountains.
Instead of sounding depressing, the songs give a sense of hope. "Knights" is a mind-bending track, showing the band's roots in math rock. The band plays around with time signature and adds spacey electronics.
Minus the Bear also proves "Planet of Ice" is not a dreadfully somber record with its video for "Throwin' Shapes." The video shows two rival athletes jogging and dancing around a city. The two meet up for a fierce game of imaginary basketball. Most of the band's videos are visually pleasing with a goofy storyline.
"We try to make something we would personally enjoy," Rose said.
Minus the Bear makes thoughtful music, but band members are lighthearted. When the band formed in 2001, it quickly became noticed for its silly song titles. The band's debut release, "This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic" only has seven songs, but features tracks titled "Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked," and "Just Kickin' It Like A Wild Donkey."
Bri Saseen, a senior environmental studies major, is a big fan of the band's first full-length album, "Highly Refined Pirates." The album features a song called "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse."
"It's definitely my favorite for its bitchin' track names," she said. "I can't tell you how many mixes are probably floating around entitled "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse."
The band members like that others have fun with their music though, Rose said. Last year the band released a remix album of 2005's "Menos El Oso." The remix album, "Interpretaciones del Oso," contains 11 songs remixed by various artists including Minneapolis rapper P.O.S.
"It's nice to have other people experiment with our songs," he said.
Portland-based Portugal. The Man makes stop on busy tour as opening act
Originally published April 30, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
John Gourley has learned his lesson: Never make a joke about traditional Portuguese music.
The vocalist and guitarist for the amorphous rock band Portugal. The Man saw a photo spread feature slip out of his hands because an editor for GQ Portugal did not understand his humor, Gourley said.
A reporter from Portugal's GQ contacted the band, which also consists of bassist Zach Carothers, drummer Jason Sechrist and keyboardist Ryan Neighbors, not long after the band formed in 2004, Gourley said. The band's name makes people think there is a connection to the country, but the band is actually from Wasilla, Alaska.
"The reporter asked me what I thought about traditional Portuguese music, but I don't really listen to it," Gourley said.
Not knowing a lot about the country's music, he made a joke that was included in the article, but did not please editors, he said. The band was still featured in the magazine, but the content was severely cut.
The band's name, which represents an alter ego, catches people's interest, but it is the live performances and exploration of dreamy and synthesized garage rock that hook people in. The band will put Chico in a trance when its tour with equally wistful indie-rockers Minus the Bear stops Friday at the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium.
Portugal. The Man, now based out of Portland, Ore., did not meet Minus the Bear until this tour, but the bands are getting along well, Gourley said.
"There wasn't that awkward period where people are having trouble learning each other's name," he said.
However, not everything on the tour has been easy, Gourley said. The band had van trouble and missed its Toronto show. After the van broke down, a tire flew off the trailer, and the band was forced to buy another van and trailer.
Band members try not to get too upset with unfortunate circumstances of the road, Gourley said.
"Whenever something really bad happens, we seem to have a really good time that day to make up for it," he said.
Touring is nothing new for Portugal. The Man. The band goes on nationwide tours several times a year and has traveled to Germany, Switzerland and Austria, helping build a loyal fan base.
Dallas Oliver, a senior music industry major, has only seen the band twice, but has been a fan for more than four years, he said. Like most college students without a lot of spare cash, he is more likely to support a band by catching a live show and buying merchandise directly from the band, rather than a retailer.
"Rock 'n' roll has its roots in feeling raw, live energy," he said. "The band has its grasp on the edge of what's coming next in the scene and are one-upping it with every chance it gets."
The band finished its two-album contract with independent label Fearless Records last year and is now entertaining distribution ideas for its next release, which has already been recorded, Gourley said. Fans should expect another jump in the band's musical style.
For its first album, Portugal. The Man relied on synthesizers, loops and guitar riffs to create contemplative, beat-driven songs. The band's latest release, "Church Mouth," is also thoughtful and full of imagery but more gritty and influenced by Southern rock. Gourley's high-pitched voice gives a sense of urgency and great relevance to both albums.
The upcoming album, tentatively titled "Censored Colors," will be more chord-based and will feature a large array of instruments including cello, trombone and sitar, Gourley said. Kirk Huffman and Phil Peterson of Seattle's Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground have toured with Portugal. The Man and spent 2 1/2 weeks producing the album.
"I picked up a Beatles songbook and actually attempted to learn guitar chords," Gourley said.
Recording an album in about two weeks may seem outrageous, but it is how Portugal. The Man works best, he said. Gourley writes in a spontaneous manner. He wrote one song each night and worked on the instrumentation the following day.
The process is not only impressing fans, but also people in the industry. Paul Q. Kolderie, who worked on Radiohead's first albums, will be mixing "Censored Colors."
Portugal. The Man is unsure of what the future will hold for the release of the new album, but band members have definite control of its vision, Gourley said. The album, including artwork, will be completely done before they start accepting offers from labels.
Direct link to article
John Gourley has learned his lesson: Never make a joke about traditional Portuguese music.
The vocalist and guitarist for the amorphous rock band Portugal. The Man saw a photo spread feature slip out of his hands because an editor for GQ Portugal did not understand his humor, Gourley said.
A reporter from Portugal's GQ contacted the band, which also consists of bassist Zach Carothers, drummer Jason Sechrist and keyboardist Ryan Neighbors, not long after the band formed in 2004, Gourley said. The band's name makes people think there is a connection to the country, but the band is actually from Wasilla, Alaska.
"The reporter asked me what I thought about traditional Portuguese music, but I don't really listen to it," Gourley said.
Not knowing a lot about the country's music, he made a joke that was included in the article, but did not please editors, he said. The band was still featured in the magazine, but the content was severely cut.
The band's name, which represents an alter ego, catches people's interest, but it is the live performances and exploration of dreamy and synthesized garage rock that hook people in. The band will put Chico in a trance when its tour with equally wistful indie-rockers Minus the Bear stops Friday at the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium.
Portugal. The Man, now based out of Portland, Ore., did not meet Minus the Bear until this tour, but the bands are getting along well, Gourley said.
"There wasn't that awkward period where people are having trouble learning each other's name," he said.
However, not everything on the tour has been easy, Gourley said. The band had van trouble and missed its Toronto show. After the van broke down, a tire flew off the trailer, and the band was forced to buy another van and trailer.
Band members try not to get too upset with unfortunate circumstances of the road, Gourley said.
"Whenever something really bad happens, we seem to have a really good time that day to make up for it," he said.
Touring is nothing new for Portugal. The Man. The band goes on nationwide tours several times a year and has traveled to Germany, Switzerland and Austria, helping build a loyal fan base.
Dallas Oliver, a senior music industry major, has only seen the band twice, but has been a fan for more than four years, he said. Like most college students without a lot of spare cash, he is more likely to support a band by catching a live show and buying merchandise directly from the band, rather than a retailer.
"Rock 'n' roll has its roots in feeling raw, live energy," he said. "The band has its grasp on the edge of what's coming next in the scene and are one-upping it with every chance it gets."
The band finished its two-album contract with independent label Fearless Records last year and is now entertaining distribution ideas for its next release, which has already been recorded, Gourley said. Fans should expect another jump in the band's musical style.
For its first album, Portugal. The Man relied on synthesizers, loops and guitar riffs to create contemplative, beat-driven songs. The band's latest release, "Church Mouth," is also thoughtful and full of imagery but more gritty and influenced by Southern rock. Gourley's high-pitched voice gives a sense of urgency and great relevance to both albums.
The upcoming album, tentatively titled "Censored Colors," will be more chord-based and will feature a large array of instruments including cello, trombone and sitar, Gourley said. Kirk Huffman and Phil Peterson of Seattle's Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground have toured with Portugal. The Man and spent 2 1/2 weeks producing the album.
"I picked up a Beatles songbook and actually attempted to learn guitar chords," Gourley said.
Recording an album in about two weeks may seem outrageous, but it is how Portugal. The Man works best, he said. Gourley writes in a spontaneous manner. He wrote one song each night and worked on the instrumentation the following day.
The process is not only impressing fans, but also people in the industry. Paul Q. Kolderie, who worked on Radiohead's first albums, will be mixing "Censored Colors."
Portugal. The Man is unsure of what the future will hold for the release of the new album, but band members have definite control of its vision, Gourley said. The album, including artwork, will be completely done before they start accepting offers from labels.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Uni and Her Ukelele to quirk up Cafe Coda, Crux
Originally published April 09, 2008 in The Orion.
Direct link to article
Fergie has nothing on Uni and Her Ukelele. With a shimmering voice, glittery makeup and quirky outfits, Uni is "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S."
Uni may not be "flyin' first class up in the sky" like Fergie, but she will be traveling to Chico on the Amtrak for two performances Thursday and Friday in celebration of her album, "As Gold."
Uni's appeal is not in her mode of travel, but in her music and relationship with her ukulele, Sally Luka, affectionately named by a friend's young daughter.
Fellow ukulele player and member of Chico duo Dick and Jane, Scott Itamura has played several shows with Uni and is excited to be on the Thursday bill at Cafe Coda, he said. He first saw Uni perform three years ago in San Francisco and was impressed with her combination of fun pop melodies and sunny sounds of the ukulele.
"People hear that someone is playing the ukulele and they think Tiny Tim or some other novelty act, but Uni is talented and a true craftsperson," Itamura said.
For her latest album, Uni, who grew up in Santa Rosa, gathered a group of Bay Area musicians and dubbed them the Ding! String Trio to round out her sound, she said. The trio includes cellist Fay Ferency, violinist Arias Beardslee and harpist Deirdre Egan. The performance Friday at Crux Artist Collective will be the first time the trio has played with Uni in Chico.
Uni and Her Ukelele shows are always full of magic and unexpected surprises, Uni said. The show at Cafe Coda will be quiet and intimate, while the next day will be a full art experience. Other than music from Uni and the trio, there will be art by Chico's Laura Wirtz and a puppet performance written in honor of Uni. Pat Hull will be providing the music for the puppet performance.
Uni does not know the details of the puppet performance and is waiting to be surprised, she said. The only thing she knows is the night will be based on the idea of a shimmering forest.
A diverse mix of art is not unusual for her shows, she said. In 2006, Uni and her friend Poopy Lickles started organizing a series of shows called Club Unicornbread. They organize shows about every three months at various art galleries in San Francisco and showcase a large number of riveting performers.
Shows usually begin calm with a singer-songwriter, but by the end of the night everyone in attendance joins in on a roller-skating dance party, Uni said. Past shows have included performances by comedians and burlesque groups.
"Usually it has an element of, 'We're out to have fun,'" she said.
Uni is upbeat and spontaneous, but she is serious about her music.
She has been singing and playing in bands for more than 10 years, she said. She taught herself to play the ukulele four years ago after she saw a friend play one.
Her music appeals to a large cross-section of people, she said. It is not rare to see families at her all-ages shows. Children are drawn to her personality and namesake, which comes from a unicorn, her favorite mystical creature.
"My music is not kids' music, but it's kid friendly," she said.
Uni's catchy melodies are bound to wiggle themselves into anyone's head, regardless of age.
"She builds excellent melodies with honest lyrics and sings songs that ring true," Itamura said.
Uni's talent and outgoing attitude have created a following in Europe, she said. Next month Uni and Her Ukelele will tour Europe for the second time in a year, visiting France, Germany, Ireland and England.
While Uni usually tours with eccentric performers such as cabaret and puppet groups, she would one day like to tour with an established band, she said.
"My goal is to tour with Gnarls Barkley or Cyndi Lauper," she said.
Direct link to article
Fergie has nothing on Uni and Her Ukelele. With a shimmering voice, glittery makeup and quirky outfits, Uni is "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S."
Uni may not be "flyin' first class up in the sky" like Fergie, but she will be traveling to Chico on the Amtrak for two performances Thursday and Friday in celebration of her album, "As Gold."
Uni's appeal is not in her mode of travel, but in her music and relationship with her ukulele, Sally Luka, affectionately named by a friend's young daughter.
Fellow ukulele player and member of Chico duo Dick and Jane, Scott Itamura has played several shows with Uni and is excited to be on the Thursday bill at Cafe Coda, he said. He first saw Uni perform three years ago in San Francisco and was impressed with her combination of fun pop melodies and sunny sounds of the ukulele.
"People hear that someone is playing the ukulele and they think Tiny Tim or some other novelty act, but Uni is talented and a true craftsperson," Itamura said.
For her latest album, Uni, who grew up in Santa Rosa, gathered a group of Bay Area musicians and dubbed them the Ding! String Trio to round out her sound, she said. The trio includes cellist Fay Ferency, violinist Arias Beardslee and harpist Deirdre Egan. The performance Friday at Crux Artist Collective will be the first time the trio has played with Uni in Chico.
Uni and Her Ukelele shows are always full of magic and unexpected surprises, Uni said. The show at Cafe Coda will be quiet and intimate, while the next day will be a full art experience. Other than music from Uni and the trio, there will be art by Chico's Laura Wirtz and a puppet performance written in honor of Uni. Pat Hull will be providing the music for the puppet performance.
Uni does not know the details of the puppet performance and is waiting to be surprised, she said. The only thing she knows is the night will be based on the idea of a shimmering forest.
A diverse mix of art is not unusual for her shows, she said. In 2006, Uni and her friend Poopy Lickles started organizing a series of shows called Club Unicornbread. They organize shows about every three months at various art galleries in San Francisco and showcase a large number of riveting performers.
Shows usually begin calm with a singer-songwriter, but by the end of the night everyone in attendance joins in on a roller-skating dance party, Uni said. Past shows have included performances by comedians and burlesque groups.
"Usually it has an element of, 'We're out to have fun,'" she said.
Uni is upbeat and spontaneous, but she is serious about her music.
She has been singing and playing in bands for more than 10 years, she said. She taught herself to play the ukulele four years ago after she saw a friend play one.
Her music appeals to a large cross-section of people, she said. It is not rare to see families at her all-ages shows. Children are drawn to her personality and namesake, which comes from a unicorn, her favorite mystical creature.
"My music is not kids' music, but it's kid friendly," she said.
Uni's catchy melodies are bound to wiggle themselves into anyone's head, regardless of age.
"She builds excellent melodies with honest lyrics and sings songs that ring true," Itamura said.
Uni's talent and outgoing attitude have created a following in Europe, she said. Next month Uni and Her Ukelele will tour Europe for the second time in a year, visiting France, Germany, Ireland and England.
While Uni usually tours with eccentric performers such as cabaret and puppet groups, she would one day like to tour with an established band, she said.
"My goal is to tour with Gnarls Barkley or Cyndi Lauper," she said.
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