eic: the caretaker

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

EIC's 10Q's w/ Brother Sun, Sister Moon

"..between "hazy/lush Ambiance", "sunny Psychedelia", & reverb-drenched Dream Pop.."

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Veiled By Aqueous Opulence

Brother Sun, Sister Moon Bio:

Brother Sun, Sister Moon is the collaborative project of Alicia Merz (Birds of Passage) and Gareth Munday (Roof Light). Together the duo explore a landscape of sounds that depart from Alicia’s classic wintery minimalism and Gareth’s post-dubstep styling’s, creating a record consisting of beautifully elegant vignettes and genre-bending sounds that captivate the listener at will. The self-titled album is a trip through sun-dappled pop music, glistening with Alicia’s vibrant vocals reminiscent of Francoise Hardy and Julee Cruise and neatly complimented by a haze of lo-fi instrumentation akin to the distorted experimentation of SLOWDIVE and MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Unafraid to extend their musical reach beyond this, the record ventures into the futuristic beat world channeling influences such as FLYING LOTUS and MADLIB, while traversing vast technicolour electronic sounds that call to mind BOARDS OF CANADA and the ambient tape manipulation of Matthew David. The CD edition of this stunning debut album comes with an exclusive remix by Listening Mirror, while the Dale Cooper Quartet lends a remix exclusive to the vinyl edition. With their debut record Brother Sun, Sister Moon take all preconceived notions of what an album should be and break them down right in front of you, presenting a record that runs the gamut of genre defying boundaries, boldly reimagining pop music for the ‘post-genre’ generation.

Hello, how are you?
Gareth: Sitting with the telly on answering these questions :)
Alicia: Good and bad.

What are you currently listening to?
Alicia: William Basinski, The Caretaker, Felicia Atkinson, Listening Mirror, Roof Light, Miles Davis, The Dale Cooper Quartet, Tim Hecker, Lee Noble, Saaad, and Love Cult, but mostly Basinski and The Caretaker.

What's the story with the band name?
Gareth: Originally it was from an obscure Folk record until I discovered that there is a 70's obscure film of the same name I've never seen it.

Love the album, care to tell us a little bit about it, recording process, likes/dislikes, etc.?
Gareth: Thank you. Recording it was a mixture of real instrumentation by me, and samples, synthesized material and field recordings. It took about a year to do on and off, the tracks were in demo form then I heard Alicia's music on the internet. I thought she had the perfect voice to suit my music. I had a few acoustic/folk tracks that were very simple but needed a vocal so I sent of few of them to Alicia in NZ to add her parts. I really liked what she did with them and it was fairly easy. Then it was a case of back and forth, mixing and re recording to get the best results. One of those tracks 'Gable Larch' is one of my favorite pieces, it will be on the next BSSM LP which may have a more 'folk' vibe to it. There's a real Vashti Bunyan vibe to it and there were about half a dozen that were similar. It's about 'holding back' some of the material of which there are at least another 20 tracks in an unfinished state. Alicia is very busy with lots of other projects of her own. I don't know how she does it! There was no real recording process, I had ideas that were a few years old and knew that no label would be brave enough to put them out as they were. Besides I wanted to add vocals to them anyway. I sing on some of my tracks as well but wanted to add a feminine dimension to the music. If I'd had a bit more time I probably would have added my vox with Alicia's. Sadly my 'day' job doesn't give me a huge amount of time off to make music on a full time basis. As for likes and dislikes, at the moment it's English Psychedelia from 66 to 70. It'll be something else next week.

Who are your biggest influences as far as your sound goes?
Gareth: I'll let Alicia give you hers, mine would probably be Bibio/Boards Of Canada, XTC, The Beach Boys, Vashti Bunyan, 4AD, some Creation stuff like The Telescopes, the 60's, the 70's and 80's, Classical, Jazz, Motown/Soul, the 'Golden Age'/90's Hip Hop, Psych/Folk, film soundtracks, dreams, people and places. Colors and things like the smell of a primary school hall that takes you back to your childhood, or a garden in summer. Alicia: For this project: my husband, an image of a child playing, Jack Kerouac, Polish fans, Nick Drake, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Leonard Cohen, audio cassette tapes, Vashti Bunyan, Slowdive, Emily Bronte, William Basinski, Dj Shadow, Oscar Wilde, reflecting on journeys through East Europe, My Bloody Valentine, David Lynch, Roy Orbison, Surrealism, The Sopranos, The Caretaker, Twin Peaks, Dexter, autumn 2011, pain killers and red wine, black coffee and cigarettes. But mostly 'The Disintegration Loops' and red wine.

Will you be touring to support this release?
Gareth: I'd like to but Alicia's in NZ and I'm in the UK which is a bit problematic. We'd be open to offers though. I think we'd make a good festival band. I'd like to do an early slot at Glasto!

Got any other projects we should know about?
Gareth: I have a lot of other work ongoing, I make lots of other music both alone and with other people, I hope to have a couple of EP's of stuff this year of my own music, there are some really interesting collaborations on the way with some surprising people. There's an EP with USA based electronic producer KWALA very soon. I sent some tracks to Christa Palazzollo of Boy Friend in the USA as well, they might appear at some point, I like their music, and they're cool. Also some darker 'Street Soul' Electronic music with a good friend of mine from Russia called Ghostek. More BSSM stuff, hopefully a second more full length LP. And something for Alicia and her husband's new label 'Cooper Cult' which I'm really pleased to be involved with. I'm sometimes a bit lazy though and forget to answer correspondence. I also don't make music if I'm not feeling it on the day. I'd like to do some film/TV music as well. I'll let Alicia give you her equally busy schedule...
Alicia: I'm working with Listening Mirror on a full length, which I'm really excited about. Listening Mirror is the solo and sometimes collaborative project of Jeff Stonehouse, and he makes ambient/drone that is out of this world! I'm adding vocals and minimalist drones to a few tracks at the moment. I also have collaborations lined up with the French drone misfits 'Saaad', another French musical maverick - Felicia Atkinson, and 'Nadja' alumni Aidan Baker. Further, I've finished about 7 demos which form the skeleton for my next solo album. I'm also keeping very busy with Cooper Cult Records: one of our first releases is a cassette edition of 'Brother Sun, Sister Moon', which we are co-releasing with an awesome tape label from France, 'BLWBCK'. Other than that, I stay very busy with a lot of other art projects that have nothing to do with music.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to your music?
Alicia: Repo Man and They Live. A few scenes from Picnic At Hanging Rock, and a few from The Wicker Man. But I'd say Repo Man, from start to finish, is the perfect visual counterpart to BSSM.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Alicia: Today, 'The Disintegration Loops' by William Basinski. If you ask me next week it'll be something different. Maybe 'Songs Of Leonard Cohen' or 'Kind Of Blue'.

Are you living your dream?
Gareth: I would be living it even more if i could do it full time!
Alicia: Life is a dream, so yes!

Thanx Magnus, Gareth & Alicia!

BS,SM are currently underrated and only YOU have the power to change this, this band deserves way more credit than what they get...

Monday, April 16, 2012

REVIEW: The Caretaker - Patience (After Sebald)

9 out of 10

Find it here.

"Patience" a great word to remember when it comes to absorbing/listening Mr. Kirby's signature "Haunted Ballroom" sound. The Caretaker, one of James Leyland Kirby's many monikers, is slow moving Ambient decay. ..OK, honestly there's not really that much I can say about Leyland's work that hasn't already been said.. (if you missed this boat, shame on you)

Tape hiss sounds, ancient vinyl crackles, black and white sonants (piano) that come off as haunting & disturbing, and then (that thing that gives Leyland his edge above all the other Ambient artists) what sounds like the ghosts of a thousand chamber dwellings either having fun & relaxing or possibly being tortured by some dark force (I can never tell). It's provocative, it's somber & melancholy, it's spellbinding, 'Patience (After Sebald)', and all other Caretaker albums for that matter, is something EVERYONE NEEDS in their library.

This is probably my second favorite album of his, I'm not sure if it can ever get better than THIS, but somehow I love it equally. A nice "follow up piece", that's for sure. Highly (JLK will be always be backed/adored by EIC) Recommended.

Standout Tracks: ALL. (no seriously, I can't pick a favorite) "When The Dog Days Were Drawing To An End" is probably my favorite, and maybe "I Have Become Almost Invisible" or possibly "Increasingly Absorbed In His Own World".

EIC's 10Q's w/ Leyland Kirby

"..the ghosts of a thousand chamber dwellings.."

Leyland Kirby
Articulate Apparition

Leyland Kirby Bio:
James Leyland Kirby is the real name of The Caretaker, an artist formerly known as V/Vm. In recent years his tireless trawl through obsolete 78rpm discovered in a Stockport record shop have provided the source material for a ghostly new sound centred around that school of hauntology identified by Simon Reynolds. Since moving to Berlin over two years ago, Kirby has been exploring a sound beyond the mottled loops of his ‘Persistant Repetition Of Phrases’, seeking to encapsulate a deep feeling of loss and alienation. What started out as a concept for a single album, soon blossomed into a triple double-vinyl series, and triple CD pack as the material proliferated. To give some background to the feelings exposed in this music Kirby himself says “Here we stand, twenty years on from the first CD, and our optimism has been gradually eroded away collectively. ‘Tomorrows World’ never came. We are lost and isolated, many of us living our lives through social networks as we try to make sense of it all, becoming voyeurs not active participants. Documenting everything. No Mystery. Everything laid bare for all to see”.

Hello, how are you?
Well I am in great spirits but in a lot of pain after a show in London last month where I dived off stage head first into the ground. Always good to risk things like that, even if we are in pain for weeks afterwards. At the time it made complete sense to do it as it gets the crowd onside and offers them something different. They really see you mean it connect and respond to it.

What are you currently listening to?
Usually my drunken neighbor who lives above me. He keeps me awake every night, wandering around lost in himself drinking. It may seem trivial but got so bad last Summer that he broke his leg up there drunk, so you can imagine what it’s like working around that. You can hear and feel the desperation. Makes it hard to concentrate this side and work but I do my best.

‘Patience (After Sebald)’ is your first soundtrack album, care to explain how the process behind this release differed from your previous works?
Well the source material Grant wanted me to use was very specific from Franz Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’ and I knew I had to make a very gentle work which would complement the visuals Grant let me see. Usually I have a completely blank page when creating work. It was interesting to work on this one and apart from being given the source material Grant was fantastic because he offered no other input or comment on what I did. I think we need that trust between creative people. It all seemed very natural and always when it’s like this the best work is made. When things become forced or compromised you can hear it.

How did the collaboration between Grant Gee and you begin? Also, memory's role in both W.G. Sebald's and your work is an obvious artistic parallel, so I'm wondering what your relationship was with the documentary's subject beforehand?
Grant had two things in mind when he made the film which was the film stock he wanted to shoot his footage on and using myself to make the soundtrack. He has stated that he read a review of one of my releases and at any point he could have substituted my name for Sebald’s as we both explore the same facets of memory. Once Grant approached me I read the ‘Rings Of Saturn’ as I was unaware of his work and knew it was important to experience it before working. Even now I’m not sure if I like the book or not but it was fantastic to work with Grant on the whole project and I’m hoping we can work on something else in the future together.

On the ‘History Always Favours The Winners’ webpage, accompanying many of your releases are literary quotes from figures like Charles Baudelaire and Charles Dickens. What role does literature play in your life/music?
Well I like to read, but it doesn’t play a vital role in what I’m doing. I just look for inspiration from everywhere. The quotes on the site maybe sum up some feelings towards specific projects I do.

You've been performing now for well over a decade, from the vast stylistic palette of V/Vm to the binding ballroom walls of The Caretaker, how do you feel your artistry has evolved?
It has evolved without a plan and in a natural way. I am still there and people are still listening and maybe because there is no plan and it’s not calculated in anyway this keeps people interested. Honesty goes a long day in these manufactured times. V/Vm was an incredible project to work on. At some point I hope to revisit it all of that work and maybe make some kind of sense of it all. It paved the way for what is happening now and equally what is happening now in my work adds so much more weight to it too.

All your projects, though they differ in approach, circle around disintegration, a constant cutting up, looping, and fragmenting of the past's sonic treasure trove arguably defines your work. How does this preoccupation relate to the title of your previous work ‘Sadly, The Future Is No Longer What It Was‘?
Well ‘Sadly the future’ really was a very personal album I made which defined a specific time I was going through. I needed to do something very personal to show people it was possible. Before that was made I had destroyed so much music and offered only glimpses of what music I was capable of making. It surprised a lot of people and was a statement of intent. Nothing was sampled on there (As in existing records) everything was made piece by piece reaching for a big connection to the sounds and pieces, using a somewhat recognizable sound palette to trigger my own memory hoping others would feel it too.

Which artists, contemporary or past, do you revere as major influences on your fascination with nostalgia?
Well my music may be nostalgic for something, myself though I am not so nostalgic. I don’t sit here saying it was better for myself in the past than now. All I have is the now always and it always has been hard but rewarding my work. It’s very hard to say what influences this direction in my work. For me it’s just sound, trying to find a specific feeling from sound. This could either be found by manipulating existing works or making my own work and hoping to connect with it emotionally.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life... Which album would it be?
It’s an impossible question to answer, from a selfish point of view I would take the "Sadly.." album I made and this is because for me when I recorded that album I had such an amazing time of discovery and many adventures linked to that album and the music on there I am sure would trigger those memories. From a point of being broken to running around with so many girls it was untrue and drinking for free in some incredible places in Europe and beyond. Interestingly I have not listened to the album at all since it was released. I guess you never do that when you make something and are submerged in that World.
If I had to take another work I would take the tracks Shigeru Umebayashi did for the 2046 film. Tracks like this I hope soundtrack my dreams and offer so much.

Are you living your dream?
I just try to survive and make time to do what I want to do with no compromises in my work. Always following instincts as I have done since day one with no plan. I live a reality here which isn’t always so easy and compromise in lifestyle to do this. Right now I’m in an amazing place creatively and have so many opportunities and always hope I don’t let myself down and those who support what I am doing. Hopefully some exciting works appear over time in natural ways and people feel connected and moved by the creations.

Thanks James!

Mr. Kirby is always working on new music, he recently released a (FREE) bonus album for "Patience (After Sebald)" HERE.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

New/FREE Caretaker album..!

The Caretaker - Extra Patience (After Sebald)

More "Haunted Ballroom" gatherings from the world's "most recent" Ambient guru Leyland Kirby AKA The Caretaker ..better hurry though, it's free for a limited time only.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

REVIEW: A Setting Sun - December

7.75 out of 10

Find it here.

Before reviewing this album, mention of Jay Bodley would have only drawn vague recollections. Releases under his moniker 'A Setting Sun' have appeared for years on music blogs left and right, only to soon disappear in the flood of new artists. At first, I took Bodley to be just another figure in the electronic scene hoping to make it big – a bitter paradox in the world of experimental music. However since A Setting Sun's 'December' has landed in my iTunes library, never again will I pass his work with a fleeting glance. Jay Bodley: learn the name now, because it's one you're sure to hear more in the years to come.

'December', a five-piece album, opens with the fourteen minute “Livonia.” It sets the stage with a hushed decayed tone, but from the quiet emerges a frenzy of noise – harsh and dissonant, yet modest and composed. A beautiful interlude unfolds about six minutes into the track, where a musical box tune sneaks upon the listener like a gift from the past. The odd coalition of the familiar and otherworldly plays a vital role in 'December'. Though wild sheets of feedback raid the ears in each song, close listening reveals a world of layers. “Cosmic Trigger Pt. 1” features seraphic blankets of voices. “Cosmic Trigger Pt. 2” contains cryptic telephone messages and echos of rain falling on windows. “December” even throws in the roar of an ascending airplane. “Frost,” however, contains more elements than any other piece. Overplaying a spectral drone are abstract sounds each achieving their own specific role. A knife scraped against a table. A melody of dripping water. A thundering static of blank television channels. A rake dragged along the ground. Wake up in the middle of the night in some suburban town, and “Frost” probably isn't too far from what you'll hear.

Memory's relation to sound has been an ever flourishing concept in electronic music. Loose collectives of artists, like those of the Hauntology scene, have made it the primary focus underlining their releases. And if you read the description Bodley provides on Moodgadget, he labels the memory casted by December as “a gentle exploration of what home truly means.” On first listen of the album, hints of home are so muddled in pink noise that they're often missed. Listen to it again, and you hear the motives behind every screech, every abstract ingredient thrown into the mix. Because what makes 'December' so intriguing is its ambiguous approach to memory, unlike artists like The Caretaker who paint a specific time and place. 'December's' reflections are timeless images of the soul, glimpses of a home we all long for, moments resounding with loneliness and solitude. Bodley presents the ghosts of nostalgia like the hazy apparitions they are – just movements in shadows, lost in the sea of the mind.

Standout Tracks: Cosmic Trigger Pt. 2, Frost, December

Monday, January 9, 2012

EIC'S10Q'S w/ Young Man

"..captivating simplicity to it's core.."

Young Man
Subdude

Young Man Bio:
Colin Caulfield was pretty literal in choosing his artistic alias, Young Man -- he was fresh out of college when his first album appeared. But even though he's grown up in the Internet age, Caulfield seems to prefer the old-school method of crafting an album. Many of the tracks on Ideas of Distance would make little sense if they were decontextualized via the MP3 shuffle treatment -- this is a record with an arc, and it's clearly meant to be heard from start to finish. Caulfield first came to the public's attention via a series of cover tunes he posted on YouTube, including his versions of songs by David Bowie and Deerhunter. Like those artists, he sounds a bit like an alien reverse-engineering his idea of pop music after a fact-finding visit to Earth. Ideas of Distance, which is slated as the first installment of an album trilogy, was created entirely by Caulfield, but the claustrophobic, lo-fi qualities often found in D.I.Y. bedroom pop are nowhere to be heard here. In fact, there's a ton of space in these tracks -- despite his youth, Caulfield knows how to take his time while building up an idea, and he's careful to let the whole album breathe in a very organic way. His low-key croon wafts gently across a haze of guitars and keyboards, and he's placed a couple of lovely, ambient-tinged instrumentals smack dab in the middle of the album, to create just the right sense of pacing. At this point in musical history, it's encouraging to encounter a young artist who's not afraid to make a record that requires an ample attention span.

Hello, how are you?
First time I've been asked that in an interview! I'm doing well.

What are you currently listening to?
Lately I've been really into The Caretaker's 'An Empty Bliss Beyond This World', Arrington de Dionyso's 'Malaikat Dan Singa', 'Replica' by Oneohtrix Point Never, and Mia Doi Todd's 'Cosmic Ocean Ship'. Also, Julain Lynch's 'Terra' - played a show with him recently and we swapped vinyl.

Whats the story with the band name?
Young Man is a concept project that I developed after unintentionally writing a series of songs about youth. Really, they were just confessional or autobiographical songs that, since I was becoming an "adult" at the time, reflected that phase in my life. I decided to continue writing this way and before long I had a lot of songs. That's when the project really started and the name jumped out as the most logical possibility.

Who were/are your biggest influences when it came to sculpting your current sound?
Rufus Wainwright, The Fiery Furnaces, Animal Collective, Women, The Beatles, Brian Eno, Yes, Deerhunter, Philip Glass, Deerhoof, Wolfgang Voigt, Owen Pallett, The Dirty Projectors, Sufjan Stevens, Beach House, Talking Heads, Grizzly Bear, The Bad Plus, Joanna Newsom.

Is there a theme on on your latest release?
Ideas of Distance is about a five year long distance relationship I've been in. The album discusses the transitional period I was in as a graduating senior in college through the lens of love, as well as dealing with the distance that develops between people as they get older.

Do you have a favorite song from the album?
"Felt" is supposed to be a reprise of everything that happens on the record so I always feel lazy saying that's my favorite, but I'm really proud of that one.

Your live sound is much different from your recorded sound, a lot more "peppy" and upbeat, is there a specific reason for that?
The addition of other musicians is the most significant difference between my bedroom recordings and the live performances. Other than that, we like to push the difference between the two (upbeat music is generally more fun and exciting to play for us and to listen to for the audience).

What movie would work best on mute while listening to your music?
Every album will be distinct from the other so it's hard to choose one, but I think Ideas of Distance would go really well with [certain parts] of Woody Allen's 'Manhattan'.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Probably 'Pop' by Gas.

Are you living your dream?
Getting there... I'm extremely hard on myself so I don't think I'll be content until I'm doing something mind-blowing.

Thanx Joe & Colin!

Young Man has only a few more US dates to go, after that (hopefully) work on the next album begins...

Monday, September 12, 2011

EIC'S10Q'S w/Rebecca Peake

"..Dream Pop is the easiest way of putting it I suppose, but you could also say Indie Rock-Electronic-Ambient-Bizarro-Spacey awesomeness.."

Rebecca Peake
Proliferant Nonpareil Fantasia

Rebecca Peake Bio:
Rebecca Peake isn't a girl, but rather group of musicians working together to put out a song a day for a year. Most of the songs are done by James Webster, and his musical cohort of tech honors. Their sound can vary almost every other day from Shoegaze/Dream Pop to Indie Rock to Ambient Space Bliss and everything else in between. Currently the band has three albums (all of which are FREE on their bandcamp). And yes, those albums are on top of all the songs they will release everyday for one whole year.

Hello, how are you?
Fantastic, and overwhelmed! You'd be surprised how hard a song-a-day project can hit your social life.

What are you currently listening to?
Oh there's been a lot of great stuff coming out recently. One of my all time favorites, The Caretaker, just put out a new album called "An Empty Bliss Beyond This World" - sampled loops of ballroom music and early jazz manipulated to simulate a mind fading into Alzheimer's. The new Kreng album, "Grimoire" is amazing too - albeit so intensely dark it's almost a caricature. Ludicrously brooding - but really really irresistible. And of course ELO. Always ELO...

Care to elaborate on the name?
Rebecca Peake is, well, my name. Not given name, but a pseudonym formed by combining two of the key influences in starting the song-a-day project. One part an author known for a hyper-descriptive style, who had an ambition to write a book that followed nearly every day of a person's life. The other part is a musician, famous for dry lyrics focusing on all the mundane actions and decisions of a single day.

When/where did you get idea for the "366" concept?
Well I had the idea in March, but knew that it would have to start at the beginning of a month. So the first song, "Smile, Philadelphia!" ended up being written and posted on April fools day. I guess I like the idea of instead of a perfect 365 song cycle, it would be a weird 366 - all thrown off balance by a song posted for a day known for pranks. 366 also looks like it might be some sort of satanic code too...

What's your favorite track of Rebecca's so far?
It's a little hard to choose just one! Favorites include In The Park, She Is Losing Her Memory, The Reconstruction, Corner Of The Universe, Is This It... just too many great ones!

Will you be touring for all of these releases?
Yes, eventually. Maybe after the 366 song cycle, maybe before. For now just keeping up with the songs everyday is exhausting enough, the shows are coming though!

If you could collaborate with any artist of your choosing whom would it be with?
Julia Hummer. The voice... a bleak honestly filled with rich, rounded edges of shadow. It sounded incredible against the Shoegaze guitars on Pluramon's "The Monstorous Surplus" - really giving Julee Cruise a run for her money. I think she's retired now or something, but the world is empty without her voice.

The best time to listen to Rebecca Peake is ______?
on the way to a kill.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
"Loveless"? Yeah, "Loveless" - OR The Caretaker's "Stairway To The Stars". Those albums have more depth than Mariner Valley - infinite bliss. Or, of course, my new RP album "Dalmation II" is available now:)!

Are you living your dream?
Every single day. I'm floating.

Thanx James!

Rebecca Peake is currently working on their "366" project, which is where they offer one new song a day for an entire year..(yeah, pretty prolific right?)