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...

REVIEW: Various Artists - Pop Ambient 2012

6.5 out of 10

Find it here.

Eleven years ago, Kompakt's Pop Ambient series became an outlet of innovation for a label still shaping its own sonic thumbprint. A fruitful origin as the showcase of Kompakt's rich possibilities garnered the compilation much acclaim, but over the years, as common with releases of such nature, a veil of static devotion has shadowed Pop Ambient's name. Though the series has propelled the label and artists like The Field to the foreground of electronic music, those who call Pop Ambient home like Wolfgang Voigt (Gas), Jörg Burger (Triola), and Aksel Schaufler (Superpitcher) have seen their annual contributions fall to now old habits.

In the opening tones of 'Pop Ambient 2012', echos of Wolfgang Voigt's trademark soundscape already arise. Its bleakness fabricated by orchestral samples diffused in a hiss of decay continues into the next track, Superpitcher's “Jackson,” where a glacial three-note melody overplays a voice faintly stretching in the background. As the song progresses, a flowing piano line eclipses the cold electronics, unearthing a bright harmony. On Morek's “Pan,” clipped keyboards blended in a collective of droning strings retains this colorful atmosphere. Even though it slowly grows throughout the album, the taste of more direct and structured compositions only flowers on Voigt's second contribution, “Rückverzauberung 5.” The song's swinging strings, tumbling vibraphones, echoing pianos, and glistening harps forge an eerie melody that sounds like an orchestra floating in some boundless space, a symphonic odyssey ripped straight out of The Shining.

Unfortunately “Rückverzauberung 5” resonates as the sole track on here with a clarity of vision. Every other song is just a mere glimpse to the hybrid between classical instrumentation and ethereal ambience Pop Ambient has been nearing over the past decade. And they're glimpses that only make the listener beg for more. Not to say this year's edition won't satisfy the casual listener; just don't expect much that Kompakt hasn't already thrown our way.

Standout Tracks: Rückverzauberung 5, Swans Reflecting Elephants, Riding The Bikes