Jeremy Jay

Drunk? Stoned? What was it?
Questions we had to think about while enjoying a free beer and Tom Tom Club in Cologne's “King Georg”.
It was Saturday, 14th of February when we got to know the promise of a nice indie-new wave-disco concert (concert: analog and instruments and stuff) by Jeremy Jay, hailing from L.A., California.

Jeremy attracted our interest through his superb down-tempo cover of Suicide's Ghostrider and after further investigation we did not hesitate to arrange an interview for after the gig when the cologne-show was announced.
It led us down to the lowlands of our belief and “King Georgs”, right into the storage cellar where I once more pulled out my ancient recorder.
We thought about not posting the following, but for various reasons we did. Everything is literally typewritten. We did not change or cut a word.
Find it whatever you want. Funny, sad, confusing, annoying...




What we're planning on doing with „Ghostrider“ is to put it on a b-side...of something...I don't know.
Actually we have a session tomorrow in Amsterdam.

Oh yeah, you're playing in Amsterdam tomorrow. Where are you playing?

I don't know how to pronounce it...but we have this session there tomorrow...but it's probably going to be on a b-side of a 7” or 12”.

That would be cool. We're so much into vinyl you know. CD doesn't mean anything to us.

Not more than MP3.

Sometimes...I don't know...that's the thing. Like our new record “Slow Dance” has been downloaded for free so many times. (weird noises) Well, I mean I'm saying it's not even out yet till next month.

You just sold it.

Well, because I had one copy. I have one and she asked me for it, I was like: “ok”. But we will have a “Slow Dance” Record-Release-Party in Paris on March 14th. That's a secret show. Record Release!

Where is it?

Fleche D'or. The show is gonna be...sold out. I mean it's gonna be packed. A good show. You should go!

Ok. Actually, how does it come that you do, you know, so many 80s New Wave Covers?

I did New Horizon, Ghostrider...

New Horizon was originally by?

Section 25. That's on the CD that you didn't get. (Hilarious laughter)

Yeah.

Yeaaaah. But it won't be on anything else. I mean it's not going to come out.

But how come that you do this kind of stuff?

I make CDs that are handmade.

Yeah, yeah. Ok.

That are special. Not through a record label. I make it personally.

Yeah yeah ok, cool, but...

And that is made for a tour you know...we probably got bonus songs like stuff that we just do and...the CD is this record plus 6 songs. Like “Jeremy's On Fire”, a Brian Eno cover, Section 25 cover, Blondie cover...

Yeah but what I wanted to know is...this kind of 80s new wave stuff is one of you big influences or how does it come that yo do these ones?

The way that I did the “ghostrider” was...I was listening to the record and then I slowed it down four times. You know : danananananana and then: den den/den den/den den/den den

Sounds like B52s.

Ja. den den/den den you know like the “Planet Claire” record. Yes I guess you can almost compare it to “Planet Claire”...Almost. But not.(laughter) ...But for no reason, I mean, a year ago I was doing more show tunes like “You are My Lucky Star” from the movie “Boy Friend”, MGM 1971 I covered it on another tour-cd. More romantic stuff. And this kind of stuff was more for shows. You know, you can play “Ghostrider” for show and it's fun. But stuff like “You Are My Lucky Star”...we played it one show at “The Smell” in L.A...like in 2007...and that was on another...I mean I do a lot of covers all the time.

Why is it so?

I don't know. I get inspired to. I mean I did a Section 25...one that isn't released...”Looking From A Hilltop”...

I know that song.

Well I did that one and “New Horizons”...

Yeah yeah but what is interesting to me that the songs in their original form are quite different from what you are actually playing.

Well the way that I play “Ghostrider” and the way that we were there is on “Slow Dance” and like other songs that we play live is similar the way I play it. It goes together in a show you know.
And tonight we did “The Living Dolls” with just a guitar and that to me is special to me like that's where I come from. I love the dancey stuff but I also like to rewind and backup and be serious. (laughter).


I also recognized you often got disco beats in the background. The drummer plays this disco kinda thing. One of your influences?

Mhm...

You got a synthesizer...

I think the new record “Slow Dance” has a couple of disco beats.

Where does that come from?

I don't know. 70s....

You're into that kind of stuff?

Oh yeah. I've got hundreds of records. Vinyl (laughter).

What's your favourite artist of that era? Late 70s / 80s.

I like Pop Music. One of my favourite bands of Pop from the 70s is definitely...

(One of the Clubs employees now enters)

“Hallo.”

Hallo.

“Beautiful concert.”

Thank you so much.

“Thank YOU so much. Do you have the key?”

I have the keys...these ones?

“No for the wardrobe?”

No I don't. I tried to get in.

“He said he gave you the key.”

No he gave me these ones.

“Oh you're doing an interview?”

You ruined it.

“lalala. I ruin everything.”

Soooooo.eeeeh...

Favourite Pop-Band...

Oh yeah I mean...whatever.

No no. You just wanted to tell us your favourite Pop-Band.

Oh no no no. no! Blondie. Debbie Harry?

You just had one in mind.

That's the one I was going to say. Debbie Harry? But yeah It's like you know...fun you know. Not serious...fun. But... New York City 75...74.
I think I should go back up.




myspace.com/jeremyjay

Rebolledo

„I don't really get along with computers“ is a sentence that makes musicians appear likeable. In a time where so many new releases never saw real instruments from a distance it is unfortunately very rare.
Mauricio Rebolledo belongs to this romantic type, that still prefers the warm unperfectness created by analog instruments.
Born in Xalapa, now living in Monterrey, Mexico, he started his musical career in 2002 behind the DJ stand fighting like a „Guerrero“ against the predominant „plain and monotone sets“ he hates.
„When I DJ I don't lock myself up in one specific genre.[...]I like playing music from really new to really old.[...]I like to mix house and techno tracks, I play my own productions...a lot of disco, but actually...any kind of music can pop up during my sets.“
6 years later then only DJing did not suffice no more. Rebolledo felt the necessity of producing his own music.
This is the moment where globetrotter Matias Aguayo and his new label Cómeme came into play.
Aguayo, a former member of Closer Musik on Kompakt had moved back from Cologne to Buenos Aires where he organizes parties called Bumbumbox with some friends. The collaboration also gave birth to a new label (Cómeme) and Rebolledo, for the time being, ranks among the tiny South American selection of artists (the other ones: Matias Aguayo, Chantal, Diegors and Djs Pareja)
“Matias and me got to know eachother a couple of years ago when he came to play in Mexico. We became friends and kept in touch. The last time he came, almost one year ago, I told him about my desire of starting to produce and he said he was interested in listening to my ideas. When I started to make my own music he would always listen to it...and liked it right from the start.“



Back to present and computers: Rebolledo creates his sounds in various ways. Producing „Guerrero“ for example, he used some kind of electronic toy drums, that he bought on a Mexican market for a mite. Other instruments of choice are basic synthesizers, maracas, cowbells, various percussion instruments and even his own voice to create bass-lines, melodies and rhythm. Whenever he's making use of effects, they have to be analog („I prefer to produce and record them in real time“) Being no accomplished musician his way of producing is a lot of playing around, testing sounds and noises.
„I don't have any musical background nor education, I come from the DJ stand. My music is probably not the best for listening to on the Ipod...but it totally works on the dancefloor. All tracks have a reason or objective,...an intention to provoke the crowd.
My music might appear basic, simple and repetitive, but smartly used you have great results on the dancefloor.“
Whenever there is need for extern input he has his friend DanDaMan a.k.a. Daniel Gutierrez, who in fact has this musical education as a sound engineer.
„Producing with him I can make use of other other elements than in my solo productions. We add guitars (he plays them)...analog synthesizers...a moog and a juno by roland...among other things. If you listen to his solo music you will notice that what we do together is kind of a mixture between his instrumental rock-pop and my simple sound, made for the dancefloor.“

At the end Rebolledo can't avoid working with a computer to put all the sounds together. (I think we can cope with it.)
As already revealed before, his DJ-sets no genresque borders, so that his eclectic musical influence he names is not too surprising: besides the psychedelic elements of West Coast House, Disco, Da Funk by Daft Punk („key moment“), Mareadora by Greenvelvet he doesn't even shie away from Country music.“But it's not only music that inspires me, when I want to make music I rather think of emotions and intentions than of other music. A lot of things are based on ideas and memories from my childhood. My imagination was totally released and crazy those days“

Cómeme plans to release their first records at the beginning of 2009. Here probably distributed on Kompakt.



myspace.com/rebolledosound
myspace.com/musicacomeme
myspace.com/dandamansound
myspace.com/bumbumbox

Algo en espanol

Diamonds In The Dark

S I X Q U E E N S
P A S S T H E M E T R O
C O U N T R Y W A L K S
G I L S L E E P I N G
T H E B O Y W H O K I L L E D T I M E
M O T O R C Y C L E
T H E S U N D O N ' T S H I N E
M E E T M E B Y T H E G E T A W A Y C A R
C Y C L O P S
A U T O N O M Y B O Y
B R E A K I N G T H E I C E
C L E A R S K I E S
H I D D E N T R A C K

Kosmonautenschule - Diamonds In The Dark

Ojos de Agua

I could lie. I could make up a really special and cool place to make this more interesting. But I won't. It was a pizza place in Uyunin, Bolivia, a village that lives of this adjoining Saltfield and natural park, attracting many tourists, where I met these two people, even hailing from Buenos Aires. Consisting of a male bongo/guitar player and a completey divine singer, Ojos de Agua play rhythm reduced (yes, again), accoustic, ethnic Latin American music (actually African stuff too as I had to discover listening to the cd).
However, in this overprized restaurant, with only a few backpackers, I was the only one applauding after the songs. Well, of course when I did so, the packers felt too unconvenient to go on refraining.
Yeah, I want to denounce this culture of travelling around, but not opening oneself for the stuff you see or hear. Example: I'm sitting in the middle of nowhere on 5000 metres, having no hot water, but having to listen to "Söhne Mannheims" out of some German's Ipod (feel lucky if you don't know them) instead of some fresh Bolivian flute tunes.
So now, after this post's portion of social criticism, just go for the music. Like it.


Aguas De Ojo - Unknown

Aguas De Ojo - Unknown

Aguas De Ojo - Unknown

Aguas De Ojo - Unknown

Aguas De Ojo - Unknown

Aguas De Ojo - Unknown

Chancha Vía Circuito

... that is Pedro Canale, a lanky, young musician, hailing from the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Pedro made himself a really well fitting name here as Chancha Vía Circuito (more or less like: „small wooden cart on the railroad“) in urban beats club Zizek, which meanwhile also became a record-label and is celebrating its second anniversary these days. The really interesting and attracting thing about his label is, that it not just queued itself into the row of these million labels, with their similar sounding and irrelevant electronic productions, trying to get a piece of cake from the big players. All the artists, playing in Zizek every thursday, follow their Latin-American roots, trying to transfer the music to presence and just doing something new, something unique in order to set themselves apart from the pabulum.

Therefore Pedro focuses on Cumbia, a really popular type of music, still nowadays in South America, especially Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Panama. It originally came from Africa, as music of the courtship ritual and was called cumbe. Through the Spanish colonization and Spain's need for gratis workers, cumbe came to Latin-America on board of the slave ships. At that time it was played with just drums and claves (percussion instrument, consisting of two thick dowels).
The slaves naturally came in touch with the indigenous population (obviously slaves as well) and borrowed their typical instruments like flutes and percussion instruments.Cumbia was born. For a long time, the music and dance, as part of the courtship ritual, were considered vulgar and a „thing“ of the lower class. Nevertheless you nowadays also find an European influence in the music, since it can contain guitars, accordeons, bass guitars and the modern flute.
Until today, Cumbia developed to various directions apart from the classical way. There exists Cumbia Villera, which comes from the slums, as well as cumbia rap and tecnocumbia.

Pedro interpretes it his own way, electronic- and digitally, slipping in folk and music that he grew up or rather dealt with in earlier projects. Although he produces with a computer, he sounds organically, almost like real sampled sounds of everyday life. His music is very reduced and rhythm focused, downbeat, but danceable; a thing that is important to him...

Let's start with the most important thing: How do you work? How do you produce you music?

In the first place I dedicate a lot of time on developping a library of sounds that attracts me. That can include elements recorded at home like samples from other librarys or other music. With those sounds then I set my base in Fruty Loops (Sequencer) and export it against to Cubase (Multitrack) where I add accoustic and virtual instruments and vocals.


Which instruments do you use?

Various percussion instruments, guitars, flute, synthesizers etc.


What are your influences and what are your inspirations working on new material?

I have many influences because I listen to loads of different styles of music. For this particular project I would say it's Latin American Cumbia, folk from the Peruvian plateau, Dub, Minimal and IDM among others.


It's probably obvious...but I know Cumbia only for little time: what is the relation between your music and classic Cumbia?

It is highly related since this type of music is one or the principal influences.


When did you feel like starting a project where you can deal with Latin-American music?

Particularly when I felt the necessity of making danceable music. That was the point when I rediscovered the marvellous world of Latin-American Rhythm, like Cumbia.


How did you „enter“ this world?

Thanks to internet and fanatic friends I got acquainted with different styles of Cumbia, such as the Colombian, the Mexican, the Peruvanian etc...


Your music is extremely reduced and downbeat. In my opinion different to the other artists on ZZKRECORDS. How did the collaboration start off?

It started with the Zizek party; The alter-ego Chancha Vía Circuito and Zizek were born at the same time. This project is different to the others because each artist of the label reinterpretes these musical roots in a completely personal way.


How did the ZIZEK people get to new eachother?

Although some of them already new eachother before, we all came together in ZIZEK.


What do you think of the musical scene of Buenos Aires?

I think there are a lot of really talented people making music here...really good producers, which not necessarily are the often seen faces on the these mega-partys from the pop-scene.
The people of our underground predominantly more interesting. You just need to pay atention.


If you could change something, what would it be?

I would give upcoming talents more space to present themselves.


ZIZEK just became two years. What does that club mean to you?

It means a lot. First, because the guy who realised these parties is my brother (a.k.a NiM) and I started working with him right from the beginning. Second, because thanks to it, a lot of musicians like me got the chance to experiment with the dance floor, the place where we all grew up.


Do you consider it a movement?

Actually yes, I don't know any other club, as impartial as this one, where you can here fresher sounds and with so many competent musicians who really want to produce something.


Although it is really unique music, based on a certain part of the world, do you think Zizek will still grow? Maybe get famous in other parts of the world?

Yes; I think we will continue growing. Not only because it is good music, but because we're transforming all the time, like in a constant change, invastigating new rhythms and sounds.


What kind of people go to Zizek?

All kinds of people. Also foreigners.


Which music do you play there?

Only my own music. And I always invite musicians and singers.


Where do these people come from?

In general they're friends, people I made music with or people I got to know through my music.


You've got two more projects: Universildo and Verde Kiri. Which creative needs do you serve with these ones? Are there differences in the way you produce?

Verde Kiri was the first one, there I play an accoustic guitar. It is a lot more introspective and reflexive. Universildo is similar, but composed with a computer, actually way of composing as with Chancha Vía Circuito.


Which on of these products do you like most at the moment?

Right now I'm really enthusiastic with Chancha. I love it that the people dance to what I do.


Are you planning to publish more as Chancha after the Rodante record?

Yeah, I'm actually composing right now...I'm definitely going to publish more.

When?

Possibly next year.


Thank you



myspace.com/chanchaviacircuito

Die Aufreisser

Acht wilde Raubkatzen warten auf Ihre Dressur...

I can't say what exactly made me flip this compilation to check out which tracks were featured on it (I actually don't know what made me dig through the filthy compilation bin at all, let's call it fate hehe). But i guess the trash-as-trash-can-styled cover artwork was one reason to pause in front of it . The german descriptions printed on the cover ("8 hot disco-singles - a special release for discjockeys") gave me the rest so I gave the whole thing a try.
Big respect goes to the guy responsible for the promo texts. To stand out in this crap producing branch is not easy but he does easily with sentences like these: "Eight cats of prey are waiting for your dressage: Why don't you put a leash on these wild cats? You will see how tenderly they can purr, these beasts with velvet paws."
It's always surprising and funny when you discover tracks on comps like that which you never ever would have presumed to be there. In this case among all the other bullshit there is this little piece of early cosmic essence:

John Forde - Stardance

"Englishman John Forde has been workin as a studio musician
for a long time, before his voice was spotted. His specialty: Keyboards.
He used this perfection for his first single "Stardance", whose
space rock sound climbed the british charts astronomically fast."

That's what the descriptional text says here. And beside the fact that I can't imagine that this track would have ever seen the charts from any distance , I agree on the text in this case.
Stardance was originally released in 1977 as a 7" and was later also featured on the Woman 12" by John Forde. These releases are very hard to find nowadays as they got some hype because they were favourites of DJs like Daniele Baldelli and later on DJ Harvey.
What's so special about Forde's work is in my opinion the functional use of synths at this early point. The usual disco orchestration is replaced by the cosmic sounding synthesizers giving it a futuristic feel. This kind of production actually sounds quite up-to-date even today. I would give a lot to be living at this time, the late 70s, where the synthesizers started to conquer dance music. Dancing to this kind of music must have given a strange and exciting feeling to the crowd.
The song-writing and the way John Forde is singing here on the other hand are a bit too much for me. But sometimes that kind of cheesy athmosphere is also working for me. The louder I play it the more i like it.
Also, if you are into this kind of stuff, you should definitely check out the "dirty space disco" compilation by the dirty soundsystem. There is also a track by John Forde featured on it: "Atlantis". This one is even more cheesy and therefore not really my cup of tea, but there's some other really nice stuff to be discovered.

Nehmen Sie unsere Wildkatzen doch mal an die Leine.
Dann werden Sie schon sehen, wie zärtlich die schnurren
können, diese Aufreißer mit Samtpfoten.

Machine Gun (No Vocals Edit)

We Carry On (No Vocals Edit)


Coming back to you with quality journalism soon. hopefully.