When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears. What have been your musical epiphany moments?
I can remember being very inspired when I first heard Lee Perry doing dub. It sounded so odd and strange to me and I was naturally drawn to it. My ears at the time hadn’t really heard such a dark, delayed out and progressive sound. The dub method/aesthetic is always with me now in my writings and production.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? the riddim? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
I have changed my approach over the years.. used to be strictly guitar writing.. now I use the laptop mostly starting with beats and melody concepts..lyrics come from the particular mood evoked through the track. So nice being back in Brooklyn and being inspired by the people and energy.. i mean every 5 min a car outside my window is bumping soca,roots reggae, dance hall, hip hop, Bollywood, Arabic music… awesome.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
I search the blogs a few times a week … just jumping around the links and find new sounds that really grip me. Sometimes its tapes from Africa (state sponsored highlife bands) or maybe some dusty old roots dub album from the U.K. So good.
Genre's are so misleading and such a way to pigeonhole bands. Without resorting to labels, how would you describe your music?
It’s changing all the time. At this point I am really moving into electro-dub-soul. As a producer it is a challenge to try to recreate the studio(album) sound live and really go for the mood-vibe that was the original intention.
What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?
At this point I am seeking to do just that…make us all FEEL (more and more important as we stare into computer screen and cell phones and get detached from human-ness)
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
I was once stuck in an elevator for 4 hours after a gig with my sax player... we bonded ;)
What makes a great song?
Something that makes us feel. Period.
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
It was a story about a lover who lost his mate and he vowed to walk into the big sky to find her…
What piece of your music are you particularly proud of?
I am really proud of a song called, "Seeds Of Revolution". It came out of me effortlessly and seems to have an effect on people.
The answer is clearly vinyl… cd's are not sustainable.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
NYC - Halcyon
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
Great blog and thank you so much for the coverage... share the music with your friends but pay to see shows and buy albums from bands.