The Caribbean Interview
Last month the gentlemen from The Caribbean headed down to Austin Texas for one of the biggest music conferences in the world, South by South West, with their US label Hometapes. So we thought we’d take a moment to catch up on all the news, post festival.
First and foremost, how was SxSW? Stories to share?
Saw a lot of comics walking around: Brian Posehn, Sandra Bernhard, Eugene Mirman. Saw a lot of dickheads walking around, too. Dave tried to throw a beer bottle over the Emo’s Annex tent just to see if he could… Turns out you can.
Who in your opinion is a must hear artist today?
Besides us?
Of course.
Hairy Pussy, Wolf Eyes, Van Dyke Parks.
Describe for the readers the music scene over in Washington?
Like everywhere else, I suppose, splintered and complex. More stuff going on than you can keep track of. Used to be pretty monolithic, with Dischord being kind of the source for everything, but lots of other interesting stuff going on now, too.
Who or what are your main sources of inspiration and why?
Mostly, things we mishear. The best songs are the ones misheard from a distance, through crowds of people, and entire elements are misplaced sonically or drowned out due to acoustics. Or inadvertently combined with other songs playing in the same space. Happened at SXSW a lot. The original song is never as interesting as the one misheard.
Can you please describe to the lovely people your writing process.
One of us will hear a weird sound somewhere, record it on cassette or whatever is available, then we all keep adding to it until it takes a shape we like. Then we spend hundreds of hours listening to it and talking about it, then add parts in quick takes until we feel it’s what it should be.
How did the remix EP by Scott Solter eventuate?
He had done a remix record with some Hometapes labelmates of ours; we loved his style of tactile, analog deconstruction, and had to work with him. Met him at SXSW ’07 and hashed it out.
What are your plans for the foreseeable future?
Release this next record, Discontinued Perfume, on Hometapes in mid-2010, then tour relentlessly to support it until everyone knows who we are and either loves us or hates us. Also gonna drink some fortified wine in a little bit.
The Caribbean – Color Television (Scott Solter Remix) The Caribbean – Color Television (Scott Solter Remix)
Jamie Barrett
