Fractured Air x Blogothèque – S01E12 | December mix

 

Welcome to our final mixtape for 2016.

For our last mix we are really excited to share an exclusive first listen of the forthcoming album by Finland’s The Gentleman Losers. Based in Helsinki, The Gentleman Losers comprise the brothers Samu and Ville Kuukka. The duo have released their music on such independent labels as Büro, City Centre Offices, Warp, Nothings66 and Standard Form. Their two full-length releases – 2006’s self-titled debut album and 2009’s sophomore “Dustland” – have been universally acclaimed, winning the hearts of many esteemed music-lovers worldwide, while also being championed by such independent music stalwarts as Germany’s Nils Frahm and UK’s Bibio. The forthcoming third record – the brothers’ latest venture into blissful instrumental music of unknown pleasures – is set to be released during 2017.

December’s mix also features our favourite album of the year: “Upstepping” by UK cellist and composer Oliver Coates. As well as releasing his second solo album earlier this year (via PRAH Recordings) Coates has also released the sublime collaborative work “Remain Calm” (with Mica Levi of Micachu & The Shapes) via the UK label Slip Discs. In addition to a busy schedule of extensive touring and live performances during the year, Coates also performed strings on the current Radiohead album “A Moon Shaped Pool” (XL Recordings).

Other 2016 favourites are featured here, including: Brigid Mae Power (self-titled LP via Tompkins Square), Carla dal Forno (“You Know What It’s Like” via Blackest Ever Black), Kevin Morby (“Singing Saw” via Dead Oceans), Jessy Lanza’s “Oh No” (Hyperdub), Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s “EARS” (Western Vinyl), Amiina’s “Fantômas” (Mengi) and Eluvium’s “False Readings On” (Temporary Residence).

In a year that has all too often thrown up troubling and distressing news and events, it places an even brighter spotlight on the vital role – in expressing emotions, articulating thoughts, distilling messages, blurring boundaries and lighting the way – that music brings to all our lives. In our tiny capacity, we’d like to thank all the musicians, labels and listeners for helping to keep that eternal light flickering.

Wishing our readers and listeners a very happy Christmas and peaceful new year.

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Fractured Air x Blogothèque – S01E12 | December mix

 

To listen on La Blogothèque:

http://www.blogotheque.net/2016/12/27/fractured-air-x-blogotheque-s01e12-december-mix/

 

Tracklisting:

 

01. Uncle Charlie – “…today is the thing” (Shadow Of A Doubt)
02. The Caretaker – “It’s just a burning memory” (History Always Favours the Winners)
03. Julianna Barwick – “Heading Home” (excerpt) (Dead Oceans)
04. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Ciani – “Closed Circuit” (excerpt) (RVNG Intl)
05. Jessy Lanza – “Going Somewhere” (DVA HI:EMOTIONS Remix) (Hyperdub)
06. Tim Hecker – “Violet Monumental II” (4AD)
07. Arthur Russell – “You And Me Both” (Rough Trade)
08. Oliver Coates – “PERFECT LOVE” (PRAH Recordings)
09. Demdike Stare – “Animal Style” (Modern Love)
10. Grouper – “Headache” (Yellow Electric)
11. The Gentleman Losers – “There Will Come Soft Rains” (Exclusive)
12. Carla dal Forno – “You Know What It’s Like” (Blackest Ever Black)
13. Amiina – “Lady Beltham” (Mengi)
14. Kevin Morby – “Cut Me Down” (Dead Oceans)
15. Dungen – “Trollkarlen Och Fågeldräkten” (Smalltown Supersound / Mexican Summer)
16. Exploded View – “Stand Your Ground” (Sacred Bones)
17. Brigid Mae Power – “I Left Myself For A While” (Tompkins Square)
18. Ben Frost – “Stormfront” (Bedroom Community)
19. Sarah Neufeld – “They All Came Down” (Paper Bag)
20. A Winged Victory For The Sullen – “Gare du Nord Part One” (Iris OST, Erased Tapes)
21. Philip Glass – “Heroes” (Aphex Twin Remix) (Warp)
22. Eluvium – “Washer Logistics” (Temporary Residence)
23. Leonard Cohen – “The Partisan” (Columbia)
24. Naïm Amor & John Convertino – “Before We Go” (LM Dupli-cation)
25. Calexico – “Gift X-Change” (Our Soil, Our Strength)

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Compiled by Fractured Air, December 2016. The copyright in these recordings is the property of the individual artists and/or record labels. If you like the music, please support the artist by buying their records.

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http://www.blogotheque.net/
https://fracturedair.com/

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Chosen One: Naïm Amor & John Convertino

Interview with John Convertino & Naïm Amor.

“I had a few days alone in the house during the dead of winter, quiet snow, and a living room full of all my instruments and a four-track cassette recorder.”

—John Convertino.

Words: Mark Carry

 

‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ is the debut release by newly formed duo featuring John Convertino (Calexico, Giant Sand) and French film score composer Naïm Amor. The seeds were sewn some years back, having formed ABBC at the turn of the millennium: the Calexico core duo of John Convertino and Joey Burns joined forces with their close friends & Tucson neighbours, Amor Belhom Duo (Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhom). The result was ‘Tete A Tete’, a feast of sprawling sonic terrain (from the Burns-penned heart-wrenching ballad ‘Gilbert’ to Convertino’s stunningly beautiful piano-based compositions and all points in between).

Similarly, a sprawling sonic canvas is masterfully drawn from Convertino and Amor on ‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’. Part A comprises of sun-drenched, awe-inspiring compositions, which traces the South West’s desert plains and vast beauty contained therein. Reference points could be Calexico’s ‘Hot Rail’ or ‘Black Light’ and Ennio Morricone’s singular score-work.  The sweeping, cathartic ‘Of Dust and Wind’ is a sonic marvel of blossoming themes and variations, traversing a vast space of possibilities and wonder. Clean electric guitar tones and marimba flourishes are dotted across ‘Black Boot Shuffle’ with cumbia piano pulses and Convertino’s awe-inspiring drums. The crossroads between vintage New Orleans and 50’s Jazz.

A more inward, introspective feeling descends on part B, which represent some of the record’s most defining and breath-taking moments. The rich poignancy of nylon guitar-led instrumental ‘Santa Cruz River’ magnificently captures a tender beauty akin to a meandering river finding its sea. The piano-based ‘Snow Falls on the Desert Plain’ is wrapped in a cinematic bliss and timeless rapture. ‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ marks a timeless, enriching journey from two gifted musicians who have been carving out some of the most singular, genre-defying works for over two decades.

–

‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ is out now on LM Duplication.

http://lmduplication.com/lm10.html

–

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Interview with John Convertino & Naïm Amor.

 

Congratulations on the wonderful full-length release ‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’, a collection of poignant instrumentals wrapped in windswept beauty. Please take me back to the period of time in which the recording took place? I am sure the fact that you have collaborated and worked closely with one another in the past (ABBC’s ‘Tete A Tete’ and ‘Sanguine’ solo LP), it must have made this project quite a refreshing and rewarding experience?

John Convertino: Thanks so much, well for me, the recordings of my songs happened almost 3 years ago now when we were living in Ohio, I had a few days alone in the house during the dead of winter, quiet snow, and a living room full of all my instruments and a four track cassette recorder. we have since then, moved to El Paso Texas, my how time flies…. Naim is a dear friend, and I admire his work so much, when he sent me his ‘Western Suite’ I knew I wanted to play drums on it, and in turn I sent him this batch of songs recorded up in Ohio ‘The Siesta Songs’ to play guitar on them. Yes, it was a lot of fun doing this project, and turning out to be very rewarding.

Naim Amor: I was working on a documentary film about a man called Ed Keeylocko, a black cowboy living in Arizona in his own town Keeylocko. The director wanted a “western” type music but didn’t want it to be corny or cliché. He thought I would treat the subject with some distance due to my original culture (Paris France) but also an understanding of it because I have been living in Tucson for nearly two decades.. . I did the score, and immediately thought that I would use the takes later on and work on them to make a record. At some point , I needed some feedback and I sent the tracks to a few friends. John answered me a said he loved them but thought they could use some drums. Days later he came back to me sending recordings he had done. He felt that they all could work together if I worked on his tracks. I worked on them with great pleasure, he came and recorded his drums on mines. And we got the album.

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As with records from Calexico and Amor Belhom duo in the past, you have crafted music as a duo many times over. I would love for you to shed some light on the creative process involved and the space you give each other when it comes to creating these soul-stirring musical compositions?

JC: In this case, we had all the space, of living in completely different states, but coming together through a spiritual love for the desert, and the west. I think the trust was there from knowing each other for so many years, we have a similar aesthetic when it comes to what we love in music.

NA: For me it a constant thinking and feeling from micro to macro, detail to global. A proposition is received and by some sort of filter, it “narrows “my responses to a few options… For example, a song, a melody, a tone can in my reality trigger on my end, ideas, solutions that I would find by stepping back and try to imagine, guess, what is the whole album about. Then, a tone imposes itself to my mind, a melody of a feel in the expression. A conversation has its logic, its frame, its mood, you just need to read your interlocutor and read where this conversation is going.

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Can you talk me through the themes of the record? As a listener, one feels the sprawling plains of the south west and beyond. As much as it feels embedded in a certain space, for me the music feels more character-driven where a striking narrative unfolds throughout. For example, the more heart-wrenching ballads fade in towards the closing section, feeling as if the sun-lit horizon is approaching, whilst the opening tracks have a certain momentum, feel and rhythm akin to the beginning of a journey or opening chapter.

JC: Yes, I agree, I feel like the second half of the record introverts, I think because we worked on these songs alone initially, there is a very inward feeling, and yet the inspiration is coming so much from nature, the expanse, the weather…. when we put the songs together a beautiful contrast was born through the combining of the songs and what we added to each of them.

NA: I think the process itself and its boundaries, created a space of experimentation, exploration and freedom. If analysed, this record has more influences coming from other areas than “just Far West, Cowboy, Country culture. I believe the wandering in “foreign “areas give the listener a freedom of interpretation, windows that allow to unleash the listener’s imagination.

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What are the collection of instruments and recording equipment used for these recording sessions? It feels as if the music-making process was quite an effortless one where the music ceaselessly poured out? In a way, the music belongs as a sister companion to some of the Calexico tour records (such as ‘Toolbox’ or the scorework such as ‘Circo’) and also I hear the spirit of those Amor Belhom duo LPs, and the Giant Sand-European incarnation of later years. World drifts in.

JC: I think what you are hearing there is a freedom that comes with experimentation, no expectations and really just having some fun with the instruments we have collected over the years. So much inspiration comes from the tone. This house we had there in Ohio had hardwood floors and was in the shape of a perfect rectangle, windows all around I could see the snow, the sun sets, the trees and even deer walking across the lawn. I know the setting of the music is in the west, and I wrote my songs in the east, I was still in my head and heart thinking of our old home in the southwest. I worked off the pure sound of the piano, vibes, marimba, my 50’s gretsch kit and accordion I have had and used on all the Calexico records and many others.

NA: I love instruments, they are dependable and are in my case life companions. I don’t buy things I don’t love, I buy things I keep (a reason why I do not like computers). Also, practicing is a hygiene for me, a way to produce something with your hand, a totally different relation to time than working with virtual, softwares, computers…

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The more piano-based instrumentals depict such vivid colour, texture and emotion. ‘Snow Falls On The Desert Plain’ is one of the record’s defining moments, I just love the melding of the rippling piano notes and electric guitar tones. Did any happy accidents happen during these sessions? I wonder did the piano-based compositions begin with a piano melody and evolve from there? Also, I would be very curious to know if some of these pieces of music exist (in different incarnations) long before the recording took place?

JC: I really think the whole thing is a happy accident! I loved that old piano, it’s the one I used for ‘Ragland’ its tuned down a half step, unfortunately I had to sell it when we moved to Texas. I was amazed at what Naim did with those songs, not only the guitar, but the whistles and voice which tie in with what he did on his own songs. Again it’s really the tones that inspired me to work out the melodies.

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Perhaps my favourite piece is ‘Black Boot Shuffle’ with the gorgeous drifting feel, akin to a perfect late night jazz record. Is there a particular song on the record you feel most proud of?

JC: I really love the ‘Santa Cruz River’. the actual river in Tucson means a lot to me. For over 25 years I have run along its banks, with my children in strollers, then on bikes, and so many times just alone, running, seeing the coyotes, the javalina and hawk, the water flowing, then the mud, and then the cracks, and then the sand. I think Naim has written a beautiful melody that captures my love for that place.

NA: I love all the tracks individually really. May I’m from an older generation, I am really attached to the album format. I like a collection of tunes to dance with each other’s in defined space, time, sequence. 

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In the years that have passed since the very special ABBC record, and I’m sure the other collaborative projects you’ve both been involved together with, I wonder has your compositional approach and writing process changed or altered in any way on ‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’?

JC: Not really, when I work with Joey or other song writers I feel I am more of a support, someone to bounce ideas off of, this is why I think drums and drummers are such a great song writing partners, we don’t get in the way of chord or melody structure, we get to where the heart of the song is as it is being played or thought out. when I work alone. sometimes I will be inspired by a beat that I start playing behind the kit, that’s how ‘Black Boot Shuffle’ came about, I loved that beat with the hi hat marking the time off on the up beats, then I added the piano, vibes and marimba.

NA: For me, this album and collaboration was really an exercise to manipulate “American” codes, trying to capture something “authentic”. Found out that you’re never more authentic than when you explore, twist the roots… very different than trying to Make America Great Again.

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Can you discuss your favourite film scores and also, the recordings of instrumental music that speaks to you like no other?

JC: One of my favourites is Stewart Copland’s ‘Rumblefish’ the film means a lot to me because it was made in Tulsa, Oklahoma where I grew up, and started playing drums. The Police were such a great band, and his drumming really was so important in the group, when I found out that he wrote songs and played other instruments, it really made me want to up my own game, made me realize how great it could be to compose instrumentals. I love Nina Rota’s ‘The Godfather’ as well, the simple melody played on the accordion, and then builds with the strings, and how he used that theme in so many different emotional contexts throughout the film. I love Carter Burwell as well, with the Cohen Brothers ‘No Country For Old Men’ this is more an example where the music relies on tone more than melody, the sounds stay open, unresolved, leaving you on edge, and in suspense over and over again. Ennio Morricone continues to inspire, he did the soundtrack to the remake of ‘Lolita’ I loved it and it inspired to sit at the piano and work on chord structures, chords that have dissonance yet still sound pretty in a way.

NA: So many film scores I love!! They have all their own logic. For example, Last Tango In Paris is a strange one for me. The choice of having this “Tango” music in a story that takes place in Paris whose main character is a lost American man. Everything here contributes to weave the complexity of the story, the characters. Analysed, it could seem so artificial, weird, odd even, but in the alchemy, and that is the art, it makes the story Real, we relate to it. This one score is really moving for me.

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Lastly, the harmonies that ascend on the joyously uplifting ‘Santa Cruz River’ conjures up a timeless, enchanting sound. The record feels as if there is a river flowing throughout and eventually meeting its sea. One of the great hallmarks of the record is the lyrical quality to these compositions, owing as much to Bill Cllahan or Bob Dylan & The Band as much as it does to the scorework of Ennio Morricone. 

JC: The Santa Cruz river rarely flows anymore, as with many of the rivers in the southwest. It is sad. I love the fragility of the desert, and how rain is such a delicate balance to all that lives. I hope that our music and what we advocate for in solar and wind energy, will help curb the ever-growing negative effects of fossil fuelled energy. Thank you so much for your kind words and inspiration.

 

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‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ is out now on LM Duplication.

http://lmduplication.com/lm10.html

–

 

 

Whatever You Love You Are: John Convertino (Calexico)

“Play the note for what it is, not what it does.”

—John Convertino.

 

‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ is the debut release by newly formed duo featuring John Convertino (Calexico, Giant Sand) and French film score composer Naïm Amor. The seeds were sewn some years back, having formed ABBC at the turn of the millennium: the Calexico core duo of John Convertino and Joey Burns joined forces with their close friends & Tucson neighbours, Amor Belhom Duo (Naïm Amor and Thomas Belhom). The result was ‘Tete A Tete’, a feast of sprawling sonic terrain (from the Burns-penned heart-wrenching ballad ‘Gilbert’ to Convertino’s stunningly beautiful piano-based compositions and all points in between).

Similarly, a sprawling sonic canvas is masterfully drawn from Convertino and Amor on ‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’. Part A comprises of sun-drenched, awe-inspiring compositions, which traces the South West’s desert plains and vast beauty contained therein. Reference points could be Calexico’s ‘Hot Rail’ or ‘Black Light’ and Ennio Morricone’s singular score-work.  The sweeping, cathartic ‘Of Dust and Wind’ is a sonic marvel of blossoming themes and variations, traversing a vast space of possibilities and wonder. Clean electric guitar tones and marimba flourishes are dotted across ‘Black Boot Shuffle’ with cumbia piano pulses and Convertino’s awe-inspiring drums. The crossroads between vintage New Orleans and 50’s Jazz.

A more inward, introspective feeling descends on part B, which represent some of the record’s most defining and breath-taking moments. The rich poignancy of nylon guitar-led instrumental ‘Santa Cruz River’ magnificently captures a tender beauty akin to a meandering river finding its sea. The piano-based ‘Snow Falls on the Desert Plain’ is wrapped in a cinematic bliss and timeless rapture. ‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ marks a timeless, enriching journey from two gifted musicians who have been carving out some of the most singular, genre-defying works for over two decades.

–

‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ is out now on LM Duplication.

http://lmduplication.com/lm10.html

–

 

Words: John Convertino

 

The record that brings you back to the period of your life in Tucson, AZ?

 

‘The Shadow of your Smile’ by The Friends of Dean Martinez is one of my favourites to this day. Really captures a moment there where Joey and I started woodshedding in the studio, coming up with songs together, that record morphed into what truly became Calexico, more than ‘Spoke’ did in a lot of ways.

 

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The LP(s) that made you want to become a drummer

 

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, David Bowie. Neil Young Harvest. The original broadway soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar. Art Blakey’s Mosaic, and the original drum battle between Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa.

 

 

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A defining record that led you onto your own musical path

 

Led Zeppelin, the first record.

 

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The collaborative (non-Calexico) albums you’re most proud to have been part of?

 

The Hill by Richard Buckner, Fox Confessor Brings on the Flood by Neko Case, Coming Home by Maggie Bjorklund, I’m really proud of this new record I did with Lincoln Barr called Trembling Frames, the new Depedro record, The Passenger, and Barbara Manning’s amazing 1212. I loved working with Tift Merrit on her record Traveling Alone, playing opposite Marc Ribot!

 

 

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Composers/musical voices you feel you have learned the most from?

 

Eric Satie, Gustav Mahler, Art Blakey, Max Roach, the drummer Jim White and his projects including the Dirty Three. Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Reuben Gonzales, The Police, Led Zepplin. Bill Evans.

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Favourite film score

 

Rumblefish by Stewart Copeland.

 

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One musical philosophy that has always remained true for you?

Play the note for what it is, not what it does.

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A trusted roadtrip soundtrack

 

The best of Neil Diamond

 

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A piece of music/recording/song that speaks to you like no other?

 

Mahler’s Second Symphony.

 

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Your most-prized jazz record

 

Out of The Cool by Gil Evans

 

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The last album you picked up that amazed you? 

 

Floyd Kramer plays with Strings

 

 

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‘The Western Suite and Siesta Songs’ by Naim Amor & John Convertino is out now on LM Duplication.

http://lmduplication.com/lm10.html

–

 

 

Chosen One: Calexico

Interview with Joey Burns & John Convertino (Calexico).

“So much of what we do comes from tone and timbre, what the sound waves are doing that day in the room with the moisture or lack of. How high is the ceiling? The wood in the walls or the adobe, the thickness of the strings, the loudness of the amps, they all come together when the silence is broken the tide comes in.”

— John Convertino

Words: Mark Carry

The arrival of a new Calexico record is always a cause of celebration and pure joy. Since first discovering the Tucson, Arizona collective’s shape-shifting music – circa 2000 with the mariachi infused opus of ‘Hot Rail’ – Calexico’s songbook has proved the most pivotal and endearing of artistic creations that seamlessly seeps into your veins and hits directly to the heart’s core. Last spring saw the eagerly awaited new full length release, ‘Edge of the Sun’; a sonic marvel of a record that stands tall as the band’s strongest work to date. Like a river finding its sea, a natural ebb and flow ceaselessly permeates from the well-cultivated sounds and timbres cast by the core duo of Joey Burns (singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist) and John Convertino (drums, songwriter, percussion, vibes).

It’s their windswept, breathtakingly beautiful instrumentals (is there anything more pure and beautiful as ‘Minas De Cobre’, ‘El Picador‘ or ‘Above The Branch’?); heart wrenching ballads (‘Bloodflow’, ‘The News About William’, ‘Fortune Teller’); brooding cinematic opuses (‘Red Blooms’, ‘Black Heart’, ‘The Vanishing Mind’); life affirming symphonies (‘Quattro’, ‘Epic’, ‘Victor Jara’s Hands’); songs of hope etched in the heart of darkness (‘Para’, ‘Crooked Road And The Briar’, ‘Not Even Stevie Nicks…’, ‘Trigger’); and momentous rejoice (‘Crystal Frontier’, ‘Guero Canelo’, ‘No Te Vayas’, ‘Inspiracion’). As always, the deeply rooted music telepathy between Burns and Convertino, combined with the peerless musicianship of the greater Calexico ensemble (spanning continents and encompassing worlds of sound) and producer supreme Craig Schumacher, means that true art is endlessly created.

The jubilant album opener ‘Falling From The Sky’ contains the stream-line approach the band previously utilized on the highly under-rated ‘Garden Ruin’ record with a rejuvenating brass section and the mesmerizing synth-led melody (courtesy of multi-instrumentalist and co-producer Sergio Mendoza). In addition, Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell adds vocals. The lyric of “like a bird lost inside the cloud/cut off from the stars” evokes the vivid sense of searching that flickers like rays of sunlight throughout the record’s sprawling canvas. A brooding atmosphere exudes from ‘Bullets & Rocks’; reminiscent of ‘Bend To The Road’ (live cut) from the ‘Carried To Dust’ tour. The multi-layered electric guitars conjures up the timeless sound of ‘Zuma’ era Neil Young (or vintage Iron & Wine whose frontman Sam Beam joins Burns & co, in turn, forming a fitting parallel to 2005’s collaborative ‘In The Reins’ EP). “Families disappear to the dark of the night” evokes a loss, pain and suffering; lying at the heart of the “devil’s highway” but the light of hope undeniably prevails through the shimmering darkness.

‘When The Angels Played‘ is a stunningly beautiful country lament recalling Gillian Welch and the heart of the great American songbook; a Dylan-esque folk splendor which could be a distant companion to (the previously recorded Pieta Brown duet) ‘Slowness’. The sublime ‘Cumbia de Donde’ brings the whole latin world to new dimensions, as Manu Chao and off-shoot Buena Vista sound systems flicker onto the horizon. The arrival of Spain’s Amparo Sanchez is akin to a spiritual journey as a lost brother to ‘Guero Canelo’ comes to the fore. ‘Cumbia de Donde’ somehow sits at the intersection between ‘Roka’ and ‘Guero Canelo’ creating, in turn, a spiritual journey: a road trip of epic proportions.

‘Tapping On The Line’s chorus refrain resonates powerfully as Burns asks, “could you step a little bit closer to the line?“: a song which shares the spirit of ‘Nebraska’ era Springsteen; charged with a gripping immediacy and vital pulse. ‘Miles From The Sea’ represents one of the album’s defining moments and undoubtedly one of the most formidable Calexico recording ever put to tape. The chorus refrain is immaculate as Burns sings of “dreams about swimming miles away from the sea“. The vast blue seas of the human heart is explored from the skies above to the seas below. ‘Woodshed Waltz’ is a pristine slice of divine americana. Sonically, it takes me to ‘Toolbox’ (the band’s towering instrumentals-only album) where the burning spark of creativity and spontaneity radiates throughout. The rise/bridge is one of the album’s endearing moments. A song about letting go, moving on. Another songwriter’s song. ‘Moon Never Rises’ is steeped in new and compelling sounds. The nuances and textures added by guest vocalist Carla Morrison brings forth a cinematic feel as new sonic terrain is masterfully explored.

The opening section of ‘World Undone’ – Burns’ hypnotic acoustic guitar is beautifully melded with Convertino’s meditative drums – shares a similar sound world to the band’s instrumental cut ‘Above The Branch’. The (singular) aesthetic created by the duo of Convertino’s drums and Burns’ guitar unleashes a staggering beauty that creates a resolutely unique and singular sound (kindred spirits such as White/Ellis/Turner and Davis/Coltrane also come to mind). There is something magical about how ‘World Undone’ unfolds. The stunning vocal delivery of Burns (joined by Devotchka’s Nick Urata) is a joy to witness as Burns sings “waiting for the devils to come“. The way in which this tour-de-force builds and evolve, represents the immense power and glory of the ‘Edge of the Sun’ as a whole. The cathartic energy of ‘Black Heart’ is likewise emitted here: “the world’s coming down“.

‘Follow The River‘ is another milestone in the sacred songbook of Calexico, reminiscent of ‘Epic’ where a healing quality and power of redemption abounds. In the liner notes of the band’s retrospective ‘Road Atlas’ (1998-2011), Fred Mills wrote: “But it’s not until you take in the entirety of the group’s sprawling discography that the sights, smells, textures and timbres of the Calexico experience fully reveal themselves.”  As ever, one feels the emotional thread embedded deep in the songs: a common thread that connects all the band’s studio albums, tour cds, collaborative releases to date.

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‘Edge of the Sun’ is out now on City Slang (Europe) & ANTI- (USA).

http://www.casadecalexico.com/

https://www.facebook.com/calexico

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Interview with Joey Burns & John Convertino (Calexico). 

Congratulations on the truly inspiring and captivating new record, ‘Edge of the Sun’; a sonic marvel of a record. You, John and the entire Calexico family should feel deeply proud. A world of detail and intricate layers of immaculate instrumentation are rooted in these songs; some new elements that I haven’t heard before in a Calexico studio album. As ever, an emotional depth of rich intensity & magnitude permeates the headspace and a cosmic spirit that captivates the heart.

Please discuss the making of ‘Edge of the Sun’ and particularly the Mexican city of Coyoacán where the album was recorded. Similar to how you decided to record ‘Algiers’ in the aforementioned New Orleans neighbourhood, as ever you all must have soaked up the surrounding city’s culture and neighbourhood that seamlessly tapped into the album’s twelve gems?

John Convertino: Thanks so much for all the compliments, careful listening, and insights to the new record. As with ‘Algiers’, we felt we needed to get to a place that had the space for us to focus on the album and songs, to put ideas down whatever they may be, and to spend some time together without having the responsibilities of home life. Coyoacán like Algiers has a great vibe and history to think about as you go for walks or runs in the park. Where we lived and recorded there was a courtyard and big trees that gave you shelter from the big city outside, we had two meals a day prepared for us with love, so we never had to worry about what and where to eat, the energy was strong, and we were able to get a lot work done and some sightseeing as well.

Joey Burns: It was important just as it was making ‘Algiers’ to go somewhere for 12 days where we could eat, sleep and breathe music. It really helps to get the ball rolling when we can focus on writing like that. Being in Mexico City was a plus. The food, people and sights all help make for a special experience. One day we went with a friend to see the work he had been doing on Pedro Reyes’ art piece “Disarm”. He was helping Reyes build musical instruments out of pieces of broken weapons seized by the Mexican government from the drug cartels. We got to see a rehearsal and even try playing some of the instruments. I tried the electric bass, guitar and cello, John checked out the percussion which was all midi controlled and Sergio was intrigued with the violin. The symbolism was beautiful and inspired us all.

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What is most special about the Calexico songbook (and indeed becomes the essence of the band’s rich legacy) is the deeply enriching narrative that flows throughout each record where one flows into the next like a river finding its sea. ‘Edge of the Sun’ continues this search for hope in the depths of despair; a strive for a better life; dreams of better days. I would love for you to discuss the themes of the new album and what ideas and concerns you felt were important to address on ‘Edge of the Sun’?

JC: I agree with you Mark, I think Joey and his brother John, as well as Pieta Brown and Sergio Mendoza all came up with some of the best lyrics yet for the record. I find that immigration and borders have been continual themes throughout all of our records, and now that we have become so familiar with those themes I believe there is greater clarity in how we feel about these issues therefore translating into the songs in a natural way. As we all get older, it becomes more and more apparent that it’s not always easy being a human on the planet. There are so many misunderstandings and communication can so easily break down, what may be such a brilliant thought comes out sounding completely wrong, it takes time to formulate how to verbalize what your feeling, maybe it comes easier as you get older, maybe not, it could just be more familiar ground. I think this is an apparent theme in the record.

JB: I wanted to acknowledge the difficulties in life, the things we all share and have to endure and yet I wanted to the music to help balance that and give a sense of hope. Near the end of the album sequence the song “World Undone” shows signs of grief from the character’s perspective and by the final track “Follow The River” that same character has found a way out of despair to recognize there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Transformation is part of the process and every album takes on a slightly different direction. Sometimes they parallel the world around us and other times they map out the emotional paths we are on.

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The ocean (and possibly your upbringing in LA) and “dreams about swimming/miles away from the sea” on ‘Miles From The Sea’ feels a distant companion to similar themes explored on ‘..Not Even Stevie Nicks’, ‘Sinner In The Sea’ and indeed several aspects on ‘Carried To Dust’. Please discuss these re-occurring themes that are wonderfully re-visited here? 

JC: I’ve always wondered about that too, I know it’s really a question for Joey, but having lived in the desert for so many years I have thought of water and the ocean more than when I lived in Los Angeles. Water is such a huge part of life, it is life, water and sun and all the elements. Living in El Paso Texas now, I have visited the wonderful Chinoti foundation a few times and have become a fan of Donald Judd. The massive concrete squares with the bright blue desert sun behind them bring to my mind the beginning of creation, that bang, the snare drum crack that sparked us all into being….there is that moment when the silence is broken, the wave crashes and the world keeps moving.

JB: I wasn’t sure about this song lyrically. I sent it to my oldest brother John who is a good source for feedback and inspiration. He helped with some of the lines in the verses and was supportive for keeping the lines in the chorus which I wasn’t so sure I wanted to keep. For sure there are themes of nature and specifically the ocean that have made an impact on my writing. However recurring they may be I try to shed new light on them with each song. I was surprised when doing some interviews in Europe that this song was some of the writers’ favorite song.

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Collaboration has always been integral to your work but with ‘Edge of the Sun’, the spirit of collaboration is taken to new heights and possibilities. I feel this spirit of togetherness and an openness radiates throughout these soaring songs. Talk me through please the songs and the guests on each track? One of the formidable highlights is Mexican chanteuse Carla Morrison’s vocals on ‘Moon Never Rises’. It is also beautiful to witness the many special souls who have served a vital pulse to the Calexico songbook, including Amparo Sanchez, John Burns, Sam Beam and Neko Case. It is hardly surprising that ‘Edge of the Sun’ quickly becomes a source of comfort and solace.

JB: The idea of inviting guests was something that Christof Ellinghaus had once suggested a few years ago. “Make a record of duets with guest singers” is what he suggested. It wasn’t until after Sam Beam sent his vocals for “Bullets & Rocks” did I even consider asking other musicians to sit in on this album or for it to become such a developed theme on this album. We for sure wanted to invite some of our favorite musicians from Mexico on the album. Having Carla Morrison was a big deal as she is super busy and we had never met before. Fortunately we know her manager, Gil Gastelum who used to live in Tucson and he helped arrange for her appearance as well as Gaby Moreno’s. We were really hoping that Camilo Lara could contribute some tracks since he was in a way responsible for us getting to Coyoacán and working at his friend Ro Velazquez’s home studio.

Having Neko Case on one of our albums definitely was something we had always wanted to do since we do so much work on her albums, so we were extremely grateful when she took time out the day she played Tucson with her band The New Pornographers. She nailed it and then gave us all hugs and ran onstage. Incredible! Sergio’s lap steel player in his band suggested that we contact members of Band of Horses and made the introduction. He knew that we were trying to get someone to sing on “Falling From The Sky” and when he made the suggestion to ask Ben Bridwell, I instantly knew it could be a good match and it blew me away. It still stands out as one of the most impressive collaborations for me. Pieta Brown is another good friend who has offered up lyrics in the past, “Fortune Teller” for example. When I read her first lines of “When The Angels Played” I felt a connection immediately. Sure enough it came together quickly and John and I tracked the song one late night in Coyoacán.

Amparo Sanchez has long been a big influence and we were excited to hear her bring some fire to “Cumbia De Donde“. Sergio has been performing with DevotchKa on tour for several years and he suggested asking Nick Urata to sing on “Follow The River” which again was a big surprise to hear his incredible vocals take the higher harmony and make the song go somewhere else. “Coyoacán” features an outstanding harp player from El Paso, Adrian Perez who we’ve worked with at live shows with Mariachi Luz de Luna here in Tucson. He comes to town a fair amount so I had him come in and try not only a pass on this song but add some Kora style lines on “Bullets & Rocks“.

JC: All the guests came about in such a natural way, there towards the end of the recordings when the songs were established Sergio would encourage us to add vocal guests, as in the case with Carla and Gabby, who we didn’t even know, and from there inviting our friends who we knew could help us out so much, it was always such a treat to hear what they would come up with, Ben and Sam living with the songs alone in their own home studios and coming up with parts that took the songs to different places. Neko taking the time on tour to drop by the studio and make one of my favorite moments on the record in “Tapping On The Line”. It really became a part of the whole record to have guests.

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The stunningly beautiful ‘Follow The River’ brings the album to a fitting close. The immediacy and honesty hits you profoundly, where a soul’s heart is laid to bare. The harmonies, striking vocal delivery, accordion, lapsteel, drums conjures up a timeless and mesmerising sound. Can you recount your memories of writing and recording this particular track please?

 JC: One of my favorites too. Being there in Coyoacán and hearing Joey and Sergio playing guitar and vehuela outside in the courtyard, and then stepping into the studio and recording the idea in that natural cut time feel, it quickly became a favorite because of its ease, like it was so meant to be here. And then to have Nick Urata from Devotchka add his vocal layer put the song into that blue mood even further.

JB: This was based on an idea that we came up with while writing in Mexico City. Sergio started with playing a vihuela rhythmic pattern, and I came in with nylon acoustic guitar suggesting certain chords to follow his motif. We re-recorded the idea in Tucson with a full drum sound and upright bass with a few overdubs of piano and vibraphone. John really liked the minimal arrangement, but I heard some other parts that could help make some of the transitions from verse to chorus and to bridge sections. So we added very minimal trumpet parts from Martin Wenk and Jacob Valenzuela as well as a gorgeous pedal steel part from Paul Niehaus. Some of the Brian Eno sounding synth parts were from a pocket piano synthesizer that wound up on a lot of tracks on this album.

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‘Cumbia de Donde’ feels a lost sister to ‘Guero Canelo’ from ‘Feast of Wire’ or even ‘Roka’s Danza de la Muerte. I feel the energy of Calexico’s live concert is effectively translated to the sprawling canvas of ‘Edge of the Sun’. I’m sure it is an extremely exciting prospect to be in the midst of touring this new record. Talk a bit please about the space and aesthetics that inhabits each and every Calexico song? I feel this remains the trusted constant and magical spark to the unique sound of this ever-evolving ensemble.

JB: We wanted to show the variety inside our band, and so every track takes its own path and highlights different sides to the band’s musical styles. The last album “Algiers” was more focused style wise and this time out and reflecting the vibrant spirit that Mexico City exudes, we wanted to change it up. I will speak about “Cumbia de Donde” a little bit. This was influenced from spending time in Mexico and was written after the trip and recorded the first day at Wavelab Studio in Tucson. I had an idea of recording a few snippets of instrumental cumbia tracks to have come in and out of the record. This one turned out so good that we decided to make a full on song out of it. There’s a lot of distortion on the bass, percussion and vocals. We wanted to give this song the werewolf treatment and give it some teeth.

JC: Another fun one for me, I came in the next day after they had recorded this romp to a click track, and found myself a beat to play over it. In reality the beat I am playing is not a cumbia beat, it’s something else I don’t know what, but it’s not cumbia, and playing the song live I am still figuring out what to play….maybe I could try a cumbia?

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Beginning back in the 90’s, you’ve been collecting musical instruments, which has been an important part to the creative process. I’m curious to know what new instruments or new tones/textures were added to the sonic palette of ‘Edge of the Sun’? One of the striking aspects to the new record is indeed the wide range of sonic timbres utilized on ‘Edge of the Sun’.

JB: The most impressive addition to the sounds on this album are the jalisco harp featured on “Coyoacán” and the Greek instruments; the kanun and bouzouki featured on “World Undone“. Oh yeah and how could I forget the addition of the pocket piano by Critter & Guitari. It’s an addicting little keyboard. Be careful when you bring it to the studio. My twin daughters Genevieve and Twyla loved playing with it at home.

JC: I did get a new drumset, something I thought I would never do, I love my vintage instruments so much. But this father and son company called C&C make these drums so much like the old ones, and even better, the tones gave me great inspiration. So much of what we do comes from tone and timbre, what the sound waves are doing that day in the room with the moisture or lack of. How high is the ceiling? The wood in the walls or the adobe, the thickness of the strings, the loudness of the amps, they all come together when the silence is broken the tide comes in.

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In terms of the production, it was very much a shared experience between the core duo of Burns, Convertino, but this time out, Sergio contributed a lot to this side of the music. I would love for you to recount your memories of this process of the music-making process?

JC: Sergio is positive force; he is ready for the challenges. Coming up with something out of nothing can be like digging ditches some days, you got to have the strength. He has it. I think too, I was not there this time for a lot of the process, using email and texts don’t always translate well, so for this it was great have Sergio there to bounce ideas off of in the mixing process.

JB: It was helpful having both Ryan Alfred on bass and Sergio Mendoza on keyboards in the studio while recording the foundation for the songs. I know it helps out a lot with locking in to the groove. In addition I really enjoy recording with just John and myself as well. So we did some sessions as a two piece and came up with a bunch of basic tracks for songs like “Miles From The Sea“, “Woodshed Waltz“, “Bullets & Rocks” and “When The Angels Played”. John was there for the recording of basic tracks and Sergio was super helpful for me personally being there everyday and supportive on finishing the whole album including reaching out to guests. The studio engineers get overwhelmed with all of the ideas and possibilities, and I am sure the other band members do as well. But Sergio was good at helping me make decisions on what songs to focus on and to finish.

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Please pick one song you feel most proud of and reminisce for me the song’s inception and blossom into its final entity? 

JB: “World Undone” was started at home with a simple melody line. While I was driving into the studio that morning I listened to Bill Callahan’s ‘Dream River‘ album and thought it would be interesting to try a similar minimal approach. Tracked live, Sergio Mendoza and Ryan Alfred accompanied John and I on ambient guitars instead of keyboard and bass. This helped free up the form and allowed us to experiment more with a live take between my guitar and John’s drums. I like this version of the song and even though I kept wanting the dynamics to build more. That is the beauty of a live take. We did however make an edit so that the song was 4 minutes long and not 7. I think that helped a lot especially in wanting to release so many songs on the album.

Months later while on tour in Greece we added some musicians from the band Takim which really helped outline the melody with bouzouki and oud, plus doubling an electric guitar part with violin. The harpsichord sounding texture that weaves in and out of the track is the kanun, a traditional hammer dulcimer type instrument. When Craig Schumacher went to mix the song he noticed there was no bass and so he added a Moog synth bass which I like a lot and was a nice surprise when listening to his mix. When I played the album to our live engineers in Holland both Patrick Boonstra and Jelle Kuiper commented that this was their favorite song. It was hard choosing which songs out of the 20 we had finished were to be on the album. I’m glad that “World Undone” made it to the album.

JC: I like them all, and that becomes a problem because I was thinking they all should be on the record, but that makes a record long and who has time to listen to long records??? People download songs now, and that’s the world we live in. I have to believe that if all the songs are available in the digital world, people will find them and like them if they take the time to dig.

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What books, records, films have served inspiration these past few months for you?

 JB: Buddy Levy “Conquistador“, Natalia Lafourcade “Mujer Divinia – Homenaje a Agustín Lara, Mexican Institute of Sound “Politico”, painter Rodolfo Nieto and writer Carlos Fuentes.

JC: As I mentioned before the Donald Judd exhibit in Marfa was in my mind. I’ve been reading the Morrissey autobiography and loving it. His writing and insights to poetry and music is something I can relate to very closely. And I appreciate so much his honesty, even in the most difficult of situations being in a band, the business, fame and all the rest of it.

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‘Edge of the Sun’ is out now on City Slang (Europe) & ANTI- (USA).

http://www.casadecalexico.com/

https://www.facebook.com/calexico

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Younger Than Yesterday: “Kind Of Blue” by Miles Davis, selected by John Convertino

John Convertino is best known as drummer and co-founder of Tucson Arizona-based Americana outfit Calexico. Since their inception in 1996, Calexico have fused a myriad of styles and genres including: jazz, electronica, punk, indie, film scores, mariachi, Portuguese Fado, Latin, folk and country. The band — lead by the core duo of Convertino and Joey Burns (who had both previously formed the rhythm section for Howe Gelb’s Giant Sand) — have over the last two decades created a vast body of work, to date comprising: seven studio albums; numerous tour albums (collated in the archived vinyl boxset ‘Road Atlas 1998—2011’); soundtrack scores (‘Circo’, ‘The Guard’, ‘I’m Not There’) and a multitude of collaborative works (Iron & Wine, Depedro, Amparo Sanchez) across numerous formats and releases. Convertino has also contributed his wholly unique and visionary drum playing style to a host of various musicians over the years (Neko Case, Amos Lee, Laura Cantrell, Vinicio Capossela) and has been a member of the following groups: OP8; Friends Of Dean Martinez; The Band Of Blacky Ranchette; ABBC. In 2005 Convertino released his debut solo album of jazz improvisations, ‘Ragland’, via German independent label Sommerweg. Calexico are currently in the final stages of recording their eagerly anticipated eighth studio album (written in Mexico City earlier this year and recorded at Tucson’s Wavelab Studios by Craig Schumacher and Chris Schultz) and follow-up to 2012’s ‘Algiers’.

Words: John Convertino, Illustration: Craig Carry

Miles Davis ‘Kind Of Blue’, by John Convertino.

I wish that I could have a more obscure favorite record to share with people, but I have to be honest with myself that there is not a moment on ‘Kind of Blue’ that I don’t love.

The simplicity, spontaneity, and tone of that record is perfection, I can listen to it over and over again and still find something new in it.

Because of that record, I branched off and explored the music of Bill Evans, John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley. Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ is right up there, and I will listen to Bill Evans any day. Cannonball does a version of ‘Autumn Leaves’ with Miles Davis that kills me every time I hear it. From there you will find Gil Evans and all the amazing work he did with Miles and his own compositions, ‘Sketches of Spain’ is an all time favorite. Then Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. ‘Monk Alone in San Francisco’ is up there as an all time favorite. It’s the music I love.

I was also going to pick ‘The Rite of Spring’ by Igor Stravinsky. The pulse all through that composition, and where it puts my head, are things I love about being alive.

—John Convertino

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Album: Kind Of Blue
Artist: Miles Davis
Label: Columbia
Year: 1959

Tracklist: So What; Freddie Freeloader; Blue In Green; All Blues; Flamenco Sketches.

Personell: Julian Adderley (Alto Saxophone); Paul Chambers (Bass); Jimmy Cobb (Drums); John Coltrane (Tenor Saxophone); Miles Davis (Trumpet); Bill Evans (Piano); Wynton Kelly (Piano).

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Calexico are currently completing the follow-up to their 2012 LP ‘Algiers’ and have this week unveiled their 2015 European Tour dates which are as follows:

14 Apr – COPENHAGEN Amager Bio
15 Apr – HAMBURG Grosse Freiheit 36
16 Apr – AMSTERDAM Paradiso Amsterdam
17 Apr – EINDHOVEN De Effenaar
18 Apr – BERLIN Heimathafen Neukoelln
20 Apr – COLOGNE E-Werk & Palladium Köln
21 Apr – MUNICH Muffathalle
22 Apr – ZURICH Volkshaus
23 Apr – MILAN Fabrique Milano
25 Apr – LUXEMBOURG Atelier Luxembourg
26 Apr – PARIS Le Trianon
27 Apr – BRUSSELS Ancienne Belgique
28 Apr – LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
30 Apr – MANCHESTER The Albert Hall
01 May – LIVERPOOL Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
02 May – BELFAST Limelight Belfast
03 May – KILKENNY Set Theatre
04 May – DUBLIN Olympia Theatre

Tickets are on sale this Friday 14 November.

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To read the other Calexico contributions in this series:

Joey Burns (R.E.M. “Reckoning” & Minutemen “Double Nickels On The Dime”); Sergio Mendoza (Pablo Milanés, “La Vida no Vale Nada”); Martin Wenk (Clifford Brown’s “With Strings”); Jairo Zavala (Lole y Manuel “Nuevo Día”).

http://www.casadecalexico.com/
http://www.cityslang.com/

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