in flue nci as mars volta

8/9/2019 In Flue Nci as Mars Volta

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INFLUENCES

NOTE: This is a perpetual work in progress - I will attempt to update this on aregular basis so hek bak !re"uentl#$ Still% ompiling a list o! in&uenes !or aband like T'( is a great undertaking% onsidering that the# draw inspiration!rom )lm% books% art% and musi so i! #ou ha*e an#thing to add to the !ollowingplease post +ELE(,NT "uotes% links to transriptions% et$ .ou should probabl#send me a personal message /'0 about what #ou1re going to add be!ore #oudo$0

,LSO% I onsider the term 2in&uenes2 *er# loosel#$ Thus% in some ases% Imight be listing something that the band has ited as something that the# likeor that the# listen to but does not seek to draw !rom or repliate in their musi- or i! the# do% it might be at the most minimal le*el$

Listed below are artists that the band has namedropped in *arious inter*iews -hek out the SC,NS and INTE+(IE3 setions on the !rontpage o! the site !or

diret "uotations% although i1ll tr# to add spei) "uotes where the bandelaborates$ /' me i! #ou )nd a spei) "uote appropriate !or an artist$

It should also be noted that man# o! the "uotes that #ou read ha*e beentranslated !rom non-English4!oreign maga5ines and thus% the# ma# notneessaril# be *erbatim$ 6ut !or the most part% #ou should be able to get theidea$

-Fela 7uti

2The 'O8O !eature on 8ames 6rown touring (ietnam was inspirational% but Felali*ed his (ietnam e*er# single da#$$$Fela wasn1t being ut out o! pleasure$ 9issars were deep$ 'usiall#% he ust pushed !orward% ne*er !eared bad reations$

9e was ;


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ne*er sounds as good$ That1s beause o! his !eel% the wa# he sat with thegroo*e$2 - 8uan

,dditional In!o: 9ear 8uan1s pla#ing during 2Take the (eil2- 3iltern 8ams 'a#Ath and ;Bth0

-6ill# Cobham 'aha*ishnu Orhestra0

2'# all-time !a*orite drummer is 6ill# Cobham$ I lo*e the wa# he pla#s$ I e*enlisten to his less-than-stellar 1iego% the#re"uested 2In >ark Trees2 D!rom Eno1s ,nother =reen 3orld$

-Ton# 3illiams

-El*in 8ones

2O! ourse% there1s Ton# 3illiams and El*in 8ones% who I listen to e*er# singleda#$2 - 8on

-+a# 6arretto

->a*id 6owie

,dditional In!o: Cedri !re"uentl# sa#s% 2'# mother sa#s to get things done% #oubetter not mess with 'aor Tom%2 during li*e *ersions o! Ciatri5 ES/$

-,ugustus /ablo


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-Forbidden /lanet

,dditional in!o: Cedri has a +obbie the +obot tattoo on his right wrist$

-+obert Fripp see also Fripp4Eno and 7ing Crimson0

-The 7ids in the 9all

2Laughter is the *oie o! the uni*erse% suh a strong tool$ The 7ids in the 9allommented on the world around them in a *er# indiret wa#% sa#ing so muhthrough laughter the#1re reall# mo*ing mountains with their words$ That1swhat all art should be about$2 - Omar

-Ste*e +eih

2+eih was a massi*el# *isionar# omposer !rom the 1Ar$ ,limantado

-6illie 9olida#

23hen she sings #ou an hear her upbringing$ .ou an hear the !at that sheworked in a brothel and that she was raped at an earl# age$ .ou an hear thedrinking and the smoking and what it was like to be a blak woman at thattime$2 - Omar

-The Fall

29is D'ark E$ Smith musi shows a real tortured artist$ .ou know% #ou an1t goup to him and sa#% 19e#% I lo*e #ou manM1 9e1d ust shoot #ou down$ 9e hasn1teno#ed the suess he deser*es and he1s been around !ore*er$2 - Cedri

,dditional In!o: 3hen Omar stopped b# ,tlanta1s K radio% he pla#ed the song23ings2 !rom The Fall1s /er*erted b# Language album$ Cedri and Omarre"uested the same trak when the# *isited ,ustin1s ;aaa*e$$$12 - Cedri

,dditional In!o: On the audio soure o! T'(1s per!ormane at 6ig >a# Out in,ustralia% #ou an hear Cedri1s impersonation o! /apa La5arou$

-(inent (an =ogh

2.ou an tell that (inent (an =ogh had a hair# li!e$ 9e ut o? his ear% rightI1m not sure i! I1d do that% but I like to think I1m surrounded b# passionatepeople and we all li*e li!e to the eKtreme sometimes$ It1s part o! being a t#pial


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!uking hispani% with that Latin temperament$ I1d probabl# ut o? m# !oreheadbeause it1s so huge$2 - Cedri

-6ill 6ru!ord see also 7ing Crimson0

->a*id L#nh

-Twin /eaks2'# !a*orite T( show was Twin /eaks$ There1s no wa# in hell that I think >a*idL#nh would ompromise like < perent o! his intent$2 - Cedri

-8o# >i*ision

29is DIan Curtis suiide was a real traged#$ 3e lo*e 8o# >i*ision$ 9e wasanother great mind$ I lo*e wathing !ootage o! the gu#% wathing him dane$9is awkwardness is there be!ore #ou$ 3hen i see him dane or sing% I an seehis personalit# and i know what a on*ersation with him would be like$2 - Omar

-Nik >rake

29e died reall# #oung$ I reall# lo*e the /ink 'oon album$ The guitar% the *oie%the intima# o! it is ama5ing$$$There are ertain people where #ou ne*er"uestion their sinerit# beause #ou an hear it in their *oie$ It strikes a hordin #our heart$2 - Omar

,dditional In!o: 3hen Cedri and Omar stopped b# G$ F' in San >iego% the#inluded 2Things 6ehind the Sun2 D!rom /ink 'oon on their pla#list$

-Ennio 'orrione see also the )lms o! Sergio Leone0

,dditional In!o: The theme to 2, Fist!ul o! >ollars2 has been used as the intro tothe band on their tour in support o! >eloused and Franes the 'ute$

-Carlos Castaneda2I dropped out o! high shool and hith-hiked aross the states a homeless gu#ga*e me The Teahings o! >on 8uan$ It was suh a huge metaphor !or so man#things happening in m# li!e% it reall# attaked m# senses$2 - Omar

-,nd# 7au!man

2Like punk rok% he wanted to stir up a reation$ No one knew when he wasoking or when it was the real thing% and that1s great$ I remember this onepiture% he has a mohawk and a leather aket on% and that1s as lose as he1llget to the uni!orm% but he was punk$2 - Cedri

-,l di 'eola

,dditional In!o: 9ere1s a pi o! Cedri wearing an ,l >i 'eola shirt$ I assume i!he wears the shirt% he likes the musiian$0

-Frida 7ahlo

2'ost arts are white-male dominated$$$She was a hispani !emale in awheelhair$ She had so man# things against her% but she kept reating art


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amidst all her su?ering$ She poured it all into her paintings and herpolitis$$$That1s inspirational$2 - Omar

-S#l*ia /lath

-Talk Talk

2The last one Dalbum the# did% where the# did a omplete turnaroundmusiall# - Laughing Stok - it1s a good rain# da# album$ I think a person in theband was getting a maor di*ore and #ou an hear it in the album$ I wasattrated to it ause the gu# who told us about it told us that the# reorded itwith andles and stu? and it was real dark album !or them and the label hatedit$ So instantl# I was attrated to it$$$It1s a big downer% but #ou know% downermusi is good% though% too$2 - Cedri

-Sergio Leone also see Ennio 'orrione0

-Sal*ador >ali

,dditional In!o: Cedri has some >ali imager# tattooed on his arm and bak$

-'aK Ernst

,dditional In!o: The 2Footstab2 image used on *arious 'ars (olta items is !romErnst1s book% Une Semaine >e 6onte: , Surrealisti No*el in Collage$ For thosewho ha*e it% the image is 23ednesda#2 and the element is blood$ Omar alsohas this image tattooed on his !orearm$ The image has also ser*ed as thebakdrop !or their


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eKample% ,t the >ri*e-In1s El =ran Orgo is deri*ed !rom the trailer o! one o!8odorowsk#1s haraters in 2Santa Sangre%2 while the same image o! the spider-lad# ,rahne0 is used on both the band1s Li*e E/ and t-shirts and the posters!or 8odorowsk#1s )lm 2Fando # Lis2$

-Shuggie Otis

-Led Qeppelin

,dditional In!o: In H maga5ine% Cedri stated that his !a*orite song is 2In theLight2 and /h#sial =raRti is his !a*orite album b# Led Qeppelin% sa#ing% 2It was1 or 1B$ Omar and I sored !our hits o! miro aid !rom this 8ewish kid thatstole m# girl!riend at the time$ The night we took it 1In the Light1 was pla#ing$ Itopened up a hole in the &oor o! the room !rom whih tentales sprouted withpukered lips singing% 1E*er#bod# needs some light$1 3e all !ell in the hole#ears later$2

-,lie Coltrane

Dspeaking o! her song 28ourne# in Sathidananda2 2.ou get to hear what anama5ing pianist she was$ 3hat ama5ing heart and soul she had$$$2 - Cedri

,dditional In!o: 3hen Cedri and Omar stopped b# G$ F' in San >iego% the#re"uested Coltrane1s 2Shi*a Loka2 D!rom her album 8ourne# in Sathidananda!or their pla#list$

-+oni Si5e

-The /rett# Things

-Suiide

-S#d 6arrett /ink Flo#d029e de)nitel# taps into ertain !eelings when i hear 6arrett% I think o! m# worsttrips% the worst times in m# li!e% when i1*e been the most !ragile$ The musi hemade% #ou hear him unra*eling$ It1s reall# honest$2 - Cedri

,dditional In!o: 3hen Cedri and Omar stopped b# G$ F' in San >iego% the#re"uested the song 26ike2 D!rom /ink Flo#d1s album The /iper at the =ates o!>awn !or their pla#list$ Later% a!ter his death in


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-Fania ,ll-Stars see also Larr# 9arlow0

-Lenn# 6rue

2Lenn# 6rue tore down the walls !or an#thing that is punk rok or has asub*ersi*e *oie that1s in danger o! being "uieted$ 9e was punk until the da#he died it1s sad that papara55i were willing to shoot that )nal photograph o!him with a needle in his arm$ 9e aused a strong reation% e*en in death$2 -Cedri

-9erbie 9anok

2Dspeaking about 9erbie and the 9eadhunters$$$this ould possibl# the tightestband in the histor#$$$I know a lot o! people will probabl# argue with me o*erthis$$$but I1*e had se*eral moments with this album D'an-Child$ Spei)all#this song D9ang Up .our 9ang Ups$2 - 8on

,dditional In!o: 8on pla#ed 29ang Up .our 9ang Ups2 on one o! his =TFU +adioappearanes$

-Larr# 9arlow see also Fania ,ll-Stars02The most in&uential album Don m# guitar pla#ing would de)nitel# beELECT+IC 9,+LO3 ;J;0 b# Orhestra 9arlow$ 8ust beause it1s a reord Igrew up with% it was alwa#s pla#ed in m# house - and it was probabl# the bestsalsa reord o! that era$ .ou know% I reall# wanted to be a piano pla#er% but Igot stuk with the guitar Dlaughs$ 6ut e*er# time I hear that reord% I ome upwith new ideas$2 - Omar

29arlow was a 8ewish gu# who mo*ed to /uerto +io and there was alwa#ssomething niel# 1outsider1 about his musi$ I alwa#s think there1s a salsa group

)ghting its wa# out o! The 'ars (olta$2 - Omar2.ou an learn to stik to #our guns and sta# stubborn and it1s not neessaril# abad thing beause I don1t know how long it1s been sine I1*e been listening tothe Fania reords and Fania ,ll-Stars whih Larr# is a part o! and then atuall#getting to pla# with him% it ust pro*es that all o! what people might o! thoughto! us making a mistake b# "uitting our old band% atuall# we are doing the rightthing$ It didn1t e*en matter i! someone was going to tell us #ou are doing theright thing or #ou are doing the wrong thing beause it onl# mattered what we!elt in our heart and then !our #ears later to be on stage with Larr# 9arlow% weould ust look at eah other and sa# 2.up% we were right manM2 - Cedri

,dditional In!o: Larr# 9arlow is !eatured on the band1s seond L/% Franes the

'ute% on the songs 2L1(ia L1(ia"ue52 and 2Cassandra =emini%2 respeti*el#pla#ing piano and la*inet$ ,lso% when Cedri and Omar *isited G$ F' in San>iego% the# re"uested 9arlow1s 2El 'aleon$2

-Can

2,ll roads lead to Can$$$2 - Omar

,dditional In!o: Cedri "uotes Can1s 2(itamin C2 !rom their album Ege 6am#asi2.ou1re losing% #ou1re losing% #ou1re losing$$$20 !re"uentl# during li*e shows$


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,lso% when Cedri and Omar stopped b# G$ F' in San >iego% the# inluded2(itamin C2 on their pla#list$

Con*ersel#% 9olger C5uka#% the bassist !rom Can% had the !ollowing to sa#about T'(:

23hat a surprise% attending a onert o! The 'ars (olta$ Thought I got G< #ears#ounger when m# heart was beating in eKitement$ Sounded partl# like Canduring their best da#s$ One wouldn1t think that suh a band ould ome !rom

8unk#ard Cit# alias El /aso in TeKas$ 'a#be that1s what makes them strong$=uitarist Omar I knew alread# !rom L$,$ when he opened m# show last #eartogether with 8ohn Frusiante and Flea !rom the +ed 9ot Chilli /eppers but inonnetion with the 'ars (olta band the# eKeeded m# eKpetations% b# !ar$=ood hope that )ne musi is not d#ingM2

-7ing Crimson

,dditional In!o: 3hen Cedri and Omar stopped b# G$ F' in San >iego% the#re"uested 7ing Crimson1s 2,sbur# /ark2 D!rom their US, album !or their

pla#list$-6ork see also Sugarubes0

26ork1s one o! m# main *oal in&uenes% her and 3ilson /ikett$ 9er *oie is aweapon$ 3ho else would take an entire Inuit hoir on-stage with her E*ersine I saw the *ideo !or 16irthda#1 on some /ubli ,ess station% heard thathorus% I1*e thought% 1=odM I wanna do that$12 - Cedri

,dditional In!o: Cedri "uotes the song 26ahelorette2 !rom 6ork1s 9omogeni2I1m a !ountain o! blood$$$$in the shape o! a girl$$$20$

-3ilson /ikett

2Old mirophones ha*e ribbons in them$ The#1re not reall# supposed to be used!or guitars and stu? like that but on some o! the reords I ha*e o! 3ilson/ikett% he has suh a strong *oie so that #ou an hear the ribbon !old and itmakes it sound like he1s mued and then it beomes lear again$ ,nd that1spower!ul$2 Cedri

Cedri: 2I think there are bands oming up who are a lot more indulgent$ 6lak>ie% Lightning 6olt% The 6lak 9eart /roession$ That is% to me% the mostsub*ersi*e stu? out there right now$2

9e Cedri0 desribes +odrigue5-Lope51s guitar pla#ing as 2the bastardi5ed hildo!

+obert Fripp% D6lak Flag1s =regg =inn and Da55 guitarist Sonn# Sharrok$2,t the >ri*e In da#s:

Cedri0 in&uential reord: 26li55ard O! O552% O55# Osbourne

Omar0 in&uential reord: 28ealous ,gain2% 6lak Flag

3hat ha*e #ou been listening to The Eternals% MMM Cedri0% 6reakbeat EraOmar0


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Cedri pla#ed in a past band alled /hantasmagoria whih did o*ers o! >agNast#% 'is)ts% 'inor Threat or /iKies$

OMAR

From Wav Magazine

"When you have a more intangible form of inspiration like a book or a movie, it's different than

being inspired by a song because the transferance of energy is now changing. You have to go

'Fuck, I want to write a song that makes me feel the way that main character made me feel...or

that scene made me feel because it was so uncomfortable or I felt so angry when that one

character died!' And it's a very different thing to transfer that feeling into a musical feeling then

going,'Oh, I really like that lick - I wish I could write a lick like that.'"

"The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the works ofCarlos Castaneda, of course,

andThe Revolt of the Cockroach Peopleby Oscar Zeta Acosta (aka Hunter S. Thompson's

sidekick inFear and Loathing), are three of my biggest influences when it comes to literature." -

Omar

"I'm a bigLuis Bunuelfan,The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,and[That Obscure] Object

of Desire. I'm a bigWerner Herzogfan, as well.Fitzcarraldo, definitely, the White Sag,Even

Dwarfs Started Small. And one of my main inspirations wasAlejandro JodorowskywithSanta

SangreandBrian De Palma,of course.Body DoubleorScarface.They were all so important

in guiding me at different times in my life in what it is that I really want to express musically."

Here are the films the band members have mentioned or have referenced in their work:

-FitzcarraldoDirected by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski (Color, 1982)

[when asked about the truth of The Mars Volta]"The simplest thing I could say is go watch the

movie Fitzcarraldo. We've always said that was a metaphor for our band and now we are just

looking for other mountains to push the boat over. That's what's true; it's been one big

struggle." - Cedric

"Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo" is nothing less than the metaphor for this band when we just started

out! 'Get the boat over the fucking mountain!' Whenever we were at a loss and didn't know how

to move on, we would throw these words at each other and swear that we'd never cave in." -

Omar

-Un Chien Andalou

Directed by Luis Bunuel (Silent, B&W, 1928)

-A Short Film About Killing

Directed by Kryzsztof Kieslowski (Color, 1988)
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10/59

Additional Info: This is Omar's favorite Kieslowski film.

-Caligula

Directed by Tinto Brass (& Bob Guccione) (Color, 1979)

(Cedric mentioned thatHelen Mirrenis also one of his favorite actresses.)

-Los Olvidados

Directed by Luis Bunuel (B&W, 1950)

-Blade Runner

Directed by Ridley Scott (Color, 1982)

-A Fistful of Dollars

Directed by Sergio Leone (Color, 1964)

-A Clockwork OrangeDirected by Stanley Kubrick (Color, 1971)

-City of God

Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund (Color, 2002)

-The Man with a Movie Camera

Directed by Dziga Vertov (Silent, B&W, 1929)

-Haxan

Directed by Benjamin Christensen (Silent, B&W, 1922)

-Satyricon

Directed by Federico Fellini (Color, 1969)

-Mulholland Drive

Directed by David Lynch (Color, 2001)

[talking about inexplicable moments and ideas]"Like, why does that monster-looking character

pop up from the back of the trash can area in Mulholland when he comes outside of the diner?

And that, all of a sudden, comes out and it scares you, and you're like, 'I don't know why that's

in a movie, but its my favorite part of the movie.' Everytime I watch it again and someone nextto me hasn't seen it, the next thing you know, I go, 'Shhh. Be quiet. Watch. Something's going

to happen.' And when it happens, they get freaked out and I go, 'YEAH! I love that!'" - Cedric

-La Dolce Vita

Directed by Federico Fellini (B&W, 1960)

-Yojimbo
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11/59

Directed by Akira Kurosawa (B&W, 1961)

-Santa Sangre

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky (Color, 1989)

[speaking about Jeremy and Frances the Mute] "This album is our gift to him; it's our version of

a New Orleans-Jazz-funeral. Like that procession for the dead circus-elephant in "SantaSangre": beautiful, with dancers and clowns. A celebration, basically." - Cedric

-Another State of Mind

Directed by Adam Small and Peter Stuart (Color, Documentary, 1984)

"I saw that movie as a young kid and I argued with my parents for a long time and said that's

what I want to do. And they would say 'but they don't get paid anything' but I said, 'I don't know

what it is about it, but I want to do that and I don't mind if I have to quit my job and come back

to another job that won't hire me again.'" - Cedric

-Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me[essentially talking about the idea of returning to things that one previously dismissed]"When I

first watched "Fire Walk With Me," it's one of the simplest things that I didn't understand at first.

When Laura Palmer goes into her room and finds Bob in the room, and she runs out and she's

sitting there crying and then her father leaves the house - to me, at the time, I was fifteen, it

didn't make sense. I'm like, 'Why did the dad come out? I thought Bob was the one!' You watch

it years later and you're like, 'Oh, she was raped as a child, she's replaced her father with this

imaginary person Bob...' Things don't have to make sense right away." - Omar

-El Topo

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky (Color, 1970)"In El Topo, when he gets to the village where all the people have been killed and you hear the

crazy sounds of the vultures but you don't see vultures - but you hear that. Those types of

feelings are really inspiring." - Omar

-The Holy Mountain

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky (Color, 1973)

"In the movie, one character in the movie teaches the other how to turn shit into gold and at the

end of the movie, what they're looking for in the journey, actually ends up being him pointing

towards the camera going, 'Look, it's just a movie!' And the jokes on you...It's a really deep

movie with all these parallels going on, so many layers, so much philosophy, metaphors and atthe end, it backs up and shows the crew filming the actors. And he's laughing at you. That's

great..." - Cedric

-Fando y Lis

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky (B&W, 1967)

-The Man Who Fell to Earth
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12/59

Directed by Nicolas Roeg (Color, 1976)

-The Wicker Man

Directed by Robin Hardy (Color, 1973)

"I've always been fascinated by cinema that begins from the darkest roots of the human being.

One of the movies that directly inspired Frances the Mute is "The Wicker Man" by Robin Hardy,both for the music and for the images that made it nearly legendary. Add the fact that the

protagonist isChristopher Lee, my favorite actor together withGary Oldman..." - Cedric

-Eraserhead

Directed by David Lynch (B&W, 1977)

-Nuestra Cosa / Our Latin Thing (1970s - more info needed)

-Fania All-Stars Live in Africa (now referred to as "Celia Cruz Live in Africa)

-Gozu

Directed by Takashi Miike (Color, 2003)

"It's like a Lynch movie, there are these moments that test your patience but when something

happens, it really happens. It stays with you for such a long time and it's really unnerving. I like

stuff like that - I love stuff that just shakes things by the foundation." - Cedric

-Simon, King of the Witches

Directed by Bruce Kessler (Color, 1971)

Additional Info: The tagline of the movie, ("The Evil Spirit Must Choose Evil..."), appears

onthisTMV t-shirt. I assume the image is related to the film, as well.

Cedric's earliest memory of when music was his life, "unfortunately," was watchingKiss Meets

the Phantom of the Parkon television on Halloween Night.

Sine it1s a bith to edit m# initial% length# post% I1m going to ontinue listinghere:

-Lee 2Srath2 /err#

,dditional In!o: Cedri has "uoted /err#1s 2Soul Fire2 during li*e shows 23eain1t got no waterM20$

-+oberto +oena see also Fania ,ll-Stars0
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070917/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000198/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361668/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067757/http://www.interpunk.com/itemimages3/107393.gifhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077788/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077788/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070917/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000198/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361668/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067757/http://www.interpunk.com/itemimages3/107393.gifhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077788/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077788/


13/59

,dditional In!o: 3hen Omar stopped b# ,tlanta1s K radio% he pla#ed a +oenatrak% 2Te 'antengo # No 'e Huieres$2 9e and Cedri also pla#ed the sametrak when the# *isited ,ustin1s ;iego% the#re"uested 2The In!amous >ate +ape2 D!rom The Low End Theor# !or theirpla#list$

-The 6lak 9eart /roession

-Eliah /$ Lo*eo#

-6lak El! Speaks

,dditional In!o: 3hen Cedri and Omar *isited ,ustin1s ;


14/59

23e lo*e 9awkwind and the =rate!ul >ead so muh$ Their !ans are willing togi*e themsel*es unonditionall# to what happens during the hours o! theironerts$ Those people reate eno#ment in band that reate in themsel*es$

That1s a kind o! musial masturbation we would like$2 - Omar

Dtalking about Sabdates 2Usuall# the wa# impro* is !or us% #ou start o? with a

theme% #ou get lost% and then #ou ome bak to the theme$$$Like the )rststudio album b# =rate!ul >ead% ,nthem o! the Sun$ .ou1re listening to onesong% #ou think #ou1re in a studio and then suddenl# in both speakers #ou ha*etwo di?erent li*e *ersions o! the same song$ There1s a lot o! inspiration !romthat album on that% at least the wa# I see it$ It was our punk-rok *ersion o!,nthem o! the SunM2 - Cedri

-9unter S$ Thompson

-Captain 6ee!heart

-6lak Flag

2$$$6e!ore that% musi in English alwa#s sounded like a no*elt# - *er# muh likehow musi in Spanish sounds like a no*elt# to most people - something !unn#and ute to me% and then I heard 6lak Flag and it ust ompletel# hanged m#perspeti*e on what I wanted to be doing$2 - Omar

,dditional In!o: 3hen Cedri and Omar *isited G$ F' in San >iego% the#re"uested 28ealous ,gain2 Don *arious 6lak Flag reordings Li*e 1G% 8ealous,gain E/% et$0$

-Skinn# Legs and ,ll b# Tom +obbins

-Faust

-Los Lobos

,dditional In!o: On 8ul# B;st


15/59

-El Camaron de la Isla

-Sil*io +odrigue5

-Eddie /almieri

-=rant 'orrison

23e lo*e omi books and he1s a brilliant Sottish omi writer$ 9e wrote someo! the new% re*isionist 6atman books and ame out with The In*isibles$2 -Cedri

-Frederik >ouglass

29e1s redited as the )rst blak man to read and write$ 9e was hugel#important in the anti-sla*er# mo*ement in ;th entur# ,meria$2 - Omar

->illinger

,dditional In!o: 3hen Omar stopped b# K radio in ,tlanta% he pla#ed>illinger1s 2Coaine in '# 6rain2 !rom the album C$6$


16/59

-Eddie 6o

,dditional In!o: 3hen Cedri and Omar stopped b# ,ustin1s ;


17/59

normall# are ust sampled or brought in !or sessions% #ou know I1m reall# intothings that make me wanna dane$$$so when I heard it% it was reall# eKiting$ Isigned it to m# label in the States% =old Standard Laboratories% although itomes out through Nina Tune o*er here$$$ 3hat1s m# !a*ourite song I don1te*er ha*e a !a*orite song o! a group% espeiall# a band like this$ .ou reall#should hek them out$2 - Omar

-Tom 3aits

,dditional In!o: >uring the band1s show in Cologne on B4B4

runkship$ 29ang on St$Christopher2 is a trak tehniall#% two traks0 o? o! Tom 3aits1 album Frank1s3ild .ears$ ,lso% when Omar stopped b# ,tlanta1s K radio% he pla#ed2>iamonds and =old2 !rom the +ain >ogs album$ 9e and Cedri also pla#ed thesame trak during a *isit to ,ustin1s ;a*is

-Frank Qappa

,dditional In!o: 8on pla#ed the song 2/eahes En +egalia2 !rom Qappa1s 9ot+ats album during one o! his =TFU +adio appearanes$

2Qappa was a true master% I1ll ne*er get lose to that$ 9is knowledge o! the)nger board1s geograph# was so immense% he must ha*e been able to turn ito? while he was pla#ing a solo$ .ou don1t hear that he knows what he1s doing%but he does - that1s what1s so ama5ing about Qappa1s guitar-pla#ing$ That1swhere I1m tr#ing to head to$2 - Omar

-+ush

,dditional In!o: 8on pla#ed a +ush trak during one o! his =TFU +adioappearanes$

,lso% Neil /eart had this to sa#: 2There1s and ,merian band alled the 'ars

(olta$ ,gain% the#1re getting awa# with it% these gu#s$ It1s so great to hear$ Theirmusi has sophistiation and energ#$ .ou know% I was talking be!ore aboutthose "ualities that we grew up with% that wild abandon o! rok musi% but atthe same time wanting it to be more sophistiated both as a musiian and asongwriter% and the l#ris% all that stu?% is up to e*er# modern standardpossible$ It1s absolutel# !ree% unomprimising musi$ .es% it still eKists$ Thesegu#s ha*e reords out$2


18/59

-'eshuggah

,dditional In!o: 8on pla#ed a 'eshuggah trak during one o! his =TFU +adio,ppearanes$

-QQ Top,dditional In!o: Cedri mentioned that he and 8on0 spei)all# like QQ Top1solder albums and on *in#l% no less the remastered drums apparentl# sound likeshit0$ 8on also pla#ed some QQ Top traks during one o! his =TFU +adioappearanes$

-=enesis

2=enesis was so eKtreme li*e and it reall# blows m# mind that someone like/hil Collins ould1*e been roking some great drums be!ore he started singing$

Dlaughs2 - Cedri

-'ountain

,dditional In!o: 8on pla#ed the song 2Ne*er in '# Li!e2 !rom 'ountain1sClimbingM album during one o! his =TFU radio appearanes% remarking% 2This isas bad as it gets$$$it1s drum shool right here$2

-.es

,dditional In!o: 8on pla#ed the song 29eart o! the Sunrise2 o? o! the .es albumFragile during one o! his =TFU +adio appearanes$

2Things like +ik 3akeman - he1s great$ Super awesome at his instrument% but Ithink he1s one o! the !undamental enemies that made it so unappealing topeople when he1s doing 1EKaliber on Ie1$ ,t the same time% I lo*e .es too% #ouknow$2 - Cedri

Con*ersel#% +ik 3akeman had the !ollowing to sa#: 2The musi is o? the wall%and the )rst time I heard it% I thought% 13hat the hell is this1 On the thirdhearing% howe*er% I thought% 1This is le*er stu?$ I! the# an trans!er what the#do on reord to stage% it ould be ama5ing$12

-/hantomsmasher

,dditional In!o: 8on pla#ed the song 2Slobtroni2 !rom /hantomsmasher1s sel!-titled debut during one o! his =TFU +adio ,ppearanes$

-(an >er =raa! =enerator


19/59

-Funkadeli

-/arliament

Dwhen asked about his !a*orite /-!unk Song 2It1s hard to pik one$ One thatwakes me up and makes me !eel good is 1Standing on the (erge o! =etting ItOn1 D!rom the Funkadeli album o! the same name$2 - Omar

-/ier /aolo /asolini

-Luhino (isonti

-Serge# +ahmanino*

-7arlhein5 Stokhausen

-+udimentar# /eni

Omar has also stated that he listens to (ietnamese instrumentals4!olk while theband is on tour$ Still% he hasn1t named an# spei) musiians or albums% buthere1s a website to get #ou started% i! #ou are interested in learning more$

9ere are a ouple o! telling piees !rom inter*iews with the band:

2There are things that are happening around us that make us !eel eletri$ ,ndthose things% #ou know% we kind o! bring them a little loser - like #ou hear anew +ihard 8ames ,pheK Twin0 album or #ou hear a new 6ork album$ Orwhen #ou hear Lightning 6olt or 6lak El! Speaks or an#thing !rom the Stones

Throw label$ .ou start hearing ertain things and #ou bring them around #ouand #ou want to be aware o! them% but #ou don1t what it to be the onl# thing#ou look at$$$I! #ou let it be around% it beomes an in&uene$ I! #ou1re ustlooking at it like% 1I want to be that%1 then #ou1re going to be that and #ou1restuk in a orner$$$3e want to own our in&uene% but we don1t want to beowned b# it$2 - Cedri and Omar

CE>+IC

S/ - So would #ou then sa# #ou1re attahed to an# partiular sene% whetherold or new

2Not reall#$ 6ut I tend to bu# a lot o! older stu? all the time% but there are newerthings that I like$ There1s a band alled Lightning 6olt and uhhh$$$6lak >ie and+h#thm o! 6lak Lines and things like that$ There1s these two kids that used tobe in ,t The >ri*e-In like a long time ago and the# ha*e a new band alledCrime and Choir and it reminds me o! the happ# kind o! marimba parts inQappa songs and something else put together$ 8ean-Lu /ont# /onte0 orsomething$ It1s reall# interesting beause I1*e seen them grow up and pla# thatkind o! musi and the#1re a reall# interesting band right now$ 6ut we usuall#bu# a lot o! older stu? all the time$2 - Cedri

2I think there are bands who are oming up that are a lot more indulgent$ 6lak>ie% Lightning 6olt% The 6lak 9eart /roession$ That is% to me% the mostsub*ersi*e stu? out there right now$ There1s going to be a lot more bands


20/59

taking the in&uene o! Soni .outh1s more ambient side and I think going to agig in the !uture is going to be a lot more interesting$2 -Cedri

Oor: 3hen was the )rst time #ou ompletel# lost #oursel! in musi

2That was in our teens with 7ing Crimson and (el*et Underground reords$That1s when I learned what it was to ompletel# gi*e #ousel! to the musi$ Tolisten so intensel# and ompletel# ut #oursel! o? !rom the outside world$ 8ulioand 8erem# let us listen to that kind o! musi$ 3e were still the punk kids% whoonl# listened to reall# !ast punkrok$ 8ulio and 8erem# would sa#% 1Sit still !orone and listen to this$12- Cedri

>uth +adio: >oes musi sometimes make #ou r#

2.eah de)nitel#$ 8ee5% lots o! reords an do that$ 7ate 6ush reords$ Talk Talkreords$$$beause #ou get mo*ed b# them$$$The last one the# did% where the#

did a omplete turnaround musiall# - Laughing Stok - it1s a good rain# da#album$ I think a person in the band was getting a maor di*ore and #ou anhear it in the album$ I was attrated to it to it ause the gu# who told us aboutit told us that the# reorded it with andles and stu? and it was real dark album!or them and the label hated it$ So instantl# I was attrated to it$$$It1s a bigdowner% but #ou know% downer musi is good% though% too$2 - Cedri

Don the song 2The 3idow2

2,nd it )ts well$ It reminds me o! our *ersion o! 29ouse on the +ising Sun2$ Ithink we1*e alwa#s been into The ,nimals where it1s de)nitel# on the radio but

it1s dark and it1s not pla#ed that o!ten$2 - Cedri

O',+

2$$$So that DThe 6eatles was m# introdution to rok musi% and I didn1t reall#start getting into it until I mo*ed to El /aso and got into skateboarding andheard 6lak Flag% The 'is)ts% 'etallia% 7iss% the >ead 7enned#s$$$all that stu?$

That ompletel# hanged m# whole perspeti*e% beause I ne*er took an#other musi sung in English seriousl#$ 6ut when I heard those bands% theirmusi spoke to me the wa# salsa did$ It ga*e me the eKat same !eeling% thesame )re inside$2 - Omar taken !rom the Februar# issue o! =uitar 3orld0

=uitar 3orld: 3ere #ou e*er into the shredders% gu#s like .ngwie 'almsteen

2No% not at all$ In !at% !or a long time% I reall# opposed the idea o! guitar solos$The one eKeption was D6lak Flag1s =reg =inn$ 9is leads alwa#s seemed moreimpressionisti and ompletel# !rom the heart$ To tell #ou the truth% m# biggest


21/59

in&uene as a guitar pla#er is the piano pla#er Larr# 9arlow see abo*e0$ In these*enties% he and Charlie /almieri were at the !ore!ront o! salsa1s hangingsound% inorporating a55 and eletri elements into the musi$ That is thesound that is in m# blood and that I hear in m# mother1s stomah$2 - Omartaken !rom the Februar# issue o! =uitar 3orld0

Oor: Losing #oursel! in the musi% going into trane$ ,ren1t #ou a!raid peoplewill think #ou1re a bunh o! old-!ashioned hippies

C: 2No% beause it think that people an hear our punk roots in the musi$ ,ndwe1re not standing arms-rossed on the staged waiting !or e*er#one to go intotrane% we shake them up thoroughl# e*er# now and then$1

O: 2/lus% I think that the onept we are talking about goes be#ond the siKtiesand se*enties$ I an1t imagine that 'o5art or 6eetho*en didn1t lose themsel*esin their musi like we did$ Same is undoubtedl# true !or >8 Shadow or +oni Si5e%the# surrender to their total madness when the# make musi$ This isn1t limited

to a ertain era$ It1s been there sine the dawn o! times$ ,nd it speaks toan#one that is interested in the true power o! musi% people that see musi asa soul% an energ# with whih people an work$ ,nd that1s ertainl# not tied to adeade !rom the eKistene o! mankind$2 - Omar

+olling Stone: 3hat was the last miKtape #ou made% and who did #ou gi*e it to

2I made a miKtape !or m# girl!riend1s brother - he onl# listens to a ertain st#leo! musi$ So I probabl# opened the the tape with something hea*ier like28ealous ,gain2 b# 6lak Flag Then I threw all sorts o! stu? on there - the )rsttrak o! ,lie Coltrane1s reord% 8ourne# in Sathidananda and some musi !rom

(ietnam and a lot o! ,ugustus /ablo and a ouple o! salsa things$ >e)nitel# alot o! Funkadeli and /arliament$2 - Omar

2I don1t reall# know what1s happening in the mainstream world$$$I know thebands that I !ollow$$$like The Loust !rom San >iego or Le Tigre !rom New

.ork$$$The Chromatis !rom Seattle% Subtitle - a hip-hop artist out o! L,$$$2 -Omar

The neKt three "uotes were translated !rom a Norwegian maga5ine1s inter*iewwith Omar$$$

.ou an1t den# that #ou1re in&uened b# +obert Fripp and 7ing Crimson% right

22No% o! ourse notM I make no attempt to hide m# a?etion !or Fripps work$

I grew up listening to salsa$ I knew no musi outside o! that% so when I heard6lak Flag a!ter I had mo*ed between states% I had to re-e*aluate e*er#thing Ithought I knew about musi$ It lit m# heart on )re and I beame more ertain o!


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m# deision o! beoming a musiian$ Four #ears later% I was introdued to 7ingCrimson and again e*er#thing ollapsed% but in a onstruti*e wa#$ 'an# o! m#!riends that liked 6lak Flag and suh hated 7ing Crimson$ It was a big m#ster#to me$ Still I don1t see 6lak Flag as diagonal opposites$ To me% it1s *er# logialthat a 6lak Flag- !an would also like 7ing Crimson$ I !eel that +obert Frippsounds like the 6lak Flag guitarist i! the latter had pratied ;; hours a da#$

Fripp made the most beauti!ul notes that I had heard% and he ouldn1t ha*ebeen introdued to me at a better time in m# li!e$ I had alread# opened m#mind !or a marriage between a55 and salsa and !ound a big /uerto +io-en*ironment in New .ork that made it$ ,s soon as someone diso*ers a55% itwill in&uene their approah irrespeti*e o! whih st#le or band the persononerned ontributes to$ It an1t be denied that +obert Fripp was into a55throughout his areer or the blue notes$ The maor-sales and euphoristadium-rok horuses ha*e ne*er appealed to me so when I got !amiliar with7ing Crimson1s musi it was like getting a taste o! hea*en$2 - Omar

Dwhen asked about the song 2Cassandra =emini2

E*er sine I was a teenager% and had *arious listening eKperienes with thelikes o! 7ing Crimson% 8ohn Coltrane% and 'iles >a*is1s 26ithes 6rew2% I1*ealwa#s wanted to do something like 2Cassandra2$ Something de!ormed and outo! ontrol$ Something enormous and *iolent% a whole album )tted into oneomposition$ Something ruthless that no one an remain areless to$2 - Omar

Dwhen asked about the song 2'iranda% That =host Isn1t 9ol# ,n#more2

I think we nailed it "uite well% though$ It is a gorgeous song% that branhes toertain western-omposers$ I1m a big !an o! spaghetti-western and I think it

shows on 2'iranda2$ Our 'orrione-in&uene has alwa#s been there% but on2'iranda2 we let it all out$ The last song DNon-Qero /ossibilit# on the last ,t the>ri*e-In album% the best thing we e*er did b# the wa#% had touhes o!spaghetti-western$2 - Omar

On punk rok$$$

Oor: >o #ou ha*e a hate-lo*e relation with punk

2Not with the ethis behind it% but with the punk rok idiom that has beenulti*ated through the #ears$ 3hen I was in high shool% I had a mohawk too%

and I wore the right lothes$ 6ut slowl# I diso*ered the people that were themost punk didn1t look like me at all$ That punk attitude was on the inside$ The#looked normal but went to the same shows I did$ The# pointed out bands to methat I though were great$ Then I reali5ed I didn1t ha*e to dress like that% andhow ridiulous it reall# was$ 3hen the SeK /istols ame in ;JJ e*er#one said:Oka#% so this is punk% this is how it sounds and looks like$ 6ut that look was onl#reated so 'alolm 'Laren ould sell the lothes in his store$ ,nd 8ohn L#donde*eloped in /iL% he didn1t get stuk in that musi$ >ub% krautrok and


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(ietnamese !olk !or m# part% are ust as punk as the SeK /istols in ;JJ$2 -Omar

$$$2The punk-idea goes be#ond an# !orm o! image o! musi$ Fela 7uti whoannounes his house in Nigeria as an independant republi is more punk to methen an# band on the 3arped tour an e*er be$ =reen >a#% The Libertines% The

>istillers% that1s not punk to me% that1s out)tmusi$ It1s !un i! #ou1re ; or ;Band #ou want to de*elope #our own identit#% but at a ertain moment #ou1llha*e to mo*e on$ I! #ou1re thirt# and still pla# the same tunes% use the samee#eliner and still put the same band stikers on #our guitar% #ou1re not punkan#more% #ou1re one o! those old dinosaurs the punks rebelled against in the)rst plae$2 - Cedri

8ON

'=3: 3hih drummers ha*e most diretl# in&uened #our pla#ing st#le withThe 'ars (olta

2,!ter 6ill# DCobham% I1d ha*e to sa# 8ohn 6onham DLed Qeppelin beause I tr#to pla# with as muh bombast as I possibl# an$ I also !eel it1s important tomention that a lot o! m# ontemporaries are a *er# serious soure o!inspiration$ Some o! these gu#s inlude Sebastien Thomsen !rom Trans ,m% TimSoete !rom The Fuking Champs% >oug Sharin !rom 8une o! 1GG% Chris Forre#%who I am with all the time and a hea*#weight a55 gu# named Neil Smith$ ThenI ha*e to add 8oseph 2Qigaboo2 'odeliste !rom The 'eters% 'ithell Feldstein!rom Lung Fish% >amon Che !rom >on Caballero% >ale Cro*er !rom The 'el*ins%

8ohn 9erndon o! Tortoise% and +#an +aps#s o! Euphone$ 3ithout an# o! theseats% I wouldn1t be pla#ing the wa# I pla# toda#$2 - 8on

2/lus% I get inspiration !rom listening to bands who am -- like the ,llman6rothers or an# a55 band or ombo% like El*in see abo*e0 and 8ohn Coltrane -where it1s onstantl# shi!ting and onstantl# d#nami$2 - 8on

8on was !eatured on the o*er o! 'odern >rummer1s 8une 1

rummer: Conde 'or# 'angala

- 6astro - Sing the Troubled 6east

>rummer: 8ohn 'Entire

- >on Caballero - >on Caballero


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>rummer: >amon Che

- 8ohn Coltrane - Li*e at 6irdland

>rummer: El*in 8ones

- +ush - 9emispheres

>rummer: Neil /eart

- Led Qeppelin - /resene

>rummer: 8ohn 6onham

- Ton# 3illiams Li!etime - 6elie*e ItM

>rummer: Ton# 3illiams

- 'aha*ishnu Orhestra - 6irds o! Fire

>rummer: 6ill# Cobham

- The 3ho - Li*e at Leeds>rummer: 7eith 'oon

- ,5or +aine - 'apou

>rummer: ,5or

- 7ing Crimson - +ed

>rummer: 6ill 6ru!ord

- The 'el*ins - L#sol

>rummer: >ale Cro*er

- Neil .oung - On the 6eah

>rummer: Le*on 9elm

- 6lak Sabbath - (olume G

>rummer: 6ill 3ard

- 8ames 6rown - In the 8ungle =roo*e

>rummer: Cl#de Stubble)eld

- Fela ,nikupolo 7uti - Qombie

>rummer: Ton# ,llen

- 'astodon - Le*iathan

>rummer: 6rann >ailor

- >r$ 8ohn - >esiti*el# 6onnaroo

>rummer: Qigaboo 'odeliste


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- /hantomsmasher - /hantomsmasher

>rummer: >a*e 3itte

- 8imi 9endriK - 6and o! =#ps#s% ,Kis: 6old as Lo*e

>rummer respeti*el#0: 6udd# 'iles% 'ith 'ithell

- The 8esus Li5ard - 9ead

>rummer: 'a 'Neill#

'odern >rummer: ,t times #our drumming realls 6ill# Cobham and The'aha*ishnu Orhestra$ 9ow did #ou raise #our bar to that le*el 3hat did #oupratie

26# the time I was hip to 'aha*ishnu Orhestra% I was alread# out pla#ing$3hen I )rst started% I was pla#ing along to Led Qeppelin and +ush reords$$$6utI didn1t get reall# hip to 6ill# until the end o! high shool$$$so when I got into

him on Inner 'ounting Flame% Spetrum% and 6irds o! Fire% I was alread#apable o! dropping an# sort o! preonei*ed onteKt or notion !or an#thing$$$Itwas an id#lli blossoming that allowed me to embrae e*er#thing !rom El*in

8ones and 6ill# Cobham to Neil .oung$ It allowed me to deri*e inspiration !romthings that weren1t ust a gu# in the maga5ine with a spei) set o! drums or#mbals$ It beame muh more osmi$$$2 - 8on

2I started listening to hea*#% simpli)ed musi like The 8esus Li5ard% 6ad 6rains%and The 'el*ins$ The drumming was power!ul$ .ou ouldn1t pla# that hard i!#ou were using proper tehni"ue$2 - 8on

D8on talking about Led Qeppelin1s drummer% 8on 6onham

2I lo*e e*er#thing he pla#ed$ 9e had one o! the best !eels in the histor# o! rok$The )lls in the middle o! 2L1(ia L1(ia"ue52 are !ull# 8ohn 6onham-inspired$ ,nd!or the seond trak on the album% 2The 3idow%2 I kept thinking about 2SineI1*e 6een Lo*ing .ou2 Dthe !ourth trak o? o! Led Qeppelin III$ I wanted to makeit sound hea*# without sounding like I was in some nu-metal band$2 - 8on

8U,N

8uan1s "uotes are taken !rom the terri) 6ass /la#er maga5ine artile% sannedb# the lo*el# >r$ Fong% and now up on the oRial site in the press setion$0

2I an1t stop listening to this reord D8ohn Coltrane1s Om It makes m# heartbeat !aster$ 3hat I would gi*e to ha*e seen him in this era$$$I1*e also beenlistening to a lot o! a55 pianist Ceil Ta#lor$ 9is ompositions gi*e me the same!eeling I had when I )rst heard Frank Qappa1s musi$ It1s like listening to


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someone who speaks a di?erent language% #et #ou understand$$$Eddie /almieriand Fela 7uti are two musiians we listen to bakstage be!ore we per!orm theirmusi inspires us and onnets us$ I would !eel odd i! I didn1t listen to themeah night be!ore we go on$2 - 8uan

2$$$So I1m being eKposed to all sorts o! stu?$ Omar and Cedri are huge dub!ans% and 8on has introdued me to all sorts o! musi !rom the 9aiti area - plus%he1s reall# into a*ante-a55 guitarist Sonn# Sharrok$ ,nd Neil .oung - I ustne*er got into him until 8on pla#ed me the right uts% in the right en*ironment%and it was like a lightbulb going on$$$2 - 8uan

6/: 3ho else do #ou listen to !or inspiration

28ohn /aul 8ones% !or sure$ 8ames 8amerson% absolutel#$ ,nd Ste*e E*ans$ 9epla#s with slide guitarist +o# +ogers% and he produed se*eral o! 8ohn Lee9ooker1s reords$ I took lessons !rom him !or #ears$ 9e reall# pushed me in allthe right wa#s$ 9e1s a sik% sik bass pla#er% he1s hea*# into >elta blues% andhe1s in the lubs e*er# night$ ,nd there1s /aul Farnen% an instrutor !rom m#'usiians Institute da#s$ 9e1s one o! those gu#s who an listen to an#thing andompletel# break it down$ Coltrane No problem$ ,ll these gu#s made me abetter bass pla#er$2 - 8uan

8uan ,lderete on the in&uene o! hip-hop on his basspla#ing$$$

From 6ass =uitar 'aga5ine

Huote

3hen I )rst heard hip-hop in the earl# Eighties% I !ound it to be ompelling andwanted to inorporate it into m# pla#ing$ I knew this musi was going to ha*e abig impat on popular musi% but bak then I ouldn1t ha*e !ull# reali5ed what ahuge in&uene it was going to ha*e on m# bass pla#ing$ 'ore than an# otherin&uene sine 8ao /astorius% the basslines I heard on earl# hip-hop reordshad an impat on how I pla#ed and thought about the bass$ I bought as man#hip-hop reords as I ould a?ord% !rom the da#s o! the earl# East Coast pioneersto the 3est Coast eKplosion% but during ; and ;B% one reord ne*er le!tm# dek% and that was >r$ >re1s The Chroni$

I7E.

-/eepshot

2/eepshot is the real dealsimple% heart!elt rok @ roll% deli*ered withoutpretense and pla#ed b# !our men who an all handle their instruments$$$2 - Ike#


27/59

-'os >e!

2E*er#thing about this album D6lak on 6oth Sides is ama5ing$ 3hat otherrapper has a song about the politis o! water and its impat on worldeonomis Listening to 'os >e! makes me *er# proud to be #oung% blak anda part o! the hip-hop nation$ E*er# time the Ge! released his 2New >anger2 album% this is what Ike# had tosa#:

2I think all that stu? is well-intentioned% and I1m glad he1s doing it% and I1m gladhe1s bringing attention to it% but it1s not gonna1 work$$$.ou an1t ust relaimsomething i! #ou don1t reall#% reall# know about it$ , lot o! people who are intohip-hop ha*e reall# rudimentar# knowledge o! rok musi$ In the dealings I1*e

had with >8s and 'Cs% the# know rok% but the# don1t know it know it$ The#know the big stu?-the# know 9endriK% the# know Qeppelin% the# know some o!The 6eatles% but the# don1t know The 6#rds or Can$$$2

-Tom /ett#

DTalking about /ett#1s Eho album0 2ItVs !unn# how e*er#one is talking aboutthe Vo #ou want toknow what blak rok should be like That1s what blak rok should sound liketo me$ The#1re the most ama5ing thing I1*e heard in a long time$$$2 - Ike#

-The 6rand New 9ea*ies

Dtalking about his album 26lak is the New 6lak2 2,s !ar as the sound o! it-there1s this 6rand New 9ea*ies reord alled 9ea*# +h#me EKperiment$$$itsounds like hip-hop but it1s raw and I basiall# set out to make a reord likethat% but sadder and dirtier sounding$ It1s not so lean$$$2 - Ike#

Ike#% ontinued$$$


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2$$$That1s kind o! what I1m a!ter: m# *ersion o! what I think soul musi is$ I1m abig !an o! The +oots% and Er#kah 6adu and 8ill Sott and all that stu?% but it getsa little boring$ It1s reall# lean prodution-wise$ I wanted to make a reord likethat% but I wanted to make it weird$ That stu?% #ou an listen to it% it1s like%

1Oka#$ It1s a nie song on the C> and I1m hearing +hodes% upright bass anddrums again$1 The# all sound like ele*ator musi to me$ So I wanted to make areord like that% but it has some balls% some guts and some !eeling-that wasn1tper!et$2

The "uotes !rom Ike# are taken !rom either this or this artile$

Cedri and Omar hosted an episode o! 2The 3edge2 on 'uh'usi% where the#pla#ed *ideos o! their hoie% presumabl# !rom artists the# eno#$ 9ere1s thetransript$

8on also appeared on =et The Fuk Up +adio L,0 !our times during the summero! +IC

6ig Cheese: So% whih bands do #ou onsider to be #our musial peers

2'F >oom% >udle# /erkins$ 'ost o! the stu? o? the Stones Throw label$ It1ssupposed to be a hip-hop label but it1s so ob*iousl# anti- that !ormula% whih isa great onept in itsel!$2 - Cedri

Later in the artile% when talking about the !ailure o! ,t the >ri*e-In1s+elationship o! Command album$$$

2$$$To us it1s a !ailure beause out o! all the stu? that was around at the time%6rainia% Trans ,m% what might be onsidered our musial peers and bands weould ha*e toured with% those bands were doing stu? that we should ha*e beeneKelling past and we ne*er did$2 - Cedri

9ow do #ou !eel about the +ed 9ot Chili /eppers >o #ou !eel in&uened b#them

2.eah% I think e*er# #oung man who piked up a bass between the #ears ;Aand now was ob*iousl# in&uened b# Flea$ ,nd itVs kinda hard to esape their


29/59

in&uene% the# were alwa#s there$ /lus% the# were the one band that werekinda musi heads$ .Vknow the# would kinda seem to likeW$e*er# inter*iew Isaw% apart !rom them ating ra5#% the# would alwa#s be throwing names like

The =erms or 8ohn Coltrane and e*er#thing in between$ ,nd growing up Ithought that was reall# ool beause a lot o! #oung people needed to hearthings like that and the# needed to look up to someone who was% as ra5# as

the# were% and then ha*e them telling them not ust punk rok musi isimportant% reall# all sorts o! musi are important$ So% I think it$$we ust grew upwith them% kind o!Wus kinda relating to them that wa#$ So #eah% we arein&uened b# them$2 - Cedri

Later% Omar had this to sa# about meeting the Chili /eppers$$$

2It was muh like meeting them on the street or a onert and than #ou starttalking about musi$ IV*e ne*er been a !an o! the band$ The !at is that when I)rst met 8ohn I didnVt reali5e that he was in the +9C/$ I ne*er listened to thembe!ore$ So IV*e met him and it was prett# muh like two artists% two musiiansmeeting eah other$ 3e met at a onert$ 3e were both wathing a band andthan 8ohn ame o*er to me and he goes 1>o #ou like this )lm >o #ou like thisbook1 and I said% XO! ourse and I like this and I like that$1 First we startedtalking about )lms than we got into books and then into musi$$$2 - Omar

3hen asked whih !emale singer he would like to do a duet with% Cedriresponded% 2/8 9ar*e# or 7athleen 9anna$2

3hen asked about two songs he wished he had written% Cedri said eitherCan1s 2(itamin C2 or The Sugarubes1 26irthda#$2

On sreaming$$$

2I think a lassi eKample o! someone who its taken a while to get m# headaround the *oals% and I lo*e them as people and I lo*e them as a band too areThe 6lood 6rothers$ The# sream but the# sing too in a *er# odd wa#$ Itreminds me o! ,ntioh ,rrow% but there1s a little more soul to it - as in +@6soul$ I like that st#le% I like what the#1re doing$ It1s taken me a while to getaround it beause I1*e been around so muh sreaming musi that 6lood6rothers ame around and I was like% 2,ggh$$$ .ou know% I like them as peopleand I like them% but I an1t listen to all this sreaming stu? right now$2 6ut thenI wathed them pla# at this !esti*al in #our Europe the# pla#ed with us and Iunderstood it more while wathing the whole set$2 - Cedri

Someone like (SS$$$,ngel 9air had a reall# good sreaming thing to it but italso had this /IL D/ubli Image Ltd$ in&uene to it - that agged 8ohn L#donthing - and I reall# liked that too$ Something unner*ing% somethingdi?erent$$$I1m not reall# into a lot o! the hardore musi or a lot o! sreamingsreaming stu?$$$2 - Cedri


30/59

Talking about the in&uene o! their pre*ious maor label in*ol*ement on theirpresent situation$$$

2I think there are a lot o! other bands that are in*ol*ed in indie-rok% whether itbe >on Caballero or =olden Done o! 8on Theodore1s pre*ious band or Trans ,mor The DFuking Champs or Laddio 6oloko% whih are not *er# well known

beause the# split up earl# and the#1re ust not that popular$ 6ut we1*e had thepower o! maor labels and the ult o! personalit# with people oming in !rom ,tthe >ri*e-In$$$6ut I think an#one who1s known us long enough ha*e known thatwe1*e alwa#s been making musi like this$2 - Cedri

O',+

2$$$3e ha*e little harms too% like a little mathboK with a piture o! a manholding the earth that sa#s 1el mundo1 and it has little *oodoo dolls with us onthe inside$$$2 - Omar :olYool:

23e1re onstantl# doing other mediums$ I think musi is ust what we1re known!or and that1s what people ha*e the most interest in$$$Our most obsessi*e !ansprobabl# notie small things like% with our other band >e Fato% se*eral o! theo*ers o! our albums ha*e been m# paintings$$$3e1re de)nitel# in*ol*ed in aworld that1s multi-la#ered with man# di?erent teKtures and olors% and musi

ust happens to be the brightest one that people an perei*e !rom a distane%like a light tower o! some sort$2 - Omar

Huote'oo Issue ;G< 8ul# +I=UEQ-LO/EQ ON +U>I'ENT,+./ENI1S C,CO/9ON.

3hen #ou get into one partiular st#le o! musi% #ou o!ten bu# an albumbeause the o*er looks a ertain wa#% or beause somebod# else hasreommended it to #ou$ In ;% at the age o! ;B or ;G% I was onl# listening topunk rok$ I was into Crass% and +udimentar# /eni was on the same label !or awhile% and the o*er ust stuk out !or me$ I bought it eKpeting a ertain t#peo! musi and it ompletel# blew m# mind$


31/59

I1d alread# had >eath Churh +/1s ;B debut0% whih had more o! theelements o! punk that I was used to$ 6ut when I got Caaphon# Outer9imila#an% ;0% the l#ris and the di?erent mo*ements in it were a realsurprise$ I !orget how man# di?erent songs there are some o! them are ust*erbal piees$ There was so muh ut-up on that reord I don1t know where tobegin$ I relate it now to reading 3illiam 6urroughs !or the )rst time% or how

hearing Frank Qappa1s musi makes me !eel$ 6ut Caophon# was on a le*elthat I ould understand at that age$ One o! m# !a*ourite piees had a sportsannouner omentating on an Ol#mpi e*en that in*ol*ed a mass murderer% anamputated athlete and a nun$ It lasted about a minute and goes% 2Oh m# =odM

The look o! horrorM The mass murderer is de*ouring the athlete and the nun iswathingM This is a strange and per*erse e*ent$2

,nd then it ends and the neKt song omes on% some hea*# punk rok orwhate*er$ There was one trak alled 2The Old 'an Is Not So Terribl#'isanthropi%2 and that1s all it said% o*er and o*er again$ There was anotherwhere Dsinger4guitarist Nik 6link ust goes% 2I1m a little girl4I want out now% Iwant out now$2 3hen #ou look at the atual reord% the groo*es are so small -so man# songs runhed into one mo*ement$ .ou ould see that as a oneptalbum or a 1prog1 album i! #ou want to% but people don1t throw those wordsaround in the punk rok sene$ I think that1s what reall# started opening m#world up$

I had a lot o! !riends who didn1t like that album$ The#1d omplain that thereweren1t enough songs on it% or that it wasn1t 1hardore1$ 6ut I kept going bak tothose l#ris$ +ight a!ter that I started getting into Captain 6ee!heart ande*entuall# Frank Qappa$ To me% Caophon# is totall# omparable$

On what makes him emotional and a brie!% diret opinion on Sparta0$$$

'an# things: traditional musi o! +ussia% the !olk songs o! Iran and Ira"$ The)lms o! 7ieslowski% Federio Fellini or /ier /aolo /asolini tu aentM0% thepaintings o! /eter Carlo% 9ieron#mous 6osh% the writings o! Carlos Castaneda%the paintings o! 'aK Ernst% the re*olutionar# thinkers% Frederik >ouglass% whowas the )rst blak man who thought himsel! to read and write$ These are thethings that reall# inspire me and ust e*er#da# li!e% the people around me m#!amil#% m# !riends% m# !riendships% m# enemies% m# hate% m# lo*e$ Things thatare strong and ha*e no apologies$

Sparta to me is like most pop groups$ It sounds like someone whoVs kissing assand apologi5e all the time$ E*er#thing there has to be prett#$ For me li!e is notso prett#$ ThereVs lots o! dark sides about li!e$ I need the dark things so I knowwhat the light is$ There has to be a per!et balane$ There has to be murderand has to be healing$ ,nd itVs all beauti!ul and itVs all onneted$2 - Omar


32/59

Cedri and Omar were asked b# 'usikeKpress a =erman maga5ine0 to talkabout some o! their !a*orite albums$$$

/ink Flo#d - /iper at the =ates o! >awn

O',+: , lassi$ Our tour manager% he onl# knows about the newer /ink Flo#dstu?% and he dropped in reentl# while we were listeng to the original mono-miK o! this reord$ 9e said% 23hat the hell1s that supposed to be2

The original ast with S#d 6arrett in&uened a whole lot o! bands but ne*er gotappreiated !or that$ This reord in&uened Soni .outh% +adiohead$$$

CE>+IC: $$$ e*en 6lur

O',+: The# had pop-songs% weird impro*isations% radio !re"uen#inter!erenes$ , 1FUC7 .OU1 to all purists$ , great reord !or esaping into someparallel uni*erse$ 'ature but somehow hildish$ The 6rainia gu#s surel# had alisten to it$$$

6rainia - Eletro-Shok !or /resident

CE>+IC: 3ithout this reord there wouldn1t be that man# eletroni-new wa*ebands nowada#s$

So The 6ra*er# listened to 6rainia

CE>+IC: >on1t know about them$ 6ut nearl# e*er# band is indebted to 6rainia:6lood 6rothers% The Loust% ,t the >ri*e-In$ ,lso The Faint owe them a lot% andthe# wouldn1t be a!riad to admit that$ Nobod# ould e*er laim to be the )rstdoing something$ 3e weren1t the )rst doing the musi we do as well$

6rainia were at least the )rst to ha*e this ertain >e*o-thing - e*en though it1snot that% ob*iousl#: absurd *oals% hea*# s#nths% samples o! dogs and trains$,ll the eletroni stu? on this album was done b# Ste*e ,lbini and 8imO1+ourke$ 6rainia reorded onl# three albums beause the singer died in arashed ar$ It1s like a dark seret #ou an diso*er$$$

/ubli Image Ltd$ - The Flowers o! +omane


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CE>+IC: This was the real materiali5ation o! punk rok$ It1s *er# inspiring that8ohnn# +otten didn1t ust make 1SeK /istols% /art $1 .ou learn something !rom it$,nd an#wa#: one should listen to some /IL-reords real lose and not ust ripthem o?$ So man# people are simpl# stealing !rom their )rst album$ ,n#one

an make up some diso-beat% get an eletro-lash-hairdo and then tr# toon*ine ournalists that he1s the new hot shit$ 3hat a load o! rubbish$$%There1sa reason wh# 8ohnn# +otten deided to make diso those da#s: it was the mostunool thing #ou ould imagine at that time$ 6ut he knew when to stop$ 9ede*eloped it% and 2The Flowers o! +omane2 shows that$ I1d wish some o! those!uking New .ork bands would get in&uened b# this reord$ This is the soundo! reall# dark band$

6utthole Sur!ers - +embrandt /uss#horse

CE>+IC: Ths is the ,merian answer to 2The Flowers o! +omane2$ This is whatwas happening i! #ou1re !rom around TeKas$ The# used to be a reall# sar# band#ou ould anno# #our parents with% but the# were also *er# di?erent$ The#rossed all those !uking borders whih narrowed punk-musi$ Listen to 1'arkSa#s ,lright1 - =ibb# 9arris sounds like a T#rannosaurus +eK$ I ne*er heardsomething like that be!ore$

O',+: This band used to be dangerous$

CE>+IC: EKatl#$ I! the# hadn1t happened% the singer o! Stone Temple /ilotswouldn1t be able to !ake that he in*ented singing through some megaphone$ Iespeiall# eno# this ertain album u5 a lot on# !unn# memories are onnetedto it% when m# !riends asked me to turn this o?$ The# ouldn1t stand it an#longer$

Orhestra 9arlow - Eletri 9arlow

O',+: The# made some reords in the J


34/59

CE>+IC: Omar1s !rom /uerto +io$ It1s "uite ommon there$ /olish people growup with polka so #ou see what I mean

O',+: .ou annot esape it$ I learned pla#ing guitar beause o! this *er#album$ , great reord !or people who are interested in how salsa atuall# doessound$ It1s got nothing to do with that rap the# pla# in restaurants orele*ators$

So alled world-musi$$$

CE>+IC: 3olrd-musi is some term like New 3a*e: ournalists in*ented it !ormusi that didn1t )t in their pigeon-holes$ 3orld musi sounds to me like some

!atso in !uking sandals pa#ing ZP !or an import-d thinking he bought a pieeo! purest ,!ria$ 13orld-musi1 is the worst name e*er$ It as shitt# as 1Emo1 or19ardore$1 3ith all respet due to /eter =abriel% but not e*erone has got hisli!est#le or )nanial irumstanes$ 13orld-musi1 doesn1t stand !or Shant#town-musi$$$It stands !or the dirt under the poorest man1s )ngernails in ,!ria$ I! #ousa# 1world-musi%1 #ou think o! the people listening to it$ , lot o! great albums!ail in this onteKt$ Some might sa# Fela 7uti is world-musi $$$ !or me it1s thepurest punk-rok$

Can - 'onster 'o*ie

CE>+IC: E*er#bod# who1s an intellet should listen to Can$ Otherwise #ou don1tknow an#thing about #our roots$ 'usiians who ne*er listend to Can reading

this% lak the knowledge o! being part o! a tradition that inludes Can$ ,ll theroads lead to Can$$$

O',+: 9olger C5uka# *isited one o! our shows reentl#$ 9e liked it prett# muh%and he was a pleasure to hat with a!terwards$ 3e reommend this reordbeause it1s a good starting-point$ The# made a lot o! great reords$

9erbie 9anok - SeKtant

O',+: ;J$ 9anok1s answer to 'iles >a*is1 16ithes 6rew1$

CE>+IC: E*en the o*er-artwork looks prett# muh the same$

O',+: ,n unbelie*abl# intense reord$ The# were breaking new grounds withthe hard beat and eletroni interludes 16ithes 6rew1 would ne*er ha*e dared$I! #ou alread# got all his earl# bop-stu?% this is what #ou should listen to neKt$


35/59

Later on his musi would beome totall# eletroni% and this reord is inbetween$ 9e eKperimented with it and made eletroni instruments more than

ust to#s$

Some people might )nd it strenuous$$$

CE>+IC: Sure$ 3hat might sound eKperimental to some people is "uite normal!or us$ This reords sounds like man% mahine and aousti instruments shakinghands$

Throbbing =ristle - < 8a55 Funk =reats

CE>+IC: .eah$ I! #ou reall# want get #our parents raging% this one1s "uite

e?eti*e$ (er# ahead o! the times$ The# were ontemporaries o! 7ra!twerk% notust eKperimenting with eletronis but with noise as well$ 'ost o! it isnowada#s alled industrial$ For me% it1s ust !rightening !ren5#-musi$ 3ereentl# listened to it whilst wathing a rap mo*ie starring Tom 9anks$ 2The=reen 'ile$2 , real atastrophe$ 6ut without sound and with Throbbing =ristlepla#ing o*er it% it beame a !uking awesome mo*ie$ This musi esorted usalong wa#$ 3hen we reorded our last reord% =enesis /$ Orridge used li*e inour house$ 9al! the house burned down and a lot o! things hint at him being theulprit$ 9ahaM

6# the wa#% I don1t see an# resemblane to let1s sa#% Nine Inh Nails$ That1s!ashionable tri*ia ompared to Throbbing =ristle$ I mean% a whole lot o! peoplelaim to be good !riends with Satan% but Throbbing =ristle is% in !at% Satan$

-The Sugarubes see also 6ork0

2E*er sine I was in )!th or siKth grade% I1*e been a Sugarubes !an$$$2

,dditional In!o: Cedri also "uotes a song !rom The Sugarubes during li*eshows 2Toda# was her birthda#$$$20

-Oumou Sangare

,dditional In!o: Cedri and Omar hosted 7rok1s 29aked2 and pla#ed 2Ne 6iFe2 !rom Sangare1s Oumou album$

-Ingmar 6ergman


36/59

->e La Soul

,dditional In!o: Ike# initiall# met up with Omar and Cedri mutuall# through a!riend0 at a >e La Soul onert$

-The 'is)ts

,dditional In!o: Cedri "uoted the song 26ullet2 b# The 'is)ts during the a# 'en

-The 'ake-Up

-'orrisse# see also The Smiths0

-Sl# and the Famil# Stone

-The EKploited

,dditional In!o: On 4B4own%Cedri dediated 2>runkship o! Lanterns2 to The EKploited$

-Fishbone

-6enhmont Tenh

-+ainer 3erner Fassbinder

29e has made so man# )lms that% i! I go eas# on it% I1ll ha*e enough inspiration!or another do5en albums$2 -Omar

-6erlin ,leKanderplat5


37/59

>ireted b# +ainer 3erner Fassbinder Color% ;iamanda =alas

-7athleen 9anna see also Le Tigre0

-+a# 6radbur#


38/59

-The Cranes

-+h#thm o! 6lak Lines

2The#1re a three-piee$$$I! #ou like The 'eters and an#thing *er# epi and

dream#-sounding% the#1re a great band whih should be up #our alle#$2 - Cedri

-Srath ,id

-, 3ind in the >oor b# 'adeleine L1Engle

,dditional In!o: One o! the bakdrops displa#ed during The 'ars (olta1s


39/59

-8ohnn# >epp

-,leKander the =reat

-/ubli Image Limited

2I think a band like /IL are lassi eKamples o! utili5ing all the in&uenes thatweren1t onsidered punk-rok #et the# were a punk-band beause the# didn1t2sound2 like a mohawk or what regular punk bands did$2 - Cedri

-The Cirle 8erks

-+adiohead

2Someone like +adiohead alwa#s hanges it up and the# don1t re-reord O7Computer a million times$ .ou know% the# an rel# on bands like Tra*is andColdpla# to do the 1nier parts1 o! O7 Computer !or them and it1s great to seepeople like Thom .orke kind o! stiking it to them$ That1s not their goal% I know%but it omes o? that wa# and I appreiate it so muh$ It1s great to ha*e adiamond in the rough$2 - Cedri

-Lung)sh

,dditional In!o: 3hen Omar and Cedri stopped b# Chiago1s H;a*id L#nh0

In >eember o!


40/59

-8aga 8a55ist

-3eird 3ar

->amo Su5uki

-8ell# /lanet

-6eans

-9igh on Fire

-The Fuking Champs

-Les Sa*# Fa*

-'ihael +other o! NeuM0

-,id 'others Temple

-6attles

-The G


41/59

,dditionall#% The Stones Throw Club Night !eatured:

-'adlib

-/eanut 6utter 3ol!

-=ar# 3ilson

->udle# /erkins

-8-+o

HUOTES% /,+T III$$$

I7E.

Ike# was !eatured on 6udd#head$om1s 2'usi ;


42/59

-, Tribe Called Huest - The Low End Theor#

2This is simpl# the best hip-hop reord e*er$ 6e!ore I heard this reord% I didn1te*en like hip hop$ 6eing the stuk up% boogee-ass blak teenager that I was% Ithought rap was too thuggish and had *er# little artisti merit until I heard thisreord$ The sampling on here is wea*ed together so beauti!ull# and the l#ris

are ama5ing$2

-9erbie 9anok - >ediation

2=rebo# turned me onto this reord$ It1s 9erbie right a!ter he le!t 'iles1D>a*is1s band and was totall# in his prime$ The whole reord is 9erbie and aroom !ull o! se"ueners and ,+/S$ It1s *er# minimalist but *er# musial$2

-'astodon - Le*iathan

2This is the )rst metal album I1*e e*er owned$ I1m not sure wh# I like it% or whatmakes it so muh di?erent !rom all the metal albums I didn1t bu#$ ,ll I know isthat I listen to it e*er#da#$2

-Sublime - G< O5$ to Freedom

2I1m tired o! de!ending this reord$ I1m !rom Long 6eahMMM2

O',+

3hen asked about musial onnetions to prog rok$$

2$$$I pre!er omparisons that are not ob*ious and that are not onl# musirelated$ .ou get a better piture o! our musi b# sa#ing that it brings to mind%!or eKample% Thomas /#nhon1s teKts% Frida 7ahlo1s paintings or Luis 6unuel1s)lms$2 Omar

8on lists the !ollowing albums as essential !or drummers0:

-6attles - Tras E/

-Nissenen 'ondai - Sorede So5o Suru Nei

-Lung)sh - Feral 9#mns

-'astadon - Le*iathan

-an#thing b# El*in 8ones


43/59

3hen asked about urating ,ll Tomorrow1s /arties Dsee abo*e% Cedri said the!ollowing$$$

26est three da#s o! m# li!e I think$$$.ou ne*er reali5e how taKing it is to watho*er B; bands in three da#s and tr# and ath at least P minutes o! e*er#thing$Some o! 1em I took hanes on and had onl# heard one or two songs o*er a

omputer$ Coo +osie was like that$$$but a !riend o! mine named /eter% whoruns a lub in 9olland alled The (era% told me% 2.eah% #ou should see Coo+osieM2 ,nd the#$$$=od% the# were so phenomenalM It1s ust so beauti!ul$ It1s themost uni"ue thing I1*e e*er seen$2

'ore$$$

2It was like being on a *aation$ 3e went to pla# a !esti*al where we got reall#in&uened% we got eKited and ame bak to use what we learned$ I want tosa# some bands like Coo +osie or ,nton# and the 8ohnsons made me re-e*aluate m# wa# o! singing$ Espeiall# ,nthon# - he1s like a modern Nina

Simone$$$It was happening to us at that moment$ .ou should put passion intowhat #ou1re doing$ The mark o! a musiian is making #ou !eel somethingspeial$ I! #ou get goosebumps% #ou1re in the right wa#$2 - Cedri

Furthermore% Omar has said the !ollowing about Coo +osie$$$

2From what I know the#1re a 6rookl#n band$ The#1*e been desribed as aneletroni band% but I wouldn1t limit them to that$ The#1re two sisters who bothha*e ama5ing and uni"ue *oies$ One o! them1s similar to a ross between6ork and Captain 6ee!heart$ ,nd the other one% #ou an tell is *er# lassiall#trained$ She an sing some ama5ing notes% and she pla#s harp- an#thing !rom

simple% melodi and beauti!ul stu? to ,lie Coltrane-st#le pla#ing$ ,nd the#both pla# great piano$ Their reordings are interesting and super inspiring$ Idon1t know how to desribe it$ Tom 3aits meets I don1t know what$2 - Omar

Talking about the ob*ious st#listi links between his guitarpla#ing and that o!Frank Qappa and 8ohn 'Laughlin$$$

2I de)nitel# lo*e those reords% too% but I alwa#s !orget to mention them$$$ustbeause m# biggest in&uenes ome !rom non-guitarists$ Tr#ing to sound likesomeone like Larr# 9arlow reall# helps push me to shape m# sound$ I1m ust!ond o! musi in general$ Salsa% dub and danehall are all huge in&uenes%

along with ountr#% !olk% pop musi and eletroni musi like +ihard 8ames,pheK Twin0 or +oni Si5e$ I lo*e e*er# !orm o! musi with the eKeption o! nu-metal$2 - Omar


44/59

3hen asked how muh he was in&uened b# the immigrant marhes !or,mputehture$$$

2It was an in&uene$ I was alwa#s think about things like wh#% in Cali!ornia% a loto! latin people like 'orrisse# I don1t understand the onnetion$ Then there isthe relation between 9aile Selassie and 8amaians I don1t understand wh#

beause 9aile Selassie wasn1t the new messiah% or 8im 8ones in =u#ana beingan in&uene to a ton o! blak people and to other people in San Franiso%partiularl#$ I wanted to eKperiment writing about the girl murdered in /oland%but through the e#es o! the Latin ommunit# in the US,$ Consider it like the)rst shot% a warning shot$ Now in the US,% espeiall# in Cali!ornia% a lot o! ubslike utting the grass% being a nann# or leaning houses are done b# Latinpeople$ This stor# is about something that is happening !ar awa# and has noreal onnetion to what is happening here% but the result is a mess% the kind o!re*olution that is gi*ing slowl#% that people don1t see it oming$ I! #ou le!t #ourkids with a nann#% she1s going to be an in&uene$ Those who ut the grass aregoing to plant things in #our house while #ou1re not at home$ I think it1s goingto result in an interesting )tion stor# when both parts are put together$ Seeing

this ra5# woman in /oland in&uening someone who is on the other side o! theworld and apparentl# has no onnetion seems like it makes no sense% but !orme it does$

Talking about ,mputehture$$$

23e reall# took in&uene !rom wathing old episodi T( shows like The TwilightQone% Night =aller# and Twin /eaks$ The idea was to ha*e all these di?erentstories on the reord that are onl# tied together b# the host% whih is us$2 -Omar

-+oots 'anu*a

-'ike 3att

-8esus Li5ard

28esus Li5ard1s singer% >a*id .ow% is a lassi eKample o! someone who is madand would be in a ps#hiatri hospital it wasn1t beause o! rok musi he is thepersoni)ation o! a shaman$ , shaman with good or bad energ#% he ompletel#

resripted the book on how to be a !rontman$ I think more kids need to see aband like 8esus Li5ard instead o! =ood Charlotte or '# Chemial +omane$

That1s not to be disrespet!ul to those bands% but it1s ust that are so shin# andpolished and punk rok is not shin# and polished - it1s sharp% !oul and sares#ou$2 - Cedri

-'agnolia


45/59

-+od Serling1s Night =aller#

6L,7E

2I had grown up with The +amones$ That was m# )rst intro into the punksene$$$ and The Clash and The 8am% beause I had an older brother$ who wasinto all o! o! that stu?$ 6ut I had not gotten into the earl#


46/59

>ireted b# Samuel Fuller 6@3% ;AB0

,dditional In!o: 6oth this )lm and the )lm abo*e it were ited in (isionsmaga5ine as importane in&uenes on ,mputehture$

-.oko Ono2E*er#bod# likes to sa# that she is guilt# !or the 6eatles end% but she ouldha*e made them bigger than their 3hite ,lbum and punk would ha*e been ogs$ 8ust beause the l#ris o! the song would be *er# appropriate !or theoasion$

Inter*iewer: Currentl# listening to


48/59

Omar: Can - 'onster 'o*ie

,ll-time !a*ourite album

Omar: Charlie /almieri - El =igante del Telado$

Thanks to C#brid !or this artile !rom L, 3eekl#$$$

Huote

=runge was essentiall# a onser*ati*e mo*ement% restoring rok @ roll to anidea o! what it sounded like be!ore getting orrupted b# marketing and o*er-prodution and lub musi$ Sublime% meanwhile% was something new%[ombining L$,$ post-punk with Latino musi% rap% reggae and Long 6eah sur!ulture$ It was a miKed bag% and what #ou thought o! it depended on what #ouwere looking !or$ ,s Ike# Owens% B;-#ear-old ke#board pla#er !or the 'ars (olta%

puts it%[The thing about Sublime is it1s all about #our perspeti*e$2

9is own perspeti*e was that o! a middle-lass blak kid !rom Lakewood% who)rst ame aross the band in ; at the Long 6eah reord store Fingerprints%when he piked up a )*e-song tape alled 28ah >on1t /a# the 6ills$2 For Owens%it was a musial awakening$ 2I1d ne*er heard an#thing like it%2 he sa#s$ [I was

ust out o! high shool% and I1d heard% like% one reggae album in m# li!e $ $ $ Ithink I owned Legend or something% but all those rh#thms were part o! how Ilearned how to understand how musi works$2

Owens started going to shows% and e*entuall# was in*ited to am with the bandat Nowell1s house% a !ew bloks down !rom Fingerprints$ 9e1d stumbled on asene where% as a blak kid !rom the suburbs% and as a musiian% he didn1t !eelout o! plae$ O*er the #ears he shared gigs with the band% and a!ter Nowell1sdeath% he pla#ed ke#boards !or the Long 6eah >ub ,ll-Stars% !ormed b# thesur*i*ing Sublime members$ E*en though the 'ars (olta sounds nothing likeSublime% Owens insists that G< O5$ to Freedom will be the C> he1ll be listeningto on the da# he dies% not onl# beause o! the musi% but beause o! what ite*okes$

[There was a time%2 eKplains Owens% [bak in the earl#


49/59

emo bands with bowl uts$ I was into that stu?% and I was made !un o! when Iwas in an emo band$ The artwork on 2'ammatus2 9ol# 'ountain0 is o*er-the-top >ungeons @ >ragons$ It1s a good plae to esape !or a ;G-#ear-old whene*er#one1s making !un o! #ou$ In m# high shool the 'eKian owbo#s% thehilangos and ranheros% didn1t like the punk rokers$ The stor# o! m# li!e is theChiano eKperiene personi)ed$ I! I speak m# *ersion o! Spanish in Spain% the#

laugh$ Same with 'eKio$ It1s an alien world to me$ This album !eels like the#let their !reak &ag and got o*er the rigid% politiall# orret rules aboutmusi$ It1s great to see musi that resembles something !rom Norwa# andembraes tongue-in-heek heesiness$2 - Cedri

-6ibio

2I reall# eno#ed 9and Cranked'ush0$ It[\]s !rom a new hip-hop label thatreminds me o! Stones Throw +eords$ It[\]s de)nitel# not #our a*erage hip-hop$ It pushes boundaries$ There1s no hip-hop on it$ It1s like the ambient side o!6rian Eno% S"uarepusher or airport musi$ It makes me sit down and stop what

I1m doing and listen$ It has a !eel o! the Eno song [In >ark Trees%2 D!rom,nother =reen 3orld whih ultimatel# reminds me o! 8erem# 3ard% who usedto be in our band and passed awa#$ It makes me think o! people in m# li!e whoare no longer here$ It1s like pa#ing respet% I guess$2 - Cedri

-Nik Ca*e

2I don1t know the gu#% but I !elt so proud that Nik Ca*e graduated !rom singerin a band who wrote some books to writing The /roposition >(>% Tartan (ideo0$

The mo*ie slams #ou$ It1s a modern ,ustralian spaghetti western$ .ou !eel likethe &ies are a main harater$ The# ne*er lea*e$ The#1re in e*er#one1s !ae and

e#es$ It1s like #our e#es are the amera$ The musi is great$ The stor# isheartbreaking$ I !elt like% 1+ight on% he1s doing it$ That1s m# dream$1 It1s a goodhistor# lesson$ It1s graphi but there1s no other wa# to tell it$ .ou an1t ha*e>isne# tell Caligula1s stor#$ Nik Ca*e is the grand!ather o! those broken taleso! !amil# gone wrong$ The ators are reall# great$2 - Cedri

-'oondog

2I )rst piked up an album !rom him based on the o*er$ I lo*e doing that$Sometimes #ou get stinkers% sometimes #ou get great ones$ 9e was dressedlike 'erlin$ I heard all these samples I1d heard on hip-hop reords$ It sounds like

'oondog or a sample0 on the last Common reord$ The (iking o! SiKth ,*enue9onest 8ons +eords0 throws #ou !or a loop$ 9e reminds me o! the gu# who ustdidn1t )t in$ The song [Enough ,bout 9uman +ightsM2 is great !or an# *egan or*egetarian$ The horus asks% 13hat about bear rights% what about eel rights1 Itsounds like Charlie 6rown singing behind the piano$ It1s almost Lawrene 3elk$I imagine little bubbles &oating in the air and m# grandmother listening to it$It1s outsider musi$2 - Cedri


50/59

-Feathers

2I hate alling an#thing a new mo*ement% but there seem to be all these'uppet-looking% o*er-the-top hippie musiians$ It looks like Feathers seludedthemsel*es in a !orest% ust one hair sh# o! Charles 'anson$ It sounds a littlelike 'anson$ There1s an episode o! 2The Twilight Qone2 where this girl is singing

a song about a gu# who1s going to be murdered$ The gu# is like% 1I lo*e thatsong% what1s it about1 Then he reali5es the l#ris are about him$ The songson2Feathers2 =nomonsong0 are spook#$ The#1re not #our a*erage new !olk$ Iskip the happier stu?% the sadder stu? alwa#s strikes a hord$ I need to listen tosomething like that a!ter I pla# to alm m#sel!$2 - Cedri

-The Three 6urials o! 'el"uiades Estrada

2=uillermo ,rriaga wrote [The Three 6urials o! 'el"uiades Estrada >(>% Son#/itures0$ 9e also wrote ; =rams and ,mores /erros$ 9e writes great stu?the# tend to be tearerkers$ This stor# is about an immigrant seeking

aeptane% not ust work or one !riend$ 9e lies that he has a !amil# ust to beaepted$ This mo*ie is the immigrant marhes and the protests personi)ed$3ho is an#one to sa# who doesn1t deser*e to ome to this ountr# I1m a mutt%we1re all mutts$ Immigrants !rom whate*er ou

in flue nci as mars volta

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