The first cut I heard by Sula Bassana (David Schmidt) was In Space, off of his ’09 platter, The Night. And I was…in space…Then I started to find out how much of that space Sula has already explored; I’m still only on the launch pad. From his involvement in multiple outfits, running Sulatron, producing, keeping Electric Moon orbiting, playing live and finding time to sleep, Sula is a force of nature with a reserve that is apparently as endless as the space he knows so well.
And is still exploring.
In Space :: Sula Bassana :: The Night (Sulatron, 2009)
Thanks for taking some time out to get us up to speed…and beyond. Can you give us a little background history straight from the source?
Sula: Oh, long story…I’ll tell a short version. I started in the mid 80’s with electronic music, playing synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines only. Did some gigs with projects, solo and made some cassette releases and some tracks on sampler LP/CDs. In the early 90’s I made a break and started playing bass in a new psychedelic-rock-band, called Liquid Visions (founded in late 1994). We released several albums and singles and gigged a lot. I started the space rock project Zone Six in late 1997, also with some albums and gigs. I made 2 records each with Weltraumstaunen and Psychedelic Monsterjam (Neumeier, Genrich, Schmidt), and played drums for some months in the band Growing Seeds. I spent some years in Austria, played in some bands (Interkosmos, Alice Dog) and started my label Sulatron Records. We also founded Electric Moon there, together with my girlfriend Komet Lulu (on bass), Pablo Carneval (from Interkosmos and The Blowing Lewinsky, on drums) and me on guitar. Last year we moved back to Germany and found Alex, who replaced Pablo in Electric Moon.
Who’s that sleeping in my bed? Todd Parker & the Witches … providing our bed this morning off the new EP,Ukulele Colored Glasses … psychedelic ukulele, mmmmmmmmmm, that’s nice, Max …
You can check out an interview Traveling Circle was kind enough to give us right here. Get the skinny on frozen fish … and much more … a fine body of men.
PART A:
Pollen—Pulsar—Pollen—CBS—1975
Something’s Missing—Zone Six—10 Years of Aural Psychedelic Journeys—Sulatron—2007
At the tail end of ’10 Traveling Circle flew in on the mystery wind and left Handmade House {Nasoni} on the doorstep. A big record with a big sound that is both thoroughly classicist and modern, it sounds, in the their words, like they’re “marching through a forest.” With sonics that move from power-trio punch to tinges of pastoral pop and prog to the thinner air, Handmade House follows one of the golden rules of construction: you must have a strong foundation to build on. And that they do by encompassing the fertile and opulent history that came before them and projecting it into the now and future. Traveling Circle keep the doors wide open, intent on improvement and movement over extreme makeover.
Traveling Circle took some time off from their sojourn to check in on Handmade House, the follow-up in the works, Bee Gees in their closet, pop charts on Alpha Centauri and freeze-dried fish. All the things that make a house a home …
Traveling Circle is Dylan Maiden (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Schultz (drums, percussion), Charlie Freeman (bass guitar, backing vocals). Photos courtesy of Alexandra Zorbas-Maiden.
Congratulations on Handmade House…a fantastic record. You guys just dropped out of the sky, at least to me…Can you do the obligatory background bit?
Dylan {DM}: Thanks. We’re pretty happy with this piece as a debut. After we fell from space as separate terrestrial bodies, we suddenly found ourselves at a party in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and naturally united through mutual friends. There was a positive vibe in the air and a general sentiment that we should bring our musical backgrounds together and try to see where our minds were here on earth in relationship to the place where we fell from in space.
Charlie {CF}: That night, I remember Dylan asking me if I was interested in making music that “sounds like we are marching through a forest.” That sounded great to me. I said “Yes, definitely!” I also ate freeze-dried fish for the first time.
Marching through a forest is a perfect fit. I’m stealing that … you can keep the fish, though. Unless you need your own Stacia: maybe I can do the Monty Python fish slapping dance on stage…Who brings what to the table, other than fish?
DM: I play guitar and sing lead vocals. Josh plays drums and percussive elements. Charlie plays bass, sings backing vocals, and also does piano on the song Eve Falls. Handmade House also includes cello arrangements by Yoed Nir and piano arrangements by Matt Abeysekera.
Josh {JS}: We actually managed to overlook crediting Charlie’s electric piano part for Eve Falls on the record which isn’t fair because I love the part! Charlie has a knack for coming up with the perfect parts.
CF: That part was played on a sweet Farfisa piano that Josh gave me. Thanks Josh!
Eve Falls :: Traveling Circle :: Handmade House {Nasoni, 2010}
How can I lose Wisdom Tooth one week, then compete with this:
“Featuring: Punk, KBD Punk, Hardcore, Garage Punk, D-Beat, Crust, Metal, Thrash, Crossover, Grind, Powerviolence, Black Metal, Chaotic Noise, and all types of illness.”
Gutter Satisfaction hits the air from 1 -3 a.m. tomorrow filling in the void left by my dearly departed Wisdom Tooth and BombRadio… we’ll never be the same. But we might get better {apologies to Wisdom Tooth …no disrespect intended}
Flame on.
But I’ll pick up that gauntlet. All kinds of goods in store this week … a new track from The Fierce & the Dead, salutes abound to Black History Month, and enough stuff to make Phil D. worried …
We’re going to try … Stellardrone, Phil Lynott, Ghost Box Orchestra, Meat Puppets, Wilson Pickett, Tadpoles, Ernie Isley, Traveling Circle, Jimi, Chamber Brothers, The Mystery Trend, Solaram, Trojan Horse … and … someone sit on this suitcase so I can close it …
The wealth of gems that winged their way through the Sunrise Ocean Bender this year was staggering {even more so to me, being only 6 months old …}. Picking a ‘top 10′ is a tough call and, to be fair, is … unfair. The bigger picture is the important thing, but you got to draw the line somewhere otherwise we’ll go on forever.
And we don’t want that.
Many thanks to valis for letting me spout off in such fine company … you can find valis’ full post here: Trip Inside This House.
More importantly, thanks to all the artists from all the years, past and future, for giving me endless reasons to keep spouting, listening and feelin’ alright.
These are just a few arrows shot into the ether that hit multiple targets, many of them more than once: subjective, personal and above all else, just an opinion … and in no particular order. Of course.
I assure you I got another 10 in my other pocket and a couple more in the ashtray …
Ghost Box Orchestra :: The Only Light On
A rich and moody debut from Boston’s Ghost Box Orchestra, straddling big ‘Western Sky’ psych and rural art/post-rock workouts. Putting that peanut butter in that chocolate gives GBO, and us, the best of both worlds. Instead of relying solely on an often sorely overused cavernous sound and avoiding the sometimes trap of post-rock rigidity, GBO drop a unique calling card that can satisfy more than one jones.
The Only Light On :: Ghost Box Orchestra :: The Only Light On {Apollo Audio}
Todd Parker & the Witches :: Greetings from the Star Chamber
I’m an unabashed Tadpoles champion. As much as this was certainly a personal achievement for Parker, it was a personal kick for me. Not Tadpoles 2.0 by any means, GFTSC almost inverts Parker’s and ‘poles’ influences to create a solo platter that extends the ‘poles legacy as much as sheds new light on it … all the time being very much a “solo” record. Throw in the supplemental Star Club E.P. and you’ve got an outing running the gamut from psych-rock to pop to electronica tinged workouts and beyond.
"This show is 110% … one of the most consistently awesome programs we have come across."
The Sunrise Ocean Bender sets sail every Monday morning, 1 – 3 a.m. on WRIR lp 97.3 FM, to find something for your ears, and something for your head … From psych to prog to pop and whatever tributary we can find on the way … and right back around again. There might be a map, but the destination is up for grabs. If it all goes right, we may just get lost. Meet me at the muster station … it might be a long week.
Geiger Counter/Radioactivity ≈ Kraftwerk ≈ Radio-Activity ≈ EMI ≈ 1975
How can I lose Wisdom Tooth one week, then compete with this:
