domingo, 24 de setembro de 2017

The Big Saturday Illusion with Furry Things - An Interview


Momento de prestar contas e reverência nas páginas do TBTCI.

Lá nos distantes distantes 90´s, em Austin, Texas, nasceu uma banda que durou pouco tempo, gravou um álbum absolutamente sensacional, intitulado, "The Big Saturday Illusion", mais precisamente em 1995, e ainda finalizaria sua curta trajetória com "Moments Aways" de 1998. Esta banda soltou sua obra prima via Trace Syndicate Records, mesma gravadora dos heróis do Texas, os Butthole Surfers.

Este pequeno clássico perdido atende pelo nome de Furry Things, e seria algo como a colisão entre o Medicine e o Dinosaur Jr. potencializado por experimentações eletrônicas.

Resumindo a história, seu criador e co fundador, Mr Kenneth James Gibson, após o precoce término do Furry Things se aventurou junto com Brian McBride do cultuado Stars Of The Lid, banda da Kranky Records e criaram o Bell Gardens, altamente hipnótico, freak e experimental.

E a vida continua para Mr Kenneth, muito em breve um novo trabalho solo virá ao mundo atráves de sua gravadora, a Adjunct Audio, e assim aguardemos os novos capítulos dessa saga.

Mas uma coisa deve ficar clara e transparente, escutar a pequena obra prima "The Big Saturday Illusion" nos dias de hoje tem o mesmo frescor de quando o ouvi lá em 1995.

Para discos como este, a reverência precisa ser eterna.

***** Interview with Furry Things (Kenneth James Gibson) ******



Q. Tell us the story of Furry Things. how it all began
Furry Things began when myself and Cathy Shive, the bass player / singer, started messing with songs on 4-track in my living room in Austin , Tx. We sent out like 2 or 3 demos and got response from 2 labels in Austin, one being King Coffee's (Of Butthole Surfers) label Trance Syndicate and the other being Rise Records. Then we filled out the band with drummer Charlie Woodburn and soon after keyboardist Vance Freeman then finally settling on keyboardist Chris Michaels and the rest is history.

Q: Who are your influences?
That's a large question. I’m influenced by all sorts of music from psychedelic pop to old country to deep house and dub to experimental electronics and everything in between. Biggest influences for Furry Things was clearly bands like Dinosaur Jr., The Beach Boys, My Bloody Valentine, Medicine, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Summer Hits, and so on. You can also find some dub vibes like King Tubby and electronic influences on a bunch of the stuff.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
5?! I’m a Libra so that's always hard!….I probably have 500 favorite records of all time.
Ill give ya 20 off the top of my head to be fair….in no specific order…

White Noise - An Electric Storm
Grateful Dead - From A Mars Hotel
King Tubby - um…everything….
Beach Boys - Surf’s Up
Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats
Brian Eno - Music For Airports
Townes Van Zandt - For The Sake Of The Song
Phuture - Acid Tracks
Miles Davis - Dark Magus
The Flying Burrito Brothers - Gilded Palace Of Sin
Arvo Pärt ‎– Alina
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Dr. L. Subramaniam ‎– Incredible Maestro
Mad Professor - Dub Me Crazy!! (the first one, but all are amazing)
Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
The Orb - Orbus Terrarum
Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription
Merle Haggard Everything. (Too many greats to name one!)

Q. How were the shows of Furry Things?What´s the feeling?
Chaotic as hell. LOUD. Noisy. fun. some have said scary.

Q. How do you describe Furry Things sounds?
Noisy pop music. Lots of feedback.

Q: A Big Saturday Illusion was released 22 years ago and still sounding fresh nowadays, what is your opinion about the album? what your favorite song?
mmm….well first thing that comes to mind when i hear it is how lousy the vocals sound! but i do still enjoy it…i put it on every few years and check it out. My fave tunes are probably "Piled High”, “Still California” or “The Statement”… but “Nothing From Zero” was the most fun live.


Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
I like the 2 Morgan Dealt records quite a bit.

Q. Why the band broke up?
I speak for myself, but I think we were young and dumb and a little crazy… and new to LA - It swallowed use up. Not much can prepare you for being in your early 20’s in the LA music scene.

Q. About Bell Gardens, tell us when it began?
Bell Gardens is a collaboration between myself and Brian McBride (Stars Of The Lid) and it began in 2008 or so… although we talked about it for a few years before that. The original idea was to make the “saddest music possible”. There's still room to grow with that.

Q. How do you define Bell Gardens sound?
I can’t remember who it was, but a magazine called the music "an enchanting easy-listening/ country/ psych-folk/ dream-pop experience awash with regal orchestration and sweet, breathy harmonies" and I think that works quite well! We’ll go with that for now.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
I just finished my next ambient album which will come out next year. Some new releases on Adjunct Audio soon. Lots of other stuff in the works… I’ll let the future sort it out though.

Q: Any parting words?
Be kind.

http://www.worldofkennethjamesgibson.com/
http://bellgardensmusic.com/
http://adjunctaudio.com/artists/
https://m.facebook.com/apendics.shuffle/
http://adjunctaudio.com
https://m.facebook.com/KennethJamesGibsonSounds/
https://www.facebook.com/FurryThingsBand/
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Thanks