5 Questions with Rags #60 - 2018 Kickoff Spectacular with Jim Vanderhorst (Rebel Cause Films)

January 03, 2018 by Blake Morneau in 5 Questions With Rags

A funny thing happened at Tall Tree this year. I was asked by no less than three separate people if I knew Jim from Rebel Cause Films. (The mighty Everyman was effusive in his praise of the good Mr. Vanderhorst.) Apparently, because I like bass music and live in Victoria, I MUST be know and work with Jim. I didn't know who he was, but I was familiar with some of his work – as is pretty much anyone on the west coast who digs bass music and/or attends festivals and parties fuelled by such music. His work capturing the diverse beauty of musical audiences is, frankly, unparalleled. Turns out he's one hell of an interesting cat as well. I figured someone so entrenched in this community that I think I'm becoming a viable part of (?), a guy who has so much experience and so many stories, would be the perfect homie to kick off 2018. So, in an effort to blast off another year of 5 Questions with Rags in style, I dug up a large portion of the guest questions that got asked over the last year and let this incredibly interesting human being tear through them like some kind of fascinating buzzsaw.

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1. Colin from Pigeon Hole – What's the most vegetable and why?

Potatoes because to take the amount of time needed to describe everything you can do with potatoes would feel like like the shrimp montage from Forrest Gump. There are just so many things you can with potatoes...scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, baked potatoes... Potatoes are so goddamned versatile that when there were no potatoes, Ireland collapsed and turned into a joke for hundreds of years.

2. Jennay Badger...What's your go-to album for a good cry/emotional cleaning out?

I would say my go-to is probably Underdogs by Matthew Good Band.

3. Mike Love...What will you do now, to make the world a little better?

I really want to help spread the message that fear doesn't help anyone. I want to figure out ways to help people move beyond listening to fear. I want to make narrative feature films and I want them to share the basic theme of overcoming fear. Fear of useless, of lack of value. Fear is what we needed to save us from jungle cats when we were primitive stone-age animals. Now fear only drives us to bad decisions.

CHUURCH: Building a base with Lean Bass.

September 22, 2017 by Blake Morneau in Interviews

Chuurch has established themselves as one of the most forward-thinking acts in the ever-expanding world of bass music, playing massive numbers of shows and festivals around North America, winning over new fans (UUnion Members, as they've been appropriately dubbed) wherever they lay their beats. As the influence of religious institutions wanes as time goes by, and people find new places to commune, Chuurch may be one of the most aptly named acts in music right now. Their signature 'Lean Bass' is a yin-yang of dark/moody and fun/groovy. Chuurch's is a sound that bridges those gaps between light and dark, welcoming all listeners from wherever they may come from.

“I'm a hip-hop producer, I've produced for Snak the Ripper and a bunch of other cats, and Jeff's (Aka EviCtion) classically trained, he has a degree in jazz theory but he makes electronic music. That's the preface of how it starts. We get into the same room and we really just don't stop,” recalls Justin (aka Makemdef), of the genesis of Chuurch. “We lived in the same house for two years and a bit. We just moved out of there this summer. We went through a lot but the one thing we did was just make beats all the time. All the time. All the time. It's crazy. We had the cops at our house so many times from noise complaints,” he says with a laugh, as he's readying to board a bus for a 15 hour ride to drop the grooves to the UUnion in and around the West Coast. “I figure in a year or 40 down the road, I'll be looking back at this laughing about those first 15 hour bus rides just to make it work. It's gotta go into the book, for sure.”

Those years of living together, amassing a huge backlog of music and learning to work relentlessly with each is starting to pay off in spades, as the duo are always showing up to wherever they are called with new music, new sounds for the ever-hungry ears and hips of dance-floor goers. “We really love making beats. We have a new beat for every different festival, for every new show we played. We just walk around and think, 'What's the crowd like? Who are we playing for?' Whether it's East Coast, California, wherever it was, what kind of beat do we want to make? We just manifest it, just conjure it up. That's why we have so many beats. We just get carried away. We're both really hungry. We're both complete polar opposites in every spectrum with a similar goal and common denominator.”

Whatever differences the duo may have are entirely irrelevant as the two have found a musical synergy that eludes many throughout their travels. “At FozzyFest, I walk into the green room at the stage and Jeff is sitting there, first time I've seen him in over a month, and he doesn't even say 'Hi.' He just looks up with his headphones on, at his laptop, and just waves me over and hands me the headphones. He had taken the stuff I had sent him from point A to point B. We were working on this song right off the bat seeing each other. We exported it 18 minutes before we started and it was the first song of our set,” Justin drops with a casualness that belies the incredible musical feat he just described.

It's that respect for the art and dedication to new ideas – as well as just being really fucking good at making music – that is helping Chuurch build a strong, dedicated fanbase. “Me and him just do what we do 100%, same as you do what you do 100%. Same as of all of the people involved in making this whole scene economically sensible. That's what it takes, is ninjas. There's no small part to it when it comes to contributing to this. That's what it's all about. You can totally remind someone having a shitty day that it's all good, just those simple gestures, offering your own personal gifts. A person can just take it and run with it. That's what it's all about – building each other up so we can keep building the culture up.”

Keep up with all things CHUURCH over at their Facebook page and the UUnion Fanpage.

PRESS RELEASE FROM PERFECT DRIVER By this time you may have heard a thing or two about the Calgary based duo, for instance, their Perfect Driver Podcast which was comprised 100% of their original material rated #1 on our list shortly after release. If you're not familiar, meet them now and know that they have us very excited with their official debut EP, aptly titled, Chuurch. I. Introduced to the guys via Flinch, I was given a large download package of unreleased original music. I opened it and was blown away by the quality and sheer quantity of tunes at my fingertips. Speaking with them on the phone a few days later I was equally pleased with their drive and attention to detail concerning the project. We both agreed to do something big together. Here it is! The 5 track selection lead by 'Let Me See Them Wrists' explores a wide gamut of house and bass music showcasing production versatility and floor-knowledge. You'll find something here that fits the club and festivals alike. Remaining mysterious and somewhat dark, one thing is sure. They know how to produce good records, and from my experience are loyal, humble dudes. Who could ask for anything more. Stay tuned for more Chuurch and tweet us if you're playing the tracks! Matthew Anthony Follow Chuurch Web - Chuurch.com Soundcloud - @chuurch Facebook - www.facebook.com/ChuurchMusic/ Twitter - twitter.com/chuurchmusic Instagram - www.instagram.com/chuurchmusic/ Follow Perfect Driver Music: Instagram - www.instagram.com/perfect_driver/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/PerfectDriverMusic Twitter - twitter.com/perfect_driver YouTube www.youtube.com/user/perfectdrivermusic Spotify play.spotify.com/user/perfectdrivermusic

5 Questions with Rags #48 - Steve Raskin of Fort Knox Five

April 08, 2017 by Blake Morneau in 5 Questions With Rags

I've written extensively about the effect Fort Knox Five has had on my listening habits. (Here and here and here and here.) One of my entry points into electronic music, FK5 remains a staple of my listening diet to this day. Their Funk the World series is an endless stream of funky greatness. Their albums and remixes are always relentlessly funky and instantly accessible. When I start to get sucked into the world of ultra-heavy, mostly-dark bass music, Fort Knox Five is right there to lighten things, splash some colour into my ears and get me back to the roots of Funk. In all this time pouring their music into my ears, writing about and even interview FK5, Steve Raskin has escaped me. I finally managed to catch up with him at home in DC during a brief break before he's back out into the world, back to my beloved Canadian West Coast - Including two HUGE shows in Vancouver on 4/14 with Shambhala vets Spiltmilk and Hoola at FIVESIXTY, then a funky-skunky 4/20 party in Victoria at Distrikt.

1. Do you remember the first album you bought with your own money?

The fist album I bought with my own money was the soundtrack to The Beatles' Yellow Submarine. I remember being fascinated with all the psychedelic imagery and singable songs that I still listen to.

2. If you could spend the day with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?

I would have killed to have been able to spend a day with David Bowie. Pretty sure I would have just nodded my head and not said a word no matter what we were doing!

3. What's your most positive memory of a school teacher growing up?

My grandmother was an art teacher and convinced me at an early age that you can do art for a living… Blew my little mind!

4. When is the last time you did something for the first time?

This year I tried Yoga for the first time. For real...

5. I always get a guest question from the last answerer, but today you get two! The first one is from Dan aka FxFarmer of Funkanomics... What means LOVE to you?

Love the wording of this question from one of the funkiest Germans I know….

LOVE - colours everything you do - the good and the bad - taking you to high highs and low lows - and always worth the journey

6. The second guest question is from the actual last answerer of the questions...Singer/songwriter/ruffian B.A. Johnston asks.... Which 80s wrestler best describes your sound?

Andre the Giant - because he’s larger than life!

"Don't Go feat. Joe Quarterman" by Fort Knox Five FKX094 - Fort Knox Recordings http://www.fortknoxfive.com Worldwide Release on Friday May 6th, 2016 - the day before the third annual Funk Parade in Washington, DC on Saturday May 7th, 2016: http://www.funkparade.com Available now: https://fortknox.bandcamp.com/album/dont-go-ft-joe-quarterman http://www.junodownload.com/products/fort-knox-five-dont-go/3093325-02/ https://pro.beatport.com/release/dont-go-feat-joe-quarterman/1748783 https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/dont-go-single/id1104824937?mt=1&app=music

Upon doing a bit more reading after his interview, I realized that Raskin is also part of THUNDERBALL! Don't know how that one slipped by me, but either way, listen to this fresh Thunderball track!

"Stereo Tonic" by Thunderball vocal stabs by Akil Dasan sitar by Rob Myers scratches by Niv

5 Questions with Rags #24 - Hawksley Workman

September 24, 2015 by Blake Morneau in 5 Questions With Rags

Hawksley Workman is the most interesting man in Canadian music. Now 16 albums deep (Not counting his various side-projects and producer credits), Workman continues to impress with his willingness to follow his muse wherever it takes him. You genuinely never know what you’re going to get when you pick up a Hawksley Workman record and that’s an exciting feeling. His latest, Old Cheetah, his first solo record in 5 years (Not counting the companion album to his one-man show The God that Comes) is another wholly different beast – one awash in bright synths and bouncy pop rhythms. Songs like “Make Up Your Mind Tonight” and “Teenage Cats” will bury their way into your brain and have you singing refrains under the cover of breath all day into dreamtime. “We’re Not Broken Yet” glides through the cosmos fuelled by frustrated wonder, floating on supple piano. With a voice stronger and more evocative than ever and lyrics to match, it’s another more-than-solid outing and one of the finest records we’ve been blessed with this year. I was lucky enough to get a few moments of the good Hawk’s time and get some answers to our silly questions as he prepares to take to the Canadian road on his Winter Bird Tour.

Full tour dates can be found HERE on his site.

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1. Do you remember the first album you bought with your own money?

I don't really remember the first one. My house was full of music and records, so it's a little blurry. I remember convincing my grandma to buy me the Best of Blondie...

2. If you could spend the day with anyone living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?

Probably my Grandma Hawksley. We'd probably go to Swiss Chalet.

5 Questions with Rags #14 - Chali 2na

March 10, 2015 by Blake Morneau in 5 Questions With Rags

Chali 2na is a hip-hop renaissance man. His artistic output is constant and while it varies many platforms, the quality never does. When you see the 2na name attached to something you know it’s going to be honest, vital and full of passion…which is pretty much all you need from good art. With so many years in the game, the Verbal Herman Munster is a pillar of Hip-Hop culture. He has murals displayed all over the world, is a founding member of both Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, and continues to release top-shelf hip-hop under his own moniker. Always a pleasure to talk to, full of laughs and insight, Chali was one of the reasons I started to truly love hip-hop nearly two-decades ago and I couldn’t be more stoked or feel more privileged to get some more time with the man. Enjoy our latest, and possibly greatest, chat. Props to the Verbal Dinosaur, Hip-Hop royalty, Chali 2na.

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1. Do you remember the first album you bought with you own money?

Yep. It wasn’t an album, it was a single. It was called “Hey You” by the Rocksteady Crew. I bought it not because I liked the song, Crazy Legs and them might hate me right now, but I didn’t really like the song, but I’m a graffiti artist at heart and the cover of the album was drawn by one of the Rocksteady Crew members named Doze. Doze is helluva graffiti writer and he did characters of each member on the cover. I was in love with and I was like, “Damn, I wanna learn to draw things like that!” So I bought the album and that was the first purchase I made. I had to save up to get it. Then next one I got was “Renegades of Funk.” Once again I saw the cover before I heard the song and thought, “Oooh! This is amazing, I want this!” When I heard the song I was like, “Oh yeah, I’m really getting this on. This is crazy.”