5 Questions with Rags #10 - Chuck Robertson (of the Mad Caddies)

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Confession: Second-wave ska music kind of makes me insane. I want to like it, I really do. Everyone involved with it seems pretty cool and people in the crowds are always jovial and peaceful, but man, something about it makes me want to punch someone in the face. And as a guy who’ll have a big puff and listen to Run the Jewels with no inclination to punch another face, this is really saying something. A couple of years ago the Mad Caddies, a band with 20 years under their belts and a total of zero listens from your truly, headlined the Victoria Ska Fest (the greatest music week on the Victoria calendar) and I was more than pleasantly surprised with what I saw. These cats rock and burn, throwing every genre scrap they can into their “ska” and making something honest and uniquely theirs. The good homey and frontman Chuck was super cool to oblige me with some time while he was waiting for his California hotel room to be ready.

1. What was the first album you went to buy with your own money?

It was at a place called Records, Etc. I think by the time I started shopping there at age 7 or 8 they still had records, but they definitely mostly had cassettes, rock ‘n’ roll posters and posters of Ferraris and stuff. The first tape I bought was Billy Idol’s Vital Idol, if you can believe it. <laugh> That was the first tape I bought with my own lawn-mowing money. After that it was all Guns ‘n’ Roses, Metallica, Poison, lots of glam rock.

Do you still listen to any of that stuff?

Well, a lot of that glam rock didn’t really stand up to the test of time except for Guns ‘n’ Roses and a few Motley Crue tunes.

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5 Questions with Rags #9 - DJ Dubconscious

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If you've been around electronic music in BC for any length of time or if you've made the trek to the EDM-mecca that is Shambhala, you're probably at least passingly familiar with the name Dubconscious. Dude makes some tasty, reggae-based music that never fails to energize and dose the listener with positivity. He's a fixture on the Living Room Stage at Shambhala, the chillest zone at the festival. He had been on my radar for the 5 Questions for a little while now and when he got me confused on ye olde Facebook with another person who goes by "Rags" (WTF?!), I took the opportunity to test his interest and BOOM! It happened.

Catch the good homey Dubconscious playing with Moontricks in Vancouver on Friday, Jan.23 at the Electric Owl at the monthly "Kootenay Time" show. Check the FB page for the show info.

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1. If the world was about to end and you go to anywhere in the world and grab one piece of culture what would you grab? And you can’t say the Internet, because a couple people have done that and I’ve closed that loophole…

I would say soundsystem culture and Jamaican reggae heritage. Soundclashes, vintage reggae, 45s, deejaying and toasting and roots reggae. That’s kind of the one thing that comes to mind.

If you could only take one guy’s Soundsystem who would you poach it from?

If I was going to cover all my bases and it was only going to be one it would be David Rodigan. He’s been huge in reggae/dancehall  for a long time but now he’s kind of adjusted with the times and keep himself updated, rolling with Chase Status and Shy FX and that stuff. So I think that would be my #1.

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5 Questions with Rags #8 - Timothy Wisdom

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I found Timothy Wisdom's tunes through my (Kinda-sorta brief) obsession with Ghetto Funk that started after my first Shambhala festival. A strict adherent to the Temple of Funk and Groove, Wisdom's tunes are instantly accessible for the non-EDM initiated and the consistently pleasing (From what I'm told by people who know more than me) to those already initiated. A Vancouver homey reppin' our beloved West Coast of BC, he was super cool to talk with and I'm looking forward to some delicious golden potatoes in the future...

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1. What’s the first record you remember going out to buy with your own money?

That would probably be a K-TEL anthonolgy of some sort. “Hit News” I think it was called, maybe. It was a K-TEL record with Michael Jackson, Pat Benatar and Cindi Lauper on it.

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5 Questions with Rags #6 - Tayo Branston (Five Alarm Funk)

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Five Alarm Funk is one of the greatest bands in the world. There's really no doubt it, at least for those who have seen them live. Doug Benson may have (sub)titled his last comedy record "Forced Fun," but there's no doubt in my mind that the term was invented for these cats. In the middle of their fury is lead-guy and Animal's brother, Tayo Brantson. Guy is a fucking machine, seriously. I get tired just watching him at their shows. He also talks and sends emails with the same enthusiasm. I've had the pleasure of talking to him a few times and this time was no less pleasurable.

1. The first record you remember going out to buy with your own money – what was it? How old were you?

<laughs> It was probably…I think it was 2 Legit 2 Quit by MC Hammer. I must have been 6 or 7 or something like that. That’s the first thing that pops into my mind.

And when is the last time you listened to MC Hammer?

You know what? It wasn’t that long ago. <laughs> We pumped, uhhh, that song…”Can’t Touch This,” we pumped that coming home from Seattle like a year and a half ago and it was just awful! Like, what the hell is this? It’s just so funny, almost comical in a way.

It’s amazing to think how many millions of homes that record was in.

It is amazing, right? But I mean, kudos to Hammer. He’s got the pants and that dance. Man, it’s sweet.

Those pants are timeless. That song might age poorly but those pants are timeless.

Yeah, I know. And for the life of me I can’t find a sweet pair of Hammer Pants anywhere.

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5 Questions with Rags #5 - Daniel Rotman

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I met photographer and generally aware dude Daniel Rotman through a mutual friend when we all went to see the mighty Krafty Kuts. We didn't get to talk much, because obviously we were busy dancing. But through the power of Facebook, post-Krafty, we managed to keep some sort of tenuous semblance of a friendship, exchanging ideas and whatnot. Daniel is one of the most forward-thinking cats I know and from what I've seen on his rapidly-expanding portfolio, a fine photographer. (Hopefully we get an online showcase soon so everyone can see.) I was stoked that he was willing to take from his busy schedule of trying to save the planet, starting with Vancouver, with his start-up non-profit West End Cycle. Check out and follow the TWITTER.

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 1. What’s the first album you bought with your own money and how old were you?

It’s either the Offspring, I was 10 or 11. It was, I think, the x-ray of a chest on it…Smash. It was that on tape. It was either that or Dance Mix ’93, also on tape.

Dance Mix 93?! What tracks do you remember from fucking Dance Mix 93?

I remember it all. I used to listen to that tape over and over. I think the highlight that jumps to mind is the KLF’s “3 A.M. Eternal.” I still listened to that tape in my mom’s mini-van well-through high school. It definitely helped me appreciate techno in the way that I do.

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