'Take Your Chances' Video (2009) The Black Seeds

Interview with The Black Seeds

Interview by Chad Hillje
Editing by Kyle Hillje
Photography by Mark Franzen

DRS: We are at The Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado once again and we’re sitting with guitarist and lead vocalist of The Black Seeds, Barnaby Weir. How are you doin’ tonight buddy?
Barnaby: Doin’ good and feeling good. I love it!
DRS: It’s good to have you guys here in Boulder, Colorado. We heard that you guys had a little bit of a rough time getting your visas approved. Now that your tour has started, how was Canada and how has the start of your tour been so far?
Barnaby: Yeah we did have some issues getting into the states and missed a couple stops on the tour, such as the Vancouver show, but we re-scheduled the show for the Monday night and it went well. So, that was good. We arrived in Victoria and then went to Oakland and to L.A., and one of the nights on our stop, we played with Fishbone. We were pretty stoked to play with them and now we are here so it’s all good man.
DRS: We’re glad you made it! You guys have a great funk/reggae sound. What influences your guys’ sound?
Barnaby: I’d have to say all American music. English music as well as Jamaican music influences us. You have to realize that music is influenced by many cultures all over the world. Down in New Zealand, we get a lot of American media, so we are influenced highly by a lot of American soul such as Al Green, Otis Redding and Ray Charles. We are not trying to copy them; we are just influenced by them the same way we are influenced by Jamaican music. We are highly inspired by all kinds of music from different countries, but American and Jamaican music is what really inspires The Black Seeds.
DRS: You guys inspire a lot of Americans as well. In October of 2009, you guys released your live album/dvd which was only released in New Zealand and Australia. Are you guys planning on releasing it in the United States anytime soon?
Barnaby: We would absolutely love to. From the states you can find it online and iTunes sells it as well. You can also go onto our website “theblackseeds.com” and at the moment, we have a free five track download. All you need to do is give your e-mail and you can check out a remix of “slingshot” done by a dubstep producer by the name of Truth. We would like to make our stuff as accessible as possible for everybody in the U.S.
DRS: Tell us a little bit about Surgery Studios back home in New Zealand.
Barnaby: Surgery Studios is not the average studio. It’s not flashy and it’s like a warehouse really. When I was almost 19, I got a student loan to go to a University in Wellington and I spent it on recording at a place called “Original Music Workshop” which is now “Surgery”. It doesn’t look very professional but when you’re there with a bunch of other musicians, you get the feel of intimacy with the place. We like to make it affordable for musicians to record at “The Surgery”.
DRS: Is it the same studio that “Flight of the Choncords” recorded at as well?
Barnaby: They did do some recording there. They did some recording in America in L.A. as well. That band is awesome. They are our mates! We have known each other for a long time and Bret McKenzie was actually a member of the Black Seeds from it’s inception for about six years.
DRS: Is it true that your 2008 album release “Into the Dojo” was given the name due to the fact that “Surgery Studio” used to be a karate dojo?
Barnaby: Wow, you have done your research! (Laughs) As I said, “Original Music Workshop” was a part of it, but back 15 years ago, it was a karate dojo, and that’s where The Black Seeds practiced down the hall from the studio.
DRS: That’s cool to know that little piece of insight about you guys. Your fans want to know what kind of music you listen to. If we found your iPod, what would be on there?
Barnaby: The first one would be AC/DC for sure! I also like the Beetles, and as far as American influence is concerned, I really like Jimmy Hendrix. You would also see Fat Freddy’s Drop on there. They are a great dub/reggae band from Wellington and you should check them out if you have not already. I really like KRS-One, N.E.R.D, Dr.Dre, Outkast, Run DMC, De La Soul, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy as far as the hip-hop genre is concerned. I mix it up!
DRS: Barnaby thanks so much for your time! We love your music and keep it coming.
Barnaby: Dub Rock Syndicate! BIG UP! Thanks for listening to some kiwi tunes and I’d like to thank Katchafire for playing with us. Your readers can check us out at theblackseeds.com and get a free 5 track download that also includes some unreleased stuff.

SEE-I ANNOUNCE COLORADO TOUR

DC Band Featuring Members of Thievery Corporation in CO August 6-8

See-I have three shows coming up in Colorado, including first ever performances in Denver and Aspen. Six of the eight band members are also part of the internationally renowned group Thievery Corporation.

See-I plays a unique blend of classic roots reggae, mixed with funk and soul. The Washington, DC-based octet has become one of the east coast's premier party bands because they know how to keep people dancing all night with a smile on their face.

A weekly Wednesday night residency at DC's prestigious Eighteenth Street Lounge has given See-I the opportunity to perfect their performance. They've created a fresh sound that's become popular at ski resorts, beach towns, and concert halls alike.

"Enter Zeebo and Rootz, two Rastafarian brothers who provide the rude boy vocal snippets...Their music is as eclectic, stylish, charismatic, genial, witty, sophisticated and worldly as they are." - High Times

Tour Dates
Aug 04 - Washington, DC - Eighteenth Street Lounge
Aug 06 - Denver, CO - Cervantes' Other Side Info
Aug 07 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen Info
Aug 08 - Durango, CO - Abbey Theatre Info
Aug 14 - Baltimore, MD - Power Plant Live
Aug 22 - Atlantic City, NJ - Bally's Atlantic City
Sept 05 - Montauk, NY - Surf Lodge

Interview with Tatanka

Interview by Chad Hillje
Editor – Kyle Hillje
Photography – Mark Franzen

Tatanka has seen recent success playing alongside acts such as Passafire, Katchafire and the Black Seeds to name a few. We caught up with the up and coming kings of “dubtronic” after their set at the Fox Theatre in Boulder on July 15th 2010 and this is what they had to say. Enjoy!

DRS- Amazing set tonight guys. You really set the stage for Katchafire and The Black Seeds! How you guys feelin’?
Tatanka- We’re good Chad. How you feelin’?
DRS- Another beautiful night at the Fox Theatre in Boulder! You guys played last night at Cervantez Masterpiece Ballroom with the Black Seeds and tonight you guys are here at the Fox with Katchafire and the Black Seeds. How has the last couple nights treated you guys?
Tatanka- The last couple of nights have been very nice to us. Denver came out and rocked with us really hard on Wednesday night and Boulder was an incredible show and well worth it and we give it a 9.5 out of 10!
DRS- You guys have been around for a couple of years now. How did Tatanka come about?
Tatanka- (ChampIan)-Wow that’s a long story man (laughs). (The Mexico)- I was walking to class and I seen Ian. I had seen him the night before at The Expendables show here in Boulder and recognized him and said, lets go burn one and that’s pretty much how it started. (Malonestarr)- I moved back from Vermont after graduating college and I was hittin’ up all these weirdo’s on craigslist and you would not believe what type of people are on there, It’s crazy. I ended up finding the only post in regards to reggae and thought that this has got to be cool. So, I replied and got a call from Ian. Him and I met everyone at his house and we banged it out.
DRS- Awesome! Not only can you get hookers on Craigslist but you can also get a band mate.
Tatanka- Trust in Craig! (Laughs)
DRS- You guys have some pretty awesome names. Details?
Tatanka- (Malonestarr)-My last name is Malony and that’s an interpretation of all sorts of nicknames such as Bologna, Ba-logue-nuh and Malony-head. I get spaced sometimes and I feel like I’m in space when I play music and that’s where the “Starr” comes from. I also like Malone-ranger. (The Mexico)- It started back in high school by this kid Luke Van Leary and I’m Mexican, my names Mike and not much more to say. (ChampIan)- My life off of stage and on stage are completely different so it’s an entity that I can be and express myself through different than my normal self. It’s ChampIan now and might be something later, ya know? For right now, I feel like the champ, like we are fighting, like this is what we gotta do and we’re gonna do it. Not much more than that.
DRS- You guys used about 30 minutes for your EP “Sounds In Technicolor” therefore, there must be more music on the way. Can your fans look forward to an album soon?
Tatanka- You can never rush greatness. The album might come out in a year, it might come out in two years, or it might come out in three months. We will definitely let our fans know. As of now, we have a few things we are working on like getting out on the road.
DRS- Excellent. We will definitely do our part and let the DRS fans know when you guys are ready. You guys are becoming quite the staple in the dubtronica sound. Have you guys given it some thought about teaming up with electronica dj’s and producers to create some songs or do some remixes of your songs?
Tatanka- A lot of dj’s like certain recordings a certain way and we will probably produce some tracks and mix them down. Also when we play in Denver we like to bring our dj by the name of dj Del Rio. He always brings the proper sounds after we are done and before we play. It’s just a matter of time before we all start mixing and doin’ one thing.
DRS- You guys played in Austin last spring at ATX Wildfire. How was that for you guys?
Tatanka- It was a blast! We bunked with the Silver Surfer dudes for like four days and we were on the floor. There were way too many dudes but it was fun. The Episode Phive and Music Bailout guys were really cool too.
DRS- Sounds wild. You guys have both an electronic and reggae feel to your sound. Who influences your unique sound?
Tatanka- (Malonestarr)- Lately I have been listening to a lot of that dubstep that is from the U.K like Skream and Benga. (The Mexico)- Same thing man, all of that new dubstep shit. Ian has shown me a lot of new bands like Fat Freddy’s Drop and The Black Seeds. (ChampIan)- I really enjoy John Brown’s Body. I have always thought that those guys bring it really hard. They are the ones that really inspired me to do this kind of stuff. The Black Seeds are really good. I like how they bring the funk. I like Fat Freddy’s Drop and anything that comes in with a fat bass line and a heavy punch. That’s when I’m like, thank you!
DRS- Thanks for your time guys! Are there any last comments you want to share with your fans?
Tatanka- You guys can pick up our E.P for free at tatankadub.bandcamp.com and make sure you check out our weekly schedule and come out and see us!

NEW PASSAFIRE ALBUM!

PASSAFIRE's new live album ‎"LIVE FROM THE ROAD VOL. 1" is officially being released tomorrow! Starting at midnight tonight, the new live album from PASSAFIRE will be available exclusively at iTunes music store. Get it!

Interview with Mishka

Interview by Chad Hillje
Editor - Kyle Hillje
Photographer - Mark Franzen

On tour promoting his latest release “Talk About”, Dub Rock Syndicate caught up with Mishka after his phenomenal performance at the Bluebird Theatre in Denver, Colorado.
Enjoy!

DRS- Welcome back to Colorado and the Bluebird theatre Mishka. The last time we saw you here, you had your arm in a cast. We assume everything healed up ok?
Mishka- Ha ha, most definitely. It’s nice to be functional.
DRS- Indeed. We want to congratulate you on your fourth studio release “Talk About” and your fans want to know, what it’s like to be working with Matthew McConaughey and being part of his record label j.k livin?
Mishka- It’s been good so far ya know. It’s definitely brought certain exposure to an audience that wouldn’t have necessarily heard me before, like people that are fans of his and his movies. It’s been a learning curve for both of us, for his record company and for me so that’s cool. It’s positive ya know?
DRS- You both seem like some pretty positive guys, so that is cool man. It was pretty cool to hear your songs on his 2008 movie “Surfer, Dude”.
Mishka- Yeah that was cool. “Coastline Journey” and “3rd eye vision”.
DRS- You finally recorded the track “Home Grown” for a studio release on your latest album this year even though you have been playing that song for a few years now. It’s noticeable that you brought a different element to the recording of the track and a Willie Nelson has a cameo in the song. How did that come about?
Mishka- That was a connection through Matthew. A Texas connection through the Texas guys, ya know. We recorded the track and Matthew called up Willie and asked if he would be interested in singing on a track with a guy he was working with (myself) and Willie was like “just send me the track and leave space for me to sing”. I actually never got to meet him but sooner or later I’m sure ill get to meet him. So that was nice ya know, cause as a kid my mom used to listen to his tapes and stuff.
DRS- That’s pretty neat how that worked out. Now, as a kid you grew up on a boat with your parents traveling through the Caribbean Islands listening to bands such as Jaluka, Bob Marley and Burning Spear. It’s understandable how growing up in that environment would inspire you to write great reggae music. What else inspires you to write your music, especially when you’re on the road?
Mishka- It’s the human struggle ya know? Being a living human being on the planet is like a balancing act. So I think everybody does something to balance ya know? So, a lot of that comes out in lyrics and chords. It’s life man. A lot of times I’m inspired by all of the negative and positive things that happen in life. All of the atrocities and things going on in the world inspire me to sing about trying to find some justice in our future. Seeking Rastafari and his majesty spoke about equal rights and justice for all people. Nobody else has put it in such a clear way for everybody to understand. Rastafari is really the inspiration for most of the music ya know? It’s like the voice of the time ya know? It’s the truth in the era that we are living in. You can read biblical stuff or you can read other religious scriptures like the Koran or the Buddhist text but right now it’s the Rastafari word that people need to know about. Not even in a religious sense, a human sense, just respect for one another and undoing the colonialism like white supremacy and world domination through corporation. All of that stuff needs to be exposed and undone through people realizing their human rights and what it is to be a human being on the planet. So that’s really where my message is coming from ya know?
DRS- Your message is definitely being heard. Do your parents ever get to see you play?
Mishka- They’d seen me up in Canada a couple of years ago. They haven’t seen the full band yet though.
DRS- They are sure in for a treat!
Mishka- Yeah man.
DRS- You are obviously inspired by roots reggae. What do you think of that genre coming together with rock and roll and the whole dub rock sound?
Mishka- That’s what it’s about ya know? I have drawn so much influence and inspiration from other people. We’re all just like sponges ya know? The music is the water and you put the sponge in the water and soak it all up and squeeze it out somewhere else. It’s like that ya know?
DRS- One of the top dub rock bands in the scene “Pepper” actually covered your song “lonely”. How does that feel to know that your sound influences such good bands like Pepper?
Mishka- I like those guys. If they want to cover one of my songs that’s great! The roots reggae and the rock, I love both genres ya know?
DRS- Tomorrow night you’re playing at the “Belly Up” in Aspen. Have you played there before?
Mishka- I have. I have played a couple of acoustic sets up there but I have not played with the band up there yet. Should be fun, ya know?
DRS- Well they are in for a show. Mishka, thank you for your time and your humble attitude. We are so happy to have you back in Denver and we will tell all of our friends to go buy your new album “Talk About”.
Mishka- Yeah man, much respect.

Mishka - Stir It Up (Feat. Kenny Chesney & Matthew McConaughey)