An Interview: Denys Parker, aka 18 Carat Affair

18 Carat Affair is one of the most unique projects in the Kansas City music scene. The work of  Denys Parker, the 18K albums don't sound like a soundtrack from the 80s as much as they sound like a soundtrack to the 80s. Denys was nice enough to talk music with me.

Who from KC are you listening to right now?

CVLTS and Umberto down in Lawrence. The Jorge Arana Trio have some amazing music, it reminds me of "Bitches Brew". New music pops up here and there, I'm not out much to keep tabs.

What national/non-KC acts are you listening to?

Recently I've been infatuated with Topographic Maps. His music is a difficult shape and unique. James Ferraro's Night Dolls With Hairspray, Ford & Lopatin's Channel Pressure, Com Truise's Galactic Melt (amazing tones). Other than that I keep my ears in the past. Salsoul disco, TRAX house music, 80's Boogie/Funk/Soul.. That's where I grab most my influence.

Why is Kansas City a hip-hop town?

I don't know. (laughter) Tech Nine's empire.

What aspect of Kansas City shapes your music the most?


I went to school at UMKC. Studied jazz composition / engineering in a studio. Other than that, not much.

The Life of Vice is fantastic. Your music as a whole reminds me of staying up too late in the 80s. How big is nostalgia for you with this, and what else keeps this project going for you?

I like jingles, muzak and other forms of subconscious sound. 80s television and music culture had more catch and variety. I approach recording through improvisation. I'll have a cassette filled with jingles and overdub my machines and synthesizers, which ends in a nostalgic collage of sound.

The track "Leisure Principle" manipulates (or duplicates) the sounds/samples of "Passion," but the results are quite menacing. Is there a narrative from 60/40 through Life of Vice, and how do you think 18 Carat Affair is evolving as a whole?

That track was a 16 second section of a longer recording. The similarity comes from the chord structure, but the two songs are different. An 18K album comes from selecting songs from an array of 45min cassette recordings. Most the songs have a unique similarity but are approached and processed differently. There's a guiding direction, but no narration. Vocal takes consist of improvised singing over the texture. The listener gets to hear instant creativity instead of planned and marketed sounds.

You call this an art/music project on your bandcamp page. Are their artistic mediums you work in?

The premise of that statement relates to the music. I create music as a painter paints. Music and it's possibilities are endless.

Have you/have you considered playing live with 18 Carat Affair? Would it translate easier into
live creations instead of playing album tracks?

I recently bought some new gear to help me play live. The way I've recorded makes it tricky to play live. I would like to incorporate the "on-spot" ideal with shows.

Are there any other projects you're considering?

I'm working on a new album, a VHS only release, and some compositions for film. Live shows will be played soon.

Thanks again to Denys. Check 18 Carat Affair out, I'd be interested to hear what others think of it.

An Interview: Clay Hughes

album art by Scribe

Clay Hughes recently released JKR70 Presents Clay Hughes: The Whether Machine. The album combines folky blues with hip-hop, and the project is one of the most consistent local albums beginning to end. Mr. Hughes was nice enough to discuss it with me for this interview project.

Who from KC are you listening to right now?

I've got a lot of local favorites...but, right now?! I'd say "Top 5 Most Listened To Lately" are thePhantom*, Deuce Fontane/Soul Servers, Ha Ha Tonka, Mac Lethal, and Elsa Rae.

Elsa Rae! Doesn't she have the greatest voice?

She is incredible. I ran across a post she made in the KC Songwriter's Forum and checked out her bandcamp page. Next thing I know, I had listened through the entire album. Her voice is incredible. Oh...and she'll be opening for us on Oct 28th @ Czar in KC, MO!!!

What national/non-KC acts are you listening to? 

Oh man, this hits a large range, too. Again, "Top 5" right now are George Watsky, MF Doom, Ray Lamontagne, Kid Cudi, and Langhorne Slim.


Why is Kansas City a hip-hop town?

I think it's the support everyone in the hip-hop scene has for one another. Too many bands/musicians/artists here seem too competitive to me. I think the hip-hop community works together a lot. Maybe it's because collaborating happens more in hip hop music; I don't know for sure. But, believe it or not, the "ego's" in Kansas City don't belong to the hip-hop scene.


What aspect of Kansas City shapes your music the most?


It's small and laid back compared to most cities. I don't know if that shapes my music or just happens to fit my persona well.

I think a lot of (genre) + hip-hop attempts end in pretty sterile pop-music-with-heavy-beats, but The Whether Machine avoids this. Was there a lot of crafting to avoid making a mess, or did the album happen pretty naturally?

I'd love to say it happened 100% naturally. But, there is always a song or 2 that you play back over & over and are eventually like, "Wow, this is watered down junk!" Luckily, JKR70 is a mad genius and 90% of our project together was pretty natural. We didn't approach writing or recording in any certain way. We just let it happen as we went until we were satisfied with what we had created.

Whatstheruckus.com posted a video of you playing "Love I Gave Ya" acoustic. Is this how most of your live shows go? Have you been able to play The Whether Machine live as it appears on the lp? 

No, most of the live shows are performed as "Clay Hughes & The What?" This features Zach Haddock on bass and Tony Beats on turntables & MPC. We [played] the album release with a larger band that included Josh Gleave on bass, Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Madison DeCamp on violin, Tony Beats on turntables, Lance Pollard on drums, and Matt Long on electric guitar. But, that was a special occasion. Most of those folks play in other bands and projects. This was the only time we played The Whether Machine in it's entirety. We definitely mix some of the tracks into our regular set, however.

I'm learning what a big deal Mac Lethal is in KC. Had you worked with him prior to The Whether Machine?

We did a few live shows with him prior to the collab, but "Bitter Pills" is the only track we've recorded together. We've talked about future projects, shows, videos, etc. But nothing has developed yet. I think he's a big deal in KC because he works so damn hard outside of KC. His approach to marketing himself is outstanding and I'm doing everything I can to take notes on that. I suggest everyone else do the same.

You've mentioned gigs with both Elsa Rae and Mac Lethal. Does Clay Hughes and the What? primarily book with local rock, indie, or hip-hop groups, and do clubs who book local music seem to cater to a particular scene or another?

I book a lot of our own support any time the venue will allow myself to do so. We like to mix it up. We don't consider ourselves any particular genre and love that we can work well with either a line up of emcees or indie bands.

What's next for you and/or other projects you're involved with? Do you think you'll make another album in the same hybrid vein as The Whether Machine?

I'm constantly writing and recording new music. I've got several new demo's/EP's in the works and most of them I'd consider to be in the same area as The Whether Machine. I've got a lot of touring for the rest of 2011 and early in 2012. I'll also have some new music videos finishing up soon. Also, JKR70 has an AMAZING project coming out soon on Sharp County Records and once he's got a little more free time, you can bet I'll be banging on his door for beats! Fortunately, we're neighbors so I don't have more than 20 feet to go to bother him.

Thanks to Clay Hughes for agreeing to do an interview! 

An Interview: William S. Chaffin of Vitae & the Pale Horse, The Black Bullet Promise, Chocolate Velvet

Vitae & the Pale Horse's 4 Track Recordings Vol. 2

William S. Chaffin is involved with (or in the majority of cases, is) many local music projects, most prominently The Black Bullet Promise, Vitae & the Pale Horse, and Chocolate Velvet. He was also nice enough to be the first interview for this component to the KCMusicJudged local music spotlight.








Who from KC are you listening to right now?

Truthfully, I don't listen to many artist from the KC area. I think The Caves "Weekend Blues" is probably the best thing I've heard from Kansas City musicians. Those guys are doing this weird Steely Dan meets Funkadelic meets Pavement thing. I think a lot of KC bands are overrated.
Most of it is watered down indie or tired old butt-rock.
 
What national/non-KC acts are you listening to?

I love Hospitality, Guards, Shakey Graves, Service:Fair, Seamonster, Party Owl, Mayon; these are mostly unknown acts. The bigger, more established acts I love are Black Keys, Spoon, Tom Waits but I listen to these acts far less than the undiscovered acts.
 
Why is Kansas City a hip-hop town?

 Is KC a hip-hop town? I see KC as more of a butt-rock town. If KC is, in fact a hip-hop town it's probably due to the success of Tech 9 and Mac Lethal. For the record, I really dig Kriz Kaliko's song "Bi-Polar." It's been out a few years but it's some of the best music I've ever heard come out of KC. Most of the rock musicians in KC could learn a thing or two from that jam, in my opinion.
 
What aspect of Kansas City shapes your music the most?

Probably the fact that so many people I've met have this longing to leave but ultimately don't. This gnawing feeling that most of us who are creative in KC were misplaced. So, we stay and make art out of this void. It always surprises when bands in KC are snotty or arrogant. Go to New York and try playing that warmed over version of heavy metal, or take a uke and try and carve out a niche for yourself in Austin. They could say the same to me, I guess.

Your different projects can bring to mind comparisons ranging from Frank Ocean to Smog to The Black Keys to Grinderman. Do you think you share some of the same influences?

Yes, I believe I share influences [with those artists]. The Black Keys were influenced by Junior Kimbrough and he is a huge influence for me. That droning, hypnotic, blues-chunk vibe is music to my ears. I'm a huge fan of 70's R&B (Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Barry White).
 
Most of my projects are my attempt at bridging the gap between early lo-fi (Guided By voices, Smog) and 70's soul. Cody Chestnut tried to do this too. Right? I think there is a place and dare I say market for Bedroom Soul Music. I've been calling it Trash Pop since 1998, though I'm sure I didn't coin the phrase. I love early soul and blues and if I'm successful at making indie music it's only because I'm a failure at making modern day soul records. Too many hipsters and not enough hip!


You mention Junior Kimbrough, whom I mostly know from the Black Keys album Chulahoma. If you were to do a tribute album like that, entirely of someone else's music, whose do you think it would be?

Black Bullet did a tribute to Dylan before our first album. It contained songs from "Blonde on Blonde" & "Blood on the Tracks" we called it Blonde on the Tracks We were very happy with it but we couldn't release it due to the fact that we lacked the funds to pay for the rights. Hopefully a record company will someday put up the money for that LP.

If I did a tribute album as Vitae I would want to re-imagine a specific album. For example a trash pop bedroom indie version of ELO's Time or Procul Harum's A Salty Dog. It would also be fun to do The Pixies because there hasn't been a worthy Pixies tribute yet. A Kansas City artists' Pixies tribute would be cool. Since it was my idea, I get first dibs on choosing a song. I pick "Hey."

How do the projects become separate entities during your creative process?


The projects become different when I consider the aesthetic of each one carefully and decide what I'm going for. "The Truth" was Brian & I's attempt at doing our version of a concept album. We worked out an entire story and then built songs around that. Vitae and CV are my attempt at 70's r&b and blues and Strange Kitten is my own interpretation of Black Sabbath. I guess I interpret these bands I love and try and take all my influences and put them in the right places. I love music. I collect it, digest it, and then I interpret it and do my idea of what all of it means to me.


The Chocolate Velvet song, "Second Word," has a lot of sounds similar to where soul music/r&b is sneaking towards (Frank Ocean, etc.) Are you interested in that genre or any modern takes or revivals of genres, and could you talk about writing of that CV ep specifically? I think it's the most diverse single offering you've made.

The Second Word EP came out of several different sessions. The night I posted Black Bullet Promise's The Truth, My Dear, I found myself listening to over 100 songs that I had written for CV in the past two years. I just pulled songs from that pool. This is probably why you get the diversity of styles. All of those songs are love songs to my wife (drummer for Strange Kitten) except for "Dirty Fingers" which was a response song for a friend who had written a song called "Psyclone" in a band called Captain Murgatroyd.
 
All of those songs came from a pool of songs that I had written in an attempt to reinvent CV-reestablish CV...because I had been making music under that name since (gasp) 1993. Long time.


I think it's interesting that of your projects, The Truth, My Dear, sounds the most like it came from a single person. In fact, though, you have a collaborator with that project. Is it easier to work with Brian than on your own? How does the lyric writing work with the BBP? 

 Working with Brian is really great for me because we can bounce ideas off each other. Push each other to try different things. It can be frustrating because he writes slower than I do. He can take a month on one song...crafting it. I can't stand to work more than a day and then I move onto something else. I hardly ever sit down at the computer with something already written. I just start writing. Brian's process is different. He crafts a song and then records it. Working with him forces me to record with more care and planning.

We write lyrics based around a story/theme-which allows us to write independently and still have some continuity...for the record I think the lyrics to Estacado are some of the most beautiful lyrics written in music. I sent Brian the music to that song which was based off of a chord progression in carnival music...and he sent the vocal parts back and I literally wept. Hmph.


Do you play live, and how would you describe the state of live local music in Kansas City?

 I've been performing Black Bullet shows at Main Street Coffee in Independence as solo acoustic gigs. Brian lives in Portland. We are talking about doing a string of gigs after we get our second album finished which we are recording now. 

I'm in the process of getting a band together to take this Vitae project around the clubs in KC. It seems like there are about 8 main places to play in KC. I've played out before in other

bands (The Sham, The Electrophonic Foundation), and we played the clubs for years and developed a fan base but we never felt accepted in our hometown. If 200 people show up to your shows and say "wow you guys are the best band in KC," then I always wondered then why do we just have 200 fans? Why not 300? Or 1000?

While I'm on that subject why do insanely talented musicians like Amber Papini have to move away from Kansas City to find success? Hospitality is one of my favorite bands and Papini is from KC. I think this town has trouble recognizing talent and accepting things that go musically beyond the norm. There is a place for Vitae in Kansas City. 18 Carat Affair is another example-that guy is doing some trippy cassette, 80's electro-jazz elevator funk-why isn't he big in KC? Why did The Threes struggle to retain an audience? 

With Bandcamp I've got hundreds of fans from all over the world. People who actually want to hear something a little different. Something that takes chances. KC is filled with more imitators than innovators. We need to completely reestablish the pecking order here and get our town to support-really support local music. We need to make room for more bands and musicians. The same 10 bands get press. Do I think my stuff is just as good as those bands? Yes. I say that without shame. I know it is. And I don't charge anyone for it I give my stuff away for free. You know I got nearly 0 downloads from a full page write up in a local magazine. I couldn't believe it. Free music and I couldn't get my own hometown to get behind me. The Truth, My Dear should be on KC's list of the Best Of 2011. It's a strong album and it deserves that justice. Also Vitae's 4-Track recordings; they deserve the same respect....CV's The Second Word trilogy too! They all deserve a place on KC's best of list...in The Pitch, Ink...and on the blogs...right alongside those heavyweights. Yeah?   


Thanks to Mr. Chaffin for taking the time to do this. This interview originally took place over email and has been very slightly adjusted for flow, and a little edited for content. It ended up really long!. Also, it was fun.

Kansas City Music, I'm In You

This is the addendum to the Twitter feed, @KCMusicJudged. There, I rate albums/ collected singles of local music. It's a direct parallel to (more accurately, total rip-off of) @1000TimesYes, but with Kansas City music (and the immediate Metro Area) only. I apologize to Lawrence: you got included into that. It's not a bad thing!

But this won't have reviews. If I have more than 140 characters worth of stuff to say about an album from a critical point of view, it just isn't fair. I'll either gush too much or be too harsh. But if I have a chance to engage artists in a dialog regarding their music, then I think that's a different venue. Different content for different audiences, maybe? I don't know. At a minimum it's a different kind of writing and listening and sharing. And hopefully, caring.

So we'll see how bad this fails.