Interview: Dog Eat Dog

Soody Sisco, Martha Fiskin and Linda Pitt made up the core of Dog Eat Dog, an early 80s punk funk band out of NYC who were sassy, smart and fun. Think along the lines of Liquid Liquid or ESG and you are on the right lines. Claremont 56 have been lucky enough to get their hands on unreleased recordings from the band consisting of live tracks and studio sessions which will be released mid-March in a lovely Keith Haring sleeve. As massive fans of that era in New York we asked the band if we could interview them and talk about those times and they kindly said yes…

Photography: Paula Court

So who met who first? Where were you living? Were you at college when you met? What were you studying?

Soody: Linda and I went to High School together in Piscataway, New Jersey. We met working on a school publication. I went to college with Martha. A friend introduced me to David Wald and then David brought in Kevin.

Linda: Soody and I met up during High School. We met up again in our last year of college, there we met Martha. I studied art.

Martha: I met Soody and Linda at college in New Jersey. I studied art: studio and history.

What initially made you think ‘ok. lets form a band?’ Were you inspired by other people out there. Who was that?

Soody: We lived in the East Village, NYC in 1980. All of our friends were in bands.

Linda: After college Soody and I were briefly roommates in Brooklyn. I remember watching the Miss America pageant on TV. There was a sax in the apartment, I picked it up, I made sound… If Talking Heads (art students), The Ramones and our friends Liquid Idiot could all form bands, so could we.

Martha: It was an exciting time. You could pick up an instrument and start a band.

What clubs were you initially going into?

Soody: Tier 3, Max’s Kansas City (where Linda worked), Mudd Club and CBGB.

Linda: I worked at Max’s Kansas City pre-band. CBGB’s was around the corner from home.

Martha: Club 57, CBGB, Tier 3, Max’s, Mudd Club, Hurrah’s and The Roxy. We walked to all these places. New York did seem smaller in those days.

Were you part of that whole Mudd Club scene, hanging out there or just playing gigs?

Soody: A bit of both.

Linda: We went to the Mudd Club a lot but never felt part of the scene.

Martha: I was in a group art show there.

I guess you were quite involved in that art scene that ran alongside the music scene at that time? If so how? Did you see those two scenes as linked?

Soody: Yes, Linda and I were hanging posters that we collaborated on.

Linda: Definitely linked. Take Club 57, a small venue on St Marks Place in the EV, art, performance, music, movies, a showcase for everyone. Al Diaz our percussionist did the SAMO graffiti with Basquiat. Soody and I made art flyers that we wheat pasted around the neighborhood (see above). By chance the guy with the guitar is Richard Hell. We all did our own personnel art as well.

Martha: We all made stuff; various media.

Seems a lot of people involved in the music scene came from an art background and then did the music thing as an outlet for their creative sides. Was this the way it was for you?

Soody: Yes.

Linda: Yessssss.

Martha: Absolutely.

What were your favourite places to play at that time?

Linda: CB’s had the best sound and the infamous dressing room. We once played at 4am in a basement on Chrystie Street that turned out to be a Chinese gambling parlor.

So you played at CBGB’s. Was that another hang out? 

Soody: Yes, it was in our neighborhood.

Linda: Went there a lot. I loved the matinees.

Martha: Sure. What a sound system!

So the music – it seems to have a very funky edge. The congas and the percussion have that Latin thing going on. What were you influenced by? Or was it just a New York thing to have that Latin sound as you grew up surrounded by it?

Soody: It was a popular sound at the time and our early percussionist, Al Diaz, is Hispanic.

Linda: Don’t be fooled by the cow bell.

Martha: Love love love drums. Latin, African, dub…

How do you fit in with the other No Wave bands? Were you having out with ESG, Liquid Liquid etc or did you feel aside from them?

Soody: We were friends with Liquid Liquid.

Linda: Liquid Liquid are our friends. I only met ESG once but they seem incredibly nice. We were part of the noise NY and Naive Rhythm scene so I always felt we were all in the same boat.

Martha: Totally in with Liquid Liquid and Konk.

Who were you favourite bands to go and see back then and why?

Soody: Hmmm, there were a lot. Of the local bands we would go see our friends a lot. I loved DNA.

Linda: The Ramones were always fun, and any band that was recommended that I knew nothing about. There were a lot of new bands and most music at the time was fun.

Martha: Fela, DNA, some big soul shows, all our friends.

I like the review I saw from the Soho News that says ‘the melodies are carried by a very amateurish saxophone player’. Surely that was the whole point – to play like you couldn’t? You know deconstructing your abilities and almost looking at it in a different way… Was that something you were about?

Soody: We couldn’t play!

Linda: I believe the words are self taught. We played out shortly after we started playing our instruments.

Martha: We were inspired neophytes.

The music really benefits from having that raw, captured live thing. Well some of it was obviously recorded live, but when in the studio was it a live run through or did you try and record separately.

Soody: Everything is recorded live, either in studio or performance.

Linda: I remember late nights hardly able to stay awake.

Martha: Down and dirty, low-budget and raw. In a good way.

How come you never got signed to Sire, Ze or one of the other labels picking up bands at that time? I presume that scene was picked over pretty heavily…

Soody: We just didn’t get an offer in the short period we were around.

Linda: We almost got signed to 99 records.

Martha: It would have been 99 if anyone signed us. Maybe Rough Trade or ROIR.

Boring question but how did you hook up with Keith Haring for the Dog Eat Dog piece he did. Were you mates with him?

Soody: Keith Haring was a downtown artist and easy enough to run into. We just asked him if he would do a poster because the dog was one of his favorite motifs. He was very sweet and said he would do it and made an extra for us to add future dates to.

Linda: He was part of the Club 57 scene. I think he went to school with Julie who was working with Martha at the time.

Martha: Keith was a friend from the neighborhood. His work was everywhere.

Going back to the clubs – where else were you hanging out? Were DJs important to you as people or did you more enjoy the art/punk/live scene. What about Paradise Garage, Funhouse etc…

Soody: I don’t think DJs were the entity they are today back then.

Linda: I like music live and went to places we could get in for free which was most. Peppermint Lounge, Danceteria (where I caught Madonna’s first show), loved the dancing boys, Irving Plaza, Tramps, jazz clubs names long forgotten. There was The Empire of Soul Club, Warren and the Empress spun B sides of soul 45’s at various venues.

Martha: The Empire State Soul Club was great!

Were you into hip-hop? Before it went head long down that drum machine beat route it seems the scene you were in (Fab 5 Freddy, Futura etc) was very hip-hop. I think your music is pretty B-boy…

Soody: We loved the rap scene and frequented the Roxy Roller Rink in Chelsea for rap/breakdance shows.

Linda: B-boy, I like it. Loved the early scene. Roxy was our place to go.

Martha: Checking out rap and hip hop at Roxy. Thanks for the comparison.

At the time did you look at the success of some bands around you and think about making your music slightly more commercial or were you not interested in that?

Soody: We would have loved some success.

Linda: Commercial, never wanted that as an option.

Martha: We enjoyed our artistic freedom then, but a wider audience is always great.

What happened with the band in the end? Do you still play together? Is it more of a historical thing or do you have plans to go play in the studio again?

Soody: Oy Vey, play again? We discussed the possibility, but would need to REALLY dust ourselves off!

Linda: Historical, well you never know…

Martha: No plans, but you never know…

What do you all do now?

Soody: I am a museum curator and textile designer.

Linda: Photo retoucher to the stars! That means publishing.

Martha: I work in the film business.

What music do you listen to these days?

Soody: A lot of 70s glitter and 80s punk, always The Ramones, actually too much to list!

Linda: Lots of radio, WFMU and WWOZ, still can’t get enough of Neil Young.

Martha: The Clash, LCD Soundsystem, Spiritualized, Greg Dulli’s various bands and more.

Cheers guys.

Thanks for the interview!

Dog Eat Dog is out mid-March on Claremont 56. You can order it here.

New Release: Marco Passarani ‘White Dwarf/Black Dwarf/Colliding Stars’ (Running Back)

We just got sent the new Running Back and thought it best to contact head honcho Gerd Janson for the lowdown. Here’s what he said…

“Hello Paul,

Out now!

BASSarani in your face – again! Here’s part two of the ongoing Roma meets Running Back saga. Conveniently appearing in a white inner sleeve (slip it into the retro-futuristic telescopic picture sleeve that you hopefully already have), the Final Frontier/Pigna/Nature captain steers his ship into a safe harbour. Three tracks of hardcore space music and magic carpet melodies: “White Dwarf” appears as the final link between Frankfurt Trance and Tribal House, “Black Dwarf” is its beat-heavy brother (For DJ Use Only!) and finally we come full circle with “Colliding Stars Pt. 2”. Science ain’t no fiction.”

It’s a good one. Nice artwork again Running Back people.

Marco Passarani: White Dwarf (Excerpt)

Marco Passarani: Black Dwarf (Excerpt)

Marco Passarani: Colliding Stars (Excerpt)

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Party: World Unknown

Quick post to say that World Unknown is happening this Friday in Brixton with Joe Hart and Mr Andy Blake. If you are interested head over to their website and if you fancy the party email them here and they’ll sort you with the location. It’s always fun in a ‘lets get heads down and have some fun and do what you like along the way’ kind of fashion and they’ve gone even more hippy on the lights (think a Pink Floyd light show from the 60s crossed with some nu-beat strobe business).

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Exhibition: NOWHERE – Trevor Jackson At KK Outlet

We like an exhibition and this one is by recent Test Pressing interviewee Trevor Jackson so all the more relevant. Here’s the press release…

“NOWHERE features highly personal photographic and video studies that explore related themes of honesty, simplicity, manipulation and ego.

KK Outlet presents the first solo show of renowned image and music maker Trevor Jackson. NOWHERE features highly personal photographic and video studies that explore related themes of honesty, simplicity, manipulation and ego.

NOWHERE reflects a subtle side of Jackson’s visual personality, the works are a move away from his recognisable bold commercial graphic style. This stylistic divide is something that Jackson explains as the difference between how he views graphic design and art, “Graphic Design is essentially problem solving, you’re responding to a brief and reflecting the clients personality and opinions, as much as I still enjoy that process, this new work is expressive and at times cathartic, something that has little place in much of my commercial work.”

All works featured in NOWHERE are limited editions and will be on sale throughout March at KK Outlet.”

The exhibition runs from 4 – 26 March.
www.kkoutlet.com

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Review: John Stammers – John Stammers (Wonderful Sound)

I have had this one for a few weeks now so apologies to the chaps at Wonderful Sound (the label) for not getting round to posting this until now. I am really really fond of this album. It has been a hectic few weeks (moving job etc) so when I finally got round to putting it on, well, it hasn’t been off. Stammers reminds me of a northern Nick Drake in style. A gentle voice and lovely acoustic guitars only added to with other instrumentation where need be. One of my favourite moments in the album comes late on with ‘Baby Dea’ as soft brushed drums push the track along. It sort of feels like some of Michael Head’s work with The Strands. It’s a lovely album for mellow Sundays and evenings with friends and fine wine. You can find out more and buy it here. It’s out now.

(Note: The original idea of the scale below was to give you a very quick idea of how the album sounds so please don’t read it as being scales or scores of 0 – 10 it’s just there to show you that there are no glitchy AFX noises etc. Word.)

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Producers Series #11: Adrian Sherwood (Part 2)

We decided (well Dr Rob did) that Adrian Sherwood has too much good music to only do one compilation dedicated to him so here we go again. Round 2 and with a special funk reprise to boot. He really is flipping amazing on that desk. Hope to get up the road and interview him at some point. Next up if our mate Pete gets round to it is Lee Perry.

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Thanks to the good Doctor Rob for taking the time to compile.

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Mix: Pete Wiggs (Saint Etienne) – Mix!

Saint Etienne seem to be one of those bands that has its heart in the right place. From the off with ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ they paved the way for melodic, club influenced music all wrapped around a classic pop sound. I get the feeling they still believe in pop. They still run a fan club. Not sure how many bands do that these days. Aside from that they have always gone forwards (while going backwards) and this mix from Pete Wiggs of the band sort of shows that perfectly with a mix of pyschedelic soul and classic pop noises taking in Dorothy Ashby, The Supremes, Ike and Tina and Sam Dees along the way.

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Radio: Jon Savage – Savage Music 022 / 1969 Part 2

Part 2 of the 1969 series here with Savage kicking off talking about the first gigs he ever went to that year – Spooky Tooth and The Who. This show kicks off with The Jeff Beck Group’s ‘Plynth’…

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Cleaning Records The Copydex Way…

Someone told me this worked so I thought I’d try it out. I tried it on a bit of a good record, Prince’s ‘Black’ album, but luckily it seemed to work. Anyway, take one crackly record and a pot of Copydex and off you go…

Step 1: Open Copydex, remember smell of youth and dead fish and paste liberally onto the record.

Step 2: Cover the whole record with glue.

Step 3: Let the glue dry until clear. This takes a while so go to work or something.

Step 4: The fun bit – start peeling off the glue.

Step 5: Pull it all off.

Et voila. I was chatting with the editor of Mojo not long back and they had never heard of this over there but I reckon it works. It pretty much cleaned this one up getting rid of the majority of the pops and crackles. Good to see Copydex has uses other than pasting it on your hand and freaking out your mum/girlfriend/child when you pull your skin off in front of them. In short, one to put on the ‘try when I’m bored list’.

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Magazine: Finger (Switzerland) / Wally Badarou Interview

I love the postman. Not literally, just when he delivers something you are not expecting. I was lucky enough to just get sent some back issues of the rather nice Finger magazine out of Zurich, Switzerland.

There is a fair chance you haven’t seen it but basically it’s the dream magazine for a lot of us. It’s a magazine of lists, that has additional slightly longer interviews. Not massive longer, just slightly. I’ve always loved charts as they are such an honest keeper of history. You can’t mess about with charts. If you chart a bad record it stays in there and in ten years time folk can still see it. The honesty level is great. You can’t re-write a chart.

Also, finding out what music people you like and love are into is always one of the best ways to find out about new stuff. When you have someone with great taste recommending you their favourite records you instantly want to get on YouTube (weird how that has become the jukebox of choice – maybe cause you know it’ll probably be there) and check them out. So fairplay to Adrian and the chaps and chapesses at Finger for creating a magazine full of information that also has fine design.

They interview lots of people. And a good broad genre-crossing range across those people. It must take some putting together. For instance in the last issue (amongst others) they had Peter Kruder, Captain Sensible, Bjorn Torske, Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve, Saint Etienne, Moonboots, Matthew Herbert, Frank Black, Kevin Saunderson, David Rodigan, Midlake, ESG, Ray Mang and Wally Badarou. Here’s an idea of the kind of interviews they do. This one with Wally Badarou…

First record you remember?

My first memories were through the radio, not the turntable. Edith Piaf’s «La Foule», Marcel Amont’s «Bleu Blanc Blond», Guy Béart’s «L’eau Vive». First records I remember seeing and hearing, but not actually «listening to» were my father’s: mainly film soundtracks like «Orpheo Negro», George Cukor’s «Let’s Make Love», and lots of classical music.

A song that reminds you of school?
A song from pre-Zaïre Congo, which I never knew the title of.

A record you fell in love to?
I fell in love with music and songs, not records. From Beethoven’s «Violin Concerto in D Major», to James Brown’s «Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose», from Simon & Garfunkel’s «Bridge Over Troubled Water» to Jimi Hendrix’ «All Along The Watchtower». I fell in love with music, way before I knew I would make a living out of it.

Your ultimate heartbreak song?
Stevie Wonder – You And I. Very lo-res video of his solo performance can be found on YouTube. Pure genius.

A record that evokes the greatest summer of your life?
Mayaula Mayoni – Cherie Bondowe. Greatest summers were in the tropics.

First record you bought?
James Brown – Escape-ism on 7“. Brown overdubbed his vocals against slow-down backing tracks, yielding the funkiest slow groove ever. I wish I still had a copy.

Your boozed-up anthem?
Either Count Basie’s «The Kid From Red Bank», Lalo Shiffrin’s «Theme From Mannix», or Weather Report’s «Birdland». Pure energy from absolute masters in orchestration.

A song you use as a ring tone?
I keep my mobile silent at all times, as a courtesy to my neighbours and yet, never miss an important call.

A song you wish you wrote yourself?
Each and every Stevie Wonder ballad, period.

A song guaranteed to make you feel depressed?
Any song of the past, good or bad, when it happens to remind me of a close friend no longer with us.

A song that reminds your friends of you?
How could I know? Ask them.

A record that will make everybody dance?
A song that did make absolutely everybody dance, back in the 60’s in Africa: James Brown’s «There Was A Time» followed by «I Feel All Right», recorded live at the Apollo.

Best concert you ever attended?
Miriam Makeba at the Olympia, Paris, early 70’s.

A record you were looking for the longest?
Talking about Makeba, her first album ever (from 1960 on RCA), which I bought a copy on eBay for 70 euro.

Your Sunday morning song?
Thank god, Sunday is like any other day for us musicians. No darker, no brighter, just regular.

Best Beatles song?
«Michelle»

The perfect anthem for London?
Talking about the Beatles, «All You Need Is Love».

The song to be played at your funeral?
I’ll let it up to my survivors. Music won’t be my concern anymore. They’ll be the ones to worry about. I don’t feel like imposing anything to them.

::

That give’s you an idea of what it’s all about. Fascinating in a short incisive way. I think you’ll probably be able to tell we are magazine fans here at Test Pressing and this format works totally. You can subscribe (pretty cheaply if you ask me) here with Finger being released bi-annually in limited runs of 6,000. Go check.

Finger magazine website.
Finger magazine on twitter.

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Is Moshi Moshi The Most Balearic Indy Label Going?

I was wondering the other day if Moshi Moshi are the most balearic indy label out there. When I say indy I don’t mean indy in a ‘no support from the majors’ kind of way as that would take in Claremont and Golf Channel (amongst others); I mean indy as in cute girls with fringes wearing badges on their cardigans to weekenders in Camber Sands and boys in duffle coats (though they are probably all wearing Vans these days). I have to hold my hands up there and admit that my definition of indy is stuck in 1994 but there we go. I prefer it there than to the 2011 version.

Point is, I have been getting sent more and more Moshi Moshi stuff and they seem to be releasing a massively broad section of music and a lot of it falls into our court. They are also putting out the new Hercules & Love Affair album and Stephen Bass (A&R/part-owner) has a massive love of Oni Ayhun but for me these three tracks show they are a label doing the right things, much of it with a tropical balearic world feel.

Case 1 – Nguuni Lovers Lovers: Cheza Ngoma (Excerpt)
This one is from one of the new Moshi Moshi labels, Dream Beach, which is being run by a chap called Ed Frankel. Hope to find out more on this as we go.

Case 2 – Metronomy: Everything Goes My Way (Excerpt)
This one is taken from the new Metronomy album titled ‘The English Riviera’. Much of it is flipping great in an XTC sunshine way. Moshi Moshi manage these guys and make them wear their Christopher Cross love with pride.

Case 3 – Au Revoir Simone: Tell Me (Villa Nah Remix)
This one I totally slept on last year but every time it comes on in the studio I am now working in it makes me smile. A great pop record with that drum machine on it that always sounds brilliant. One to put on the shopping list if, like me, you missed it.

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Mix: Max Essa – Live At Jardin Studios, Japan

Max Essa has really ramped it up in the last year with releases on his own Jansen Jardin label and also, notably, his epic ‘Panorama Suite’ for Is It Balearic? recordings which came with a tidy Mark Seven mix of another of his tracks. The last mix Max did for us at Test Pressing was his ‘Twilight Horizontal’ which is here if you missed it. It was aces and this new one picks up where that one left off. From very balearic beginnings to a house finale, it’s high quality throughout and full of good music that boys can track down and girls can dance to

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Radio: Jon Savage – Savage Music 021 / 1961 Part 1

After a few weeks away here’s Jon Savage back in full effect. It’s the first of six shows that focus on the year of 1969, a year that Savage thinks is very important. As he says in the introduction – it’s the year of the moon landings, Woodstock, Charles Manson’s murders, Altamont, the 60s coming to a head and more. This show focuses on album tracks from that year…

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Mix: The Acid Tree – Rendezvous

Happy to welcome back Manchester’s The Acid Tree (Nick & Justin) to Test Pressing. More laid back mellow sounds from the guys behind Folk in Didsbury, Manchester.

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Do Us A Favour – Save Our Forests…

So we don’t really do political stuff here but I kind of like forests. They are mellow, beautiful and are a great part of our famous countryside. The government have announced they will pause forest sell-offs for a few months, which is a good sign, but the forests are still in danger. For that reason, if you haven’t got round to it yet, and you like forests, click here and make your voice heard on the Save Our Forests subject. I also like libraries so we may look to do something on that soon. They need saving while we’re at it. Anyway, click and sign your name on the forest issue if you haven’t as it only takes a second.

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Party: Golf Channel And LN-CC Present…

This is a good one for anyone in London. On February 17th LN-CC welcome label owner Phil South and Ghost Note’s Anton Esteban for an evening of music in LN-CC’s club space to celebrate the launch of Ghost Note’s latest release, “Ghost Note II – Kapwa/Abularyo”. From 7-9pm, will be screening a short video made to accompany the Ghost Note release.

In addition to the screening, LN-CC will be selling advance copies of the latest single exclusively in store. From 9pm onwards, Phil and Anton, the duo behind New York’s celebrated “No Ordinary Monkey” party (alongside Carlos from influential label “Whatever We Want”), will both DJ in the LN-CC club space.

If you are in London and would like to attend this event, please RSVP here.

While we are all Golf Channel’d up it’s probably a good time to remind you about Bad Passion… You know the deal. Go here for more details on the party.

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Mix: Paul Jenks (Cutloose) – Waterlog

We love a good warm up DJ at Test Pressing. The ability to hold it down and make sure it’s set up for the DJ coming to play. No ego, just the right sound. It’s also the bit of the night where we hear the records we really like on a sound system. Paul Jenks has been lucky enough to warm up for some of the best DJs currently out there at his monthly shindig Cutloose in Manchester – Theo Parrish, Rahaan and Moodyman to name a few. This month, on the 18th of February, he’ll be making sure the party is right for Phil South and Anton Esteban of Golf Channel. That’ll be good.

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Party: Aficionado

Quick heads up on the the first Aficionado of 2011 on Sunday February the 13th which sees Chris Duckenfield join residents Moonboots and Jason Boardman to play the best in across the board music with a balearic tilt. It’s at the Electrik Bar in Chorlton, Manchester and runs from 7pm to midnight. Best in town.

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Mix: Jolyon Green – Passport To Eternity

Nice to welcome Jolyon Green back to the Test Pressing fold. This one is pure, melodic and mellow and all the better for it. Perfect for the papers on a weekend. Enjoy.

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