British producer Lee Christian recently released a new remix
of Laudanum Escapade, the first single from our Spring 2015 album Seen and
Unseen. We caught up with Lee online and
asked him about his process. You can
hear his remix at https://soundcloud.com/leesmilex/cats-cradle-robbers-laudanum-escapade-feel-no-pain-remix-by-lee-christian.
Tell us how you approached this remix
i was super excited to
do the remix because i had heard CCR chat about how they get their sounds
[through improvisation and sampling]. When remixing and sampling, my thing is
taking [sounds] and making them as unrecognisable as possible. There's loads of
the song in there but almost none of it is as it was.
As i started putting [this
remix] together i decided to focus on that one word [“Laudanum”] and the tiny
snippet that sounded almost African or tribal: i grew up in South Africa for a very formative
5 years so am quite drawn to that vibe. I pitched [that word] down and very
hypnotic - this ended up informing most of the song - and many parts that would
not fit the foggy dub vibe i wrote over the top were jettisoned. i added some
beats and effected and cut them up. [I pushed
the limits of the music’s adherence to rhythm to imply] the delirium that the
subject of the song is in - the very brink of consciousness and order, before
coming back into a more familiar, secure rhythm. This… is there to guide u
though her drugged state.
There are serene
moments (the acoustic picked guitar passage and the end section with the
layered voices) that indicate she has reached some type of nirvana. i wanted
the dub vibe to ring heavy and foggy so there are tons of different types of
effects to increase this vibe.
Talk some about the artistic influences behind your remix
Tricky - the
maverick of the neighbouring trip hop/bristol scene [was one of the
two biggest influences on the track]. [He creates] unique music that can be
much braver than some of the most talented musos out there … never
really diluting himself for mass acceptance. [The other main influence
was] Adrian Sherwood's on-u-sound label -
home to Tackhead, Dub Syndicate, Gary Clail, Mark Stewart
(another local-ish guy) and most importantly for this mix, Skip
McDonald's Little Axe. [Little Axe and on-u-sound] make a blues dub hybrid that
has had me entranced since i saw Doug Wimbish playing for them live on tv
making sounds u would not believe came from a bass! These guys were the
houseband for Sugar Hill records so are true veterans of music yet still
make some of the most unusual inventive music going. [Check out] Tricky's Maxinquaye and
Little Axe's The
Wolf That House Built.
What inspired you to start creating musically?
i picked up shitty
guitars and keyboards not far off from being toys when i was a teen in South Africa.
i guess [I was] inspired by Prince (who i've been a fan of since i
was a little kid) but also in a strange way hindered by Prince (and only seeing
jazz combos live in bars with my dad) in that i could not see
myself becoming a virtuoso, so lost confidence.
Later [I was
inspired by] Nirvana (revealing that a good song can be just a few chords and
a melody) and seeing bands in youth centres [after moving back to England]
(showing me that anyone can have a go)… i tried harder [making] demos on a 4
track tape recorder. That was also when i formed my first band [after]
seeing Living Colour in Cambridge. i decided to be the singer because i was
really unpopular. [I had] nothing to lose and plenty to gain in terms of
attention from the opposite sex as a lead singer of a rock band. [As the
singer] i could just about write on a few instruments (guitar,
bass, keys, drum programming) and not commit to one! even though i was not
very good at singing, i had a lot of energy and a need/ability to
do something different.
i just finally started
releasing solo music in earnest over the last few years, after being offered a track on
a BBC Children In Need Radiohead covers compilation. i did 'talk show host'
and was pleased with its reception. Smilex was originally going to be
just me recording and then a dance rock hybrid Iive but after seeing a lot
of people doing that and finding great players for a more traditional rock line
up and visceral live show , i decided to tap into the adrenaline
alternative rock gave me since the grunge era and be a power quartet. The bonus
remix on Smilex's first ever EP 'beg for it' (13 years or so ago now!)
is actually the original version of that song.
Is music your only artistic outlet?
i started back on
writing and directing [films] after becoming more involved with making videos.
i made my first short Never Walk Alone and released it for a pound a
copy download with a monies to survivors trust (a victim support charity
for rape and abuse). i'm in the thick of developing several scripts for feature
length and shorts, even a web series. i like to work in a lot of
different mediums and genres so my forays into film will be as
diverse as my music is with any luck. i also dj & compere now and then and
have had radio shows for the last 12 years or so - i'm currently between
shows but have a hand in 'The Beatdown with Bobbee Browne' (a new comedy
podcast) and am starting talks about a new show at the moment so watch this
space!
i predominantly
do radio shows to share good music the mainstream missed or
forgot, to get use out of my extensive library of music, but it's hard to
find a station as diverse as my tastes or who does not mind swearing (editing
swearwords out is time consuming and not playing swearing really limits the
good rebel music one can play) or who does not use a playlist. within music
itself i have worked in just about every capacity one can imagine.
What’s up next for Lee Christian?
i have 7 or so albums in
various stages of completion so there should be more of those soon. Other
than that, more remixes, guest spots for vanilla wafa, death of
hi-fi, tiger Mendoza… [plus] various acting/directing/writing pursuits. i
hope to be working on new material (and of course, promotional materials) for
Smilex and the Prohibition Smokers' Club (my
jazz/blues/soul/folk/pop collective) over the next few months
for release next year too! so just keep looking at my Facebook or
twitter for info on all that as it pops up, i guess!
It's getting harder
and harder for original music to get heard since scared labels are
loathe to invest in anything risky… so i truly appreciate everybody that
supports me (both by buying music and promoting it) in these hard
times for the arts.
I wish music was
reinstated to its previous position as an influential, meaningful part
of people's lives, it has been reduced to background noise that no-one
likes but no-one complains about. vote with your cash - it's hard earned and
those that ask u to part with it should be working just as hard to
deserve it.
Thanks again to Lee for the richly dark remix – please take
some time to check out his projects online.
Here’s a few links:
