"I got some cool mail the other day," says Dylan Carison, the starship commander/minor guitar celeb of the band Earth. "It was a copy of the first CD (Extra Capsular Extraction) snapped in half and taped to a piece of paper that said, 'I'll never buy another Sub Pop release again.' It was pretty cool."
And indeed, for those fortunate enough to be familiar with the Earth idiom, it's obvious Carlson is of such soul-shredding, slo-mo riffing and wunderkind guitar wizard stock that a reaction saturated with such venom and vehemence ultimately comes as no surprise. Though, of course, in this case, it's a big boot in the denims.
"Fan" mail like the broken CD, though undaunting to Carlson, nevertheless colored the marketing personality with which Sub Pop is heralding Earth's latest LP, Phase 3: Thrones And Dominions, clearly the magnum opus of the band's thus far supra-triumphant trilogy of releases. Easily Carlson's furthest foray into anything even hinting of commercial viability-with some "move-ments" up to 10 times shorter than those comprising both the aforementioned pantpeeingly impressive debut EP as well as 1993's Earth 2 LP. Unwilling to sink a real budget into what some view as a whimsical pet project of Sub Pop moguls Bruce Pavitt and Jon Poneman (both long known for near-impeccable musical taste), the Seattle label has launched Phase 3 not with the usual advance compact discs, snappy promotional pictures and overwhelming media and advertising blitz (all trademarks of said label), but with dubbed cassettes and backyard Polaroids taken by Carlson's friends. "Obviously I'm not a big commercial success, and I'm not going to be farmed out to a major anytime soon," Carlson admits. "But I feel as though there is somewhat of a marketing problem with the label and that the bands tend to get blamed. It sort of annoys me since this is the first of my records that has songs short enough to play on the radio. And then I get told they're not doing any promo CDs, just cassettes. Nobody's going to play an advance cassette on the radio."
As for selling records, Carlson says his output may be stigmatized by the very logo thousands of teenage boys would give up their left nut ring to stamp on their record sleeves: "The people that are into rock see the Sub Pop logo, buy an Earth record and are disappointed by it. The people who might be really into my stuff see the logo and won't touch it."
Though Carlson notes the unlikelihood of any of Earth's releases becoming a surprise success, he says he still feels a bit duped, and cites cases like Nurse With Wound and Current 93, bands of arguable commercial stability that established and retained record-buying audiences for lengthy careers.
"The general feeling is that there are a lot of people who express interest in Earth, but stop short of buying the record," he says, paraphrasing one Sub Pop employee. "Critically, we've done welL Even Forced Exposure gave us a great review, and I don't think they ever like Sub Pap stuff. I think that a lot of reviewers saw the first EP as sort of a hip test. They didn't know how they were supposed to respond to it: 'Ooh, do I say I like this?"'
Aside from problems with Phase 3's marketing scheme, Carlson says he almost didn't even get into the studio to put the album to tape. "This record turned into a lot of trouble," he says. "I work really quickly in the studio. Usually if I don't get a track down in one or two takes, I leave it and come back to it, or just forget about it. So I started recording Phase 3 and things were going pretty well,but then I had trouble getting down to the studio for the days I booked. I had to borrow all of this equipment and I don't have a car, so I was depending on other people for rides. Everyone was flaking out on me. This guy was supposed to drive me over there and decided he had to go get crack instead, stuff like that. It was a nightmare. Sub Pop got mad and pulled the plug, so I had to wait like a year before I could finish it. In that respect, I think it's sort of like two different records since the tracks were laid down so far apart."
Carlson hopes to tour in Europe this summer and says he wants to cover the U.S. as the opportunity arises. Until then, he's polishing his resume and searching for a lab tech position. But Carlson shamelessly admits that "given the choice, I'd prefer to be a wealthy rock star."
Originally published by UK fanzine 'Here Be Monsters' (#9 Nov '95).
Interview by Clive Roberts and shared with his permission.
Transcribed by Michael Gillham 2002 to share with Southern Lord forum users. MG notes:
1. Interview conducted at The Garage London May 18th 1995 prior to Earth's live performance at Disobey Club which was released as "Sunn Amps And Smashed Guitars Live!" CD on Blast First. This was also Earth's debut UK & European live performance.
2. For the most part, I've left punctuation, spelling mistakes, etc, as originally printed.
All photos by Mark Benny
***INTERVIEW START***
At the garage dead on time. Now getting in..... I hate it here - they can be right funny. Thru the first doors - no-one in the Ticket Office ! Shit ! How am I gonna get thru the next Security Doors ?? Wait a short while, try the Security Doors and Oh, there're open !! Walk right in announcing my arrival & try to find someone..... Great, 3 geezers gathered round a table in the Venue area itself. Before I can introduce myself, I'm greeted in the er, time-honoured fashion London style by one of them. "How the F**K did YOU get in ??" he bellows. "Thru the F**king Front Door like everyone else ! If there's sposed to be Security there should make sure it IS there" I retort, expecting a Bunch of Five !! The guy is suddenly embarrassed and while he's off probably giving someone ELSE a Smack in the Mouth, I'm shown upstairs via the Main Bar and a Hole in the Wall (Honest Guv !!).
In a Cell-like room Upstairs at the Garage sit Four men. My arrival has spoilt their conversation and they stare at me as I Clock them each in turn. I recognise Three of them 1> Ex Wire man, now 'Bee Keeper' at the Disobey Nights - Bruce Gilbert. 2> Head Honcho of Blast First - Paul Smith. 3> EARTH Leader Dylan.....so the other guy MUST be with HIM. Luckily they know I'm coming and leave us while we, er, TALK. Y'see I'e purposely not prepared any questions as I know full well EARTH will make-up tonight's set as they go along, so appearing fully in command of the situation I begin ! I quickly find DYLAN is highly intelligent yet a slow quiet talker with a tendency to tail-off and mumble at the end of his sentences, whilst IAN is just as intelligent but more articulate. The only other thing you need to know is that they're swigging from bottles of Campari !! We're off!!
D> Dylan Carlson
I> Ian Dickson
DID YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF A DEFINATE SOUND WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED ??
D> "I definitely had an idea of where I was headed for. I've been thru 9(?) people...I don't know if they didn't fit in or I'd forced them out..... we'll say that they didn't fit in !! It's just attitude - everybody wanted a controlling link. When I started out I was REAL control freak !!"
WHAT ABOUT SUB POP AND YOUR FIRST RELEASE. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT ??
D> "We had recorded that before. We did a Show the weekend before with L7 and we were approached at the end of that".
WHAT'S AUDIENCES REACTIONS LIKE ??
D> "It's always been sorta (LAUGHING) people leaving or people into it, and I'd rather people be sorta polarising rather than 'just like another Rock Band.'"
YOUR NEW CD'S SORTA 'COMMERCIAL' !!
D> (LAUGHS) "We wanna shift units !! Anyone that says they don't start a Band for the desire to be famous or sell alot of Records....".
ANY OF THE THREE MINUTE TRACKS BEING PLAYED ON COLLEGE RADIO ??
I> "Yeah definatly !! They've started to show up on the CMJ (COLLEGE MUSIC JOURNAL Chart and stuff....which has been weird....and there's been a much better reaction....".
WHAT ABOUT THE 'PHASE III' TRACK. HOW DID YOU GET THAT WHITE NOISE SOUND ??
D> "It was basically an old 'Maestro' Phaser played into the Amp. Not guitar based - just the Pedal played into the Amp. So it's just like waiting..... and I told the guy to run the Tape and he really wanted to add something....and that's it ! But this album I didn't get to do everything that was planned....".
I> "It was an Oddissy in Creation !! It took a Year to make. It took 3 different Recording Studios. Er, different members of the Band kept leaving and joining. They were basically temporary members ! Dylan was like the Core of the Band. People like me would come in - I didn't play on the Record - I work for Sub Pop and I kinda oversaw the Production on the Record. It was a strange creation process....".
D> "It was a f**ked up time !!"
HAVE YOU PLAYED TOGETHER BEFORE?
D> "No !! And that's the way I like it..... like I used to be a real control freak about er, Live and it had to be SO.....then like I just abandoned that. And that's the fun of Live things - the Rollercoaster!! The things that could go completely wrong ! Yeah like I'm not gonna play anything from the Records..... this ain't a Set List.....it's a Catalog !!".
I> "Well, the way I thought we'd do the Set was he'd start off and play like low & like maybe something off the Record ?!?!?!!".
YOU GUYS HAVEN'T EVEN DISCUSSED IT YET ?!?!? THIS SOUNDS REAL GOOD !!
I> (LAUGHING) "and then I'll like join him up and it'll be good !!"
BY THE WAY, THEY'RE DRINKING COMPARI AND IAN WANTS SPONSERSHIP! BUT I SUGGEST THEM DOING A SOUNDTRACK FOR AN AD....
D> "Yeah, a really long one !! (BIG LAUGHS !!) Like a Seventy Two Minute Compari Ad....".
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN APPROACHED TO DO SOME SOUNDTRACK MUSIC ??
D> "No, not yet. We're open to it though. I've always been influenced by Film alot....".
THERE'S A LULL. SO I ASK IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN THE INTERNET.
I> "Yeah, I'm interested - it's sorta what I do for a living. (POINTS) He's a Luddite !!! Earth is on the Internet and so's Sub Pop. So now I can get my Hate Mail direct !! And I'm making a video of this whole Tour process....and I'M gonna post that on the Internet. It will be mostly out-takes from the Austin(?) Show and some Audio and I'll package it and post it...".
DO YOU THINK THE NET WILL EVER BE CONTROLLABLE ???
I> "Oh NO ! It's beyond control. With Incryption on if they shut it down everyone would create Hell coz Microsoft and all these big companies are heavily invested in the Internet - there's no way they're gonna shut it down. There;s strong Incryption out there already like PGP Pretty Good Privacy? that people can like Incrypt any live message into a completely unbreakable form - which is like Public Key Incryption where you like send out a Key. It pretty much stops anyone from knowing what your're sending. In fact it's illegal right now to export that PGP Program from America for National Security reasons...(PUTS ON CAR SALEMAN'S VOICE) But I happen to have a copy for sale....!!!".
PROGRESS HAS ALSO BROUGHT US THE CD. ANY VIEWS...???
D> "Well, that's what's Cool about Vinyl...like to order of the Tracks, the Packaging, the Whole Thing y'know ? The CD is just all there".
I> "Back to the Cave for us all".
D> "I think you have to live them. Lie 'EARTH II' was the perfect response to the CD. One Song !! I mean what can they do !?!?! They can skip foward and it sounds kinda like where it was before or take it off & listen to it !"
A CASE OF BEING ANTI-MUSIC ??
I> "It was anti-FORMAT. It was meant to utilize the format to it's Extreme....".
D> "....And it was against the format at the same time".
THE CAMPARI'S FLOWING NOW & WE START SERIOSULY GOING OFF AT TANGENTS....!!
D> "We talked to the N.M.E the other day & the guy was just a SURLY ASS !!"
I> "I get the feeling he had sorta pre-conceived ideas about us. There're more like Tabloids...like they hear all the rumours... We saw some Monuments today near Buckingham Palace to all the er, Mounted / Cavalry Regiments of The British Empire (listed by Country) & that was like a Religious Experience (LAUGHS) thinking about God & The Regiment !!"
D> "If they can inspire a Twenty Seven year old American with something that happened 150 Years ago....!!!??".
BUT THE BRITISH EMPRE WASN'T MUCH TO BE PROUD ABOUT. IT WAS BORN OUT OF FEAR, CONQUEST AND SUPERIOR FIRE-POWER, ETC...
D> "Actually it wasn't Fire-Power. Do you know what they couldn't stand?? It was the bayonet charge !!! They begged to die anyway at the end of that !! It was like watching a line of men walk in and emerging from this sorta Hellacious Fire without firing back... Yeah, like Cortez had 500 men. The other natives hated the Aztecs and helped him. But Pizarro went to Peru & took out the Inca Civilisation with FIFTY men and some dogs and he gets no credit ! I think he was a Massive Hard-Ass !!! ".
SO WILL TWO GUYS FRO EARTH WIN OVER THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT ???!!
I> "Well we have 2 Marshall stacks - what does the Audience have ?!".
Head spinning I stumble outside to a Shop & buy a can of Coke. I drink it staring at the traffic crawling around the busy Highbury Corner, just glad to be back out in the Real World !!!! Shit - it sure had been a weird Forty-Five minutes !! I couldn't make it to the Show but I heard it was an Event !! I bet it was.....!!
Recently I got onto the INTERNET at Work and managed to see IAN'S er, Handywork. Yep, I got in to SUB POP's Net Address & pretty cool it is too. Amongst the Discographys, News, Band Info and nice Color Pics, there's the chance to Download Songs and even a coupla Videos. Great stuff....and it's gonna get better.....
***INTERVIEW END***
Earth live @ Disobey was released by Blast First as 'Ripped On Fascist Ideas' on 'Sunn Amps And Smashed Guitars Live!' CD
