Music: Interview with musician and entrepreneur Cedric Theys from Mad Ducks Records

Cedric Theys stopped by for an interview to tell us a little bit about his talent both as a musician and as the founder of Mad Ducks Records, an independent recording company label based in Austin, TX. Cedric plays bass and has performed with different bands in Texas and France. Let's hear him!

1. As a musician, when was the first time you performed live? How did you feel? 

I don’t think I actually remember my first live performance. I remember when I started playing; the first time I entered Guitar Center while I had just arrived in the US, I decided I wanted to play guitar. I think it took another 3 years before I decided I really wanted to write and play live.
The first performance I can remember in front of people was as a guitar duo playing covers of Metallica and Megadeth. A friend of mine played the guitar solos and I played the rhythm parts. That was not a great experience! I couldn’t play standing up at the time and there was no chair so I sat on a table that actually collapsed while I was playing. No harm though and I kept going.
The best early performance I can remember is playing for my father’s 50th birthday. It was a trio, drums, bass and guitar. We actually played for the first time a piece we had written especially for the event, “Mid Century Sky Jump”. My Dad went free falling for his birthday. The piece is our first really concept piece with various parts and all instrumental. It changed a lot afterwards but it was so great to play the music we love.

2. Is there a specific performance you feel was your best ever? If so, where and why? 

It was again with 4Element (www.madducksrecords.com/4element.html). We had just become a trio; one of the guitarists had quit the band. We had 6 weeks to figure out the songs as a trio and be able to play them at a concert. 6 weeks may seem like a lot but we all had day jobs and other responsibilities so it’s actually quite short for the material we were playing. I think my brother (on drums) and Xavier (on guitars) were quite on edge not sure if we would make it. I felt really comfortable.
We were actually on fire that night and the music just soared. 3 guys on stage and it felt like there were 6 of us! Maybe the fact that it was new and daring made it so awesome. I recall Xavier telling me afterwards that he had actually puked before we went on stage as he was so uneasy. That’s a good sign!


3. What do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans?

I don’t get approached too much… might be the bass player syndrome. The cool thing is that because of the music I do, when people are drawn to it, they really listen and they are really engrossed by the music. Which to me is what is important. It’s not about the player; it’s all about the music. So if the fans get that, I’m happy.

4. What genre do you consider yourself and who is your greatest influence? 

I coined the phrase Electro prog rock as I was very influenced (and still am) by Prog music (Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, to name a few) and all the electronic experimentation that’s been going on for the past 30 years (Aphex Twin www.drukqs.net, Brain Damage brain-damage.fr, Bill Laswell, Brian Eno http://brian-eno.net/lux/).

I am influenced by a lot of different music and musicians playing any kind of instruments. I’m just like a sponge when it comes to music. But if I have to pick one influence, as a bass player I will have to say it’s Tony Levin www.tonylevin.com (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel and about 500 other artists!). He is at the root of a lot of things I started doing as a musician.

4Element recording at Sugar Hill Studios. Cedric on the board.

5. What is your source of inspiration to compose? 

That’s an excellent question. I’ve never really stopped and thought about this.
I think I get inspired by many different things. I’ve written some lyrics even though that doesn’t come easy to me. One thing that seems to help me are sounds, like an effect (I’m a big effects pedal geek!) or a certain melody or riff. I build around that. That’s why I really like using the computer as a tool. You can easily put building blocks together just like legos.
I’m a bit hypercritical when it comes to things I compose. I usually prefer composing as a band as I feel each musician know their instruments better than me and they should write their own parts. It makes everything more organic.

6. How did you start the record company and what's the story behind the name?

Mad Ducks Records was started about 13 or 14 years ago. As 4Element, my first band, we were recording our first album and we needed to put it out so we decided to create our own record label.
At the time, my brother was the one finding names for most of the songs and everything we were doing. One of the songs on that first record is “Ducks On The Wall”; it’s actually the first song on the record. I guess he really liked the Ducks idea and used it for the label as well. We all loved the name right away and I’ve had great feedback on the name over the years.

7. Who is your target audience? 

Another question I never stopped and thought about J. Most of the music on the label is electronic, instrumental and experimental. It probably never will be on the radio and that’s not the intent. Indeed it’s not music you can just put in the background at first listen. You have to focus on it and internalize it to some extent.

Some of the albums could have a wider audience. Eric’s album
(www.madducksrecords.com/embadinga.html) is a mix of World music and rock. Corey’s album (http://www.madducksrecords.com/cb_sweetrelease.html) is entirely song oriented and more acoustic folk.

 
 Eric Mbadinga-Nzamba performing live from the album Continuum

8. Why should we buy your music? 

Nobody should do anything they don’t want to. If someone likes the music then I hope that you will buy it and more importantly enjoy it for a long time.
The label is really a one person entity. I do everything to promotion, website design and coding and producing, recording and mixing the albums. It takes time, expertise (I’m still learning!) and equipment. When you buy an album, the money goes back into the label for other projects. I would love to release every single album on CD or vinyl but it’s too expensive at this stage.
Every purchase is a great way of supporting what the artists and I are trying to do. And it feels really good to get an e-mail with a new download sold.

9. Where can we buy your music? 

All of the music released through the label is available in the shop at www.madducksrecords.com. Some releases are available on iTunes and Amazon. A few of the albums are available as CDs through the website directly. Of course when you buy through the MDR store more of the money goes to me and/or the artists.

9. What are your plans for the coming year?

There’s a lot in the pipeline for 2014. The last 2 releases were from 2011. I put a stop on new releases because I had to rethink how I was promoting the music.
I’ve been working on 2 albums, a new one from DJ Lion-O (http://www.madducksrecords.com/djliono.html) and another one I’m mixing from my brother’s French band, Jass & Bazz (http://www.madducksrecords.com/jassbazz.html). Those will be released early in 2014.
In March I will also attend SXSW in Austin and help any French bands that are coming here for the festival.

I am hoping to start some solo improvised gigs with the new U8 Deluxe I’m having built right now. It’s an 8 strings touch guitar instrument designed by Markus Reuter (http://www.markusreuter.com/).
I will also go to the second American Touch Guitar Circle (http://www.touchguitarcircle.com/), led by Markus Reuter and Trey Gunn (http://www.treygunn.com/)whenever that takes place and will most likely attend another Three of a Perfect Pair Camp (Tony Levin, Adrian Belew, Pat Mastelotto) (http://threeofaperfectpair.com/) later in the year. Those occasions have been amazing for me to connect with inspirational musicians and people that love music the way I do. When I come back from those I am reenergized for a full year and know that I can do this!

               


Mad Ducks Records
Follow them on twitter at: @MadDucksRecords

Location: The State Capitol - Bigger in Texas!

Location: The State Capitol - Bigger in Texas!

Texas, the lone star state, the biggest state in the continental USA! The saying goes... "everything is bigger in Texas." Even the Capitol?

The beautiful dome of the State Capitol

The Texas State Capitol is second in total size only to Washington DC National Capitol; basically it is the largest state capitol in the nation. The Texas Capitol does surpass the National Capitol in height, though, rising almost 15 feet above its Washington counterpart. It is a beautiful, Renaissance Revival style of architecture building, which was completed in 1888, and is designated a National Historic Landmark. Touring the facilities is free on a daily basis - you can also choose a guided tour, which is approximately 45 minutes long, or wander through the magnificent building on your own. Children will love to climb the several floors linked by formidable stairways; the interior is like a palace, with many different rooms and corridors to be explored; galleries showing portrait paintings of all previous state governors, and lots of history to be appreciated. Colorful marble floors also grace the lobby of this amazing building.

Inside the State Capitol, hallways covered with pictures portray the history of Texas

 The State Capitol's grounds are situated in a beautiful landscaped area, where you find tourists and pedestrians strolling around, taking pictures of the many monuments and statues spread around the park, or just sitting under a tree relaxing in the shade. It's interesting to notice, that views of the Capitol's dome are protected, by state law, from being obscured; so you can see the magnificent dome from many different points throughout the city.

Another beautiful view of the State Capitol dome

Nothing like a taste of history for free; but don't forget the taste of Texan food. While in Austin, walk around the famous 6th Street; where during the day you can find a multitude of restaurants, and on nearby streets you can find food trucks selling all sorts of goodies, including delicious cupcakes. And at night, you can bar hop in one of the many entertainment venues, permanent hosts of this world famous musical street. Welcome to the capital of Texas!

Location: Petronas Twin Towers - a view from Malaysia

Location: Petronas Twin Towers - a view from Malaysia

The glass looking towers illuminated at night

Kuala Lumpur, the vibrant and colorful capital of Malaysia, is the home of the world famous Petronas Towers, double skyscrapers that holds the title of the tallest twin towers in the world. The towers are 88 stores high and 452 meters above sea level. Although they were completed in 1998, after seven years of construction, they were officially inaugurated on August 31, 1999.

The Sky bridge gives tourists a great view of the city

The building is spectacularly beautiful and at night, it resembles pointed spires of a giant glass castle. The lights are usually turned off around midnight. It is breathtaking to take a peak at the city from the towers, and visitors can go to the observatory platform on the 41st floor, half way through to the top, where a sky bridge unites both towers. Besides being an observatory deck, the sky bridge also serves as an escape route in case of emergency. The ride used to be free, and you had to spend a considerable amount of time in line waiting for a chance to get a ticket. For that, you had to go to the underground level of the Suria KLCC shopping mall, a high class shopping mall at the foot of the towers, the biggest in Malaysia, where you find the booth that distributes the daily tickets. Lines used to form as early as 6 am on the weekends, as the tickets were distributed on a first came, first served basis to 1,000 tourists per day.

Interior of the Suria KLCC Shopping Mall, located at the foot of Petronas Towers

The 20 elevator trips to the sky bridge are still distributed to the maximum capacity of 20 visitors per ride, with the last ride being around 4 or 5 pm. If you are traveling by yourself, you have a higher chance to fill one of the earliest rides. For example, when I got there around 8 am, the line was already curving around the corner of the room, and by 10:45 am, although the next available slot was not until 3:15pm, I was able to score one at 1:45 pm, because I was by myself and they needed one more person to fill the elevator to its maximum capacity. For the last two years, the tickets are now being sold to the public, however the touristic demand to go to this architectural masterpiece is high and queues are still an issue. 

It's advisable to stay around the area waiting for your ride,so don't go wandering around too far. If you get there late for your elevator slot, you won't be able to take your tour and will have to try again the following day. You can enjoy your time walking around the shopping mall, browsing through the hundreds of specialty shops or finding a place to eat and have a fresh fruit smoothie while you wait.

Another beautiful view of the magnificent skyscrapers

The ride is fast and non stop. Once at the sky ride observatory, you get the chance to walk around and take breathtaking pictures of the city down below, which is well worth the wait. No trip to Kuala Lumpur would be complete without visiting the towers. It's a must see in the Malaysia capital, and probably the most famous attraction, since the towers symbolize the city and the country.

Location: Xunantunich - an adventure in Belize

Location: Xunantunich - an adventure in Belize

Few might know that Belize was known as British Honduras... in Central America. It's the only country in C.A. where English is spoken. Belize is known for its luscious tropical jungle, spectacular coral reef (second only to Australia's) and old Mayan civilization. One of the most amazing Mayan cities discovered within the jungle is Xunantunich, which is located about 2 hours by bus from the port of Belize City. The drive is almost boring with no interesting landscapes, except for the far away glance at a mountain range called the Mayan Mountains, which resembles a sleeping giant. The rest of the way is cut across the outskirts of Belmopan, the capital, and other smaller villages, where you can see the underdeveloped infrastructure of the small country.

The Mayan Mountains resemble a sleeping giant

To get into Xunantunich Mayan city, we need to cross the Mopan river, near the border with Guatemala, by a hand cranked ferryboat- this crossing is no longer than 5 minutes. Once on the other side of the river, it takes about a mile uphill to the site (yes, you can hike, but you can also go by horse back or van...). There are still many temples and edifices buried within the jungle. The main structure is El Castillo, the main temple, a spectacular pyramid that rises 130 feet above the ground and it's one of the very few pyramids that you can climb if you dare. The climb is steep and challenging; descent is worse... so be careful when adventuring yourself on these steps. However, the view from the top is significantly worth it. You can just imagine the powerful priest addressing the population down below and performing sacrifices to their gods. It's a bewildering image and not to be forgotten - a magnificent jungle all the way down the horizon and the remnants of the Mayan city down below... bringing us a sensation of the peace and beauty our world has to offer, which we all should embrace. 

Beautiful Mopan river

Note on local cuisine: On our way out of Xunantunich, we stopped at a local restaurant (Benny's) to savor the delicious Caribbean cuisine, consisting of rice and red beans cooked in coconut milk, fried plantains, and a coleslaw type salad. (For non vegetarians, there was also chicken!). The restaurant was clean and well kept and it's owned by a local family, and it seems to be a favorite tourist stop for most tours coming in and out of Xunantunich, in the town of San Ignacio.

El Castillo - you can climb to the top

http://mayanruins.info/belize/xunantunich-belize/

Location: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Let's celebrate one of the most popular and world known beaches in Rio de Janeiro: Copacabana, also lovingly nicknamed "little princess of the seas" by cariocas, Rio´s inhabitants. The spectacular landscape pictures Sugar Loaf Mountain in the background, making it unique in natural beauty. Copacabana has been a favorite spot for many Brazilians and visitors alike, including Brazilian's famous poet and writer Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Although not a carioca, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, born in 1902 in Minas Gerais state, lived in Rio for most of his life and considered Copacabana Beach one of his favorite places. He used to stroll by the beach, then sit and contemplate life in all its colors and splendor in a privileged area next to the fortress of Copacabana. Drummond died in 1987 and is considered one of Brazil´s greatest poets.

Copacabana Beach with Sugar Loaf in the background

In 2002, to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of Drummond´s birth, a statue was unveiled in Copacabana, in Drummond´s original size, as if he was sitting at one of the many benches he used to sit while taking a rest from his regular walks at the beach, watching as life manifested happily in front of his eyes. The lonely poet is never alone; since the statue was unveiled, it has attracted many tourists who are eager to capture a picture next to the great poet. The biggest challenge, however, is to keep Drummond´s glasses on! Even though a camera was installed in a nearby area to record the movement around the monument, vandalism unfortunately continues, and every once in a while the poet wakes up without his glasses, just to be replaced again... and again. It is amazing to note that his glasses have been stolen 8 times (the latest of 2012 - in mid-June, a new pair was attached once more).

The poster says "don't steal my glasses, read my books instead!"

Always in the news, never forgotten, forever immortalized not only by his poetic words but by his image in this amazing and symbolic monument, Carlos Drummond de Andrade becomes a natural part of the scene, vibrating and resonating with the colors, sights and legends of famous Copacabana Beach.

Music: Interview with New York band Maybe the Welders!

As a fan of NY band Maybe the Welders, I decided to have an interview with them instead of writing a review about their music and let them tell a more fun and lively story about themselves and their work! To be a fan of their Facebook page, please go to:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maybe-the-Welders/150833375834?fref=ts

And now, introducing MAYBE THE WELDERS! Enjoy the show!

Maybe The Welders are: Greg Campbell:  Vocal/ Guitar

Declan Collins:   Vocal/ Guitar

Steve Ferrara:  Backing Vocals/ Bass and keyboard

Pitti:  Drums

1. How did you start the band and what's the history behind the band's name?   

GREG:   Pitti started the band whilst he, Declan, and I were working together at a fancy pizza restaurant in midtown.  Basically, he decided he wanted to be a drummer, and he may as well have a band around him.  I was actually invited into the band by another friend and former member, who knew that I played guitar a bit.  At that point, we were practicing in Pitti's old hair salon, which was accessed through a storm cellar door in Alphabet City.The band consisted of drums, two guitars, a trumpet, and a musical theater-style female singer.  We had no PA, no microphones, no bassist, and no songs.  It was brought to the band's attention that I had written a song -- literally one song -- and it was decided that I would be the songwriter.  So I went home and wrote five or six songs that week.  They didn't really fit with the lineup that we had, so we ended up losing the singer and trumpet player.  A few months later, we picked up Declan to play guitar and sing along with me, as well as bolster our catalog, as he was a pretty fine songwriter himself.  We chugged along for years almost getting it right, until we finally added Steve on bass guitar, and became the Maybe the Welders of today.  As to the name, well we had to be called something, didn't we?

DECLAN: There are many stories about our name some true some a little less so. ..My favorite is that we were originally called the Welders, but we were becoming too famous and were threatened with a lawsuit from classic psyche rock band the Welders who were huge in the 1960's. We had to cave in and put "Maybe" in there so we didn't lose everything.

2. Who writes the lyrics and composes the songs?

GREG: Generally Declan or I will bring in the rough idea for a song, some chords and lyrics, and then the whole band will work it through until we feel it is finished.  Steve is a marvel at arrangements, and Pitti gives the song its thumping heartbeat.

 

3. What genre do you consider yourselves and who is your greatest influence?

GREG: ?  Jesus, that's a hard one to answer.  I consider us to be melodic post-punk, but if you say that people nowadays think of Green Day or something, which is rubbish because they're not punk at all. 

DECLAN:  Definitely a classic punk influence from the late '70's. We have a wide range of influences as a band.

STEVE: Talking Heads, The Clash, Buzz Cocks, Gang of  Four...

4. When was the first time you performed live? How did you feel?

DECLAN: Our first gig was in late 2006 - at  the legendary CBGB's - it was a little nerve racking but a lot of fun, Greg was sick as a dog and I was stiff as a board trying to remember the songs! we also wore suits, so I kind of looked like a bouncer.

GREG: This is what i recall from that night: as a band, I'd say we were just excited to get out there and see what we could do.  We had only been together with Declan for less than three months, and we had all ready cut a demo, and were ready to play out.  We were very ambitious!  On a personal, level, though, I was sick a dog.  That's a lie, a dog in that state would be put down.  I was really hurting:  high fever, aches, pains, and, most wonderfully, total laryngitis.  I was medicating myself by drinking slugs of Jack Daniel's and squeezing honey into my mouth right out of the plastic bear.  Maybe it's a good thing I was so sick, because I got too drunk to be nervous!

PITTI: I remember all that and on my side the fact that my kick pedal broke completely before our last song and i literally kick the bass drum throughout the whole last song. Nerve wrecking and so much FUN.

5. Is there a specific performance you feel was your best ever? If so, where and why?

GREG: I always think our best performance is going to be our next one.  We get better and better, and I love it more and more.

DECLAN: We're a well oiled machine, so our recent gigs at here in NYC have been excellent. My most memorable gigs would have been on our last tour in Brazil, specifically playing at Cafe Muzik in Juiz de Fora and at A Obra in Belo Horizonte. The main reason they were so memorable was because of the audience..people really came out and enjoyed themselves, fans here enjoy the music but are sometimes too cool to show it in Brazil they have no problem showing it.

STEVE: No one performance comes to mind as best.  The worst was definitely a few years back at Arlenes when Greg drank the entire bottle of whiskey instead of half.  He couldn't talk let alone sing.

6. What do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans?

STEVE: Their dancing.

GREG: Honestly, I just enjoy having fans!  My favorite interaction is always seeing people at the shows.  I love chatting on the Internet, and giving interviews, and all that, but there's nothing like connecting live, seeing people being moved by the music, getting that energy.  It's indescribable.  Then, afterwards, we can all have a drink together.
DECLAN: Just seeing people enjoying the music is enough, seeing them dance and sing along. The fact that they come out and spend their hard earned money to see us play means everything to us.

PITTI: I absolutely love seeing people dance to the beat of the drum. ;)

7. What are your plans for this year?

DECLAN:We're spending the summer demoing songs that we play live but haven't yet recorded also writing new material,We'll also be playing some gigs around NYC. The big project too is our trip to Brazil in August which we can't wait for and we can't wait to see all our old friends and fans down there.

GREG: It will be our third time there -- our first with Steve -- and we always have an unforgettable time.  Of course Pitti's from there, but for the rest of us it's a great way to enjoy another country without feeling like tourists.  Of course, a lot of change is taking place in Brazil right now.  A lot of people are waking up and saying enough to corruption and brutality.  It's a very impressive thing to witness, and we can't wait to go down there and be part of it.  Of course, the caipirinhas on Ipanema will be nice, too.  

Aside from that trip, we have a new video coming soon, possibly some new recordings, and we would love to have a trip to England and Ireland, as well.  We shall see...

STEVE: OH! And get signed to ruff trade records and do a short tour as the back up band for our friend Dave Bowie

8. How/where can we buy your music?

STEVE: itunes, Amazon, Reverbnation, Facebook and our website www.maybethewelders.com
At our shows.

9. Give a brief introduction about each band member (background)

Greg Campbell - Vocals and Guitar..a native of Maine and a die hard rocker at heart, has been known to play with the possibility of  personal injury in the name of his art.Big heart, prone to crazy stage rants and eye liner

Declan Collins - Vocals and Guitar... Irish born always wanted to write the follow up to  James Joyce's Ulysses but settled on the art of the 3 minute rock song instead.

Steve Ferrara - Bass and vocals..From New Jersey and with a Masters in music composition, Steve has been corrupting the youth of NYC with his great skills as a music teacher for many years now

Pitti - Drums and percussion..A native of Brazil, Pitti brings his unique and suave style to the stage both in his playing and appearance, he's the rock upon the Welders stand! Most likely to find on social media.