If it were up to Joe and Molly of Cereal Banter, we’d be meeting at Tree Country in Coventry Heights delighting in Mango Chicken Curry (Tofu for me, thank you) as we discuss what fuels their creative spaceship. In their words, “The specific and peculiar addictive sounds and colours of life; the extreme contrasts that make our sensory perceptions flutter.”
Instead, they sit in a public library quiet as church mice, and I sit at my computer listening to their new LP LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS.
As I listen, I am not soothed. The ratter-tatter of Rafidi’s explosive and sometimes unpredictable drums atop McKay’s bumble-bee keys activates the adrenal glands; I’m unsure if I should fight or fly. And yet, perhaps this is exactly what keeps me listening, wondering what will happen next.
Described in turn as neo-psychedelic and space-jazz, Rafidi and McKay are inspired by the fact that their “collective sound resembles a yet-to-be described ET [extra-terrestrial, that is].”
Perhaps the synthesis of their creative condition is best experienced live. Rafidi and McKay provide a very visceral experience, feeding off of one another, the instruments, and the audience. “We try to let the viewers experience as best as we can what is going through our veins at that particular moment. We try to avoid dull live moments. We like to keep things minimal, revealing a naked mannequin-type live show. No computers, no caffeine, just human effort and human error. It keeps it abrupt for us!”
OK, time for full disclosure: Joe, Trevor, and I (of Eighth Whale) played in punk/indie rock band You Are the War That I Want in Youngstown during the mid-2000’s. Our sound was straight forward and rather sparse, not like what either Cereal Banter or Eighth Whale play. I ask Joe to explain how his music has evolved since those days. “It’s gone from playing in the pocket to avoiding the pocket. Now, I disregard anything that sounds ordinary and tasteful and go for the discomfort. I’ve realized that my worst mistakes turn into the most compelling sonic moments in a song.”
I agree with Joe. I like Cereal Banter’s style—abrupt, uncomfortable, visceral; and yet, sonically teasing/pleasing. As a listener and observer, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
You can listen to Cereal Banter’s LP LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS here and order it from Indie Wax Records. See them live at Cedars in Youngstown on Saturday, July 9th. They share the stage with Eighth Whale, Abortopotomus Rex, and if you’re lucky, there will be an impromptu reunion of You Are The War That I Want.
