Songs of Honesty
You know these guys so there is no need for me to babble on. I give you Ceschi and David Ramos.
For those
who don’t know you, could you both sum yourself up in one sentence, please?
Ceschi: My name is Ceschi, I write songs, play
string instruments, rap and own the record label Fake Four Inc.
David: My name is David (Da-veed) and I play the
drums, rap, and make some songs with a Casiotone keyboard.
What,
initially, inspired you to get into making music and have you both been doing
it for the same length of time? Do you help each other out on solo projects?
C: We always messed around with music since we
were very small children. I think my mother inspired us to sing a lot and
listen to music as much as we do. We
used to record ourselves on a Fisher Price tape deck. When we were around 13 (myself) and 11
(David) we started our band Anonymous Inc. We’ve recorded on all of our projects together since then.
D: I do think that our mother played a major
role in influencing our general appreciation for music. When she was a child she played the clarinet,
but the noise from the clarinet was so distracting to my uncle that she was
forced to play outside. When the
Connecticut winter rolled around, she couldn't very well practice in the cold,
so she stopped. Or so the story goes. I'm not sure I believe that though, but as a
first generation American my Grandparents likely placed a heavier emphasis on
studies. However, as we were growing up
my Grandparents really encouraged our musical ambitions, they even helped buy
Ceschi a violin from Italy when he was 14. I had a makeshift drum set at my Grandparents' house, and my grandmother
would often sit and play the drums with me. So really I think our family always nurtured our musical aspirations. As far as whether or not we help one another with
solo projects...yes, but Ceschi helps me way more than I ever help him. With my self-produced songs I start with a
skeletal version of what the music eventually becomes. Ceschi is, without question, critical to my
songs. Where as Ceschi's music can often
be more self-sufficient. In the end
though, our music started together with our band Anonymous Inc. Therefore, everything that comes out as solo
projects feels like an extension of Anonymous Inc.
You two are
not scared of mixing and getting in to other genres than hip-hop, which type of
music did you start off with and do have different purposes with the varied
styles?
C: We started playing grunge rock music. I’m personally interested in any music that
makes me feel something. It could be
instrumental or rap or folk or whatever. It can transcend through sound or lyrics or both. But you just know when a song hits you. I think we both try to make music that’s
honest and hopefully makes us and other people feel a connection to it.
D: Yeah, well I think Ceschi pretty much sums
this one up. I certainly don't think
that different genres have different purposes. The process of expression stays organic throughout the genres, yet
sometimes a certain platform, or musical backdrop allows one to detail thoughts
and feelings differently. In many cases
"hip-hop" (loosely used) feels liberating because of the amount of
content that can be placed in a single song. There is not other music where you can so thoroughly express an
idea. However in other genres, the
expression can be equally potent and sometimes more powerful with fewer
words. Anyways, really it is not some
heavily calculated decision. We don't
hold ourselves, or our ideas, hostage to any one genre.
Could you
briefly tell us how you make your music? What´s the procedure like?
C: Different songs and projects have different
methods behind them. Sometimes I’ll
write a song on acoustic guitar and bring it to David and Max Heath (our
collaborator and keyboard player), sometimes I’ll just write to a beat,
sometimes I’ll write lyrics first and mold them into a song, sometimes make the
beat from scratch. There’s no exact
procedure I’d say….
D: Different projects and songs truly have
different methods. I often write songs
on a Casio keyboard, and Max and Ceschi bring them to life. On my most recent project it has been a bit
different because I worked heavily with oskar ohlson from Germany. This is the first time since JTT that I had
more than a few songs produced by one person. Oskar is great, and I was lucky to be able to work with such an accommodating
and hard working producer. Occasionally
I would copy and paste the beats to make them longer. Of course he hated this, but would rework the
beats entirely so that we would both be happy with the outcome. Anyhow, we are involved in such a variety of
projects and each project has a great variety within it, so there really is no
single process.
You two
have people all over this globe listening to your stuff. You´ve also been
travelling a lot and have worked with musicians with various backgrounds and
nationalities. What have you learned from this experience and what differs from
what you are used to in your own music making process?
C: Well, yes, a good example of this would be the fact that I
worked with DJ Scientist from Germany.
Working with him has definitely not been the easiest process. Sometimes
we can’t properly communicate our feelings about a song or edit because of our
distance. Sometimes we just have very
different taste – possibly because of the language or cultural barrier. Either way, I think it’s worked out quite
well even though it hasn’t been easy – we both bring unique styles to what we
do.
D: Well, I have not really traversed the globe
so much as my brother has, but vicariously I have made my own connections. Indeed, oskar ohlson is the most significant
example of this. Initially a few of the oskar songs were sent to Ceschi. I had a
lot of things written and I sort of stole the beats. Luckily, oskar was ok with that, and more
music came from it. Oskar and my
preferences are sometimes slightly different, but I think we both have tried to
accommodate one another. There have been
times where he has asked me to re-record something because it was recorded
poorly and there have been times where he has modified the music to fit my
vocals. All and all, the main difference
is probably my lack of emphasis on clean recording. The low quality of my recordings has really
been the only noteworthy issue. Email
collaborations can be tough because you don't get the immediate satisfaction of
a response. Also, it can be hard to
explain certain things...but generally oskar speaks English perfectly. Sometimes I forget he is German, but I think
the distance has its advantages in that we are able to pull from different
places, and we approach the songs differently.
Combined,
the two of you have done a lot of music in different groups and projects. Would
you mind to start off by telling us a bit about that? Where did it all begin?
C: I feel like recording and performing has
been a part of our lives since we were small children. It all began with Anonymous Inc. when we were
kids. We always liked to make fake bands
also – we have like 5 or 6 joke bands and would just record entire albums for
fun with our friends. We’ve always been fans of a lot of different kinds of
music as well so we’ve got a history of dabbling in many genres.
D: Basically
it all started with Anonymous Inc., and in the end that is where our focus will
ultimately shift. After releasing Sento La Tua Mancanza I will start working on pulling together a
new Anonymous Inc. album. We have over
10 years of recorded material to pull from, and I want to put my energy into
that.
Many of
your hip-hop fans might not be too familiar with Dead by Wednesday. How did
that band come together? Do you put just as much focus and energy into DBW as
you do into the rest of your music?
C: Dead
by Wednesday is a band we started with our cousin Christian back around 2004. We all have roots in heavy music and
at that moment in time I know I was personally craving the energy of live
performances in this genre. In a matter
of years we started touring a ton with Dead By Wednesday and did some of the
biggest shows of our lives. At certain
points DBW was pretty much the focus of our musical careers but this has changed
a lot now. David stopped performing and
recording with the band around 2007 when he started taking care of our
grandmother full time. I still work with
DBW and recorded on the latest album The Last Parade but I no longer perform
with them live aside from some of the local New Haven shows.
D: Really,
Christian and I recorded a song on a four track after some show he had played
with his former band. For me, it was a
mostly enjoyable experience, and there is definitely an emotional element to
the genre that cannot be found elsewhere. Screaming and performing such heavy music is really different and often
enjoyable for that very reason. There
where definitely some moments where I felt out of place, but that was not
because the music was heavy, so much as I felt like I had certain roots in hardcore music (Bad Brains is possibly my favorite band), and the metal scene
was just not the same. As a matter of
fact, neither was the Hardcore scene. At
any rate, I think Ceschi accurately answered the question. We definitely put a lot of energy into
performing and touring. In fact my most
extensive touring has been with Dead By Wednesday. But in a genre where touring is so imperative,
I simply could not continue to do it. In
my opinion, DBW is better now than it was with me in it. The songs are more developed, and they are
generally a much heavier band. Recently
at a show in New Haven I jumped on for a song, and I must say it is refreshing.
You know I
have to ask about Knuck Feast, the crazy sexcore crunk group, that you had
together with, amongst others, iCON the Mic King. What can you tell us about
that project, and is there any possibility of a follow up?
C: The
Knuck Feast project actually has a lot to do with Dead By Wednesday, believe it
or not. In 2007 Dead By Wednesday was
asked to tour with Insane Clown Posse for 30 dates all around the US. We found
out shortly before we ended up leaving – probably 3 weeks before actually
leaving for the Midwest to start the tour. We had been dabbling with vile crunk music and just down south rap
sounds for fun for many years, but when we were called to go on this ICP tour
we decided to go all out and make a whole record of this kind of music. We didn’t know much about Insane Clown Posse
but we knew that ICP were “shock rappers” who talked about killing people and
doing awful things to women etc, we also knew that their fan base was
interested in Tech N9ne (who we also really respect and like). So, in one week we recorded the entire Knuck
Feast album with major help from a producer named YOsef UnA & Ape Nine from
Colorado as well as our keyboard player Max Heath, DJ Creative and iCON The Mic
King. The next week we got help from the
homies behind Grimm Image Records to press copies of the cd rush delivery so we
would have it for our tour. Needless to
say, the Knuck Feast album was successful with the Juggalos and there’s now a
funny underground following for that project – people constantly ask us to play
those songs live in our hometown for instance. A lot of people also don’t “get the joke” so it’s brought us some
dramatic criticism as well. Oh well. Yes
we are considering a follow up – we have some ideas that are going to focus
more on the “Swag” direction of mainstream rap right now. It’s going to devastate mufuckas.
D: I
don't know anything about Knuck Feast but....
First let me say that Ceschi regrettably forgot
to mention Jay Scaf (aka Rusty Finger Cuffs) and his contributions/appearances
on the Knuck Feast album. Knuck Feast
actually started long before the cd was recorded. Jay and I did what can be considered the
first Knuck Feast song for my first solo album JTT. The song was called Cash Yo Checks, and
although the name Knuck Feast did not exist yet, this song was clearly the
foundation for the future Knuck Feast brand. A couple of years later, on The Most record, we did a second crunk
song. That was the next step towards
officially becoming the super group that is Knuck Feast.
Knuck Feast is a crowd-pleasing interlude in
New Haven. Unfortunately, when we
perform Knuck Feast elsewhere the response is often mixed. In Portland Oregon Ceschi and I were playing
a typical mixed set. We often play songs
from all of our different projects when we perform under the Anonymous Inc.
banner, but in this case when we got to Knuck Feast there were a few women that
were genuinely offended. They made a
quick exit in total disgust. My reaction
was to get further into character, and thus be even more offensive. I'm fine with weeding out the folks that get
offended. I understand that there are
some revoltingly offensive lyrics, but the shit is so over the top that it
seems like anyone should get it. On the other
hand, when we do it, we really do it. We
have had full Knuck Feast sets with powder getting thrown out on the crowd, and
very mean things being said to people in the crowd. When we get in character it is not broken,
and I could see how that would be confusing. Either way, I think Knuck Feast is some of the most enjoyable shit to
perform. It does feel a little similar
to the energy in performing with DBW. Shit is a joke, but not really. As far as the swag phenomena, I think we shall dabble, but as the lead
member in Knuck Feast I won't ever let the crunk fade.......... mostly because
my character probably would sound stupid doing swag. It's just not Christikal's style..........
Also, I don't know anything about Knuck Feast...although
I hear they are really vulgar.
Ceschi,
I’ve heard rumors of a vinyl release through Cooler than Cucumbers Records.
What can we expect from that and any information regarding a release date?
C: Yes! This is going to be called Forgotten
Forever. It’s going to be limited to 100 vinyl copies with 100 different covers
by 10 different visual artists who will manipulate old vinyl sleeves however they
feel. The material is a collection of
songs I’ve done over the years that have never been released in full
capacity. I’m really happy with the
album actually. It reminds me more of my
older music like Fake Flowers – probably since I produced a lot of it. You’d probably only recognize one or two
songs maybe.
David, you
recently released the limited cassette La Tua Mancanza, a project that I know
was very important to you. Please tell us the story behind it and about the response
that you have received so far?
D: It is a bit challenging for me to jump from
the Knuck Feast question to this one......
Basically, recording the songs for La Tua
Mancanza was my only productive option at a time when I felt utterly
powerless. When my Nonna passed away, it
was the quintessence of a life shattering experience. There will never be anyone in my life for whom
I feel such reverence. When the most
important person in your life is suddenly absent, it becomes nearly impossible
to cope with that bitter reality. Some
people search out answers in different ways, I personally rummaged for
solutions in many different places. I am
not religious, but I went to church. I
am hyper cynical, but I went to New Age breathing workshops where there were
people that I might have normally made fun of. In the course of time I found that nothing worked. Everything seemed aimed at
self-improvement. Therapists constantly address
"the problem" in a way that seems totally self-involved, and purposefully
circumventing of the fact that life can be utterly brutal. You can better yourself all you want, but so
long as you have real insight into how devastating life can be, it will never
be easy to be content. The
"problem" in this case has no solution.The fact is that there is no
proper way of grieving, and the puzzle is made of pieces that don't attach. Loss is not something that exercising or
eating bananas (2 suggestions I came across) is going to reverse. The permanent nature of death is something
that I have found to be almost impossible to accept. La Tua Mancanza was in some ways a tribute to
my Grandmother and in other ways a chronicle of how I experienced her
loss. At times it was the only rational
thing I could do. The idea of moving on
and accepting it was never a valid possibility. I had to do something. I recorded
songs, just like I went to churches, and holistic breathing workshops. It was part of the greater process of
coping. However, just like meditating,
praying and seeing hack psychiatrists didn't bring me any sense of closure,
neither did this tape. I guess that in
the case of the tape, healing was never the intended purpose anyways. In fact, when I started recording these songs
I wasn't confident that they would be released. I recorded over 50 songs and eventually we (my brother, my dear friend
Nick Kenna, and I) decided that I should release some of it.
The
tape serves as a preservation of memory in some ways. The thing I fear most is forgetting, and by
cataloging these songs I will have something to look back on. In addition, I am very proud of some aspects
of the tape. Mostly I am proud that I
was able to incorporate audio of my Grandmother playing the drums. She inspired me more than any one person or
thing, and I am proud to see her name on the credits of my album. So in some ways the tape serves as a tribute
to her, and in other ways it is a bitter reminder of how painful it has been to
exist without her.
Initially
I released this tape in a limited non-digital format for a variety of
reasons. The cassette tape evokes a
nostalgic response for me, which felt appropriate for the material. Both the sound and the actual feeling of
cassette have a quality that is lost in a digital format. Furthermore, by making it a tape the album
as a whole is preserved. In this case,
it was important for me to not allow snippets of the album to misrepresent the
project in its entirety. I am happy that
I chose to make it a cassette, but I did receive a good deal of emails asking
for digital files and whatnot. The tape
is indeed not going to be digitally available, but I am "officially"
releasing a lot of the material on a cd in May titled Sento La Tua
Mancanza. The cd has most of the
songs from the tape on it, as well as some new ones, but it is different. Besides having new songs, every song that
appeared on the tape is remixed, and oskar even made completely new beats for a
couple of the songs. I am not going to
deny that it is sort of like backing out on the initial "tape only"
concept, but it was a concession that was made only after having felt a
significant amount of pressure to release some of the material on a wider
format. I am okay with releasing the cd and
the digital album because it feels so different from the tape even though some
of the songs are shared. It feels like a
completed version of the cassette, but the limited tape has its own quality
(and songs) that will always remain unique to the cassette.
Basically,
I have had a response to the tape that I was not expecting. The tape seems to have had an impact on
others that goes beyond my personal experiences. Certain things and emotions are universal,
but I really was unsure how people would react. These songs were not recorded with an audience in mind, but some of the
emails that I received were quite powerful. It doesn't take much to bring me to tears, so some of the very personal
and open emails that I received were truly overwhelming.
Being
brothers, has it always been natural to work together? Any sibling rivalry
lurking in the past?
C: It is very natural for us to work together –
I think it’s funny because we both suffer from lack of inspiration at different
times so we each have to push each other to make music at different times…right
now it’s safe to say that David has been highly motivated and inspired to make
music while I’ve been very slow and lazy! There is no sibling rivalry at all –
we support each other very much.
D: It has always been natural to work together,
and I am extremely gratified by my brother's success. Without sounding too corny, I have to say
that I objectively think my brother is one of the best musical entities out
there right now. He is, without
question, hugely influential to my music. Sibling rivalry...not at all. After all, only one of us looks like he could be in Oasis.
What does
the future look like for you and for Fake Four Inc.?
C: Right now Fake Four is stronger than
ever. We have been building a great
group of followers and artists and we’re
honestly a large group of friends. I’m
friends with all of the artists on the label really – mainly from touring or
just being in the same circles for so long – a lot of us have honestly grown
really close. Fake Four has some
exciting albums coming out in 2012 and 2013. We’re just trying to keep putting out interesting music and hopefully
become relevant to a group of people outside of our small community of
supporters.
D: For me, after Sento La Tua Mancanza is
released (as well as a 7" with oskar ohlson which will have an exclusive
track on it) I doubt very much that I will have a follow up for a good
while. I really want to work on
Anonymous Inc., and that will be my future focus.
What are
your hopes with your music? What is your personal goal that you want to share
with the rest of us? Any hidden messages maybe?
C: My only hope is that I make music people can
listen to over and over again and still feel something from it. I think a lot of our lyrics aren’t easy to
instantly understand so it takes many listens to truly grasp the details of
songs. No hidden messages – just a lot
of honesty.
D: I have no lofty goals in music. We all want to be well received of course,
but besides that I can't say that I have a specific goal other than making
honest music (as well as fun fake stuff).
And
finally, where’s the best place on the web for people to find you, look your
stuff up, stalk you and get in touch with you? And of course, any shout outs to
end with?
C: I’m working on setting up a new website
right now but at the moment www.facebook.com/ceschimusic is the best way to check out my music, tour
dates, videos, buy my albums and talk to me
D: Ceschi started a music facebook for me, and even
though I really have not kept up with it, or done anything for it... at some
point soon I will. www.facebook.com/davidramosmusic. Also check out my Bandcamp, davidramos.bandcamp.com. A massive shout out goes to oskar ohlson and Christoph Lofi for being so patient with me. Also, Max Heath is doing some great things
that I have been lucky enough to hear.... so keep an eye out for that.
