Chocolate Grills & Bananas Arrangements: an Interview Between Erik Blood & OC Notes

With collaborations being something of an unofficial theme with this year's VIBRATIONS festival, we thought it would only be proper to curate a collaborative interview between two artists involved. So we had Erik Blood & Otis Calvin (OC Notes) hook up to pick each other's brains a little bit. Take a glimpse into the minds of two of Seattle's perennial musical geniuses, who just so happen to be making a record with each other! 

Erik: So you came up in the south end like me. Black mother, white father, like me (or is it the other way round?). When you make your music, you do it alone, like me (though I have my people who I rely on for drums and extra ears). Here's my question. Why haven't we started a religion together so that we can make some real money and stop living like poor people? I think we could bring a lot of peace to this world, no?

Otis: Both of my parents are actually black, my grandfather was adopted in the midwest and there is a suspect unclear history on that whole situation.  Either his mother or father was white but we can’t get the adoption records so we will never know.  I dont care anymore.  All I know is that my light skin has been an epic headache in my life.  I’m hated on by whites and blacks, I’ve always felt like an alien.  Starting a religion has always been a back up plan of mine.    Growing up in church with a preacher dad I feel like I have learned the game.  No disrespect to the church but I’ve seen a lot of hustlin & hustlers in church, I think my church swag is pretty hard.  Reverend swag on a million.  I think we could have one of the most loving and effective churches in the game.  I’m all about love, peace, & taking care out your earth brothers and sisters.

 Erik: I'm right there with you. My whole life people think I'm trying to "pass for white" like it's the fucking 1950s or they're steadily trying to figure me out. Had a guy come up to me in a bar and say "what's a nice Jew boy like you doing in a place like this? I could tell by your nose." ?!?!?!?!?!?! But we learn to not give a shit. Just being is all we can do.

Not to bring up old shit, but when I first heard your record Secret Society, I though you'd been spying on my dreams. That track "Nowhere" is one of those jams that made me jealous as fuck. But since then, you've put out three more records (maybe 4?) and your sound keeps evolving. How the fuck do you make so much good music and never repeat yourself?

Otis: good question.  I enjoy makin music, I make music no matter what my mood is. I do it because i like it and its fun to me, it makes me feel good.  I dont like sounding the same.  I’m influenced by far too much sound to stick to just one sound.

Erik: Yes! No one should survive on a steady diet of one sound.

 Art=god. Music=my religion. For me, Prince=Jesus. Who's your Jesus?

Otis: The one from the Lebowski movie.  Him or ODB. Swag.

Erik: I know we gotta get back to work on our collaboration soon. But what's this thing you're doing for VIBRATIONS and what are we going to hear from you the rest of 2012?

 Otis: I guess I’m doing some sort of improvised collaboration with the white rainbow cat Adam.  Should be dope. He's a boss.  As far as the rest of 2012 goes, I’e got a record comin out entitled "pre future post modern love songs: aka alien booty bass" I’m very excited about the record. No samples, a lot of singing.  I wrote and played all the music on the record, I’m really proud of this one. That & our collaboration are the 2 things I’m most excited for this year.  I want to perform more this year outside of Seattle too. I can’t tell you too much though, next thing I know somebody in the town will start bitin.  Chocolate grills.

Erik: Can't wait to hear that new shit. And our collaboration is going to blow some minds. Honored to be working with you.

Otis: You’re in the top 3 nicest people I’ve ever known in my life, you’re also one of the most humble ninjas I’ve ever met. How did you end up meetin Shabazz and what was the first meeting like?

Erik: Aww. Thank you, sweetie! I met Ish through my good friend and mentor Bubba Jones while they were working on Cherrywine. I dropped my copy of Blowout Comb at his studio for Ish to sign for me and while he did that, Bubba played him my old band, The Turn-Ons, album "East". I didn't meet him in person until a Spiritualized show a few months later and I was a straight up starstruck nerd. He was a hero (still is) and he was so gracious and cool to me. After that we talked about working together for a couple of years until we started the first Shabazz sessions. 

Otis: You grew up in Tacoma durin the lawless 90's in its prime time.  What was it like growin up around so much gangsta shit as a spirit in the package of Erik Blood?  I feel like you would have gotten mad love from OG's since you’re such a genuine and unique spirit that doesn’t front, was it like that or am I totally wrong?

Erik: Tacoma was a strange place then. The violence was becoming not only commonplace, but admired by stupid ass kids. I had a gun pulled on me by a kid who "thought I was someone else", got hit in the head with a rock and my jacket stolen a block from my house, and had to be careful who called me by my full name in public. That said, I had people around me all the time who weren't into being a part of that shit. I just stuck to the sidelines, played video games, and made music. 

Otis: Were you in any bands as a youngster, if so, what was your first band, what instrument(s) did you play, & what kind of music did you play? Cover songs? Original tunes? Were they good or bad?

Erik: I did a lot of bedroom recording as a youngen. For a very short time I made shitty beats for my friends who rapped. I had a short lived hip hop crew called Young, Gifted, and Black that was...of a time. Middle school. Picked up a guitar after hearing Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine when I was 16 and retrained my brain. No bands until I was 21 when I joined Mountain Con and was their DJ/producer. That's my sorted past. 

Otis:  I listen to your records all the time, I feel like you make the music that I hear in my head but I have trouble getting it out. Your sound is lush as fuck, your arrangements are bananas. How do you manage to make it all happen?  Is it difficult wranglin up musicians to play your music & do you have trouble sometimes gettin cats to figure out the parts to your songs?

Erik: Again, thank you and right back at you. I don't know how it happens. I sometimes hear a complete song in my head for weeks and then I just put it down piece by piece. Usually it's not exactly what I had in my head originally, but that's how it goes. Other times I just sit down and let shit come out. I've worked with so many cool cats who play music really well, so I just try to get them to play with me. My whole band is poached from bands I've recorded. Sometimes it's a little hard to get people to learn my shit, but the folks I fuck with are the real deal so they get the hang of it. I'm eternally grateful to them. 

Erik Blood and OC Notes are playing Cairo's VIBRATIONS festival on August 25th at Volunteer Park! Thanks for your time guys. IKJ

Pinkies Up: High Tea with OC Notes.

Otis Calvin III, or OC Notes, is becoming a Cairo regular. Well, why wouldn't he? He's fucking cool. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing OC3 here at Cairo, and we discussed everything from the magic of cable-knit sweaters to Funkedelic's One Nation Under a Groove.

As 1/2 of local hiphop group Metal Chocolates with rapper Rik Rude, Otis produces psychedelic beats for "the whole world. Everybody, really." Yeah? NPR and The Seattle Times think so, and so do we! So much in fact, that OC Notes will be performing at Cairo's winter music fest, EXPO89! Woot.

So check out those photos, and read that interview. Or look at more photos.

Jewelry from Iacoli & McCallister. NEWLY Available at Cairo.

"I feel very lucky that I started out playing instruments and singing in choir. I understand the spirit of truth that you express through music, instead of making a beat.That's just playing with noise."

"This sweater makes me feel like it's christmas dinner, man. And I got allll the money in the family."

"Never"

"Stop"

Our Interview:

Are you from Seattle?

Arizona. My father is in the military and I lived all over the place for a long time. I spent the most time in Washington State, though.

What is most inspiring about Washington to you?

Nature. The mountains.

Where is the most exciting place you've travelled to?

Germany, I think. Europe is hella cool. The food is really good, the people are nice. It's unreal.

What are you doing when you're not making music?

Sleeping! No, I have a daughter, so I'm with her a lot. She's advanced. She's really bossy. She's a double Leo. I also like to try new things to do, like random shit. This lifestyle is so stressful, you know? You're not allowed to just be satisfied in anything you do.

What's your favorite kid's cereal?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch, man. That's the best cereal ever.

Favorite show growing up?

I was a huge fan of Seinfeld. That shit is great! I love that show. My life is like Seinfeld.

Do you have a style icon or influence?

I'm inspired by not giving a fuck about my style. I can't think about it. Takes too much time in the day. Those are my favorite styles, people who don't think about it ever. Hard work, that's the best style of all time.

Who would you love to play a show with?

Madlib, without a doubt.

What is the best part about collaborating with Fresh Espresso's Rik Rude?

We work really well together. He's really passionate about what he does, and about what he doesn't. His quality of work is better than most people who try twice as hard, too.

What is one thing you will never be able to give up?

I am never going to stop making music. I'm never going to stop trying to make something with my music, that's for sure. I'm glad the press likes my music as much as they do...I just need to get the rest of the world to like it.

Do you ever get starstruck?

Man, I am always starstruck. I get starstruck by Ish [Shabazz Palaces] and even Rik Rude! They are so hardworking and impressive. I'm all shy and shit, so I don't know how to approach a conversation.

Who are your favorite musicians and collaborators in Seattle?

Musicians? Stas and Cat [of THEESatisfaction], all the Wheedle's Groove cats, Darrius Willrich, Jahon Mikal. And of course, Ishmael and Tendai [of Shabazz Palaces] are mindblowing.

What was the best show you saw recently?

I would say Don't Talk to the Cops at Reverb Fest. That's the first one that comes to mind. I love their energy on stage.

What was the best show you played recently?

Metal Chocolates' show at the Triple Door was filthy? The Annika show was filthy too--I wrote 5 new songs for it.

What do you think is different or original about the Seattle hiphop scene?

I think that people are getting really inspired by the weird shit. I don't think people were expecting it to get so popular. I think people thought there was a certain recipe for hiphop, but now they are realizing you need to be an artist, not a businessman.

Where was your first-ever date?

Damn. I think I took this chick to the movies when I was in junior high school. My mom drove us. It was a really awkward situation. I just remember thinking, "damn, this is so lame."

What are your favorite spots to hangout in Seattle?

I like to go to Niho Sushi. I go to The Lo-fi sometimes too. They care a lot about the music.

Who is your target audience?

The whole world. Everybody, really. I really want to make music that everybody can listen to. I wanted to have something for everybody at some point. Well, people with open minds: I dont want to make music for people who make all the problems.

Do you have any music that you are the most proud of?

I made a record called This is Your Brain on Drugs. It's filthy, but no one's ever heard it. It's some of the most universal music I've made, though.

Convinced? Help a friend out!

Metal Chocolates also tweet, whatever that means!

and HEY. HAVE A GOOD THANKSGIVING. IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!!