[ t e x t . o n l y . v e r s i o n ] [ b y . c y c l o n e . w e h n e r ]
Luscious Jackson's drummer Kate Schellenbach has just been
watching the cult electronica documentary movie, "Modulations" and now she
is wondering about the strange absence of chicks. 'Somebody in the movie
said that electronica is like the hot rod of the 90s,' Schellenbach says
with bemusement. 'Rather than boys getting into their cars, they're into
their electronic equipment. So it's like that "boys and their toys" kinda
thing. But I don't know what that's about.'
Luscious Jackson have proved to be one of the most enduring -- not to
mention most versatile -- female bands in rock history.
Surfacing around the turn of the decade, the group were very much a product
of New York's 80s music scene, drawing together both post-punk, electro and
hip-hop influences. They have paved the way for other indie outfits to
experiment with electronic technology such as sampling. Indeed,
Schellenbach was originally a member of the equally flexible Beastie Boys.
Later, Luscious Jackson in fact became the first group signed to the
Beasties' progressive label, Grand Royal.
Schellenbach believes that the important point is that, unlike 80s outfits
like The Bangles and The Go-Gos, Luscious Jackson have never made a novelty
of their gender. 'From the beginning our gender hasn't come into play as
far as how we've been marketed. I feel for us the most important thing that
informs our music, our style and our approach is where we grew up and the
time we grew up, which is New York City in the early 80s. I mean, that's
what we were exposed to. But also our rise to popularity has been slow and
steady, so now we actually have a catalogue of music. We have had four
releases and a lot of bands don't get to put out more than one or two.
That's because of the way the industry is hit-based rather than
career-based. But it's scary to get attached to a decade, too. We've been
together since the 80s and we're beginning to get asked these questions
like, "Are you a 90s band?" It's funny when you start getting
compartmentalised like that.'
The group's latest album, "Electric Honey", comes three long years after
"Fever In Fever Out". In the interval, keyboardist Vivian Trimble decided
to quit the band. The parting was amicable, assures Schellenbach. 'We are
on absolutely great terms and she's still very much in our lives both as a
friend and a cohort. She really grew wary of the road and touring. And she
was never so much as excited about being in a band -- it was never a big
dream of hers as a teenager. She is continuing to make music, though.'
Although at least two of the remaining members of the trio have moonlighted
on various side-projects, they didn't doubt their future together after
Trimble split. 'We kinda recommit every time we make a new album. That's
one thing that was difficult with the end of the last one. We knew that
Vivian wasn't happy and it's hard having someone with you who's not happy.
It's like working in an office and it sort of brings you down. You feel
pretty guilty and bad. But in this case, we were very committed.'
Schellenbach considers "Electric Honey" a progression from "Fever", which
featured the production talents of Canadian Daniel Lanois (U2, Peter
Gabriel) and longtime ally Tony Mangurian. This time the band worked with
some four producers including Mangurian. The album's surprise guest is
Blondie's Deborah Harry, who appears on "Fantastic Fabulous". The hook-up
came about after a Blondie tribute night in New York, in which longtime fan
Schellenbach was involved. When Blondie later needed a stand-in drummer for
an unannounced gig, Harry contacted Schellenbach. 'I was like, "Oh my God,
of course!",' Schellenbach remembers. Though at the time Luscious Jackson
were in the midst of recording Electric Honey, Schellenbach received her
bandmates' blessing to take some time off. By way of a return favour, Harry
then agreed to cut a track. Schellenbach points out that Blondie forged the
way for Luscious Jackson by working in different genres within a rock
context. 'So many of the bands we grew up with had these different sounds
within their ouvre -- Blondie had reggae, hip-hop and disco ... So it was
not so unusual. But as far as using samples and beats and stuff like that,
we were certainly very experimental with that quite early on.'
While Schellenbach is fascinated with electronic styles such as jungle, she
can't see Luscious Jackson straying too far from their rock roots in the
future. 'That would be too hard,' she says. 'I'm still like a song lover
and a lot of that type of music isn't very song-based.'
"Electric Honey" is out now through Grand Royal/EMI. |