trippin' the rift can you trip like i do?

Tracing Arcs (Kent, UK)

"We both have quite wide listening tastes, and are not afraid to incorporate different music genres into our creations"

British duo Tracing Arcs is probably the jazziest trip-hop act featured on this blog, but at the same time I would not file them under category "nu-jazz", however vague that category might be. There is nothing "nu-" about their jazz. Both Fran Kapelle (vocals/lyrics) and Paul H. Addie (programming/keyboards) have an extensive jazz background going decades back. And this is exactly what makes them stand out among electronica/jazz projects - they manage to preserve that warm, live jazz sound even when it's surrounded by electronic beats and samples. Paul's experience working with genres ranging from traditional folk to reggae reflects in him creating fresh and unusual arrangements for Fran's enchanting vocals. Here are some questions that I asked Paul H. Addie:

tipkin - I usually ask about history of the band, how it all started etc. But people can find this info on your websites. So I wanna ask to just go back to that moment when Fran answered that ad for vocalist. What where the first thoughts, impressions?

Paul - I had seen a few vocalists, and all had their own strengths, however when I met Fran it seemed obvious that when it came to creating material, a greater level of thought and integrity was important to her, as it was too me. In particular the depth of lyric writing along with an ability to listen to the music provided and find a suitable empathy was both refreshing, and exciting. It also encouraged me to listen better (it's very easy to lose sight when you're writing purely instrumental material, that you have to think what is workable for a vocalist). Plus of course the excellent quality of Frans' voice, and we also had many influences in common, from music, film, literature, art etc.

t. - Can you talk a bit about your experiences with finding a label (or trying to)?

P. - We had been lucky in that our first forays (working together) into the music world met with positive reactions. And we are also pro-active in getting our work out there, and this resulted in us appearing in UK music magazines, and us "massaging" any contacts we had, no matter how slim. So we ended up with EMI listening to our stuff (but not knowing where to put us). This was the time when people such as Portishead, Massive Attack etc were just coming on the scene, and that whole style of music was in its infancy. I wrote to the management of David Sylvian and was surprised to get a phone call saying they liked it. They passed it onto 4AD record label and we had an A&R guy from them interested along with Richard Barbieri (Japan, Porcupine Tree etc) who expressed an interest in working with us if we got a deal, along with some of his friends. The guy in 4AD left and we were passed on to Resonance record label, but again people just could not figure out where to put us. And things just did not happen. We had made inroads through our persistence and audacity, however the industry then, as now, is difficult to break into, unless you know people, or are prepared to sleep with them! And many of them are unprepared to take risks anymore, and are looking for quick returns.

t. - Paul, you used to play with musicians, incorporating electronica into traditional English music. That sounds crazy! I'm not familiar with English traditional music, but I feel like the violin on "A Pig & A Cow" might be somewhat relevant? I'd personally like to hear more of that. Are you guys going to go into that territory at all, or there's just too much ground to cover?

P. - You're right it does sound crazy! We both have quite wide listening tastes, and are not afraid to incorporate different music genres into our creations. The album 'Fin' was an attempt to write a more 'pastoral' type of work, covering many of our influences, but with a more introspective consideration. It isn't a statement of intent, but those styles of music will appear in the future as they are a way of expression for us, for the right song and lyric.

t. - What is the current line-up of the band? Is it just you and Fran with guest musicians, or...?

P. - Yes the core is Fran and myself, but we have some friends we can call on for particular skills and abilities. When we have played live in the past we have had a number of live instruments working with us, and can adapt our music to play live in many circumstances. As Fran and I come from a tradition of playing live, we understand how to adapt, or invent a way to do so!

t. - Your new album features remixes by artists from all over Europe. How did the idea come about?

P. - Well, music/art should have no boundaries, and with the advent of the internet and the creative commons concept, these collaborations are now possible. Besides who would not want to work with someone where language, politics, beliefs are secondary to the shared creative experience. And personally, I am always ready to learn from people many years my junior! I've appreciated the work of these other artists, and believe our material is open to other interpretations, and we are not too precious about it. In fact the feedback has been that the songs have made them think differently how they compose/construct, and work.

t. - Can you talk about free music vs. commercial music? Is it harder to get noticed in the free music world?

P. - I think it is harder to be noticed in the free music world, as there is so much out there! And now we have the tools to do this at little cost. It is difficult to wade your way through it all to find a "gem". But that is the nature of free music. If it does have a quality, than hopefully it will be recognised, and spread. The established systems of music creation and distribution, are out of step, and do not understand what has happened, and is happening. Their reaction is to call it dangerous, illegal etc. But it's because they do not have the means of control any more, and the need to make profit above creativity (it's not evil to make something from it) has taken them down a blind alley for some years now.

t. - I see your sound as sort of not quite chamber music, but definitely something you wouldn't wanna hear at the stadium. Would you agree? How was it playing at a festival last year?

P. - Not sure I would agree. We have played live in front of 6,000 people, small clubs and everything between. I'm happy to have our music at a zillion watts, and also played acoustically. Playing at Net Audio Berlin last year was excellent. It embraced the common intent we had. Where else would you hear techno, minimal, trip-hop, improvisation etc etc being played or DJ'ed side by side. And the same audience lapping it up. We want more please!!!

t. - Plans, plans, plans. What is the future of Tracing Arcs?

P. - Well we have the new release coming out at Christmas, and remix release as well of new songs. It will touch the bases of many things that appeal to us. You cannot stay in the same spot. Progress is important, and it's a challenge. But we think people will still know it has that "Tracing Arcs" feel and touch. We definitely would like to play live some more, and hopefully we will get the opportunity to do so. Fran and I will always try to test ourselves, we are not the types to take an easy path. And we will be looking at getting the material into a wider world and situations.

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