Cranium Pie interview
Cranium Pie are certainly one of the most interesting psychedelic bands with lot’s of progressive elements. Concept vise they are living in the future, where the machines are ruling the world, leaving only a few traces of humans left. The band started out of fun some years ago and in 2011 they finalized conceptual album Mechanism pt.1 on Regal Crabomophone Records (a sub division of Fruit De Mer Records). The album was featured in a beautiful conceptual cover artwork and was released on vinyl and pretty soon it has been sold out. The Geometry of Thistles was their next project and also a couple of singles and compilations followed. The band is currently working on finalizing Mechanism pt.2, which will be the final chapter of this interesting concept. If you’re into early Pink Floyd (pre Dark Side Of The Moon) this will be brand new adventure for you. Here’s an interview with Rob and Tim of Cranium Pie. We talked about the current situation and the upcoming part 2 of their spacy Mechanism LP.
there has been a whole psych explosion going on and in my opinion you are one
of the best out there. Not just because you have very unique and interesting
sound but there is also an interesting concept behind your albums.
that. Yes – we’re ok thanks… in the middle of putting together Mechanisms 2
from a few surviving radioactive tapes that were found in the post apocalyptic rubble of the Pie’s old underground studio.
ask you about your music involvement. When did you first get interested in
music and what are some of the early influences?
pretty major influence for sure. So much music from that period was written
with real intent and from the heart, as well as being pioneering and
experimental. I think we feel that there is still much mileage to be had from
the instruments/production styles used in those times. I understand how social events have shaped
certain music genres, but back then they had a certain sound nailed (both in
production as well as instruments) that we really love, and so are trying to
tap into that atmosphere (hopefully in an uncontrived way).
came together?
starting with just me and Tim. I guess being asked to play the greenman gig by
the Amorphous Androgynous forced us to get the band together properly (2009).
baking (which has since relocated somewhere in the Alps). Its good as it
allows us to take as much time as we like with production etc. Perhaps that’s a
bad thing thinking about it…
soundtrack for “Charlie Why”. Then your were featured on both volumes of “A
Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble” and you also released singles on Fruits de Mer
Records + your music appeared on their compilation and also on Bracken label.
Would you like to tell us the story behind releases?
with Julian years ago (a soundtrack to an imaginary ’60s detective series) – it’s
not really related to “The Pie”. The Bubble Comps were great for us, and like I
mentioned, they’re responsible for us forming the rest of the band. Our first
single with Fruits De Mer was the “Richman/Madman” single. Julian suggested we
did a cover for a compilation some friends of his were making. We chose “Richman”, and recorded it in an evening at our old organarium studio. The
compilation never happened, so I sent a video of the recording to Keith and
Andy at Fruits… and that’s how it all started with them. Andy later asked us
if we’d like to record the last single for his label Bracken, so we did “Remember” and “Mothership”. They’re both great guys and have done a lot for us –
so we’re very appreciative and enjoying the challenges they’ve thrown at us.
debut titled “Mechanisms (Part 1)” was released back in October 2011. I have
some ideas behind the concept, but if you can tell a bit more about it, that
would be really cool. You will also be releasing part two. Will
this be the final volume that will uncover the whole concept?
Well yes – we should try to explain the concept in Part Two as you may have guessed, Part One was set in an imaginary future where the
only form of life appears to be the crayfish, and the rest of the world is
dominated by machines. The ex-human consciousness somehow migrated into the
crayfish, and they have become very spiritual and enlightened, though violent
also, as they are in perpetual war with the robots. The mysterious blinking eye
has given the creatures the task of growing a human honunculus, and delivering
it to the wall safely, in order to reseed a newer version of the human race….
apocalypse…the last days of ‘civilisation’ or something….
pedals/effects etc), just because they help us get the sound we like.
Mechanisms 2 has a very tapey sound to it, but we also rely on editing and
mixing with the computer.
had hoped to get a single out, but not sure if that’ll happen before the
release (aiming for late Summer btw)
black ones. It sold out really quickly. Will the next also be limited to 530 LP’s?
Yes it’s nice to sell out…Pt. 2 might be 800
perhaps…then again we’d need to make more of Pt. 1 so people could have them
both…gets complicated…
Thistles” on Lunartica. What can you tell me about this release? It’s basically
a compilation of songs from 2006 to 2009. Pre Cranium Pie. One thing I really
admire is your cover artwork. You really put a lot of work into it and this 500
limited edition is unique, because every copy has an unique design.
release our older work, as it’s very different to our band sound. We didn’t want
it to just fade away.. it has elements that we really like, and may return to
in some way.
say inspired you in non musical sense. Any particular writers of Sci Fi or
something else?
struggle in accepting reality is our primary inspiration I think.
so the band is a bit fragmented at the moment – Tim and I spend much of our time
in the 11th dimension at the moment – there might be some sonic reports back
from us in a while…
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Any thoughts about it?
stretches the mind I think). People are possibly bored or mentally unsated
maybe? I dont know – thats not a good answer is it?
I think ultimately
good music doesn’t go away…maybe it get’s forgotten for a bit, but at some
point it’s always going to get noticed again. The internet/youtube etc has done
a great job of bringing good music to people who wouldn’t ordinarily find it
perhaps…so hopefully it’s here to stay.
Perhaps a message for It’s Psychedelic Baby readers?
hard work, Gaz and Brian from the Amorphous Androgynous, and to those that
might buy the new record – we really hope you like it.
