FAUX PRIX is a fresh indie collective from California, spearheaded by New Zealand-born artist Bradley Hanan Carter (NO, 5 Billion in Diamonds, Steriogram) along with a group of his friends and former bandmates.

Bradley Hanan Carter breaks it down: FAUX PRIX, birthed from the ashes of NO, is like Leonard Cohen crashing into a dream-hop fever dream. Imagine a DMX drum machine that refuses to stay in time, brought back to life in Ableton, then Spike Philips hammering breakbeats over it – that’s where the magic kicks in. Devon Lee’s voice floats in like a spectral whisper, Chislett’s guitar lines weave through, and Sean Daniel Stentz’s bass grounds it all in this rhythmic alchemy. Eight years, bouncing from the Mojave Desert’s otherworldly glow to Berlin’s electric nights, each place leaving its mark on their sound. The desert? It’s got this mystical pull that turned into Carter’s recording haven, a creative oasis. And then there’s the collaboration with Chislett – two musical minds sparring and meshing, pushing tracks to their peak. Visuals by Sheva Kafai tie it all together, her medium format film capturing the essence, making the music pulse with life.

“You’re living life and you’re documenting it”

Bradley, FAUX PRIX has been described as having an anthematic dream-hop sound reminiscent of Leonard Cohen. What influenced this direction?

Bradley Hanan Carter: Almost all of us were in a previous band together called NO, and this felt like an evolution of if we’d made a third album, how would it actually sound? The Leonard Cohen part is probably because I speak-sing in baritone a lot, but the dream-hop part… Well, early on I purchased this old DMX drum machine that would never stay in time, but my friend Jeremy Toy helped me sample it, and we built the DMX again inside of Ableton and used that as one of the parameters for the FXPX sound. All the demos were straight DMX, and then we got Spike Philips to come in and play breakbeats over them later in the process. That blend feels so cool to me, kicking in and out of drum machine mode, opening up the sound like that, is an exciting dynamic. The first time I heard Devon Lee’s vocals on one of the tracks, it was just so dreamy and everything I’d hoped it would be! She’d sung with us previously on some NO songs too, so I had a feeling it would be cool… add in Michael Guy Chislett’s melodic guitar parts and Sean Daniel Stentz on the low end to complete that bangin’ rhythm section, and damn… I want all our beats to feel like someone could lay down some bars over them… hopefully that happens somewhere along this journey. It would be fun to collaborate.

The journey of creating FAUX PRIX spanned eight years and included numerous relocations and recording setups. How did these different environments, from the Mojave Desert to Berlin, shape the music and the stories behind the songs?

Perhaps much like you would write in a diary, and all the places you might pick one up and just let it all out – you’re living life and you’re documenting it… this has sorta felt like that. There have been a lot of intense months writing and then nothing for gaps of time. When it was just me, I felt that self-collaborative flow because I was mostly traveling alone, but I really missed having someone to bounce off of. It felt really good later on in the process when Michael joined in, and we went through maybe 60+ ideas in an LA hotel room.

“The desert has always drawn me in”

Your transition from Los Angeles to the Mojave Desert in 2016 marked a significant turning point. What was it about the desert that inspired you to set up your first home recording studio there?

The desert has always drawn me in since my first visit in 2004. It’s got this inspiring magical energy that makes everything feel okay, and after eight and a bit years, I still really enjoy spending time here. Los Angeles is the city I have lived in the longest, and I will be spending a lot more time there again soon with rehearsals and the rest of the gang.

You mentioned feeling a sense of absence while performing early versions of FAUX PRIX songs on a solo tour in 2020. Can you talk about how reuniting with former bandmates and friends has impacted the sound and energy of the new album?

I think the past decade or so, there has been this age of individualism that we have possibly all been navigating in our own unique way, creating an online presence, identity, etc., but in music, I have seen this happen with so many bands, where five people in one band turns into 5 EPs and 5 solo projects, and there’s a definite ease in just doing something by yourself as there is no one else to slow things down. But personally, I really missed the collaborative part of not only writing but performing with other people. I’m so glad I got to do that 2020 tour solo just to feel that ‘swimming in the deep end’ vibe for 20-something shows, and it was really a life-changing moment for how I would spend my future energy.

The story of FAUX PRIX involves a lot of travel and makeshift studios, including your Winnebago, ‘Geraldine the Sun Machine.’ How did these unconventional recording spaces influence the creative process and the final sound of the album?

I think that when you’re on the move and sketching ideas down, you’re perhaps caring less about the performance or the sound of the take and just getting something captured, but over time you, of course, appreciate certain moments from this process and elevate them to what they’ve become to you! It’s a fun way to work and produces many happy accidents along the way.

You’ve collaborated with long-time friend Michael Guy Chislett on this project. Can you share more about how your partnership has evolved over the years and its role in shaping FAUX PRIX’s music?

Michael and I have been close music comrades for so long now. We’ve been in many band scenarios together at this point, and we just love tons of the same things in life, so it’s really fun whenever we dive into music… getting his take on these songs and his pushback really helped take them to an extra cool place! Like I said, collaboration is everything. I’m just super grateful for the way his mind works, as it’s different from mine, and I think together we have a cool flow.

Much of your journey was documented on medium format film by Sheva Kafai. How important has visual documentation been to the FAUX PRIX project, and how do you see it complementing the music?

It’s super important! The music is bringing these images to life. Sheva is one of my best friends and has been a huge presence in my life over the past eight years or so. She’s an insane photographer, and I love the way she sees the world. Each time she does portraits with someone, and I flick through the contact sheet images, I always feel taken somewhere, so I feel her take on FAUX PRIX is a special one.

Your time in Berlin seems to have been particularly productive for writing. What is it about Berlin that sparks your creativity, and how has it influenced the new material on this album?

Berlin popped into my life when I was there on tour years ago in a band called Steriogram. We were opening for Bad Religion… might have been 2008 or so, and it was one of those perfect all-night, magical nights that just signified, “you have arrived!” Since that night, every time I ‘arrive’ in that city, the taps just turn on for me, and the songs seem to flow out… so I guess that’s partly why I have spent so much time there now. I would still love to have a more permanent spot there at some point in this life… even just outside the city by a lake. Taking trains everywhere with my headphones on is my dream… I love it so much!

The pandemic and lockdowns brought an unexpected detour to your creative process. How did running a boutique 80s desert wonderland with friends during this time impact your music and perspective?

I think with all that uncertainty and not being able to travel, it was nice to have something tangible to sink my creativity into. The house we renovated felt like my covid album, with each room being like a song and all the rooms collectively making up the album. It was really, really cool. Here’s a link from Sheva’s website. But of course, when the world opened up, I couldn’t wait to get back to just music, and finally, I feel like I’m now here.

What’s next for you?

We’re all meeting up in LA next week, which will be fun. It’s so great singing with Devon and Sean again. Michael is over from Australia, and I know that everyone is super excited to play these tunes live. So just working towards that, as we keep rolling out new tunes every six weeks or so… it will culminate in our debut LP ‘From Metric to Imperial,’ which is due out in early 2025. Hope to be in Slovenia soon!!! Cannot wait to be back in Europe.

Klemen Breznikar

Headline photo: Photo by Sheva Kafai

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