|
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But when Austrialian jazz-rock-latin fusion outfit The Cat Empire sought to take full advantage of their Cuban influences, they didn't throw on a pair of headphones and over-analyze an album or two; they went to Cuba.
It sounds like a pilgrimage, and maybe it is; but they're not going to take themselves that seriously. So what was it that drew them to Cuba? The phenomenal local music? The beaches? Drummer Will Hull-Brown summed it right up in an e-mail interview with The Hatchet; "Hey, there's no Starbucks or McDonalds there."
But isolation from fast-food aside, to capture the sound that they wanted, they packed up and moved to Havana for a month of intense recording sessions. They settled on the legendary Estudio 101, the studio made famous through The Buena Vista Social Club's 1997 album and documentary. It was the studio's unique sound and atmosphere that drew them in. "It's such a warm, rich, open and live sound because the room is big and wooden," he said. "Sometimes smoking a cigar before doing a take would help set the vibe."
What emerged was "Two Shoes" (Velour), a rollicking, unpredictable album that highlights The Cat Empire's startlingly unique group of musicians. Due to their size, they are easily categorized as a ska or latin band, but their sound tells a very different story. The intense combination - copious percussion, a DJ, a powerful horn section (think James Brown), a reedy-voiced singer and a quick-tongued rapper (think G. Love and Special Sauce, not Kid Rock) - has been converting fans around the globe.
The Cat Empire built their ravenous fan base in Europe and Australia based on years of relentless touring; in recent years they have taken their live show to America, and so far, they seem to like it.
