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LBC CenterStage
What You Hear Is What Happened
Telecommunicating with Chris Schlarb
by Raquel Ramirez
 
Eclectic Long Beach musician Chris Schlarb is a master at multi-tasking. Not only is he a member of the unique ensemble Create (!), but he heads up a minefield of other musical endeavors ranging from electronic dance to the distinctively experimental; he also wears the hats of producer, community volunteer, and family man. Being that his plate is so very full, Chris was kind enough to interview with LBC via the handy highways of the Internet.
LBC: Tell me about Create (!)
Chris Schlarb: Orlando Greenhill is probably one of the more visible members of Create (!). He's been playing in Havalina [Rail Company] for about 10 years or something. He's a colorful cat, especially when he's doing one of his many side projects, UBPO. He's known for painting himself blue, or green, or whatever he wants. Steve Richardson is an incredible drummer. He's something like 6'7", so he's this huge man sitting like an octopus behind any drum set. He also has a side project called Souljourner, which is really progressive Gospel House and electronic music. Our horn players, Danny Levin and Ian Souter, both just graduated from UCLA with majors in music. They are monsters. Great guys and beautiful composers and improvisers. As far as my stuff goes, I have electronic dance, and experimental stuff, under the name Slow Valve. Ambient, anti-guitar music as Xn. and a kind of prog-world music as Eurosion.
LBC: Is music your first love?
Chris Schlarb: No, it can¹t be. If you let it, it will ruin your life.
LBC: Describe your style of music.
Chris Schlarb: Electro-acoustic-comprovisatory-drum'n'jazz-toycore-worship-noise. Or like if members of Funkadelic and the Art Ensemble of Chicago were the back up band for Public Enemy.
LBC: When I read that you play both traditional rock instruments as well as toys, it certainly peaked my interest. Are we talking the Fisher Price Kick'n'Play piano here?
Chris Schlarb: Yes. Actually some of the guys who played on our last album, Patterns, are in a group called Fisher J. Price. Orlando and I like to incorporate a lot of different items into the improvisational mix. At any moment, you might hear children's books on tape, an electric shaver, toy pianos and keyboards, old Casios, toy percussion, etc.
LBC: How did you hook up with your bandmates?
Chris Schlarb: I met Orlando on the bus years ago when neither of us had a car. Orlando and I have, yet another project together called Lotus and Ant that we were working on and, eventually, we hooked up with Steve, whom Orlando had known for quite some time. Steve brought Ian to a birthday party that Orlando threw a few years ago and that evening we recorded some of the raw lo-fi stuff we put out on Moth Nor Rust. Ian, in turn invited Danny to a session and we've been playing with that as the main lineup ever since. It's pretty flexible. It's nice to have different people sit in with us and that happens pretty often.
LBC: How long have you been together?
Chris Schlarb: A little over 2 years.
LBC: How much of what you play with Create (!) is purely improvisational?
Chris Schlarb: So far 100%.
LBC: Tell me about the Create (!) workshops that you've done at MacArthur Park
Chris Schlarb: The workshops were a genuine opportunity for us to begin to get involved in the community in a real way. No motive for self really. Orlando and me really worked hard putting those classes together. Dixie Swift and Larry McCraw at MacArthur park were fantastic. Dixie actually saw Create (!) when we performed at National Library Day at the Mark Twain library and liked what we were doing with the kids that came out and approached us. They gave us the option of playing a live show at the park or having total creative control over this workshop idea that we had. The live show would have [been] lot easier but we felt, and still do feel, strongly about contributing something more to our world, society, and neighborhood.
LBC: What are your next goals together?
Chris Schlarb: We want to continue to hold community functions and be involved in that capacity. We are going to be performing steadily to promote the Jazz compilation and let people know who we are. We're actually going to have our first "practice" soon too, so that should be interesting. Hopefully by the end of the year we'll begin recording our first studio focused tracks.
LBC: Create (!) is set to release their new compilation, entitled Jazz, this coming fall. It is a 13 track CD accompanied by volume 1 of the compilation on vinyl which is 7 tracks including a few tracks not on the CD. Chris gives us the 4C's on what his audience can expect:
Chris Schlarb:
Concept: We wanted to really capture the vital and non-conformist music that is being made in Long Beach. Not bashing groups like Sublime and that type of thing, but all these groups are outside of the whole hang out and get drunk scene that exists here. All of these groups have individual voices and need to be supported in their art.
Contributors: Sidecar- they're a great group. Very hard to classify. Beautiful and dense music. CrankCase- three piece funk and soul. I think of Credence Clearwater Revival mixed with old Ike and Tina type stuff. The Slippers- a really good jazz fusion/70's soul group. It's nice to hear a good keyboard based ensemble with an electric piano at the helm. Dub Kinetics- has members of Action League and is the of reggae/dub group, Irie Cafe. Lots of delays and echoes, Lee Perry style. And Create (!)-- with our crazy old spazz jazz noise stuff.
[Note: Links to all of Chris' projects, as well as those of his band members and other artists featured on Jazz can be found at http://www.soundsareactive.com/artists.html.]
Cover Art: The cover art was done by Joel Heflin and the inside art was by Tim McMullen. Joel's art was paint on wood and Tim's was paint and pencil on paper.
Celebration: We have the album release party at the Knitting Factory on October 20th at 8pm. DJ Nobody will be spinning some records to open up and then all the groups on the compilation will perform. The cost will be $8. Bring a friend.
LBC: Who's releasing it?
Chris Schlarb: Sounds Are Active, which is my label, and Pete Records, which is run by Pete Deeble.
LBC: When and where will it be available?
Chris Schlarb: Tuesday, October 16th. The album will be available at Fingerprints on 2nd Street in Long Beach and on the web sites at soundsareactive and www.peterecords.com. We'll also have distribution to a few select independent shops and stores, too.
LBC: What is your immediate agenda after the release?
Chris Schlarb: We'll be doing some giveaways for the people on our mailing list at soundsareactive and LongBeachCulture.org.
LBC: Word is, that Create (!) has gathered a following with a strong religious background, was that your intention?
Chris Schlarb: Where did you hear that? No. We haven't had the time to predetermine our audience. It's been growing slowly and strangely. I think we have more fans in Norway or Canada then we do in Long Beach, anyway. Long Beach cats are a whole different article. But if people, who worship the devil, like us…cool. If people, who love Jesus, like us…cool. Muslims, Mormons, whatever.
LBC: Tell me about your life outside of music.
Chris Schlarb: I have been married to my wife, Aja for about two years. We've been together for about 7 or 8. We have two children, Naima (girl- 3 1/2 years old) and Elisha (boy- 2 1/2 months old). They are really the central part of my life. It can be very easy to ignore how beautiful your family is. I am really trying not to do that.
I am a believer in, and worshipper of Jesus Christ. I have a full time job working as a claims adjuster for AAA. I enjoy watching and talking about baseball with my wife, playing with my kids, reading books on business and marketing, getting organized, driving around, going places and seeing new things, giving things away, looking for records and used CD's, updating the soundsareactive website, looking at magazines, reading about music and US history, and doing interviews.
LBC: I must say, that my only regret in doing this interview is not having met Chris Schlarb in person. There is something so fantastically ferocious about the truly individual human being; one whose faith, talent, heart, and hand can steadily manifest his own vision despite the meddling of the outside world. Chris, even over the sterile wires of the World Wide Web, struck me as this type of person, with a passion for his art and an ear for the extraordinary. So, if you're interested in a unique psychotropic-low frequency-jam, Create (!) is worth checking out! I'll see you at the release party.
View Create (!)'s LBC page and events
Learn more about Raquel Ramirez
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