ODD CIRCUS – The Experimental Circus!

1. Which is the line-up of the band, and how did you choose ODD CIRCUS as a band name?

Odd Circus is an improv trio made up of Graham Robertson on saxophone and effects, Crews Carter on bass and effects, and Partin Whitaker on drums. Once we decided to cut our first album, Lunatic Children, we started brainstorming names as new bands do. We fumbled through a bunch that just weren’t clicking. Graham read a description from our notes describing a section of the recording as “odd circus.” It embodied the spirit of what we do, so we were all on board.

2. How would you describe the sound of the band?

Our sound lies somewhere between avant-rock, heavy psych, noise, and sci-fi prog. Somewhere in there lies a jazz influence as well, but we don’t see ourselves as a jazz band by any stretch of the imagination. It’s been difficult to classify actually, but we see that as a good thing. 

3. How did you record the Arch Nova EP?

We recorded all of the material that will be on a string of EPs, including Arch Nova and Mantha, back in July of 2020. We basically got together in a socially distanced studio and improvised for eight straight days. We’re sitting on a ton of material from that session and grouping selections we liked for thematic releases. 

4. Do you think that improvisation is a successful method for collaboration?

Absolutely given the right perspective. We see improvisation as a musical language. As long as you can listen to what the other musicians are doing, while making creative decisions based on that constantly evolving moment, it ends up not only working well, but sometimes being the highest form of collaboration there is. 

5. How does the saxophone sound fit with the music of the band?

Our sax man Graham has put a lot of thought into building a creative palate of sounds using his sax and effects pedals. The sax definitely provides the melodic lead at times, but also creates atmospheric backdrops via loop pedals. With three split signals in the recording process (same as bass), the sax plays multiple roles at the same time, which helps us achieve a bigger sound. 

6. Have you ever thought of adding a vocalist to the band?

It’s funny because we actually already have a great vocalist, our drummer Partin Whitaker. He sings while drumming in every other project he’s in. But for the moment at least, we have decided to strictly stick to the instrumental format to maximize our improvisational input. 

7. Which is the concept behind the album’s cover artwork?

We were searching for a piece that aesthetically fit both the sound of our music and the concept of Arch Nova. We came upon a piece by @pertdoherty on Instagram and commissioned the piece because it had that vibe we were going for. 

8. Since your composition include no lyrics, do you have anything on your mind as an accompanying text that describe each track from the Arch Nova?

In these tracks we felt an element of danger and uneasiness, and that suspenseful vibe felt like it told a story. We imagine a post-apocalyptic world littered with man-eating mutants, as our main character navigates his way to humanity’s last refuge — Arch Nova. 

Along the way, a relentless killer and former military commander chases him for sport. “Maniac” presents the theme of our protagonist’s deranged pursuer. We see the war that destroyed civilization and drove the commander into madness. His troops slaughtered, he now roams the post-apocalyptic world seeking revenge on any unworthy survivors.

For “Wasteland” we imagine our character starting his journey. On the one hand, he’s devastated by the barren world that’s been left behind, but on the other hand, he has to keep up a steady pace to escape his pursuer and avoid enemies.

“Hostiles” is pretty self explanatory. Violence and fear are at the forefront as our character struggles to fend off attackers.

“Arch Nova” is the EP title track and represents the final destination of our character’s journey through a post-apocalyptic world. An abandoned city run by paramilitary gangs, “Arch Nova” is not the beacon of civilization he hoped for. But somewhere here a community of survivors exists, and our hero will risk everything to find it and reconnect with humanity.

At the end of the day, the concepts are just narrative devices that we liked and thought might deepen the experience. But of course the music can mean whatever people want it to mean for them.

9. How does analog and digital technology affect the sound of the band on Arch Nova?

Our mix engineer (who is also our bassist) Crews Carter, takes an “analog in the box” approach to mixing our records. He uses a lot of software plugins that are modeled after classic analog gear to saturate our mixes with plenty of color and character. For mastering, we work with the brilliant (and Grammy nominated) Joe Carra of Crystal Mastering in Australia. Joe provides an incredible analog finish to our sound using some of the most desirable analog gear out there. We try to get the best of both worlds between digital and analog, but we lean analog for sure. 

10. What about your next step in your music?

Other than our upcoming releases, ideally we’d tour some areas where we’ve established a following. NYC is definitely on the list, but we’ve been eyeing an eccentric scene existing across London, France, Italy, Poland, and Germany.

Information: Odd Circus (bandcamp.com)

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