We recently got to chat with Cameo Culture about his new album out on No. 19. Here’s what he shared with us.
Where did the name “Cameo Culture” come from?
The name Cameo Culture came as an outlet for my solo work, I have worked in previous bands like soho808, and have a few other projects going on, so I needed a project that was all my own.
How did you get started in music?
My first experiences with music were learning piano at a young age, then saxophone throughout high school, then I picked up other instruments like guitar and bass. I started messing around with samplers and drum machines when i was around 17, and fell in love with electronic music. I absorbed myself in the technical side of things after that and became a professional sound engineer, which i’ve been doing ever since. Recently i’ve taken up piano lessons again, studying jazz.
What’s your inspiration?
I get a lot of inspiration from other artists, and of experiencing live music. I take an equal measure of inspiration from listening to a classical pianist as i do from being at the Marcy Hotel at 5am. In terms of writing music, I think love – both good and bad sides – are a recurring source for me.
Can you tell us a little bit about your musical influences and production style?
I would say I have an eclectic range of musical influences, I have always been into rock music, folk and jazz – alongside electronic music. The element of all this music that permeates what I listen to and what I make is that there is some sort of emotional connection, there is some element of soul to the music. There is so much mindless dance music out there and it never really connects with me. I have been a bit of a deep house head for a long time now, and I think a lot of the deep house records I have been buying for the last ten years have influenced my production style. As best I can I always try and infuse some sort of musicality to what I make, I give some thought to voicings and harmony, and I try and produce music that works just as well in my headphones as it does on a dance floor or in your lounge room. I also try and incorporate as much live instrumentation as I can into my production.
What’s next for Cameo Culture?
My EP on No.19 just came out, and the next step is to produce a full length LP also for No.19, which is a work in progress. I have been doing some pretty exciting collaborations for the album, including some live trumpet and singing by Greg Paulus from No Regular Play. I have also been working with some great singers, so stay tuned for that one.