"For most artists, the recording process is an intimate experience that sees them locked away from the world months at a time. However, in the case of Quintron and the creation of his new record, Sucre De Sauvage, the New Orleans-based “Swamp-Tech” musician chose to go an entirely different route." - Consequence of Sound
Quintron and Miss Pussycat have just announced their first full US tour to support their upcoming new album, "Sucre Du Sauvage," out next month on Memphis-based Goner Records.
After a successful run of dates leading up to and following this year's SXSW marathon in Austin, including performances at this year's Mardis Gras festivals and first ever Bruise Cruise event w/ Black Lips and more, the cult-worshipped "swamp-tech" duo will set out on two months worth on non-stop touring, including close to 50 dates, and accompanied by guests Wizzard Sleeve, Super Nice Bros, CAVES, and more.
From January 29th through May 2nd of 2010, Quintron punched a time clock and reported to work at NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art) to write and record a new album (entitled "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE") in a public gallery space. The official title of the entire exhibit, which also included a Drum Buddy retrospective and an enormous Miss Pussycat puppet display, was “Parallel Universe – Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live In City Park.” Quintron's intent behind the museum recording studio was not to entertain visiting museum goers with any kind of performance, but to completely ignore them and go about the business of making this record. When needed, viewers would be pulled into the process and used for backing vocals, hand claps, grunting, etc.
During the final seven days of recording, Quintron chose to imprison himself within the museum and its surrounding grounds - a beautiful swampy nature preserve called “New Orleans City Park.” He would roam the park by night making field recordings and then weave them into the final mixes of the album by day. The week concluded with a blindfolded listening party in the NOMA auditorium (see album cover).
The result of this experiment is a severely schizophrenic dual album. Part one is Quintron writing the way he usually does but with far wider instrumentation. Tympani, vibraphone, whistling, and tape loops join the ranks of Drum Buddy and electric organ. There is also a noticeable increase in the number of chords used per song compared to previous Quintron albums - like from one chord to maybe more than one chord. There are also two dreamy Miss Pussycat tunes entitled "Banana Beat" and "Spirit Hair." You can hear noise and field recordings creeping into this first half of “SUCRE DU SAUVAGE,” attempting to take over the songs but failing.
In part two the noise and field recordings win the battle hands down as music and structure completely give over to the urge to let all these disparate sounds join hands and run wild. Electronic and acoustic instruments blur together with ducks, insects, birds, water, and even museum elevators until they all become brutal hypnotic madness.
The NOMA sessions produced literally thousands of hours of tape. What you have here is the cream of that crop - the sucre du sauvage. There was no post production or overdubs. When the exhibit closed, the album was finished. It is what it is and it probably ain't happening again any time soon.
“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” FUN FACT:
For visual inspiration, The New Orleans Museum Of Art allowed Quintron to curate the paintings that were hung on the walls of his recording studio from their extensive permanent collection. He chose only female portraits (mostly from the 19th century) and one portrait of George Washington, America's first president.
Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live!
5/20 Birmingham, AL – Bottle Tree *
5/21 Atlanta, GA - the Earl *
5/23 Savannah, GA - The Jinx ^
5/24 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade ^
5/25 Richmond, VA - Strange Matter ^
5/26 Baltimore, MD - Golden West ^
5/27 Washington D.C. - Red Palace ^
5/28 Brooklyn – 285 Kent Ave ^
5/29 Danbury, CT - BOMB FEST @
5/31 Montreal, Canada - Il Motore
6/01 Toronto, Canada - Horse Shoe
6/02 Detroit - Lager House
6/03 Kalamazoo - The Strutt
6/04 Chicago, IL - Do Division Festival
6/05 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club #
6/6 Iowa City, IA - Wherehouse #
6/07 Louisville, KY - Zanzabar #
6/08 Columbia, MO - Mojo’s #
6/09 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar #
6/10 Hot Springs, IA - Low Key Arts #
6/11 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone #
6/12 Nashville, TN - The End #
6/14 St. Louis, MO - Firebird #
6/15 Lincoln, NE – Knockerbockers #
6/16 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews #
6/17 Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club
6/18 Fargo, ND- The Aquarium
6/21 Winnipeg, Canada - Pyramid Cabaret (Winnipeg Jazz Festival) !
6/23 Calgary @ Sled Island
6/24 Calgary @ Sled Island
6/25 Calgary @ Sled Island
6/28 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore
6/29 Bellingham, WA - Shakedown
6/30 Olympia, WA - Northern %
7/01 Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
7/02 Portland, OR - EAST END
7/04 Eureka, CA - The Alibi
7/05 San Francisco –Bottom of the Hill
7/06 Sacramento- The Hub
7/07 Fullerton, CA – The Continental
7/08 LA, CA – The Smell
7/09 San Diego, CA – The Casbah
7/10 Palm Springs, CA - Kings Highway Room (Ace Hotel)
7/12 Santa Fe, NM- VFW Hall
7/21 Dallas, TX - TBA
7/22 Austin, TX – Red 7
7/23 Houston, TX – Super Happy Fun Land
7/24 Lafayette, LA - Blue Moon
7/25 New Orleans, LA - SIBERIA
* w/ Wizzard Sleeve
^ w/ Super Nice Bros
# w/ CAVE
! w/ Pujol
% w/ The Hive Dwellers, Angelo Spencer
@ HEALTH, Dam-Funk, Snoop Dog, Weezer, & more
“SUCRE DU SAUVAGE” TRACK LIST
1. Ring The Alarm
2. Face Down in the Gutter
3. New Years Night (Boogie Children)
4. Kicked Out of Zolar X
5. Banana Beat
6. Sucre Du Sauvage
7. All Night Right of Way
8. Spirit Hair
9. Elevator
10. Deer in the Clouds
11. Bells
12. Train Ride
13. Jazz Bar
14. Morning
About Quintron:
Quintron has been making genre-defying noise and "Swamp-Tech" dance music in New Orleans for over fifteen years. The majority of his 12 full-length albums have the psychedelic soul of New Orleans garage R&B filtered through a tough distorted Hammond B-3 and a cache of self-made electronic instruments. He has also released strange soundscapes based on inner-city field recordings of frogs and neighborhood ambiance. Quintron regards his most significant creation to be his patented instrument called the DRUM BUDDY, a light activated analog synthesizer that creates murky, low-fidelity, rhythmic patterns. Notable DRUM BUDDY clients include performers Nels Cline of Wilco, Laurie Anderson, Fred Armisen, and DJ Mr. Dibbs.
About Miss Pussycat:
Miss Pussycat is a New Orleans based photographer and puppeteer who has toured the world with Quintron for the past 15 year conducting puppet shows in rock clubs and at international festivals. Her three full-length movies, North Pole Nutrias (2002), Electric Swamp (2005), and most recently Trixie and The Treetrunks (commissioned by VBS TV in 2007), have featured the voices of numerous New Orleans musical, political, and literary celebrities. In addition to her full length puppet movies she has also worked on several puppet-cast music videos and will definitely be creating one or two for "SUCRE DU SAUVAGE"!
For more information, visit:
www.quintronandmisspussycat.com
www.goner-records.com
