Floyd Van Marek aka Floyd The Phenomal Cat-Trophy is back again. You may recall the “Introducing” post we did on him not too long ago where we showcased his album Outdoor Cattrophen. This time around we feature the follow up InDoor Cat-Trophy. This collection of songs see Floyd and his distinct brand of music in a more affectionate, melodious, catchier and lighter err light. In comparison to Outdoor Cattrophen where the songs felt angry and dark, InDoor Cat-Trophy feels tamer with a more optimistic disposition. Where Outdoor Cattrophen felt abrupt and impersonal as Floyd most likely intended, InDoor Cat-Trophy feels complete and round and welcoming. Each song has closure and speaks to its listener with an intimacy that wasn’t as obvious in Outdoor Cattrophen.
We sat down to interview Floyd and this is how it went down:
O: You released Outdoor Cattrophen on September 27th of this year. November 1st rolls around and you release a new album, InDoor Cat-Trophy. Talk to us about the process of writing and recording both albums. Were these songs you have lived with for a while or was it more of a develop as you go situation?
F: Well, I released my first album this year on May 22. I did that one in two weeks from as close to scratch as I get, which is looking at the little notes and nuggets I’ve been writing down and playing with them to flesh them out for the first time. A small part of that album (http://www.archive.org/details/SangSongsInPaints) was written during the recording from the inspiration of putting it together. After that, there were still notes and nuggets to sort through and I realized I wanted to do an outdoor and indoor album so I started organizing and dividing songs up. They both have a couple of songs on them that are from a few years back that fit and a few that were freshly written from the inspiration of recording, but mostly from nugget notes again. Not that my nugget notes aren’t fresh, they were all from the last year and half.
O: You also have a tendency to create a painting for each song. How did these come about? Were they inspired by each song as you finished writing it or has a painting ever been the inspiration for one of your songs? (buy a painting here)
F: The song definitely comes first but I love bouncing back and forth and letting them affect each other. I always liked album art and how the colours and shapes related to the material, how it can direct the tone and mood so much.
O: Your music has a dark tone to it at first listen but at the underbelly there is this humor provided by the lyricism. Whether you’re talking about articles of clothing having feelings or comparing one’s penis size to the size of a light switch. Do you intentionally set out to create such contrast?
F: I suppose I do and I don’t. My major influences are certainly things like that, the more twisted and unbalanced and skewed whatnot with secrets and curls hiding here and there, so that’s definitely informing my work but I just crack open with as little planning as possible so it’s a bit happenstance as well, I can only do what I’ve taught myself to do.
O: Outdoor and Indoor definitely compliment each other. They’re kind of like a negative of the other, are you thinking of a third installment or are you even thinking of a follow up project at this point?
F: Thank you! I actually am, I know the next 2 or 3 albums I want to do and I might even squeeze one more into this year but they’d be unrelated.
O: Do you play all the instruments in the albums? If so, what can one expect at a live Cat-Trophy show? Speaking of which, any shows coming up?
F: I do indeed [play all the instruments]. I hope to really focus on shows in 2012 and I plan to just put the instrumentals on my Ipod and sing and twitch about. I can play with just a guitar like Robyn Hitchcock though. Just less twitching about.
O: That’s excellent! Love Robyn Hitchcock! Would you consider collaborating with other musicians on record or stage? Anyone in particular you’d like work with?
F: Definitely. Kanye of course! And I’d do anything to be friends with Tom Waits. Also I’d love to help out with a new season of Flight of The Conchords, or anything with David Lynch, especially since he’s making music now and I want to be on Yo Gabba Gabba.
O: I can definitely hear your music on a Lynch soundtrack. That’s great! Thanks for speaking to us today we look forward to more of your wild creations!
InDoor Cat-Trophy and Outdoor Cattrophen are both available for FREE download here.
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Introducing: Floyd The Phenomenal Cat-Trophy -AMouthfulAnEarfulAndAnEyeful
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