Best of What’s Next: Phantogram
As online music discovery becomes the norm, artists might as well start saying they’re “from the Internet” instead of any given geographic locale. Regionalism still colors scenes across the country and crowns acts ready for national prominence, of course, but bands like the electronic pop duo Phantogram need not wait for the cold, quiet confines of towns like Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to churn them out.
From the ghosts of trip-hop past to the synthesizer psychedelia of tomorrow, keyboardist Sarah Barthel and guitarist Joshua Carter began as Charlie Everywhere in 2007, and these days make music that won’t tie them down anywhere. The duo released a self-titled EP in 2009 and their full-length debut, Eyelid Movies, is out in the states today; on both, Barthel and Carter split singing duties, which makes for twice as many voices to loop, squelch and flatted into their beat-driven compositions. Onstage, the two members of Phantogram are in constant motion, pausing their own groove-induced head-bobbing for split seconds just to trigger more textures, building grunts, sighs and vocal hooks on the sigh.
Paste became enamored with the duo at last fall’s 2009 CMJ Music Marathon, and squeezed into a booth with Barthel and Carter just after the Aquarium Drunkard showcase at Fontana’s to talk about horse racing, the devil and picking fights.
Paste: What did you have in mind for Eyelid Movies?
Josh Carter: It’s an interesting blend of different textures and a mix of organic elements and technology. What we were shooting for was a juxtaposition of elements that don’t necessarily go together. Kinda like, visualize a tree in dirt with mics and wires and radios coming out of the grass around it.
Paste: In this difficult economic climate, is a “Mouthful of Diamonds” really the best look?
Sarah Barthel: Never thought of it that way, but…
Carter: I think a mouthful of diamonds is a great thing to have. You’ll always have it just in case.
Barthel: It’s kind of like a security blanket for your mouth. You can sell your teeth if you need the money.
Paste: What are your musical backgrounds?
Carter: I started playing guitar and drums, and I dabbled on piano since I was about 18 years old. I played drums in a couple bands and guitar in a band before this. I’ve been recording a lot, some 4-tracks and eventually graduated to computer software. I’ve been really interested in sounds for about 10 years. My parents both play music and my brother and sister play music.
Paste: I have been singing my entire life. I pretend like I know what I’m doing on the piano. I don’t have any training so I just wing it. Josh picked me up and decided to work with me about two and a half years ago with hopes of recording, writing and everything else.
Paste: What’s your favorite piece of gear?
Carter: Our samplers are a lot of fun, a couple of my guitar pedals. At home we have a couple dual analog synths. But it’s more like a collection of a lot of different things that we like to tinker with than one holy grail.
Paste: What are you doing to prevent this precious gear from being stolen during your upcoming European tour?
Barthel: Praying to God. Praying to Allah. Praying to every god out there.
Carter: Secure parking, brass knuckles, bodyguards.