aaamusic | On 20, Feb 2014

AAAmusic: Who are you and where are you from?

My name is Louis, I was raised in LA, then moved to New York years ago to surround myself with musicians of all walks.  I grew up playing French horn with symphonies and small jazz groups, I toured around for a few years with The Polyphonic Spree – which was a bit like running off with the circus.  I then found myself more interested in working with rock, electronic and experimental groups, expanding to keys and guitars, production instruments as well –  recording, touring and performing with artists all over the map – St. Vincent, Rufus Wainwright, guesting with Radiohead on The Colbert Report was a bit like a Make a Wish Foundation moment for me.

After years of collaborating with other artists, it became clear to me that it was my time to make albums and tour as my own entity. At that time I was visited in dreams by a constellation of a tiger, the name SKY WHTE TIGER chose me.

The progression has been fairly organic – I started on my own , then formed a five piece band to create the larger scope of sounds that the songs called for. We made an album of this music and performed mostly in the US. While we were heading in a more electronic direction, at that time schedules were becoming a challenge, touring had become expensive, so I began performing solo with loops, triggers, synths and guitars. Started getting a great response from this hybrid DJ/one man band format and decided to complete an EP of this music for world touring in 2014 – which has now become a reality.

AAAmusic: What inspired you to get into music?

Music was always around when I was a kid. My grandfather had toured as self-taught jazz saxophonist in the marine swing bands in WWII, and was really supportive of his grandchildren following suit. He picked the horn for me as an “endangered instrument” hoping that its rarity would take me to places other kids wouldn’t have the opportunity to go. We’d play pieces he’d arrange for my sister, father and I every Sunday as a way to be together and create something larger than any of us individually. He was the first to pass away a couple of years later and a large part of my commitment and recommitment to music over the years is to carry on his legacy.

When people ask me what kind of music I make now  I say “Moody Pretty.” The majority of my favorite music falls into this category but it speaks more to the feeling rather than to the genre –  David Bowie, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Bill Withers, Gustav Mahler, The Pretty Things, Led Zepplin , Bob Marley, Jaques Greene, Koreless, James Blake and The Doors, Psychic TV, Peter Gabriel, Lauren Hill, Echo and the Bunnymen are all Moody Pretty in my opinion – and those are all over the topographical map.

I think we’re in an exciting time now where artists can have genre defying tastes inside of one album, one live show, and audiences are willing to be taken for a journey.  As long as the shaman has good taste and a clear voice the sky’s the limit.

AAAmusic: What have you done? 

I made a full length album with Bryce Goggin a couple of years ago and have recently completed a Self Entitled EP of the new electronic material for release in 2014. I’m also developing a larger scale concert experience and light show in galleries, planetariums and converted loft spaces.

AAAmusic: What are you like live?

I’m like watching a baby elephant being born out of a floating light orb (or at least that’s my screensaver).

My favorite tour was with Polyphonic years ago opening for David Bowie across the US and Canada – not a Sky White Tiger tour I know but he’s the man, man.

AAAmusic: What makes you different?

I always incorporate some live projections or live visual element over an all-white outfit – artist as blank slate and multimedia as technicolor dream coat. This may shift in the years to come but I think its fits the vibe of the music an enhances the overall experience. In the future I look forward to collaborating with guest artists in my live show – singers, DJs, multimedia visart design teams to create the ultimate concert experience.

AAAmusic: Physical vs Downloading vs Streaming…How do you listen to music?

I listen to vinyl. I listen to Spotify and SoundCloud. I watch videos, live shows and interviews on YouTube as well. There’s too much on there to lose hope. There is enough on there to lose time, depending on your definition of Lost & Found. AnswerNotAnswer?

AAAmusic: What have you been listening to? 

Tame Impala is fun. James Blake and Sepalcure and The Weeknd I like. I live with UK house DJs so there’s a lot of that around.  I listen to loads of classic soul, 90s Rock/R&B, electronic and World music. I like melodies and grooves, and where they overlap, (and the word overlap).

AAAmusic: What are your aspirations for the future?

This year I’m going to open for an eight month international tour of a wonderful Spanish artist called Russian Red. Over the year I plan to complete a full length album of new material for release and touring in 2015.

I’m also developing this large scale multimedia concert experience based on the hero’s journey for 2015/16. I’d like to bring the full band out on the road again as well but like every great heros journey, one must leave the village alone in order to explore and discover the unseen universe. Too skywalker? (is that possible?) 

Questions answered by: Louis aka Sky White Tiger…