[BadPanda012] Taiga Blues – Karussell

Carsten and Michael know well how to confuse ideas.
Their name is Taiga Blues, but if you visit their website you will read “Post Rock with an Electronic Twist” and if you listen to their new song, Karrusell, you will find a strong jazz influence: this is what we call a perfect genre-contamination!

This is #012 and Bad Panda will come back tomorrow with a tasty surprise!

Taiga Blues – Karussell [mp3] [ogg]

The song is distributed under a Creative Commons License: CC-BY-NC-ND-3.0

Taiga Blues began as a side project for guitarist Carsten Mandt to explore musical interests in post rock, electronica and jazz. Over time the side project grew, leading to releases on a number of netlabels such as Legoego.

In the second half of 2006, Carsten was eventually joined by guitarist/trumpet player Michael Gallagher and bassist Tim Craig and together they released their debut album Intricacies early in 2008 on the My Formica Table netlabel, showcasing the band’s knack for seamlessly blending electronic and live instrumentation, composed and improvised elements, resulting in deceptively simple yet multi-layered, evocative music.

In 2009, the band (well, duo to be precise, since Tim’s departure) released two EPs on Wise Owl Records, “Ausklang” and “A minor shunt with common sense”, moving towards a more organic sound with more subtle electronic elements and a stronger jazz influence than before.

http://taiga-blues.co.uk/
myspace
facebook

Where do you live actually?

In Glasgow.

What is the last thing you ate?

Carsten: A bit of shortbread.
Michael: Delicious Polish Kebab (better than the garbage they sell in Scotland) with some vodka as “dessert”.

Your addiction?

Carsten: Coke. (That is the soft drink kind, not the white powder one…)
Michael: Coffee and chocolate.

One quote?

“Ehrlich währt am längsten.”

One movie?

Carsten: Ice Age. All three of them.
Michael: Right now, Vicky Cristina Barcelona – Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson in one film – bliss…

One song?

“Whirlpool of Terror and Tension” by Magyar Posse or “Hallo Gallo” by Neu!.

Best concert ever?

Carsten: Air (Barrowlands, 2001) and Battles (ABC, 2007).
Michael: Tool at SECC, Ryan Adams (solo) at Carling Academy and The Mars Volta (same venue).

Favourite venue?

Carsten: The Barrowlands in Glasgow.
Michael: Traitorous as it may seem given the Barrowlands fanclub, I quite like the ABC and also the Academy in Glasgow.

Favourite place on earth?

Carsten: Home.
Michael: Bed on a Saturday straight after I realise my alarm has only gone off at six cos I forgot to turn it off on Friday morning.

Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?

Carsten: Somewhere warm.
Michael: My own bed… this couch-cum-bed sucks…

Discography:

Formulae EP (Digital Output Records, 2005) [dl]
Im kleinen Kreis (Legoego, 2006)
Intricacies (My Foeatal Orange, 2008) [dl]
Ausklang EP (Wiseowl Records, 2009) [dl]
A Minor Shunt With Common Sense EP (Wiseowl Records, 2009) [dl]