INTERVIEW WITH CARLO CENNAMO (THE BOOM) by Wojciech Kozielski (JUNE '99)

In one sentence? Our music is much like early rhythm and blues, it grooves, it's danceable, the rhythm section swings and the horns have attitude.

You know, none of us grew up together. We've all known each other for only two years at most, but yes as people we all shared some very similar experiences. Growing up and hanging around in the world of skateboards and punk rock lends to our sharing ways of thinking and seeing. Musically, we all share a point in time when we were introduced to blues and jazz. Music that sounded different to our ears, but somehow, whether it was a slow process or not, we grew to really appreciate it and eventually diving very deep into it. Of course I'm speaking mostly from my personal experiences, but it wasn’t too different for the others. Is the audience following this process? Yeah I think so. I think a lot of people who grew up in this scene all know a good deal about black music. It's history and it's players, who all too worked within a close community, not unlike the scene we all know. Their thoughts about society, politics and culture are not that different from what we learned in the punk rock scene. It shouldn’t be surprising that there is interest in black music. Of course there are plenty of people that my opinion doesn’t apply to, nonetheless, black music is for sure a large part of the community here in Washington D.C.

Yes the new album is all instrumental. This development came about as the band expanded. Josh Larue from The Sorts plays trombone and electric piano with us, but he's not always available and when he was gone the horn section was no longer a section, it was just me. We did our first tour opening up for June of 44 that way. I can't imagine doing that any more.
Anyway, Fred would some times play trumpet, but usually only for recording. We all thought that two horns sounded real good, so Fred picked it up more regularly and his old bandmate, Joe McRedmond from Hoover, starting playing guitar. Since Fred was just playing trumpet the horn arrangements became more and more involved as did the vocals become less involved. I remember when we recorded I was having some trouble when Juan Carrera said ,"hey, if your not going to have vocals on these tracks you've got to step up to the mic." He was right, the horns act as a voice or voices...as long as they are played as such. Fred wrote the lyrics to "Movin’ Out"

In which way all the line up changes influenced music you play? Is the band a "democratic institution" where every person has something to say?

Has the change in line up influenced the music? Hell yes. It has a lot more attitude. The grooves are much deeper and the arrangements are way more open. There is plenty of room for improvisation. There are specific landmarks that the open sections sit between. So when its really cooking the free sections can ideally generate a lot of momentum towards the next landmark, which is really important. The phrases you state don't make sense unless they lead into and out of each other well. The landmarks between the phrases, you know?
Yeah, the band is completely democratic. Anyone can say anything about the music, and I think we try to make it so everyone is cool with what they hear. The practice room, as I'm sure is the same for any other group, is an endlessly fascinating hotbed of tension as well as an oasis of thought. And of course there are weird moments. Telling someone you don't like their idea is inherently tense, but everyone also knows that its a normal thing. It's just human beings interacting. Many times if we're stuck on something Fred can be real quick with arrangements. He can just whip shit together and it sounds good. If it sounds good, it is good

Are you still somehow related to so called "D.C. Scene"? Why do that term means to you in 1999?

Of course we're related to the D.C. scene. I mean, we live in Sliver Spring Maryland, but D.C is just a stone's throw away. What does it mean? I myself haven’t lived here very long, but I moved here because of what was happening with Slowdime records. I had been asked to play music with my friends' friend. Anyway, there is a lot of really cool music being made here right now and I think there is something similar within this music and its makers. To me, now, I think of this musical development when I think if the scene here. Wait 'till you hear the new Golden EP. That shit is so fucking cool. It's called Golden and The Rhythm Beat Jazz. I've never heard anything like it, and, well, its part of the scene here in D.C., so I think of these processes in the music when I think of right now. You know? Its exciting to be in the midst of a living scene that is changing. It's cool man.

Interview by Wojciech Kozielski for the Polish magazine BRUM.
Thanks Wojtek for sharing it with  UTOPIA .