Cafebliss, Issue 3, September 1999

The joys of finding a new band to love are obvious and we've all had that perverse feeling of wanting a band to remain unknown to the world outside so that we can selfishly keep 'em for ourselves. These feelings gladly disappear as we get older and now I just can't wait to tell people when a new band comes along. Tarentel are San Francisco's finest export since space cakes, and they were brought to my attention by the ever-knowledgable Geoff at Static Caravan for which I shall be forever grateful...

So, when were Tarentel formed?

The band was formed in late '95/early '96 when Danny and Jef met at a Mojave 3 concert. We both agreed upon the brilliance of Labradford and took it from there... We played with a constantly changing line-up until John joined in the summer of '97. Kenseth and Patricia joined in early '98 and then Patricia left in late '98, and it's been us boys ever since.

So who plays what?

Kenseth Thibideau: bass, guitar, keyboards
Jonathan Joseph Hughes: drums, percussion, keyboards
Daniel Paul Grodinski: guitar, keyboards
and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma: guitar, keyboards

Was this untitled CD EP your first release?

Yes.

That CD has drawn comparisons with Mogwai, Aerial M and Tortoise, to name a few. All great bands, to be sure, but do these flatter you and do you feel at ease with them?

Of course these comparisons are great, and they really do flatter us, but I think we are all anxious to get some of our new stuff out, which shows a much different side of our music. I don't think we ever really sat down and said 'let's sound like this band or this'... we just wanted to make a certain type of mood or feeling, and at that time that's how it came out. Both of those songs for the most part were written before Kenseth joined the band, so the new stuff that will be coming out is a better representation of the four of us writing songs together.

Which bands inspire you?

Well, inspiration is a relative word, and I think we all draw it from different places... not only from music but also from books, films, and things of that nature. Musically, we all come from different places... John has always liked 4AD stuff and things like that, also the blues. Danny has interest in minimal composers like Satie, Eno, and the like and also This Heat and lots of Can. Kenseth knows how to playevery Pink Floyd song and just bought a $90 Steve Reich box set; that sez it all. Personally, I find a lot of inspiration in Eno, Reich, and minimal electronic stuff... Labradford, Pan Sonic. We all listen to a lot of jazz, and hip hop is something we always like to work with.

Why are you instrumental? Do you just prefer this type of music or couldn't you find a good singer?

We allow ourselves to be the soundtrack to any moment, anywhere, in anyone's life. We enjoy the challenge to being sentimental and telling a story without saying any words.
(Good answer to a crap question - andi)

So is there any sort of pulsating music scene in San Francisco?

Somewhat, but rather small... nothing to write home about, but the people here do enjoy music, and the turn out to shows is rather good.

What could we find on your hi-fi at the moment?

Jef: the new Labradford
John: the new Tom Waits
Kenseth: Pink Floyd Atom Heart Mother
Danny: Nick Drake Five Leaves Left

Tell us more about this forthcoming 8" release. What's that all about then?

Well, we heard about a guy in New Zealand that cut his own records and made 8"s, so we approached Jeremy (head of the Temporary Residence Limited, Tarentel's label) about it and he said, "great!, but I get to make the covers!", so we don't even have any idea what they will look like.
(I hear a rumour that the sleeves are wooden!)

So when's the album out and what can we expect?

The album's out in August, and you can expect a lot more, and a lot less... It's got five songs and lasts about 72 minutes. It's much darker than the EP, and is much more intense. It shows our interest in ambient soundscapes as much as it does evil, distorted rock. We just hope people will be patient with it. It takes a couple of listens to sink in.

Any major label interest yet?

None... but we are quite happy where we are.

Further ahead, any plans to tour Europe?

Hopefully sometime in 2000.