[Photos by Shana Novak]
Ray Raposa — perhaps you know him as neo-folkie Castanets — will be performing at Cornell University on Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Big Red Barn. Fans of Raposa have long raved about his sparse arrangements and the brittle, nasal timbre of his voice (quite similar to cohorts Devendra Banhart and James Jackson Toth).
Raposa’s latest record, In the Vines, released in late October, displays a fruitful partnership with Robert Rafter, who produced the record in his San Diego home studio. His first releases with Asthmatic Kitty, Cathedral (2004), followed by First Light’s Freeze (2005), channeled a desolate, American Gothic atmosphere and pronounced Raposa a skilled storyteller.
This album, however, and Raposa’s third for the indie label, is full of sounds from other instruments and voices — longtime friend and tourmate Jana Hunter, for one, contributes her smoky-hued voice as a member of Raposa’s Climbing Choir (which also includes labelmate Sufjan Stevens and Dirty Projectors vocalist Suzanna Waiche). Members of folk collective Vanishing Voice (better known for their work with Wooden Wand, aka the aforementioned Toth) also appear as members of Raposa’s Vineland House Band.
In the Vines is a straightforward indie-folk record — nothing too weird or unexpected here — but a brief noise collage (”Rain Will Come”) and electronic drum machines (”And the Swimming”) flit amongst Raposa’s murky country dirges.
We recently spoke with Raposa, only days into his fall U.S. tour, who also has just returned from a brief European tour with former Swans frontman Michael Gira. On Saturday, Raposa will be backed by the Deer Tick, the first signees to Hunter’s baby label, Feow! Records.
Popcorn Youth: How is the current tour going?
Ray Raposa: We’re in Chapel Hill now. We’re only a couple days in, really. But I just got back from Europe — I was doing solo shows out there with Michael Gira. And I got two days off between that trip and this trip.
Popcorn Youth: Are you a fan of his solo work? Are you a Swans fan?
Ray Raposa: Yeah. I mean, I’ve been listening to Swans since I was 15 years old and I was so intrigued — it was really a trip playing with him. He’s such a decent dude.
Popcorn Youth: It seems like the current tour is mostly in the Midwest and the East Coast. Is there a reason why there aren’t many west coast dates?
Ray Raposa: There’ll be west coast dates sometime around January, I think. I think the deal was that I had to get right back after Europe as soon as this one ends — it didn’t schedule enough time to get out to the west coast.
Popcorn Youth: It also seems like you’re playing a lot of student-friendly college towns, Ithaca included. Was this intentional?
Ray Raposa: Well, it’s good. I’m certainly comfortable in those [type of venues], I think it’s a better experience for the audience and for the performer, I guess.
Popcorn Youth: So where are you based these days? You’re not in San Diego anymore, right?
Ray Raposa: No, I haven’t been there in years. I live in Brooklyn now and I have for years. The last couple of years have been fun, but I’m out of that house because I’m going to be on tour for the next year a lot, so I won’t be paying rent anywhere, if I can avoid it!
Popcorn Youth: I ask because I’m from San Diego, actually.
Ray Raposa: Oh really? Where from?
Popcorn Youth: Near UCSD.
Ray Raposa: Oh crazy. Really? I have a lot of friends who went to UCSD. Friends who were professors also.
Popcorn Youth: Do you still stay in touch? Is everyone over there that you know doing okay with the recent fires?
Ray Raposa: With the fires, everyone who has gotten in touch has been fine.
Popcorn Youth: That’s good. It’s been so crazy.
Ray Raposa: Yeah. It’s really intense. That last time it got that serious, I was living out there and it was such a weird experience. It’ll paint the city in a whole other — it just doesn’t feel anything like the place that it was, you know? Not really…
Popcorn Youth: You’ve recorded with many other San Diego musicians, including members of Pinback, Rocket From the Crypt, and Tristeza. What was that all about? Do you still keep up with the San Diego music scene?
Ray Raposa: Yeah, for live shows, and the records before Cathedral and stuff, yes. People like Jason Crane [of Rocket From the Crypt], and Rob [Crow, of Pinback] and Louise, and more. It was really weird that that [information] ended up in that press release for that record, because it was all stuff that we had done for the record before, What Kind of Cure, they’re all on that record. It’s a pretty close-knit city. People that are involved know each other.
Popcorn Youth: Do you still try to keep in touch and stay informed?
Ray Raposa: Oh yeah, yes. I still have a lot of friends there, and I do go back. For this record, In The Vines, 90% of the tracks were recorded in San Diego with [producer] Rafter. I stayed at his house for his month to record at his studio, and after we were done with the tracking I came back to Brooklyn and did the vocals. Likewise for First Lights Freeze, it was the same situation where I was living in Brooklyn, but I was going out to San Diego to do the record.
Popcorn Youth: Are you finding there are major differences between living in Brooklyn and living in San Diego in terms of being a part of a musical community? You mentioned San Diego as being close-knit. Is Brooklyn the same way?
Ray Raposa: Yes, very much so. As with any place, you go to a new place and you work your way [around]. I was living in a house, a 6-bedroom house in Bed Sty for the last year that I was living in Brooklyn. Everyone there was a musician — I was living with members of Dirty Projectors and Vampire Weekend and Fischerspooner — it was an extensive cast of musicians even just living in my house, you know? If we wanted to listen to a new track, we wouldn’t even have to leave the floor of our house, let alone our block.
Popcorn Youth: Actually, the Dirty Projectors played in Ithaca recently, and Dave Longstreth told me about recording Rise Above in the very house you speak of now. He made it sound like a great, idiosyncratic place to record.
Ray Raposa: Yeah, it was awesome. It was called “Flavor Zone.” It was great, but everyone’s out now. We’re all off the lease.
Popcorn Youth: So, In the Vines released earlier this week. Congratulations!
Ray Raposa: On Tuesday, yes.
Popcorn Youth: With regards to In the Vines, did you have any specific goals in mind? Does it mark any significant changes in your approach with castanets?
Ray Raposa: I feel that if there is a record that marks a significant change, well I finished a record in Nevada this summer. I lived out in a motel for a month and I made a record. So if anything [the change is] the composition of the thing — the exploration out into the wilderness or whatever. But also I don’t like to have too many things in mind when I’m starting a record — there’s not a grander scheme or a bigger thing than what I’m shooting for.
Popcorn Youth: I’m sorry to hear about your gear being stolen. Have you pretty much recovered from that? I heard that you were still in the process of recording In the Vines when it happened.
Ray Raposa: No, that was months after, when my gear was stolen. That [press] release was confusing as hell. Yeah, I already had Vines in hand at that point.
Popcorn Youth: Well that’s good! So you’ve pretty much replaced your gear for the most part?
Ray Raposa: No, none of it at all. I rebought one pedal, and I’ve been borrowing guitars and amps ever since. They left a lot of stuff though, they really only got my guitars and pedals, but there were some weird pedals that they got, so.
Popcorn Youth: So live, it’s just your own chain of effects that you set up in past shows?
Ray Raposa: Yeah, very much so. Less so on this trip, than others.
Popcorn Youth: Right. In a live setting, is your set up the same as what it would be in the studio?
Ray Raposa: Not at all. Not even close. It doesn’t appeal to me at all — I mean I appreciate records for what they are, but I don’t go to shows to hear bands do their records. I couldn’t imagine a less fulfilling experience. I wouldn’t want to go out and do the same experience every night. I think it’s cheating, cheating your surroundings, cheating your audience, and cheating yourself.
Popcorn Youth: That having been said, does improvisation figure in heavily to your live performances?
Ray Raposa: Yes, very much. Absolutely.
Popcorn Youth: So this tour is in support of In the Vines.
Ray Raposa: Yes.
Popcorn Youth: Do you feel like there’s more instrumentation and other voices on this record than ones past?
Ray Raposa: There’s a lot of voices, yes. (Laughs) There’s probably more of those. There are a lot of friends that I wanted to have sing on this record — I’ve got a lot of friends with really, really pretty voices. So if there was one time that I wanted to hear them, it was this time around, and I got it, so that was good.
Popcorn Youth: Is there a reason why you chose to use drum machines on some tracks?
Ray Raposa: There was a drum machine on the last song, yes. I think there was more drum machine on the record before, than there was on this one.
Popcorn Youth: Fair enough. Is the use of them, is that an aesthetic decision?
Ray Raposa: Yes, it is, but it’s also born out of necessity —there are songs with a drum kit on the record, but for the most part in the studio that we were working in, they hadn’t built a roof for the live room, and we couldn’t get too extended with our live set up as far as kicks and stuff goes, but there were some places that we could do it. Working with Rafter, who produced In the Vines, a lot of the times we would go in, and we’ll have a three chord folk song, and it’s just sort of feeling our way around the room and feeling what would be the best for the song. And sometimes it kind of feels like it’s going to be a drum machine.
Popcorn Youth: So your backing band for this tour is Deer Tick. How did that come about?
Ray Raposa: I’ve known John for a couple of years. He’s been writing songs since he was 15, and they totally broke my heart. So I’ve known him for a while and he’s got his band with him. We just picked up our guitarist last night, the Castanets guitarist. But yeah it’s great, they’re great players, and I think John is an amazing, amazing songwriter.
Popcorn Youth: In a live setting, your backing bands change from year to year, even tour to tour. In that context, would you say that Castanets is essentially a solo project, or another alias for you, Ray?
Ray Raposa: Uhh… yeah. I guess it’s me.
Popcorn Youth: So you’re 100% behind the songwriting process? You write all the parts, that’s all you?
Ray Raposa: No, I don’t write parts for people. There are suggestions, but some of my favorite parts on the record is when you bring a friend into the studio and suddenly you push the song into a direction that you had no idea it could go into. I think those are my favorite parts of the record, now that it’s done. So it’s not a complete dictatorship.
Popcorn Youth: At the end of “Rain Will Come,” that feedback heavy noise section, was that your idea? Was that born out of improvising?
Ray Raposa: It was Rafter and I, yes.
Popcorn Youth: It was a really cool way to end that opening track.
Ray Raposa: No, yeah, I feel really good about it. There was a bit of… I think Rafter and I butted heads a little bit about how long it should go on, but it’s my record, you know? (Laughs)
Popcorn Youth: I read that you’re a big fan of Lungfish. What are your thoughts on Daniel Higg’s solo career?
Ray Raposa: I think his records are beautiful. And I think they’re some of the only records being made right now that I actually listen to, outside of hip-hop. He’s really incredible. I don’t think that dude could have paid his dues any harder, and I don’t think he could be more legit with the most true music that he makes. I think he still lives in Baltimore — he’s pretty loyal to Baltimore.
Popcorn Youth: So, how did you get signed to Asthmatic Kitty and were you releasing music prior to that?
Ray Raposa: Well, I wasn’t really that interested in sending music out to labels or pursuing a career or anything — I was only making CD-Rs for friends, like in editions of 50 and give them out to your people and friends. But I was playing with Liz Janes’ band — she records for Asthmatic Kitty — and her husband Mike Kaufmann gave a CD-R of mine on to Sufjan Stevens. And they wanted to put that one out, but we didn’t put that one out, I made another record instead. But I wasn’t particularly upwardly mobile, it was just this thing that happened and I’m ecstatic that it did. It was just good fortune, you know?
Popcorn Youth: You used to play lots of shows at the San Diego group art space, Voltaire. Is that still going on?
Ray Raposa: No, no, that got shut down. It was a venue and art space and community where people were sharing the front room for event space — there were a lot of UCSD professors that were involved too, Charles Curtis was living there, and Dan, who lives in Brooklyn now.
Popcorn Youth: What other venues in San Diego do you like playing?
Ray Raposa: My house. (Laughs) You know, the Che [Café] was nice, I grew up going to shows at the Che. That’s always got a special place. But there’s always venues getting shutting down, too, though. When Voltaire was shut down, there was a full-on raid and was just kind of a hassle. It’s not a venue-friendly city.
Popcorn Youth: It seems as though San Diego gets a bad rep, like touring musicians won’t go there to play. It can be so frustrating!
Ray Raposa: Yeah, it’s terrible. I know: A.) Great bands that can’t get shows there, like these great bands that can’t get booked, and B.) bands that do and they get through and they just get treated like shit or have a terrible show. It really can be bad.
Popcorn Youth: What about Brooklyn? Do you have spaces there that you really like playing?
Ray Raposa: Brooklyn? Oh yeah, plenty, all of them. There’s a really good venues where a few folks from our band, the folks from Vanishing Voice and a couple other people live in, called the Silent Barn, and they’ve been having really good shows. But I mean, it’s such a huge borough.
Popcorn Youth: Sure, of course. The new Wooden Wand record, there were totally parts in it that reminded me of your new record, too.
Ray Raposa: There are a lot of the same players involved. I mean, Lucas was involved with both. The Vanishing Voice are on a tour right now of the UK, Lukas and Heidi are.
Popcorn Youth: You’ve toured a lot overseas and abroad. People really like to describe your music as “quintessentially American” in character. What do you think about that kind of description? How you think your music translates when you go abroad?
Ray Raposa: It seems to be fine over there. If people are just saying “quintessentially American,” I think that’s probably pretty lazy. It probably is, but I’m not particularly… (pauses) they shouldn’t be in journalism or whatever, I don’t know. I mean, I listen to a lot American music, so. (Laughs)
Popcorn Youth: Yeah, it seems quite general.
Ray Raposa: Yeah, it doesn’t really feel like it means anything.
Popcorn Youth: But then you were lumped into the whole New Weird America thing when the Wire article came out in 2003.
Ray Raposa: Right, yeah, yes.
Popcorn Youth Do you identify with the sounds of No Neck or Sunburned or Wooden Wand?
Ray Raposa: I mean, I know all of those things, and I like those people quite a bit, but I don’t see any common ground between Sunburned and Vetiver, you know?
Popcorn Youth: Yeah, that article cast quite a big umbrella.
Ray Raposa: I don’t know. It’s really another case of it being so broad, it becomes like saying, “Alternative, circa 1994.” It’s like comparing 4 Non Blondes and Soundgarden, or something. (Laughs) It’s a really, really lazy catchall.
Popcorn Youth: More than anything, it felt like a British magazine trying to capture the American underground zeitgeist of that moment.
Ray Raposa: Totally. Which happens. That’s the nature of the thing, that’s how those things happen. And I have a friend in one of those bands and I don’t think they appreciate it — well, it’s better than “freak folk.” (Laughs)
Popcorn Youth: In any case, it certainly helped those bands in terms of recognition.
Ray Raposa: Yes. Which is great.
Popcorn Youth: I saw you covered “Like a Oen.” Are you a fan of The Knife? Do you listen to lots of electronic music?
Ray Raposa: I listen to probably more electronic and hip-hop music than folk music, probably. Well, it might be half and half. But yes, there’s only so many times you can hear the acoustic guitar. I mean, we’ll go on tour and there’ll be both dudes opening playing folk and I’m just like, “I want beats man, shoot!” (Laughs)
Popcorn Youth: So do you try to catch shows when you can?
Ray Raposa: I end up at more than I guess I would, yes. I end up at quite a few — there’s just a lot of good shows.
Popcorn Youth: What will you be working on after this tour?
Ray Raposa: Well, the Nevada record will come in the spring sometime, that’s done.
Popcorn Youth: And that’s with Asthmatic Kitty as well?
Ray Raposa: Yes, it’ll be with them.
Popcorn Youth: So do you see yourself staying with them indefinitely?
Ray Raposa: I’m free to do other things too, there’s one thing that’s happening in the summer that I’m not supposed to talk about, but I can’t imagine [leaving]. Those are my favorite people in the world, they’re so decent. I hear stories of other friends and their relationship with their label and I couldn’t do it. I’m really lucky. I love those people the most.