Scheduled to open for Mount Kimbie as part of Jazz and Grooves' fall concert on Friday, Dream Safari, Philadelphia native properly known as Chris Coulton, talked with Jazz and Grooves contributor Kyle Kisicki about music, style and the Philadelphia scene. Read Jazz and Grooves' artist spotlight to learn more about Dream Safari.
Street: How long have you been making music?CC: I’ve been making music since I was about 17. I had my first band then and I did music projects through college. Since then I’ve always been doing music projects in some form and then about a year ago I decided to take it more seriously and work hard at it.
Street: Describe jungle-hop. What is “tropical glo-fi?”
CC: Its kind of like the 80’s, it has the elements of 80’s pop – a lot of reverberated snare drums and delayed mallet [percussion]. It’s stuff with, like, these tropical vibes, mixed with dance music – dance beats and synthesizer parts. It has a retro-meets-tropical thing going on. That’s the niche market I’m trying to craft.
Street: Which 80’s bands would you say have been influential in creating your aesthetic?
CC: I would say that a big one for me is Tears for Fears — not necessarily just 80s — but stuff like new wave. I actually wouldn’t even list the bands. To me, it’s more about the elements that those bands used – the reverb and cosmic delay.
Street: How, if at all, has your move to Philadelphia influenced and defined your sound as Dream Safari?
CC: I was born and raised about an hour and a half outside the city and I never really visited. I moved about a year ago – that’s when I started [as Dream Safari]. I think the move has been inspiring: new experiences, new scenery. That’s been super exciting and influential. Also, moving has provided opportunities to meet more people who are interested in sound and who understand what I’m trying to do.
Street: What happened to your previous name, "Flamingos?"
CC: The name was Flamingos, but I got a call from this lawyer, who represented the original band called The Flamingos that were around in the fifties. I guess I just thought that weren’t active anymore. One of the guys was indeed still active and not happy that I was using that name, so they kind of just said that it was in my best interest to change before further legal action went down. So I was like, “you know, that’s fine” and I spent a couple of weeks racking my brain because when you look into music trademark law, it was like everything was trademarked. I landed on Dream Safari because I think it describes my sound pretty well.
Street: How does nostalgia play into your music thematically? Is your sound a jump “back to the future of dance music?”
CC: Whoa, that’s a crazy question … I think nostalgia plays a large part in my music because I remember hearing certain sounds growing up. I really relate to those sounds. I also think that dance music is both timeless and coming back in a neat way. I think all the eighties elements, the sound, I really believe in it and that whatever walk of life you’re on, most people can relate to dance music (especially dance music that reminds them of their earlier years). I try to craft a sound that does that while at the same time looking forward to the future.
Street: As a Philadelphian, where would you say is a good place to go, where is the scene for good dance music in Philly?
CC: Sure, that’s a great question. I think you could find it all over if you’re looking. I think where I am, up in the Fishtown neighborhood, there’s a few spots I like to go that play good stuff. If you really look, there are gems all over the city. Even house parties where people are playing great music – I think you just have to look around a little bit. It’s there; it’s all around. You just gotta do your homework. Philadelphia is really a great music town, man. There are a lot of people doing their own thing and making their own sound. Everyone in the community is receptive to what’s going on. Awesome town for music.
Street: Would you say that Philly doesn’t get the credit it deserves as a musical city?
CC: Yeah I don’t think it gets enough credit. It has a reputation for being gritty I guess, but that grittiness is super charming, especially the way many neighborhoods are changing. People don’t really see all the opportunities here from the outside. They write it off. But once you really dig your hands into it, you get out of the scene what you put in. I choose to see Philly as an awesome city that has tons of young people doing creative stuff.
Street: What decade do you think of as being the best for dance music?
CC: I feel like the late eighties, early nineties, with all the house music coming out at that time, that I’m super into. Maybe in the early two-thousands it was a little bit corny, but once we got far enough removed from it, you can look back and see that its pretty amazing. I’m stuck in the eighties-nineties though. "Saved by the Bell" is my favorite TV show of all time. I love the aesthetic, all the sounds, all the vibes of that era.
Street: If you had to choose, whom would you cite as your favorite artists? What contemporary musicians do you follow closely?
CC: One of the biggest modern influences on my sound is Chad Valley. I’ve been listening to him for about five years. His sound is somewhat similar. He’s probably been my biggest influence. I just saw him at Boot & Saddle in South Philly about two weeks ago. We talked for a bit about [Dream Safari]. His album is a throwback, but very uplifting – much like late eighties synth pop. I also like DIIV and Wild Nothing. I like how they treat their vocals as another instrument instead of this prominent thing. The vocals blend and are washed out which shape it as this whole thing instead of, like, here’s the song texture and these loud vocals over the top. The lo-fi reverbed vocals are what I draw from those bands.
Street: Have other musicians in the Philadelphia scene been helpful in establishing yourself here?
CC: Yeah I think so. The more you’re willing to connect with and root for other musicians, you’ll find you get support. Most people have been receptive to my music and I try to do the same to other music I hear in town. It’s good to root for other bands and genuinely mean it.
Street: What should people expect to experience at your show on Friday?
CC: I would say the live set is a little bit different than what I’ve recorded. There will be live drums added to the set. It’s a dance party vibe. I play synth, guitar, and sing; my drummer makes it pop with live beats. It really comes together in a cool way. They should expect a full-on dance explosion. Hopefully that’ll make for a great time.
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