Mexican Summer Anniversary last weekend was a really special happening. You could feel that everyone there was integrated by a single interest, that which persuaded founder Keith Abrahamsson to launch the label 5 years ago. Everyone was celebrating and sharing his simple joy, the passion for music. We were being fulfilled by it just by entering the space. And every time an artist came to the stage, this feeling would renew and reaffirm.
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Brooklyn’s Pioneer Works is definitely a magical place. Friends, artists, families with their kids and dogs were all hanging in the gardens in between shows surrounded by Dustin Yellin’s works, who probably got even more admirers after the festival.
Ariel Pink closed the first night with, of course, another great performance. The psychedelic folk legend Linda Perhacs made her New York debut with many of the highlights from her only album the massively influential 1970 record Parralellograms. Even though it was 2am and it took an hour to set up, the late night was worth it to watch Spiritualized close the event.
With so many incredible acts, there was one that could not be missed. The Australian psychedelic act Connan Mockasin, today’s featured artist, gave us the opportunity for a little chat. His upcoming Caramel album is very intriguing. All recorded in a Tokyo Hotel room, he created the record based on the idea of “what a Caramel would sound like”. Yes, I had a lot of things to ask him. Even more because while navigating through the seas of endless information, the internet, to prepare for our chat, I encounter a peculiar description of the album.
“It starts with the dolphin leaving, and the Boss, who is so in with love with the dolphin, is sad, and then it kicks into the new album, and he is happier. But there’s a car race and a crash”.
Ok, so I had to clarify some points:
Who’s the Dolphin?
– Her name is Zonda. No one has her. And she’s too free.
Why did she have to leave?
– Because she couldn’t live in the land. She couldn’t stay any longer. She had to go back to the Dolphin’s world. They are from different worlds so they are not allowed to love.
Does the dolphin like caramel?
– No, the Boss is really into it.
Was it all a dream?
– Everything was real.
“I find it a silly story” he adds. Immersed in a world where people try so hard to make a statement about image, a naive narrative for an album was a pleasure to our ears. Leaving the mysticism in what really matters.
A quiet serene figure, he is carefree in his own flow. When asked about his next video – he can be seen in his last video levitating somewhere in the middle of a forest, floating on Hawkes Bay water surrounded by lemons and evil water rats, or walking around the city all painted – he didn’t know what it would be, just that it needs to be done, but in the calm way of someone patient, who knows that something good will come, with no need to overthink.
We are looking forward to the release of album Caramel on November 4.
More information: soundcloud.com/connanmockasin
Photo credit: Rafael Di Celio
