Tropic Of Cancer - Between Light and Darkness

Tropic Of Cancer are one of the most interesting prospects on the American dark-wave scene. We had a chat with Camilla Lobo, the female soul of the project, on the occasion of their appearance at the first Mannequin Festival, held in Rome

Juan Mendez and I met in 2005 at a punk show organized by friends. A bond formed between us right away, and we've been together ever since. Working on musical projects was inevitable. After I asked Juan to collaborate, we formed Tropic Of Cancer; we never intended to share our music with anyone else, or to become a "band"... but shortly after finishing our first song, a friend asked us to play at an ambient night. We had to put together a whole set in a week. The performance was pretty stressful, but we were glad we'd accepted our friend's offer.

What role does each of you play in the band?

From an instrumental standpoint, nothing is fixed. We both play whatever instrument a song calls for. It's always different.

How did you choose your instruments, and what's your idea of the perfect sound?

Drum machine, guitar, bass and synthesizers. We chose these because we love the sound that comes from combining the different parts... it's the perfect sound.

What's your musical background?

Aside from being obsessed with music, I can't really say I have a musical background, apart from the band and some DJing at parties, in a few clubs. Juan has a very broad background making and DJing minimal techno and weird electronics.

How would you define the aesthetic behind your work? Which writers, painters, poets have influenced you?

There's always an element of pain and conflict that runs through our sound, but I wouldn't describe it as melancholic or oppressive. I think the structure of every song reflects a struggle between beauty and roughness. What I hope is that a listener can imagine their own narrative within that conflict.

As far as literature goes, I've been deeply inspired by a poet, Arthur Rimbaud. His fundamental work, "A Season in Hell", strikes a perfect balance between light and darkness, an element I unconsciously try to bring into my lyrics, into my approach to the instruments.

As for formats, you've released a 10" and a 12" on vinyl - what do you think of the revival of this format?

I learned the craft of DJing on vinyl, and that's always kept me drawn to this medium. I think it's natural to see a record as something that makes music more tangible, more physical. While I appreciate the excitement of being able to download anything instantly from the web, I miss the process, the whole set of actions that used to take you to the record store to buy new music. I'll never do that again. These days I download music all the time, and very often I download songs I'll never have time to listen to, and that I'll end up forgetting. When I buy a record, it's something more deliberate. With that in mind, pressing our records on vinyl was never in question.

Regarding your latest release, "The Sorrow of Two Blooms", how would you describe it? How did it come together, and what's your creative process?

We recorded the album in a weekend. It came together very easily, very naturally for us, since I was going through a rough time because of the death of a dear friend of ours. The sad, grieving feeling of the recordings is real.

How would you position yourselves in relation to the minimal wave revival and the witch house phenomenon?

I don't think any artist can be truly satisfied with the label they're given, although I understand that fixing genres and definitions is necessary. As for "minimal wave", the rhythmic structure and the use of synths in our tracks obviously nod to that kind of sound. As for "witch house", I think the imagery and aesthetic are the main reason people make that association with us. We write music in a natural, spontaneous way. I think it's really nice that fans of both scenes can converge and take an interest in us.

One last question. What are your creative plans for the future? What's the next step?

Wait and see. There's an EP coming out on Mannequin Records (the same label as Mushy) in the coming months, and an LP for Blackest Ever Black, which should be ready around mid-2012, if all goes according to plan.

(31/10/2011)

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