Charlotte composer, The
Man from RavCon, knows how to tell a story with nary a word. He recently
released the album, “Skyscraper,” which takes its listener on a retro adventure in
their mind. What’s interesting is he’s not necessarily dictating where that
adventure takes place. Sure there are cues like Ennio Morricone spaghetti-western style pieces and a Pink Floydian-like guided tour of space
and time on “The Fugitive” (his wife comes up with the titles - a note, which
as the wife of an instrumental musician, I adore). But other than the titles, instrumentation, and arrangements there’s no words giving you directions on what to think.
For
me “Cloud Teaser” with its swishes phasing in and out in the background sounds
like a sci-fi superhero theme from the `70s (it could be my “Flash Gordon” love
kicking in). When I hear opening track “The Balloon” I'm following a cartoon
character (say, a duck) through some simple tasks like going to the airport
and getting on a plane, buying milk at the grocery store. It's childlike and playful. Maybe it's just my visual mind, but I enjoy that sort of escape.
Instrumental music is an
interesting animal. There are some highly successful acts now like
Explosions in the Sky, but that success is still the exception to the rule. My
husband’s family often asks him why his band has no vocals. I think there are
people out there that don’t see the point without vocals, but living with an
instrumental musician I’ve grown to appreciate the space instrumental music
creates and the imagination it fosters. You can listen and paint your own
picture, build your own storyline in your mind. The Man From RavCon fills some of those colors in for us without cluttering the page. On a side note the Tyler Strouth's cover art reminds me of "Metropolis," which may help nudge along that sci-fi aspect in my mind when I'm listening to the record.
There’s certainly mystery
in The Man From RavCon’s compositions. The Man himself is actually Charlotte native
Mike Brown, who played in a band called the Ravelers until 2004. Brown assumed
the identity of The Man From RavCon in 2010 and began releasing records. “Skyscraper”
is his sixth. He doesn’t perform it live, instead focusing on recording
soundtrack-ready music that often draws on vintage cinema and
cinematic-sounding bands like the Moody Blues and Pink Floyd.
“I don't usually have
images when I compose the songs, though I usually come up with the initial
ideas while sitting on the couch with a guitar and watching old cult films with
the sound turned down,” explains Brown, who, along with his wife Peggy, pairs some of his music with old
movie footage, like the “Trip To the Morgue” above. The song appears as a bonus track on the CD version of “Skyscraper.” It’s
also pretty appropriate for Halloween week.
“The videos are really determined
by the feel I get from the tune after it's completed, and also depend on what
Public Domain footage I can find to match with that mood,” Brown says. Another
clip for “The Fugitive” is online as well here.
Brown adds: “I've always
enjoyed instrumental music and cult films. I get a lot of enjoyment out of
creating moods and images without lyrics. I feel sometimes that lyrics are just
an afterthought thrown onto a good tune just because people expect to hear someone
telling them what to think.”
As for not playing them
live he says: “I enjoy recording more than I ever enjoyed live performances. I
can continuously create new music without having to rehearse it over and over
again just to play it over and over again live. With modern technology, I
really have no need for a band, and I find I can get things done a lot easier
this way. Besides, as I've grown older, my tolerance for hanging out in bars
has thinned considerably.”
Check out more on The Man from RavCon here.
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