Friday 13 June 2008

The Carps fuse punk and soul


When drum and bass duo The Carps hit the stage at the Mod Club Saturday night the plan is simple.
�We plan to play as hard as humanly possible,� singer Jahmal Tonge tells Metro.

The musical collaboration between Tonge and partner Neil White began when they met at a Scarborough church youth group several years ago. Now the pair � whose music is best described as a collision of punk and R&B � is better known for serving up high-energy, sweat-soaked live shows.

 �I was brought up on a steady dosage of punk and progressive rock,� White explains, �Whereas Jahmal had more of a soul, R&B interest. We started to share these musical tastes and from there, expanded both of our musical interests and horizons.�

Those horizons resulted in the release earlier this year of the band�s second genre-bending EP Waves and Shambles. The disc is a swirling mash-up of hip hop, new jack swing, dance and rock.
�A lot of it is heavily influenced by analog keyboard sounds,� says White, noting that others songs took them, �back to our grunge and duct tape punk days.�

Tonge says the band is serious about respecting and emulating the influences they choose to mine. �If you are an artist of integrity, you will allow the great music that has come before you and the great music of your peers to influence your style.�










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