Powerful. Raw. Rock. Totally badass theramin solos. What more could you ask from the aptly named duo Dynasty Electric?
I was blessed with the opportunity to see the potent pair both times they returned to our great city back in January. At each show, regardless of the crowd, the band delivered an explosive performance worthy of their band name. Frontwoman and theramin queen Jenny Electrik commanded the room with a fearless performance, while Seth Misterka’s groovy guitars and bouncy synths and Martin Goldrick’s commanding drums would cause the audience to succumb to involuntary dancing. At their Glasslands show, the band included psychedelic projections to their set, which enhanced the feeling that you had been transported to a future where unrestrained passion for rock ‘n’ roll reigns, and if you want to remove mismatched and ill-fitting clothing as your last song progresses, you absolutely can (which is exactly what Jenny did).
After this truly epic Glasslands show, team Alt Citizen spent a day with Dynasty Electric at Indaba Music in Queens. The journey was a welcomed escape to a beautiful home and studio of the gracious Mantis Evar, a house that included a gorgeous basement recording studio, a giant eyeball that doubles as a bowling ball, and a backyard with a random stand-alone pay phone. We spent the day chatting, smoking pot, and shooting regal photos and psychedelic videos.
At the time, Dynasty Electric was about to launch another remix contest with Indaba Music. The response was so overwhelming, they were thrilled partner with Indaba again to host another remix contest, this time for the song “Golden Arrows.” We were able to get a video performance of the song, complete with beautiful and trippy projections, during our day together. Check out the footage after our interview below.
How did you two meet?
Jenny: I was tending bar in the East Village when Seth walked in early in the evening. We hit off immediately, discussing music and trips to Asia. 30 minutes later his internet date showed up. I got them a few rounds of drinks and on the way out, Seth invited me to a party at NewSonic.
Seth: At first she blew me off because I met her while I was on a date, but eventually she came to one of my parties in Brooklyn and we just hit it off immediately. Right away I asked her to join my new band. Originally she played bass, but she quickly became the lead singer.
Where did you move to in Massachusetts? And why Massachusetts?
We’re on a old farm in Westport, Massachusetts near the ocean. It’s Jenny Electrik’s original hometown. For many years, we were running a performance space and recording studio in Brooklyn called NewSonic. When we signed a record deal, we came to Westport to write music in nature–in the woods near the beach. We are still spending a lot of time in Brooklyn and have been touring quite a bit in the last year as well.
Where do you draw your musical and visual influences from?
Jenny: Bjork, Goldfrapp, The Beatles, Ravi Shankar.
Seth: My first influences were Michael Jackson, Prince, and The Beatles. I’ve also been heavily influenced by jazz and punk included John and Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra, Anthony Braxton, Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Miles Davis, Mahavishnu. Lately I’ve been absorbing lots of reggae music, from Bob Marley to new artists like Chronixx and Kabaka Pyramid.
What inspired you to add awesome theramin parts to your music?
Jenny: We were on tour in Taiwan, and I saw a Japanese artist waving a palm pilot in the air and making noise with it. I thought it would be great to play an instrument in the air with long sweeping movements. Seth was familiar with the theremin owing to his work in experimental music, so we ordered a theremin from a company called Theremaniacs. I connected it to a delay pedal and developed a sound. Now I play a Moog theremin.
How did you meet Ski Beatz? And how was it different was other recording experiences?
We were introduced to Ski by Damon Dash. Damon was starting up BluRoc Records and tagged us to make a record together. We immediately had a great connection with Ski, and we banged out a lot songs quickly together. It was really fresh for us to experience Ski’s perspective and work flow as a hip hop producer. It kept us all on our toes and it was exciting because we’re all exploring new territories of music. We’re going to be linking back with Ski soon to work on a new album.
You mentioned that you barely watched TV but found Battlestar Galactica compelling. What draws you in about that show?
Seth: Battlestar is like an epic tragedy of the stage set light years away floating in space.
Jenny: It’s so funny you ask that. We just watched the episode of Portlandia where the main characters lose their jobs because they are addicted to Battlestar Galactica. It’s a really well-made program, interlaced with mysticism and philosophy.
How did you meet Mantis and get hooked up with Indaba Music?
It started off by us working with Indaba on a remix contest for our song “Eye Wide Open”. It was a great success and we were invited to the Indaba Music office to perform an acoustic track in their studio during CMJ. Here’s the video they made.
At the session we had the great pleasure to meet Indaba co-founder Mantis Evar. He’s an extraordinary, compassionate individual who has a beautiful vision for the world of music. We are so blessed to be collaborating Mantis and Indaba!
It has been amazing. We’ve received 200 remixes from every corner of the globe–from Athens, Greece; London, England; Mexico City; Melbourne, Australia; Bucharest, Romania; Brooklyn, New York; Kingston, Jamaica; Toronto, Canada; Stockholm, Sweden; Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, and Egypt to name a few. It’s a huge range of styles and levels, from dub-step to reggae to blues, jazz, rock, and electronic. It’s been a blast to listen to the collection. One of the early frontrunners is a full orchestral remix from Greece by Costas C. that has the feel of a James Bond soundtrack; another is an electronic remix from London by Nova Glam.
Speaking of “Golden Arrows,” where you you find that awesome bus for the music video?
We helped launch Green Bus Tour with our friend Charlie Gonzalez, as a way to promote sustainable living, creativity, and health through eco-consciousness, yoga, and music. We found an old bus in Pennsylvania and drove it Woodstock, NY to paint it bright green with a group of friends and supporters. Since then, the bus has been converted to run on veggie oil and hosts a stage on the roof with a full sound system. Dynasty Electric performed on top of it during the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island and has driven it to Gathering of the Vibes, KarmaFest, the United Nations with Mayan Elders, and countless other community events and festivals.
You’ve worked some pretty amazing people so far. Do you have any dream collaborators or tourmates?
We would love to tour with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ghostland Observatory, The Flaming Lips, Bjork, Goldfrapp, so many artists…. They all create elevating & electrifying live experiences.
What do you have coming up next?
We’re launching our own label NewSonic, and we’ve just signed with French Kiss Label Group! We’ll be putting out new material, collaborations, and remixes starting off with the winner of the Golden Arrows remix contest. We’ll also be hosting NewSonic parties in Brooklyn again. You can follow us at http://www.newsonicrecords.com.
We’re also headed out on tour in March starting in New England with dates in Boston, Providence, Burlington, New Haven, as well as select dates in NYC. We’ll be heading to the southern U.S. in April with friends Chappo. Check our website or Facebook for full dates and details!
Watch the private performance!
Story by Rebecca An
Photos by Nasa Hadizadeh
Artwork by Kirsten Pincket