interview feature: ColorRed magazine, April 1996

ColorRed interview

ACID JAZZ REPORT:
INVIOLATE

It’s hard to find the words to describe the sound of the New York acid jazz/funk outfit Inviolate. I’ve heard descriptions of the band’s music that ranged from the piquant ("psychedelic soul") to the mundane ("the artist formerly known as Who?") to the downright obscure ("like some mutated new wave band grown in a petri dish of funk"). But however it is that you characterize Inviolate’s sound, the least that you can say is that it is original. Between the lilting vocal melodies, muted trumpet, wah-wahed guitar, occasional flute and a few tasty samples you can find yourself unsure if you are listening to a band that idolizes Rick James, Miles Davis, or Jean Luc-Ponty. I had a chance to ask singer/songwriter Victor E. and guitarist Angela Babin to solve a few of the conundrums after band’s recent gig with Brooklyn Funk Essentials at the Knitting Factory.
Color Red: I hate to ask a hackneyed question, but you guys have a sound that is difficult to pin down. Who are some of your influences?
Victor E: I listen to a lot of different bands and types of music, from house to Brazilian music. But as far as songwriting goes, I’m into Elvis Costello, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and the Beatles.
CR: I also thought I could hear a bit of a crooner-type style in your vocal lines.
V: Yeah, I listen to some Nat King Cole and a few of the older singers, but also I’m into a lot of the more recent artists. I’ve been told that my singing style is like Simply Red, Marvin Gaye, George Michael and about a million other people in between. TimeOut (a NYC music rag) recently compared us to Chaka Khan, and I’m still not sure exactly what to make of that!
CR: How do you fuse all of those influences together in Inviolate’s music?
V: I feel that musically I think in textures rather that structures. Between all the musicians in the group we have a pretty balanced sound, so that the guitar or the flute or the bass can take the music in a different direction during any song. I think that we’re a taste of what’s happening right now, in a sort of eclectic acid jazz music style.
Angela Babin: Our music is definitely a pooling of different sounds. We just try for whatever creates a vibe.
CR: And that vibe, judging from the deep grooves in the music, can at times get pretty heavy.
V: Yeah, that’s true. There’s a lot of dark and gloomy elements in my songwriting, some of which come from listening to and singing gospel early on. I actually first met Wand (Wanda Holland sings back-up for the band) when I was at Columbia in the gospel choir.
A: Victor’s songwriting is really strong and spiritual. He also has a verbal, spoken style that you can really hear in the rhythm of the music and his vocals.
CR: Which brings me to your lyrics. What are they about?
V: Well, generally I write about my experiences and the things that happen in everyday life, like releasing anger and co-dependency. I use some inspirational themes, too, like in "Theresa Lies in Ecstasy."
A: There’s also movement towards contrasting emotions in these songs. Musically, there is a lot of unresolved tension.
CR: Where do you see the band heading next?
V: I would really like to play in much more intimate settings. I think that, at heart, we’re a band that could really go over well in a lounge environment, where the audience and a band could really communicate with each other. I think that it would be very cool to play low volume in small bars with couches and thick chairs and candles burning. I think that our sound would really cater to that type of audience.
CR: Lastly, tell me, what is up with that CD cover? (The Inviolate EP has four of the band members scantily clad and dripping honey on each other.)
V: That’s actually a takeoff on an Ohio Players album called Honey.
A: The photographer was ready to kill us by the end of the day. We went through about 40 bottles of honey.
The Inviolate EP is available at record stores or through Inviolate Recordings (P.O. Box 2050, New York, NY 10008-2050).
-J. Hinsdale
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