I was asked awhile ago to some time feature some work of mine that really goes back. Something early.
Now, if we go back too early we arrive at utterly unlistenable. This is a project from some years ago, back in the 90s. It was the first album i did under the name Mocha Lab, which i came up with specifically because i needed a “band” or artist name for the album and though my own name was way to uncool.
It was the 90s. Electronica ruled the landscape along with grungy rock.
I was even looser then i was now, and that’s saying something.
So i was visiting this buddy in a college town. My car at the time was always likely to have something wrong with it, such as… you know, expired registration, unpaid tickets at various points across the US… anyway, my car got taken to the pound and i couldn’t get it out until i sorted this tickets and license issue. I ended up in this town for about 2 to 3 weeks and i lived in this coffee shop. Literally lived there. From open to close i’d be there and upon closing head to the bars. I slept on an array of couches. I fell in love with the place. I had a blast.
At some point i decided i could immortalize the place and the time in music, so i went out and bought some really cheap little hand recorder and i’d record people around the Coffee Cellar. I’d be carrying that recording around all the time for DAYS. At times i’d even just leave it quietly on a table and return and pick it up 20 minutes later.
I took all these tapes home, lifted what i liked off of them and put them to electronica-y music, using the spoken stuff in the place of sung verses and choruses.
The result was the album The Coffee Cellar.
Years later it sound a little rough and unpolished, but it should. I was rough and unpolished. The place and the people were all young and unpolished. It was however the first album i had ever made up to that point that could actually listen to and LIKE after a few months had passed. It was honestly the first truly solid work i had ever done.
So for kicks and giggles, here it is. A little taste of youth.
[bandcamp album=1237794187 bgcol=523714 linkcol=e9dcb9 size=grande3]
