Tan LeRacoon Titel

Artist:Tan LeRacoon
Titel:
Dangerously Close To Love
Cat.-No.:
Tan 009
Label:
Tan U Sound, LC 14924
Distribution:
Cargo Records
EAN-Code:
4024572929282
Format:
2x12” Vinyl incl. download code
Release Date:
April, 8th 2016
Who Is Tan LeRacoon?
“Charming like Nikki Sudden or Jonathan Richman… a sad deepness,
(‘Grace_Disgrace‘) is high art …” Rembert Stiewe, Glitterhouse (a friend)
“Hard Rock without kick drum”, Concert News (they disliked it)
“Like The Saints meet poppier Swell Maps, only played well“, Carsten Friedrichs, Superpunk, Liga der Gewöhnlichen
Gentlemen (an honest man)
“A legend”, Kate Marriage, Spotify (she was drunk)
“Gothic Soul”, C.Tjaben, Style And The Family Tunes (a nice person)
Hi, nice to meet you. I was born Tanju Boru almost 5 decades ago, and I try to keep it short.
As a kid I loved Dion and the Beatles, then Punk came along. It only had, as a matter of fact: has, one and one only message: Do It! Do Something! Do Something About It! Don’t consume, don’t complain, change things. And please, do it with
style.
My first choice was a fanzine, which disbanded after the last issue consisted of lengthy interviews (e.g.Billy Childish), short
or illustrated stories, and not that many Punk record reviews. Initially, “Anarchy In The U.K.” had not really that much of
an impact on me (being bred German middle class), what remains is a boogie rock band with aggressive lyrics; Clash,
yeah, sure; Heartbreakers/Johnny Thunders, definitely. Everything else is heavy rock
with studs, not quite the glitter I was looking for. But it was the many adventurous
independent 45s that paved the way. And in 1979 finally two records changed my
thinking of Rock n Roll: The Slits’ Cut and Adam & The Ants’ Dirk Wears White
Socks. Both certainly were different.
I formed many bands, some hardcore, some funky & goth, some more rock n roll
than street sounds. Hair grew, my clothes became more colorful than my hair, my
bands more New York Dolls- Dub than the Clash- Dub. My favourite record –in my thinking- would have been a Too Much Too
Soon produced by Keith Hudson rather than Shadow Morton.
In 1985 Nikki Sudden (Swell Maps, Jacobites) recruited me
as The Kid bass player for his band and we wrote, played and
recorded over a 1,5 year period.
I moved to London where all my friends were living, then on to
New York were none of those friends were living. With Down
By Law (NYC) I came as close to fame
as it could get at the time. Drugs and
megalomania plus a dying city screwed
things up. We’d hang at Disco2000 just
to return to RnR Church on Sundays, a
life at the Limelight, rather than in it. My
nickname at the time was the Saint…
You figure why.
Follow up bands with Dee Dee and
Debbie as thought of by mutual friend
Vali Myers never happened. It was
heavy times for everyone. While on
break in Germany I recorded my first solo effort, “Truth Of The Matter Is…”, it never was released but gained some interest
by companies, publishers and musicians like Jeff Beck. Strange though, the songs with lyrics had no vocals and the odd
instrumental on the other hand had lyrics.
More bands followed between Acid Rock and avant-garde and a move further on to Los Angeles. Meanwhile back n Germany, friends in a band named Das Weeth Experience were on the eve of a tour but lost their bass player. I was asked,
had nothing else to do. They just forgot to tell me the tour was never ending. We recorded something like a critically
acclaimed record (Musik Express and Rolling Stone rated it that year in their Best 10 lists, a Townes Van Zandt cover
graced as many compilations). The music combined kraut experimental elements, with an indie version of Neil Young plus
my signature dubby bass sounds. Oh well, did I mentioned I originally set out to be guitar player in a Rock n Roll band?
Touring wore us out, we had different ideas about what to follow up with. Future records still bore some of my songs.
The 90s saw me dwelve more in Electronica. I disappeared in DJing, worked for other people (Kruder & Dorfmeister, Rockers HiFi, Janelle Monáe, Ólafur Arnalds, Agnes Obel), doing tour production including shows from Montreaux to Montreal to Glastonbury festivals, tour managing and so on, while djing in my own right across the world (raves from Budapest
to Kapstadt, strange world). And I managed my friend Ari Up’s solo career, releasing her acclaimed record “Dread More
Dan Dead”, which led to the Slits’ reunion. (you can see me in the Slits documentary Hear To Be Heard, set for release
spring 2016). I run a monthly radio show on byte.FM called Elevator Music: https://byte.fm/sendungen/elevator-music/
I returned to the studio with friends to record some of my songs, I had the helpful talents of Kristofer Åström, my lovable
hero-come-friend Ari Up (rest in peace), members from Golden Kanine, Cub & Wolf and Gisbert zu Knyphausen’s band. It
was exciting to record this way in Sweden, dry room, direct recording, not too many overdriven guitars, though.
Please be gentle, still honest with your criticism.
I shall return with an album full of battlesongs, now that I might have your attention.
Dangerously Close To Love Song By Song
Oh Johanna:
“A 2’ Pop song I wrote in 22minutes. No Intro, no Outro, just the song. My version of Northern Soul Punk Rock.”
Grace_Disgrace:
“Words change everything in this little piece about little boys and their dads. You just understand the more you grow. If
you are lucky”.
I Want To Be A Beach Boy But Not Mike Love:
“I asked Mike Love to add something to this song, he never answered, now I’m waiting for him to sue me.
This was the original session piece I wanted to do, a nervous jazzy, slits-ey post punk piece. We recorded it as one of the
last, and this is how it turned out. What a year!”
(It‘s A) Beautiful Thought (It Takes To Fly):
“What a bitch she was, with beautiful backings from Kristofer and the boys. One of the first songs we recorded, but took
a year to finally get in shape.”
Perfect Day, Almost Out:
“Written as a doo-wop reggae piece with lots of Beefheart. It didn’t suit the
lyrics, so listen what we did with the original idea.”
Hurt pt.1:
“The oldest song on here, a different version already on the first album, but I
wasn’t done with it yet and needed to re-do it with the right people.”
Southern Belles:
“Another late comer into the studio as written back in 1997. I felt if I ever
should record it, I should do it now and with these guys. They did understand
and the song is blooming now. Two weeks later Anne from verse 2 died.
Synchronicity? I am glad we put this down.”
Promises, Promises:
“As a youth you are sensitive to injustice and revolution. I still believe we can
change things around. Others, that I once looked up to, don’t seem to agree.”
Wedding Day:
“This one picture has even more to say. I wrote the music at Mattias’ place
after a night of madness in the studio. The lyrics where lying in my desk for
some time.”
Oh Me, Oh My, Death Is Overrated:
“I usually play this as the last song of my set, and usually emotions overcome
me so I cannot play any other song thereafter anyway.”
Mistress Of Ave. D:
“Based on my novel ”Near By The End Of The Rainbow“ from 1998. Don’t look
too deep into the honey jar, or in this case, the can of orange juice.”
Cry Me A River:
“I always wanted to do this, and so I did in a jazz bar at Eurosonic Festival
2015 to a baffled audience (I was crap). So I thought, hey guys, I’ll do it again!
The only track not recorded in Sweden but with Jens in Hamburg, already
sessions being made for the next record.”
Contact: bramford@tanusound.com
www.tanleracoon.com
Extended bio: http://www.tanusound.com/we.html with further links.
Old Website: www.tanusound.com (to be refurnished) ;
www.facebook.com/tanleracoon (February 2016);
I don’t do twitter or instagram.