“It’s all love.” — Tommy Cappel
Energized from an awesome show in Baton Rouge, Louisiana en route to Tallahassee, I got a chance to chat with two of the trinity that is Beats Antique. Dancer Zoe Jakes and percussionist Tommy Cappel gave me a little back story before they went for some grub.
Beats Antique recently offered their second album Collide as a free download on Bandcamp to celebrate the launch of their spring tour in support of their newest album Blind Threshold. They’ll be hitting up 9:30 Club on Thursday (4/21), and we have a chance for you to win a pair of tickets. Details after the interview.
How did world beat and the three of you find each other?
Tommy: Zoe’s manager Miles Copeland [brother of Police drummer Stewart] was looking for a tribal fusion belly dance troupe. She was with Miles’ Bellydance Superstars and [Rachel Brice’s] Indigo Belly Dance Company. Me and Zoe performed with a band called Extra Action Marching Band and the Yard Dogs Road Show. So she talked to me and my dude [David Satori] put out something [Miles] liked.
Did the musical gene come from your family or was it osmosis?
TC: My dad was a music teacher, and my mom was an opera singer. I started playing drums early on. David was studying in Europe studying Balkan music…
Zoe Jakes enters: Hi.
I fill her in, and then she picks up the convo.
ZJ: David toured with an afro-beat band called Aphrodesia. And I’d been studying bellydance. My mom was artistic and so was my sister. My mom wanted me to explore the arts she hadn’t. David and I are partners. We’ve known each other for years. He’s been studying Eastern European, Middle Eastern and African music from many years.
When I see you guys perform, it’s all love from the audience. What was your most difficult show to perform?
ZJ: Definitely the Karma Lounge. It was a logistical nightmare! We had sound issues. The power went out. But our fans they hung in there. Two hours later we were back on track and the people… were not disappointed.
Do you feel the love of world beat music is becoming more mainstream?
TC: It’s been mainstream for a long time. I mean, you hear musicians on the radio playing world beat, an umbrella term, might I add. It’s a more watered-down version of the world.
ZJ: With the modern influences of world music, we are seeing a more unique sound of world music coming in to play here.
TC: It’s only here that we categorize and label music by genre. Elsewhere, it’s just music.
But since that’s what way things are here, music blogger label aside, what genre would you fall under?
TC: Oh, I would say electroacoustic. Electroacoustics is how I like [Beats Antique] to be categorized.
ZJ: Live electronica is what I’ve heard. Live electronica doubling with live instruments.
I see on your Facebook page you like Slayer. Any influences from the band in your act?
ZJ: Yeah!
TC: I’ve been playing metal all my life, since I was a kid. Slayer rocks. It the energy of that band that inspires us. It [could be] looked upon as a joke that’s part of a reality. But the reality is Slayer rocks, and that’s no joke!
That masked animal dance at the end of your shows, who’s the mastermind?
Zoe and Tommy decide who wants to answer.
TC: [Zoe], would you consider going?
ZJ: A few years back I went to a store in Hawaii that had all these weird rubber masks. I bought two of them, and David brought in the rest, making a [part of the show]. He became the king of the masks!
TC: David’s into a lot of awkward stuff. We used to go to the beach, hang out. When the sun set, David was like, ‘okay, put on those masks.’ We’d get the video camera and rock out [in the sand] with the masks on. It’s part of the fun when connecting with the audience. [The masks] started off as an awkward thing. Last night, all of us, the dancers put on masks and brought people on stage. [Laughs] I think that’s why Zoe gets along so well with David. It’s all love.
For a chance to win the pair of tickets to Thursday’s (4/21) show, simply tell us your favorite song with Love in the title.
The winner will be chosen Tuesday (4/19) at noon.
