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Ebru Yildiz

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog prep new EP, playing free outdoor Brooklyn show tonight

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog

Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog have a new EP titled What I Did On My Long ‘Vacation’ that’s an appetizer — or side dish — for an album that’s coming next year. It’s out October 2, which is the next Bandcamp Friday fundraiser.

Marc, Shahzad Ismaily, and Ches Smith made the EP in isolation at Shahzad’s studio. “Shahzad would set up all the mics before we arrived, then go into the control room and shut the door,” says Marc. “Ches and I would arrive later, he by his own car, me by bicycle, at different times, enter the front room with our masks on, remove shoes, wash hands. Ches would go to the drum kit in the main room, and I would go to the isolation booth and close the door. If we had to go to the bathroom, we wore masks.”

Marc says they literally never saw each other while making it. “But, given the excellent mics and monitoring system— we heard each other better than ever. And so we forgot about the lack of visuals, and recorded willfully, joyfully blind for four hours a day for a little over two weeks. It made us remember what we loved about each other, about our band, and about the recording work we do together and as individuals. When we were finished, we had way more material than we could fit on a CD, and we’re really excited about all of it. So, the album (with 9 of the 14 tunes) is coming out in Spring 2021, and we’re releasing the rest now as a special Bandcamp Fridays EP release to hold us over.'”

You can check out the tracklist for What I Did On My Long ‘Vacation’, and more about the EP from Marc, below.

Meanwhile, Ceramic Dog will play Brooklyn tonight (9/17) from St. Ann’s Warehouse’s rooftop as part of St. Ann’s free, socially distanced “Get Back” series. It’s from 6-8 PM and is free, you can listen and maybe see a little from outside St Ann’s Warehouse on the lawn in Brooklyn Bridge Park. We hear it’s being filmed for streaming video to be shown at a later date if you can’t make it tonight. Flyer for the show is below.

marc ribot

CERAMIC DOG – “What I Did On My Long ‘Vacation'” tracklist:
1. We Crashed In Norway
2. Beer
3. Who Was That Masked Man?
4.Dog Death opus 27
5. Hippies Are Not Nice Anymore
6. The Dead Have Come to Stay With Me

MARC RIBOT ON THE NEW CERAMIC DOG EP:

Shahzad’s lungs are all fucked up, so we didn’t get together till the end of May, even though he lived right upstairs from the studio. Ches was looking after his kid (Zane) while Miya worked, and I was walking around my apartment talking to myself and eating beans out of tin cans (with salsa and soy sauce on special occasions). But eventually we came up with a plan. Shahzad would set up all the mics before we arrived, then go into the control room and shut the door. Ches and I would arrive later, he by his own car, me by bicycle, at different times, enter the front room with our masks on, remove shoes, wash hands. Ches would go to the drum kit in the main room, and I would go to the isolation booth and close the door. If we had to go to the bathroom, we wore masks.

We never actually literally saw each other— but, given the excellent mics and monitoring system— we heard each other better than ever. And so we forgot about the lack of visuals, and recorded willfully, joyfully blind for four hours a day for a little over two weeks.

It made us remember what we loved about each other, about our band, and about the recording work we do together and as individuals.

It made us happier than anything we’ve done since the shut down— and sad about the forces leading those of us who work in it towards precarity long before anyone ever heard of COVID-19. (for a concise mytho/history of Silicon Valley told from the perspective of an intellectually challenged amphetamine abuser, see “Hippies Used To Be Nice”). It made me determined to fight back IRL (musicworkersalliance.com).

When we were finished, we had way more material than we could fit on a CD, and we’re really excited about all of it. So, the album (with 9 of the 14 tunes) is coming out in Spring 2021, and we’re releasing the rest now as a special BandcampFridays EP release to hold us over.

We miss you: and look forward to a safe and sane re-opening of live performance—under a new political administration that respects human life, is capable of understanding science, and values art. In the meantime: https://swingleft.org

“Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living”.

M Ribot & Ceramic Dog