CIRRUS
Discography
On Tour
Videos
Back on a Mission
Stop and Panic
www.cirruscirrus.com
CIRRUS
AARON CARTER Decks, Bass, Programming, Vocals
STEPHEN JAMES BARRY Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals
“I want our music to be the bastard love child of electronic
music.” Aaron Carter
And so it’s on to Back On A Mission, the duo’s sophomore release
on Moonshine. Compared to their 1997 debut “Drop The Break,”
Aaron, alongside bandmate Stephen James Barry makes a quantum
leap. It finds the Long Beach, California rock and hip-hop
influenced break beat duo using textured composition, unusual
breaks, and some rather playful know tweaking.
“It’s kind of hard not to be original,” says Stephen who used to
rip it up as a rock guitarist. “People who don’t sound original
in the style of music we make aren’t even trying. This is a new
frontier we’re forging here.” “Drop The Break” featured existing
sounds made from very minimal equipment, whereas Back On A
Mission tweaks out chords made from organic instruments, runs
them through filters, alternates live playing with electronic
loops and basically features some pretty crazy combos. “If other
producers heard what we used to make the first album, they would
either be amazed that we were even able to do it, or laugh at us.
Now we have a studio other producers would drool over…so we had
to make the new music that much better.”
Making Back On A Mission was no easy task for Cirrus. “See, the
only way we can make music, is if we’re having fun,” explains
Stephen. “And we weren’t having much fun.” Yet it forced the band
to make music out of life’s ongoing disorder. “Everything was
tested,” explains Aaron, a former hip-hop and rave DJ. “…our
talent, our friendship, our livelihood, just living.” In the
middle of brainstorming new material and managing band affairs,
Cirrus decided to set up the new studio. It became a major
undertaking. Then there was writer’s block. “It was one roadblock
after another.”
Yet the friends held fast to bring on Cirrus’ new radical sound.
A dose of seriousness proved a good thing for the ever evolving
act whose first single in 1997 ‘Superstar DJ’ made it in the Top
10 Billboard Dance Charts. The next song to hit the big time was
the title track of the new album, “Back On A Mission.” It
originally appeared on the “Mortal Kombat II” soundtrack. The
version that will appear on the upcoming album is completely
recreated.
The two Southern California natives (although Stephen was born in
England) met at Southern California’s Golden West College while
studying recording engineering. In 1994, Aaron and Stephen
recorded a demo tape that garnered a deal from Los Angeles based
Moonshine Music. The duo promoted the newly released “Drop The
Break” with a high-powered live show where they played to
thousands on the national rave circuit.
Cirrus on stage becomes a whole other entity, something more like
a raging party. Stephen plays guitar with Aaron on bass. Aaron
also incorporates his experience and skills as a DJ into their
live sets. He has a reputation for being ambitious. “If something
has to be done, Aaron will do it,” says Stephen. Aaron’s roots
stem from the late 80’s underground DJ culture (where he won a
KDAY Los Angeles battle-of-the-DJs competition when he was just
16). His street aesthetic matched by Stephen’s rock sensibility
(and keen computer curiosity) give Cirrus a foundation of
diversity.
That same diversity extends to the type of music each of the two
is into. Aaron gravitates toward funky styles like James Brown,
Sly and the Family Stone, and old school hip-hop like Run DMC. “I
don’t like modern day music. I suppose there is some good stuff
coming out but nothing that would influence me.” Stephen’s taste
ranges from heavy acts like Iron Maiden and Public Enemy to
Depeche Mode and straight-ahead jazz. But both emphatically agree
on the Beastie Boys.
“We feel we have really reinvented our style and ourselves,” says
Stephen who will admit the band did not overcome adversity alone.
In times of intense turmoil, video games like Nintendo N64, James
Bond and Star Fox saw them through. That same progressive
aggressiveness seeps into tracks like “Funky Joint” (a trippy
remix of “Back On A Mission”) and the crowd pleasing “Break The
Madness.” On “Abba Zabba”, tricky production and a down tempo
sweep bring Zen to rap and hip-hop.
All-in-all, its like nothing you’ve ever heard. We got back on
our feet, back on a mission, and overcame everything. That’s our
attitude or message if we have one,” concludes Aaron. “Just to
keep going until you break on through to the other side.”
Back On A Mission raises the bar from everyone and suggests that
there is a new sheriff (or two) in town and their name is… you
can just call them Cirrus