Rise Carmine’s Liam Colbert grew up listening to a mountain of older music. “I was a big ’70s-rock snob as a teenager because that’s what my dad was listening to,” says the Toronto-based psych-rock phenom. “But as I grew up and opened my ears, I got into trip hop, alternative, R&B and dance music. A ton of different influences came pouring in and changed the way I write and record music.”
Colbert hasn’t completely lost his lumbering riff-rock reference point. “But it’s much more rooted in heavy bass lines and groove,” he says. “Inspiration from bands like Nine Inch Nails and Tame Impala has found its way into my sound.”
Case in point: Rise Carmine’s new Come In Closer EP (Paper Bag) and “Second Love,” its epic experimental centerpiece. “The recording process took place in my bedroom, and I knew I wanted to make something trancey and hypnotic—almost like a dance track with a gnarly bass line,” says Colbert. “I recorded the bass and drum groove and just let it play over and over. As I danced around my room, I slowly added different elements to help the song build. I love the way dance music creates tension and release by cascading and exploding from one section of the song to the next. I was trying to achieve that sound.”
We’re proud to premiere Rise Carmine’s “Second Love.” Come In Closer is out now.
—Hobart Rowland
See Rise Carmine live.
