Volume 3, No. 4 November 22, 2002
Clash of the titans A Review By John Bennett Damiani Vs. Dogasse perform Nov. 22, release EP As the host of the now defunct "Push" show on Savannah State University’s WHCJ-FM, Randy Carter covered a lot of musical territory. His play lists included free jazz, electronic music, indie rock and everything in between. Airing on Sunday nights, the program earned a dedicated following of local listeners who were attracted by the free-form format and Carter’s varied tastes. Carter is now on the other side of the equation, so to speak, working in collaboration with Mark Pike under the moniker Damiana Vs. Dogasse. They have just released a five song EP called "Lift." Carter said his experience behind the console at WHCJ and other stations informed his work as a recording artist. "Mark and I have both put in time as radio programmers," he said. "It gave us access to much larger music libraries than most could imagine. As creatives, we both reached a point where playing other peoples music wasn’t as satisfying as taking the reigns and making our own unique sound." Carter and Pike’s sound rides the borders between techno, dub and trance. They aim for an almost organic aesthetic both in recording and performing, which puts them at odds with ruling orthodoxies in electronic music. "I have been to electronic music festivals where half the acts were ‘performing’ by pushing play on a laptop. That can be enjoyable in the right state of mind, but can otherwise be quite boring," Carter said. "We decided at the start that if we couldn’t recreate a song live, it was useless. We also wanted the show to be visually stimulating. To that end, Mark edits film for particular performances, we employ costumes and use theatrical lighting when possible." Damiana Vs. Dogasse employs a variety of instruments including keyboards, samplers, a drum machine, an electronic drum kit, mini cassettes players, flute and hand percussion. With this menagerie of instruments, the duo is able to counter another misconception about electronic music: that it is repetitive and devoid of emotion. One of Carter’s major interests, dub music, is important in this regard. While Jamaican dub innovators such as Lee "Scratch" Perry were pushing the limits of 1970s studio equipment, the music they created transcended the technology used to make it. "Dub, as an offshoot of reggae music, is responsible for a number of current trends," he said. Drum ‘n’ bass, electronica and even the concept of remixes can be traced back to Kingston, Jamaica, according to Carter. "I believe the appeal to us is twofold. Being all about a good rhythm is very important to us. Dub also introduced the studio as an instrument. We utilize this idea live and in the studio." While each composition is fully conceived, Carter said he and Pike find ample room to experiment with the material. "The structure of all our songs are fairly set," he said. "The sounds, samples and beats are the same each performance. We find freedom within these boundaries for variation and improvisation." Carter has taken undergraduate and graduate classes at SCAD and credits the college for creating an atmosphere that is receptive to the duo’s work. "We both appreciate the vibrant and inquisitive youth culture that SCAD brings to Savannah," he said. "If anything, we are making art music for art people and believe the open minded and experimental nature of art students will respond to this." Damiana Vs. Dogasse will perform Nov. 22 at the Twilight Lounge on Bay Street. The EP "Lift" is available at Ex Libris, Barnes and Noble and Green Square Letter Press.
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