K&A with The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse

Weird name?  Check!  Weird photo?  Check!  Shirt?  Check!  This is a guy who, quite literally, ticks all the boxes.  The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse is however, a guy shrouded in mystery.  Believed to be indigenous of the Highland region, there's no denying that this part-man, part-eagle, non-horselike being is a freakishly talented so-and-so.  With his debut album One Zero One Zero One Zero released last month on Planet Groucho Records, I tracked him down for a wee chat, his very first interview as it goes.  I think we're both a bit honoured to tell the truth!  So here's what he had to say, straight from the... er... eagle's mouth...

Kowalskiy:  Who is The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse, and what's the story behind the name?

Ramisco:  I am the Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse. According to legend, or leg end, since it's written on the end of my leg, Ramisco means "he who runs with the broken robots", it was given to me by an Italian banshee while I was adventuring through moose country with my favourite sidekick (who shall remain unnamed for the duration of this interview). Maki Maki represents my love for the small parcels of Japanese cuisine by the same name and Rocking Horse is a very very deep metaphor for my state of mind.

Kowalskiy:  Despite the name, you look more like an eagle (from the neck up anyway), and yet on My 'Orns you say you're a bull!  Could you clarify, once and for all, what you really are? It's all a bit too inconsistent for my liking....

Ramisco:  I'm neither, nor, both and all. The multiverse is a really big place.

Kowalskiy:  Your music is so varied and nigh-on-impossible to pigeon-hole. How would you describe your music and can you shed some light on your main influences?

Ramisco:  I would describe my music as a collection of melodies, broken thoughts and noise. I guess I'm drifting towards the alternative folk end of the musical spectrum, but there's no real direction behind that. I'm influenced by everything and anything, I think most songwriters are. Whether it's a string of words that comes into your head while you're building a cardboard universe or a melody that suddenly rings out from a guitar as you pluck it's strings, you don't have to search for it, life presents inspiration.

Kowalskiy:  You recently released your debut album One Zero One Zero One Zero through Planet Groucho Records. What can you tell us about it?

Ramisco:  I can tell you that it's available on iTunes and sounds a lot like the Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse's debut album. I'm not authorised to tell you anything else.

Kowalskiy:  One Zero One Zero One Zero converted from binary to decimal gives 42 which incidentally in The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy is the number from which all meaning can be derived. Coincidence, or is there conspiracy afoot?

Ramisco:  Actually, the 42 reference is hugely coincidental. The title is binary, representing the asterisk symbol which coincided with the release date 10.10.10. This date also represented the original launch of my first mini rocketship named Noah, which ended up being launched 3 days early on the 7th due to unforeseen circumstances.

Kowalskiy:  Well you would play down the whole conspiracy thing!  So what were these 'unforeseen circumstances'?

Ramisco:  The unforeseen circumstance was in fact a false premonition of an electric storm, volcanic eruption and solar flare, as foretold by my good buddy Ramses.  Had it actually happened, it would have caused quite a ruckus with our plans, so we launched early.

Kowalskiy:  Are there plans to play live, and if so, how will you manage to bring your multi-instrumental sound to the stage? Will you be wearing an eagle head?

Ramisco:  Yes, however nothing has been booked as of yet. I plan to make another record before putting a band together. At which time I'll be looking for a group of bodacious folks to join the Horse. Will I wear the eagle head? I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

Kowalskiy:  What would be you ideal gig?
Ramisco:  I don't think the venue really matters, it's the people who come out to see you who make the night. Stick me in a barn with a crowd of awesome folks and it'll be a rockin' night for sure. As for a support act, don't think I could find anyone more special than McRorie. [ http://mcrorie.net ]

Kowalskiy:  WHaT'S WiTH THe uPPeRCaSe CoNSoNaNTS aND LoWeRCaSe VoWeLS THiNG? Is that not a bugger to keep up?

Ramisco:  I have absolutely no idea, I don't even write like that, it's just how it appears on the website.

Kowalskiy:  At just under 18 minutes long for 10 songs, your album will leave a lot of people out there, myself included, wanting more. What do you have in store for the future? And is there more from the past?

Ramisco:  At the moment I'm working on some music for a video game, maybe I'll release it as an EP or something. After that I'll get into the 2nd album, I already have a couple tracks in mind. There are no previous releases from the Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse, but I have released albums as part of the Kazoo Funk Orchestra and El Jugador, which I also produced.

Kowalskiy:  Anything else you wanna add?

Ramisco:  I'm always up for a bit of collaboration, so if there are any artists out there who'd like to hook up with the Horse, please get in touch and we'll see what kind of melodies we can create.

One Zero One Zero One Zero is available from Planet Groucho Records' Bandcamp and from iTunes.  It may only be 18 minutes long, but it's one of the most enjoyable, memorable and downright, brilliant albums I've heard all year.