Lounging With LawnChair Generals

The LawnChair Generals may sound like something we long to be when we retire but for Seattle duo Peter Christianson and Carlos Mendoza, its title conjurs a more colourful vision . A provocative moniker that delves into the personality of this passionate house pair, their music promotes actions, not words. Charted in the publications of Mark Farina and Colin Dale of the BBC, as well as from dancefloor champions, Doc Martin , Johnny Fiasco, DJ Heather and Rob Mello; their ‘West Coast meets Chicago’ sound stands strong in a bustling house community and has travelled from the Flammable at Rebar in Seattle to the clubs of Australia, South Africa and Europe.

Before Room Three transforms itself into a ‘house hacienda’ this weekend with Kinky Movement, Inland Knights and of course, the LCG’s themselves, we caught up with the beer-drinking buddies to talk about some looming LCG tunes for 2010, a near-arrest in Mexico and why dancing to house music is like riding a giant horse.

For your listening pleasure also, the LawnChair Generals have given us a full-flavoured mix of warm and distinguished beats destined for your head and feet. Get it here:

Download: LawnChair Generals - November Promo Mix

Tell us how you first met...was it a simple case of likeminded enthusiasts getting together and partying their socks off?
Peter: Well, there were definitely socks involved. After getting the boot from the Canadian Government I moved from Vancouver, BC to Seattle, WA and began managing a record store where Carlos worked. He showed me all over Seattle, and after piles of Martinis and late nights complaining about the state of House music we decided to do something about it. Within a few months we had cobbled together some gear, managed to drink our weight in beer and finish the Great Escape. Oh, there was a tune called "Great Pants" but that’s better left for an episode of "Behind The Music."

Carlos: When you work at a record store with someone you get a lot of time to sit around together and analyze tunes. We found we were saying a lot of the same things about the wax we were putting on the shelves. So we set up a rig in the living room of his flat. And for the record, I did not drink my weight in beer. I drank his and my weight in beer.

When did you first realise you’d made it on the club circuit?
Peter: We made it? No one told me... sheesh! Seriously though, I suppose I felt like we had made something when we walked in to my favorite club in Seattle, Rebar and saw more people dancing after one of our tunes played than before. Proof. There was also a moment where we were close to being arrested in Mexico but I digress. I suppose the truth of the matter is that when someone is willing to bring you half way around the world to party then you've definitely established something.

Carlos: Our first gig in Chicago kind-of signalled that for me. We’d played plenty of shows. And that show wasn’t especially busy. But those kids had seen it all, so for them to invite us was an honor.

Does it ever become daunting when you step into the studio and know there’s a certain pressure to develop and make something worthwhile?
Peter: Always. In our first studio we had a little sticker on the rack; it said "Care." It basically meant never cut corners and always take the time to make it right. As Carlos always says, "Measure twice, cut once". You want to make music that your fan base will like, new people will become interested in and that you as an artist will not only feel good about but will make you feel as though you've grown.

Carlos: Wow, I’d forgotten about that sticker. We’ve always been very slow and careful, sometimes to a fault. I envy those producers than can be satisfied with whatever they come up with in a single session. But every artist who gives a damn about what he or she does faces the pressure of the blank canvas. At some point you have to just put the brush on it and go.

What’s the best thing and worst part about performing and producing as a twosome?
Carlos: The best is having someone with which to share the responsibilities, risks, credits and memories. Both Peter and I find it far easier to write tracks together than separately. And 2x4 sets are a blast. One drawback is that with a two-person act the travel expenses are higher. But it’s worth it. We create a vibe together that is seldom achieved individually.

Peter: The best thing is having a second person to bounce ideas off of and to tell you when something sucks. The worst part is having a second person to bounce ideas off of and to tell you when something sucks.

Pioneer of house music, Marshall Jefferson once said; "house is like an old-time religion in the way that people just get happy and start screamin'.” Tell us about how you think house music makes people tick?
Peter: House music connects people to their internal rhythm; that rhythm that comes from your heart and soul when the people are loud and alive. I know it sounds corny, but I'm corny.

Carlos: The rhythm of house is a gallop. When a room full of people is really dialled in to that rhythm it feels like everyone is riding to some crazy party together on the same giant horse. Where it stops, nobody knows. Also corny.

House veteran, Joshua Iz recently let us in on a few of his essential house classics. If you were to dig out your music crate for us now, what cuts would you pick?
Carlos:
Iz & Diz – The Latest Freak
Global Communication - The Way
Moodymann - I Can't Kick This Feeling When It Hits
Romanthony – Wanderer

Peter:
Fortune & Fame - This is Your Life (T.A.B. Bass Mix) - Stealth Records
Moodyman - Don't Be Misled - KDJ
Project PM - When the Voices Come (Kay.Kay Mix) - Guidance Recordings
Lil' Louis and the World - I Called You - Epic

Your sound melds a unique fusion of West coast and classic Chicago-style House with touches of electro, soul, and freestyle-era pop flavor. Talk us through the big three: who, what and where influenced you when started out as producers?
Peter: MMMmm fusion, delicious. Influences are everywhere and always. Even music that I really, really don't like, will in some way influence me. Growing up it was Factory Records and 4AD then WARP and R&S and always Blue Note as well as Orchestral and believe it or not, Opera (thanks dad).

Carlos: I was born into a very musical Venezuelan household so Salsa and Merengue were second nature to me. But when we started making records we were listening to guys like Buck, Kenny Dope, Iz & Diz, JT Donaldson and Undercover Agency, Inland Knights, Paper records, etc. What we wanted to play at clubs was very hard to find at that time so we were trying to make more of it. Inland Knights were coming closest to what we were shooting for, but they could only do so much. Sadly, there are only two of them. Finally, the record shop, our internet radio shows on Groovetech.com and a legendary Seattle club night called Flammable (at aforementioned Rebar) were all big factors.

How has your sound changed since your 2001 release 'The Great Escape' on Viva Recordings?
Peter: We're constantly trying to evolve the sound of LCG while maintaining the uniqueness that is us. It's very easy to fall back on tried and true methods so we try to push ourselves to do things a little differently each time.

Carlos: I think it has, yes. Technology has changed in the 9 or 10 years, as have our tastes. We have our fingerprint that we’ll likely never escape, but the idea is to grow and learn. Otherwise, what’s the point? We know there are some people that would love to hear 2004 LCG forever, but we did that already and there are plenty of talented producers that now have that style covered.

The house community can often become insular and there is often the concern of emulating others. How do you appreciate new sounds but stay clear of emulation and keep sets sounding fresh?
Carlos: It’s a concern to a degree but you can’t worry about it too much. Good tracks are good tracks and good DJs are going to play them, you can’t avoid that. If you try too hard not to step in someone else’s footsteps you eventually won’t be able to go anywhere fun. I listen to sets and read charts voraciously, but I try to check out artists that typically fall just outside my normal musical style or comfort zone. Every now and then one of them will wander into common ground and turn me on to something cool.

Peter: There is a time honored tradition of mining other genres for b-sides and hidden gems that can fill out a set and make it stand alone. I think this is not only a great way to find new jams but also to keep the creative juices fresh.

With a new decade just around the corner, what does the future hold for LawnChair Generals?
Peter: We're really excited for 2010. We've been ramping up the label, LCG Music, getting ready to drop a slew of new releases. Including New LCG tunes with remixes from Fred Everything, Giom, Rhythm Plate and more Plus I've started a new side project with Luke McKeehan called MVP and we're putting the finishing touches on a new Town & Country release. Carlos has been working with Pezzner and Ingrid Hakanson. We're also going to continue the monthly mix series we began last summer. We've received great feedback from it and it seems like we're reaching new people.

Carlos: What he said. 2010 marks our first decade working together so… I guess you could say we're just getting started.

What is a LawnChair General and how do we become one?
Carlos: An ‘armchair general’ was once someone who had plenty to say about how a war was being waged while seated comfortably at a safe distance. Now that person would be called an ‘armchair quarterback’ in the States. We were guilty of this also, just before blowing the dust off of the gear and sitting down before it on a pair of canvas deck chairs that Peter had laying about. To become one you can start by wearing this shirt…
http://www.lawnchairgenerals.com/blast/mixes/november/LCG_November_Promo_Mix.zip


Peter: It's someone who wants to do something new, not just talk about it. Or you can send a check for $12 and a self addressed stamped envelope to me.

Finally, New Year plans are already heating up. Where do you boys see yourself for the opening of 2010?
Peter and Carlos: Fabric...?

Catch LawnChair Generals in Room Three alongside Inland Knights and Kinky Movement this Saturday.