With an EP of beautifully crafted electronica forthcoming on Phonica Special Editions, we asked Glasgow-based producer Gary Caruth to introduce himself, explaining how post-punk influences his sound and why his music should be listened to on vinyl.
Who are you?
My name is Gary Caruth and I make music under the name Sad City. I am currently based in Glasgow.
What do you sound like?
Irish. Hopefully my music doesn’t though (no offense to my motherland). I can’t really describe what my music sounds like – it’s probably best leaving that up to the listener.
Why should we listen to you?
Because I will take good care of your ear drums – though don’t hold me liable for any ear-drum defects that occur after listening…
What have you released so far? What else have you got coming out in the near future?
So far, I’ve put out an EP with Underwater Peoples in the States called Gestures which came out at the end of 2011. I have another EP coming out on May 21st on Phonica Special Editions called You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful. I’m currently working on some remixes too – for Luke Wyatt, Black Deer and Musiccargo amongst others – which will hopefully be coming out this year on a label called Emotional Response. I’ve also been putting together some music for a new release, probably another EP. Over the past month or so, I’ve been working on a project via email with Julian Lynch and my friend Ricky Egan, who works under the name Tangles. I’d like to release that some time this year too.
What song sums you up? Why?
My music kind of varies in style and sound a lot, so it’s difficult to pin down one song that sums me up. Right now, it’s probably the stuff that’s going on a new demo I’m working on – but nobody’s heard that yet! Pretty useless answer, I guess…
What or who is your biggest influence and why?
There are a lot of people who have been really important to me in making music. Brian Eno has been a big influence on me. Steve Reich has too. There are so many others who have had a big impact on me – it would take several hundreds of years to list them all. It’s an ever-expanding list. But those two always stay with me. Discovering and then becoming obsessed with post-punk and no wave music during my teens (and still today) was really important to me musically – I think it taught me to feel comfortable about experimenting with sound and volume and atmosphere. Jamming around with Julian really influenced me too. His music is amazing.
Where can we hear your music?
I have a SoundCloud page where you can hear some of my music. Some people have created YouTube videos too – one of which is a close-up video of my first record spinning, recorded in high definition. Pretty transfixing, but admittedly not very exciting. It’s really flattering that someone has done that, though. Both my releases have been put to vinyl, which for me, expense aside, is the best way to hear them. On vinyl, through good headphones – but I know that’s not the cheapest, or most practical way to listen.
Where will you be in five years’ time?
Still making music, I hope. I’d love to work on scoring film and I definitely want to collaborate on other visual projects too, whatever form they may take.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
I have an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of mid-90s professional wrestling.
The You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful EP is out on May 21st on Phonica Special Editions. Find Sad City on SoundCloud, Facebook and Twitter.