The Travelers of Tyme, a collaboration between Shelby Cinca and Jim Cooper, serves as kind of a guided tour through various genres of instrumental music – surf, exotica, lounge, crime/spy jazz … even spaghetti western soundtracks. Following several EPs recorded over the span of a few years, Cooper and Cinca recently released their self-titled first full-length album.
Shelby was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule and chat with Fine Print about the project. (Jim, we hope, will be kind enough to not get too mad about me constantly screwing up his name.)
Q: How did you first get interested in surf, exotica, etc.? Was it through 1960s bands or then-contemporary revivalists?
Shelby: I don't remember which came first (possibly because I am a TYME traveler) but I was always a fan of spy soundtracks from old movies and The Ventures when I heard them on television programs when I was young. Later when I became more cognizant about music I think via the punk scene I became simultaneously aware of the revivalists via artists on Estrus Records and then from there it was a deep black hole of searching dusty record bins across the world for old/new sounds. Everything from The Shadows, Martin Denny, Korla Pandit and beyond.
Q: How did you and Bill (Editor’s note: Jim. I’m an idiot) first hook up?
Shelby: Not sure who Bill is... are you referring to the other fellow time traveller Bill S. Preston Esq. who had a sidekick Ted "Theodore" Logan? I am guessing you mean Jim (Dr. Klem) who is the other member of Travelers of Tyme. I met Jim in 1993 since we played in a short-lived grunge band called Limbchip from Virginia. To make a longer story shorter— Limbchip tried out a new drummer and then the guitarist/singer left which then left us 3 to begin Frodus. Consequently, Frodus, was ALSO Travelers Of Tyme for 2 recording sessions in 1995 and 1996 (See: http://tyme.bandcamp.com/)
Q: Did the idea for this specific project happen before or after you guys decided to collaborate? (Or was it the impetus for the collaboration?)
Shelby: It happened during Frodus since I was such a big fan of surf/instrumental music I wanted an outlet to record and write this kind of music. I nudged my then boss, Ted Magsig, of the late and great Record Convergence to record our first session on his open-reel 8 track. A year later I nudged D.C. punk musician/producer extra-terrestrial Jonathan Kreinik to record us on his open reel 8-track. Subsequently, Jonathan went on to record and produce Frodus' 1998 album "Conglomerate International" as well as 2 albums I did with The Cassettes and NOW I release Jonathan Kreinik's solo electronic music which is very John Carpenter-esque on my electronic label Swedish Columbia. The lines of tyme are complex and inter-connected indeed. But fast forwarding to 2010— I was in Romania for a while attending to family matters and as a pleasant escape I recorded a bunch of guitar tracks to a click and started emailing them to Jim who was also needing a musical therapy outlet. It then became its own beast and Travelers Of Tyme rose again after 14 Earth years.
Q: When you and Bill (Editor’s note: Nope, still Jim, and I’m still an idiot) started writing songs together, was there any goal? Did you guys plan to record, was it just for fun, etc.
Shelby: Bill S. Preston Esq. and I tried writing but he didn't feel that my style fit with the Wylde Stallyns but Jim and I started the songs contained on our self-titled album in 2010. We felt like we wanted to make an album so there was a goal of a completed work in mind. It slowly became mapped out that it would be a journey through time (or TYME) on our first album hence the titles having years appended to them.
Q: Since both of you have had other musical projects, how much time were you able to devote to this? Was it ever a case of putting other projects on hold to work on Travelers of Tyme?
Shelby: Not really, we compliment each-other's creativity frighteningly organic — it is like left brain/right brain/mother brain. So it just works seamlessly and surprisingly fast. Time (Tyme) works in mysterious ways and we always seem to find windows of opportunity opening for it.
Q: The first few releases were themed, while the full-length covered a lot more stylistic ground. Do you see that pattern continuing? (More EPs leading up to another full-length.)
Shelby: We will indeed release more thematic EPs however I feel like we will release slightly less EPs in the oncoming year and focus on the next full-length. How about that!
Q: Was this always intended to be a self-release?
Shelby: We never thought of it any other way... though if a surf/exotica label or human we respect would approach us in regards to pressing a vinyl we'd be interested.
Q: Stylistically this is pretty far removed from the other bands you and Bill (Editor’s note: Annnnnd we’re now three for three.) have been in over the years. Was it a desire to do something totally different musically than what you had before?
Shelby: Well, it didn't work too well with Bill S. Preston Esq. as stated before– but Jim and I do recognize how Travelers Of Tyme is different. Though oddly I can hear tonal and writing style similarities within the music. Early Frodus albums with Jim even skirt Travelers Of Tyme — in particular 1994's Molotov Cocktail Party with the tracks: "Bousel Room" and "Yoyodyne". 1995's Fireflies has the track "Purvis Dawson in the Sucatash Room" which is straight off Travelers Of Tyme. So it wasn't too different. Ultimately the revival of Travelers Of Tyme was a desire to expand on ideas we only skimmed upon in the past.
Q: Are there any plans to release anything on physical media? More limited runs like the promo CD-R?
Shelby: The promo CD-R we did was initially to help get the word out to some music placement folk that we have been in contact with since we have been trying to crack the egg of video game/soundtrack/commercial music. We enjoy writing music more than making websites or doing the myriad of odd jobs/projects that we have done non-music related to pay the bills and wanted to give it a real "go". We also found it as a great way to get some of new fans the music with an artifact!! We have a side "company" we have since established called "Sound Of Tyme" where we have scored everything from a solemn independent film about friendly fire, an iPad video game which I co-created, Swedish television commercials and even French hair-product videos. You can see our reel at: www.tymetravelnow.com. I would like to release more limited physical releases and it would most likely be a cassette.
Q: Were there specific bands you aimed to pay homage to on the full-length?
Shelby: I feel there is some homage to: Martin Denny, John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Bo Hansson, The Shadows.
Q: Any specific bands you plan to pay homage to on future recordings?
Shelby: We may shift slightly backward/forward and incorporate some more synthesizers along with surf-guitars for some homage to 70s science fiction and documentaries.
Q: You guys covered "MAROC 7" for a Shadows tribute album, and released an EP in tribute to John Barry. Any other tributes planned?
Shelby: I'd like to do a full on tribute to Henry Mancini and Korla Pandit. [“MAROC 7”] was the first mail-order TYME session where we sent an open reel 8 track tape to each-other via DC and Chicago.
Q: How do you plan to rearrange some of the material for playing live?
Shelby: We would like to play in two modes. One mode where it is Dr. Klem and I (Prof. Yaya) on bass and guitar respectively playing along to backing tracks coming from our space-craft computer AI monolith known as The HomN. This mode would be a spectacle of sight and sound. The other mode would be with more human players and thus a bit more organic and 20th century.
Q: Where do you see the project heading?
Shelby: Hopefully into the beyond and further. Playing live on this current tYme line would be a large step for our kind. I am moving to the West Coast of America this year and Jim hopes to follow soon thereafter and then even more exciting anomalies can possibly occur!
Q: Have you guys thought about revisiting the '95 and '96 material? Would there be any possibility of playing those songs live, in either configuration?
Shelby: Definitely! We have a version of Nazca Line Dance already in the works! And yes, we want to play live when Dr. Klem also ends up on the West Coast.
Q: If there are fans who dig Travelers of Tyme but aren't familiar with the styles you explore, what five or ten album would you recommend they check out? Nerd out as you see fit.
Shelby: Easier for me to think of artists: Martin Denny, Korla Pandit, Les Baxter, John Barry, Bo Hansson, The Shadows, Laika & The Cosmonauts, The Challengers, Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Huun Huur Tu, Henry Mancini, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Cal Tjader, James Last and 101 Strings. All of them will take you on an amazing and rich musical journey.
Q: You guys created a sci-fi backstory for the band, as well as appropriate aliases. How big of an influence is old sci-fi (books, movies, comics, etc.) for the band?
Shelby: There is a backstory but whether it is fiction or not is to be determined by Ancient Alien Episodes on the History Channel— in the future this channel will be called Channel: H - simply pronounced by the sound of "hhhh" not the letter "H" due to naming trends in 2112. So we cannot reveal much more than that. However, we can collectively say that what you call "science fiction" has influenced us greatly. Classic authors such as Arthur C. Clarke, H.G.Wells, Jules Verne to Frank Herbert, Iain Banks and Neal Stephenson we enjoy greatly.
Q: Since Bill & Ted came up (and rather organically, too) - what are some of your favorite time travel-themed movies, music, books, video games, etc.?
Shelby: Of course the Time Machine by H.G. Wells; Books and lectures by: Michio Kaku, Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan; and last but not least the E.V.O. game on Super Nintendo.
Q: Was the band spelling inspired by Kenny & The Kasuals (“A Journey to Tyme”), or something else?
Shelby: An homage to 60s band naming conventions — bYrds maybe? I always thought that it sounded like an old black and white B-Movie directed by Ed Wood— TRAVELERS OF TYME! Picture that on a marquee with an exciting poster and a crowd of dapper folk queuing up for this newest adventure in moving pictures!
Q: You mentioned being a fan of The Ventures - they wrote a lot of killer original songs but were more known for taking popular (usually contemporary) songs and adapting them to their own style. You've recorded covers of material in the past - did you ever consider covering either contemporary or 60's material for the full-length, or was the goal to have it be entirely original songs?
Shelby: The goal was entirely original songs though we do like conceptual releases that are a tribute to people whom we like such as our Valentine's Day release and our John Barry tribute EPs.
Q: You mentioned soundtracks as not only a source of inspiration but also as something you guys are interested in pursuing. Ever thought of doing one for the imagined "Travelers of Tyme" movie?
Shelby: Indeed! I do somewhat see our first album being for a movie or sorts since it jumps around time periods with the year at the end of every song-title. I would actually like to make a full on B-movie of Tyme.
Q: Were any particular 7"s you got while in Estrus' Crust Club particularly inspirational or influential?
Shelby: Oooo... I think the whole experience was influential with all the different bands and cover art. They are all unfortunately in a box right now but I remember particularly liking one of the compilations which was like a mini-comic book and The 5.6.7.8's 7".
Q: What is it that draws you to older music?
Shelby: The creativity, innocence and sense of wonder in it. Also the technological limitations really helped curate the releases to push envelopes sonically in different ways. Joe Meek being a perfect example of an inspiring producer who recorded in an apartment on modified equipment when recording in England back then was regulated to engineers wearing labcoats! No joke!
Q: How much of the instrumentation is live versus sampled?
Shelby: Computational devices were used to emulate certain bass and snare drums as well as orchestral sounds but the rest is live... Congos, Upright Bass, Guitars and all!
Q: Do you keep up with much contemporary surf and instrumental music? If so, to you tend to prefer bands with more traditional approaches, or ones willing to experiment a bit more? (In this case let's define contemporary as since 2000.)
Shelby: Not too much unless I stumble upon them which I haven't for a while. The last contemporary release I got was by Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited. I am not a purist myself so I like both traditional and non-traditional.
Q: Any thoughts on bands that have taken a similar approach to albums, where song to song it's almost like an overview of various instrumental styles from the 60's? The Euro Boys' "Jet Age," Stereophonic Space Sounds Unlimited's "The Spacesound Effect," Laika & The Cosmonauts' "Amazing Colossal Band," etc.
Shelby: I consider that Laika & The Cosmonauts album to be influential to what I have brought to the Table of Tyme! I love diverse records that jump around various instrumental styles from the 60's, it feels fresh and it's exciting to listen to!
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