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Dean Garcia of Curve
The word “curve” is defined as the path of a moving point, which is more than fitting for the British duo Curve. Singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and musician Dean Garcia met in the mid-1980s through Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics – Dean can be heard on “Touch” and “Be Yourself Tonight”. Toni & Dean became friends and formed a band called State of Play, releasing one album and two singles. The pair split soon after and later reunited around 1990 to form a new duo called Curve.
Curve created a limited-edition, web-only release called “Open Day at The HateFest”, a compilation of MP3 downloads posted on their web site plus unreleased tracks – an album that was made during 1996 - 2001. With the release of Curve’s new album “GIFT” due in stores September 18, Toni & Dean continue to delight fans with their own interpretation of music as they continue moving ahead.
You and Toni have had an illustrious career since 1990 with amazing music to prove it. Do you see a stopping point in the coming years? Are there solo projects to speak of?
I think there will always be gaps but we’ll always work together in some form or another…solo projects and collaborations will happen from time to time and are always unplaned Toni has recorded a very moving orchestral work with a long time friend that should see the light of day early next year…I have recently been inspired by Luke Haines of Black box Recorder into making a proper solo record under my own name…
Rolling Stone described your album “Cuckoo” as “noisier”, but how would you describe your work in general?
Eclectic moody colourful black experimental honest
Curve collaborates with amazing artists, such as Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine and Saffron from Republica. How do you approach these artists for projects and who have you thoroughly enjoying working with? Who remains on your wish list?
The people you mention are friends, we admire each others work especially Kevins…we enjoy working with everyone we collaborate with otherwise we wouldn’t do it…ENO Nina (cardigans) Luke Haines Leftfield Fat Boy Chems…to name but a few
What freedoms do you find in controlling the quality and quantity of music you produce?
peace of mind
How do you feel about the recording industry nowadays in retrospect? Are there bands you have discovered that you would produce or recommend to your fans?
same as it ever was for anything unusual or leftfield…and exacty the same for trad Pop music…all has its place in the industry and things rarely fall out of place…when it does it becomes exciting, The best way to make music is for yourself by yourself…the web is your window and it’s up to you to make something happen…if it’s good enough it will come through. the people who like Curve have a very broad listening spectrum and a good knowledge of alternative/underground/obscure musics…they often recomend things to us…I don’t think there is much we could recomend that they don’t already know…However I would recomend Gorillaz, and the Strokes new albums…the new New Order Track is great and Johnny Marrs new band The Healers works for me…check out Luke Haines Cristy Malry album…very wierd very art and totally cool
How has the MP3 boom helped or hindered your music?
Mp3 is interesting a very good promo tool and great to have as something you play when you can’t be bothered changing CDs or vinyl all the time…my friend has made a special player that randomly chooses what to play from a folder or playlist of mp3s…it’s very cool some of the most unexpected tracks turn up, you can download it free from our multimedia site www.mushimushi.net…I like MP3s and they will get better as we go…what with the advent of DSL files can be shared and downloaded much quicker than what the majority of people have at the moment…all a good thing, Soon you will have MP3 collections that come on a smart card that you will buy just like any other format…but nothing will ever beat vinyl for sound quality…
Curve has been generous to its fans with MP3 downloads and answering fan mail when possible or appropriate. How do you find time to maintain a web site and make music?
There is always time to sort out the site…I like working with this media, It was very frustrating not being able to sort out the site a few years back so I made it a priority to learn the basics so I could sort it myself…I have learnt a lot, but still some of the sites and clever nonsense that goes on with web pages astounds me…It facinates me, maybe its an age thing…
You have creating some great Flash effects on your web site and including all kinds of different goodies for people to peruse and enjoy. Where do you want to take your web site next?
not sure…as we develope and learn more it will be bought into the pages…we want to have a mp3 club which will be run with a log in password and allow the user to download mp3s as they are posted…we’re thinking maybe 6/8 a year and we will charge for this so’s to enable the site to be maintained and kept up to speed…maybe include videos and other multimedia but at the moment we are quite happy with the way it is…
Visit Curve at their web site for MP3 downloads and different goodies.
Friday, 2006 February 10