¤ R a c k e t s & D r a p e s / D e a r D i a r y¤

There's been a lot of talk about what ever happened with MCM recording artist "Rackets and Drapes" and their side project "Dear Diary" which featured Sabbatha, Kandi Cane/Sophia and others!

I had the pleasure to talk on the phone with my long time friend and ex-band mate "Kandi Cane/Sophia" about what's been going on!  But I feel its really nobody's business at this time! But like VMU says "Let's move on from the drama and talk about real important issues like gear and C.D production!" I had the pleasure to email Forest a.k.a Sabbatha from Rackets and Dear Diary about his new projects! AND IT BEGINS!

VMU:  Hey guy how you doing?   
Forrest: Kane: The past 5 months have not been good at all.  Lots of things have happened that I have been dragged into.  Won't go into all of it, but I will say that I'm not too happy with the police here in Denver right now.  Life has been starting to get a little better in the last two or three weeks though.  

VMU:  I know a lot of fans would want to know briefly what's going on with Rackets and Drapes and Dear Diary (save on the drama very short)   
Forrest:Nothing.  It doesn't look like anything will happen either.  I would love to continue both projects, but I just don't see anything happening.  (side note - If anyone has ordered anything from R&D and not received it, I appologize, and I'm working on it.)  

VMU:  Could you tell us all the projects you've recorded in past/present?   And you did record on the last Rackets Album?   
Forrest: Kane: I'm guessing by record you mean what albums have I played on.  My first project was Acerbus Silva, gave out 17 copies of the first album "Readings" in 2001.  Then I wrote and recorded 2 more albums for it, but no one else has heard anything from the last 2, I never released them.  The sound was hard to explain, sort of ambient experimental I guess.  The 3 album was more of a dark classical sound.  I may eventually release the third album since it had some good songs on it, or work them into another project.   Then I put together a Christmas album with songs done by different therapy patients.  It was mostly industrial and experimental stuff.  I gave out 30 copies of that.  It was a classic album.  Either you totally hated it, or you totally loved it.  I would really like to get someone to release it, but no one I have talked to wants to do so.  It's actually pretty bad.  Very independently done.  Was hosted by a goat and a dj.   Yes I was on the latest R&D album "Love Letters From Hell."  In general, this album was more of a shock industrial sound, compared to the previous shock rock sound.  - Along with that, I had started working on a side project for myself with R&D simply called Sabbatha Anne.  I recorded an album in 2001, then decided I would write a few more songs and fill up a whole cd.  So it has been done for awhile, just not released.  The project name has now changed to Little Bunny Fo Fo, and just this week I have sent a demo of it off to a record company, so hopefully they are interested in it.  It has sort of an odd industrial club sound, it's different, probably not what you're thinking.   And lastly, I was with Dear Diary, and we released a demo online (no longer available).  The sound was a light acoustic dark upbeat gypsy alternative rock.  We had most of the full album recorded, but it doesn't look like it will be released, or finished.  It's unfortunate, it would have an awesome release in my opinion.  Hopefully we can eventually work on it again.

VMU:  Could you tell us who produces all your projects and where you recorded?   
Forrest: Kane: Me, and with R&D it was me and Kandy.  I like doing my music my own way.  I mainly make my music for my own satisfaction, so as long as I am happy.... then... I am happy.  

VMU:  What gear do you use (in detail)   And if computer recording what programs?   
Forrest: Kane: I tried the computer thing, but I just didn't get any satisfaction from it.  To me personally, it felt kinda fake.  On the first A.S. album I used some crappy keyboard I got once from Best Buy, and recorded it with Wavelab Lite on my computer.  I also use a Roland XP-10, Roland MC 505 groovebox, Digitech Vocal 300, Fender BG31 acoustic bass, the Virtuoso 2000 sound modual, Boss SP-303 sampler, and a Digitech guitar effects pedal (forget the model).  

VMU:   Have you done any live shows with those past projects?
Forrest: Kane: No I haven't.  With Acerbus Silva, I couldn't really.  Then with R&D we had a bunch of offers to do shows around the US, but every one of them changed their mind about having us play.  Then after we kinda gave up on doing shows with R&D, we had a few real offers, but we weren't prepared for it, so it never worked out.  With Dear Diary, we would have for sure played some shows, but we didn't.  Maybe in the future....  

VMU:  What are in the works now?    
Forrest: Kane: Little Bunny Fo Fo, this project is mainly just for fun.  It's comes very natually for me to write music for it, so I can't help but keep it active.   I'm also planning of doing a project with a sound simmilar of the latest R&D album, mainly because I had written some new songs and they have nowhere to go.  No name for that project yet.  I have other ideas also for other projects i would like to do, but those 2 are the currents, and I only consider them side projects of a future main project.  

VMU:  Do you preffer live or studio recording?   
Forrest: Kane: Either, it doesn't matter to me.  I record my own stuff, so whatever I feel like doing at the moment.  

VMU:  How do you feel about the mainstreem Christian and Secular music industry?   
Forrest: Kane: Sick of all of it.  Sick of the radio, the radio sucks.   I find myself buying fewer and fewer cds all the time because there is less and less quality music being made.  To many bands and artists seem fake to me anymore.  To many bands anymore try to be all sincere in their lyrics, and it's so obvious that they are just trying to sell the song. How many songs have you heard come out recently that sing about being "cold"?  How many songs and albums are there on T&N and Solidstate now that uses the term "burning bridges?"  I can think of about 6 off the top of my head.    It may not be the artist's fault, but we need more diversity, more lyrics from the heart and not from the desire to make it big.  I've allways hated popularity, so maybe it's just me.  There is still great music being made today, but I've been going back and listening to alot of my older cd's, and finding they are so much more worth listening too then most of what comes out now.  

VMU:  I really loved the sound in your last album with Rackets!  What synths/keys were you useing on that record?   
Forrest: Kane: I was using one of Kandy's boards.  I forget the model, but it was a korg.  Kandy used the Roland XP-10, and we both used the MC 505.  It was all electronic, so everything you hear for the most part was a mixture of those three.  

VMU:  What are the other members of Rackets and Dear Diary doing these days?   
Forrest: Kane: Well, when we recorded LLFH with R&D, it was only me and Kandy.  I can't really comment on him, because I don't really believe it's my place to do so due to the current circumstances.  Larvae helped record, but I haven't talked to him in awhile.  We had a new memeber join just as we released the album, he was going to play live with us, but nothing really worked out.  Sort of the same deal with Dear Diary.  I know whats going on with everyone (everyone was involved with both projects), but I'll just avoid answering it because it's a long story.   

VMU:  Anything to look out for in the future with you?   
Forrest: Kane: Well, I plan on having one website that will contain all my projects, that way people can know what I'm involved with.  I may get rid of our Dear Diary site since it's not being used any more, and use that account for my stuff.  I was just kinda waiting till I had some real content to put up before I started on it.  I plan on being more serious with everything.  Meaning actually following thru with the projects I start.  I will have more control in my projects, (unless I'm helping someone else) because if you want something done right you have to do it yourself.  I find that to be so true, in so many different things in life.  So I guess just keep an eye the DD site, and watch for it to change.  

VMU:  Thanks very much for your time!  Any last words?   
Forrest: Kane: Don't do what you do to please others.  Besides, does it really matter what they think? And if you agree with me, then stop trying to make your favorite bands into what you want them to be.  Just think about it :P  
Dear Diary:  www.nomads-haven.com  
RACKETS AND DRAPES: http://racketsanddrapes.tripod.com   

VM Underground
JULY 30 2004