That’s what festivals are about: getting out of your comfort zone and discovering new bands. Over and over again. Those who make bodies, souls and crowds move. I came across Carlton Melton at Desertfest Belgium 2023, on the very ideal Vulture Stage. These psychedelic wizards felt right at home in Antwerp with their out-of-time and out-of-space experiments. Equally mastering the art of supraluminic dazzle through wormholes and drone-like shreds of cloud running enchantingly overhead, Carlton Melton is a bacchanal of all things psychedelic. Having chatted with the Melton Magic Karpet, who talks as much about kraut as tennis, I was eager to interview them upon my return and get to know these Californians, who are as exciting on record as they are on stage.
You’ve been around for 15 years now, but it’s only recently that we’ve had the chance to meet you on the road. Tell us a little more about you and the band.
Rich Millman (guitar & synths): Carlton Melton was formed in 2008. It originated out of just a gathering of music friends getting together for a weekend recording session. The idea was to play loud, improvised, psychedelic rock music inside our friend Brian’s geodesic dome in a rural coastline area of Point Arena, California. We recorded it all to 4-track Tascam cassette tape machines. Listening back we found ourselves with some cool jams and eventually recorded and released multiple albums from the Dome.
You’ve recently become a quartet with the arrival of Anthony Taibi on synths and guitars. What would you say about his contribution to the band’s dynamics? What did you feel was missing before his arrival?
Rich: I don’t think we ever felt something was missing. Anthony coming onboard was welcome because he is an amazing musician and person, and an easy hang. He also recorded and played with us at his home studio 3D Light in Eureka, California which became the album “Resemble Ensemble” that became the beginning of Anthony being a member of Carlton Melton.
“We go into recording feeling pretty much the same way every time. There is nothing planned it’s all improvised. Nothing is premeditated. We go in knowing it’s ‘hit it and quit it’ first takes only.”
Could you name a few role models of yours? Spaceman 3 and Hawkwind spring to mind, but there must be others.
Rich: Andy and I have played music and in bands together for over 30 years, it’s like half a lifetime. He is my main role model and inspiration along with my older brother for what we play in Carlton Melton. I could name bands but there are so many. I’ll say it starts with Jimi Hendrix with us.
There’s also an appetite for all things kraut.
Rich: Yes absolutely. Probably the use of synthesizers and cassette tape recording manipulations shows that influence, maybe.
Your music oscillates between full-blown psychedelia, furious guitars and aerial drones. Does it depend on your mood before going into the studio? How do you reconcile all your desires?
Rich: We go into recording feeling pretty much the same way every time. There is nothing planned it’s all improvised. Nothing is premeditated. We go in knowing it’s ‘hit it and quit it’ first takes only. We also know that it’s possible we don’t record anything we find interesting or good enough to release. But we’ve been fortunate and every recording has been a pleasure with everyone involved and that includes studios whether it’s Brian’s geodesic dome or El Studio in San Francisco. Also helping us are the fine record labels that put out our music. Simon and the fine folk at Agitated Records. Désirée at Lay Bare Recordings. Mickey at Broken Clover Records. Blackest Rainbow, God Unknown Records, and many others.
“I was inspired by some of our old friends in bands that we played with on tour. Sex Swing, Dead Otter, The Cosmic Dead, Dead Sea Apes, Stereocilia, Carpet, and Nebula to name a few.”
We finally got to see you after the pandemic lockdown. What memories do you keep from your recent European tour and Desertfest Belgium in particular?
Rich: Desertfest Antwerp was amazing. It was to be somewhat expected as we played there before in 2015. Top shelf all around. We made new friends there who expressed to us that Carlton Melton helped bring back the original spirit of Desert Fest Antwerp, Belgium. It was humbling to hear such compliments. Glastonbury at King Arthur’s Pub and Trades Club in Hebden Bridge were very memorable for me.
Corrado and Gabrielle at El Borracho Booking helped organize the tour. They did a great job. It was a challenge due to the ongoing effects of the economy in Europe post-pandemic. But we all worked hard together on it and it turned out to be a huge success. We also had the help and support of our tour manager/driver Eppie Hotz from Arnhem NL. It doesn’t work without him on board. We saw so many old friends and made new ones. It may have truly been one of my favorite tours I can remember. I wish it could have continued longer.
Do you attend a lot of other bands’ concerts? Do they inspire you?
Rich: I was inspired by some of our old friends in bands that we played with on tour. Sex Swing, Dead Otter, The Cosmic Dead, Dead Sea Apes, Stereocilia, Carpet, and Nebula to name a few. Always inspiring seeing old friends still playing and keeping on like ourselves.
“Our way of recording continues to lead to places, elsewhere, somewhere.”
What blew me away at your concert was the way you blended dark atmospheres with this particular motorik pulse… This often leads to going « beyond » the wall of sound. At Desertfest you were right at home, as we navigated between doom and psychedelia.
Rich: Thanks. Yeah, again it’s not premeditated. We form a set of songs for the tour but each night it takes on its own wall of sound and beyond like you describe. Good description as it feels that way playing as well.
I’d say that your live shows have almost nothing in common with your recordings. How do you deal with improvisation? Does it still lead you somewhere?
Rich: Yes, our way of recording continues to lead to places, elsewhere, somewhere. Live, like in the previous question and answer, has its own set framework to play within and beyond.
You’ve just released a new album called « Turn To Earth » and a live album of your classics, shall we say, and all this in 2023, not to mention the « Resemble Ensemble” album earlier this year. Do you have some catching up to do? Tell us a little about your feelings and desires for these three releases.
Rich: Yeah, 2023 was a good year for us releasing albums. I guess here we are end of 2023 and we can catch up on the past year and accomplishments and catch our breath in time to look forward to 2024. Keep it rolling.
What’s next for Carlton Melton? Have you planned a new European tour for 2024? Maybe some festival appearances?
Rich: We have some very cool live recordings from some of the shows on the 2023 Europe tour. We plan to put something together and maybe mix in some unreleased studio tracks into a Melton album bundle. We hope to come back again for another tour of Europe in the fall of 2024. That would be awesome.
Find Carlton Melton on their website, Facebook and Instagram. New album “Mandatory Melton” out now on Bandcamp.
Last modified: 11 January 2024
