FLYING SKULLS INTERVIEW BY BOA
Posted by Chris Noonan on
Flying Skulls Interview by BOA
Recently I had a chance to catch up with J Tonal and Life 1 of the Flying Skulls. They were doing a FATBOL Showcase with Abstract Rude and Humpfree Lowgart in their East Bay stomping grounds at Leo’s. For those of you that don’t know, The Flying Skulls are a Live MPC duo often performing with special guests and always bringing the Vibe.
First of all, how did you guys meet and what made you decide to work together?
J.Tonal: Well… we both lived in the Western Addition in San Francisco in the 2000s. Our friends had this series of mansions they all rented on Fulton, Grove, Broderick, Divisadero, sort of a new school Merry Pranksters vibe, and we raged. I remember Anthony held down the happy hour event at Madrone each Tuesday before the wildly popular “Change the Beat” and he always brought that classic hiphop sound.
Where do you currently spend most of your time? On the road? In the studio? Writing?
J.Tonal: We’ve been spending a lot of time working on live performance lately, which is a blast. We just drove to PDX to play and it was the sickest drive, but it’s like 9 hours each way.
Where can we find and listen to your current works?
http://soundcloud.com/the-
http://youtube.com/
http://theflyingskulls.com
https://soundcloud.com/
http://youtube.com/
http://theflyingskulls.com
https://soundcloud.com/
What did you listen to as a young child?
J.Tonal: Growing up in the Central Valley, I didn’t have access to much besides Country and 60s Rock… I remember in the eighties going on this cross country trip and I had this tiny AM/FM radio and I would listen to all the crazy music across the US. I remember freaking out when I heard White Snake’s “Here I go Again” for the first time. I found a cassette tape of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” on the bus and I listened to religiously until my parents found it and I got a lecture about “Evil Music”. I remember loving the classical “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saens.
What artist currently inspires you?
Life1: Prince! Do I need a reason?
What do you think about before you hit the stage?
Life1: Man I hope I don’t sound like shit and I sometimes wish it was one of those naked in the classroom dreams and everyone in the crowd is naked, yeah that’s what I think about.
Name something that you want to change in the world.
Life1: I would like to change the way a lot of people in the world look up to second rate celebrities with no talent and their best things that they can contribute is a crappie (I use this lightly) almost watchable porn or to throw a cake at someone.
Name something you Love and Why.
Life1: Music. Music. Music. China Music. Music
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Life1: … would have to be whatever Dr. Manhattan had, minus the blue balls.
If you could collaborate with anyone living or dead who would it be?
Life1: Max Headroom or Prince.
If you could write five words on a NY Billboard what would it say?
Life1: SHUT THE FUCK UP… SHIT!
Shout about FATBOL?
J.Tonal: Yo, FATBOL is on my steez. I rock these two FATBOL tees all the time, one of them has this crunked out vision of Ganesh holding a big fat nug of the purple. Get it.
LEARN MORE @ theflyingskulls.com