Rhythmic Ceremonies: The Sonic Voyagers
Sonically traversing continents, Colter Carson and Max Rodhouse meet to form Rhythmic Ceremonies - a monthly radio show broadcasted on Mouthfull Radio. Having first met in Ōtautahi in 2022, at no place other than Smash Palace, Colter and Max’s friendship and musical synchrony was unearthed.
“Shortly after I moved down to Christchurch in 2022, I was meeting up with a good friend Corban, Colter and Raff were also there. This was a big catch up session talking about all things Twominds Festival and music scenes in general” Max shared. “First hearing Colter’s knowledge and articulation of points during this conversation made me realise he was someone who was also deeply interested in club culture” Max said. “We started hanging out regularly when we were doing a show at RDU. It definitely felt like we shared a lot of common interests and values, both within music and nightlife” said Colter.
“To give some background, I had just wrapped up my architecture thesis - trying to come up with a methodology to aid the revitalisation of club culture in Tāmaki Makaurau. Naturally, I was very interested in local and international scenes. This also came at a point when I was looking towards new sounds musically from that research, and having heard a lot about the Craigslist crew really pushing something new and interesting in Ōtautahi (incomparable to other cities across the motu), I was really interested in their parties and the broad range of music being propagated in the conservative city, and to great reception” Max shared.
Colter shared that, “prior to meeting Max, I think I’d come across his Instagram page a couple of times and had seen/heard some stuff about his dissertation which really got me thinking and feeling inspired to dig deeper into music culture. Seeing someone so well informed put something so articulate and interesting in an area I’m already interested in and passionate about was very inspiring and validating. Max is one of the few people I’ve met through music that I’ve formed a really close and long-lasting friendship with, and it always just seemed very natural because of our shared experiences and interests that we’ve pursued prior to meeting each other.”
Max and Colter realised their musical connection during the first times playing together on their radio show on RDU. “One of us would pick a vibe for the show and send a few tracks over, just to see how the other goes at interpreting the tunes. Those first shows were simultaneously really exciting and validating musically” Max shared. “I think we both listen pretty broadly and have a similar benchmark for quality in music: deep reverence for the classic and a desire to understand the historical and social context of musical styles and traditions” Colter added.
“Music can be a pretty lonely and isolating pursuit, but when you find a fellow devotee, there’s often a strange feeling of shared experience that creates a pretty unique connection” Colter revealed.
“I think it’s always pretty special to develop a deep passion for something as an individual and then stumble across someone who, separately, has done a similar thing - you’re bound to get along. That has lended itself to me making ridiculously obscure music-related jokes now that I don’t know if anyone else would ever find funny” Max voiced.
While Colter and Max share an abundance of sonic similarities, they have their own flavour to music. “Colter’s technical ability - at least compared with myself - alongside always interesting selections, always picking tracks that stand out on their own often with some great DIY touch” was Max’s answer to what they admired about each other’s approach to music. Colter responded by saying that, “Max is extremely hardworking and dedicated in whatever he puts his mind to and this definitely shines through in the DJ context. I’m a pretty firm believer in the ‘preparation is everything’ ideology, and I think particularly when djing for radio or in the club, there really is no substitute for digging deep and knowing your stuff. This is all highly subjective of course, but I’ve always been very impressed whenever I’ve seen Max play because he does his homework so well, packing great music that fits the context.”
Colter’s recently released EP the Big Beat Manifesto Catalogue Nr.1 exhibits Colter’s technical producing prowess. The five track EP was the debut release from Eden Burns’ record label. Featuring tracks like Tabu and Alto Voltaje, the EP is 33 minutes and 20 seconds of fresh upbeat and meditative energy that will electrify any dance floor. With it being sold out on vinyl on Bandcamp, Colter told Gremlins about how it feels having the EP out into the world and about the creative process. “Putting this release has been a very long and rewarding process, and of course a huge achievement to get picked up by Eden and the Public Possession crew. I’m very grateful for the chance to create a body of work like this and see it through to a fully-fledged release, getting lots of encouragement along the way from friends (especially from Max and Eden)” Colter shared. “Creatively, I basically took the approach of trying to make stuff I’d like to DJ, drawing heavy inspiration from the music I’ve found digging over the past three or four years. I’m excited by obscure and diverse styles of music and aimed to convey this on the EP while maintaining a degree of coherence. Overall, quite challenging (many late nights sitting in front of a screen) but rewarding in the long term” Colter disclosed.
Balancing individual styles when it comes to curating a set or radio show is an artform, but something that Max and Colter have fine-tuned. Colter noted the salient fact that “identifying and grappling with musical aesthetics or styles that aren’t within your typical listening is important for preventing stagnation. I think we’re pretty good at pushing each other and maintaining an open mind. I think we share the belief that ‘greatness’ in art is ultimately a subjective thing and you seriously limit yourself if you close yourself off.”
When it came to influential DJ gigs, watching Theo Parrish playing all-night-long at The Civic in Tāmaki changed things for Max and Colter.
“That was just such a potent lesson on musical history and DJing as an artform. It really taught me that energy is key, nothing is off limits stylistically, old tracks still hit so hard on some big speakers, and that songs are the most important part of the formula - don't compromise on the song selection for the ease of mixability” Max shared. Max continued to say that, “being able to develop alongside each other for some time, it was great to try and capture some of that influence - and challenge ourselves - with an all-night-long party of our own at Flux before I departed to London.”
The desire to start Rhythmic Ceremonies came out of the requited ethos of wanting to deviate from the “DJ competition” radio show narrative. “From the outset we agreed there were so many shows locally and abroad that were just “DJ competition” mixes, playing peak party music for a hypothetical crowd, and really failing to respond to the listening environment of a radio show” Max said. “Our show seeks to lean into this radio listening environment - which is typically a direct relationship with an individual listener - being able to think more of the journey with an informative side, hopefully sparking inspiration to explore” Max revealed.
“Something I’ve been passionate about for a while now is getting more people involved with radio djing and curation outside the dance context. Djing in the club/at parties is heaps of fun and can definitely be rewarding, but it’s a small slice of the pie. Before I started going out to clubs and getting into dance music, I was trying to play jazz and constantly digging for new music for my own enjoyment. DJ culture was totally off my radar until I started to clock that some DJs were actually really knowledgeable musically and were playing some really cutting edge stuff. I like a party as much as the next guy, but there’s just so much more to music and it’s a shame if people limit themselves” Colter revealed.
“We wanted to have the opportunity to curate the shows more and have the ability to do interview and discussion segments - all of which would require more preparation and forgiveness in its assembly. After pitching it to Mouthfull Radio, we got an opportunity to join their community, whose online radio show compliments the idea of these “longer shelf-life” episodes which are accessible online after their airing. Thanks Mouthfull <3” Max shared. “Radio is a great way for anyone to connect with music; it’s a gentle commitment to continue your musical journey and share the process with anyone interested in listening” Colter added.
Max now resides in London, moving there earlier this year. Colter shared that the radio show is “a great way to keep in touch. We generally catch up for a call every week, planning for the show but also just catching up generally which is super nice.” Navigating assembling a collaborative radio show with a 11-13 hour time difference is as Max describes it: “no easy task. Fair to say we’re still very much figuring that out - which is part of that DIY charm.
That being said, I’m pretty committed to doing this so sacrifices will be made (mainly sleep). This always comes at a balance with the rest of life's challenges, and particularly as a volunteer endeavour, so not being too hard on ourselves when we can’t always give 100%. Splitting the mixing out into individual parts, each taking a turn, makes things more manageable though. This also enables us to deliver more of a “vision” for a mix, but there is the enjoyment of the differences of interpretation when tasked with the same things.”
Regarding the Rhythmic Ceremonies’ show curation process, Max shared that he will “start with what moods the tracks evoke, their energy, and their contexts as base points to start looking outwards. Looking for these qualities can start to draw you to songs that might be quite different on the surface and lead you off in unsuspecting paths - who doesn’t love a good curveball.” Adding to that, Colter said that trying “to look for the commonalities that sit outside of conventional genre classifications is interesting. That allows you to surprise people while telling a more diverse and interesting story.”
The hopes for Rhythmic Ceremonies’ future are exploratory, expansive, and creative. “I think that because we’re essentially making it up as we go, there will be an interesting opportunity to give the audience an insight into the process of developing the show and sharing what’s worked and what hasn’t. After years of promoting parties, making and performing music, doing radio, and making visual arts, I’ve become more and more interested in sustainability and continually improving the approach (e.g., finding out what you enjoy most and working in a way that prioritises that, creating greater longevity for whatever you’re working on). It’s a bit of a meta answer, but I think everyone benefits when people find sustainable means of pursuing their passions, and I hope that we can help this idea grow by sharing our own experience with the radio show” Colter commented. “Learning more, getting to share that, and hopefully being able to provide a mix series which gets to challenge guests and platform a side of music that they listen to outside of the club-context. Just slowly improving and hopefully getting enough support to get plenty of interesting guests on” Max added.
If there was a message that the Rhythmic Ceremonies’ architects wanted you to take away from tuning in, Max encourages listeners to “listen more broadly, research, and try to make it all make sense - it all feeds back positively to whatever you’re doing.” Colter shared that “if music is your thing, never stop digging and learning about the cultural/historical context. There’s good music in every genre, style, and era and I think it’s valuable for everyone to try to understand or at least appreciate the significance of as much as possible.”
Tune in monthly at 11am Friday on Mouthfull Radio to hear what Rhythmic Ceremonies is all about. You can stay tuned on Instagram @rhythmic.ceremonies for updates about the show from Max and Colter.
