Mark Rae, one-half of Rae & Christian, hails from Newcastle, UK, and records for Grand Central Records. His latest album is called Rae Road.
Current fixations:
Paul Barman and Pitman on the mic. Neptunes as ever on production. Electric Chair Club, Manchester. Killing Pablo, the book about the original Escobar. Food: sushi as ever (wasabi for the nostrils). Lifestyle 24/7. Trend: to bring back soft red kryptonics for the thirty-something skater.
Mind-altering work of art:
Anything in the Villa Borghese in Rome.
Most memorable or inspirational gig and why?
Vibes gig in Perth, 1999, held on a wine and emu farm transferred into a 3000 person amphitheatre, 45 degrees Celsius on stage, Aussie kids going bananas. Shame they didn't keep the emus in the amphitheatre for added effect.
What has been your career high and low?
Career high is currently my recent solo LP Rae Road.
Career low would be missing Afu Ra (recording artist out of Brooklyn) at Manchester airport and him flying home while I waited in the wrong terminal.
What should everyone shut up about?
Chopped liver, spam and squeezy cheez.
I would drop everything to play a benefit for:
Save our cod (don't let them go the same route as Canadian cod).
What trait do you like and dislike most about yourself?
I enjoy and also distrust my incredible ability to be impulsive.
What would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed, and have you?
I haven't had the pleasure of either, however if they were of foul odour and selfish then they would get the bozak.
When I think of Canada I think:
Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, large mouth bass, sweet corn, watermelon, grape flavour drinks, big wheels, plastic toys, muskelunge, groundhogs, high quality home made syrup.
What is your vital daily ritual?
Hanging upside down to evaluate the weight of my brain on a daily basis and yes it is getting lighter.
How do you spoil yourself?
By sitting down.
What was your most memorable day job?
Working as an analytical chemist and excelling in the field of thin layer chromatography (tlc) a field of work later to inspire Michael Jackson.
If I wasn't playing music I would be:
A professional trout tickler.
What is your greatest fear?
Getting my ankles sucked by a muskie whilst swimming in a Canadian lake.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
To do more than 25 press ups and not even grimace.
What makes you want to take it off and get it on?
Trying on ill-fitting clothes.
Music and sex: Is there a difference? Why?
They both involve instruments so there's a thread. However, a perfect three minute pop song might disappoint as a three minute pop in your long johns.
Strangest brush with celebrity:
I performed with Sharleen Spiteri at Madonna's mini concert in Brixton last year and I was licked with the brush of Elle Macpherson, Natalie Imbruglia, Sting and Mick Jagger. I preferred the former. to be frank. They are all strange in an unhappy way. Leave alone, I suggest.
Who would be your ideal dinner guest, living or dead, and what would you serve them?
I would like to have dinner with DJ Premier and I would serve him jerk chicken.
What does your mom wish you were doing instead?
Singing instead of producing.
Current fixations:
Paul Barman and Pitman on the mic. Neptunes as ever on production. Electric Chair Club, Manchester. Killing Pablo, the book about the original Escobar. Food: sushi as ever (wasabi for the nostrils). Lifestyle 24/7. Trend: to bring back soft red kryptonics for the thirty-something skater.
Mind-altering work of art:
Anything in the Villa Borghese in Rome.
Most memorable or inspirational gig and why?
Vibes gig in Perth, 1999, held on a wine and emu farm transferred into a 3000 person amphitheatre, 45 degrees Celsius on stage, Aussie kids going bananas. Shame they didn't keep the emus in the amphitheatre for added effect.
What has been your career high and low?
Career high is currently my recent solo LP Rae Road.
Career low would be missing Afu Ra (recording artist out of Brooklyn) at Manchester airport and him flying home while I waited in the wrong terminal.
What should everyone shut up about?
Chopped liver, spam and squeezy cheez.
I would drop everything to play a benefit for:
Save our cod (don't let them go the same route as Canadian cod).
What trait do you like and dislike most about yourself?
I enjoy and also distrust my incredible ability to be impulsive.
What would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed, and have you?
I haven't had the pleasure of either, however if they were of foul odour and selfish then they would get the bozak.
When I think of Canada I think:
Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, large mouth bass, sweet corn, watermelon, grape flavour drinks, big wheels, plastic toys, muskelunge, groundhogs, high quality home made syrup.
What is your vital daily ritual?
Hanging upside down to evaluate the weight of my brain on a daily basis and yes it is getting lighter.
How do you spoil yourself?
By sitting down.
What was your most memorable day job?
Working as an analytical chemist and excelling in the field of thin layer chromatography (tlc) a field of work later to inspire Michael Jackson.
If I wasn't playing music I would be:
A professional trout tickler.
What is your greatest fear?
Getting my ankles sucked by a muskie whilst swimming in a Canadian lake.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
To do more than 25 press ups and not even grimace.
What makes you want to take it off and get it on?
Trying on ill-fitting clothes.
Music and sex: Is there a difference? Why?
They both involve instruments so there's a thread. However, a perfect three minute pop song might disappoint as a three minute pop in your long johns.
Strangest brush with celebrity:
I performed with Sharleen Spiteri at Madonna's mini concert in Brixton last year and I was licked with the brush of Elle Macpherson, Natalie Imbruglia, Sting and Mick Jagger. I preferred the former. to be frank. They are all strange in an unhappy way. Leave alone, I suggest.
Who would be your ideal dinner guest, living or dead, and what would you serve them?
I would like to have dinner with DJ Premier and I would serve him jerk chicken.
What does your mom wish you were doing instead?
Singing instead of producing.
