By: Chris Stead
With a thump of the synthetic bass drum, they are off! Don’t let the light, playful feel of their music or the fact that they’re from the O.C. fool you, RoMak and the Space Pirates is a group of serious performers. Their show is lively, fun and is hard to tear away from. Looking around at the show it was clear that the crowd was truly enjoying what they were getting. People dancing, swaying and bobbing along with the music, meanwhile RoMak’s antics on stage kept the crowd rapt. Before the show, RoMak told Gothic Angst Webzine that “Tonight may be the night that I fall and really eat shit…” when talking about their stage antics and his barstool acrobatics.
Although RoMak and the Space Pirates is a musical group, this is not where their interests end. They aim to expand to a host of auditory and visual experiences. RoMak said that the group is “definitely trying to use every available resource and every outlet.” Ultimately they are looking to go beyond a simple musical show and integrate non-musical aspects. According to RoMak, they “like to express [themselves in] a lot of different ways.”
With regard to the music that they make, it was stated that they “…like a lot of ear candy” and there was mention of a new noise box that they brought along for the show. The main instrument used to produce their music is a synthesizer. They feel that electronic music has “been coming back” and that it is more than just a re-hash of the eighties. RoMak tells us that “if a band comes out with synths, they’re not just a wanna-be eighties band.” They believe that Northern America can expect to see a stronger electronic movement much like what has been seen in Europe. Due to the current movement in electronic music, RoMak and the Space Pirates see now as the time for them to make a positive move, and in their own words, “we aspire to be the same type of band as Devo…” by way of making music that people will listen to for years to come.
This group is not only a collection of artists, they are also activists of a sort. The show that they played was called “The World Can’t Wait” concert. The band actually chose the name “The Space Pirates” as a statement on their perspective on the human condition. To quote RoMak, “it’s a statement about humans and how we just sort of steal from each other[…].” One of their goals is to set an example by giving back to the human race instead of simply taking. They are definitely taking the idea seriously, now it is a matter of time as to whether their contribution to humanity will be fruitful.
Listen to clips from the latest release by RoMak & the Space Pirates:
For more informaiton about RoMak and the Space Pirates go to:
http://www.ratsp.net
http://www.myspace.com/romakandthespacepirates
