News

Doom Flamingo's Thomas Kenney Reveals New Project OUKUO April 27, 2020 09:47

Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

Photo by Bain Stewart Media

For the past two years, we've had the great pleasure of watching Charleston's Doom Flamingo take off like wildfire in the festival scene. The dynamic six-piece's unique blend of "synthwave" provides something truly unique and fresh, which is a rare testament these days. Led by Umphrey's McGee bassist Ryan Stasik, the band's powerful sound is a product of an incredibly diverse pool of talent.

Last week, we had a chance to sit down with guitarist Thomas Kenney to learn more about his latest solo project: OUKUO. In this conversation, we learned all about Thomas's eclectic musical background, as well as what can be expected as OUKUO takes shape and grains traction. Check out the full conversation below, and make sure to stream the new single "The Blue City" while you're here.

Let's kick this off with some general background info. How did your musical journey begin?

Thomas: I started playing guitar about 16 years ago. I was in a heavy metal band in high school. As I got to college, my interests were leaning more towards blues, soul, and jazz music. I was studying a lot of jazz, as well as Brazilian and African music. I was always fascinated with anything that was "exotic sounding," whether it was Indian, African, even Caribbean music. I started college as a Jazz major, and I wasn't the most disciplined student at the time. My studies were mainly based on western classical theory. I would love to play devil's advocate with my teachers about western vs. eastern classical theory. One of my professors got frustrated and told me I should go back to the bar.

I switched my degree to English Rhetorical Studies, and I just always kept up with music. I always played in bands. Once you can read and write music, you don't need a degree to pursue it. It's an oral language. So, I moved back to Charleston after college, and I just started playing gigs. I kind of got tapped into this super rich Charleston scene here. Charleston is one of the birth places of jazz, gospel, and r&b. I'm super fortunate to play with some of the best jazz and r&b players on the planet. There's a church every 10 feet in Charleston. Every church has a band, and they're all killin'.

So yeah, I started playing with people like Mike Quinn and Ross Bogan (Doom Flamingo) about seven years ago. They were playing in a band called Wadata at the time. They were helping get the local funk scene started. After that, I started playing whatever full time gigs I could get. I kind of fell into teaching. I've always made digital music, whether it be house, hip hop, or ambient . I'd say I've been a full-time musician for about eight years now. Weddings, teaching, touring, gigging, whatever works. 

Very cool. One of the bands you play with is Terraphonics. I've always heard great things from friends in Charleston. Tell me more about that project. 

Thomas: Absolutely. Terraphonics is a highly collaborative concept. It's a blend of hip-hop, r&b, and jazz. The band an instrumental quartet, but we tend to work with various MCs and vocalists. We've played a lot of cover shows and rap cyphers. It's been a very fun experience to be a part of. 

Well I know that we want to focus on the latest project, OUKUO. So let's do that. Did I get the pronunciation right? 

Thomas: Pretty close, but it's pronounced "oo-koo-owe." This project has been brewing in the back of my mind for years and years now. It's really a combination of a ton of different influences of mine. A lot of my friends don't know this, but I'm really into euro-house music and EDM. Most people know me as a guitar player that plays blues, soul, Motown, and jazz. But I've always loved electronic music of all kinds. I love reggae and dub, and all of that late-night, grimy stuff. This project is kind of my way of expressing that side of my brain. Ideally, while it's going to begin as a DJ set, my idea is that once Doom Flamingo gets back on the road, I'll be able to hire on some of the guys to play with me. You know, similar to how Thievery Corporation does it. 

Check out OUKUO's debut single "The Blue City" here:

 

I'm glad to hear you say that. I've always enjoyed seeing electronic artists surround themselves with a live band. It naturally makes things that much more interesting.

Thomas: Yeah, and I'm really the sum of my environment. I'm really influenced by the sound of my friends. Especially my bud Ross (Bogan) who plays keys and synth in Doom Flamingo. He is just the sonic tapestry master when it comes to using effects. He has the absolute best tone, so I'm always drawing inspiration from him. I'm playing most of the parts on the OUKUO record: keys, bass, and guitar. I have my friend Shelton Dessasure on most of the tunes, who is one of my favorite local drummers. The rest I'm either sampling his takes or building drums from scratch in Ableton. I'm trying to compose it like most EDM/Hip Hop projects, but it will inevitably translate really well as a live performance.

You mentioned this has been in the back of your mind for years now. Do you feel that the experience of these last two years with Doom Flamingo has inspired you to finally bring OUKUO to life?

Thomas: Yeah, I would say it's been an influence in a really interesting way. Terraphonics tends to have this really intimate sound that draws really well in small theaters, smoky jazz bars, and places like that. Doom Flamingo has this massive sound, and it's led me to playing on some amazing stages. That's allowed me to play through some huge sound systems. I'm a believer that acoustic force; just the shear massiveness of a sound, it's almost like it's own scale or chord. It's going to affect you emotionally. 

I'm definitely composing this music with a large stage vision. This music is not for the 30-person, 55-and-up jazz crowd. It's way more bass heavy. It's way more sampling and electronic, and you'll see that Doom Flamingo uses a lot of electronics and triggering on stage. So. yeah, I'm always responding to my environment as a writer and I'm definitely composing this seeing it in the same acoustic environment as Doom Flamingo as well. 

Specifically for this release, as you begin introducing the world to OUKUO, what's the main message you'd like for people to hear?

Thomas: I would say that while it is an eclectic range of sounds, I would classify it as dance music. I'm trying not to filter out too many ideas, but my one criteria is you have to be able to dance to 90% of the tracks. There's also a mellow midnight smoke session track or two on the record, for some contrast.

That's a fantastic rule. 

Thomas: (laughs) Yeah, of course. I love dance music because it allows me to directly share with audience. It's the easiest way to take care of each other. If I can make you dance, you're going to reciprocate the energy to me. That just make's for a really great night. I would say one thing that really differentiates this from my other projects is this sound I've been working on for years by myself. It's the sample-heavy side of things. I'm a huge hip-hop fan, and I love producers like Mad Lib And Timbaland, and all of the producers in that vein. They are masters of taking sounds from around the world and contextualizing them in an EDM context. My travels to places like India, Morocco, Spain, Cuba... they have all made a massive impact on the way I produce and play guitar, and that's going to show up.  All of those experiences are going to melt into one world that I would describe as OUKUO.

I dig it man and really look forward to listening more. Remind me when we can expect to see the full album. 

Thomas: This is the first single, and it's part of a larger record called Gorilla. It's going to be an eight or nine track record. I'll be releasing the second single in about two months and releasing the album later in the summer.

Very cool. Well it's been a pleasure chatting Thomas. Can't wait for all of us to get back out on the road. The world needs live music right now. Thanks for everything you do.

Thomas: My pleasure. Thank you, man!

Photo via Tara Gracer Photography
-

Check out OUKUO's debut single "The Blue City" here:


All Things Synthwave: An Interview with Doom Flamingo's Ross Bogan February 14, 2019 15:47

Photo by Nicholas Lintz

Interview by Jordan Kirkland

It's not everyday that you're introduced to an entirely new genre of music. Upon hearing of a new Charleston-based band called Doom Flamingo, I had no idea what to expect. It wasn't long before I learned of Ryan Stasik's (Umphrey's McGee) involvement, as well as some serious Charleston musicians, including keyboardist / synth master Ross Bogan. After hearing Doom's first few releases and getting my first taste of synthwave, I sat down with Ross to learn a little more about the overall vision for this project. Check out the full conversation below, and see below for details on the Doom Flamingo's free live stream from Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday, February 16th via The Relix Channel!

Let's start off with the original idea for Doom Flamingo. What sparked the original idea? How did you guys bring it to life?

Ross: Ryan (Stasik) moved to Charleston a few years ago, as did Vince (Iwinski), who is Umphrey's McGee's manager. Umphrey's was playing a show here that Friends With Benefits, who our manager (Hank Wharton) was putting on. Ryan reached out about putting together a group of local musicians for an afterparty. He and Brendan Bayliss (Umphrey's) have another band, Omega Moos, that couldn't make it. Hank reached out to me with a few ideas for potential band members. I was driving back from Grand Canyon with Amy, my girlfriend. We were driving the van cross country. I remember getting the text and being blown away. Stasik wants to start a band. Amy looked at me and said, "Don't get in a wreck." 

I had been listening to a lot of Synthwave at the time. My friend Jon Black had been sending me playlists. I really fell in love with that music, so I pitched the idea to Ryan and Mike (Quinn), and they were on board immediately. Within about thirty minutes, I think we had figured out the concept of the band and the name, Doom Flamingo. We were tossing some ridiculous names back and forth. Ryan really liked the idea of using Doom in some fashion. I wasn't so sure about Doom Flamingo initially, but I rolled with it. Afterwords, things were just starting to warm up, and I was noticing flamingos everywhere. 

So we embarked on this Synthwave journey, and it was something we really didn't have much experience with. Just from working with each band member in the past, I know that all we need is a set goal for the show. We'll figure out a way to pull it off. Whether it's an Earth Wind & Fire tribute, Black Sabbath tribute, or even re-scoring The Exorcist, we've been able to pull off quite a few concepts. Doom Flamingo encompasses all of our different skills and puts them into one band. Musically, we're sort of all over the place. Several of the guys are deeply rooted in jazz, as well as funk. I've been in the jam and reggae scenes for a while. It's cool that we're going with this concept. 

Synthwave is usually coming from one person. It's interesting to approach this music with six people. We took it into the studio to nail down some tracks for the first show (May 31st, 2018). I had a few demos, and we worked on the instrumental parts. Kanika (Moore) came in and already had three songs completely written. She went in the other room and started singing "F-16" with one of the instrumentals. She really blew us away. We were just like, "Holy shit. This has insane potential." We all saw it then and there. Since then, we've been going pretty balls-to-the-wall with it. Constantly sending each other music and ideas. 

It's definitely a unique concept. What do you guys hope to accomplish here in year two?

Ross: As far as goals, the idea is to get as many gigs as possible. We're getting into some festivals to be announced soon. There are some other offers on the table, which we're really excited about. When we were first starting, I wondered how much we could actually play around the Umphrey's schedule. How often would Ryan want to play? He's got two young children now. Seeing how stoked he is about it, and how much he pushes us to try new things. It's been a really cool experience. 

It's been amazing to watch this band come to life. I remember hearing about this idea last Spring and wondering what would come from it. Once I heard that first recording of "F-16," I think I had the same reaction that you guys did. 

Ross: Oh yeah. It's interesting. I've never dabbled in pop music. When I was previously playing with this reggae band, I was making beats and instrumentals. I took that same approach, and once we got in the studio, the tracks really came to life. Kanika's writing really blew me away. I believe this is the first original project that she has recorded with. It's pretty wild to see what a raw talent she is. I've wanted to get this group of musicians together for a while now. We've all played multiple gigs together. To have all of this come together is pretty phenomenal. I'm really excited and want to play as much as possible. 

Watch Doom Flamingo performing in Richmond, VA here:

I would imagine so. I'll be honest, I wasn't familiar with synthwave at all prior to this band. For the sake of anyone else who's wondering what the genre is all about, how would you explain the band's take on it?

Ross: I've heard it described as what 80s synthesizer musicians thought music would sound like in the future. It's kind of retro-futuristic. Obviously, the technology has changed since the electronic scene of the early 80s. We have a few more tools to apply to it. While it does have the 80s reference and aesthetic, it also has a futuristic vibe as well. We've been working with this (visual) artist named Iron Skullet. He has a really nice synopsis of what synthwave is on his site (ironskullet.com). He wraps it up pretty nicely, if you're ever looking to learn more about it. It's really interesting. There are so many genres within synthwave. There's darksynth, which is rooted in heavy metal music, but with synthesizers. There's Outrun, which is sort of driving music. There's dreamwave, which is poppier, dreamy synthesizer music.

There's quite a few elements that fall under the umbrella. Most synthwave artists are rooted in one of those styles. We're trying to tackle all of them, while playing with a live band. Obviously, we're all improvisational musicians at our core. We play gigs where we just roll with it for three hours all the time. That comes out in our live show. You've got Ryan's background with Umphrey's McGee... Those guys are some of the craziest improvisational musicians in the game. The way they play together as a band is pretty special. They're unlike any other band I've ever seen.

That's a fact. They're a freakin' machine.

Ross: That's a great description. It's a machine. 

You guys have how many shows under your belt at this point?

Ross: We just did our sixth show in Richmond. 

How is the calendar shaping up the band? I know there are some nice opportunities with Umphrey's afterparties. Is there a specific game plan or forecast that you guys have in mind?

Ross: Right now, we have shows around Umphrey's schedule in New York City at Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville at Mercy Lounge, Denver at Cervantes' Masterpiece, and more in the works.  We also headline French Broad River Festival outside of Asheville in May, and have more festivals soon to announce... We're trying to hit as many of the major markets as we can. We're going full speed ahead and hope to make it as big as we possibly can. There are big hopes and aspirations for Doom. Seeing the feedback after having 600+ people at a show, it's been pretty mind blowing for all of us.

The way people have been receiving us has been crazy. There's so much that you can do with this concept. I've seen people dressed in Doom Flamingo costumes. It's pretty cool. We have this comic book coming out as well. We just got the script from our buddy Jordan Noir, who we met on Instagram. We're really excited about that. The more the comic grows, I believe we can incorporate more musical characters from other bands and friends. It's such a conceptual thing. There's really no limit to it, as far as creativity is concerned.

You've been releasing the originals as singles thus far. Is that the formula the the band plans to stick with?

Ross: The reason we've been releasing singles is so we could get some initial material out there. Something for people to actually listen to. We had shows in place, and I think people were wondering, "What is this?" We wanted to get some material out there as quickly as possible. I think the single is definitely becoming more common, with people's attention spans dwindling in the music scene. Creatively, we do want to release a full album. Right now, we have an EP in the works which should show more of the overall vision. 


Doom Flamingo: A Wild 80’s Synthwave Party That Never Ends October 22, 2018 11:02

Words and Photos by Nicholas Lintz 

We were super fortunate to get invited out to Doom Flamingo’s second and third show this past weekend where we were nothing short of blown away. Doom Flamingo is a side project featuring the boisterous vocalist Kanika Moore (Motown Throwdown), bassist Ryan Stasik (Umphrey’s Mcgee), Ross Bogan (The Movement/Robo Trio), saxophonist Mike Quinn (artist at large), Thomas Kenny (Terraphonics), and Stu White of (White/Bogan Duo).  
-
We found ourselves losing track of time and our dance moves from the moment Doom Flamingo hit the stage. Doom started each show with a dark improv jam right before Kanika stormed the stage and stole our ears with her powerful voice. There was no time to catch your breath or take a break as Doom Flamingo mashed the gas the entire show. The band did an amazing job of capitalizing on each one of the artist individual talents during showcase solos across the night. Each show was filled with deep soulful vocals, dark synths, heavy basslines and filthy sax and guitar solos. 
-
These shows were honestly like nothing I had ever seen before, an extremely rare take on wildly fun 80s synthwave jams. They were truly one-of-a-kidThe reception from the audience was loud, emotional and energetic both nights. We were floored, and I found myself speechless. Doom Flamingo hits hard with fresh originals as well as improv takes on 80’s covers. One of the things that surprised us the most was how different each night's show was, as you will see in the setlist below. Obviously, a lot of love and hard work has been poured into this project. It is surprising that they have only played three shows together with the amount of precision and fluidity that they unveil. We are  extremely excited to see what Doom Flamingo has in store for us next. If you haven’t gotten on the D.F. train yet, you should. This new group is truly testing the waters of sound. Do not be surprised to see these guys hitting the festival circuit here soon.
-
Listen to Doom Flamingo's "F-16" here:
-
-
Listen to Doom Flamingo's "Telepathy" here:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
 

Umphrey's McGee Braves The Storm For Wild Night In Charleston June 4, 2018 13:40

Words & Photos by Nicholas Lintz: Live & Listen

While the weather tried to ruin what felt like a one-day festival last Thursday night, Umphrey's McGee and their supporting cast prevailed. Umphrey's was prepared to headline with two sets alongside opener Perpetual Groove at the Grove in Patriots Point down in the low country of Charleston SC, an area the Umphrey's frequently resides. Shortly after the gates opened, a massive storm crept up the coast and dumped what felt like a foot of rain on The Grove, forcing forced Perpetual Groove to end a little early. But a little rain wasn't going to stop this party. As soon as the storm passed, the staff quickly managed to get prepped for Umphrey's to take the stage, while folks continued to roll in by both car and boat.

While you could find some dry areas, I found myself stepping around in six inches of water all night. I have never been so excited get outside and dance in the rain. The stage was set for what was sure to be a special occasion with Umphrey's. I saw more kids jumping in puddles and more smiling faces than I've seen in quite some time. After the staff rebounded from the heavy storms, Umphrey's quickly took the stage and began delivering the funk. What was supposed to be two sets turned into a massive, nonstop 13-song set. The eventual triple encore included the debut of "What We Could Get," as well as a Pink Floyd "Comfortably Numb" cover. You can also find the full setlist + footage from the encore below. 

While the lights that Umphrey's travels with are always elite, the acoustics created by this unique tree-surrounded clearing by the water made the overall production that much more special. The teams from from Friends With Benefits Productions, known for events such as The Major Rager, as well as Charleston's WEmusic, were responsible for bringing us all the heat on this wild Thursday night. FWB focuses on community-driven events that help the surrounding areas. Thursday's event raised funds for two more than worthy, local causes: Communities in School Charleston and the Rockers 4 Knockers.

After the guys from Umphrey's shut down the Grove, much of the crowd progressed to the afterparty, which was just a short quarter mile walk away from the show. The afterparty was kicked off by a very a fresh rhythmic local group called The Artisanals. This would set the stage for the eventual debut of Doom Flamingo, a brilliant new all-star group of Charleston musicians including bassist Ryan Stasik, keyboardist Ross Bogan, drummer Stuart White, saxophonist Mike Quinn, guitarist Thomas Kenney, vocalist Kanika Moore. This group brought together some unprecedented, psychedelic fueled 80's jams that I have never seen in such fashion.

While each independent artist had something special to bring to the table, the lovely Kanika Moore stole the show with her alluring vibes and rhythmic melody. If there was anything I took away from this weekend, it was to not miss anything Friends With Benefits has a hand in, and that the 'Rise of Doom Flamingo' will continue to be an exciting, special evolution. We are excited to see what the future holds here at Live and Listen. 

Artwork by Kyndall Cooper

Setlist: Umphrey's McGee - The Grove at Patriot's Point - 05.31.18

Set: Make It Right, In The Kitchen[1], Get In The Van, Mantis > Xmas at Wartime, You & You Alone, Sociable Jimmy > Puppet String, 1348 > Half Delayed > 1348, Day Nurse > Mantis

Encore: Miss Tinkle's Overture, What We Could Get[2], Comfortably Numb

[1] with Dr. Feelgood (Mötley Crüe) jam
[2] debut, original

Notes:
show played as one set due to the weather

Watch a clip of "Comfortably Numb" here:

Check out 'Vicarious Views w/ Umphrey's McGee & Doom Flamingo' here: