Who is Rachel Car?

Rachel Car: Who is Rachel Car? I am titled "the electrolady of synthpop music". But I guess I would say Rachel Car is a dark electro dance music artist with a fetish for glamour and style from the past.


Does this fetish play a role in your life, both on and offstage, what kind of role?

Rachel Car: Yes, it does. Furnishing and costumes on and off stage are important from the more glamourous days, which I feel today is somewhat lost. Jeans and t-shirts are the everyday costume for most, even when they visit a nightclub or venue. I love to dress for any occasion and am sensetive to my surroundings. I love an atmosphere, whatever that my be. Sterile environments tend to make me nervous.


What role did Music play in your childhood? What were your favorite artists?

Rachel Car: I was playing piano and going to music academies as of age six. My mother was a fantastic classic piano player, and played often. As a teen I started cutting up audio tape to make remixes on tow double deck tape players. So I guess I have always done music to some extent, consciously or not. My favorite artists? Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, ABC, Duran Duran, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk - and a ton of old school Hip Hop from the late 80's. Any strange remix of a pop song. Now I have branched out and learned about a ton of other artists and DJ's, like Kruder and Drorfmeister, Hot Clip, Ladytron, Two Sandwiches Sort of a Lunchbox. But the first group of artists will always be my staples for favorites. There are just too many to name.


How would you describe your music?

Rachel Car: I would say it's a hodge podge of dark synthpop mixed with dreamy electro with a dash of Hip Hop and a dancefloor wedge on the side.

You do everything on your own, how do you work on songs and do you never miss having other bandmembers?

Rachel Car: I work on songs in layers, so I have to play each sound one at a time and keep building. I enjoy it immensely. Yes, sometimes I miss working with my band, it was great fun to do live shows and collaborate with them. I plan to play live again shortly, so it will be good.


You released 1 album, 1 ep and a remix album. The remix album has remixes from songs of the first album, why this remix album?

Rachel Car: We had so many DJ's and remixers emailing and asking to remix me or work together with me, so we figured, why not?

Was it hard to pick the right remixes from the album, sometimes you get great ones and sometimes lesser versions, what were your criteria?

Rachel Car: Sound Quality, creativity and whether I personally liked it or not. Some remixes came back from artists that I didn't like at all, and some were fantastic. We only had a certain number of slots available. I wish we could have included a couple of more, but ran out of space. It was very interesting to hear a DJ's take on my original work, esspecially how some used a few of my originally played instruments and funky things they did to my vocals. Very talented group of guys.


For who would you love to do a remix?

Rachel Car: I would love to remix a song from The Duke Spirit if I had my way.


How are the comments so far on the remix album?

Rachel Car: So far, so good!

What is the comment you received you loved the most?

Rachel Car: '" I know you want me" is sick!' :) it was a compliment that was short and sweet and appreciated.


You recently moved from California to Las Vegas, why did you this. Which city has the most temptations according you?

Rachel Car: Why did I move? Well, having been born and raised in Los Angeles, and knowing how I love Las Vegas for all the right (and wrong) reasons, I decided to finally try something else. Plus I am chasing rat pack era real estate out in Vegas.


Which city has the most temptations?

Rachel Car: Vegas, of course! Plus everything in L.A. shuts down by 2 am, and Vegas is 24 hours.


Would you say you are a party girl, what is your personal favorite temptation?

Rachel Car: I wouldn't say I was a straight party girl, but I love to socialize, hear good music and chat with a lot of people. And cocktails always put everyone in a festive mood.

How important is the visual part for you or is the focus pure on music? 

Rachel Car: Visual is important, but it has to jive with the music. Visual is sometimes the narrative to how someone else involved sees the music, but music is my passion.

Rachel Car: I played live and performed many venues in Hollywood and West L.A. with undercurrent. But as Rachel Car solo, not yet. It's not as straight forward as performing with a rock act. We're working on it.

What will be next for Rachel Car?

Rachel Car: Well, currently working on completing another album, shooting more music video's (one was just posted on vimeo for the song "Behave" from the EP) and a live act will commence shortly.


Any last words for the readers?

Rachel Car: I am open to suggestions of what you would like to hear or see me do next.

www.rachelcar.com