On Tour with Cari Cari and the Fisheye No. 2

Meet Cari Cari, the dynamic duo made up of the charismatic singer Stephanie and the talented guitarist Alex. Known for their captivating sound that has drawn in fans from London to Vienna, their music has even made it into popular TV shows like Shameless and The Magicians. Between cities and stages on their current tour, Stephanie and Alex took a moment to dive into something new – testing out the Fisheye No. 2 for us.

Hi Stephi & Alex, welcome to the Lomography online magazine! Please introduce yourself and your band a bit.

Stephanie: Hi! We are Stephanie and Alexander from the band Cari Cari. According to critics, our music sounds “like the soundtrack to a Tarantino movie”. I would rather say we make music like Tarantino makes movies. We mix everything we love – from Ennio Morricone to punk, hip hop, indie, and electronic music – and create our own style.

Alex: This blend of indie, rock, and a touch of psychedelia runs through our music and shapes our visual style, too.

Your art, both musically and visually, is a reminiscence of days long past. What and who inspires you?

Stephanie: We draw inspiration from many different sources. Musically, artists such as Black Sabbath, Nancy Sinatra and Ennio Morricone have influenced us a lot.

Alex: But I don't think it's just that. The way we record and work on our songs has also been shaped by my deep dive into electronic music. I was a DJ as a teenager and was heavily influenced by Justice, Boys Noize, and that whole Ed Banger wave. The nice thing was that this led to the emergence of a SoundCloud producer bubble. I took part in a lot of remix contests, where everyone provided stems for their tracks and gave each other feedback. This sample-based, remix-like approach flows very strongly into our songs.

Stephanie: Sometimes it feels like we're sampling ourselves.

Alex: Yes, and I definitely picked up this love for combining that rock 'n' roll aesthetic with modern elements from Justice as well.

Visually, we love the aesthetics of the 60s and 70s, which we often find in old movies and photographs. Traveling and nature also play a significant role in our inspiration. However, we don’t want to be a “retro band.” We’re always looking for a contemporary approach.

Besides music, photos also seem to play a significant role for you, as a quick look at your Instagram account reveals. What does analogue photography mean to you?

Stephanie: Analogue photography holds a special kind of magic for us. It captures moments that often get lost in the digital realm – the colors, the grain, and those little imperfections make each image unique. It’s also a way to connect more mindfully with the moment since you don’t see the results right away. This aligns well with our approach to experiencing things more slowly and consciously.

Alex: Absolutely. This type of photography encourages you to take your time and think carefully about what you want to capture, rather than just snapping 100 pictures on your iPhone and never looking at them again.

When we reached out to you, you mentioned being fans of Lomography. Do you remember when and how you first discovered us?

Stephanie: Oh yes, it was such a memorable moment! Back in school, a friend and I discovered a Lomo camera at the MuseumsQuartier shop in Vienna. I think it was the Diana F+ – though I can’t quite remember, as the camera eventually disappeared at my friend’s place (laughs). We bought it together and would pass it to the other person every month. Since then, I’ve been a huge fan. Analogue photography has been part of me ever since!

We sent you a Fisheye No. 2. Where have you been testing it?

Stephanie: We took the Fisheye No. 2 with us on our tour through Scandinavia. On the Baltic Sea, by ferry, in cities like Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Oslo and Stockholm.

What were your first impressions of the Fisheye No. 2?

Stephanie: It was incredible fun! The Fisheye No. 2 opens up completely new perspectives and allows you to be creative with composition and space. The curves and distortions in particular gave the images something playful and surreal, which we really liked.

What are your plans for the new year?

Stephanie: We’re currently working on new songs and planning to record our next album. We also have some exciting tours and festivals lined up that we’re really looking forward to. And, of course, we want to keep traveling and gathering new inspirations – our analogue camera will always be along for the ride!

And finally, do you have a little piece of wisdom to share with our community?

Stephanie: Take your time to enjoy and appreciate the small moments in life. In our fast-paced world, it’s important to step back occasionally and capture the beauty of the moment – whether through music, photography, or simply by being fully present.

If you want to know more about Stephanie, Alex and their band, check out their Instagram, Spotify and Website.

written by dominik_rinortner on 2024-11-09 #gear #culture #people #music #europe #tour #fisheye-no-2 #first-impressions