Dennis A. Amith interviews PROTOCULTURE (2002) - PAGE 1

    Protoculture. The Vancouver-based duo featuring the talents of Ed Quan and Jeff Jang have been capturing the attention of music fans with their alternative rock sound featuring crunchy guitars, driving backbeats, ambient samples, and jazz stylings coupled with thought invoking lyrics.

    With many Asian American talent being bombarded by male and female dance groups, it is refreshing to see a rock band featuring two Asian Americans with musical and lyrical talent.

    The two musicians met each other at the University of British Columbia. Ed Quan who was studying film and psychology and a drummer at heart (responsible for the drums, percussion and BG for Protoculture) met the classical guitar student, Jeff Jang (lead vocalist, guitarist, bassist and sequencing) when the two were part of the music group, "South of Main".

    A few years later the two formed their own band, Protoculture and have since released two EP's which were produced by Larry Anschell (producer for nickelback, Bif Naked and Sarah McLachlan).

     I recently had the opportunity to interview Jeff Jang and Ed Quan of Protoculture.

DENNIS: In high school, what kind of student were you? The jock, the student, stoner, etc.?
JEFF: I'm not really sure what kind of student I was. That was quite some time ago. I was probably your average student, nothing special. Average grades, average popularity, you know, your average, middle-of-the-road, non-offensive teenager.
ED: The outsider that didn't have a clique, but mixed in a bunch of them.

DENNIS: You both live in Canada. I'm curious…what does Canada have that the US doesn't?
ED: BC Bud and government health care, but don't let me speak to soon, because every moment we are losing it.
JEFF: That's a very interesting question Dennis. We are definitely neighbors, so we do share many attitudes, such as the belief in capitalism and our obsession with consumerism, but I think there are differences that make our countries unique. Other than the obvious. For example national healthcare, colorful money and how we end our sentences with "eh" as opposed to "huh", I feel there is a greater sense of empathy in Canadians. Now please don't get offended. I have American relatives and friends who are wonderful souls. Plus, one only had to turn on CNN after 9/11 to see the amazing spirit of the American people. What I'm referring to is the attitudes towards people who are "different", be it race, sex, tax bracket, occupation, etc. Don't get me wrong. There's plenty of discrimination going on here in the "Great White North", but generally, and I use that word cautiously, it is less extreme. Living next to a Superpower, not to mention the entertainment capital of the world, has created an inferiority complex in us. We tend to apologize more, treat people extra nice, and shit on ourselves all at the same time. It's kind of like having a famous older sibling. You're jealous, bitter, and in awe at the same time. So I don't believe Canadians are better than Americans, just different.

DENNIS: Are there any Canadian artists or musicians that you enjoy listening to?
JEFF: There's The Tragically Hip and Big Sugar, both out of Toronto. I was a big Rush fan when I was younger. There are some jazz artists that are doing some cool stuff. That's about it. Because the Canadian music industry is so small (roughly 2% of worldwide music sales), it tends to be pretty generic. Find something that worked in the states, and then create a "Canadian" version of it. I'm not going to name names because I don't want to get into that useless mudslinging stuff but just listen to the radio sometime. You know what I mean.
ED: Absolutely! The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo and I Mother Earth.

DENNIS: If there was any musician or artist that you guys would love to work with (living or deceased), who would that be and why?
ED: That's a toughy. Radiohead, The Beta Band or Stone Temple Pilots. I love the open playground of experimentation in Radiohead and The Beta Band but I also love the modern and classic songs and sounds of STP.
JEFF: Can I only pick one? How about John Lennon, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Julian Bream, Melissa Etheridge, Radiohead, XTC, Sting, U2, David Bowie, etc.? My list would go on for days, but really, it would simply include anyone famous or not famous that has ever inspired me with his or her music.

DENNIS: Let's talk about the music history of both of you. How did each of you get involved in music?
JEFF: I started taking classical guitar lessons when I was seven.
ED: I remember being in elementary school and hearing the highschool band play in the gymnasium. When I heard those drums I was addicted. I didn't start until I was fourteen.

DENNIS: How long ago did you decide that you wanted to make music a career rather than just a hobby?
ED: On a serious level, about five years ago.
JEFF: Like I mentioned earlier, I've always wanted to be a musician. But as far as a conscious decision goes, probably when I hit 19. I quit my job and went to music school.

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