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Monotonous may not seem an entirely flattering way to describe The Race’s Ice Station, but this quality is what makes it such a notable work of art. After all, when you’re singing about the arctic monochrome of ice stations and snow blindness, how better to convey the feeling of oppressive sensory-deprived solitude than through the foreboding staccato of a bass-driven rhythm and minimal, repetitive lyrics? Craig Klein, the creative force behind The Race, shares his inspiration with us in this installment of Required Listening.
Who are The Race?
My name is Craig Klein and i write the songs for the group. on the recording i play a lot of different instruments but when we perform i just stick to singing and guitar. Alfredo Nogueira handles the rest of the guitar and does some singing. Jeremy Parker plays bass. Kevin Duneman plays the drums. Josh Eustis plays keyboards and sings, he also recorded the album.
Why do you create?
beyond being in love with the feeling of seeing something come from nothing (lets call it houdini complex,) i happen to think its about the only thing i’m really any good at.
Your bio says that you found inspiration for this album in Siberia. I’ve long wanted to travel to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East because it seems to be one of the few truly remote places remaining today. Why does Siberia appeal to you?
exactly. you look at a map and you see that huge blank space - it makes up something like 70% of Russia. very few dots on there. i think there arent many places like that left. and russia’s population is actually shrinking so it isn’t exactly like people are clamoring to relocate in omsk or irkutsk - it probably hasnt changed all that much in the last 50 years. ive read alot of books about it but its such an unknown to me. russian, arctic, asian - of course you have the whole dr. zhivago feeling, or the kurosawa movie dersu - the frozen expanses - the endless plains - white nights - and then of course, all those dark parts of history. ripe material for one with some gothic tendencies.
You recorded Ice Station in Chicago during the summer and fall of 2006. Often when musicians achieve a certain success, they record albums in frozen Scottish castles or verdant French country estates. Where and in what season would you most like to record your music?
I’m picturing september in some dillapidated mansion on the atlantic coast near savannah georgia.
I lost a good friend to cancer last year, so the possibility of imminent tragedy has been present in my mind for the last several months. Do you have any fears about your future (or if not, why?)
im really sorry about your friend.
i had a health scare recently, i woke up one morning and couldn’t feel half of my face. i got some kind of temporary paralysis - couldnt close my eye, move my mouth, or chew. it only lasted a few weeks thankfully but before i knew what it was and i didnt know what the hell was going on it scared the hell out of me.
iwas freaking out and i talked to my brother who works at a hospital - he started telling me about people who were really truly sick that hed see every day - people with cancer and all other kinds of horrible things - and that really put me in my place. basically i am scared as hell about the future, but i try to use that to motivate me to take advantage of whatever time i have now. basically, to get off my ass and do the things i know i should be doing.
Thanks to The Race for sharing the title track from their album Ice Station with us here on Required Listening. You can purchase music by The Race on 
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