Yacht Do More Than Rock

BY Cam LindsayPublished Jul 24, 2009

Yacht are comprised of founder Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans. But Yacht are so much more than just two people. "We don't believe in specialization. We don't consider ourselves specialists. We consider ourselves generalists," says Bechtolt of the infinite project. "Music is just one of the things we do. It's not our main focus. That's not to say we're not focused when we make music, because we completely are. But we also put everything we have into everything else we do."

On See Mystery Lights, the fourth Yacht full-length and first with Evans as a full-timer, the couple pushed their philosophy to the max. With inspiration from recording in Marfa, TX, a wonderland famous for its unexplainable "mystery lights" and holographic artwork by renowned cover artist Boyd Elder, Yacht's music has become an amorphous compound of electronic production, found sounds, boy/girl harmonies and far-out rhythms. Just the sort of thing you expect to hear from their new label, DFA (LCD Soundsystem, the Juan Maclean).

The lack of boundaries allow Yacht to thrive in whatever medium they like. "We believe there is an evolutionary disadvantage to be specialists," says Evans. "That's what causes extinction in the animal world, over specialization. We feel it's the same way when you're making art and music."

Bechtolt recognizes that while the two are busy mixing up their media, music is the bread and butter. "We're most well known for making music, and that's great," he says. "But that's not all we do." Adds Evans: "Yacht is whatever Yacht is whenever Yacht is doing that thing."

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