If the name Planet Booty doesn’t grab your attention, then we’re not sure what will.
Again, Planet. Booty.
You with us? Ok, good. Now that we’ve got you engaged, we’ll explain what, or in this case, who, Planet Booty is. Better yet, we’ll let the endorphin-fueled electro-funk dance group tell you themselves in an exclusive Music.com Q & A interview.
Q- Who is Planet Booty?
Planet Booty is a high energy trio consisting of Dylan Charles Germick (Vocals, trumpet, beats), Josh Cantero (Vocals, Talkbox/keys, trombone) and Rob Gwin (Bass, Percussion, Electronics)
Q- How exactly do you get the name Planet Booty?
It was a vision. I (Dylan) moved to California to start a band with my older brother Nathan back in ‘07. I had just finished college in the Midwest and after a sweaty summer working for a posh NYC hotel I came to the Bay Area with a head full of images and ideas (along with an obsession with early ‘90s Booty music). My brother and I decided to go full on concept album and after months of fusing our wide ranging musical minds together and watching a lot of Sun-Ra; I literally had a vision of my brother Nathan and I on a flier wearing Earth, Wind, and FIre-like outfits in the middle of the cosmos next to the words PLANET BOOTY. The name hasn’t let go since.
Q- How long has PB been making music?
We finished our first album in 2009 though many of the members have been music their whole lives. Josh studied vocal jazz at Phil Mattson’ School for Music in Iowa, Nathan and Rob were in the SF band Kooken and Hoomen from the early 2000s, and I (Dylan) have been singing in front of the mirror ever since I could remember.
Nathan Germick, who has been mentioned a few times, has taken a back seat recently to pursue work and spend time with family while working on other musical endeavors on the side.
PB-dylaltar-web
Q- What does a perfect day look like for PB?
For every member it might be a little different but for me; hit up some early morning yoga, eat breakfast at OB’s Café in Oakland, a walk around Lake Merrit, pickup a freshly pressed suit from the cleaners, fill a huge concert hall full of people, and electrify their lives for the night…. followed by a late night strawberry sundae (or some freshly made doughnuts) of course.
Q- Where did the inspiration for the “Das Booty” video come from?
We wanted to make a video that left no doubt in people’s mind what kind of energy we bring to the stage. We knew these amazing dancers, I really wanted to find a way to use a 50ft slip n’ slide in a video, and our friend’s dad lived on a pirate ship in SF Bay. We knew we had the makings of something great.
Side note, we ended up being held up at gunpoint and actually shot at (unharmed) during our first attempt at making this video. It was a very intense experience obviously that made the BBQ scenes so celebratory and what ultimately made this ridiculous music video very meaningful for us to finish. Its like Planet Booty in general, this seemingly ridiculous thing that actually has a lot of heart and meaning behind its existence.
Q- You’re forced to listen to one artist for the rest of your life- who’s it gonna be?
Damn!! Well again the other two might have different answers for you but here’s a list that I would probably just point to with a blindfold on and live with the result.
Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Prince, Marvin Gaye, R. Kelly.
Q- Where does PB want to be in one year?
All over your Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, watching our next video go viral on YouTube, on Colbert’s new Late Night show, at your favorite music festival, in every major US city, all over the freaking world!
But most importantly… on the dance floor drenched in sweat with you.
Q- Anything else you’d like to tell the people?
A large part of the music industry is a ridiculous spectacle. Everyone in it spends their time trying to convince the world how cool they are, posting a manicured life so that from the outside looking in someone can feel confident that whatever it is they are checking out is something worthwhile. What happens when you challenge that premise? What happens when you are fearlessly yourself no matter how it looks from the outside? What happens when you decide to play and let go of the seriousness of everyday life for a moment? What happens when you realize you can be sexy, silly, and seriously genuine all at the same time? There’s an all out joy you experience with Planet Booty and you can see it in the glow of everyone’s face after a show. We want to spread that joy to anyone willing to take that chance. Dancing and going out to the club isn’t just for one type of person – the magazines and popular music videos might have you thinking otherwise. You don’t have to wear a certain kind of outfit or even be at any particularly special place. You just need permission to go outside of yourself and have the amazingly fun time all of us humans secretly want to have. Planet Booty strives to give you that permission. Whether if it’s a dance party in your living room, on the street corner, or in a stadium, we want to help you to let go and transform whatever world is around you.
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Hell of an interview. That last answer is something we hope everyone can think about moving forward. Thanks again to Planet Booty for taking the time to talk to Music.com!