Golden B.C. was started in 2006 by Brian Offredi. Meant initially to realize music for the short films he had been creating, the project became his main focus for the past 15 years. Moving from folk-rock to prog concept albums and now electronic, Golden B.C. has evolved continuously over time.
In 2021, Golden B.C. released his 6th studio album ‘Denouement,’ a largely electronic album with touches of industrial and trip-hop. The first single from the project was called “Rachel.” The song was written about Lou Reed’s 1970’s trans girlfriend, who was primarily erased from his history after they broke up, despite playing an integral role during those peak creative years. A touching and candidly written song, “Rachel” extracts the crudest feelings from its listeners.
The song’s upbeat tempo is quickly subdued by Golden B.C.’s airy delivery and reserved vocals. He allows the instrumental in taking hold of the audience by breathing at various points in the song.
A masterful construct of conventional and unconventional instruments, “Rachel” gives listeners a fresh and unique sound in a time where the music scene tends to feel over-saturated. Golden B.C.’s ability to recreate sentiments from an ancient time is undeniably acute. The unhindered grasp he has on his craft makes this project a must-listen for anyone looking to diversify their audible experience.
Golden B.C.’s fortitude had been put to the test during the pandemic, as the creation of his album ‘Denouement’ had been put in jeopardy. With a complete soundtrack and a significant diversification of sounds. We look forward to discovering the next step in his evolution.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Golden B.C. Congrats on the release of "Rachel." What can you tell us about youths meaning that's laced into this song?
Thanks! I've always been a big Lou Reed fan, from the Velvets to his solo stuff. The part that's frustrating about him as an artist is that he seemed like a massive asshole, especially in his treatment of his girlfriend Rachel in the '70s. From everything I read, she was his muse and went everywhere with him, even getting shoutouts on a few songs. But after they broke up, she dropped out of sight, maybe by choice, but Lou's history largely glossed over her for a long time. The song was my attempt to imagine what their dynamic was like: a speed-addled Lou, raging against everything in typical self-destructive fashion, and Rachel, a trans woman in a relationship with a junkie rock star. I wasn't there, so it's all just imagined, but it's interesting to try and guess our heroes without the nostalgia.
What message do you wish to convey to your fanbase with the release of this single?
I think it's important to remember that the people you idolize are just people; they've done regrettable things like the rest of us. People tend to see artists as all one thing or another, all bad or all good. Recognizing the nuance takes more consideration, but it can ultimately make the art more rewarding. Or it can ruin it for you forever. It's a fine line, I guess.
What impact does the creation process have on you when creating a song with such a powerful message?
I think that "Rachel" is the first time I've tried to sing as two different characters in a song. I didn't want to actively change my voice to sound like either character though, it felt too much like a caricature. So for the first half, when I'm singing as Lou, I wanted to use some different vocal effects for those parts and give it kind of a drunk vibe. When Rachel got to speak in the second half, I did away with all of the effects of that performance. I wanted her to be heard plainly and clearly, and differently than Lou's parts.
How difficult was it to create an entire album while submerged in the hardships brought on by the pandemic?
A lot of people found writing during the pandemic easier. They were freed from distractions. I found it hard as hell to write anything worthwhile in isolation. I had written a few songs but almost abandoned the album because I couldn't get things to sound writing. And the lyrics were harsh. Without any external experiences, I felt uninspired. So this was the first record I had to sit and think about what I was doing, not just smash things together to see what sticks. I can see where the weird brain fog we all experienced while being stuck at home for so long affected the song structure because the whole record felts disjointed. In the end, I leaned into that, and I think it created a much more unique history than I would have made otherwise.
What's next for Golden B.C.?
I always have many projects in my mind that I want to get around to one day: an acoustic album, a bizarre Scott Walker-like record. I'm currently writing a film score for a fictional horror movie as a pet project. It's very John Carpenter-esque, and who knows if it'll even come out, but it's been fun to try something instrumental. Also, I've been combing through my old hard drives and have found a ton of unreleased material that I'd like to package into a b-sides collection.