A Renaissance man of the old school; urbane, witty, twinkly-eyed, always in a tidy suit, Jim Sclavunos is a product of the time when New York’s Lower East Side saw a glorious collision of art and rock & roll. Born in Brooklyn to Italian and Greek parents, Sclavunos cut his teeth as a musician alongside Lydia Lunch in Teenage Jesus & The Jerks before going on to stints in The Cramps and an early incarnation of Sonic Youth. Since 1994, his skills as a percussionist have made him a core member of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and their parallel project, the feral garage rock group Grinderman. Aside from his work as a musician, Sclavunos is increasingly making his name as a producer, remixer and radio presenter.
In this Quietus’ At Leisure film – a series looking at cult musicians and their hobbies – Sclavunos guides us through the Tiki cocktail culture that swept America in the 1950s, and discusses his love of mixing drinks – relating it to his own work in recording studios: "as a producer I’m really interested in mixes," he says; "it’s always important to get the right balance, and to make sure that one thing or another doesn’t predominate too much". To read our profile of Jim Sclavunos, visit the Lush website. The Quietus at Leisure was produced by Luke Turner and shot and edited by Ethan Reid. The series is produced in association with Lush.
