Jun
25
Oasis get a new soul, and an album
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Oasis are set to return later this year with a new single and their seventh studio album. The first single will be ‘The Shock Of The Lightning’ and the album, ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ is in-stores October 7th; it is the first new Oasis music since last year’s ‘Lord Don’t Slow Me Down,’ taken from the on the road film of the same name.
‘Dig Out Your Soul’ sees Dave Sardy return to the producer’s chair following his work on their 2005 album, ‘Don’t Believe The Truth.’ Recorded at Abbey Road and mixed in Los Angeles, all four members once again contribute tracks, but the recording marks a new approach for the band as described by the band’s principle songwriter, Noel Gallagher:
“I wanted to write music that had a groove; not songs that followed that traditional pattern of verse, chorus and middle eight. I wanted a sound that was more hypnotic; more driving. Songs that would draw you in, in a different way. Songs that you would maybe have to connect to - to feel.”
The lead single is still unmistakably Oasis, a Noel penned song with Liam’s immediately familiar voice to the fore underlining their distinctive brand of finger in the socket rock ’n’ roll.
‘The Shock Of The Lightning’ may well represent the most recognizable Oasis song on the album but, again, the new approach on ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ was present on this lead track as Noel explains:
“If ‘The Shock Of The Lightning’ sounds instant and compelling to you, it’s because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast. ‘The Shock of The Lightning’ basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there’s a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best.”
May
15
Around The World - The Presets
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In the heart of Sydney’s CBD, at Modular Headquarters, singer Julian Hamilton and drummer Kim Moyes are eagerly awaiting the release of their second album, Apocalypso. In a quiet boardroom, this duo known as The Presets, talk candidly to Nick Milligan about winding down after two years of globe-trotting and then finding the inspiration to write music again.
Did you have any idea about what your new album might sound like when you finally had a chance to sit down and write it?
Kim: We had two EPs and an album, and having performed songs from those releases live, it was obvious to us what was working on stage and what we were digging the most. But it was never a case of sitting down and saying that we wanted to do a specific type of record. We spoke about putting stronger songs together.
Julian: We had a really good idea of what we loved playing live. The high energy songs were the best. But when we started writing, the songs dictated themselves. There are songs that we really love that didn’t make it on the [new] record, because they’re perfect for the mood that we were going for, but they don’t fit in with the rest of the songs.
Kim: There was a lot more pressure this time, as well. When we first started to deal with Modular, we did an EP here and an EP there. But having put in the work that we have to tour the world, we wanted to capitalise on our opportunities and not rush out a second album.
Were you surprised by anything that came out of the songwriting process?
Julian: No, not really surprised. But we were suprised by how fun it was again. Having toured for so long, we really didn’t have any new music in us. For the first album we had all of this new music in us that we just had to shit out, but this time round we didn’t feel like going to the toilet!
Kim: Once we cracked ‘My People’, which was the first song we finished, everything followed suit.
Julian: We’re very proud of this next step that we’ve taken, in terms of the songwriting, the melodies and the production. In four months we’ve gone from having nothing, to having a completed [second] record. I’m surprised that we’ve managed to do that! We had no beats, no words, no melodies - nothing. I’m amazed that we’ve managed to pull this out of our arse.
Kim: I had severe doubts about the time frame, because we’d set a specific date to have [Apocalypso] completed by. Julian said to me, “F**k, if we can’t pull this off then what’s the f**king point?” We’re talented musicians, so why wouldn’t we be able to do this?
Having toured the world, how do you think your music fits into an international context?
Julian: I don’t think our music is necessarily Australian sounding. When Kim and I met, we always loved bands like Air, Bjork or Massive Attack. [The Presets] wanted to make music for an international audience. The artists who really are selling out shows in America, like Architecture In Helsinki, Cut Copy and Midnight Juggernauts - I think of them as our Australian family, but I can’t think of a single Australian thing about them.
Kim: It doesn’t matter where you come from in the world. It sounds daggy, but music is supposed to transcend where you come from.
Julian: When we released our first EP (Blow Up), we used to get a bigger response from audiences in Germany than what we did back home. They seemed to get it straight away.
How did you come up with the name Apocalypso?
Julian: Some of the songs are dark, like ‘My People’ and ‘Kicking And Screaming’. Some of the lyrics are based on Apocalypse Now. But ‘Apocalypso’ feels like a party at the end of civilisation.
Apocalypso is out now through Modular.
May
14
Curved Ambition - Bindi Booth
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Local designer, illustrator and all-round creative type Bindi Booth, is making inroads in the world of graphic art. Her talent has been recognised by YEN Magazine’s 2008 Curvy 5 Project - an all-girl art book featuring the works of 100 of the world’s most exciting female illustrators and graphic designers - putting her on the prestigious list alongside artists such as Fafi, Fontaine Anderson and Kat Von D.
By Amanda Bevan
When did you first realise you were an artist and how did you become interested in art?
Well my background is in graphic design and - through this - I realised I much preferred to explore illustration and build this side of my folio.
What’s your background in art? Have you studied art or graphic design?
I studied art all the way through my school years and then had a couple of years studying Visual Communication at uni. I then attended a TAFE design department open day, got through the interviews, was accepted - and spent a very happy two years learning new skills and expanding my illustration and design portfolio.
How would you describe your art? You seem to have a lot of fashion-inspired pieces…
I’ve always drawn girls! I have scrapbooks from when I was in Year 3 at school full of my early girl drawings. I remember my Year 6 teacher telling me I should study graphic design because I drew so much in class! I guess I draw what I am interested in and what I am exposed to. I love all aspects of the fashion industry and I definitely see my future in some sort of role in this industry.
What inspires you to draw and how do you keep motivated?
Lots of things inspire me - girls, pastel colours, new clothes, new pencils, going to an exhibition or looking through a fashion magazine or art book. I always seem to have a few projects or jobs on the go at the one time. Motivation is the hardest thing. I guess I’m pretty organised and I always seem to have the next deadline looming or an idea I really want to get started so that’s enough motivation for me to keep going and think I’m on the right career path!
What artists have influenced you, and how?
Female illustrators, such as Deanne Cheuk and Beci Orpin have influenced and inspired me because they are making a living out of doing what they love.
How did you become involved in the Curvy 5 Art Book?
I had previously worked with the magazine YEN and through them I got involved with contributing a new illustration to Curvy #5.
How did it feel to be selected in the book, and what do you hope this exposure will bring for you?
It’s great to be part of the whole experience, to see first hand how supportive everyone is out there! There are so many networks and publications wanting to publish and encourage young artists. The Curvy exhibition is currently touring nationally and being part of that is great exposure! It’s also good to meet the other artists involved and form new friendships and networks with people on a similar path to me.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Still building my portfolio and working with great companies and brands on various projects. Hopefully also being involved in some area of the fashion industry - I’m not exactly sure just what yet, but Im quite happy how everything is going so I’m sure it will work itself out!
Bindi is currently working on a series of new limited edition prints which will be sold internationally. Head to Abicus, 124 Darby St, Cooks Hill to see some on display or go to www.bindibooth.com and www.myspace.com/bindibooth.
For more information on the Curvy 5 Art Book, including stockists, head to www.yenmag.net
May
13
Mad Dogs & Hip Hop Men - Resin Dogs
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Having pioneered Australian hip-hop for 12 years, Resin Dogs show no signs of slowing down. DJ Katch left his kennel for a quick chat with Grace Harding.
You’ve recently released a new album, More, how does this album differ from your previous releases?
It’s definitely a different step for the dogs. We tried to get more song structure this time around and have a more solidified sound than the last two. Back then there were two more writers involved in the band, and the last two records were like compilation records. More vocalists appear on this record than the last two put together and sonically its kills both as well.
What has been your most memorable gig?
Probably the BDO when we had Robert Reed from Trouble Funk (from Washington D.C.) playing with us. He is an all-time Legend. His band did the records Pump Me Up and Drop The Bomb, which are all-time classics. His band has been sampled as much as James Brown in the hip-hop scene and his records were championed by Afrika Bambatta, Grand Master Flash and every other hip-hop DJ. They even wrote for the Sugar Hill label and wrote music for a lot of Kutis Klow’s first records, so for him to come down to Australia, produce our first record and then tour with us, is something you would never ever dream of. That’s history book stuff, especially for this country. I never got to see Trouble Funk play except for on YouTube - they are the James Brown, Parliament, Funkadelic, Prince kind of royalty to me, and I’m sure the rest of the band would say so as well. If you hear their sound, you would say, “Ah yes, I see what Resin Dogs are about,” especially early on in our career.
You first came together in 1996 - how do you think your music and the Australian hip-hop industry, in particular your label Hydrofunk Records, has changed since then?
Oh yeah, when we first started out there were less people, less radio and TV playing hip-hop, less people buying it, and less people rapping. Now every man and his Myspace site is a rapper or has a hip-hop band, and/or a label. TV adverts are using hip-hop to sell stuff and there’s more hip-hop work shops and lectures. Hip-hop has been the voice of youth and now its been taken to the masses. The mainstream audience is more likely to listen to it now than ten years ago. We definitely brought the live element to the hip-hop performance, because there weren’t too many acts before us and definitely nobody doing what we were doing at the time, especially with the big band tours that we did. Not even the rock industry had a band like ours. We could almost play any stage at festivals and I think we did.
As for the label, we exposed some acts to people who may or may not have been listening to hip-hop and to major labels attention. At the end of the deal we also got everybody’s masters and rights back for their music - I don’t think anyone has done that.
Do the same things still drive you as a band to write music as they did when you first started?
I’m more driven now than before. These days finding time is hard when you take on a lot, but making time is always a must. I’ve built a little studio where I’m comfortable to work from and it’s very private and is a great working environment. Inspiration is better now than a few years back when I had a partner and was living in the city.
Your music is very eclectic, mixing all sorts of sounds. What Influences this?
Everything from playing, touring, DJing and digging in the record stores, to hanging out in other people’s studios, experiencing other cultures. When I drive around I sometimes find myself listening to the ethnic stations - not that I understand it all - but the music is always there and is interesting compared to most Western radio stations here.
Do you ever find creative differences within the band?
Sometimes, but if you didn’t I think that would suck and you would have something really lame, soppy and sterile. I feel that’s what keeps the drive sometimes, actually having creative differences. Because we all come from different music backgrounds, it’s going to happen.
More is available now through Hydrofunk.
May
13
Magnetic Qualities - The Magnetic Fields
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Having influenced a new generation of indie-pop afficionados, including The Shins, The Magnetic Fields are again distorting our perceptions of production.
“On my first album, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was trying to write ridiculously ambitious things,” explains the visionary behind The Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt.
For the now Los Angeles-based singer’s ninth album, Merritt had written an entire album of material before making the decision to record every song through waves of sonic distortion – providing an obvious title that’s open to both literal and metaphorical interpretations - Distortion.
“For me, the whole fun of the album is that these were a group of unsuspecting songs that didn’t know they were going to have this done to them,” says Merritt, wryly.
This wall of noise is also a reference to the aural condition hyperacusis, which Merritt suffers from in one ear. A symptom of the illness is the distortion of sound waves over a certain volume.
“Part of the perverse fun of doing [Distortion], is that the album would sound the same to everyone as it would to me,” says Merritt. “Our last record, 69 Love Songs, to me sounds very similar to Distortion. It’s like chainsaws playing over a pop song.”
Distortion is available now through Warner.
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