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Sunday, 12 October, 2008

PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!

CAMERA-FOLK AND FILM EDITORS WANTED!

Planet Notion is looking for guys and dolls to film and edit features for its new TV channel, PNTV. Accompanying Notion to artist interviews, gigs, fashion shows, festivals and international events, you will be skilled, passionate and full of ideas about how to produce shit-hot video content. Camera-folk will be experienced and ideally have their own equipment, or at least access to equipment, while editors must be able to turn projects around quickly, and with stylistic flare. If you can both film and edit content, we would especially like to hear from you! These casual, unpaid positions would be ideal for those looking to develop their showreels, and to get the chance to travel, film major artists and top events.

Please email lucy(at)musichqmedia
(dot)com if you’re interested in getting involved, cheers!

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Coldcut

Coldcut's Matt Black has been making music for a good 30 years, mostly with his partner in crime Jonathan More. Yet somehow the duo seem to be saving some of their very best for now. Their pioneering work in dance music can be traced back to the eighties, when Kiss FM was a pirate station and when the idea of sampling one record onto another seemed daft. Not to Coldcut, who defined the remix with their take on Eric B and Rakim's 'Paid In Full', a cut and paste approach that took Ofra Haza's vocals as its starting point and ended up with a radically different sound. With a silver selling debut album 'What's That Noise', they broadened their horizons and moved into the record label arena, setting up Ninjatune, by anyone's guess one of the highest respected of all British indies. Several albums later and the boys were involved in multimedia with Rob Pepperell's Hex, providing showpieces of multimedia and toys for the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art and the Barbican. Their radio career, now removed from Kiss, had spawned the influential 'Solid Steel' mixes, with their 'Journeys by DJ' mix of 1997 regarded by many as the best mix album ever conceived. Their last album, however, was seven years ago, and 'Let Us Play' marked their first long player on their home label. Fast forward to 2005, and 'Sound Mirrors', their fifth album and a truly remarkable piece of work. Black agrees, in a modest sense, displaying a quiet pride at what the group has achieved. "It is better, yes. There's a coherency there that's a bit lacking in some of the earlier albums, and some of the tracks we've done - 'Mr Nichols', or 'True Skool' (which features Roots Manuva) are among the best we've ever made!" The work with Roots Manuva has been particularly beneficial, and it's not long before Black is talking about the South Londoner in glowing terms. "I think he's been the first person to take hip hop and put it with the UK mixed race experience and really make it work. He's a hugely talented artist but his ego is still well under control which is refreshing to see. He's a really interesting person as well because he’s quite mysterious, and he doesn't "front out" too much - you can tell there's a sensitive person there." As is often the case, Black's passion for music stems from what his parents listened to. "I didn't train musically in any formal sense. I'm learning to play guitar this year, but other than that, nothing. My Mum and Dad used to play a lot of music in the house, and I've just bought a CD of the Temperance Seven (a traditional jazz band) - they were a favourite of my Dad's, and he was at Art College with them. Musically they're so good, good to dance to, and my girlfriend is a huge fan also - she's even learnt to Charleston. When I did 'An Hour To Make This' on Radio 1, I took a Temperance Seven tune, 'Charlie My Boy', and mixed it up with Crazy Titch, who's one of the top London grime MCs at the moment. Their version of 'Autumn Leaves' is another favourite, and of course we did our own version." More simplistic forms of music at school also had an effect on Matt. "We used to have "Singing Together" at school, and we used to sing funny kids' songs like 'Old Mr Tucker' - I even won a Swiss holiday through singing at school. It's surprising how well these tunes go with more contemporary beats, and I'm always thinking how we could be more eclectic. I'm just about ready to get into classical music now." Among his many influences, Matt lists Josh White, Sister Rosetta Tharp, Ottilie Patterson, Betty Smith and Fats Waller. Not to mention the radio. "I got into Radio 1, and Benny Hill's 'Ernie The Milkman', and I loved the usual 70s rock and pop. I ran the disco at school, that was... shit, 31 years ago. I used to do sounds and lightshows, using 'Moonwalker' toys." After 20 years of writing dance music, the boys retain a freshness to their writing. "Well it's like, I'd talk in terms of hybrids, casting one’s net around, trying to keep the genetic pool wide, rich and healthy rather than restricting yourself to monoculture. There's no excuse for not trying something new, really, unless you're a hamburger manufacturer who's found the sauce of the week. I like the sensation that we're on the "bleeding edge" as it were. It's the same with gadgets, too - I used to be a gadget freak but now I resent being a tester. I'd like to think we've been in pole position for a while now, in both fields." So how does he find his partner in crime Jonathan? "We're getting on better, and find our ideas can all be translated pretty easily now. We're going to do our best work yet, though, mark my words. I strongly believe the best is yet to come, although I'm pleased that journos say this is a good step forward, I’m satisfied. If your extended tribe can give you good feedback as well, that means a lot. Somebody once said, "you shouldn't read your press, just weigh it." It does affect you if someone says it's shit, and you're shit. Who's strong enough to be totally unaffected by that?" And who's strong enough to be unaffected by Coldcut's mammoth tour schedule? Paging down the enormous list of dates on Ninja's website, fatigue sets in long before the end. "It's kicking in now. Well, we'll do it, I'm 44, and I don't feel old or tired. I feel full of go at the moment, but a few weeks on the bus will sort me out! Anyway, fuck it, it's better than working down at the coalmine. "Are the parents attending? "Yes. I'm actually getting closer to being like my dad. He's an artist, and he likes the album, likes the artwork, can hear some echoes of the stuff he listens to. He wants to be a performer, even to sing with some of our stuff, so we might do something with him." Coldcut started Ninjatune back in 1993. Asked if the label's success is in any way surprising, Matt responds warmly. "Is life a surprise to you? (expressive pause) That was a bit too profound! We just thought that if we build it, they will come. We built it and they did come. They're a bunch of obsessive, dedicated and lovely people. Sure, we would like to make a lot of money out of it, but it's a lot of what the climate's like at the time. We've all still got the restlessness, and I think that's a big part of it. I read an interview with Grandmaster Flash, and he was saying, "I want to be master of my trade and I'm not there yet." I thought it was modest and revealing. In this business you adopt it as a lifetime's work. And as my girlfriend puts it, "artists don't retire." Black admits that for this year, "the tour is it. We're making a live show which is a really good product and keeps us at the front of audio visual entertainment, and we’re being encouraged to focus on this. A couple of other things we're working on are www.nowthemovie.org , where people send their own footage in and we combine it as a collage - that should be at our live shows. Also there's our 'V-jam 3', the standard version which is an amazing tool at just 50 quid." Black is relaxed, assured in the knowledge Coldcut's music and visuals are still moving from strength to strength, and covering new ground. And with such a well-received album in the bag, his continued modesty is refreshing. THE SINGLE 'TRUE SKOOL' FEATURING ROOTS MANUVA IS OUT NOW. COLDCUT WILL BE APPEARING AT THE FIBERFIB FESTIVAL IN BENICASSIM. WORDS: BEN HOGWOOD

tags: | coldcut | music | dance | dj | remix | matt black | jonathan more | kiss fm | eric b | more...

Be Your Own Pet

Be Your Own Pet

“We’re not punk, as we’re not really changing anything,” explains Nathan, bassist with Nashville’s finest rockers in a cold and dark outlet of the hallowed hall of the Roadhouse in Manchester. I beg to differ with that view, when you have a singer who performs with such captivating style, cock and strut and fervent feeling of John Lyden in his heyday as well as looking like Anna Kournikova would if she had just won Wimbledon for the first time. Add to that: a drummer with the power and intensity to shake such immovable objects as a Starbucks coffee shop from its foundations, a bassist whose throbbing nature puts George Clooney to shame and a guitarist who is tighter than Gordon Brown at budget time. Then things will change with your presence and people will be set free from the daily grind. It seemed only natural to start with a question about their influences, in an attempt to understand where the inspiration comes from, for such ardent musical cohesion and intense passion that is displayed via the potent pearls; ‘Bicycle Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle’ and ‘Hillmont Avenue’? To which Jemina emphatically proclaimed: “All influences, we all have different musical tastes and that helps. Our sound is a mutation of punk.” “We listen to a lot of punk” was Jamin (drums)’s addition. Their searing sound is not symptomatic of the place they are indigenous to, so how easy was it for them to get established in Nashville? “We’re established in Nashville!?” exclaimed Jonas (Stein, guitar) with bewilderment, as Jemina (Pearl, vocals) clarified the situation. “We’re not really established in Nashville, we’re just a band that goes away and plays. We have a bunch of fans there, but it is not really a good place for rock n’ roll and hardcore acts.” However, it is often the case that you do not realise the power and pull of something until it has gone far away. I can almost hear the aggrieved Nashvilians sat in Dino’s Diner, slamming down their glass of Jim Beam and exclaiming, “damnation we let them get away; I knew we should have put them on a (damn, damn) leash.” With the importance of playing live increasing all the time, you could just about forgive bands who sometimes give the impression that playing a gig is like doing a 9-5 slot at the office. However, this outfit are as natural to the stage as Kenneth Branagh and put so much gusto, passion and fun into each and every show. How do they want people to feel at the end of one of their sets? Jemina takes the lead, “Just to feel that they saw something and it wasn’t a waste of money.” “We want them to feel a part of it and for people to dance and have a really good time,” continues Nathan.It was a refreshing standpoint, as increasingly people feel disinclined to let themselves go in true R & R fashion, for fear that the “too cool for school” onlookers will be marking their performance like ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judges. “We are not like that!” Just managing to repress myself from exclaiming that you feel like you have been let off the leash at one of their gigs; I proceeded to delve into the dynamic process of their song writing. Jonas clears that particular matter up for me: “it varies, sometimes the guitars take the lead and the process builds from there. Some bands just have a singer who does all the song writing, but we are all equal.” “The money gets split four ways” was Nathan’s urgent addition, with Jonas continuing: “We have no leader, so that is probably why we sound the way we do.” True punk spirit came to the fore, as I noticed out of the corner of my bad eye; an agitated tour manager looking on. She was only doing her job when she signalled that I would have to start winding matters up. My plea for three more questions received a stern response of one more. However, a masterful Jemina steps in: “No, he can have as many as he likes.” Nobody argued with that. Some of the numbers like ‘Threshers Fall’ and ‘Fire Department’ seem to be driven and lifted to another floor by Jamin Orral’s pelting, crushing and ardent percussion. With some bands, drummers are merely an accessory, but not with them. Jonas provocatively puts me on the spot. “Hey dude, he is calling you an accessory are you gonna stand for it?” “No, no, no I said he drives the band.” Jemina the mediator came to the rescue: “He is very good, he’s been doing it since he was seven.” “It is an important element and I enjoying playing a part in the band. We all make equal contributions overall.” Jamin added. Has he any intention to diversify musically? “I am working on it; I am playing bass in my spare time at the moment.” They all come across as broad music lovers. A question about the last gig they had attended was greeted with a couple of intriguing names including The Black Tulips, Mudboy (“they got a 7.5 rating on Pitchfork Media you know”) and The Mattoid. “I detail things and pay more attention nowadays, as you are constantly looking at how bands perform live,” explained Nathan before Jemina spoke for them all: “I always wish I was up onstage when I go a gig.” She then noted; “The last band I saw was Deluxin; Nathan’s other band.” Those genuinely interested in what drives Be Your Own Pet and their origins would do well to delve into the frenetic, empirical and boisterous leanings of Deluxin. Their debut album is as hard to get hold of as Lord Lucyan. However, your intrepid interviewer has managed to find a place where there are 33 copies left (/www.infinitycat.com/stonehamcat.html). Well, 32 after I have finished this article. Given the fact that none of the bands listed above have had much of a media push, did they feel that their peers rely too much on tastemakers in the US and in the UK? “Definitely, people our age do buy into a lot. Some of the stuff they write is daft. At the Reading Festival I had been drinking Red Bull and water all day. We had a t-shirt that had a few stains on; we were planning to throw it into the crowd. So, when I was accidentally sick on it, I just decided to throw it into the crowd anyway. Now people demand me to puke all the time.” Tonight’s musical proceedings commenced with BYOP’s buddy and thudding one man band; Jeff and his brand of raucous yelping punk. Among the shimmying gyrators at the front was Jemina herself. Gritty and captivating Yorkshire outfit Harrisons followed and went onto produce a set of the Cribs fused with Maximo Park indie rock. This included the slightly haunting and emotive ‘Cry Through The Night’ and culminated in the bitingly snappy ‘Bluenote’. A set of stammering rock with a hint of disco followed from Good Shoes with the thrusting ‘Small-time Girl’ standing out for its heart and soul. If it was not for one exuberant larrikin who constantly berated them throughout the set. The above-mentioned hoodlum received a refreshing comeuppance moments later when BYOP entered the stage with a Batman eye-mask clad Jonas Stein stood right in front of him and verbally castigating him with force and conviction. Surprisingly enough, the guy had very little to say. A thrusting and piercing set ensued, incorporating ‘Threshers Flail’ that possessed a cutting and well worked build up, before exploding into a fireball of gutsy vocals and rampaging riffs. Jemina’s hearty screech reached a high point in the bold, insurrection inciting ‘Damn Damn Leash’ and the harrowing ‘Fire Department’. Standout offering was the 59 second free-for-all of new single ‘Let’s Get Sandy’ that shuddered around. Onlookers strained every sinew to ensure that they didn’t miss a moment of a thudding and compelling set. The band constantly made sure everyone was involved and, at one point, filled the room with love by making everyone in the crowd hold hands. Many a pint of beer has been devoured while debating the authenticity and vibe given off at stadium gigs. Granted, they can feel false, especially because they should be a reward earned by a band through endeavour and ingenuity rather like a team making it to the Super Bowl or FA Cup final. Tonight, Be Your Own Pet has emphatically completed a third round victory. So, with that in mind, I will see you at the MEN Arena in three years time for a raucous celebration - mine’s a pint of Guinness.

tags: | be your own pet | band | john lyden | punk | reading festival

Annie

Her music sounds like an ‘I Love The 80s’ episode waiting to happen with some of the most enticing pop flavour since Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’. Championed by the likes of Rob Da Bank, Peaches and Scissor Sisters, meet the girl who has been embraced as a tour de force in electro disco. I can remember the first time I heard ‘The Greatest Hit’, Annie’s fantastically catchy, credible pop track. It was New Year’s Day 2001. I had just got in from the night before, turned the radio on and this song started playing with effortless vocals and a great hook. The hook being a sample from ‘Everybody’ by Madonna. This inspired pop song, originally made for fun five years ago, became an underground cult classic, recorded with the late Tore E. Kroknes (aka DJ Erot), her musical partner and boyfriend. “I think Tore would have wanted me to stay happy, and making this album was my destiny. I needed to do it for me”. Her debut album, ‘Anniemal’ was released earlier this year and has been embraced by everybody from your NME readers to club-goers on the dancefloor at Fabric and everywhere in between. It’s a magnificent combination of alternative pop, applied with suss and style. Annie is another artist to come from the musical melting pot that is Bergen (her close-knit hometown in Norway) which she shares with the likes of Royksopp, Kings of Convenience, Magnet and Ralph Myerz. She has quickly forged her own reputation for revitalising the dancefloor with impeccably poised club classics. Her first UK single release and debut chart hit, ‘Chewing Gum’, a pop masterpiece in its own right was dubbed one of the singles of last year. The album went in at No 1 in Norway and had a Norwegian Grammy nomination earlier this year. As well as promoting ‘Anniemal’, she has just compiled her first DJ Kicks mix. Often described as “the most important DJ mix series ever”, the series continues to flourish as a genre-hopping platform for a wide variety of sounds, styles and artists. Already an accomplished DJ in her own right, Annie is currently touring the world with her own ‘Anniemix’ DJ set across the world, having recently supported St Etienne in the UK and played at countless festivals. Aided by her musical companion Timo (from OP:L Bastards), the tracks on the album veer from the oddball electro of Le Bianda’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ to the misfit rock of ‘Black History Month’ by Death From Above 1979, by way of theatrical funk in the way of Mu’s ‘Paris Hilton’. How did you select the tracks for your DJ Kicks album? “It was a bit complicated because I like so much different music. I was at first thinking do either pure rock or electro but I decided to do something different and just pick out 17 of my favourite songs. Songs that people probably haven’t heard before and also that they haven’t heard for years like Bow Wow Wow”. Would you say this mix is representative of your DJ set? “Definitely. I’m always playing different songs because I tend to get bored easily (laughs) so don’t want to be playing the same old songs all the time”. Annie fans will be pleased to hear there are two new tracks from the lady herself featured (‘Gimme your Money’ and ‘The Wedding’). “’The Wedding’ was actually recorded when we did ‘Anniemal’. We were recording the single ‘Heartbeat’ and got bored, so were thinking hmm, let’s do something new and completely different. They are both my ‘Material Girl’ songs – they are both about power, money, and the boring side of people. Different from my album, I guess”. How would you describe your music for people who haven’t heard it before? “My own music? Electronic pop music. I guess that’s how you’d say it in a traditional, boring way. It’s very hard for me because when I am writing the music, I always get inspired by this and that. I always find it difficult to describe what I am actually doing myself!” Who would you say inspires you? “Tom Tom Club, Human League, old New York disco like Larry Levant. At the moment, I really like the Goldfrapp album (‘Supernature’) and listen to it all the time”. What was it like being personally invited to support St Etienne? “Really nice. I’m a big fan of them myself. It was cool for me to have the chance to open for them. Had a great crowd reaction. Was actually surprised to see the place was packed when I started my set!” Do you enjoy playing live and DJing or is it just something you have to do as promotion? “I enjoy playing live more and more. I actually only started playing in February this year so don’t feel like a professional yet. It’s starting to be something I really enjoy. Djing, for me, is like a party. I like both but in different ways”. How do you feel about your crossover appeal? “I think it’s very exciting to see how things are going. In Norway, I seem to be appealing to a much younger audience – like girls of seven years old. In other places, it seems to be more like the indie kids who like my music. It’s exciting for me to see that crossover. I don’t think I have an idea in my mind of who to appeal to but I do have some great fans”. You sampled one of Madonna’s tracks on ‘The Greatest Hit’. Are you a fan? “I’m a very big Madonna fan. My favourite song of hers must be ‘Into the Groove’. I think it’s the best pop track ever made! I heard from my friend today that she’s recorded a new song that samples Abba. I’m excited to hear the new material especially as it’s supposed to be like her earlier material. But sampling Abba? That sounds scary”. What is on the horizon for Annie? “My album is being released in different territories all the time. It’s out in Japan and Australia soon and it’s not even released in the whole of Europe yet. Have just finished a US tour with Royksopp which was exciting and am about to tour Germany. So, my immediate plans are to continue promoting ‘Anniemal’ and the DJ Kicks album which I will be touring at the beginning of next year. Am also starting my own club night in Bergen with a friend of mine called ‘Pop Till You Drop’” The DJ Kicks album, as with her personal work, sparkles with contagious passion. No matter what happens in the upper reaches of the charts, it’ll never go out of fashion. DJ KICKS: ANNIE IS OUT ON !K7 RECORDINGS. ANNIEMAL IS ABVAILABLE ON 679 RECORDINGS. Words: Lynsey Hoskins / Photography: Valerie Stahl von Stromberg

tags: | annie | 80s | music | electro | dance | dj | pop | outkast | hey ya | rob da bank | more...

Evil Nine

‘The Independent’ newspaper has said that they “rock like the proverbial bastard”, their album, ‘You Can Be Special Too’, has received critical acclaim from across the board, while their productions are being caned by everyone, from Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe to Underwater head honcho Darren Emerson. We caught up with the hottest talents to hit breakbeat in years. Pat Pardy and Tom Beaufort first started producing and DJing together back in 1998, when their lives were slightly less glamorous than they are now, and it’s been a combination of hard work and natural talent that has propelled them to DJ superstardom. “I don’t really think we had a first big break,” explains Tom. “It just sort of happened for us over time. I mean, before this Pat worked in a factory and I worked in Poundland, with people always asking me ‘how much is this, mate’?” If Evil Nine struggled to get off the ground for a little while, when they first became airborne, there was truly no stopping them; with the backing of breakbeat Godfather Adam Freeland, the duo released ‘Cakehole’ on Marine Parade, a brooding monster that can only really be described as, well, evil. The alliance between Adam Freeland and Evil Nine was born, and neither has looked back since. “Adam’s our boy,” they shout. “He’s been instrumental in getting us to where we’re at now. His unfailing support and encouragement has been a massive inspiration to us and we’ve grown together now into a Marine Parade mega-monster mutation thing.” An Adam Freeland set without an Evil Nine production is now unheard of, and the trio have gone so far as to work together on remixes, for Adam’s live project Free*Land among others. The boys’ sincerity in talking about Adam Freeland comes as a shock, if only because they seem to spend most of their time having fun and being generally mischievous, including when answering some of my questions! Although the name Evil Nine sounds cool – it’s one of those names that you’d want to have yourself if you were a superstar DJ duo – the origins of their title are slightly less salubrious. “We used to be ‘Evil Sixty Nine’, referring to a particularly disfiguring sexual encounter that Pat experienced as a youth,” laughs Tom. “After a while we dropped the ‘Sixty’ as we thought it was catchier that way.” Hmmm, we’re not sure we want to delve any deeper into this particular story, especially as they’ve innovatively titled a track on their album ‘Pearlshot’. So what’s behind the name of their debut album, “You Can Be Special Too”? “That came to us in a dream,” they begin, promisingly. “In this dream Bill Cosby was there and he said, ‘Guys! Send out this small message of positivity so that people will endeavour to better themselves and hence make the world a better place for the children (and small animals)’, so that’s what we did.” Right. If this interview is teaching me one thing, it’s that you can never predict what these two are going to do next, and to be fair to them it’s a philosophy they live their lives by; whether it be a DJ set, or production work, the pair are quick to move from one musical genre to another, never staying in one spot for too long. Evil Nine’s finest hour so far has undoubtedly been with the release of their aforementioned album. However, there was a horrible waiting period for breakbeat fans as one of the most anticipated breaks albums of all time nearly never saw the light of day, when Marine Parade briefly went under. So were the boys worried? “Yeah, we were worried,” admits Pat. “But then we were strangely liberated by it too because we’d done all the hard work and we’d completed what we thought was a pretty fucking good album, so we were quite optimistic about the future - whatever it was. And it turned out alright again…” It wasn’t just “alright”; the album was heralded by many critics as a modern-day masterpiece, Pete Tong named it among his “albums of 2004”, and it was seen by most to be a much-needed breath of fresh air into a rapidly stagnating breakbeat pond. Not even the boys themselves were ready for the praise… “We were actually pretty surprised by the acclaim we got for the album, but it was more about where the praise came from and the wide range of peeps that were diggin’ it. We’ve really been feeling the love!” If you haven’t heard the album you might be asking yourself what all the fuss is about. Well, ‘You Can Be Special Too’ is a breath-taking journey through musical genres, from fairly down-tempo tunes to rocking breakbeat with a crazy infusion of hip hop and ragga thrown in for good measure. While the tracks ‘Hired Goons’, ‘Restless’ and ‘Lovers Not Fighters’ are truly great in their own right, the highlights of the album come via ‘Pearlshot’ and the classic ‘Crooked’, both of which feature MC talents and extremely random vocals: on ‘Crooked’ Aesop Rock shouts about roller-skating parrots, and on ‘Pearlshot’ guest vocalist Juice Aleem offers his insight into Lois Lane, Wichita and, well, pearlshots. I’m scared of asking, but fortunately this time Tom and Pat seem to be equally in the dark: “The lyrics on ‘Crooked’ were entirely from Aesop’s brain,” they explain. “Except that we told him the name of the track, whereas ‘Pearlshot’ it was all totally freestyled by Juice so it was typically perverted and deranged.” The refreshing thing about Evil Nine is that time and time again they have proved that they’re far from being one-trick ponies. Every track they produce seems to have the markings of a classic about it, no more so than in their remix work. Their mix of Santoe’s ‘Sabot’ still sounds as fresh as ever, and is still regularly dropped in clubs worldwide, while perhaps their finest hour came with the ‘Evil Nine’s Punk Rock Remix’ of Ils’ ‘Music’. If people were unsure whether Evil nine had the lasting power to become greats of the breakbeat scene, this track ended all doubts. It has featured on a number of TV adverts, and divided the breakbeat scene with its heavy guitar riffs and rocking basslines. The majority loved it, and rightly so. So how do they go about sounding so fresh and innovative, without losing any of the energy? “There’s really no secret. We just try to do something that we haven’t heard before, something that’s got edge and that makes us nod our heads frantically!” And the duo have just released their first mix compilation – courtesy of the y4k series. The boys reckon it represents everything that is quintessentially Evil Nine: ‘The y4k mix was an effort to capture what we do in the clubs – a rocking, edgy, exciting blend of quality music which doesn’t give a shit about genre or any other rubbish ideas.” Once more the pair have triumphed too, with a diverse tracklist that sees the old mixed with the new, with tracks form the likes of Whitey, Bloc Party and Evil Nine themselves. Pat and Tom’s tracklistings are always massively diverse, as their DJ sets meander from breaks to techno to hip hop and back again. Then again, it’s not all that surprising when they say who they think is currently rocking it: “Well, there’s our boy Adam Freewizzle, Tiga, Radioslave, Switch, Laurent Garnier, DJ T, Santos, PMT…um, there are more but it’s getting a bit boring this listing thing isn’t it?! As for inspirations, we’re into so much different shit that it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few names. No one particular artist has inspired us over others – everything we listen to has contributed in some way.” What I can guarantee you is that before long people will be listing Evil Nine among their influences, as Tom and at continue to trailblaze their way through the breaks scene, ignoring reputations and pigeonholes alike. Long may it last, and, as Aesop Rock puts it, “The evilest of nines’ guaranteed to shoot crooked.” Whatever that means…. Words: Tom Wilkins

tags: | evil nine | independent | newspaper | you can be special too | radio 1 | dj | zane lowe | more...

Lamb

Lamb have always been recognised as one of the first vocal-based groups to use frenetic, hard-hitting, rolling breaks and sample wizardry, anchored by beguiling vocals, and without a trace of saccharine. The yin of Andy Barlow’s production perfectly complements the yang of Louise Rhodes’ song-writing and vocals. Ten years on, armed with an anthology of musical formations under their proverbial belt, a magnitude of remix collaborations with renowned artists and producers, a DVD release of their 2004 Glastonbury and Paradiso Show, including sessions from The Tequila Show international and national tours, and a widespread cult discern catapulting them to the accolade of an avant-garde benchmark of alternative sounds. With worldwide mass appeal, their latest and last album for the time being, ‘Lamb Remixed’ released in August, encapsulates the melting pot of essences for which they are best known; remixes range from Tom Middleton’s bright summery interpretation of ‘What Sound’ with Lamb vs Cosmos, to MJ Cole’s dark and dirty version of the angelic vocals of ‘Gabriel’, via the pioneering Global Communication’s adaptation of ‘Gorecki’, originally inspired by the modern Polish composer famed for his 1976 ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’, which takes the mood from one of heart-rending to happiness. In addition, one of their most celebrated tracks, ‘Cottonwool’ from their first album in 1996, is reworked by the atmospheric drum programming genius A Guy Called Gerald. Forming an alliance back in 1994, Andy and Louise could not have been more different, and seemed an unlikely pairing, but their divergence grew to be the making of them. Andy, only 19 at the time, started off as an in-house engineer for So What Management and DJ, producing and writing material under the name of the Hip Optimist, and was resolute in his musical ideas – meaning no vocals, which he felt got in the way of the production. “I wanted edgy and futuristic. The last thing I wanted was to have a coffee table album. When Lou and I started working together, we fought like cat and dog. It was very much a frustrating mental tug of war. “We were both poles apart in our musical tastes. Lou’s music was hippy twaddle and she felt that mine was just heartless electronic clinical reverberation. Lou opened my eyes to new sounds, such as acoustics, cellos, flutes, violins and all these other beautiful-sounding instruments. It created an amazing sound. The ironic consequence was that, even though the differences were immensely apparent, we switched them to a positive, by incorporating them and meeting in the middle. It’s this that made it work so well.” Louise, the daughter of folk singer parents, virtually grew up at festivals; her idealistic music was shaped by her quirky, spiritual and imaginative style which is conveyed in the poignant melodies and evocatively haunting vocals and instruments. “We were so different musically, but shared a unique offbeat-ness, and the camaraderie between us ultimately felt fated – quite magical, in fact.” Their meeting, back in 1994, appeared to be one of almost preordained fate; Andy had been working at a studio but had been sacked, deemed not commercial enough and too unconventional to blend in with the tastes of his fellow musos. So Louise’s addition to the forthcoming union truly became the catalyst in their success. For most artists, attaining a record deal can be a long-winded, sometimes difficult journey, but Lamb acquired a record deal with Mercury subsidiary Fontana pretty much immediately, and had completed an album within a staggeringly impressive six weeks. “At the time, Fontana was looking for a new act to sign and we were brought to their attention by a journalist called Mandy James. Fontana had other acts on the label – including Elton John and Bon Jovi – but wanted a diverse addition to the stable, something a bit freer and less conventional. “The label came down to see us at the Simply Red studios we were borrowing and we were signed pretty much from the offset on the basis of two slightly acid trip hoppy demos. Lou was a photographer and I was a producer, so we knew what we wanted in terms of musical direction and marketing, from the music to promotion to artwork imagery. The record company had different ideas for us at first, but after seeing the results for themselves and the acclaim we achieved, they happily forfeited rein control.” The eponymous debut album was released in September 1996 and was received to critical acclaim, reaching platinum in Portugal. With success from the outset, was the pressure on to pull out something even more impressive from the bag? “We were very surprised at how well it was received, and it did up the ante for the next album. It wasn’t a conscious decision to follow with just big hits. Our albums are like our children, the first being the conception and birth, the second being the terrible twos, so yes there was a certain amount of pressure for it to do well. Keeping things fresh, non-formulaic was vital to us. We wanted to continue with disjointed records and stuck our necks out to make it happen.” Growing organically rather than decisively, there were still many comparisons made with artists and bands, despite the fact they fit into no obvious genre. Although Lamb is much more club-orientated, they have been likened in ways to Portishead, Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba, Bjork and Tricky. Do they avoid predictable pigeonholing by mixing numerous facets of style into the abstract soundscape they create? “Journalists love grouping bands together, it makes their job easier. We started with a continual comparison to Portishead, even though we had finished our album before them but had sat on it for a while before release. For a year it did drive us insane and when we performed a gig at Bristol I met Adrian Utley from Portishead, and we chatted about it. Essentially it’s a girl singing and a boy producing the music. “But, at that time there was so much incredible music coming out and a lot of us were Bristol-born so it was a great scene to be a part of and to be likened with. Now we’re not so fussed; people can brand us any way they want to. It’s just laziness. We have our own sound and have been compared to many, including the energy of an electro Led Zeppelin so that can’t be a bad thing.” Much remix work ensued with Gerald Simpson and Hull duo Fila Brazilia from the Pork Recordings stable, with the track ‘Cotton Wool’ to name but a few. Louise also went on to lend her vocals to Sheffield legends of their time, 808 State, for the track ‘Azura’ on the album ‘Don Solaris’. “We managed to get involved with lots of remix work with some amazing artists. We were given a budget from the label and could choose which ones we could work with if they were keen. We sent off some of the tracks, and it was such a feeling of anticipation to see how they would interpret our tracks and morph them into different versions.” With their love of instruments being included live in their touring jaunts, Lamb pretty much set the precedent for other acts to follow with this type of repertoire, which at the time was a new fangled stage dynamic and added a sense of the dramatics to their shows. “People get sick of watching DJs with laptops. Live shows are a performance, but lots of bands became cabaret, with DATS played over them, so we thought, if we are going to do live, we are going to get some shit-hot musicians and open it up to a jam. When we started, not many bands were doing this; it’s a lot more popular now, but at the time it was pretty groundbreaking. “When we played at Glastonbury in 2004 it was unbelievable. People are still talking about it. It’s always been about the performance – a proper show. We always put our heart and soul into it, and love playing live. Getting into the studio, milking our creative juices and pumping it out in front of an audience is a euphoric feeling.” With such a prevalent appeal to the masses, what core type of person understands and identifies with Lamb? “Our fanbase is widespread, but most fans seem to be quite up with technology and have probably downloaded this album already! I’d also say they tend to be very spirited and spiritual. We also had a very big gay following as we started off as very androgynous-looking and this seemed to appeal to the scene.” With such a multitude of choice, to pin down their favourites tracks is a tricky one; upbeat songs to get down and dirty to in addition to the more solemn and affecting. ‘Gabriel’ from their first album and ‘Gorecki’ from ‘What Sound’ in 1996 and 2001 respectively have touched people more than they could have hoped for and remain close to their hearts. “People tell us how they’ve used our music as a musical monologue for a moment or an event at some point in their lives. These songs have touched a lot of people and for that we are very proud.” With a discography spanning across seven albums – ‘Lamb’, ‘Fear of Fours’, ‘What Sound’, ‘Between Darkness and ‘Wonder’, ‘Back To Mine’, ‘Best Kept Secrets: The Best of Lamb 1996-2004’ and now their new remix gem of an album with many other singles, remix work and DVD releases in-between, Lamb consume almost every adjective when used to illustrate their music. From reflective catharsis, to quirky to passionately sensual, their inspiration is derivative from what is quite simply life, and the many adjectives you feel right the way through. “We find inspiration from the people around us, the location we’re in, what’s happening in our lives and love lives. I try to go into a studio with a blank canvassed mind, and see what sows from the seeds I plant when I’m there. I just nurture them and watch them grow.” With a new chapter evolving, there are new seeds to be sown for Lamb. Plus there are individual pursuits for Andy and Louise – Andy with his new band producing tracks, some with Oddur, Lamb’s guitar player, with plans to record his own indigenous album at the end of summer and tour heavily next year, and Louise promoting her newly finished album with touring to follow. Lamb have had an amazingly successful run thus far, but their projects are not all about the success, as Andy is quick to point out. “Only if it’s in our hearts will we follow it.” They’ve more than made their mark, with a movement in pioneering the alternative to the mainstream with depth and character. With sentiments of the spiritual still burning strongly, they have cashed in their karma tokens and perhaps one day will return, guiding us into the melodious reincarnation of a new life of Lamb. Words: Elle Garrapa

tags: | lamb | music | dj | dance | vocal | breaks | sample | andy barlow | louise rhodes | more...

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