Interview with Barney of Wordlife

 WORDLIFE. A promise. I swear to you on my life that I tell you what is true. Whatever comes out of your mouth is true to yourself and you ain’t lying about and people can’t change what you just said.

Typically, that’s what the throwaway slang term stands for and for this Sydney duo, it looks as they though have adopted a mirror attitude to life: be yourself, be expressive.

“It’s kind of like the mindset that we try to have, we try and do stuff that’s a little bit against the game and not let big, commercial concerns of making music affect what we want to really make –not do what everyone else is doing and just do us really.” [It’s really important, you know, for us as artists.]

But for now, Barney, one half of the progressive dance duo feels like he’s working all the time prepping for their east coast Club of Life tour “almost like the calm before the storm”. 

Despite their wish to prioritise their work over commercial interests, earlier this year they were signed to CLUB MOD of Modular label. A big move, considering the boys are used to working with smaller, independent labels.

“Usually you only have one or two points of contact whereas with Modular you have a whole bunch. But it’s been good, you know. It means that our music will get out there further, to more people than ever, which is a good thing.”

It wasn’t a quick start for Worldife, but Barney says that they learnt that it’s better to work on their own style rather than trying to emulate a certain trend.

“It’s a good time for artists to be brave and play their own music rather than relying on others singles to save your set. Then we have to work harder to rock the crowd but it’s a lot more rewarding and I think it’s going to pay off in the long run.”

Besides, he agrees that the Sydney beat scene is opening up its ears to the more experimental. Even in more general sense, there is a lot more appreciation of wider types of music.

“I think that people appreciate lots of different tempos now. More than they did before. It used to kind of be like sort of centred around 135bpm or 125bpm. House music and that kind of stuff is still very popular but I think that the kind of stuff people are into is growing wider.”

“It kind of reminds me of when I first got into electro music in the 90s - when you had your Chemical Brothers but also things like Massive Attack and all those kind of different flavours of electronic music that were around then. I think that the time now the music’s evolved a lot more. I think that the evolution in technology has meant that instrumental music’s a lot more accessible as well.”

Barney is careful, however, to make the distinction between artists and DJs-turned-producers.

“People like Alison Wonderland and Indian Summer and Flume – I see them more as artists rather than DJs making music to follow their DJ career.”

To complete the picture of key influences, Barney realised that international artists have made a big impact; citing French label San Pellegrino, Club Cheval, newly exploded Disclosure who they’ve been watching for some time and the fiercely divisive new Kanye material.

“Whether you like that or not is beside the point. I think it’s brave that he has gone and done that and made that an album that’s aimed at the commercial market but it’s not commercial at all. I think that’s brave and exciting. A lot of the things have been retro, looking back at the past, and I don’t find that as exciting stuff that looks forward.”

As part of their job, Wordlife keep on top of new tunes to inform their DJ sets. Then, when it gets time to perform live the duo chop and change their own work in a sort of deconstruction.“Adam plays synthesisers and drum machines over the top of the live mix, which is the barebones of our music stripped back. Then we try and make all the music that we’ve made in our career into an interesting one-hour experience for people.”

All of which took them to the US for a string of live performances. Last time Wordlife spoke to AU Review they said they were keen to head overseas with their music. A year later, they’ve met some icons and explored the LA beats scene.

“It was interesting to see all of these artists that we’ve heard over here and we think, “oh that guy’s massive”. We read all about the hype over them but then you go over there and see them in their natural element and they’re just people like us and all of our friends who hang out, go to restaurants, go to the movies. They do the same things as us it’s just a bigger world.”

In the end, Barney says it was very much like home.

“Well it’s interesting because it’s like very much Australia in a way. If you’re making underground music, no matter where you go in Australia it’s underground.”

Apart from the fact that it’s mainly a midweek affair, where the underground acts take over the regular clubs, and there is a strong sense of corporate sponsorship, which doesn’t exist in Australia.

“It just means that they present their music in a way wins over new fans, which I think is really cool. If you give a room full of hipsters free beer they’re going to be a lot more interested in the music. It’s like going to an art gallery, you know, and you have a few wines and then all of a sudden you’re buying a piece of art. I think that works well.”

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity in America because there are so many more people I think there’s definitely a lot of good stuff happening there and a lot of positivity and people pushing each other forward just because there’s that many people doing that in one place.”

While they praise the work of the original underground, Barney says they still come across a few WTF moments online.

“I saw a website the other day that you can get people to make music for you and you just put your name on it. Basically selling your DJ career and they’ll set up a soundcloud and twitter account with followers.”

In all seriousness they acknowledge it’s much easier to break into the industry as a people-pleaser, especially in the realm of dance music. Barney says it’s disappointing that some artists choose accessibility over innovation.

That would not include the acts who they have done support for – production legends Ryan Hemsworth, Hudson Mohawke and Rustie.

“In a way it freed us in the end to do that kind of stuff. It makes it harder to get your music signed but I think that if you do your own thing and stick to your guns then eventually people will see the value in it even if they can’t in the short term.”

After their Australian tour, Wordlife will be returning to the US.

“We’re going back there to do some more music in a couple of months. Hopefully we can work with a few more vocalists and we’ll be able to bring back some work, which will be cool.”

And that ain’t a lie. Despite the international touring, club shows and having signed to a huge international label, Wordlife keep it cool.

Barney pulls a lyric that he remembers from Underground Resistance circa 2002: “There will be people who say you don’t mix this with that and you will say, "watch me".


Published on the AU review.

Spray 'n' Wipe 2013 at the Espy

Most music festivals try to create an unrivalled party but Spray n Wipe takes on cosy and unassuming to wander freely from to room, buy drinks without missing a set and enjoy what it is all about – the acts. Honestly, despite the long list of acts across four stages the night passed quickly. In between DJs kept the crowd happy but live music was the family favourite.

With a line-up leaning heavily on triple j acts, this installation of Spray n Wipe felt right at home at the Espy.  

Photo: espy.com.au

Tokyo Denmark Sweden got the crowd standing and warmed up for the night with their synth-pop filling the main stage.  With a combination of regular setup (guitar, drums, mic) and some extra electronics TDS created an atmospheric scene for spacey dancing. As soon as the drums kicked in on their single ‘When It Breaks’ there was more dancing than head-bopping. The trio also pulled out their tracks more suitable for the night ‘Lights Off’ and ‘Little Quarters’. Although they kicked off relatively early, they had gathered a large crowd by the end of their set keen to keep it lively.

As a general rule the bands stuck to their upbeat songs – it was not a night for slow ballads by any means. Brisbane boys Gung Ho started their set with a jam that showed off their electric guitar prowess. They then put on a fierce show, which puts them far out of the category of indie pop but kept it down-to-earth at the same time. Cool and conversational, they roamed through songs from the harmonic ‘Twin Rays’ to the more upbeat ‘Side by Side’.

On the side, the Mezzanine hosted a string of DJs but most of the crew hanging around there were on the balcony, at least until much later. The sweaty dark dance party was happening downstairs in between sets – especially dropping new Disclosure, Hot Chip and even some 90s classics.

A lesser known but solid act Melbourne’s World’s End Press then took to the stage with an energy-fuelled performance, which surprisingly was a standout of the night. Frontman John Parkinson jumped around stage while belting out the vocals and the bassist beside him also took part. Unlike the other acts, the sing-a-long factor wasn’t strong but it didn’t stop everyone from soaking up the dramatic distorted pop.

Meanwhile, The Griswolds held their own at the Gershwin stage with their no-fuss garage-jam performance as a sort of calm before the storm.

Photo: DZ Deathrays/Facebook

Shortly following were DZ Deathrays, who attracted a fervid crowd and as per usual saw plenty of intense moshing, crowd surfing and stuff getting chucked around. After playing the notorious “The Mess Up” a good chunk of the crowd swarmed as a writhing mosh into a stage invasion. I’m not sure how everyone managed to fit and DZ kept playing unbothered. (Facebook reports that all their gear got trashed).

Alpine were the last live act of the night, with their rapturous dance tunes and quirky stage antics bringing the night for a close.

As a side note, much more dancing than your average gig night.

Published on adamNOTeve.

Album Review - "Sistrionix" by Deap Vally

Sistrionix (2013)            ★ ★ ★ ★ 

When Deap Vally were flaring up in the blogosphere over summer as “artists to watch” they much surpassed their poster image as two Californian rockers. They command attention with classic rock ‘n’ roll theatrics. Their debut album Sistrionix lives up to its name – these two troublemakers are making a name for themselves.

With essentially one EP (2012’s Get Deap!) and a style that is loud, fast and fierce, you probably won’t find them on commercial radio, with a sound veering off clean rock that scorches the eardrums.

All of which might mean that the follow-up is an exciting outcome for the rock ‘n’ roll preachers, rambling in embellished leather jackets, black band tees and wild hair to the music of Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. It’s also sure to please the young fans worshipping the Karen Walker female eccentric.

Their signature sound means that “Thelma & Louise” give us no time for a breather. Lindsey Troy is back with her signature raw vocals and Julie Edwards provides a wild percussion that makes you wonder how it is she still has any energy left by the end of the record.

“End of the World”, the opening track, has a killer riff and heavy distortion riding the distorted but consistent groove of the song. “Baby I Call Hell”, one of the 2012 singles, has Joan Jett written all over its howling vocals and heartbreaker anthem lyrics. This track is already a highlight of their live shows.

The mood then becomes blues-infused in “Walk of Shame” with an up-tempo break and lyrics of longing, regret and revenge. The entire album features a White Stripes –style marriage of shredding guitar and strong drumming but it is on “Gonna Make My Own Money” where their sound really starts to echo the grotty guitar work of Jack White.

“Creeplife” is a man-hating anthem spewing out insult after insult in a sassy, rocker tone à la Tina Turner: “I don’t think I’ll be visiting you in jail” – she cries/whispers. On that path, the ferocious sexuality stays alive in “Your Love”. The tempo is slightly slower but the passion oozes out each line and the sound delves into psychedelic.

An album standout is “Lies”, the single that put Deap Vally onto international playlists. And rightly so, it sends shivers up the spine with its dark yet alluring sound. “You’re gonna be alone when you grow old/Babe, I wasn’t bluffin’/ From now on, you get nothin’.”

In “Bad For My Body” it’s the perils of the rock ‘n’ roll high live – sacrificing “health”, “head”, “wallet”, “image” and “reputation. But they bash on through with the force of savage seduction. “Women of Intention” is just plain sassy.

“Raw Material” lives up to its name. However, this means that some of the lyrics are lost in the primordial sound. The howling blues and slower tempo winds down the pace for Six Feet Under: “You moved into my veins like a drug.”

The good news is that Deap Vally live up to their rocker girl locks. These two are the real deal. They may not provide the sentimental poetry or creative arrangement of other contemporary rock bands but they own a sound hardcore and addictive, very alive.

Published on the AU review.

Black Atlass - Paris

“Paris” channels the subdued romantics of the very town it’s named after in a soft, flowing stream of black and white. The music video to accompany the new single of Black Atlass barely reveals that its artist is just 19, Alex Fleming, a singer-songwriter and producer from Montreal.

He isn’t completely new on the scene, having performed earlier this year alongside A-Trak, Just Blaze and Danny Brown at SXSW.

When he begins the track with fragile, tinkling piano you’d hardly expect an explosion of deep bass and gritty synth but that’s exactly where it heads. His whispery vocals mean that the lyrics are obscured by the textured music but it seems to tap into the senses: “gripping your hair”, “stay closer/back away”.

All of which means a slideshow of lovely ladies: their lips and luscious locks. Director Paul Labonté has brought fashion sensuality to the clip, on mute it could be a beauty campaign for a high-end Parisian label.

Having just signed to Fools Gold Records an interesting choice for a label that is primarily club music oriented), Fleming has impressive sensitivity for his age, slowly announcing his lines with a longing stare. The theatricality of the music is counteracted by the simple yet alluring visuals.

Published on Purple Sneakers.

Pond - "Xanman"

Turn on, tune in, and then drop back in because the new single from Perth psychedelic boys Pond is full of explosive energy that will have your ears ringing in a joyful trance.

‘Xanman’ kicks off immediately with a rich sound of shredding electric guitar, earthy bass, crashing drums and the characteristic crying vocals of Nick Allbrook. We were sad to see him leave Tame Impala but it seems as if he has more up his sleeve.

The single has an equally distorted film clip (deep hallucinations) but this track is more optimistic and upbeat than some of their earlier work from Beards, Wives, Denim. They are now in control of their music, that’s for sure.

Absolutely a pump-up track, the energy harks back to the ferocity of classic rock.  Bang your head, dance, annoy the neighbours – let loose.

  

Published on adamNOTeve.

Interview with Sean Walker of Movement

In a scene not so glam as Almost Famous, Sean is navigating a car to get the equipment to sound check while two-thirds of the band are waiting in Melbourne downpour. On the way to their second headline show, texts are flying in from the boys and Sean Walker from Movement says he’d never had to multitask this hard in his whole life.

But it’s not just the unlucky weather that is keeping these three boys busy. As the latest signing to Modular music (The Presets, Tame Impala, Cut Copy), they are on a headline tour, working off their single ‘Feel Real’ and writing more “night music”. We chatted to Sean about that time they opened for Thom Yorke, beachside writing trips and cool Christmas parties.

Movement began just under two years ago as high school mates Sean Walker and Jesse James Ward, who used to write music and go to festivals together. “We had been dreaming about what we wanted to do and how we wanted to do it so we really didn’t want to feel any pressure to release anything. It’s unbelievable how much time we put into it, in terms of a lot of crap that came out of it, but it’s just good practice song writing.”

‘Feel Real’ is the first single and we’re still stunned that we wrote that two years ago, but Modular really wanted to release it. We’re getting all our material together, ready for future releases, so I’m really excited to get the new music out.”

Then, through a mutual friend, the pair met Lewis Wade who became their vocalist. “We heard his voice and it was exactly what we were after in terms of the sound and how we could write. It was amazing how we could turn the ideas in our head into something that people might want to listen to. That was a real help – it sped up the writing process hugely.”

Sean has just finished his degree in music production and film and Jesse has finished his degree in film as well. Lewis is a vocal major at the Institute of Music – so the boys all have their classical training in check. That said their music is often likened to more contemporary artists such as SBTRKT, which Sean is pretty stoked about.

“Something that has really quite stunned us big time is soul vocals – people really crave that stuff – which is amazing because our singer is trained in soul. We love to see that people enjoy the whole UK thing so it’s been really cool to have such a great reception. We get completely blown away when people make these references – I love SBTRKT.”

In terms of other artists they dig, Sean says that at the moment he is a huge fan of the new James Blake album Overgrown (“the production and the depth of the music on that is incredible”), as well as the leaked Jai Paul album (“big time influence for sure”).

At the moment, Movement are on the road for a headline launch tour in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart for the Dark Mofo festival. Last month they followed Flight Facilites, which gave them a taste of the motions of moving around and playing for a whole new crowd. Movement are still on single figures in terms of gigs together (“seven or eight”) but the reception so far has been impressive.

“We had a great show last night. It was our first show by ourselves, our first headline show, so that was really exciting.”

“We’re kind of finding our feet at the moment in terms of interacting with people, it’s definitely been a big learning curve. Our set that we decided to build took a lot of planning because we had to get steel cut and recruit a lot of family to help us make it but it was good.”

Recently the group took more team-bonding time in a week-long writing trip to Seal Rocks (North Coast NSW) which was “massively inspiring”.

“It was the first time we’ve been able to go away just the three of us in a room. The image in my head is amazing- looking out the window in the room where we set up our studio looking at the beach. It was beautiful, it really was.”

All of which might clash with their vision of “night music”: “We are so inspired at night-time. It sounds cheesy but we do the majority of our writing in the late afternoon into the night and we want our music to reflect that.”

Along with the splendour of being a part of the Modular family come the events and parties thrown by the label. Next month, Movement will be opening for The Klaxons at FBi radio’s 10^th anniversary fundraiser gig. “We’re really excited about that – Jesse and I have been in love with The Klaxons for a long time, since high school. We’ve dreamed about being signed to Modular and now the fact that we’re going to be playing just before they come on is incredible.”

On that path, it’s not the first time that Movement are opening for an international name. Last year, they were invited to DJ for a mystery guest at Goodgod Club in Sydney. They accepted, and it turned out to be Thom Yorke of Radiohead.

“We got a call and for us it was unreal. I had seen Radiohead the night before. We weren’t expecting anything, we’re not usually DJs, so in the space of twenty hours I had to learn everything about it. It was really fun, we enjoyed that.”

Just following their signing onto the label, Movement were invited to end-of-year drinks where Sean says they were overwhelmed at meeting some of their role modes including fellow Sydneysiders The Presets and Bag Raiders. Not your average work Christmas party: “No way, no way. You’re extremely blown away just looking around the room. You go to the bar and the drummer of Tame Impala’s there and you just ask about the touring schedule and you get blown away by how much they’re moving around.”

“You’re sharing a couple of beers with them and just talking and it’s really, really nice to be a part of that. That was a big move for Jesse and I.”

The Modular vibe seems to extend out of their parties and into the office. When it came to putting together their remix bundle (out June 21), the label asked the boys who they’d like to see work on ‘Feel Real’ over dinner.

“It was a dream come true actually. We were kind of like, “What do you mean…anyone?” We had some amazing names of people approached and it didn’t fit with their timelines. But we’re really excited to have it all there and going. I couldn’t believe hearing our song remixed by a UK artist but also a really prominent Australian artist like Ta-ku.”

“They’ve all done such unique awesome jobs to it so it’s really exciting, that will be cool to get out.”

“We wanted to get different sounds from different artists so I think we’ve achieved that, which is exciting.”

But what does Sean envision as a parallel life if there was no Movement?

“We were talking about that the other day – I think we’d definitely be trying to run our own business. It would probably revolve around film or opening a bar. We love creating things, I’m not sure, but something hands on.”

Having already been signed, one of the group’s first dream plans, Movement are now starting to think big. “We want to go international. We want to play festivals overseas, we basically want to travel overseas, that’s the one goal we’ve had from the beginning we always set out to do.”

“If we can move our music around the world that would be really amazing, that really would be incredible.”

Published on Purple Sneakers.

Willow Beats at Spectrum

A smoky room with damp blue lighting and black leather sofas doesn't seem the ideal spot for a dance gig where the stickiest floor on Oxford St was home to the Willow Beats EP launch. But the venue was strangely cosy and, despite their niche work, it was a sold out show for Sydney.

Stoney Roads DJs warmed up the crowd with sing-a-long favourites. The set first channelling the venue’s retro aura with MJ into Dr Dre then Tame Impala and plenty of new Disclosure.Towards the end of the set the dance floor was packed, everyone was up and ready to witness Willow Beats live(who turned up on time).

Willow Beats kicked off their set with "Space Oddity", off their first EP and quickly took over the stage with an eccentric loud show,, introduced by warped voiceover and otherworldly effects. In a live situation, Willow Beats are even more unconventional and create room to let loose and go wild.

Kalyani Ellis (vocals, songs, keys) enjoyed her role as front woman – following most songs she proffered much praise for her audience, crying “best show ever” and “I love you guys” - soaking up the vibe of the intimate tight gig or overwhelmed at the sold out space. She connected with the audience and a mellow venue such as Spectrum is the sort of place where the band hangs out at the bar beforehand.

The vocals were often swamped by the heavy production, but she managed to belt out her part. The smoother vocals tones on their new record became sharp, strident and experimental, adding in yelps and freestyle. The visuals were up for a few songs, abstract projections of colour and light, but did not play a major role.

Despite the tour centering on the newly released EP Alchemy, Willow Beats kept their fans happy and played most of their original Willow tracks. "Franky" was a family favourite and lured the last of the bar lingerers onto the dance floor. There was a fair balance of old and new - and a mix between high-energy tracks and the slower, more obscure productions such as the "Blue" and "Elemental".

Narayana Johnson (beats, synth, production) took it upon himself to climb onto the speakers and flap his arms like a bird, swooping over the crowd hanging out to the drop. They rounded up the show with textured hypnotic track "Grom the Destroyer" and the crowd went ballistic. For a moment thereWillow Beats almost became Willow Smith in a hair-whipping frenzy.

The cosy venue size eliminates the indifferent to create its own scene (never mind the mysterious black doors) but at the same time, it could be a mate’s house party. Willow Beats' performance is as much about creating a space to share the beats as putting on the show itself. The stage was no barrier and the live aesthetics bring humanness to their music.

 Published on the AU review.