Dogs back in the running

For Australian Hip Hop, in the beginning there was the Resin Dogs. Yes at the beginning of the new millennium musical collaborators Dave and DJ Katch, two Brisbane locals formed a new group who infused their sound with upbeat jazzy dub and wildly danceable beats on the turntables.

The Resin Dogs did for Hip Hop in Australia what Barack Obama seems to be doing for the US. They grew and developed awareness, among Australians putting us on notice that something other than main stream and alternative rock/grunge music existed.

In hiatus in Australia since their last album’s release in 2005, the band could have been seen as disassembled, however this is not the case. According to Katch from the Dogs, they’ve been busy - just not in Australia. The expat Australian community in Europe has found the Dogs a welcome blessing to their ears for one.

“I don’t know really, it’s just been a while between records, away from the Australian audience finding a new crowd but it still becomes exciting, and we’re still doing the same thing,” he said.

Thanks to some nifty networking by their manager in LA a few months back the band have also won themselves some notorieity in the US. By virtue of the fact some of their new material was entered into an international Hip Hop track production competition which the Dogs later found out they’d taken out the top prize.

“We never heard too much more about it and then they rang up and mentioned the comp and told us we’d won it,” said Katch.

The prize - recording time in the prestigious Document Room Studios, headed up by producer JT Meskiel. Meskiel has worked with the likes of Lauryn Hill and Britney Spears as well as co-produced with Rick Rubin.

After some malarchy with the timing of taking up their prize, remodeled studios and clashes of schedule the Resin Dogs will head across to the Malibu studios in June. According to Katch the possibilities are endless and as yet unknown.

“Yeh we don’t know too much about him, he’s got a studio down in Malibu we won studio time for three days and he [Meskiel] said stay for seven.”

“We could record an album or we could be picked up to tour with someone, we’re not really sure yet,” he said.

As well as their international acclaim which includes being named as semifinalists in another international competition - International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for the track ‘Fine Mess’ and have just signed a 3 year management deal in India.

Back in Australia at the moment they are in full swing of their national tour with a fresh line up of just the right mix of musos and a swag of new material from this their latest album, More. Their live shows remaining the drawcard for the Hip Hop funksters to truly impress.

“We’ve tried to set the whole vibe dj-ing up as soon as you walk in the door, it’s a sort of showcase of all our albums and more like a performance than we’ve done previously,” Katch said.

The use of visuals and multimedia will feature in their live extravaganza as well some special guests will appear on stage to get the vibe going.

“NFA will be on tour with us, as well as Mc DNA.

“We’ll be introducing Mc DNO and ‘Blu Rum 13’ will be joining halfway through the tour.”

Katch is pretty confident too that the crowd will be receptive to the Resin Dogs. This dynamo Hip Hop act amid all their variety, this gives them an appeal to their existing audience as well as a new younger generation.

“Definitely a good vibe people have heard about this band and are amped to come and see the show,” Katch said.

“There is the younger side to the audience, who weren’t old enough previously to come to the shows, plus we’ve got that section of the newer audience who have come to these festivals and it’s on radio and the older fans still remember us, it’s incredible.”

Resin Dogs are making their way across the East Coast check their Website at www.resindogs.com.au

Posted: October 11th, 2008 under INTERVIEWS.
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‘Indian’ givers

‘Run the Red light’ is one of the catchiest singles heard since Kasabian’s ‘Shoot the runner’. A debut LP Guillotine this year has been nominated for the prestigious Triple J Award for 2007’s Album of the Year. The band behind these feats might be young to the music scene, relatively speaking, but for the four Melbourne boys who make up British India they show no signs of slowing down on producing a sound which is delivering them their success. They could well do this for some years yet.

Feeling they wanted to avoid the status quo of hanging in car parks, skating and smoking bongs and knowing they also wanted to attract girls the band formed out of high school - Nic Wilson, Matt O’Gorman, Will Drummond and front man Declan Melia.

A mutual love of the Beatles and Pink Floyd (rites of passage influences of boys this age) coupled with motivation to change the minds of the girls who no longer found them cool they applied some modern day sensibilities borne from the likes of Radiohead and Blur they conjured their own version of grungy, garage pop. A sound their age -group hadn’t heard of in a while but which judging by their popularity, the kids obviously easily relate to.

It’s been a fairly smooth ride since, with their debut album being produced by renowned Harry Vanda and Glenn Goldsmith’s Flashpoint studios in short timeframes. Without any formal theme running through their song assemblage the lads laid down a fast paced album in just two weeks, which housed diverse genres.

“There is no conscious theme to our song writing, in fact I’m pretty anti forcing or creating inspiration, it inhibits song writing,” said Declan Melia.

Regardless of this declaration, Declan and the band have put together an album that marries underlying Brit pop, as reflected in the track ‘Tie up my hands’ to the rollicking garage pop of ‘Russian Roulette’ and of course ‘Run the Red light’ but it’s being recognised alongside the likes of Silverchair and Josh Pyke (the seasoned musicians) which has brought Melia believes, a lot more respect their way.

“It’s really good and apart from even the relief and rapture of such critical acclaim let alone the would be judges of Australian music everywhere, nomination for the J Award holds such enormous clout, which is a fabulous thing, “ he stated.

Melia speaks from somewhere near the established Evelyn Hotel of Fitzroy, lamenting the possibility that the evening, in fact their weekend shows, might be a little bit of a fizzer.

“We were going to do east Melbourne last time we were in Melbourne, I think the Evelyn relaunching bad ass bands really did not come to pass – so now we’re alone on the iceberg, and we’re doing three shows in two days - not sure how’s it going to go,” he laughs.

Given the buzz surrounding the band in recent months and a recent capital cities tour behind them, one could be mistaken for asking why such nervousness?

But behind this lead singer’s cocky self-assuredness lies an anxious performer who can’t relax before, or on stage. In fact it’s not until their last song of the set, ‘Black and White Radio’ (ironically the single that drove their initial success) is played Melia can even begin to relax.

With such a nervous stage presence I wonder if he follows any specific pre-performance routine. And outside of Nic’s (guitarist for the band) apparent compulsion to force the lads to kiss a chosen ornament he places on the guitar amp Melia does have his own sometime ritual which gets him through.

“I will have a black Sambucca shot before a gig, as someone once told me you sing better, as it coats your vocal chords,” he said.

“I don’t know whether that has a placebo effect on me, but with so many people there to see us without it I don’t know it’s kind of weird I sort of freeze up.

Perhaps they’ll have a whole bottle of the aniseed liqueur standing by for their upcoming performances, the sold out New Year’s Eve spectacular Pyramid Rock Festival at Phillip Island will be the icing on the cake to a stellar year for the band but before that, the nation’s largest Oz act only festival - Homebake - will see them take a top billing.

Whilst he’s looking forward to catching the likes of fellow young players – Operator Please, The Divinyls - hold pride of place in his wish list when he’s not performing. A sneak peak will be sought of his good mates Angus and Julia Stone too.

“That will be great summer festivals rock and I’ve been to, Homebake before but it will be fabulous there with the bands this time around,” he said.

Catch British India at Sydney’s Homebake on December 8 or at the Pyramid Rock Festival Phillip Island for New Year’s Eve.

Their album Guillotine is out on Flashpoint /Shock Records.

Posted: October 11th, 2008 under INTERVIEWS.
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Ready, set…

Violence really isn’t the norm when you’re out to see a dance act. Revelers prefer to make peace not war, however this was hardly the case recently for hot exports, The Presets. Currently zigzagging their way across the top half of the US and parts of Canada, Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes aka The Presets rocked up to their San Francisco gig only to begin electro whirlwind dance show when commotion in front of the stage broke out.

“These great big hairy gay bears (we’ve got a huge gay following in San Francisco) came down the front to watch us, and these two girls were in front of them and one of them ended up punching the other in the face,” Kim said. “Then two of the bears tried to get in between them to break them up and one of the girls, bit one of the bears on the arm, and he came up after the show and showed us the massive teeth marks in his arm,” he continued.

The Presets known to us here for well over five years are in the midst of their fifth tour to the States showcasing their second album Apocalypso and aren’t sure whether it’s Australian or Americans crowds who are more fun to perform in front of.

“It’s hard for us to tell it’s the same kind of reaction,” considers Moyes. “We aren’t as afraid for our lives over here I guess as some of the audiences back home, we’re never sure if they’re going to be your best friends or kill you,” he laughed.

“There is a saying in America that they say to us ‘I really appreciate that’ and it feels like they really mean it where as in Australia you’d get people saying: ‘that was f**king sick man or yelling at you: Presets guys!”

Whether in North America or Australia the boys have a massive and always growing following for the particular recipe of futuristic, sometimes alien, sometimes retro, dance music they create. Their EP “Girl from the Sea” featuring the title track delivered them in 2004 into the spotlight as the eerily mesmerising love song was noticed by certain listening audiences. But Julian and Kim both djs getting about from Sydney knew to employ a specific tactic if they were to drive their success.

“We always had the intention to push this as far as we could, get as many people into it as we could. That is why we started playing with bands that weren’t in the same style,” Moyes said. “People thought we were pretty crazy when we toured with Little Birdy and bands like that but it worked at getting us in front of so many people’s faces,” he continued.

Moyes acknowledges the rise and rise of an energised dance culture supported by other acts of a similar ilk, friends, Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy and Sneaky Sound System has helped them along the way as previously this culture wasn’t really in existence.

“We’ve had the ability to build something from the ground up that has come through very organic processes and ends up coming out through the mainstream and that doesn’t happen very often,” Moyes said. The lyrical content of their music is what Moyes considers too be a big part of their success, specifically due the subtext they are so clever for interweaving through their songs.

“The thing I’m really proud of is that we aren’t ramming too much of a point down your throat in our songs.” He said.

“If there is one it’s not so spelled out, it’s not so blatant and the thing is with good music and good art it should have a myriad of meanings and mean something different to someone and will mean something different again to someone else,” he added.

Kicking back and chilling on the tour bus for the sound check of their Minnesota gig to be completed, conversation turns to what’s coming up for this super duper dance duo.

June will see them continue to ride the tour bus wave, this time back home - the Australian tour completely sold out and as well a headline performance for Australia’s darling festival – Splendour in the Grass. Not since 2002 have the lads performed at Splendour. Recollection of festival memories from this gig have come flooding back to Moyes as he recalls his and Julian’s antics.

“F**k it was a fun night, we were dj-ing, touring with The Dissociatives and it ended up Cut Copy were there too and the Bang Gang boys, it was a pretty spontaneously, insane night.”

The Festival’s house bar was the location Kim and Julian were the DJs on the decks and it’s one of the most memorable sets I’ve ever seen. Memorable too according to Moyes because it was about that same time they came up with a novel idea which has stuck.

“That was actually a pretty special moment you were witnessing there,” he said. “We just sort of came up with the idea of being the guys with masks.”

The lads with masks they still are and fast paced, craziness with fantastic beats is what they deliver. It’s unlikely though another dj set is likely because says Moyes ‘they’ll have too much to lose’.

Catch The Presets when they tour Oz this month and in August for Splendour. Visit www.thepresets.com or www.splendourinthegrass.com.

Posted: October 11th, 2008 under INTERVIEWS.
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Here and PNAU

The significance of seeing a Toulouse Lautrec exhibition when you’re but ten years old, is often not identifiable for someone so young, but that was the catalyst behind what’s become a lifelong appreciation for art in its many forms for Nick Littlemore.

“Art is everything to me, my parents instilled that in us from a very early age,” he said.

“Inspiration for me is a strange thing it can come from books and film comes from walking down the street it doesn’t necessarily come from any specific place yet it seems to emanate, I can just get a groove up and start singing or write it.

This inspiration which can come from so many places might not be so apparent today as the day I chatted with him he was preparing to have a needle placed between two vertebrae in his spine. Not something he was looking forward to at all, but as one half of the accomplished electro duo Pnau and with New Year gigs scheduled, including those for the upcoming Big Day Out circuit, he’s determined he won’t risk missing a live performance due to ill health.

“I’ve never missed a gig in my life so even if they have to wheel me out on stage in a wheelchair then so be it,” he said.

Littlemore and his partner in music making, Peter Mayes elicited a blinding performance during their return performance recently at Sydney’s Homebake. However, the gig left Littlemore in absolute agony as he’d slipped two discs in his back just days prior to that performance.

“From what I’m told it was a really cool show, I don’t really remember any of it, as I’d broken my back and was completely out of it on stage,” he said.

Pnau broke through with their ingenuity in sound in 1999 presenting a sultry ‘summer time’ feeling release called Sambanova. This album inspired many poolside party tracks like ‘Journey Agent’ and propelled the lads towards sonic success for some time after. They followed up that debut in 2003 with their sophomore release Again. This album fell short of capturing the essence of what they had unleashed in Sambanova and as a result disappointed critics and fans alike, but not least the duo themselves.

“Again, to be honest, is the worst record I’ve ever done,” Littlemore stated resolutely.

“We didn’t really conceptualise any of it before we did it and it was a very strange time for us, my other band Teenager were starting out and it was just weird,” he said.

After Again’s lacklustre reception the pair parted ways. Littlemore took up residence in London produced with other artists including Robbie Williams and he and Mayes sought some much needed time apart.

“I’d been working with Peter - we’d been working every day together since we were 14 we needed a break from each other and that sort of extended through Again, “Littlemore said.

But the urge to work together again had grown and in Littlemore’s mind –the revelation that their working partnership really did amount to something developed.

“I’ve known peter since I was ten, he’s like my brother, like any relationship we love each other and hate each but we’ve sort of realised music overrides everything,” he stated. “We really wanted to work together again, we really looked at each other and looked at our lives and decided that we really make the best music we do together and we just had to recognise how to get back to that,” he said.

Together once more, over 200 songs written, as well as a full album laid down between Again and their latest, the self-titled Pnau, but it wasn’t until Littlemore penned the track ‘With you forever’ and a collaboration with another talented muso, frontman of Sleepy Jackson Luke Steele occurred, that magic emerged.

“I wrote With you forever sent it to Luke Steele and he just sung the most amazing pop line, which changed it forever,” he said.

“With you forever is the best song we’ve ever written,” Littlemore added.

The new self titled offering exemplifies their strength in partnership. A return to the form of their first album Sambanova which pulled at the heart strings of listeners due for the happiness it created -something the guys were keen to capture this time around.

“With this album we really wanted to do something positive, and understand what it was that had worked about Sambanova.

Sonically the two albums are very different, but ultimately the two both leave you feeling good and so the overall feeling was that we really wanted to make a statement of positivity,” Littlemore said.

The album has not gone unnoticed either. Respected music man and celebrity Elton John publicly applauded the boys and their latest album so much so he’s sent copies out to his friends including the Scissor Sisters and Littlemore is hopeful of a collaboration not too far in the future.

“This week has been pretty crazy we met Elton John he’s a wonderful person really generous and into his art, and he and I share that in common,” Littlemore reflected.

The prospect of working alongside the likes of Elton John much less being held in such high esteem has Littlemore excited, perhaps enough to momentarily forget about his impending surgical procedure. Still he ponders what else is ahead this year for Pnau and indeed the artistically driven Littlemore himself.

As he talks of the blinding Big Day Out tour and their own tour later in the year which promises many surprises including a large circus tent, fire eaters and other amazing things the actual live shows will produce a polished outcome for Pnau. “We’re taking it a lot more professionally,” he said. “When we perform the new album – there are some tracks we remix some of our older songs, probably not going to see too many new cuts,” he continued.

But that isn’t all this inspiration fiend will fit into 2008. Littlemore is a self confessed film connoisseur and along with his talents for making music the coming months will see him delve into the world of feature film production as he will embark on an acting role for a film which focusses on colours.

Music fans need not worry though as he’ll also release the latest Teenager album and will continue to write four – five new songs a week, inspiration never waning.

Pnau play the Big Day Out festival from January 20, 2008. For more information visit www.bigdayout.com.

Posted: October 11th, 2008 under Australian Interview, INTERVIEWS.
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