Spooky, mysterious and dark. It's not exactly Cliff Richard's Christmas Prayer, but that should come as no small relief to those of us unable to stomach the ageing pop pensioner. I am of course referring to Hello Translinks?, the Belfast-based electro/house outfit, and their seasonal greeting to the world. The free download release 'Christmas Single' is available now from their website, and at that price you'd be a fool not to give it a listen.
Combining equally the sounds of Numan and old school Nintendo, Hello Translinks? have put together a highly original spin on a tired concept. Admit it – when was the last time you actually heard a Christmas single you liked? These days they're all either woeful novelty records, or part of the never ending onslaught of Simon Cowell and his one-man mission to kill off creativity in popular music. Even in the good old days Christmas singles were terrible (The Pogues being an honourable exception). Paul McCartney, I'm pointing my finger of disapproval squarely at you.
'Christmas Single' is a clever tune, and lyrically it deals with the darker side of Christmas. The stress leading up to the inevitable event, the strain on our bank accounts, the disruption of our daily lives – what happened to the good old days when Santa used to just come down the chimney every year and a great time was guaranteed? Hello Translinks? have confronted the seasonal angst that many of us are afflicted by on a yearly basis, and have converted it into three and a half minutes of ice-cool electro pop bliss. “Do you remember Christmas?” they sing over waves of mesmerising synth lines, “It was more than a time of year.” I know I do.
Of course, all of this would fall flat if it weren't for the group's ear for a good melody and an infectious chorus. They also get extra thumbs up for a professional recording job (a factor that especially makes all the difference with electronica) and some interesting cover art. An antidote to the turgid, money-grabbing Christmas Number 1 formula is here. And it's just one click away. Maybe Santa Claus really does exist after all.
NVTV is a free-to-air, terrestrial community television service for the Belfast area. 'Kick Out The Jams' is the channel's local music showcase, featuring a series of 25 minute programs that offer interviews and exclusive acoustic performances from a wide variety of local acts. Full episodes have recently been made available on Youtube. Below are a few picks from those available, but you can browse the full listing by clicking here.
The Answer
"Downpatrick rockers, The Answer, are back in Northern Ireland for a well earned rest after touring Japan, Australia and Europe but before they had time to relax, we invited the boys into the studio to perform acoustically and update us on what they've been up to." And So I Watch You From Afar
"And So I Watch You From Afar have been scooping rave reviews wherever they tread. This week on Kick Out The Jams, they strip it back a little for a studio session."
Joe Echo
"Joe Echo is the alter-ego of former Leya front man Ciaran Gribbin. This time we invited Ciaran into the studio with his various keyboard and guitar pedal effects for a more electronic influence set."
Telephone Bruises are a recently-formed, Derry-based band featuring former Mascara Story vocalist Daveit Ferris. They released their 'Shiverwrists' E.P. back in August 2007, and since then have been gigging up and down the country. Aside from Daveit, the 5-piece consist of 'Awesome Aaron' (guitar/vocals), Lee Curran (drums/vocals), Shaun Murphy (bass/vocals) and 'Mute' (strings/vocals). With their arsenal of radio-friendly hooks, Telephone Bruises concoct a melodic indie-rock sound built around strong vocal melodies and set against a melancholic instrumental backdrop.
The band work well together as a unit, with each member contributing effectively to the swelling and sighing dynamics of the compositions. Built around Daveit's voice, they construct a sleek and streamlined sonic picture. The rhythm section do a successful job of pushing forward and pulling back the intensity at just the right time, and the guitar tracks are delivered liberally but resourcefully, adding colour but not detracting through overuse. Employment of keyboard parts adds an additional emotional punch to the choruses, and more subtle textures in the verses. There are a number of short guitar solos and instrumental flourishes, but for the most part Telephone Bruises keep the songs concise, and avoid indulging in lengthy jams or interludes.
There are however some more interesting musical touches embellishing this E.P. – the stuttering, syncopated bass parts in the verses of 'I Am Buzz Lightyear', the synth breakdown in 'Gravity', the key change in 'Another New Year' – but for the most part the band keep the songs short, the hooks memorable and the approach professional.
However, whilst the recording approach of this E.P. presents the band at their cleanest, this arguably detracts from the overall dynamic of the songs, yielding mixed results. On one hand, this highly polished studio production is on a par with any mainstream artist, the songs presented with clarity and focus. But on the other hand, the 5-piece often sound constrained by the radio-friendly and somewhat clinical sonic palette, and at times you find yourself wishing for a rawer and more immediate sound. The 'straight-to-tape' approach would perhaps have better emphasised the impact of the song dynamics – which is probably one of the band's biggest assets.
'Shiverwrists' can therefore be described as a melodic and cleanly recorded release from a band that excels in big, soaring choruses and emotionally charged vocal performances. On the strength of this release, Telephone Bruises are obviously in possession of a formula that they can pull off well, and which has the potential to resonate with a lot of music fans. Essentially, this E.P. is a thoroughly modern-sounding indie-rock record that has all the ingredients to ensure wider recognition and broader appeal for the band. But be warned - if you like your music louder, weirder or more head-melting than the above, then this release might not be for you.
Big Eyeball In The Sky talks to bassist Michael McKeegan about 18 years of Therapy? You have had a particularly busy five years, releasing three albums on Spitfire Records, a DVD, a radio sessions compilation, touring relentlessly and doing a web-gig for your site. What are your personal highlights of this highly prolific period of your career, and what do you think are your greatest achievements?
For me one of the best things over the past 5 years was just the chemistry between Neil [Cooper, drummer], Andy [Cairns, guitar] and myself. I’d be a liar if I said it was ‘easy’ but between the three of us we dealt with each and every concept/project/problem with a load of creativity and foresight so the whole thing has been very enjoyable. As regards specific highlights I’d say doing the “Scopophobia” DVD (our first), the webgig (again our first) and pretty much the whole touring schedule as I felt we really tightened up our whole approach to playing live. By this I mean we could learn ‘old’ songs at soundcheck and play them that night as opposed to previous incarnations when there would have to be major debates before we even struck a chord. Same with the writing/recording procedures…everyone was very open to any and all ideas and the idea of making them as good as possible.
If you had to name one, what was your favourite gig of the band's entire career? Could you tell us a little bit about it?
No, I honestly couldn’t. And that makes me happy because I never have felt we’ve had one ‘defining moment’ onstage or off. Pretty much every gig has something special or magical about it…of course there are plenty of things that can go wrong and they usually make the best stories…falling off stages, fighting with over-aggressive security, being handed guitars wildly out of tune, naked people in the audience, naked people side of stage, naked people onstage plus the usual ‘pilot-error’ where one of us starts a completely different song to the other band members.
Overall, what Therapy? album are you the most proud of?
At a push, I’d say I’m most proud of “Babyteeth”(as it was our debut and a very very big deal at the time to get it together), “Troublegum” (as we worked hard on moving the songs up a gear and it is a big fan favourite to this day), “Never Apologise Never Explain” (quite intensive and ferocious rehearsing/recording schedule plus we got the 3-piece chemistry spot on) and the forthcoming album(still being written, and ‘cos I know it’ll be great).
The web-gig you did back in January was new territory for the band. How do you feel the project went overall? Did allowing your fans to vote for the set-list yield any surprising results?
I think it all went really well. Obviously there are things we’d do different and some people didn’t really grasp the concept (ie. It wasn’t meant to be a ‘live gig’ or definitive version of those songs) so I think future ones (if we do any) will be better and more effective. As regards the fan vote, the only song I personally was surprised by was “Evil Elvis”, I never assumed a b-side recorded in 1993 would have made such an impact on people.
On the topic of your lesser known tracks, we know from your website that there was a song called 'Plebians' which didn't make the running order for 2004's Never Apologise Never Explain. It is also widely rumoured that there are 3 Shameless-era songs that were never released, and you mentioned in the press at the time that you were working on around 30 songs for Semi-Detached. Do you generally have many leftover songs when making albums, and if so will they ever be released in any shape or form?
The concept of ‘leftovers’ is a weird one…normally we just write a load of songs and record them as we see fit. Then after a period of reflection we try and sequence them into a dynamic, cohesive album. As a result some songs really just don’t work or fit with the ‘flow’ of the album….of course, some of the songs might be not up to the standard of theothers so we kick those out as well!
“Plebians” didn’t make the album(or a b-side) due to the fact we had a load of samples on it and legally it’d be a nightmare to get proper clearance on them. Good song though and we played it live a few times before we hit the studio. The “Shameless” stuff was for a proposed split single with the Black Halos on the Sub-Pop label….it never happened due to a few reasons which is a pity ‘cos it had the bands covering each other’s songs. Our version of “Bloodsucking Freak” was a blinder and the Halos did “Lonely Cryin Only” in fine style…
The “Semi-Detached” stuff is a bit more vague as we did tons of rehearsing and had many hours on tape of jams and ideas floating around. It’s actually a wonder we did get an album out of it as the whole process was so fractured…in the end I’m glad we focussed on the songs we did otherwise we’d still be trying to record it.
Andy once said in an interview that he would have liked the chance to work with Steve Albini in the band's earlier days. Since then, Steve has publicly voiced his respect for Therapy?. Is there the possibility that you might record with him at some point in the future?
You probably know we’re all big fans of Steve Albini’s music and recording work right back to when we first started Therapy? Usually we pick a producer who ‘suits’ the songs we’ve written and, if they’re into it and schedules permit, then we do it. I know he’s a busy and in demand guy but I’d love to do something with him even if it was a one-off ep or a couple of songs sometime in the future. Are there any bands that have impressed you recently, perhaps that have supported you in recent tours?
Recently I’m very much enjoying Baroness, Skream and Desert Hearts.
What was it like playing onstage with metal legend Bruce Dickinson at the Mandella Hall in 2004?
That was insane! I’m a huge Iron Maiden fan and that was like a massive thing for me…we initially suggested to do a Maiden song (The Trooper) but Bruce came up with the idea of “Black Night”. Being a big Deep Purple fan I was delighted to do it…The mad thing was his flight was delayed(he flew himself over to Belfast!) so the soundcheck/rehearsal took about 3 minutes then we had to clear the stage for the support bands. I’m really pleased how great it turned out later that night. (BTW:We also played “Plebians” at this show and all of “Babyteeth” in the encore fact fans…)
Nowadays unsigned local bands can utilise the internet as a tool for organising gigs, getting hold of contact details for promoters and getting their name out there. How different was it when Therapy? were starting out? Were there many opportunities for a band like yourselves to play live?
It was much more a word of mouth thing, writing to people and sending out tapes etc..In Belfast at the time a band like us (not as ‘metal’ or ‘punk’ musically as the preconceived ideas were at the time) seemed to confuse a lot of promoters who just wanted to book bands that sounded like Guns And Roses, U2 or The Exploited. All great bands but we certainly didn’t fit into the rigid ideas of that period….we found a home playing at shows put on by the Warzone anarchist collective in Belfast and as a result we ended up playing with everyone from thrash bands to dub artists to techno dj’s. From that we made some contacts in other bands and would offer each other gigs in our respective hometowns…very cool indeed.
It was defiantly a DIY approach to everything from songwriting to touring and releasing music, I see a lot of that happening now.
You have always shown willingness as a band to take a fresh approach with each album you make. How do you think your next release will shape up musically compared to 'One Cure Fits All'?
I fell it might be quite sonically different yet contain all the greatest elements of Therapy?...suitably vague I know! Sorry!
Therapy?'s most recent album 'One Cure Fits All' (2006) is out now on Spitfire Records.
Dolbro Dan is a 23 year old singer-songwriter from Bangor. Citing influences such as Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Idlewild, Mudhoney and the Beach Boys, his debut album was recently released on DIY label 'Grab It & Run'. Lyrically direct and musically stripped-down, 'Singin' Homemade Music' is a collection of 12 songs that evoke the spirit of 60's and 70's folk-rock music.
For the most part this is an album delivered via the simple but effective vocal-acoustic-harmonica combo. A couple of songs feature full rock band arrangements, but even in these cases the arrangements are kept sparse, with no distorted guitars, and the focus remains primarily on the vocals and the songs themselves. This was a wise decision, as it not only works well aesthetically with the 'Homemade Music' concept but it also plays to Dan's strengths, as it allows his powerful vocals to dominate and take centre-stage.
Although undoubtedly influenced by an array of different artists, the one that comes across the strongest is Bob Dylan. Whilst such comparisons are unavoidable when singing of discontent, strumming a few chords and playing harmonica, this is music directly influenced by the songwriting powerhouse, not plagiarised from him. And although the approach and attitude of Dylan is present in Dan's work, this can largely be seen as a musical template rather than the means to an end. The big difference however is in the vocals. With his warm baritone range, Dan bears more of a resemblance to a young Mark Lanegan than Dylan, and like both these artists his songs are centred around chord sequences and strong vocal arrangements. And although this is quite a mellow album, the grunge and punk influences do come through in the lyrics. The subtly humourous, sometimes satirical and often barbed wordplay is undoubtedly a product of post-1977 musical output, and deals often with contemporary issues.
A number of songs cover well-worn territory for the budding singer-songwriter - 'Silver Clouds', 'Morning Train' and 'A Three Chord Song' are confessional and intimate compositions that pull off the trick of being funny, melancholy and optimistic all at the same time. Others, such as 'Cold Shoulder Blues' and 'Public Nuisance Blues' offer lighter moments and amusing anecdotes, the latter telling the story of an unsuccessful busking session cut short by an unsympathetic authority figure. And on the hilariously sardonic 'When Bob Was Still A Boy', Dan expresses his disappointment with the state of the modern music industry, globalisation and predicts an Orwellian future where “all smokers will be shot on sight”.
All in all, this is an accomplished collection of songs. Clocking in at the traditional length of 45 minutes, the album never overstays its welcome, and remains a consistently interesting and enjoyable listen throughout. There is enough variety in musical presentation and mood to keep things lively and there are even a few tracks that sound distinctly radio-friendly. Already finding praise from the likes of Gerry Anderson and George Jones, Dolbro Dan may yet find a larger audience than in the small but vibrant local music scene. What the casual music listener will make of his self-styled homemade music is anyone's guess, but his songwriting, his voice and his ear for a good melody alone should ensure a favourable reception from most people. A consistently strong debut release, 'Singin' Homemade Music' is well worth a look for anyone with an interest in the singer-songwriter genre.
'Singin' Homemade Music' is available now from Dolbro Dan's Myspace page for £6, which includes P&P in the U.K.
Manchester-based industrial dance outfit Skinjob recently played Belfast at the Rosetta Bar's monthly 'Cornucopia' goth night. Big Eyeball In The Sky catches up with their songwriter and frontman Fitz, as we discuss the past, present and future of the band.
Who would you say were your biggest musical influences? What first inspired you to make the music that you make?
I have played piano from an early age but have always been fascinated by electronic music, being very interested in computers and electronics as a child. I recall being asked in primary school what I wanted to do when I grew up and saying that I wanted to 'do something with computers and music' which at the time was probably not taken very seriously with a patronising smile. For pianists keyboards were also a (relatively) cheap option rather than forking out silly money for a real piano, plus you have the space thing with a piano, and you could make some interesting noises with keyboards which can be their own inspiration. I was never into most mainstream music, but my electronic influences originate with Depeche Mode, Jean Michelle Jarre and, via the TV show 'Miami Vice', Jan Hammer. I was always into film scores and love John Williams and later Danny Elfman who I was pleased to learn originally used to use 'Bars & Pipes Pro' on the Commodore Amiga for his writing. Growing up in the suburbs of Liverpool I was not exposed to alternative culture until I hit College and I encountered bands like the Sisters and The Cure which were different, but not electronic. I remember when a friend known for being into weird bands gave me a tape of Nitzer Ebb and Skinny Puppy & Doubting Thomas and thinking 'whoah!' I still have that tape. It was at College I met the co-founder of Skinjob, Andy Manns. A few years later I wanted to write film scores and I did write one for a film called 'Some Of Gods Children' back in 1995 for a guy called Lancelot Smith who I'd met in London after driving a writer friend down to show some scripts to people (a good friend of mine and the brother of 'Hellboy' screenplay writer Peter Briggs no less). It was during this time in London I was introduced to Slimelight and the music in there - Front 242' Up:Evil album was current and Front Line Assembly were the order of the day and they provided more inspiration (I still love FLA to this day). Culturally I started to know who I wanted to be.
You originally formed the band in 1991 with the intention of playing 'post-modern industrial dance'. How would you describe your sound as having evolved over the past 16 years?
For starters the sound is now 'attainable' ;) Andy and I started off as you do young and knowing nothing about the enormity of the task ahead. Originally we intended for there to be guitars in the line up as we were listening to a lot of Nine Inch Nails after Reznor put out the Head Like A Hole demos and I would go around to Andy's and we'd try writing stuff - he could play the guitar a little and I would take a small keyboard and we would just tinker around with ideas. I remember at the time I had a Commodore Amiga running MusicX with a MIDI interface, a basic Yamaha 4 operator synth and a Roland MC-50 sequencer which I used to sequence bass lines on the Yamaha for rehearsals (as taking a computer out was a pain, mainly because of the TV you would have to lug around with it). This is in the days when a hard drive was well beyond the reach of average people and 'sampling' was all the rage, but the Akai and Emu samplers of the day cost silly money. The Amiga levelled that playing field with it's ability to do some pretty decent 16bit sampling, however we just didn't have the recording tools to do what we wanted which was extremely frustrating at the time. It was all very well being able to make some interesting noises, but when you are a student with no money and the only thing you can afford is cassette tape, it's very disheartening to not be able to record anything properly. We did rehearse in various places over several years including the infamous Crash rehearsal rooms in Liverpool and experimented with different line ups (but it was always Andy and I at the core) and at one point we had a drummer, bassist and various guitarists rehearsing with us. I have the rehearsal tapes somewhere - we had fun but that was about it. One thing was certain in that we did not find what we wanted to really do, and we wanted the sound more electronic. I was never happy with the sound, without knowing exactly what was wrong with it - I just knew I didn't like the direction.
Time moves on and Andy and I both got jobs and so on and the project went untouched. Andy finally threw in the towel as he was concentrating on his 3D graphic design career and passed everything on to me. I always intended to 'do something' with Skinjob but it was one of those things - I had other priorities, but I did always maintain a sequencer and started using Cubase on the PC and my keyboards would always be set up as I would practice piano and play around in the studio. I did a remix for someone about 10 years ago now via something I saw on the Internet and it apparently got put out - I was promised copies that never arrived but it was my first taste of actually having something on a CD and remixing.
What was the Manchester music scene like at the beginning of the 1990's? Were there many local venues around then that supported unsigned artists?
To be honest I was never really much of a gig-goer back in the day and grew up in the outskirts of Liverpool rather than Manchester. Before Skinjob Andy and I were in a band called 'EN8' along with some other guys - that was guitar based and metal influenced. Andy was the lead singer and I was the keyboard player. We gigged around Widnes and Rainhill - we had some shows in some Colleges in the area which stick out in my mind. I remember the Widnes Civic Hall would put on some shows with local bands but that was about it. Can't really speak for Manchester back than as I wasn't there.
Skinjob features Susanna Duende (keyboards) and "Mark aka Gus" (drums) as live musicians. How did they come to be involved in the project?
Aha... well Susana I met through a mutual friend in Luxembourg (actually Grendel's sound guy) as she had moved from London to Manchester and didn't know anyone - I was asked to introduce her to the local scene which I did and we got on really well. At the time I had a keyboard player for Skinjob and was starting to do a couple of live shows but there were some issues and I needed a new keyboard player, and Susana stepped in - she's a real musician who reads music which was a god send - if you look at Seb's photos from Dublin you will notice she has a light gaffa-taped to her keyboard stand - this is because she reads music when we play live and needs the light to see it properly. She's also the keyboard player for Greenhaus and it's hard for her to remember all those songs hence the manuscript. I can't complain as I can simply email her manuscript in PDF format exported direct from my sequencer and she can just play it. Just what I needed.
Mark I know from a club in Manchester where he DJ's - he's someone I can totally relate to and has been in various bands himself (including Mann(i)kin) - I heard him talking about drumming one night and I joked about him playing drums for us and one night he said he'd be up for it so we had a rehearsal and that was that - he has a very busy schedule (he's stage manager for Lacuna Coil at the moment, amongst other things) and so he's with us when schedules permit, but he's a superb live drummer. The show works with or without live drums, but it's more interesting to look at with live drums.
You recently played a couple of gigs in Ireland - Dublin on 7th September and Belfast on the 8th. How do you think the gigs went, and did you have a good experience?
They both went great - at Dublin in Voodoo Lounge we were supporting the infamous Sheep On Drugs and Belfast we were the only band on as part of the Cornucopia club night. First time I've travelled to a different country to perform and that in itself brings extra challenges with transporting all the gear, but we managed. At Dublin I was a little subdued as I'd literally had 20 minutes sleep the previous night due to getting things ready for the shows but it was all good in the end. At Belfast I'd actually had some sleep so was a little more animated. I know some of the Dublin and Belfast crowd from various festivals such as Infest and Whitby so it was good to see people again. Would definitely do it all again.
You have in the past worked on remixes for German bands such as XPQ-21 and KiEw. How did this come about?
KiEw I met at Infest as I was interviewing them for The Miss Jinny Show which is a radio show I co-DJ with Miss Jinny (which you can find at www.missjinny.com) - I was wanting to get into remixing and so was cheeky and asked for a remix kit - Thedi (main guy from KiEw) is really into music and remixing and agreed to send me a remix kit - I had no idea what I was doing and did my best and the next thing I knew it was track 4 on the new EP at number 11 in the DAC singles chart being touted as 'potential club smasher' on the Metropolis website. This took me by surprise to be honest but in a good way. It also featured on the Dark Flower II compilation last November. I must have done something right.
XPQ-21 had a remix competition that I entered and won - twice. I say twice because out of the tracks I wanted to remix 'Beautiful' was one of the options along with 'Rockin' Silver Knight' - 'Beautiful' is a fantastic song and I wanted to remix that, but was told that everyone was doing that and I should do Rockin' Silver Knight - I had a dilemma as I really wanted to do Beautiful and had an idea that I had started - I suggested that I do two remixes for them - 'ok as along as they are good!' they said - 'ha - of course they will be good!' I replied then after hitting reply sat with my head in my hands thinking 'what have I just done???' - it was a lot of work but I pulled it off. To be honest I really wasn't happy with my production on the Beautiful remix but they used it anyway. I could do it much better now. I was again surprised to find out that out of the five remixes of Rockin Silver Knight on the album, mine was the one on the DJ promo CD and the promo CD hit number 9 in the German DAC singles chart. Funnily enough I received the news I had won by email while in a hotel in Lueneburg (which is in Germany near Hamburg) and is where KiEw are from - I was at their for their '15 years of KiEw' party. Walking out of the hotel corridor I bumped into Ronan Harris and Daniel Myer. Daniel Myer of course has many projects, one of which is 'Haujobb'. 'Hau' in German means 'to hit', but 'haut' means 'skin' - 'Haujobb' is a play on words for 'skinjob' in German. Small coincidental world.
I've since had a conversation with Daniel Myer about the names and he has no problem with me using Skinjob and agrees that people are very unlikely to get us confused.
Your 'Insects & Metaphors' E.P. was released this year. Could you tell us a bit about it?
Well I'm at the stage where I'm ready for shows and have enough songs now for at least one album, but writing and producing an album on your own is a lot of work as I'm sure you can imagine. I wanted to have something out by way of a demo, and 'Insects & Metaphors' is it. The title track was actually written back in '92 and 'Move' was written back in '94, both myself and Andy Manns. Andy wrote the first verses to both songs and I finally finished them this year (what can I say... I'm a terrible procrastinator...). Both songs are about terrorism and religious extremism and I find it fascinating how relevant the original lyrics are today. They could have been written last week.
'Beauty Is Your Toy' I wrote relatively recently and is basically about those mean attractive girls who toy with you - you know the type. Despite this you can't stay away from them...
'Mothers Against Noise' I wrote in about 3 hours one afternoon - it's inspired by a real website that was put up a year or so ago by a US group calling themselves 'Mothers Against Noise' - you know the type of people - blame something they don't like on something they don't understand then try to lobby to ban it - mothers against this, mothers against that. they were really serious when they claimed that noise music is the cause of all societies problems. The voice is Jane (Miss Jinny from our Miss Jinny Show) who has an great 'BBC announcer' type voice who I got to record the script for me. Lets be honest - 'noise' is simply the new rock'n'roll. I am fascinated by recursive patterns and I find it amusing that a song could effectively deride itself. Ok - MAN is by no means a 'noise' track, but it has some wacky electronic noises in it - I was just trying to make something as offbeat as possible. I released it on the net and the next think I knew I was finding it in playlists as far away as California. I never in a million years expected people to dance to it or request it but they do. We keep trying to get away from it as it doesn't seem to go down well with some crowds but we keep getting asked to play it.
'SexMachine2.1' is about the commoditisation of sex - remove all the passion and have a machine voice coldly stating some phrases which probably should never be said like that and what do you have? It's basically techno and I get to play my Access Virus live on stage.
What's next for Skinjob in the near future? Any gigs or new recorded material in the works?
Oh I have many plans :) Next show is Carnival Of Souls in Derby, and I have more than enough material for an album at the moment - I'm just in the process of deciding the album tracks and deciding the best way to proceed with that. We have a few open gig offers we are mulling over and trying to decide on the best schedule for those. I also have a stack of remixes to do when I have the time. I seem to be a victim of my own success with remixes as I'm not one for just changing the sounds and sending it back - I like to do something unique with it, such as changing the time signature for XPQ-21's 'Beautiful' into 4x4 from 6x8 (that was some interesting audio processing I can tell you). With any luck I should have an album out in the coming months. An album will happen one way or the other, it's just a matter of time now. Skinjob's E.P. 'Insects and Metaphors' is available now from their website for £4, which includes P&P.
Formed in March 2004, Belfast metal band Underline have to date released two E.P's, 'Your Skinny Neck Friends' (2004) and 'Is This Yours?' (2005). A 3-piece, they consist of Dave Kennedy (Guitars/vocals), Terry McDonald (Bass) and Shane McDonald (Drums). I first had the pleasure of their musical company one night at Lavery's Bunker when they were supporting the Dangerfields, and although I arrived late and caught only the last few songs of their set, I was sufficiently intrigued to hunt out their recorded work.
'Your Skinny Neck Friends E.P.' (2004)
Their début E.P. begins with 'Ashamed', a memorable heavy rocker that boasts some hard riffs, harmonic squeals and clever dynamic shifts. Although the main chord sequences are simple enough to be memorable, the rhythm section tend to push these ideas in a number of directions, ensuring enough instrumental variety to keep things interesting. This is a technique the band use often, and it works well. The more reflective 'Hate Well' mixes 'clean' (ish) verses with an explosive chorus. This in turn is complimented well by a steadily building middle section, climaxing in a suitably heavy fashion. 'Breather' puts a more linear spin on things rhythmically, with greater emphasis on guitar and vocals. 'Your Skinny Neck Friends' concludes with the crunchy 'Flicker', which bears some similarities to opener 'Ashamed'. Bookending the E.P at either side with these two energetic compositions works well, and provides a highly cohesive listening experience. The lo-fi recording style of this E.P suits the band well, providing an honest representation of their charged live performances. A consistently strong début release, 'Your Skinny Neck Friends' is well worth a listen.
'Is This Yours? E.P.' (2005)
Their second release, 'Is This Yours?' is musically more of the same, which is no bad thing at all. The 3-piece conjure up a thick and heavy sonic brew, which is enhanced still by a more professional recording job courtesy of Manor Park Studio. The vocals are pushed up higher in the mix than in their previous release, and in fact everything sounds 'bigger' and much more expansive. Stab It Down is another strong opener, driven by some committed riffage, and is fleshed out by imaginative drumming and a healthy dose of thunderous bottom end. '54 Days' sounds like an apocalyptic lament, contrasting downbeat and doomy verses with an explosive chorus. This bipolar technique is hardly original, but it works effectively in this case because the band tackle the material with such enthusiasm, and the more subtle dynamics employed lift the song from accusations of mediocrity. 'Skin' turns this formula upside down, employing driving, riff-heavy verses with a slower chorus, and closing track 'Fallen' amps things up further, providing a suitably crushing finale. 'Is This Yours?' builds on the strengths of Underline's previous release, featuring a more polished sound that accentuates the band's musical attack.
And so, ultimately what we have here is 8 songs with virtually no dip in quality. Many bands take a while to find a formula that works for them, or else have found it but have yet to completely hone their execution effectively. Instead, Underline appear to have emerged more or less fully-formed. Whilst musically they could hardly be accused of re-inventing the wheel, this is beside the point. This band's great strength is in writing concise and tightly arranged metal songs that on first glance appear simplistic in structure, but with greater attention reveal more subtle undertones. The band cite Black Sabbath, Metallica and Corrosion of Conformity as influences, but in my opinion they also resemble the Melvins, Helmet and Therapy?. If you have a fondness for any of these artists you would do well to go and see Underline some time. You won't be disappointed.
