NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY’S OFFICIAL MUSIC MAGAZINE
ISSUE 31 FREE
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB. DOG IS DEAD S.C.U.M THE RIFLES NOEL GALLAGHER ENTER SHIKARI
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CONTENTS
2 | Bombay Bicycle Club The successful London based quartet advise us on silly names and soup, and introduce ‘A Different Kind of Fix.’ 5 | The Weekend Nancy Bukasa recommends The Weeknd to you for that escapist feeling. 6 | S.C.U.M In one of the weirdest interviews we’ve had in a while, Alex Mawby winds up NME Radar Tour-ers S.C..U.M. 10 | Dog is Dead Nottingham locals, Pressure DJ’s and Bodega Bar Staff, Dog is Dead met John Bell. 11 | Yuck Nicholas Davies tracks Yuck’s development and explains why they’re picked to be a new great thing. 12 | The Rifles Shortly after the release of ‘Freedom Run,’ Rhian Brighton catches up with indie stalwarts The Rifles. 14 | Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Fresh from brotherly bust ups, Rich Bingham reviews Noel’s fresh new album. 16 | Wolf Gang Another NME Radar Tour headliner, Wolf Gang reckons Mozart was actually a rock star. 18 | Enter Shikari Kraig Rutland quizzes Enter Shikari on their Asian adventures. 22 Live Reviews A mere portion of the musical goings-on in Nottingham. 25 | Album Reviews A round-up of some of the more recent releases and an old gem. 28 | Gig guide Some of the upcoming gigs in Nottingham that promise to deliver.
EDITORIAL Welcome back everyone. It’s been a bit too long since the last issue, and there has been plenty going on. We hope all of you have settled in by now and got involved in the huge buzz that is Nottingham’s music scene. Our mag is only small so we can’t tell you everything you need to know about Notts, but we’ll try. We have a freshly launched website: http:// themicmag.co.uk/ We’ll be keeping all the old interviews and pieces that you see in the magazine on here, and many others than havn’t made it in, plus all the live and album reviews that get done. This issue is full of some big interviews, with some huge bands that have passed through Nottingham since the start of term, so enjoy. A huge thank you to everyone that came along to the YOU CRY WOLF gig a while back at Rescue Rooms, was a real success. There WILL be another event like this coming up, so keep your ears and eyes peeled for that. We’ll also be hitting Pressure once this is out and ready and in the shelves. Also make no plans for Wednesday 14th December, our very own Childhood will be hitting the Rescue Rooms for the Vice launch night along with Eagulls and Gross Magic, and the best part, its FREE. So be there, because we will. Big thank you to all the PR companies that continue to put up with us and all we are in contact with. Without them this wouldn’t exist. There’s too many to personally shout out but we hope you know who you are. Also huge shout out to all contributors, designers and editors. This issue is one of the best we’ve done in a while. So read on and enjoy! Facebook: search themicmag Twitter: @themicmaguk
Your Committee: Editors: Tom Jenkin, Kraig Rutland. Treasurer: Nic Redfern. Reviews and Features Editors: John Bell, Tash Duff and Jack Dixon. Designers: Max Bolton, Maria Krasteva. Advertising: Annie Davies, Cara McGoogan. Thanks to Rhian and Derin for all your help. Thanks go to: All our contributors who have made this issue properly sick: Ben at Rescue Rooms, Alec at Bodega, Matt and Ed at Malt Cross, Matt Greaves and all at Spectrum Printers, Robin at Wild, Martin and Tom at Ride, Rob and James at Sonic PR, James at Pamona, Ian, Jen, Warren and all the team at Chuff media, Anthea at PCPR, Georgia at Zeitgeist Agency, Kate at Work It! Media, Luke Leonard and James Andrews at Guts’n’Glory, Angela Lee and everyone in the SU, and if I’ve forgotten anybody, big props to everyone The Mic |1 who has made this happen. Cheers!
“What’s on our rider? Soup. We’ve just started putting microwavable soup on and it’s changed my life. No more kebabs after the gig, just a nice soup. We get a whole range, but I’m particularly enjoying the carrot and coriander at the moment.”
BOMBAY BICYC
No, this isn’t an excerpt from a Cliff Richard interview, but rather the words of Jamie MacColl and Suren de Saram of Bombay Bicycle Club; a band currently riding high on the back of a top ten album, a sold-out UK tour and a mainstay position on the Radio 1 play-list. Not that you could tell from meeting them. Slouched on a mottled brown sofa in the back room of Rock City, Nottingham (a venue they will in few hours completely nail), the pair come across sleepy and nonplussed, looking like they just got out of bed having slept in their clothes. Suren spends much of the interview looking at his hands and rubbing his eyes leaving Jamie to field most of the questions. This isn’t to say they aren’t aware of their surprisingly clean living, when questioned on the apparent tameness of their rider, they’re quick to play along... Jamie: Well the rider’s actually split between two rooms at the moment... Suren: Yeah in there we’ve got all the girls and the cocaine, fucking full of it. Jamie: (pointing at a large bag of sugar) That is actually just full of coke...
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ere is a band clearly not troubled by pressures to conform to any kind of debauched stereotype; they claim later not to have any real fraternity with other bands, “we’ve never really been part of a scene” claims Jamie, “we just got on with it, we don’t really have any celebrity friends. We went on tour with The Maccabees, and they’re nice guys, but I wouldn’t be friends with anyone just because they’re in a band”. When questioned on the concept of screaming fan-girls, Jamie is similarly dismissive, “we’ve never had much of a groupie scene, but I think that’s out of choice. Obviously after the recent NME cover et cetera we’ve begun to be recognised more in the street, but I think we find it pretty uncomfortable. We don’t go out expressly seeking fame. I think you have to be a weird kind of person to enjoy that stuff.” 2| The Mic
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learly the boys’ huge success has not gone to their head, as evident from the readiness with which they criticise their own work. Coming to the fore at the tender age of 15, after winning the ‘Road to V’ competition which gave them the exposure they deserved, was there any advice they would go back and give younger version of themselves? Suren was uncharacteristically quick to answer, “Choose a good name, ours is pretty ridiculous”. Jamie, ever the diplomat, steps in, “People remember it, and it’s not great, but it’s fucking hard to think of a good name. Personally, I would have probably waited a bit longer to record the first album (I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose), which is a bit controversial. I would have probably waited for a couple more songs. I feel it’s a bit disjointed between things that were new and songs that were older. There’s a big difference
LE CLUB INTERVIEW
‘Flaws’, their acoustic album which secured them their first top-ten chart placing and a coveted place on the Radio 1 playlist with single, ‘Ivy and Gold’, their fan base seemed to quadruple almost overnight. Then came the release of ‘Shuffle’ this summer - easily the band’s biggest tune to date; a swirling, heady dose of housepiano infused indie pop which ignited the festival crowds and radio play-lists alike. “It was great because initially I don’t think anyone really thought it was us. ’Flaws’ was more of a breakthrough though for us in terms of the mainstream. It was the first time we had a song on the Radio 1 play-list, which for good or bad seems a big deal in this country. There’s no real other direct medium for many people. It seems to me, get a song on the Radio 1 play-list, play Jools Holland and then you sell 50,000 records or something, which is crap because they have a lot of power, and it’s just unfortunate if they don’t like you. Although they could turn on us for the next single. I mean ‘Lights Out, Words Gone’ is on there (the Radio 1 play-list) at the moment and it seems to stand out, and I’m really proud of that.”
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between say, songs like ‘Cancel On Me’, which I think is a great song and very much like our 16 year old selves, but very different from a lot of the more developed stuff on there. Songs like that, and ‘The Hill’ were quite jangly, indie pop, which I feel we moved away from”. Even when casually discussing the lyrics on the new album, ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’, Jamie is quick to comment; “The lyrics are influenced by the same things it’s always been; relationships and girls, but I think it’s a bit more opaque this time. My main criticism on this album is that the lyrics are quite hard to understand sometimes. I think there’s too much reverb basically”.
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hatever they have to say about themselves, it is undeniable that Bombay seem to be going from strength to strength. After the release of 2010’s
espite the doubt and anxiety clearly exhibited here, the view of the band at the gig that evening told a completely different story. Playing to a packed venue, the previously lethargic pair are joined on stage by lead-singer Jack Steadman, Ed Nash on bass and prominent collaborator, Lucy Rose, whose ethereal vocals somehow manage to be even more affecting than they are on the record. Any fears conveyed earlier by Jamie about the band still being ‘relative novices’ to playing full electric gigs of this size, having had a year off with ‘Flaws’, are completely unfounded. The atmosphere in Rock City was electric as Bombay ran through their now comprehensive list of hits and fan favourites. The inclusion of songs from the new album, as well as re-worked versions of cuts from ‘Flaws’ gives their set a much more textured and nuanced feel. High tempo classic indie rock anthems such as ‘Magnet’ or ‘Always Like This’ are juxtaposed with more dancey, experimental songs such as ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep’ and slower ballads from ‘Flaws’ including ‘Rinse The Mic |3
Me Down’. This mixture of styles gives the gig a more diverse and intriguing edge, meaning that there is no ‘mid-set lull’ or chance for the massive crowd to get rowdy or bored. The set highlight would have to be the encore when, lit by a single stark white light, Jack Steadman delivered his most affecting composition to date, album closer ‘Still’. Joined briefly by Lucy Rose, Jack’s quivering voice coupled with the slow, sonorous piano accompaniment brought the entire room to a standstill and completely lived up to the Thom York/Radiohead comparisons currently being heaped upon the band. When challenged by this comparison earlier, Jamie and Suren seem unwilling to be too closely linked, instead focusing on their similar approach to constantly evolving and developing their music. They claim ‘not to have a Bombay Bicycle Club sound’, and seem unsure what any new music will sound like, Jamie wanting to do something, “a bit slower, with some acoustic sections, but not like ‘Flaws’. More muscular and interesting, like Bon Iver’s new album”. Whatever this entails, it is hard to tell. One thing we can be certain about, though, is that the band themselves are unlikely to change, as Jamie was keen to highlight; “A friend of mine 4| The Mic
said to me recently, “everything around you seems to be changing and getting bigger; the venues, the entourage, the lights, the crowds; but the four of you still look and play exactly the same - you’re still the same people”. I suppose that sums us up really, we’re just four normal guys”. Quite. Long may it continue. Bombay Bicycle Clubs new album, A different kind of fix is avaiable to buy now
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S.C.U.M Interview with Tom Cohen
South East London based band S.C.U.M have just released their critically acclaimed first album ‘Again Into Eyes’ and are currently touring the UK with Wolf Gang as part of the NME Radar Tour. Alex Mawby caught with lead singer Tom Cohen for chats about the album, how rock and roll they aren’t and how The Horrors actually stole their thing… The Mic: So how was it making the album? Tom: The album was an absolute pleasure. Probably the most rewarding experience both creatively and personally that I’ve ever had being in this band. It was actually recorded in the English countryside last summer. The Mic: Oh right, whereabouts? Tom: It was in a place called Odiham, near Farnham in Surrey. 6| The Mic
The Mic: I know it, it’s very nice. Very quiet…. Tom: Well that kind of worked in our favour. It helped us to absorb ourselves and get away from any sort of outside influence. The Mic: Where are you guys normally based? Tom: London. Well, we all live separately - I live quite north, but we’re based in east London. That’s where we rehearse for free and supposedly base ourselves. The Mic: How was it working with your producers Ken and Joloyn Thomas whose production credits of course include David Bowie and PiL? Tom: Ken has just been making records since he was about in his twenties; he’s now in his sixties. He really became hugely involved in the production of records in the mid-70s/80s when it became a lot more noise music based and experimental. I think he sort of found his antithesis with Sigur Rós and he’s made all of their records with them, so it was basically just a huge honour. Interestingly he also works with his son Joloyn, as Ken is… I don’t like to use the word ‘old-school’, but he’s old school music industry. He doesn’t understand how to use any music software, and that’s where Joloyn is really proficient. They both played a key part in making the record. The Mic: So how did it work writing the songs? Did the influences of the band come together? Tom: Yeah, we have a shared music taste of a few mutual things which we all think are amazing such as Portishead and Brian Jonestown Massacre. When we were chosen to play for Portishead at their recent ATP in July it was a huge boost just before the record came out. It was amazing, and also the first time I saw Portishead. Their record ‘Third’ really shaped massively how we thought about music and structure. Swans played who we’d met before and we worked with Jim Sclavunos from Grinderman and Nick Cave, and he did some production on the album. The Mic: If you could describe ‘Again Into Eyes’ in a nutshell, what would you say? Tom: To me the intention in creating it was to create something that sounded quite vast, not as in genre defining, but in sound. I think it has an epic sound and I’ve always been quite ambitious with what we have, so vast is how I’d describe it. The Mic: What would you say the mood or feel of the album is? Tom: I think a lot of people associate it with darkness, but that’s not really intentional. Mood wise I find it uplifting in parts and it has the opposite effect in others. It has a real spectrum of emotion and feeling within it.
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The Mic: What were your main influences in writing the lyrics? They seem quite cryptic, and quite dependent on the music to help shape their meaning. Tom: That’s something when we first started that we wanted to bea key part of what we do. We could’ve just taken that social realism thing to which the listener can instantly relate, which is very effective, but it wasn’t something I wanted to do with S.C.U.M. It was more about the marriage of music and lyrics; to attempt to transcend the actual language, and like a lot of my favourite singers such as Nico, I think it makes the whole thing more pure - you’re not giving away the meaning straight away.Perhaps this helps it become something greater? The Mic: Did you learn anything making album? Tom: About myself? I don’t believe in ghosts. About music and the band? That the capability is there of achieving exactly what you want to do as long as you have ambition and the idea is there. You don’t need a lot of money or musical skill to make it happen as long as you have a strong artistic idea, and a lot of drive…
band because it was never really contrived. We never said we wanted to sound like someone else. The Mic: I suppose what you’re alluding to here is the constant Horrors comparisons? Tom: Our relationship with The Horrors is obviously quite close, I mean there’s blood in family. We started out at around the same time but we were very much under the radar for a long time and I think they were very garage at first, whilst we’ve always had the same agenda of using reverb, distorted guitar, synthesisers and a drum beat, way back in 2007. I’m not saying The Horrors appropriated our thing - we are very different. We were 17 when we met them, Rhys Webb (Horrors bassist) played in S.C.U.M for two or three gigs and then Tom (Cowan, Horrors synth player) got involved and told us to get rid of our drummer and just be three synthesisers and drum kit. They were older than us and just knew more about music, so they’ve certainly had some influence. Then, ‘Again Into Eyes’ was finished seven or eight months before ‘Skying’ and those guys had the album as they were recording. I mean it doesn’t really mean anything, but….
The Mic: Any key messages behind ‘Again Into Eyes’? The Mic: Of course this year we Tom: I think on a personal level had the other Horrors sibling band, it’s almost impossible for bands of The Vaccines, joining them onstage our generation to make any social and vice versa, is there chance of commentary or really write about that with S.C.U.M or do you worry what they know, and for it to come about being tied to them? across with any kind of integrity Tom: I don’t really care. If Josh Von or meaning to the people who are S.C.U.Ms latest album, Amber hands is out now Grimm (Horrors guitarist) wants listening to it. I think our generato come on stage with us and play tion of people are so disillusioned maraca that’s fine! the only real urge there is, is for people to escape. So I suppose you could say ours is an escapist album. The Mic: So you guys have been in Nottingham for a fair few hours, if you had to write a song influenced by the The Mic: How has the response to the album been from area right now, what would it sound like? people around you and the fans? Tom: We’d have to get on stage and thrash it out. I think Tom: My family have always been really supportive and it would be guitar based ‘cause me and Sam (Kilcoyne, everyone else’s have. A guy in there just gave me this, keyboards) are really into playing guitars at the moment. (Holds up a small box with a piece of folded paper inside), And it would be fast. which is a piece of green origami in a plastic box which is only the second ever present I’ve received from a fan. The The Mic: Is Nottingham a fast city? first was a teddy bear which had the same hat, earring Tom: Well so far I’ve just hung out at the venue and Huw and hair as me from a girl in Holland, so quite different to (Webb, bassist) and Sam have gone and bought some Terthis (points at origami). rence Malick DVDs from Fopp. The Mic: How to you feel about the way the music industry has responded to the band? Tom: I think the way that I really read the press is that they have a misunderstanding of what our agendas and our motives are. They seem to care more about the fact that they think we care, and personally I really don’t mind about what people’s preconceptions of us are, or were, and I don’t care if anyone thinks we sound like a certain 8| The Mic
The Mic: So there’d be some Fopp related stuff in the song? Tom: Yeah, discount DVDs. (laughs) The Mic: Done anything rock and roll on the tour yet? Tom: Ummm, no. Not at all. It’s quite easy when you’re on tour to wake up with a hangover every morning. Personally I don’t particularly enjoy myself or my presence
when I’m drunk, ‘cause I end up upsetting people or falling of the stage…. Not very interesting, I’m sorry. I like to be self-aware. The Mic: Right, just a silly one now, if you had to choose between a head which you could screw off or pot handles for arms, which would you go for? Tom: The removable head. The Mic: Yes, But people could steal your head… Tom: Yeah, but It’s like when people take your glasses, they take them and put them on and you’d be like, ‘Well you can’t see yourself, what’s the point?’ The Mic: But they could just put your head in a box; you’d just be a body wandering around. Tom: Well how would people know? The Mic: There’s a sticker on your forehead. Tom: You didn’t mention that before! The Mic: Well, too late now, you’ve signed the contract. Tom: (laughs) Fair enough. And with that, our conversation comes to an end as Tom awkwardly shuffles away to sound check in preparation for the evening’s gig. S.C.U.M, it seems, don’t want to be pigeon holed or compartmentalised. They seem quite happy enough slowly but surely entrenching themselves in the cutting-edge music scene of today. ‘Again Into Eyes’ truly is a breath taking, heart-stopping album which deserves far more than the rushed comparisons and ignorant conclusions currently being heaped upon its makers, and is a clear reminder that simply sticking to your guns and always persevering with your gut instinct can reap the hugest of rewards. Interview by Alex Mawby The Mic |9
DOG IS DEAD:
Just before their Autumn tour with Bombay Bicycle Club, John Bell met up with Nottingham boys Dog Is Dead at the Bodega to find out how they’ve been getting on. As local boys, what’s been the worst and best thing about starting a band in Nottingham? The worst thing is there’s no one to look up to who isn’t 30 years older than us that’ve kind of done it themselves. But I think that’s also the best thing, it’s good to be a kind of pioneer. There are no expectations of Nottingham. Saying that, are there any new Notts bands that you’re fans of? Hot Horizons, but they live more Castle Donington. Ironically there are more Leicester and Derby bands. Swimming is really good too. What was your favourite gig of the summer? I noticed you played a few festivals... I really enjoyed playing at Splendour, and also Lattitude as well; the crowd was really good. Leeds as well, great reception! Bestival was good... festivals really. Hamburg was great as well. It was our first taste of Europe which was nice. Did you get a good reception? Really good! It was weird because the room was completely empty until just before we came on stage. Really efficient running times, ha-ha! Germans are great about that.
What’re the plans for the future, it must be full-time now? Yeah, well it’s become more than full-time! We’re very busy, touring, and we’re going into the studio halfway through November to do the debut record, which is gonna be great. 10| The Mic
Will that be a full-length album? Yeah, it should come out next spring. So tell us about the new single, ‘Hands Down’. OK, ‘Hands Down’ is a song that we’ve been sitting on for a while, and now we’ve got a good chance to let it get out there. It’s quite a fun song, but also dark lyrically. But we made a nice video at an old theme park in the Isle of White for it. It’s a proper debut single on a record label. It’s out October 31st! What was it like seeing yourself on ‘Skins’? We all got together and watched it. We thought it would be funny but it wasn’t really, just a bit surreal. We recorded a live version of the song, and then mimed it so it was really hard. It was a really good gig because the crowd was scripted to have fun and sing along so it was like ‘woah this crowd are loving it’ ha-ha. This whole television and music business is all a big sham isn’t itwe mime every show. That’s a joke!
Lastly, you’re starting your tour with Bombay Bicycle Club tomorrow. Their new album has a new change of sound. Do you see your own sound changing? If so, how? Not to fit in with Bombay’s at all. But we have a lot of new stuff that we’re itching to get out which will be on the record. It’s a lot darker and psychedelic but still quite fun at the same time. ‘Hands Down’ is out now on Atlantic Records. Dog Is Dead will be playing Rock City 17th December 2011.
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The Rifles
Hi guys, have you played Nottingham before? Yeah, we supported Dirty Pretty Things a couple of years ago, we’ve played the Rescue Rooms and the Social (Bodega) a couple of times. Our last show was at the Social. Rock City is awesome as a venue, it’s quite big. How has your new material gone down at gigs? It’s quite different from what fans have heard before… Yeah it’s been good as a whole, some of the best we’ve seen from our fans. It’s been reviewed really quite well. There’s a few fans obviously who have to get their heads round it, but the majority really like it. Don’t think we have the energy to create a record like our first album again. We’ve naturally grown. How would you describe its sound from your previous records for those who have not heard the new album? It’s a lot more mellow and a lot more universal, especially from the first one. There is definitely a big jump from the first to the third. First albums are of course a bit tricky, as we spent loads of time writing the songs, and we didn’t set out to make an album, we just wrote lots of different songs. With our second album we didn’t have the pressure that a lot of bands do, so we
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were able to write the way we wanted. Have you any surprises for your show this evening? How funny would it be to come on in just a pair of pants and play the whole song or set as if nothing was wrong and then just walk off? I don’t think our fans would get it (laughs) - we get proper geezers at our gigs... then again, I’m not sure if many people would get that. No nakedness tonight. How have you seen the music industry evolve since you first started as a band? Labels and record companies used to have so much power. We’ve gone on our own now, but it used to be that you needed a label to get out there, seen or noticed. Now there are lots of different angles to take; the problem with that is then the industry becomes oversaturated and you have another problem. I think it’s better now that we have gone on our own, there are other options for bands nowadays. Is it harder now being an indie band, when there are so many other alternative genres out there now that have overtaken the kind of music people were listening to three years ago?
Rifles Interview The music on the radio now is awful, I never listen to it. It’s weird, because in 2006 and 2007 when our first stuff was coming out, there were loads of bands who made us really excited. The Strokes opened another phase of bands so people like Bloc Party pushed it into another kind of genre and then Klaxons came. Before Oasis came along, it was all sort of dance music then, so it goes round and round and a new lot of guitar bands come again. It is a shame not to have actual played-instrument music out there now; things seem a bit more commercial. There’s nothing better than playing instruments together. We’ve always felt outside the circle, although we were part of some of those bands who were emerging in 2006, that sort of era, we weren’t really accepted by the majority of the industry. We’ve always been on our own doing it with our fan base. We’ve always felt outside of anything that is actually happening, and still do. So the change in music has not really affected us at all. Without our fan base, we wouldn’t still be around.
> http://www.therifles.net > http://www.facebook.com/therifles > @theriflesband (twitter) > The Rifles newest album, Freedom Run is available for download now
What do you think of bands reforming for gigs? Recently The Stone Roses… I think it’s weird, it’s definitely money. It can’t be about the music, because they are not writing anything new. You know when The Verve got back together, it was rubbish because the album wasn’t great, and I was a massive Verve fan back in the day. They did all the festivals, and when they recorded the new album, they were never in the same room at the same time, so it all seems very forced. The mad thing about The Stone Roses is that they were not really that massive at the time. I think it must have been just about the moment that they were in. What are you most proud of achieving as a band? Playing Brixton was a big achievement for us - to play in front of that many people, and for them to want to buy a ticket is amazing. It was incredible to have Paul Weller play on our record, and in life, he’s played with us on stage. What would you still like to achieve? I’d like to get one of those plaques on the wall - I would be well happy with that. You could look at it and be like, “yeah”. It would make you feel like you achieved something you know... something physical to have. > Rhian Brighton The Mic |13
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The Mic catches up with the Emerge NME Radar Tour Headliner Wolf Gang, we question Max McElligott on the tour, Suego Faults and Festivals.
The Mic: You’re currently in the midst of the Emerge NME Radar Tour, how have you found it so far performing across the country? Wolf Gang: It’s been good, we haven’t done that many days yet, we’ve played in Bristol, Exeter and Portsmouth and they have all been really fun so far. I’m really looking forward to getting up to Scotland. The Mic: Suego Faults has been described by critics as utopian with its “grand orchestral sound”, is this how you expected the album to be received, and are you happy with the reception? Wolf Gang: Yeah, overall I am happy with the reception. I am kind of relieved because the album is something you give birth to, it’s your creation, so you are always wary of what people are going to think. I have received a lot of positive responses with regards to the album, and some really good reviews from magazines and newspapers, so that was really nice. But at the same time you’re never going to please everyone. As for the utopian description, that is cool by me.
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The Mic: Considering the strong influence of classical music in your upbringing, I am assuming that the name Wolf Gang derives from this, but why Mozart? Wolf Gang: The band name is sort of a little nod of appreciation towards Mozart. Mozart was the rock star of his day. He enjoyed life, and his arrangements are astounding. However I also love wolves. I
have always wanted to have one but apparently you are not able to own a wolf legally; they have to be half wolf, half dog. I actually used to wear little wolf costumes when I was younger... in fact I thought I was one! The Mic: What type of music inspires you - are there particular genres that you like, and is your own music your preferred genre? Wolf Gang: I love jazz - I wanted to be Miles Davis when I was younger, I even took trumpet lessons but I wasn’t very good. Another preferred genre tends to be my parents’ collection of records and what they used to listen to. My music is influenced to some extent by artists of that period, such as Bowie, Kate Bush and Talking Heads. The Mic: In one interview you described the studio as a “mecca of music”, how did you find the process of making your debut album? Wolf Gang: Usually I write and create music in my room by recording different instruments separately and then blending the sounds together. Making this album was not much different from that; instead of doing it in my room I was given a large studio filled with incredible instruments. Even better it was in a forest out in New York. The Mic: How much is your decadent and colourful lifestyle reflected in the music? Wolf Gang: I think this album is quite bright and summery, so I guess it does reflect my lifestyle slightly.
The Mic: Are there any new artists that you like at the moment? Wolf Gang: I really like Niki and the Dove. They are a Swedish band and watching her just blew me away. She has an amazing voice which is reminiscent of Cyndi Lauper. As for other artists I am not too sure, I am not good at keeping up to date with all the upcoming artists. The Mic: In our last issue we featured numerous festivals, and the experiences each promise to give; which festival would you recommend? Wolf Gang: A festival in Norway called ‘Sildajazz’. It’s the perfect festival; it’s small and scenic and the music is incredible. The Mic: We know that you performed at ‘V’, are there any other festivals you are interested in performing at? Wolf Gang: Well we have done quite a few festivals; we were at Bestival, V, Glastonbury and some others recently. Outside of the UK I would really like to play at Coachella in Los Angeles. I think it would be really fun; people that have come back from there have not stopped praising it. The Mic: What can fans expect to see in the future? More utopia? Wolf Gang: I think the next album, which I have started writing already, will be a little darker, maybe more of a dystopia then a utopia. I don’t know - we will have to wait and see. By Nancy Bukasa The Mic |17
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From the SNES-esque melodies of opening track ‘Horsepower’, there’s one inescapable sensation that is registered by your conscious: how bloody good it is to have French electronic duo Justice back. Following on from their sensational debut record † (pronounced ‘Cross’) in 2007 that alerted just about anyone with ears (no offence to those that don’t) that electronic disco was an acceptable genre to listen to, the Parisian twosome return with a rather more immediately poppy record than the mix of the fun and the sinister that was offered in their first effort. You’ll probably have heard the sublime, Ali-Lovefeaturing lead single ‘Civilisation’ on the Adidas advert, outlining perhaps just how much of a big deal Justice are these days. Further evidence for this becomes quite apparent as the album progresses, with the instrumental ‘Canon’ sounding rather menacing, and at times only a few octaves away from the inimitable and rather cringing (as we are making this comparison) bass-line of ‘Another One Bites The Dust’. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, as Justice really are all about breaking down the barriers of what we perceive as “cool”: ‘On’N’On’ has a flute solo, for pete’s sake. The double header of ‘Brainvision’ and ‘Parade’, meanwhile, demonstrates how adept the two Monsieurs are at guitar, with stratospheric synths complimenting some prog-rock riffs that would impress such fretwank stallions as Steve Vai.
Album Reviews
‘New Lands’ would sound like the number Jack Black and the schoolkids made in School of Rock if it was put through the electronic duo’s special blender and topped with falsetto vocals, creating an unashamedly modern disco classic. Idiots will proclaim this record to be heavily influenced by the glamour side of 80’s music, but the point they’re missing is that Justice are blazing their own trail in creating something that’s altogether rather unique and refreshing in the face of the rubbish that clogs up our charts. Audio Video Disco is a living, breathing piece of evidence for this judgement. Justice will be done.
>Sam Moore.
ALBUM OF THE ISSUE | Justice – Audio, Video Disco
Joker - The Vision
Joker first stepped onto the electronic music scene in 2007 after his dubstep mix of Cruel Intentions, originally by Simian Mobile Disco and Beth Ditto. Fast forward four years on and at last Jokers first LP ‘The Vision’ is out. Trust me when I say this album is set to blow your mind and your speakers. ‘Milkyway’ and ‘Tron’ are both tracks featured on this album which were produced a while back. Catchy beats and heavy basslines which are sure to get you skanking and are what Joker was originally recognized for. However ‘The Vision’ also contains tracks with a much more experimental electronic feel which Joker has developed through the years. The Mic |25
Joker - The Vision
His lyrical lead songs reveal that the grime and UKG scene as his major influences; by taking underground artists to sing and rap over his songs demonstrate the immense and ever growing talent Britain has to offer around this genre of music. Take the fourth song on the album ‘The Vision (Let Me Breathe)’ featuring Jessie Ware- not only is the electronic bassline on this song probably the dirtiest thing you will hear in a while but Jessie’s unbelievably powerful voice is just something else. While this combination might seem unusual on paper, it is by far the best track of the album. Along with the classic dubstep tunes keep your sights clear for ‘Slaughter House’ ‘Lost’ and ‘Back in the Days.’ Although it is a tough job picking the best tracks on this album it is simple to say that this album has definitely been worth the wait.
Album Reviews
THE MIC RECOMMENDS | E.L.O’s golden one – Eldorado
>Daniela Navarro
E.L.O’s golden one – ‘Eldorado’ This truly electric light orchestra are best known for their pop hits ‘Mr Blue Sky’ and ‘Strange Magic’ amongst others. They do, however, boast one slightly more hidden treasure – their 1974 masterpiece ‘Eldorado’; an album which flies miles above their hit singles, and beautifully exhibits the talent they displayed in merging orchestral and rock music so innovatively. I stumbled across this wild piece of work by chance. On attaining a couple of my Dad’s old DCs with the intention of using them to record whatever I fancied (a truly astounding idea at the time), I became acquainted with the genius that is ‘Eldorado’, alongside some Bob Marley and Al Stewart (who I concluded must be brothers), and appreciated it even at the ripe age of six. But who wouldn’t? Eldorado acts as a reminder of the potential an album holds as, and excuse the cliché, truly telling a story. And it actually does tell a story... The album centres on the dream world of
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a young man who engages in fantasy as a form of escape from the everyday life with which he’s so bored. In doing this, E.L.O present their listener with their own colourful world to escape to; a thoroughly inclusive and satisfyingly escapist piece of art. What more could one want from an album? Good music, perhaps... Well hasten to add, the music sure isn’t bad either. The first E.L.O album for which Lynne actually hired an orchestra, Eldorado is charged with drama yet full of poignancy in its constant flitting between layered string crescendos and soft, melodic keyboards, and reflects every emotion on the spectrum. So as I listen to Eldorado fourteen years on, I am brought back to the same extraordinary world to which it has always transported me... it may be eight a.m. on a Monday morning, and my perception may be a little distorted, as it always is at such an indecent hour, but what better a place to enjoy this fantastical masterpiece, and dodge that grey, cold, mundane Monday morning.
Winner of “Best Bar Food” 2010 Nottingham bar and club awards
GIG GUIDE // The Treatment 1st December/ Summerlin 2nd December/ Zebrahead 2nd December/ Black Cherry Burlesque 2nd December/ Sack/ Sabbath 3rd December/ AmpliďŹ er 4th December/ The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus + Hawthorne Heights 4th December/ Aloe Blacc 5th December/ Rock Sound Riot Tour 2011 5th December/ Professor Green 7th December/ The Ordinary Boys 7th December/ Adam Ant 8th December/ The Jitterbug 9th December/ Ellwwood 10th December/ Shed Seven 11th December/ Title Fight 14th December/ Example 15th December/ Rock City In The 90’s 16th December/ Dog Is Dead 17th December/ Friendly Fires 19th December/ The Thunder X-Mas Show 2011 20th December/ Lock Up 21st December/ XMAS Rocks! 23rd December/ Asking Alexandria 16th January/ The Black Dahlia Murder 17th January./ Gwar 21st January/ All Time Low 24th January/ Lower Than Atlantis 26th January/ Reel Big Fish 28th January/ Limehouse Lizzy 4th February/ Shinedown 9th February/ Bonecrusher Fest 13th February/ NME Awards Tour 14th February/ Hyro Da Hero 15h February/ Big Country 16th February/ Theory Of A Deadman 26th February//
// The Lemonheads 1st December/ Zebrahead 2nd December/ Twin Atlantic 3rd December/ Troumaca And Starlings 3rd December/ The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus + Hawthorne Heights 4th December/ The Rock Sound Riot Tour Ft. Every Time I Die 5th December/ Ben Howard 6th December/ The Magic Band 7th December/ Glenn Tilbrook 8th December/ Death In Vegas 10th December/ Beans On Toast 12th December/ Title Fight 14th December/ The Complete Stone Roses 16th December/ Earthtone9 17th December/ Dawn Trader Xmas Party 18th December/ Lock Up 21st December/ The Black Dahlia Murder 17th January/ Toploader 19th January/ Livewire AC/DC 21st January/ Wild Flag 28th January/ The Big Pink 11th February/ SBTRKT 28th February//
// Dollop 2nd December/ Stealth Vs. Rescue Rooms 3rd December/ Basslaced 9th December/ Countdown New Years Eve 2011 31st December//
// Ivan Campo 6th December/ Bowen & The Tide 13th December/ This Town Needs Guns & Tiger Blood 14th December/ Beer & Carols 19th December/ New Years Eve Party 31st December/ Son Of Eagle 17th January//
// Ivan Campo 6th December/ Bowen & The Tide 13th December/ Beer & Carols 19th December/ New Years Eve Party 31st December/ Son Of Eagle 17th January//
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Winter Events 6th December(Free)
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