Archive for July 2016

Listen - The History of Lawrence Arabia in Five Songs

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Absolute Truth cover art


Lawrence Arabia is the creative outlet for multi-instrumentalist musician, James Milne, one of New Zealand's most well-known indie musicians. His trajectory is somewhat similar to that of Don McGlashan - another musician who is known for the strength of his songwriting and willingness to try new things. In Lawrence Arabia's case, his drive to break new ground has meant playing in unusual venues such as art galleries and libraries or writing/performing music that was played live alongside a silent film (as he did at last year's film festival) or for live plays.

This month Lawrence Arabia has released a new album - Absolute Truth (out now through Flying Nun and available via bandcamp) and his first album fronting the band, The Reduction Agents, is being re-released on vinyl along with a tribute album with each track covered by other artists. Therefore it seems like a good time to take a look back through his career and have a listen to some of his finest tunes.

Before he became Lawrence Arabia, James Milne was the guitarist/keyboardist/bassist in indie pop group, The Brunettes. During this time, he wrote one track for the band, 'You Beautiful Militant', which was sung by their singer Heather Mansfield on The Brunettes' second album, Mars Loves Venus (2004). However, the original demo of this tune has recently appeared on Lawrence Arabia's soundcloud page and gives an early indication of his skill at writing a hooky chorus melody...



Next up, Milne decided to form his own band, The Reduction Agents, drawing in the Brunettes' drummer, Ryan McPhun (who has his own group, The Ruby Suns) along with Jol Mulholland (Gasoline Cowboy, Mulholland) and Ben Eldridge (from Heavy Jones). The band produced only one album, The Dance Reduction Agents (2006). However they also featured on the soundtrack of the Taika Waititi movie, Eagle Versus Shark - the film used both "80s Celebration" and the catchy rock number, "The Pool." The latter also happens to have a great video of Milne swimming at Pt Erin Pools at night...




Simultaneous with the release of the Reduction Agents album, Milne also released the first self-titled Lawrence Arabia (2006) album. This album lacked the raw energy and drive of the Reduction Agents, but made up for it with some quirky production and super sharp lyrics. His new approach is most apparent on the track, "Talk About Good Times", which features this witty run of lines: “You’d always condescend to take us back to your boxy-shaped apartment/ you showed us that we’re poorer than you are/ and you’re an undiscovered star/ but now you’re at the bottom of the ocean you’re forgiven and we talk about the good times..."


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Read- Let’s go to bed – Under the covers with The Cure.

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This week, for those sickening for a long awaited post-gothic pop performance from Robert Smith and his un-merry men, The Cure return to our shores to deliver a sentimental skip around the padded cells at Vector Arena on Thursday evening. Strangers on our beaches since their circus-like concert experience under the big top at Mt Smart way back in the nineties, I can’t wait to be fascinated and frolic amongst 37 years’ worth of heavenly pop hits.

My ticket purchase and a lovingly labelled vinyl collection is my way of paying homage to my teenage obsession, but many, far more talented souls than myself, have decided to revisit the band’s extensive catalogue, uncovering their own brand of gothic medicine.  

Now taking on an idol’s work is sometimes an extremely brave endeavour and one would hope that these kind gestures of fandom would serve to add to the merits and memories of a particular tune, rather than permanently stain any artistic archives. I have decided to delve deep into the timeless tomb of days gone by and those delicate days in between, to unravel the way we listened and recall pictures of them from our 80’s scrapbook.

Starting with my personal favourite, ‘Just like Heaven’, checked out by alt-rock gurus Dinosaur Jr  way back in 1989, unveiling their broody trip to church, via a compilation of sorts ‘Fossils’.  Closing in on the Seattle grunge scene that I lovingly worshipped from NZ, the boogie down- beat estates of Bristol bore witness to the juxtaposition of vaudeville beat-smith Tricky, Picked from the same wild bunch as Neneh Cheery and Massive Attack, Tricky turned the milk sour with his creepy but wonderfully wicked stroke on the ‘Love Cats’.
From the Brit stadium songstress Adele, there has been her personally stylised belted ballad ‘Love Song’, Billy Corgan made a poppy pulp from his smashed stewed and messy ‘A Night Like This’, whilst the deafening Deftones dutifully destroyed the epic anthem ‘If Only Tonight we could Sleep’.

Opinions are open and divided as to whether tackling tunes of such sentimental stature is warranted, with many a recovering goth unfriended from pale Facebook or snubbed at the black coat reunion.
My thoughts are well placed within the artistic canvas of freedom of expression and letting core values and threads be re-sewn and remixed to new and exciting effect. If you don’t like hearing your memories and moments revived, stay hooked in the past where the mist only rises only in the forgotten forest, but leave your tissues at home, because boys don’t cry!            

My regular grabs from Robert Smith’s original medicine cabinet, include the ethereal Seventeen Seconds, the fabulously low-end classic Faith and the more than decent Disintegration.  

Dave Tucker

READ- HAMILTON UNDERGROUND PRESS

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Hamilton Underground Press is a regular music zine being published out of Hamilton. Born initially from the frustration of cool bands skipping the Waikato town from their tours, the non-profit group (led by Welsh expat Rob Shirlow) are dedicated to re-cultivating the once lively indie music scene of Hamilton by putting on shows, producing podcasts and a zine, and for the first time next year, a festival.

With three issues out already, and another due in about a month, HUP aren’t messing around. The zine records and is simultaneously a part of increasing activity in the local music scene. The bulk of it consists of interviews with local and visiting artists, and the impressive photography of Ngamihi Pawa. The latest issue features Auckland bands ‘The Naenae Express’ and ‘Hospital Sports’, while Issue Two chronicles the history behind hometown favourites ‘Inchworm’, including a detailed musical family tree. 

But the zine is just one part of a larger holistic project. By providing print and podcast coverage, bringing out- of- town bands through and curating friendly and regular local shows, HUP is essentially a structure designed to bring together a community. Let’s hope it fosters some more incredible bands as Hamilton has in the past (see for example ‘Damsels’, ‘Yokel Ono’).

Overall, HUP is a well- produced, handy resource about an often-confusing musical destination, and a valuable record of mid-2010’s Hamilton music in years to come I expect.

Want to know more about zines?

Auckland Zinefest runs 15th-30th July, with workshops and performances happening around the city, including lots of free events at Central City Library. Hope to see you there!

-James


READ: MAKING MUSIC FOR FILM AND TV

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Photo: Paul Taylor
Have you ever muted the sound while watching a scary movie because the scene was getting way too intense? And because you just can't look away, the scene becomes way more bearable? Music for film and T.V has a huge impact on your viewing experience: it can change the mood quite rapidly, from not much happening to all of a sudden feeling tense or from feeling overwhelmed with sadness to really happy in a few short bars of music.

Karl Steven has created soundtracks for many documentaries and commercials, and composed original music for such T.V series as The Blue Rose' and 'Harry' (a finalist for best original music in a T.V series - APRA Silver Scrolls 2014). This week, I talk to Karl a bit about making music for film and T.V.

How did you get into making music for film and TV? Was it a career that you had in mind when you started making music or was it something you fell into?
I was super keen to do movie music as a youngster but I didn't know anything about it and just focused on music by itself. Then when I was 16, my uncle was working at an ad agency and asked whether I could make him a cheap jingle for a cat food ad. I borrowed an ancient sequencer from the music shop I used to vacuum in the weekends, hooked it up to my synthesizer, and took the first step along the road of music to picture.

What's the process? Is it collaborative between you and the director? Does the director have something in mind or is the director like RUN FREE?
It depends on the job how it works, but yes it's very much a collaborative thing...people come to me with a story and lots of hard work already done, so then my job is helping them to realize that project from a musical perspective. That's part of what I like about screen composing; it's about telling the story, not about individual egos, so we all only get to run as free as will be of benefit to the big collaborative story we've embarked upon trying to tell.

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