Outside This Picture

I love this man, was an exceptional gig and got some great shots. Johnny Marr live review for The Linc. 

For a band that mean so much to me, my feature about Crystal Castles: it's over for now. 

Interview and Live Review

Eagulls @ Southampton's Lennons. Live Review and Interview, 15th October

2014
BY OSCAR NICHOLAS

"We don't really have influences, we try not to get influenced by anything. We want the music to be our own.” This is what George Mitchell of Eagulls told me in the basement of Southampton’s Lennon’s whilst eating cut up carrots. 

I arrived at the venue in the pouring rain, as the band were doing sound checks. George had a plastic bag on his head and they played Tough Luck with the supporting act Bad Breeding watching.

Southampton was the seventh date of Eagulls’ first headline tour. “We like to think of ourselves as a live band” explained George, “we’ll be playing a new song tonight, it’s untitled. We like to play a track live before we name it.” 

Before the show George and Eagulls’ drummer Henry Ruddler duck taped two milk crates to a wooden stool along with a projector and DVD player. During the show this lit up the stage with black and white images of soldiers marching.

They have a raw feel to them which is emphasised by their make shift lighting system. “We don't use a set list”, George mentioned in a discussion about their performances. Henery interputed the discussion “I am the set list”. They have simple methods to create their chaotic sound and performances. For example mid show guitarist Mark Goldsworthy used a hand held fan to tremolo his strings. 

The set was a hectic. There were no barriers and if there were they said they would tare them down. They started with Nerve Endings, from their debut, self-titled album. The stage was small and the mixture of Eagulls’ punk style and abstract lighting created juxtaposition between how they presented themselves and the brutal sound. George’s vocals howled, cracked and blended with the reverbed fuzz of guitars. 

The band were on top form. George was bent over with his elbow in the air and mic to mouth as he sung. They continued and played tracks from their debut LP such as Hollow Visions, Opaque and Amber Veins. In the punk style the set was reassembly short. They played for just over an hour finishing with Possessed. The song was elongated and shouts of “I’m, possessed” resonated through the venue. When their set was over they just walked off stage into the crowd.

“Guitar music is always going to be there, people always go back to it how can it be dead?” 

“Guitar music is always going to be there, people always go back to it. How can it be dead?” - George Mitchell

Review 11

THOM YORKE - TOMORROW'S MODERN BOXES

2014

BY OSCAR NICHOLAS

Thom Yorke's new album and added IQ test have released a storm in the past weeks. Tomorrow's Modern Boxes is without doubt one of the biggest releases of 2014. The status that is Thom Yorke and his alternative systems for releasing music mean that everyone now knows about the album as it spreads across social media and blog posts (such as this one).

This is Yorke's first solo album since The Eraser in 2006 and first material of any form since Atoms For Peace released Amok in early 2013. Besides all the commotion behind the record it is an interesting addition to the Radiohead frontman's armoury.

In a letter written by Thom Yorke and producer Nigel Godrich, they explain "As an experiment we are using a new version of BitTorrent to distribute a new Thom Yorke record." BitTorrent bypasses the hosting costs, or "'cloud' malarky", as they put it. Weather this adds or subtracts from the album is an argument in its own right. 

As a record in itself Yorke has created something based highly on samples and synthesisers. Tomorrow's Modern Boxes appears to be just as much an experiment musically as it is through distribution. Guitars are out the window completely and electronic alternatives are embraced. Glitchy textures and ambient noises merge with Yorke's vocals to create an album that sounds like a futuristic Radiohead without all the participants, it has charm to it at points.

Tomorrow's Modern Boxes is certainly not something to throw on casually, a level of dedication is needed. Opening track A Brain In A Bottle is a key example of Yorke's use of progressing sound. Almost in a indie house style, if such a thing exists. The song comes with a music video that consists of Yorke in a white room moving about, edited in the style of a scratched DVD. So that's a bonus.

The album has a contrast to The Eraser, which had much more melody and less abstraction to it. Guess Again is the closest Tomorrow's Modern Boxes gets to a Radiohead track of any sort. Although is not easily recognisable on first listen, the track uses a piano loop from Radiohead's Pyramid Song as a foundation. 

Mid LP Yorke gives a six minute long track The Mother Load .The song is created from a selection of vocal and instrumental samples. It sounds clean and well produced, it peaks through the digression of samples and Yorke's vocals merging into a reverbed mist.

Of course it wouldn't be a Thom Yorke record without some sort of statement in there. There's No Ice (For My Drink) is supposedly a message on environmental issues, yet all I get from it is ambient sounds and obscure vocals. It is a interesting listen and Yorke create a transition of layers beautifully at points but it certainly doesn't make me want to donate to Greenepeace. The rest of the album literally blurs together, with a repetition of sounds transgressing behind the final three tracks. Nose Grows Some is the last song on the album, its a slow tempo piece with soft vocals and organ like synthesisers. 

Tomorrow's Modern Boxes is Yorke's most electronic record to date. The album however viewed is a record that has created attention. It may not be the revolution is music distribution Thom Yorke was hoping for but it's certainly getting people excited for Radiohead's next move. 

This article was also available on The Linc

Rating: 6

Exceptional Single: 2

EYEDRESS - WHEN I'M GONE FEAT. GEoRGIA

XL Recordings 2014
BY OSCAR NICHOLAS

Sometimes I go through phases, get out of the loop a bit and feel like there is noting good coming out of anywhere. I just lose touch and feel uninspired. Then something might just pop up. One song motivates you. Creates an experience. It's needed, a positive, meaningful piece of music.

Eyedress, a personal favourite of mine in the current swing of things has just released a collaboration with London based artist GEoRGIA. The track is called When I'm Gone and is the first single from Eyedress' forthcoming debut LP Astral Traveling Man. It follows very closely to the amazing Hearing Colors mixtape released earlier this year.

It's a glossy pop track with a dark tone. Reverbed vocals blend perfectly with bass and drum loops. The sinister voice of GEoRGIA starts the track with 'you're heart, you're heart' over a simple drum beat and transcends into that future rave sound thats iconic of the Filipino producer. The song is a clear evolution of Eyedress' work. His new album is set for release in spring of next year and if this track is anything to judge by it could be huge. 



Rating: 9