January 2002
Happy New Year to you all. Been a bit slack again with the diary, but here we go with current goings on.
I'm happy to announce that the Act of Free Choice album came out on the Nettwerk label in the US and Canada on January 29th. I shall be heading to South by South West in Austin, Texas and also doing shows in LA, San Francisco, Toronto, New York, Boston and maybe Chicago in March. Shall keep you posted of exact dates and venues but to all my US supporters, I look forward to seeing you at the shows.
SACD: There are copies of the album in surround sound and special audio cd format for sale over the net. This version of the album has a different order starting with Sad (my preferred order) and it also contains Hide, Malaria, the Marius Devries' version of Dive, and the Moloko version of The Koran, the Ghan and a Yarn as well as the album version. You can purchase a copy by emailing my management Bernadette Ryan on b.m.r@bigpond.com.
Have started working on album number two, completed two stages so far. Noodled away in the Enormodome and then spent two weeks at this superb house in Woodend (hills west of Melbourne) writing and demoing, I've come up with about twenty songs to date. Been working with Phil Wales, Adelaide musician Ben Frost and Nick Littlemore from P&Mac185;nau and Kings of Swing, and Chris Scallan, turning words into songs, sounds into songs, loops into rhythms. Most of the recordings are still a bit lumpy but are well on their way. Titles include Nation, Epiphany, Stumble Away, The Tender Trap, 100 Flowers in Bloom, This is Not the Right Way, Looking After Ourselves Again, Blue Black Sky, Happyland, Message for Young and Old, Come Around, Buzz Wharf and Dumb Question. Hopefully we'll start recording properly in February and find the appropriate mixer/producer I've been enjoying the writing process, though a little nervous about the whole thing. I couldn't begin to describe the style and have been conscious of veering away from the Act of Free Choice sound, although building from the strengths of that record. There's quite a few orchestral templates plus more up-beat loops courtesy of Nick.
The Cake has recorded 18 tracks at Woodstock and the Enormodome. I'm doing the vocals this week, quick and efficient. We've recorded Leave, Mangrove, Kelly Kwalik, Malolo, Desmond Tutu, Curious Screw, Hoe Down, Wedding Song, Boat Song, Better Than This, It's All in the Way, Swirl, I Like it Like This, The Jaunty Love Boat Theme and a couple of others; so far so good. Chris Scallan is going to mix it, tentatively titled One Day I'll get a Real Job after a painting by Anne Howie.
(Note: You can buy Curious here.)
I'm doing a remix of the track 'Ainda' for fantastic Portuguese band Madredeus, should be finished next week.
I'm presently working on the Imax movie Australia: Land Beyond Time with Helen Mountfort. The documentary focuses on what is idiosyncratic about the Australian landscape and the way wildlife deals with desert drought. Lots of aerial pans and time lapse shots and some overly cute kangaroo and koala shots for the US Imax market! The director is David Flatman who was also involved in the Antarctica Imax. The format for Imax is 8.1: that is left centre and right speakers at both the top and bottom of the massive screen, a sub beneath your feet and back surrounds as well (if that makes sense at all). The orchestra is all recorded and mixed, used a pretty big string section, sounded huge.
The Bill Bennett film that I scored called Tempted starring Burt Reynolds, Saffron Burrowes and Peter Facinelli will be released in May of this year (has been delayed til now by problems in the neg cutting).
The book Blunt: A Biased History of Australian Rock contains a chapter on NDW, discussing the break up of the band in a way never discussed before. Five of the 7 NDW members played a short set at the book launch at the Corner Hotel in November; a weird night for us all, quite special. The set was The Same Heat, Cold and the Crackle, Storm, Teteko, Willow Tree, Wobble, Blackwater, and The Marriage is a Mess. John P was as loud as buggery, and played like a diamond (same as it ever was). Russel was fantastic and considering he hadn't played the tubs for four years sounded like he'd been conducting drumming master classes.
The assassination of the West Papuan leader Chief Theys Eluay outside the capital Jayapura by pro Indonesian militia groups has shocked everyone involved in the independence campaign. Whilst a controversial figure due to his late conversion to the cause, and the fact that he was a member of the Indonesian Parliament for a while, he was the major leader of the West Papuan people in recent years and a believer in non-violent solutions to gain Independence. His death was as suss as. I am hoping to organise a concert at the State Theatre in Melbourne for the West Papua cause either later this year or early next year. Have had a whole bunch of people saying that the would like to perform or be in attendance This will coincide with a book about the issue with photo journalists Ben Bohane, Liz Thompson and historian Jim Elmslie that I am producing. We'd love any help possible in organising this event so if anyone would like to come forward and assist please contact the website and leave your contact details. Most appreciated.
Some music, books, films and other highlights
Coen brothers' film The Man Who Wasn't There
Mark Mordue's book Dastgah; Diary of a Headtrip
Music vs Physics Northside Perspective
Lantana was as good as they all said.
The Bunjilaka section of the Melbourne Museum
Craig Moore's defensive work for the Socceroos, it was very sad but Uruguay and that magician Recoba gave us a thorough hiding over there. Loved the moat around the playing pitch.
It was good seeing New Order play Transmission and Love will Tear Us Apart at the BDO, memories of those Joy Division days. I so loved Closer and Unknown Pleasures.
Don Watson's piece in Quarterly Essay 'Rabbit Syndrome Australia and America' is a must read, you can get it on the net or at any decent newsagent. (Don wrote the script for The Man Who Sued God).
