Hiatus///April Podcast - Tantrums

I have decided to put this blog on hiatus until I am able to return the magical land of Oz. I started this with the intention of covering the most interesting//inspiring//esoteric elements of the Melbourne music scene and as I have said before, over my two years in Melbourne I was discovering something new and truly exciting on a frighteningly regular basis. However, stuck as I am back in Belfast for the next few months, I feel there is not much point continuing to try and keep up with a scene from which I now could not be more removed and therefore think it makes sense to put the blog on hold until such time that the Australian Department of Immigration decides that I'm not a threat to national security. As something of a codicil though, I will quickly summarize blogs which might have been.

- No Zu are probably the best band I've heard coming out of anywhere in the last few months, sounding like Arrington De Dionyso gatecrashed the Bush of Ghosts sessions.
- Caught Ship are evolving beautifully by the sounds of the new tracks up on their Myspace. Catch these guys live and fucking dance!
- I'll be ordering a few copies of Rat vs. Possum's debut album, Daughter of Sunshine this week. I must have saw the band play twenty times last year so really looking forward to hearing these songs on record.
- I never once heard of Jonny Telafone while living in Australia but stumbled across him as soon as I came home. A mixture of the very zeitgeisty dark-wave currently doing the rounds and love-lorn bedroom pop, it's strangely addictive stuff and all available to download for free here.
- Dam-Funk is playing in the Roxanne next month - do not miss that shit, hipcats.

As a final order of business, co-stars of the very first post on this blog and one of my favorite bands and people, the Tantrums have very kindly put together a podcast that will move your feet and tickle your ribs - thanks Tanties!

'An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump'
(DOWNLOAD)

Willy Wonka's Psychedelic Boat Ride 0:00
Liars: Grown Men Don't Fall in the River, Just Like That 1:12
Bon Chat Bon Rat: Nowhere Paradise 4:17
Caribou: Hello Hammerheads 7:24
Seefeel: Spangle (featuring fight club dialogue) 10:00
Efterklang : Step Aside 17:20
Throbbing Gristle Interview 21:54
Clark: Growls Garden23:20
American beauty dialogue 27:57
UNKLE: Heaven28:20
Apparat: Arcadia 35:19
Charles Spearin: The Happiness Project 40:03
Document Swell: Dust Infauna 40:27
Seekae: Long Time Fish Pie 44:37
Xavier De Rosnay (Justice) 48:25
Health: Die Slow (Tobacco Remix) 48:35
Old Skull: Homeless 52:36
Absolute Boys: Minimal Wage 52:56
Children Of Men Dialogue 56:43
Elapse-O: Island 57:00
Jeff Buckley interview 1:02:00
Mum: Weeping Rock, Rock 1:03:33
Clerks 2 Dialogue 1:09:49
Wristcutters Dialogue 1:10:00
Ace Ventura Dialogue 1:10:46

See you all soon. x
DFRMTV

Cool as shit.

I'm playing this every single time I DJ from now on.

New Indian Jewelry - May 11

It's called Totaled - I'm excited.

Ditch Ghosts from lazy mollow on Vimeo.

March Podcast - Pastry F

YO! Yeah, this thing hasn't been updated in over two weeks, sorry if this is something you check regularly (and what is wrong with you?). I have moved back to Belfast for a few months so don't really know what form the blog will take while I'm away, but I'll figure it out. It has been a good fortnight back though, got to see Xiu Xiu and U.S. Girls but both were pretty disappointing...

What is most definitely not disappointing though is the March podcast, courtesy of the very lovely and tall Pastry F, a.k.a. Alex from experimentalists ii. This mix is beautifully warm and fuzzy with several gems I hadn't heard in there. I recommend listening late at night, baking and baked.

Pastry F Deformacast
(Download)

james ferraro - clear #1
poland - sure
julee cruise - into the night
nora dean - angie la la
oval - episonik
lucky dragons - open melody
the shocking pinks - the narrator
virgo - take me higher
tom tom club - l'éléphant
minimum chips - marble arch
harmonia - sonnenschein
france gall - poupée de cire, poupée de son
the motels - total control
ii - good times bad luck
four tet - angel echoes
wally badarou - endless race

Thanks Alex, see you soon.

Billy Ray Martin - The Crackdown

February Podcast - Not Squares

Continuing with our new monthly series, Not Squares deliver a gorgeous mix of left-field dance, afro-beat, Turkish folk and classic dub. Not Squares have been written about enough times here for me not to have once again describe their explosive brand of space-punk. If you don't know, I suggest you check them out here, here, here or here and then wrap your ears around this mix to see what inspires these three artful eejits.

Not Squares - DEFORMacast:
(Download)
1. Tussle - TRansparent C
2. Yes - Long Distance Runaround
3. Adebisi SHank - Oyasumi
4. Coconut - Conservad El Rayo
5. In Flagranti - Brash & Vulgar
6. Alèmayèhu Eshèté - Tèrèdtchéwalèhu
7. Chancha Via Circuito - Calzada
8. Food For Animals - Swampy (Summer Jam)
9. Patrick Kelleher - He Had To Sleep Sometime (Skinny Wolves Nite Terrors RMX)
10.Growing - Reconstruction
11.Volt? - City of Wires/Raindance
12.Selda - Yaz Gazeteci Yaz
13.Barry's Electric Workshop - Three Horn Joy
14.Bumblebee Unlimited - Lady Bug (I Just Wanna Be Your Lady Bug) (12" Version)
15.Burning Spear - I and I Survive (Slavery Days)

Thanks to the boys for taking the time to do this.

Everyday People Festival/Deformative DJsssss

Tomorrow at the Penny Black - a one day queer and experimental music festival from the people behind Albert’s Basement and the Spill Collective, showcasing subversive Melbourne superstars of alternative/experimental music, visual and performance art. In exciting news, I'll be teaming up with Pat from Caught Ship to DJ the back stage from 8-915. Expect to hear the likes of Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Crazy Gang, Amnesie, Black Devil Disco Club, Bottin and maybe some less gay stuff depending on how drunk we get. There are a bunch of other cool bands playing who you can see on the poster but I'm most excited about catching vocal-loop artiste Always for the first time, he's on right after us, yeo!

Kap Bambino - Newtown Workers Club - Tomorrow

The really rather good French electro duo, Kap Bambino, are playing the Newtown Workers Club tomorrow night. Although weirdly for an overseas act that I'm sure a lot of people in Melbourne would be interested in seeing, there has been absolutely zero promotion for this gig. The reasons for this I don't know but I hope there is a good crowd because I hear they put on a fun show and it sucks for a band to come all this way to play to handful of people. As for who is supporting - again, no-one seems to know! Anyway, it's only 15 bucks and I'll be having a boogy down the front if you feel like joining me.

Not Squares - Asylum Video

Fantastic and rather hilarious new video from Belfast thrash-dance maestros, Not Squares. Shot on in a freezing studio over one of the coldest festive periods on record for the city - almost certainly aided with some of this - this video in some way encapsulates a joyful, unpretentious and drunken Belfast party scene. Asylum will be released as a split single along with the riotous Bi Ka Na by the Richter Collective on the 1st March. Not Squares podcast coming soon too...

Not Squares - Asylum from Bright Stem on Vimeo.

Sex Worker

So, no posts in over a week, there goes my loose new year's resolution to update at least twice a week. Anyway, this week I finally got round to listening to Daniel from Black Eyes and Mi Ami's new solo project, Sex Worker. The Labor of Love is three tracks of hypnotic, vaguely krautish soundscapes, layered and fucked with many times over and harnessed by Daniel's distinctive caterwaul. I guess it's vaguely reminiscent of Emeralds or High Wolf and although those guys test my patience, this is completely addictive. The project is intended to raise awareness of the human sex trade and although I can't see it myself, apparently each track is a lamentation on the industry and those enslaved by it. Which of course is very worthy and commendable. Individually designed LPs out now through the indomitable Not Not Fun.

Good Stuff To Be Involved In This Weekend

Today is the last day hub of proper underground music, Sunshine and Grease, are operating from their Little Lonsdale location before they up-ship to their new premises in Clifton Hill. To mark the occasion they are having an instore party featuring the brilliantly lo-fi Woollen Kits and Silk Ears. Come down, bring some beer and buy some records so Pat and the others have less to move across the city this weekend.

Tomorrow night Zach 'Whyte Lightning' Szumer is organizing a house party/fundraiser to help raise money for this friend Steph's dad, who has to travel to Germany for surgery. Playing are Whyte Lightning, Street Chant (NZ), Caught Ship, Constrant Mongrel and Fuck You Astrology, as well as yours truly on DJ duties for the night. It's going down at 16 Mitchell Street, Brunswick and are all welcome so come party all night for the cost of a donation.

Caught Ship Instore at Sunshine and Grease - Friday 08/01

Ok, so this was mentioned in the previous post and I don't want to turn this into a Caught Ship love-in week, but just a reminder that this is happening tomorrow afternoon. Also playing is Heart Flew Like An Arrow, who I don't know much about but a quick listen to their Myspace suggests they make interesting improv noise, so that's a bonus. It kicks off at 6pm at the incredible independent record store Sunshine and Grease (117 Little Lonsdale Street) so there is also opportunities to browse pretty records while you have a beer and enjoy the show. And it's FREE, what's not to like?

Monthly Podcast #1 - Caught Ship

Happy new year and all that jazz. With the new year comes new initiatives and today is the first installment of a monthly series of exclusive podcasts for the Deformative blog. Ably equipped to deal with such a portentous task is Melbourne's newest and coolest party mutants, Caught Ship. Part of a current quite-exciting influx of Brisbanites to the 'Bourne, Caught Ship are possibly the most intense band intent on making you shake your skinny ass. Musically, beat-laden, dub odysseys channel Flying Lotus and J Dilla, as well as the bugged-out electronics of Excepter, while vocalist Ben sounds like Mark E. Smith fighting his way out of a heavy acid trip, and dances in similar manner. Melbourne is a better place for them.

You can catch the boys this Friday at Sunshine and Grease and pick up their cassette What Does Water Need from cool new label, Totem Tapes.

"The Day I Cleaned My House To A" Caught Ship Megamix

In The City - Chromatics
Egomaniac's Kiss - DNA
Don't Talk In Your Sleep - Magik Markers
Telescope - Gold Tango
The Sabbath - Asylum Party
Lucky Star - Basement Jaxx feat Dizzee Rascal
Water Curses - Animal Collective
Lightworks - DOOM
Camel - Flying Lotus
Dub Guidance - Horace Andy
Down And Out In New York City - James Brown
Birdbaths - Gerling
Lucifer Rising - Darktown Strutters
Campfire - Wu-Tang Clan
Machine Gun - Portishead
Pull Up The People - M.I.A.
The Keen Teen Skip - cloudDEAD
Sunlight - Caught Ship

Snatch a treat from the peace pipe and go for a walk. Maybe even snatch another as camel by Flying Lotus winds down.
- Caught Ship

Download here.