24 September 2007
Did you notice the intensity with which people were checking you out at that party? I was investigating every chord on the piano - and so were lots of people i saw- and i was looking at all the gear and wondering how the hell you were gonna use it?
Theres a fuck-load of music in the world, and honestly- theres alot of really good stuff too-- but how many players make your jaw drop open, make you jealous, make you sweat cuz they're so damn good at what they do?
not many... in my opinion! but you guys have 3 out of 3 that can do that, and thats whats important for you to realize and have a mega-amount of faith in.
The live show in Toby's livingroom was a sweaty, furious, turbulant musclebound display of pure power mixed with a nice dose of frustration.
Missile blasts of the most ridiculous (I use that term as a badge of ReSPECT!) fast drumming, Nuclear powered piano, synth interplay from hell, and 100 of the coolest guitar sounds and parts possible. A classical-jazz wasteland my friends.
You basically took a studied intellectual approach to harmony,
years of expansive technique, and loads of original sounds, and made them pallatable, skull-crushing and super party-worthy. Congratulations- thats ORIGINAL!
16 September 2007
oh, thank you to Toby at Transgressive for the chance to have made 2 highly imaginitive and fabulous songs with Ox Eagle lion Man. They could represent a lucky combination of thinking well outside the box, belief in creativity and delving into very magical and accomplished methods of expanding the ROCK vocabulary. We just finished a double A-side "concept-single" at The Silver Transporterraum of London. Fatherhood backed with Motherhood. Both highly artistic renderings of controversial subjects usually neglected in fear by most rock and pop writers. The two pieces are deftly poetic, without the easy deflection methods of sarcasm, cynicism or attitudinal posturing. (Ouch, take that!!)
mmm, the songs are higly rhythmic, very rocking and verging on operatic in terms of the theatricality and scope of the pieces themselves. It was a refreshing pleasure to have worked with such an innovative band with the added bonus, that they all had a wicked sense of humor-- making the sessions flow quickly and on a very funny level. Humor= an artform sadly neglected by many here in the trenches of rock-and-role.
They play at Toby and my BASEMENT CLUB at Buffalo Bar (Highbury/Islington Tube Stop) September 27th, and DJ Raphael (moi!) and DJ Sassy will be on hand to spin platters and hard drives for your aural excitement.
Cheers and Tscheuss.
x Gordon R
04 September 2007
Thanks to all the friendly and uplifting folks that came out and saw us DJ
at Niceto Nightclub. Sarah Maguire led the way with enough modern and upbeat songs to make the crowd come alive, whilst G.Raphael reminded everyone that old songs still sound old and a bit wierd sometimes! Amazing blend.
Thanks to Brian Iele for bringing Shoplifter to Argentina for the BAFIM party and conference. It was highly unusual for the public interview that Mr. Raphael gave on Saturday, and the great questions the crowd was asking-- really on point! And the surge of musical people hitting up Gordon with free CD's and requests for autographs and pictures was also....unprecedented!
Thank you Argentina, you are gorgeous!!