Los Angeles Plays Host To The Presets & More Saturday, October 4, 2008Written by: Mario R. Martin
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Think back to the last time you consciously and actively listened to an Australian musical act. For me, it was “Beds Are Burning” by Midnight Oil. Wait, maybe it was “Original Sin” by INXS. I don’t know, but I know it definitely wasn’t The Vines.
Regardless, Australian imports tend to be of substance (Fosters anyone? Outback Steakhouse?). And if not substance, they’re at least serious about their craft. Since music bridges the gap between cultures, The Presets have set out to blow minds and shake asses. And yes, raver kids, bring out your fucking glow sticks.
Julian “Jules” Hamilton and Kimberly “Kim” Moyes (both male) met and bonded over education and music. The duo attended the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney in the early 1990s and focused on classical music, while sharing their love for British new wave. Together, they joined the Australian band Prop. Prop brought about minor success, yet still the duo wanted something more. The Presents evolved from the duo’s desire to remix outside of Prop’s domain. The rest could in fact be history, but instead of a history lesson, good music must prevail first.
Let’s skip the fact that Daniel Johns of Silverchair lent his craft to the duo’s very first E.P. Let’s forget that their song “Girl And The Sea” was featured on The OC. Let’s just skip past all the bullshit about their direction, style, and blah blah blah.
The Presets’ “Apocalypso” (Modular Records 2008) is a massive record that everyone should hear. The record is especially important to those who teeter on the electronic scene yet still want to hear vocals. “Apocalypso” is probably one of 2008’s most relevant records because of the various influences the duo exemplify musically. Honestly, I’m not sure others could pull it off. If others did, it may seem contrived or even conceited to try something so far out of one’s wheelhouse.
The Presets - "This Boy's In Love"
Regardless, The Presets are still normal guys. They eat and sleep (well, at least I imagine they do) just like you and me, but they are a little different…they have made a standout record that should be hailed as important as Daft Punk’s “Homework”, Radiohead’s “Kid A” or whatever important record you want to insert here.
In order to know more about a record though, I feel it’s best to analyze it track by track. Honestly, I find it downright offensive when a writer tries to force feed me his thoughts on each and every goddamn track. So, I enlisted a little help from Jules and Kim directly. Together, they told me to get bent and agreed a bit too. Regardless, the result is fun, yet stimulating. Check it out:
MRM: Kicking & Screaming – This track is the ringtone on my BlackBerry. It really reminds me of early electronica with more contemporary sampling/programming. What were you thinking when you made this?
KIMBERLY MOYES: “E's are good. E's are good. E's ARE REALLY FUCKING GOOOOOODD!!!! You USA jazz cats need to get off the booga sugar and start taking your healthy dose of ecstasy: morning, noon and night! Once you start doing this, we THE PRESETS, will become the biggest band in your country and you will worship us like the gods we are. Just look at Australia for example; everyone there is cool, advanced and good looking and all because we are the band they listen too (and also because they aren't afraid to act like a total moron E-tard out the front of a club gurning their faces off to “Kicking and Screaming”).”
MRM: My People – Okay Jules, this is aimed at you. Your vocals recall Paul Robb’s voice (lead vocalist for Information Society). Who do you think you sound like? Or better yet, who do others think you sound like?
JULIAN HAMILTON: “To be honest, I don't know who I sound like. I think it's easier for journalists to make those kinds of comparisons, as they often do. I just try to be me. I don't know Information Society. Some writers in the past have said I sound like Mark E. Smith, some say I sound like the bloke from Depeche Mode. Kim sometimes teases me and says I look like Kevin Bacon!”
MRM: A New Sky – It’s kind of ballsy that you kick this track off with chanting of sorts. That’s very Depeche Mode don’t you think (circa “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”)? Vocally and even musically, this track is also very Nitzer Ebb to me. What are the influences on your music?
KM: “Listen daddy-o, I didn’t pay you so you can insult my intelligence and compare us to all of the worst bands you can think of. Fact: Nitzer Ebb sucked then and still suck now, everyone knows that. Depeche Mode was all bubblegum synth-pop and then finally got an edge and wrote one good song. They are huge in Germany so that’s the only reason I rate them.”
MRM: This Boy’s In Love – My favorite track on the record guys, honestly. It’s so simple, and yet so very powerful. It almost doesn’t seem to be the same as the rest of the tracks. This is spacious and atmospheric programming and I mean it, I fucking love it. Did you plan on making the epic dance track here?
JH: “Honestly, we never really plan a track. We just start with whatever we start with - a beat, a bass-line. Then we just develop things until we are happy. We went through a whole bunch of different vocal ideas for this song. It took a long time to nail it down. Funnily enough, the vocal verse from “Yippiyo-ay” was originally on this song. After a while we decided it was too busy for this song so I simplified it a bit.”
MRM: Yippyo-Ay – Ah yes, the experimental track. The perfect throwback to the 80s.
KM: “Hmm. Experimental? Oh shit, do you mean how did the topic of hand jobs make it into a song of ours? Listen more "loosely" to the chorus.”
MRM: Talk Like That – The intro is “Thriller” gone electronic. The tempo gets up there and this is another perfectly danceable track that doesn’t detract from the vocals. What’s the writing process like? I mean, lyrics first or music first? This seems to be cohesive in the vain of simultaneous writing.
JH: “We listened to the record when we finished it, and we realized we really needed a couple more dancey numbers on it. So we wrote “Eucalyptus,” “Anywhere” and “Talk Like That” in one week. I had the line ‘Tough Titties’ written in my little book that I always wanted to put in a song. It's a classic Aussie saying. So that was it - the song had to be up tempo and it had to have that line in it. Generally the music gets written first and I put the words in towards the end - but I am always collecting words and phrases that I hear and like and try to put them in songs down the track. I think that's common with a lot of lyricists.”
MRM: Eucalyptus – Yeah, this sounds like Daft Punk gone ambient.
KM: “Again with the comparisons. Geez man, you make us sound like we don’t have an original thought in our brains! The truth is that we needed some more up tempo tracks and this is by far the fastest song we've written. We work very hard to try and make music that is honest and true to who we are, when we play this song live it is us at our fastest and loudest.”
MRM: If I Know You – Okay, electronica ballads. I usually don’t go for them, but the BPMs pick up. How do you personally know when to delve into the beat and compliment it with vocals? Often times, artists use too many vocals or too much instrumentals. What’s the formula?
JH: “We made a conscious effort with this record to keep it real simple. It's something we are always learning as producers - the less parts, and the better those parts are, the tougher and better the track is gonna sound.”
MRM: Together – This track just toys with my emotions. Toward the end of a record, you expect the falling action, like a story. This track brings you back up. The samples of a woman moaning are a nice touch. Multi-channel audio is especially tricky. I heard this track while driving to Santa Monica recently and the surround sound (throughout) offered an auditory orgasm. Getting people off sonically has to be a challenge. How do you come up with something new for each track?
KM: “Ok, now I get it! You actually like us! I've spent this whole interview thinking that you were trying your hardest to make us look stupid but in actual fact you are a super-duper fan. Well thank you!
So what were you doing in Santa Monica? When I was 12 I had a special skateboard made by Santa Monica Airlines, it was a Natas Kaupas panther mini deck and I still have it. Do you think anyone of your friends in Santa Monica would want to buy it? It’s pretty rare and pretty cool. Please contact me on myspace.com/thepresets if you want to talk about purchasing it. It’s in mint condition.”
MRM: Aeons – Creating sonic landscapes with muted bass and high pitch keyboards isn’t used much in contemporary mainstream music today. Why do you think that is? Would you like to see more of it?
JH: “It's funny, this track started out as this epic pop song, but we couldn't make it sit down. I just left it with Kim and said “kill it, do something crazy with this thing.” So he pretty much tore it to shreds; took out the beat altogether, layered up some mad keyboards and put down some metallic percussion. It was great. When I heard it again I was inspired, so I dubbed it up a little, programmed this grimy two step bass pattern and arranged this deep filtered breakdown thing. We both really love how this track turned out, it's one of our favorites on the record.”
MRM: Anywhere – End on a high note guys. Nice. A classic thump without the nonsense of hip-hip’s bass/hi-hat formula. The vocals seem muted as well or at least treated. This is my second favorite track. I would normally question your sequencing, but it all works so well, and if you have the disc on in the car, and it restarts, it’s almost seamless. Take a bow! The best electronica record I have heard (and enjoyed) since I don’t know when. What are your favorite records that lent some inspiration for “Apocalypso”?
KM: “I WANT you to question the sequencing. It is by far the dumbest, un-layered beat we have made. But it’s fucking cool, because we are cool. We don’t have to load shit up to make you feel something, you just feel it and that’s how we know you are human. Congratulations young human, you passed the test! See you in L.A. The drinks are on my record label!”
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