Saturday, July 31, 2010

Audio: Alphabethead - There are seas on the moon, what about beaches?




This track was intended to be ‘rap’ beat based around that opening guitar loop but, as usual, I got carried away and it soon swelled into a full eight minute composition in three movements (with three tempo changes)! My warped idea for the three sections was:

i. [0:00] On earth/technical preparation

ii. [2:24] The journey to the moon

iii. [4:58] Bumping along the moon’s surface in a NASA Impala!

This is my sixth song about the moon – wish I knew why la Luna is such a reoccurring theme in my tracks? Seeing my psychiatrist on Wednesday.

This song features a lot of turntable melody scratching. This is a technique where a long tone is bent using the turntables pitch control or through manually ‘tweaking’ the speed of the record. It can be heard in the track at 1:23 and 6:01. On both occasions I’m attempting to play a ‘solo’ on the turntable – sounds like a wonky synthesizer or theremin!

When I first began playing the turntable in bands it soon became apparent that tradition scratching didn’t always meld that well with the other instruments. Anthony Donaldson encouraged me to not only use the turntable as a layer of texture or percussion but to play ‘with’ the band and even attempt carrying the lead melody of a piece! This was an amazing insight and pretty much changed my whole approach to the turntable from that point forward.

For a fantastic example of this melodic scratching style check out Kid Koala’s ‘Drunk Trumpet’:



Beautiful! High-five’s were abound the day I first saw that clip…

DOWNLOAD: There are seas on the moon, what about beaches?

Over & Out,

Alphabethead

Audio: Alphabethead - Zombie Counter



Zombie [Counter]

I think most boys go through that whole ‘zombie/horror’ phase at least once in their lives. Often coinciding with their discovery of the holy trinity – this ain’t bible related, I’m of course referring to the Night/Dawn/Day of the Dead films. I went through this phase during my first year at Uni. One holiday I spent three coffee fuelled weeks watching nothing but zombie and horror flicks and playing Resident Evil ad nauseam. By the first week I had a sleep pattern akin to a vampire and was having living dead hallucinations constantly!

This track is inspired by the films watched during this hazy period; The Beyond, Susperia, Zombi, City of The Living Dead et al. For the opening groove I pictured the trudging march of the living dead. Didn’t realise the whole song was in 5/4 until after the fact. Fitting though - I’m pretty sure that zombies would march in 5/4! Everything except the drums and percussion are played using synth and Mellotron sounds. I layered loads of vinyl crackle and white noise to make it sound ‘weathered’ hopefully hiding the fact that it was made entirely inside a box. Wanted to channel the spirit of Goblin and Fabio Frizzi – don’t think I did either of them justice… Will try again soon, check it out:

Download Zombie [Counter]here

x Alphabethead

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Free Tourettes Downloads On Tripple J



Remember that guy Tourettes who released an album last year then shot off to Australia as soon as the weather started getting cold? Well you can download his newest track Miss You direct from Tripple J. By doing so you may also be upping his airtime over the ditch.

Also on offer is free downloads of his other single Letting Go featuring Jay Roacher and The Company, which has the coolest beat ever (produced by our mate Saan - see below post).

Click here to go to Tourettes' page on Triple J and download some free music

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Video: Sound Of Saan

My friend Saan put this together... for those who don't know he's an original member of insomniacs, he produced a bulk of Tourettes songs including the entire upcoming album, he's been in many bands including my new band and vietnam war.. so much stuff he's done. good on ya saan.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Breakin Wreckruitment


It’s no secret that the original Breakin Wreck logo was a raptified sickle and hammer, the mic and needle being the substitutes. I always felt like we were missing something as we’ve never officially had a DJ member of the crew. Although Dan’s rellies probably think he is a DJ and no matter how many times I tell people I’m a rapper they seem to assume I must have meant DJ, the truth is this partnership between vocal and instrument has been a farce, dominated by the emcee class, the steel wheels have been oppressed. Until now that is, as we have, for the first time in about 5 years, recruited a new member to the motliest crew, Mr Alphabethead.

He’s addicted to tea, he knows more about teeth than Tourette’s knows about STDs, he’s got way longer hair than 22, and he rocks bootcut jeans. But none of that really matters all that much in comparison to what he can do to vinyl. I can honestly say that I am nose in the air proud to welcome Alphabethead as the newest member to the Wreck team. For those of you who don’t know who this guy is, allow me to explain in somebody else’s words…

Somewhere between the worlds of Hip Hop, Post Punk and Free Jazz exists Alphabethead, a tea-drinking, turntable musician from Wellington, New Zealand. A School of Medicine researcher who, after hours, hangs up the labcoat and transforms into a musician as adept at rocking boisterous Hip Hop crowds as he is to intriguing audiences at jazz festivals. Alphabethead has been described as “a virtuoso of the phonograph turntable” and “an outrageous performer whom you really must see to fully comprehend”.

Once a Champion Hip Hop DJ, Alphabethead is now an explorer/destroyer of all sound-on-vinyl. From Mongolian throat singing and psychedelic guitars to field recordings and drum-breaks – no vinyl LP is taboo. His sets always hold surprises and his unique approach allow him to coax wonderfully strange sounds from the turntable; “…a highlight was Alphabethead’s melodic turntable solo” wrote a reviewer. Expect noise, heavy beats and vinyl trashing. Imagine an aggressive Kid Koala or if Mixmaster Mike scratched post punk.

Fun Facts:
* • Consumes 15 cups of Dilmah tea daily (each cup brewed for at
least 6 minutes).
* • Represented New Zealand in the World DJ Championships at the
impressionable age of 19.
* • Has long flowing hair that often whips the needle clear off the
record.
* • Hosts a radio show dedicated to ethnic folk music and nature
field recordings.
* • Needs to seriously purge some of his enormous record collection.
* • Played turntable and percussion in bands performing compositions
tackling such subjects as the First World War, Eugenics and the
works of Edgar Allen Poe.
* • Breaks at least 1 vinyl records per show (money back guarantee).
* • Competed in the 2009 NZ Mountain Bike Championships, getting
absolutely smoked and bailing 8 times.
* • Performed live scores to three short films (using three short
turntables).
* • Has a penchant to fall asleep at the club – always during the
most intense ear-splitting heavy metal, dubstep or free noise.
* • Frequently finds LP’s that don’t exist in his reoccurring record
hunting dreams.
* • Been handed notes after gigs by cute girls with such concise
feedback as “Is this a fucking joke?”.
* • Played with Craze, So So Modern, Ruins, Sage Francis, Beans,
Damo Suzuki, Richard Nunns, The Naked & Famous, The Upbeats,
Akaname...

Download his track “The Crawling Thing” here: http://www.mediafire.com/?zymcuz3nkzd
Download his OST mixtape here: http://www.mediafire.com/?uennhumt5mi

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Jay Roacher EP In (online) Stores Today!

Have listen below, also available on itunes and at Real Groovy Auckland or by emailing jared at breakinwreckwordz.co.nz

<a href="http://beedub.bandcamp.com/album/jay-roacher-in-the-mouth-of-madness">Still Here by Breakin Wreckwordz</a>

Audio: Known Offender Exile Mawby Molests Homebrew




Home Brew - Monday (Exile Remix) by O.G. Simpson

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Audio: Saia (Suspects) Remixes Homebrew

This from some competition on ayebro...

homebrew crew

Home Brew - Monday (Saia Remix) by Saia

Grips n Tonic Club Tour

Catch ya buzzy Willy Knuxx on this...



DESTROY ALL LINES, NEW ERA AND AFENDS PRESENT:
GRIPS & TONIC CLUB TOUR 2010



DATES:
MELBOURNE : THURSDAY AUGUST THE 5TH AT NEXT
...ADELAIDE: SATURDAY AUGUST THE 7TH AT BLACK MARKET
BRISBANE: SATURDAY AUGUST THE 21ST AT THRILLER
SYDNEY: THURSDAY SEPTEMBER THE 9TH AT HOT DAMN

PERTH DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!

ALL SHOWS 18+

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Grips N Tonic Party

While we'll be partying it up with Jay and Alphabethead this Saturday, the defectors on the other side of the sea such as Mr Knuxx and Tourettes will be here..

Jay Roacher Shindig Bundle

Photobucket

I'm so hungover it took me about an hour to take this photo, and this was the best of about 100. I'm not a very good photographer. Anyway, for a limited time (as in like till the party on the 17th) we've got this partay packs available for purchase. You get a nice new tee, a nice new CD and you get to come to best partay ever.

Click here to get yours now!

Friday, July 9, 2010

New Jay Roacher Tees



I have mens and womes white Jay Roacher tees (actual picture above).. reads "Pretty Girls Fall In Love With Losers"

Click here to get one now
or if you want a girls one email me