Music Interviews

The Partae: I’m really glad that you guys are here on behalf of AR:TE as a DJ duo, but also as a representative of the party and festival scene in Ljubljana and Slovenia with your label SOLVD and with the Butik festival.
Let’s start with your DJ careers. Can you summarize your journey as a duo? How did you get together? Where did you come from as solo careers?

Alex: We both had solo careers before. I started playing and making music in 2012. I was drawn into producing as something to clear my head, to be with myself, to put out things that I was not able to do on a personal level, and simply to enjoy the creation process. At some point, I realized that if I started deejaying, that could also progress into something more in the future. In 2016, I started with a couple of friends, the SOLVD project: a series of events in Ljubljana that quickly evolved into an actual label.

Teo: I started making events and playing drum and bass when I was 18. In the beginning, I was playing mostly abroad. I used to be a windsurfer and I travelled the world for it. Wherever I went, I played house music in exotic clubs. Because I was a foreigner, I could say “Trust me, I’m a good DJ! Let me try just for one night.” Then I was given the opportunity to show my skills and they booked me more often. I was a resident DJ in clubs in Brazil, Vietnam and Egypt. When I returned home to Slovenia, I became a huge fan of SOLVD parties from the beginning. I was the number one fan of Alex.

Alex: Actually, there’s a video from our first party and he’s dancing like crazy!
In 2019 we changed our SOLVD team a little bit as we were looking for new residents to join us. A common friend mentioned Teo, we knew each other but we never played together. During the first party of the year, we spontaneously tried to play together and the energy clicked and that’s how AR:TE started.

Teo: Since then we have been playing (mostly) together.

The Partae:  What are your influences? Are there specific people you got inspiration from?

Alex: I grew up with hip-hop. In high school, the Viva channel was broadcasting some electronic music videos and that caught my attention. From that point on, electronic music took my heart. I always liked Kerri Chandler, Karizma and DJ Spen, those old house heads. I was also influenced by the UK sound because it has this edginess, groove and dub-deep vibe surrounded with lots of energy. Right now I don’t have a favorite artist because it’s so many influences drawing from.

Teo: When I was younger, I was really into jazz, funk, soul and blues. Since I used to play piano as I kid, I take music inspiration from this organic sound. Then, as I mentioned before, I got into drum and bass. My love for drum and bass came from liquid and jungle, nothing too aggressive or punchy. Especially, I was a huge fan of Brazilian artists like DJ Marky, DJ Patife, and other main artists like Calibre. But in the back of my soul, there was always house music. In the following years, the drum and bass scene became a bit more aggressive, going towards Neurofunk and liquid was falling down. I felt betrayed. I just couldn’t be there with this kind of sound. And I said, “Fuck it!” and I focused on house music. During all these years I have been developing my sound non-stop. I don’t play a specific sound but I play a lot of different genres. When we play as AR:TE, we play a bit differently than solo. Alex is a good deejay and producer with his own sound. I am Teo with my own sound. When we come together as AR:TE, we push each other to explore deeper, to be more curious and explorative. This is AR:TE’s vision.

The Partae: You guys are representing the Ljubljana and Slovenian scene with organizations like SOLVD and also Butik (which is located in Tolmin). Can you describe what makes it special and what challenges are you facing?

Alex: In the late 90s, Slovenia was quite on top of Eastern European electronic music scene because we had one of the best clubs in probably Europe: Ambasada Gavioli. It was built in 1995. It was running for 27 years, until 2021. Even international stars like Richie Hawtin said a couple of years back that if this club were in a place with better infrastructure like Ibiza, it would be top 3 in the world! In addition, you had a couple of cities in Slovenia known as “rave cities”. So the following and interest from the public was massive. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the 2000s, the regulations started to be tighter and it slowly became more difficult to run a club and make a profit.

Currently, the Slovenian scene is at a good level regarding the quality of individual DJs, producers and collectives in several different genres. However, we are lacking the infrastructure and support at a national level in both acceptance from the mainstream public and government institutions. We have a shortage of clubs. There’s only one serious club for underground music: Klub K4 in Ljubljana, where we do our SOLVD parties. Other than that, there are only minor locations in the rest of Slovenia. Also among underground festivals, it’s basically only Butik on a larger scale. There are other projects but they’re smaller in scope, just aimed at a couple of hundred people and organized by local enthusiasts.

Other genres such as Balkan music for example do not face the same challenges because they are more widely accepted by the general public, so they can organize events in every place.

Teo: Another big problem is the commercial events. The tickets are not too expensive so they attract more people, especially young ones who are not yet musically educated. Those types of events are the entry gate to the festival and party culture for most people due to their availability and accessibility, but they book always the same artists. People end up listening to this kind of music and thinking “Ok, this is it, I’ll enjoy this.” They don’t proactively search for new sounds. That’s what we try to do with our events: to provide new music to people and welcome them to our community. At every party new people are coming and they’re like: “Whoa, what is this? Is this house music? Whoa, I didn’t know, I love it!”. As the Slovenian music community, we need to be more adventurous and braver in booking and promoting underground sound.

The Partae: Let’s talk more about Butik Festival. What factors have made it such a big success?

Alex: Our initial idea when we created Butik was to have a place for the community where everybody feels welcome. Music is the perfect tool for inclusivity because you cannot have competition. This is our advantage: We welcome everybody, we are inclusive.

Teo: What makes Butik special is also our team, not just DJs, but everyone else who works here, who represents the real soul of the festival. At the party, everybody comes, everybody is happy, everybody is dancing! Sharing this positive energy is highly contagious for everyone else around.

Alex: Another important goal for us is to provide a way for people to always discover new artists. We don’t want to be a festival where the lineup stays the same over the years. We have a rule that we repeat a single international artist maximum of two years, but not more than 20% of the lineup. This way we can push local talent first. International acts are a nice complementary aspect, to draw attention. When guests come here, they start enjoying the sets from the DJs that they didn’t know. And when those are Slovenian DJs, that is the best that can happen! For local artists there are not so many options, so we try to provide them with opportunities to play.

The Partae: Do you think that an international project like Butik works also as a way to teach the Slovenian people about the international underground scene?

Teo: Yes, absolutely! Butik is quite a young festival and it is getting recognized not only abroad, but also in Slovenia. People are talking about this festival and the underground scene with enthusiasm. It spreads organically with word of mouth, which is the best way to promote it. And it’s slowly gaining traction. We are really proud of it. This is one of the main goals of the festival. Groups of underground DJs and insider crews start getting recognized, and collaboratively building a strong community.

Alex: At the moment in Ljubljana, there is a healthy relationship between the crews. The majority of us work really well together. Even if often we don’t necessarily like each other’s music, we respect each other and understand that everybody has space in this community. Right now we are in a good position and hopefully, we can build something together. Here in Slovenia, there’s a major festival called Ment Festival. Originally, it was a festival for bands, but now they are expanding to electronic music as well. This year it was the first time they organized a panel to bring all the Slovenian crews together and discuss the problems we are facing and how we could solve them together. This kind of initiative gives me more positive thoughts that we can make it together.

The Partae: Do you see any collaborations to promote the underground scene outside of Slovenia, also in the Balkans?

Alex: One of the main goals for the future, is to create a sort of organization where we would all work together: artists, organizers and promoters from Balkans, from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, etc. To the Western world, we are perceived as a sort of minor area and they don’t see us as an important market. Artists from these countries don’t have the same chance as somebody from the Netherlands or the UK for example. We see it as a challenge, but also as a huge opportunity: if we all work together, then it’s not only the Slovenian market of 2 million people, but it can translate into a market of roughly 20 million people including all the people from ex-Jugoslavia countries.
The same applies to event organizers. We could join forces and share flights and costs to bring international DJs to play here in a sort of tour: on Friday certain artists could play in Ljubljana, on Saturday in Zagreb, the week after in Belgrade, in Skopje, and then all of a sudden we can become interesting for them. Of course, this is just a vision. Right now we have connections with a couple of groups that we are working closely with.

The Partae: Let’s look towards the future. What are future expectations and plans for SOLVD, AR:TE and for Butik?

Alex: Butik is working on a super interesting project in collaboration with the Lighthouse Festival, an Austrian festival in Croatia that has a similar vision. We’ll jointly organize a musical holiday experience in Zanzibar next February. It will be a mix of partying and relaxing for an entire week. It’s a super cool project because I haven’t or I didn’t see many times that the two festivals joined together to make a project. We’re also working on other projects such as a club tour, however, we want to keep it a secret for now.

Alex: For our SOLVD label, we started our 8th club season at Klub K4 just recently with Gene On Earth. We plan to do approximately 4-6 events in one year, and we also plan to focus on other markets to host showcases. We’ll also work on our second label release however, we don’t want to rush ourselves. Regarding our AR:TE project, we had quite a nice summer with gigs in Slovenia, Italy (After Caposile), Croatia, etc. We did our first “release” an edit of classic track “Presence – Work On Me” which was released digitally via SOLVD. It got really nice support. We have some other edits in the pipeline as well as the first EP so we should have plenty of exciting projects in the future.

Teo: Regarding the SOLVD events, we will definitely continue to make parties in Ljubljana, in Slovenia. But the next step is to grow internationally and play in different countries with our whole crew. Since we are five DJs in SOLVD, bringing all of us to a place in Europe it’s difficult and expensive. Every one of us is developing very fast in just a couple of years and we need to keep promoting ourselves as a solo to consequently bring the crew along. Together we can achieve this!

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/trommelmusic/premiere-1-elisa-fiorillo-ooh-this-i-need-arte-edit-slvd000?in=alex-ranerro/sets/elisa-fiorillo-ooh-this-i-need

Bandcamp: https://solvdmusic.bandcamp.com/track/elisa-fiorillo-ooh-this-i-need-ar-te-edit

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axm7DoEXCYg

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/alexranerro/

https://www.instagram.com/matejucakar/

https://www.instagram.com/solvd.music/

SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/alex-ranerro

https://soundcloud.com/teothedj

https://soundcloud.com/solvdmusic

Can you share a bit about yourself and your journey into the music industry?

I’m Archer, I make pop-electronic music! I started making music back in 2018, sending Garageband demos I produced on my phone to my friends (they were notably terrible). That’s kind of where I discovered a style of writing lyrics that I really enjoyed. From there, I found a producer to work with to create my first track ‘Malibu’ and the rest is history!

Congratulations on the release of your debut EP, ’23’! What inspired the title, and how does it reflect the theme of the EP?

Thank you so much! ‘23’ is one of those numbers that appears everywhere for me – for instance seats on flights, hotel room numbers, my graduation number etc (it’s all a little spooky) It also felt right to name the EP ‘23’ in 2023, when I was 23 years old. I think there are definitely themes of reflection in the EP. Considering I started making music when I was 18 and I’ve always pondered the release of my future EP, ‘23’ really made me reflect on the last 5-6 years and where I’ve come and where I’m going sonically and in my music.

Could you walk us through your creative process when working on the songs for ’23’? How do you approach songwriting and music production?

Each song had a different process. For example, Whispers was a demo I originally wrote and produced that I then sent across to Tristan at Studio Ninety1 to produce properly. Then with tracks like Bittersweet and Star, they were both tracks entirely written and produced in studio sessions – so really developing and tweaking sounds and lyrics as I went!

Who are your musical influences, and did any specific artists or genres inspire the sound of your debut EP?

I pulled a lot of different influences. I’ve always been a big fan of Billie Eilish and Mallrat, both of which operate in the pop space but are very different sonically. I do love pulling inspiration from lo-fi and hiphop!

If you had to pick one track from ’23’ as your favorite or the most personally significant, which one would it be, and why?

I love all the tracks but I think Whispers has to be my favourite. Since writing it, I’ve spent many a car ride listening to it and shamelessly screaming the lyrics. I don’t want to toot my own horn but there’s something about the bridge that just hits different.

Are there any collaborations on ’23,’ and how did those partnerships come about? What do you think each collaborator brought to the project?

I worked with two amazing artists on the production and lyricism for the EP. The whole EP is produced by Drest who is an amazing artist in his own right but also helped work on production and lyrics for ‘23’.Obviously, the EP wouldn’t exist without him. I also worked with Riverine – who is an incredible producer – on Bittersweet. He definitely brought a whole new level of depth into the track and really elevated the production in the chorus especially.

How do you feel you’ve evolved as an artist from your earlier work to the creation of ’23’? Are there any significant changes or growth you’ve experienced in your musical journey? 

I think that ‘23’ is a whole lot more considered than my earlier releases. I think in the beginning I would create a track and then release it, create a track and then release it. With ‘23’ it required a lot more consideration and planning which I think allowed me to evolve, as it forced me to step back and really think about what I wanted the work to be.

The visual aspect of music is increasingly important. Can you discuss the visual elements accompanying ’23,’ such as album artwork or music videos, and their significance to the overall project?

Absolutely, in all my writing there has always been organic/nature references. In the beginning it was references to the ocean and the waves and then when I moved up to the Gold Coast and was really exposed to those elements – I think it more came out in the feeling of EP. It was really important to me to keep some element of nature in the EP, so if it wasnt with explicit references then it was going to be in the visuals. The EP art was shot in Tallebudgera Valley in the Gold Coast hinterland. It’s a very beautiful place! My photographer, Evie, and I, really played with themes of reflection using a mirror in the majority of the shots. A lot of the Spotify canvas’ play with this idea as well as they were shot on the same day.

What were some of the challenges you faced while working on your debut EP, and how did you overcome them?

I think one of the challenges I faced came from being in the studio and creating songs from scratch on the day. It was something I’ve never really done before as usually I have all the lyrics planned out before standing in front of the mic. I think it really forced me to try and get as vulnerable as possible when it came to writing so I had to put my nerves and my anxiety aside and just try and open up for the music. 

How do you hope your audience will connect with ’23,’ and what emotions or messages do you aim to convey through your music?

Any way someone finds a connection with my music is good enough for me. I just hope people can relate to some of the tracks and maybe apply their own meanings and connect in a deeper, more personal way. 

With the EP released, do you have plans for live performances or a tour? What can fans expect from your live shows?

Yes! I’m back home playing my first show in 2024 on February 17th at the Leadbeater in Richmond! I can’t wait to play all these new tracks live for the first time. Fans can expect a party where we laugh, dance and cry together. 

Looking ahead, what can we expect from Archer in terms of future projects? Are there any upcoming releases, collaborations, or new directions you’re excited about?

I’m taking a quick break until the new year and then I’ll hopefully be back in the studio writing some new music that people can boogie to!

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‘Happily Ever After’ is described as a love-fuelled indie adventure. Can you share the inspiration behind the song and the story you wanted to convey through its lyrics?

Yes absolutely! It was inspired by a relationship I was in at the time, we had moved in together in a little place on the corner or Orrong road/cambridge street in Caulfield north, Melbourne. We taught pilates at the same yoga and pilates studio, and to be honest, it was the most safe and secure I had ever felt in a relationship before. She really did accept me for me, and love me for me and I had never felt that before. I used to spend Sunday afternoons writing all day while she was in the studio, id write clean, run around the house, while a chicken curry slow cooked in the kitchen. I had been playing around with this idea of a song, and she came home that afternoon and it all just clicked for me, I was in this position where my home felt like a kingdom, like no one else was allowed in but us, I was better than I had ever been (mentally/physically/emotionally/spiritually) I was grounded and I was safe. And I was like I could do this for the rest of my life, like happily. And I realised in that moment how young I felt, this like giddy feeling with no restraints, and that forever young line made sense, I had always thought it mean something completely different, I seen people get older and keep partying, and continually ride themselves off, almost like screaming we’re never growing up, and that always confused me because I didn’t feel like that was true for me. And In that moment of clarity it was like ahhhh thats not being young forever, staying curious, staying playful and continuing to learn is how I stay young forever, and if we do that together, in our own way, that I think is how we make it a lifetime.

“Cambridge” is your upcoming album, and ‘Happily Ever After’ is its second single. How does this track fit into the overall theme or narrative of the album?

I always wanted to create something that has the full scope of the human experience within it, with this album I think it has a very wide representation of that over a 3 year period. Obviously there is endless subtleties of the world within and around us , but I think this album represents/touches base on almost all of my experience over that timeframe, I say this because that’s what the theme is, exploration and curiosity of life, and this song fits in as an idea and a feeling of what love is and what it might mean to build .

The song touches on the experience of growing old together. Can you delve deeper into this theme and how it influenced the writing and production of ‘Happily Ever After’?

It really was something I not only never thought I would experience, but just couldn’t see how it would be possible for me. Now I still haven’t grown old with someone and the relationship that I wrote the song about has been ended for a few years now,
but this song represents a moment in which I understood how it could happen, in that moment I understood what it might take for myself to meet someone in a position where we could grow old together. To stay curious, to be playful and to continue to learn with someone for a life time or like how the lyric goes, to stay young forever. And that moment of realisation was one of the most memorable moments of my life.

In addition to being a musician, you’re also a meditation teacher. How has your personal journey of resilience and redemption, overcoming addiction through meditation and yoga, influenced your music, particularly in the creation of ‘Happily Ever After’?

For a long time I felt like it was all just the same, the actions in which I choose to participate in directly effect my life, its like the old saying you reap what you sow. So for me, Having a practise in Meditation and yoga helps me feel centred, it helps me stay grounded and it helps me make decisions in alignment with whatever my truth may be. I think the world gets a little fuzzy for us all, and it becomes really hard to hear that truth if we’re not paying attention. Yoga and meditation help me pay attention, therefor allowing me tune in and experience my life fully, and then express it through my music.

Could you share some insights into the themes and messages you aim to convey through the upcoming album ‘Cambridge,’ especially focusing on the elements of resilience and redemption?

I think the main message within resilience and redemption would be to learn how to listen to your truth. Those words aren’t said specifically in the album anywhere but really what are we all searching for? I think for most people that answer would lead back to certainty or security, it definitely seems to be a common theme in my life. we want to be certain of our choices, we want to be certain of our success, we want to be certain that everything is going to work out and be ok. we can never know the answer to those questions in the way that we would like it to be told, but as cliche as it does sound we already do have the answer, our own truth, the one thing that is always available to us. now the world might get a little (or very) noisy, and the static in our mind might get a little to loud for us to hear or feel that truth sometimes, but regardless it is always there. My constant question has been, How can we find it? Or how do we cultivate enough awareness to strengthen it like a muscle within our body?

For me, its been exploration, exploring what it means to be right, to be wrong, to succeed, to fail, to feel my emotions, to ignore my emotions, to find peace through action, to find peace through inaction, to express ourselves, to suppress our expression, and it seems that all of this is done either with a conscious awareness or without a conscious awareness, regardless we move on and we live and get up and try and we book mark the things that we learn and along the way, and hopefully we can accept ourselves even just a little in the process.

I think true resilience comes from the exploration and acceptance of ourselves. And learning when to be hard on ourselves and get up and get on with it, and when to sit and allow ourselves to rest.

In a world where the moral compass of a human being seems to be measured so precisely with no flexibility to account for any outside factors, I think its very important to explore your own inner workings and find your own truth for yourself, and within that cultivate resilience to be you.

‘Happily Ever After’ seems to embrace a positive and hopeful tone. How do you use your music as a platform to spread positivity and inspire others, especially those going through challenging times?

This does have a positive tone! I cried a week ago when I realised I was putting out something that was just like pure joy and bliss, I think id been so close to this song for such a long time that I had separated myself from its essence a little.

This question really stumped me if I’m honest. But I think I spread positivity by always looking on the lighter side whenever I can, that’s something I have always done in my personal life, not like ignoring the hard times or pretending evil doesn’t exist, but by understanding that there is always a positive, it might not show up immediately but if your patient and open enough to see it, it does always works out in the end. I also think it shines through me just being myself, I love what I do, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, and I am genuinely stoked to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. I have days that are really hard too, we all do. But I think that enthusiasm and that love shines through the content I make, the music I make, the lyrics I write and just in the way I show up.

Mental health awareness and addiction recovery are causes you’re passionate about. How do these themes weave into your music, and what messages do you hope to convey to your audience regarding these important issues?

The message I want to convey to my audience is that mental heal is in everything we do, we cant separate it from our whole being, which I think is something we have gotten wrong for a long time. Getting to understand ourselves as a whole being is the only step forward. Our society seems to be obsessed with the mind. It seems to be the part of our experience that we give the most clout to. But I think that the only way we can move forward in a way thats free from addiction and chronic mental health conditions is to look at the human as a whole being. These things weave into my music because they are apart of me, every song I have written is from the perspective of a guy exploring what it means to be him, with absolutely no idea what he’s doing, all he knows Is what has and has not worked up until this point and he is trying his best to understand and accept himself. There are a few songs on the album that are very clearly about mental health and addiction struggles, and you can hear it lyrically and you can also feel it musically, but I think in some way they are all about me trying to understand the fluctuations in my mental health and trying to understand why I can be so easily roped into things that distract me and really take me away from my life.

Can you discuss the creative process behind ‘Happily Ever After’? How did you approach the musical arrangement and production to capture the emotions you wanted to convey?

Alsolutely! So I wrote the chord progression and lyrics back in 2019 In my home studio just off Cambridge street, my partner at the time had just gotten home from teaching pilates at the yoga and pilates studio we both taught at, and I remember I had been playing around with a few ideas that afternoon, but when she walked in and I looked at her, the idea really came to life.

I think demo’d the song and sent it across to my best friend Aaron Schembri in 2020, it was the middle of a lockdown. He then wrote those guitar melodies, and bass and keys you can hear and we go it all down at the end of 2021/start of 2022. Its been a long time coming.

As you embark on this love-fuelled indie adventure with your music, what do you hope listeners take away from ‘Happily Ever After’ and the upcoming album ‘Cambridge’?

I hope they can feel a little bit of themselves in the songs, we are all so different but we are also the same, and I think music really highlights that. I hope it provokes more exploration within themselves and also in the seriousness of what life can be, I hope it also adds a little lightness to their steps. Its all ok, and it always will be.

How do you balance your roles as a musician and a meditation teacher? Do these two aspects of your life inform each other in any way?

These two aspects absolutely inform one another, I have always looked at it like this. Meditation and yoga are the tools that help me experience my life to the fullest, they also allow me to reflect on my life more honestly and thoroughly than I otherwise would, which in turn helps me turn those experiences and reflections into the art that I see. For a long time I just said yoga and music are the same to me, and I never quite understood why, and then one day I realised this dance that they were flowing in and out of and I realised.

‘Happily Ever After’ seems to celebrate the positive aspects of life. How do you use your art to bring joy and reflection to your audience, especially in the context of the challenges you’ve faced and overcome?

I think bringing a lightheartedness otherwise serious situations is one way, I mean don’t get me wrong, there are songs on this album that are serious as well. But I think for the most part approaching those more heavy handed subjects with a little more lightness is one way that I bring a light side to my audience, and another way is that within my lyrics and I incredibly reflective. I mean I am in my life and I think that its represented in my lyrics, the dedication to bring the best possible product to the people who listen to my music

In terms of your advocacy for mental health awareness and addiction recovery, are there specific messages or resources you would like to share with your fans, encouraging them to prioritize their mental well-being?

This is a really great question, there aren’t really any direct messages or resources. What I would say is, try a bunch of different avenues. No one avenue works best for everyone and for me personally its been the exploration of all these different tools, practises and practitioners over a very long time that have lead me into being the most grounded person I have every been I am still a maniac, don’t get me wrong hahaha, but I understand and accept that life is ups and life is downs and we do the best we can at each moment we arrive. So yeh, id say try all the different things that are out there and find what works best for you. Flexibility > rigidness.

Also, Don’t ever underestimate the power of moving your body, eating good whole foods, and creating support systems around you. I know these things are easier said than done when your in the pits of hell, but there is always a way out and that way out is always available to you even if it doesn’t look or feel like it.

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We really just wanted to use a song from the EP as the title. We ended up choosing “You Couldn’t Even Wait” as it is the conclusion to the EP. We felt this title represented the feelings we all felt after listening to the EP in full.

The demos, which were just instrumentation, were quite dark in tone and we wanted to continue this theme. After writing lyrics and vocal melodies, the songs started to take shape and become the embodiment of the emotions that we wanted to portray.

We believe each song is individual in its category of emotion whilst still greatly revolving around the feelings of grief and loss.

When writing for this concept, we felt it best we keep our distance from those involved for a few different reasons. The first being anonymity to the families affected by the topic matter.

The second reason was that distance enables anyone to fill the shoes or stand in the face of being affected by tragedy. We did not use any names of people, places or genders to help support both the prior mentioned points.

Everyone in Goodbye, August is a huge fan of the catalogue of bands that The Brain Studios has worked on! Most notably for us however, was the EP “Slowly Dying With You” by Whatever, Forever. We all agreed that we had to go where that record was produced as it had the sound we wished for our EP to take influence from. We collectively felt that The Brain Studios would suit the best for us and we’re so thankful with not only the team as people, but the work they produced for us. Endless gratitude.

When creating the concept for the EP, rather than tell a story of an event, we wanted to tell a story of perspectives. We chose each song to be a different person’s perspective of the accident as a whole.  Let’s use “I Let The Sorrow Fill Me” for this example.  Emotionally this song was written in the form of ‘shock’ to a person. We have an upbeat chorus as in a timeline of events, the accident in question isn’t known yet. But in each verse the perspective of the song changes upon realisation of what a person is facing after witnessing the accident. Thus leading to the pre-chorus where the perspective changes to someone knowing that they are unable to help the person(s) infront of them. The bridge of the song is written to let all the emotion in upon moving on from the ‘shock’ factor.  This helped us with lyrical writing and using the bridge as an ‘acceptance’ of the situation, we used the line “I Let The Sorrow Fill Me” to portray that feeling.

The evolution has been fantastic! Andrew and Josh are both great people and share the ambitions that Sean and myself (Mitchell) have set out to accomplish. The direction that Andrew and Josh gave the band helped affirm what Sean and I initially wanted to do and they helped build our ideas into something greater. Without them, “You Couldn’t Even Wait” would be a completely different record and non distinguishable to what it is now.

Using the Brain Studios was key to helping us blend these genres. The guitar and bass tones help us set the stage for the genre of music we wish to portray. The drums are another example of not tonally sitting in one genre more than another. We do not wish to be a strictly ‘X’ genre band and The Brain Studios helped us sit in all genres without clear definition.
Regarding bands that played a significant role in shaping our sound and songs, Whatever, Forever, Basement and Endless Heights are major influences to us.

We chose these two songs as singles because we felt that they captured the genre and sound bending we have throughout the EP. ‘Letterbox Pills’ being very broody and chord based with lots of ambience and ‘Where’d You Go Without Calling’ being very open in sound and utalising more vocal range.

There were definitely a lot of emotions and challenges faced with initially writing this EP.  A band Sean and I were in had just broken up along with another band falling through. Not long after these two events I was in the Lismore floods and lost my house and job along with my possessions.  I ended up writing the first iterations of the EP on my dads old work laptop from around 2012 with a pair of earphones and a cheap guitar that wasn’t too water damaged.  It was a different experience as the gear I had was limited but it was also the perfect time to write music after going through previous band breakups and a natural disaster.  It helped portray the emotion that eventually became “You Couldn’t Even Wait”.

The EP delves into personal experiences of grief and the aftermath of a tragedy. How do you hope listeners will connect with and interpret the stories shared in your music?

We hope that everyone can find comfort in knowing the challenges they face after a tragedy aren’t inclusive to themselves and we hope that our music can be some form of comfort for the grieving process and reflection.

We had a bunch of memorable moments hanging out with Clay and Angie from The Brain Studios. I think some favourites would be seeing who could pet Squee the cat without getting scratched which I think Sean succeeded and Josh failed at! The team along with studio hand Declan from Sydney emo hardcore band Brooklyn Comic made our experience the best it could have been and we can’t wait to finish writing new songs so we can go back and see who has the worst jokes over lunch. Josh’s redemption arc for petting Squee will still probably end in defeat though!

For 2024, we wish to play a bunch of shows and get some attention from radios, national and if we’re lucky enough, international acts.  We’ve started writing for EP 2 but I think that will happen later down the line as we are all super stoked on “You Couldn’t Even Wait” and wish to tour it throughout the year. Our next show is January 27th at Greaser Bar in Brisbane which should be announced shortly!

Thank you and we hope you enjoy our debut EP, “You Couldn’t Even Wait”.

What inspired Annoying Neighbours to explore a new direction in their sound with the single ‘The Plea’?

I think it came down to just wanting to try something different other than having the amps fully loaded and screaming into the microphone the whole time. That, as well as being interested in exploring the psychedelic genre as a whole. It was nice to put something different in our musical catalogue.  

How does ‘The Plea’ differ stylistically from Annoying Neighbours’ previous work, particularly their last two EPs?

Stylistically it delves into the world of psychedelia a lot more. Putting emphasis on melody, texture, dynamics and expressive devices overall. Leaving us with a chill starter and finishing it off with a euphoric release.

How does the band describe the lyrical theme of ‘The Plea’ and what emotions does it aim to evoke in listeners?

I didn’t think too much about the lyrics, it was one of those songs I wrote words to in like 5 minutes. But emotionally I wanted to create a ‘safe space’ for people to sit in and have a ponder. Then they can bust out a big boogie in the last section.

What makes the psychedelic rock genre unique, and how does Annoying Neighbours contribute to this uniqueness with their music?

The psych rock genre is super rad! I personally believe that it’s showing the artists true spirit of what they are inside, though you could probably argue that for every artist, musician or genre. Sonically, it usually involves lots of ‘movement’ whether that be through phaser, wah, delay, reverb or chorus effects. This makes it very easy to get caught in a trance and ‘sit in’ the song as I described earlier, which is something you don’t really get with other genres. I believe we make the cut because we too are just showing our true spirit in the music and the songs reflect our personalities. We’re just being ourselves and trying to make some music for people to enjoy and get wrapped up in. 

Can you elaborate on the collaborative process within the band during the evolution of ‘The Plea’ and how each member contributed to its development?

I (Jaidyn) wrote the song and had a pretty good idea of what that ‘little world’ should sound like once we all played it together. Luckily for me, the other blokes in AN are very like minded, so expanding on that world was light work. Everyone learnt their parts and then added their own twist onto it. Pickers and Campbell added more melodic elements to the song overall by creating new guitar parts. This filled out some of the empty space we had in the demo. Tom just nails it every time with drum parts and we’re usually on the same page of how the drums should sound. Casper is just a musical wizard and could probably play any instrument that you throw at him. His bass parts on the track fit the song perfectly and it gives us guitarists an excellent playground to fiddle around on.

Where was ‘The Plea’ recorded, and who were the key individuals involved in the mixing and mastering process?

We did that with our mates from New Brain Communications! Dhare Labbe was the mastermind behind recording and mixing our song. He made the whole process super enjoyable, plus he’s a great hype man! We recorded the song live. All instruments in the same room, mic’ed up, playing at the same time.

After we got the recording and mixes done by Dhare, we sent them off to Joe Carra from Crystal Mastering to get mastered. 

How do you describe the development of ‘The Plea’ from its original demo to the final track, and what elements were added during this process?

I would say that it doesn’t stray too far away from home, which I think is pretty cool. We all thought the demo had something special about it and we wanted to capture that. I believe we did, but better. After rehearsing the song and playing it live, we kept adding new parts and harmonies (guitar sections, effects, vocals, a MEL 9 choir) to really emphasise the emotions that we wanted people to feel.

What does the band mean by “special sauce” in the context of developing ‘The Plea,’ and how does it contribute to the track’s overall sound?

It’s some kewpie mayo mixed with habanero hot sauce. Really gets that creamy, hot tang you want from a track. You can really hear it in that last section of the song in full force.

What is the significance of the statement, “We’re more than just a punk band from Brisbane. We can explore, we can expand, we can be ourselves,” as expressed by Jaidyn Harrison?

I feel like a lot of bands, artists and musicians get categorised into being one genre, which really never made any sense to me. Even from when I was in high-school, I wanted to write different types of music. I think this release in particular is us beginning to show our true colours on how we want to approach music.

How did Annoying Neighbours initially start their musical journey, and how have they evolved from playing in backyards and house parties to becoming a noteworthy presence in the Australian music scene?

Thinking back, not much has changed really. Except the amount of members. We started off as a 3 piece and have doubled it to 6 now. But I believe our ethos hasn’t changed. We just love playing music, hanging out with each other and providing our fans with a safe space to enjoy themselves. Whether it’s to 20 people in the backyard or a few hundred at a festival. We just always go out, give it our best shot and have fun. I might add though, I think we are definitely a lot better now than when we first started.

Can you provide details about Annoying Neighbours’ previous EPs, ‘Waterhole’ (2020) and ‘The Void’ (2022), and the reception they received from both tastemakers and fans?

‘Waterhole’ (2020) was released during a strange time in our world, with Covid-19 ramping up across the globe. We recorded the EP in January of that year and were waiting to release it. We had nothing better to do and decided to release it over the first initial lockdown periods. Playing to people sitting down was a fairly big change compared to drunken 18-20 year olds at house parties. We released the first single off that EP, a song called ‘Skyn’, and it did what we would consider really well. We had heaps of people booking us for shows, it was played on some local radio stations and is still our most popular song on streaming services. We also did a show to celebrate the release of the EP and it ended up selling out.

‘The Void’ (2022) ended up being the first step in a direction sonically that we would later persue (something we didn’t realise at the time). A lot of those songs were written when we first started releasing songs from the ‘Waterhole’ EP, so they have similar characteristics I’d say. But then there are songs that break that mould, for example ‘Chicken Joe’, ‘Parallel Convergence’ and some parts of the title track ‘The Void’. The first single off that EP was played on Triple J which was a first for us and really cool. The reception by the fans to the songs was really strong as well!

Both EPs have songs on them that are staples for our bands setlist now. It’s always awesome and bewildering to hear people sing the words to our songs with us live. 

In terms of live performances, what festivals have Annoying Neighbours participated in, and which notable Australian bands have they supported on stage?

Some of our favourites so far have been Best Night Ever with Violent Soho (2021), Spaced Out Fest (2022) and Summer Fest (2023). Some notable bands include Wolfmother, DZ Deathrays, The Bennies, The Delta Riggs, Luca Brasi and The Terrys. We’ve been so fortunate to play with and meet these extremely talented people! Here’s to more great shows down the road!

PLAY/LISTEN

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From down under in Australia and New Zealand to the lively streets of Berlin, TIAHI keeps creating music with a decidedly sunny vibe. We sat down with him to talk about his latest EP ‘Sing Some More’ and the eponymous title track, a true anthem to positivity, written during times of pandemic and lockdowns. Pack your best vibes and join us on this wanderlust journey! 

The Partae: We’re excited to have you TIAHI – you’ve lived in both Australia and New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain and now you’re based in Berlin – is this going to be your final destination?

TIAHI: [Laughs] Probably not, but I very much appreciate Berlin for what it is, the opportunities, the people from all around the world, and the entrepreneurial spirit. A lot of things come together making Berlin as attractive as it is, even without beaches or warm weather year round.

The Partae: Your music does not immediately remind us of Berlin or Germany indeed. We hear a lot of positive, summery vibes in your tracks, what is the inspiration behind your music?

TIAHI: Winter has never been for me to be honest. I always felt the urge to explore the world and stay close to the sea, so I ended up spending quite some time in San Sebastian and in Spain in general growing up and when I finished high school I had decided I needed to see what’s out there behind the horizon. One of my uncles is from New Zealand, so as soon as I got the chance to go on a big trip that’s where I went. Then I basically kept traveling and living abroad for the next 5 years, chasing the sun and soaking up energy in a lot of countries, never straying too far from the equator.

The Partae: Let’s talk about your new EP ‘Sing Some More’. Can you describe the sound and vibe of the EP in a few words, the underlying emotions you want to transmit to your listeners?

TIAHI: The vibe of the EP is of course positive [Laughs]. No, in all seriousness – the songs are all about staying positive or appreciating the good things we got in life, and that’s exactly what I wanted to transmit with the songs. I felt they were calling for a lighthearted, organic production and sound that was capable of conveying that type of warm and positive energy.

The Partae: Could you give us a glimpse into your creative process? Did the pandemic impact your songwriting process for this EP?

TIAHI: For sure. I had started writing 3 of the 4 tracks that made it onto the EP during the final months of the pandemic or shortly after. The lockdowns had taken its toll on me like on everyone else, and with all my shows being canceled I fell into a bit of a hole and music and writing helped me stay positive. I wanted to create something uplifting but also meaningful that would age well, like my first track “Free”, which I have been told really grew on people during the pandemic. “Rough Day” and “Sing Some More” are down the same alley, telling every-day stories with a bit of magic injected. “Shooting Star” on the contrary is a classic result of spontaneous co-creation. We were at hanging out at our usual summer spot one evening, my buddy Gerald played something on the guitar and I started singing while looking at the stars and realizing how quickly this moment or moments like this could be over. “Hennessy” is a song about the people and the memories that got us onto our way and to where we are now, which I wrote after a trip visiting family and friends in late 2021. It was after the pandemic though, in 2022, that I finished writing the songs and finally got to producing the EP.

The Partae: Can you highlight any specific musical influences that played a significant role in shaping the EP’s sound? 

TIAHI: I listen to a lot of uplifting music across genres, funk, reggae, hip hop and pop, some electronic music too. If I had to name a few I would definitely put some older artists like Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz on the list, but also up and coming acts like Bobby Alu and Goldkimono. I also love what Tai Verdes is doing, blending acoustic instruments and samples in such a smooth way. Besides the musical influences I feel Berlin and the pandemic also shaped the sound of the EP to a certain extent. Compared to my previous releases, “Sing Some More” sounds a bit less beachy and a bit more urban I would say.

The Partae: The title track, “Sing Some More,” seems to be a central focus of the EP. What’s the story behind it? We took a look at the video and it looks as if it is based on a true story?

TIAHI: Yeah, it is [laughs]. In a nutshell I was having a not so good day and decided to jam at my place, nothing crazy. One of my upstairs neighbors didn’t like it and came down all the way from the 4th to the first floor to complain. Being the Berliner he is (known for their directness, some call them rude) he didn’t waste any time with pleasantries but started shouting at me the moment I opened the door. I tend to be a pretty composed person, but having had a rough couple of days myself, I responded in equal measure. No resolution was found and we left on bad terms. When emotions had cooled down a few hours later I tried to understand his perspective and went up to the 4th floor to sort things out. This time we had a much better conversation and agreed we had both overreacted and shook hands. Thankfully we’re on very good terms now and he loves the song and that he contributed to its creation in this rather original way [laughs].

The Partae: Tell us about the production process of this EP. Earlier you mentioned that you produced the EP yourself. Did your band play any role in it?

TIAHI: Yes, that’s right, I played all instruments on the record myself, except drums. I was fortunate to record with my friends at Riverside Studios and Condor Studios in Berlin. My drummer Daniel introduced me to the sound engineer of the Colombian funk band El Caribefunk, who did a good part of the mixing and a few other friends helped me out at various stages during the production process – shoutout to my man Juan. I learned a lot and am happy I decided to produce the EP myself, for future productions I am looking forward to working with other producers though, freeing up more of my time to play live.

The Partae: Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the coming year in terms of your music career? Any exciting projects or collaborations in the pipeline?

TIAHI: I am currently finishing writing the tracks of the follow-up EP and looking for the right producer for the final touches. Besides that I will spend the winter in Tenerife and got a few projects lined up there which I can’t wait for.

The Partae: How do you see your music evolving in the future, and are there any genres or styles you’d like to explore further? 

TIAHI: Playing live and working in the studio are my two primary points of influence and what I love most, besides listening to a lot of music. Playing with my band will definitely continue to have an influence on my musical journey, but also more studio-oriented collaborations. Regarding the upcoming EP nothing is set in stone yet, but it will be a bit funkier, a bit more danceable than “Sing Some More”.

The Partae: Are there any dates that your fans should mark in red on their calendar? Like releases, concerts or gigs?

TIAHI: Right now the focus is the production of the new EP for 2024. We got a studio live session planned for the coming weeks though, to get some live footage of the current EP. Other than that we’ll use the winter to get our show ready for the coming summer and festival season.

Follow TIAHI

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiahi.music/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/kQBPt_DBw0Y 

Streaming: https://ffm.to/sing-some-more 

Website: https://tiahi-music.com/