For All the Fucked-Up Children of This World We Give You Starfire Connective Sound - An Interview

Dando sequência a primeira aparição do Starfire Connective Sound aqui no TBTCI, Al Schenkel a mente por detrás da perturbação sonora a qual se propõe o SCS coloca o definitivo 1º EP do Starfire com direções bem explicitas, caos sendo o mais caótico possível, reverberações, delírios distribuídos dentre as 7 canções, I Sweep The Streets Without Finding, They Call Her One Eye, This Modern Cave (assombrossa), Electric Whore, Love Is a Lonely Ghost Floating, Wall Whitman´s Brain, Starfire Connective Sound que simplesmente impressiona os mais desavisados, saca assim, os grandes genios perturbados do naipe de Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Blixa Bargeld, os Irmãos Reid, Kevin Shields, Lou Reed e acresça Al Schenkel no meio, acha pouco, foda-se, o negocio aqui é serissimo.

Para deixar claro que o SCS tem planos que se tornar a maior revelação do ano, pegue em primeira mão a entrevista concedida por ele ao TBTCI, sem muito bla bla bla, Al Schenkel e seu Starfire Connective Sound.

***** Interview with Al Schenkel - Starfire Connective Sound *****

Q. Quando o Starfire Connective Sound começou?
O projeto começou a ganhar vida em maio deste ano, mas a ideia de voltar a tocar e compor já rondava meus pensamentos há uns bons 3 anos, data mais ou menos em que tive minhas últimas experiências com bandas de garagem. O Nome, Starfire Connective Sound foi a sugestão de um amigo de Novo Hamburgo chamado Johnny, e é uma ligação meio louca entre uma caixa elétrica que ele projeta na Springer chamada Starfire e um episódio de Dungeons and Dragons (Caverna do dragão), envolvendo um avião da segunda guerra mundial.

Q. Quais as influencias do SCS?

Além das vertentes noise-pop, shoegaze, experimentais, no-wave, post-punk, space-rock, electro-rock, industriais de bandas como The Birthday Party, The Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine, Spaceman 3, Six Finger Satellite, JAMC, Slowdive, The Sound, Joy Division, Bardo Pond, Medicine, Love And Rockets, Sonic Youth e Suicide as influências literárias também são bem gritantes, passando por nomes como Walt Whitman, Antonin Artaud, Gregory Corso, Carl Solomon, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouak, William Burroughs, Rimbaud, Garcia Lorca e Bukowski e é claro, de cinema alternativo e experimental também.

Q. Quais os 5 essenciais albuns de todos os tempos?
Eu enquadraria uns 30 ou mais álbuns tranquilamente nesta lista...rsrsrs...Mas vamos lá. Vou Citar 5 discos que mudaram minha concepção dentro da música: The Velvet underground And Nico (1967), The Velvet Underground; Prayers On Fire (1981), The Birthday Party; Siter (1987), Sonic Youth; Crocodiles (1980), Echo And The Bunnymen; Isn't Anything (1988), My Bloody Valentine;

Q. Como voce define o som do SCS?
Uma fusão de soundscapes, colagens e ambientações que oscila entre alucinações, perturbações, sonhos, violência, amor, raiva e caos mental, reverberados em muita distorção e repetições psíquicas. Uma bad trip com raros ou quase nenhum momento de lucidez.

Q. Como é o produção de criação das musicas, quais as influencias?
Devido a falta de gente que divida as mesmas influências e paixões por este tipo de sonoridade aqui em Criciúma, SC me vi na obrigação de criar tudo sozinho. As canções geralmente são criadas a a partir de algum loop de bateria criados com a ajuda de softwares de produção e criação de áudio, tendo as guitarras e sintetizadores sendo jogados aos poucos em cima, junto a camadas e mais camadas de distorções e efeitos de pedal, até chegar ao ponto que pretendo deixá-las.

Q. Como foi o processo de gravação do EP?
O processo de gravação seguiu os mesmos passos da criação dos sons, totalmente caseiro e baseado nos mesmos softwares que uso para criação. Conforme sentia que as canções estavam prontas eu ia arquivando-as para uma seleção futura, o que acabou rendendo o primeiro EP.

Q. Quais os planos para o futuro?ALbum cheio?Shows?...
A ideia principal é arrancar este projeto de dentro da minha casa e executá-lo ao lado de outros músicos, tornando-o ainda mais barulhento e visceral. Já estou trabalhando em outras canções, duas delas podem ser conferidas no soundcloud do SCS. Uma das que ficaram de fora da seleção do EP ganharão vocais e mais guitarras e provavelmente integrarão o novo EP, assim como também ocorrerá em outras faixas, que terão vocais de amigos de outras bandas que toparam parceria adicionados. Por enquanto em relação a shows fica meio complicado, mas apartir do momento em que o projeto tome estatus de banda completa, certamente este será o principal objetivo do Starfire Connective Sound.

Q. Alguma coisa a mais a acrescentar?

Aproveitando para agradecer ao The Blog That Celebrates Itself pela iniciativa, queria pedir encarecidamente para os amantes do rock independente e underound brasileiro que vehnam a frequentar shows das bandas nacionais deste ramo, comprem os CDS, vistam a camiseta e de um modo geral apoiem e deem seu parecer sobre esta cena maravilhosa e super barulhenta que está se erguendo no Brasil, pois eu tenho certeza que este país jamais produziu tanto e em tamanha qualidade com se tem visto nos dias de hoje, mas para isto continuar se alastrando é necessário o ativismo e a colaboração de cada um.
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Valeu Al

http://starfireconnectivesound.bandcamp.com/

Pygmalion with Foreign Cinema - An Interview

Lembram-se do Astral?!?Obvio que sim, prediletissimo aqui do TBTCI, varios reviews e uma interview daquelas memoraveis, leia novamente aqui, e não é que através de contatos imediatos contactei a Natty Dagger, brasileira de Goiania, foi direto para os Estados Unidos e capitanea uma projeto daqueles mais do que essenciais ao lado do proprio Dave do Astral , dai a conexão, o Foreign Cinema já citado na entrevista com o mentor do Astral passeia por caminhos diferentes, batidas eletronicas quase tribais mesclados com uma ambientação meio trip hop meio post punk e caindo por um lado shoegazer climatico tudo isso junto coloca-os como uma das grandes promessas para este ano ouça Lovers an Killers e veja do que se trata todo esse vislumbre da minha parte.

E logico, como de praxe o TBTCI descolou via Natty mais uma das já classicas interviews do blog, sem mais Foreign Cinema.

***** Interview with Natty Dagger - Foreign Cinema *****

Q. When did Foreign Cinema form, tell us about the beginning…

The band formed in 2008. We (Dave & Natalia) both were into the same kind of music and have previous band experience so naturally we joined forces and pursued the musical venture with the goal of bringing something new to the indie music scene.

Q. What are the band’s influences?

A lot of contemporary electronic music as well as some classic shoegaze & post-punk have really been big drivers in our musical influence. Massive Attack, Thievery Corporation, Air, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Echo & the Bunnymen & Siouxsie and The Banshees are among the most notable.

Q. Tell us about the recording process for the debut EP?

The original master recordings of the EP was done completely analog (aside from the final format being released on CD), and recorded on a 1/2" tape, 8-track tape machine at our home studio. Retaining a fat organic low end in our sound is really important. The 4 songs were recorded, mixed and mastered in less than a month, which was very quickly compared with how long we're taking to put out our new album... about 2 years! hahaha

Q. When is the album due?

The album will be out in a couple months but we do not have a release date set yet. We are currently finalizing the mixes and it will be mastered in a week or so. After that, it will be off to the pressing plant. This album will be released on vinyl in very limited quantities.

Q, Tell us about playing live.

Playing live is always a pleasure. connecting with listeners is one of the most rewarding experiences about being a recording/ performing artist. We are about to do our first show with live drums and also a cello player and we're hoping to incorporate more diverse instruments into our live shows for the future including sitar and other world instruments.

Q. What do you think about the classic shoegaze era?

Let's just say without it, a huge part of our influences would never have existed.

Q. Which new bands you recommended?

We like bands that are a little bit different from the rest. Here in the Bay Area our favorites are Return to Mono, Stripmall Architecture, Silver Swans & Slowness. It's hard to find new bands that are totally original but it's always refreshing when a band takes a new twist on an old sound and not just copy some style of music that's already been done.

Q. Which songs by other bands would you like to do cover versions of?

Dead Can Dance - The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove and also In Power we Entrust the Love Advocated (we're BIG Dead Can Dance fans :)

Echo & the Bunnymen - Porcupine

Q. What are the plans for the future?

We are on the verge of releasing our first vinyl 7" single. The songs will be exclusive to this release (Palace of Fine Junk b/w Velvet Sky) and not available on anything else. We are very proud of these songs and we've already gotten a lot of positive feedback on them. In the near term, we'll continue to perform and promote the new album and single, as well as do more regional touring.

Q. Any important news to tell us…

Only that we have a couple of shows coming up in San Francisco and that people should come out! :) One is at the legendary Cafe Du Nord, on June 23rd and the other at the Rickshaw Stop on July 16. Our website is www.foreigncinema.com.br and people can keep up with us by visiting our Facebook page (facebook.com/foreigncinemamusic) and Twitter (@foreigncinema)

Thank you so much Renato!

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Thanks Natty & Dave!!!Cheers Renato

http://www.myspace.com/foreigncinemamusic

Foreign Cinema - Lovers and Killers

Sonic, Flower and Groove with The Tamborines - An Interview

Com maior prazer e orgulho escuto incansavelmente meu Camera & Tremor, debut dos paranaenses de Maringa, o grande mais muito grande Tamborines, de meu camarada Henrique Laurindo que simplesmente pegou tudo e foi para Londres e ai a historia do Tamborines é exatamente essa Sonic, Flower and Groove, shows e shows, eps sensacionais e agora o album, simplesmente espetacular, Henrique e Lulu Grave são especialistas em criar pequenas gemas a base de distorção, fuzz romantismo e profundo conhecimento de causa, 31st Floor, Come Together, What Took You So Long e a emblematica Sanny O´Gannon explicam o porque os Tamborines são comparados a Dandy Warhols, Teenage Fanclub primeira fase, Ride, alias MArk Gardener faz backing vocals em Come Together, e junto ai Velvet Underground fase Loaded e a festa esta completa, outro grande momento deste Camera & Tremor é o cover Let me Down dos herois do guitar sound nacional os Pin Ups, diante de tantos motivos é recomendavel urgentemente que voce vá até sua loja predileta e pegue logo seu Camera & Tremor e seja mais feliz.

Aproveitando o ensejo todo, o comparsa Henrique concedeu ao TBTCI uma especialissima entrevista abordando toda a trajetoria dos Tamborines, então recomendo leia e releia e delicie-se

***** Interview with Henrique Laurindo - The Tamborines *****

Q. Quando o Tamborines começou? Conte-nos a historia da banda...
A. Comecei a escrever as musicas que seriam a base dos Tamborines em 1999/2000 na epoca eu tinha acabado de sair de uma banda bem noise/shoegaze, e eu estava afim de fazer algo mais calmo, folk ate. Assim surgiram as musicas do "Dressed up to better feel the sun", inclusive chegamos a gravar 8 musicas com a intencao de lancar 2 eps. No final acabamos perdendo as masters e ficou so o "Dressed Up .." mesmo.

Q. Quais as influencias da banda?
A. Dificil dizer, nos tres temos gostos bem variados...

Q. Quais os discos de cabeceira do Tamborines...
A. Os meus mudam sempre, no momento os que vem a tona sao: Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground; Isn't Anything - MBV; Cowboy in Sweden - Lee Hazlewood; Scrabby? - Pin Ups; Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth; In the Airplane over the sea - Neutral Milk Hotel; Bringing it all back home - Bob Dylan...

Q. Depois do primeiro EP pela Midsummer, como surgiu a ideia de se radicar em Londres?
A. Na verdade eu tinha essa ideia desde que peguei na guitarra pela primeira vez!

Coisa de adolecente que acabou por se tornar realidade...

Q. Porque o fim prematuro ?
A. Quando chegamos em Londres a primeira coisa que sacamos foi que teriamos que nos adaptar a uma outra realidade. Esse Tamborines que saiu do Brasil nao teria a minima chance de fazer algo aqui, entao resolvemos colocar a coisa on hold e curtir o que estava acontecendo com a gente: ver shows, exposicoes, eventos. Devoramos tudo.

Q. No retorno em 2005, qual foi a grande mudança em relação a primeira formação?
A. Bem, ai ja estavamos ouvindo outras coisas, em uma total outra realidade, mais "dentro" de Londres. Comecamos a gravar demos e passa-las pros amigos, porem nao tinhamos banda: era so a Lulu nos teclados, eu na guitarra e uma drum machine.

No Brasil a coisa era um pouco mais maleavel e incerta: gravamos o ep em tres (com o Renato na bateria) porem ao vivo era basicamente amigos nos dando uma mao. O que era super bacana, ninguem (nem mesmo a banda) sabia quem iria tocar o que. Caos total.

Q. Como são os shows do Tamborines?
A. Caos total.

Q. Tocar ao lado de grandes bandas como Charlatans, Chapterhouse, Crystal Stilts significa o que para o Tamborines?
A. Espero que signifique que somos grandes em algum aspecto tambem hahahahaha. Claro que eh otimo dividir o palco com bandas que admiramos, mas outras coisas bem mais emocionantes ja aconteceram pra gente. Por exemplo: ter o Mark Gardener cantando uma musica nossa (3 alias!!) foi mind-blowing!!

Q. Como foi o processo de gravação do debut Camera & Tremor?
A. Desnecessariamente longo e extremamente complicado.

Adoro o disco e as musicas e acho que apesar de tudo representa bem o que o Tamborines era naquele momento. Mas foram 3 bateristas diferentes, em varios estudios. Ouve muita confusao, muitas opinioes divergentes etc..

Quando o disco saiu eu fiquem sem ouvi-lo durante meses e ja mergulhei de cara em musicas novas.

Dai a Luciana passou dos teclados pra bateria - o que provou ser a decisao mais correta que fizemos - o Chokis (ex-Wry) assumiu o baixo e ja comecamos a tocar musicas novas. So quando fomos em turne na Alemanha e Italia que voltamos a tocar as musicas do "Camera & Tremor", e dai voltou aquele feeling bom e hoje eu aprecio essas confusoes e divergencias.

Q. O que representa a cena shoegazer classica para o Tamborines?
A. Eu cresci ouvindo Ride, MBV, Jesus & Mary Chain etc... e acho que esse som abriu possibilidades pra curtir outras coisas como velvets, byrds, phil spector, love ou mesmo beatles, folk e motown.

Mas confesso que nao ouco muito bandas shoegaze ultimamente. Alias nem acho que o Tamborines seja shoegaze, embora seja inevitavel a associacao visto que lancamos um single pela Sonic Cathedral.

Q. Quais bandas da atualidade vocês recomendam?
A. Gosto bastante do Crystal Stilts, o primeiro album eh fantastico, mas ainda nao ouvi o novo. Gosto bastante do Yuck tambem, otimas cancoes. Soft Moon me pegou de surpresa e tornou-se uma das prediletas da casa. Tem o Moon Duo tambem. Crocodiles, Veronica Falls, Minks, Warpaint, Frankie Rose and the Outs etc..

Q. Quais os planos para o futuro?Turnes?Talvez algum show no Brasil...
A. Estamos indo pra Italia em Julho gravar o segundo disco e depois disso iremos ao Brasil. Esse ano promete!

Q. Alguma mensagem há mais...
A. Estamos com saudades dos amigos e nao vemos a hora de estar ai. Baladas como as do Brasil nao existem iguais!
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Valeu Henrique....abs Renato

http://www.thetamborines.com/

The Tamborines - 31st Floor, Come Together

Purple Shoe(gaze) with R.M. Hendrix

Diretamente do contato imediato feito pelo mentor Michael Hendrix, um ep (Super Moo) e um album que tiraram o folego do TBTCI, shoegazer em formato atual misturando com glam e muito wall of sound pegue o album This Dreadful Mess e vá direto para a soberba Yr Queen is Dead e veja do que estou falando, riffs pegajosos, muito Swervedriver e Serena Maneesh em formato atualizado, Global Affair/Crack the Code é um Flying Saucer Attack light, um deleite, The Nóir é outro exemplo crucial de que o novissimo R.M. Hendrix vem como um raio brilhante e barulhento rechear o universo do shoegazer atual, absolutamente necessario.

Para elucidar mais ainda o post, como tem sido praxe aqui no TBTCI, convidamos Mr. Michael Hendrix para tecer comentarios sobre processo de gravação e peculiaridades das canções, com vocÊs R.M. Hendrix:

The Dreadfull Mess & Super Moo by Michael Hendrix :


I recorded the basic tracks of the songs with either Jazzmaster or Jaguar running through a Vox AC15. This gave me a consistent sound bed to experiment upon. Once I had that recorded then I could start letting all my influences play out for both tones and vocals. This was really liberating because I could let the lyrics and mood guide how each song evolved without worrying if it would get so different that it didn't sound like it belonged on the record.


Here are the influences track by track on This Dreadful Mess:
1. My Bloody Valentine
2. Fennesz
3. Swervedriver, Serenah Maneesh, Neu
4. Bowie, Catherine Wheel, Radiohead, Starflyer 59
5. The Cure, Seefeel
6. MBV, Radiohead
7. Primal Scream, Stooges, Jesus & Mary Chain, Chapterhouse

Super Mo are really thematic outtakes from Mess. They were all love songs and didn't really fit with the spy theme. Same gear set up, but you can see how they are more optimistic than the other tunes.
1. Radiohead
2. Bowie
3. New Order
4. Burial, Sparklehorse
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Thanks Michael

www.rmhendrix.com

I Saw The Ghost That Follows You with Bloody Knives

Preston Maddox do espetacular Bloody Knives já é socio de carterinha do TBTCI, e logicamente o Bloody Knives um dos prediletissimos da nova geração de excelentes bandas surgidas, depois do estrago realizado com o debut Burn it All Down, Preston e seu Bloody Knives atacam com o devastador Disappear, a destruição em forma de canção começa com You Know You Want To e só termina nos ultimos acordes da catarse final com Disappear, simplesmente um ep que eleva ainda mais o status do Bloody Knives com uma das mais destruidoras bandas da atualidade com seu mix insano de electro, shoegazer, noise, pos punk chega para ensurdecer ainda mais os timpanos dos menos despreparados.

Ilustrando ainda mais este post especial do TBTCI, convidei Mr. Maddox para disecar o ep, vejam o que acontece por detras da mente do nosso amigo Preston:


The Process:

July 2010: We had the idea of making a record out of improvisations. The idea of having a forced time frame, and to create something from something else were the main themes behind creating the music.

We were on tour and had a day off so we decided to go to Brooklyn and record with our friend Ryan Steele (Makeshift Studios). Ryan recorded our old bands’ last record at his old place. We could not record at his new place, so we packed up all the recording equipment in our van and went to a practice spot in Brooklyn called Sweatshop. I’m pretty sure we were in room four. We had a six hours to record.

We setup all the equipment in the practice space, miked the drums, DI’ed the bass, got some beer and shitty Mexican food, and started to record. There was some terrible cover band in the room next to us banging out the worst songs of the past 30 years at full volume, in the other room beside us was a metal drummer banging out blast beats. We were sure the noise was gonna make it into the ambient mics but it didn’t happen, the bleed was minimal.

“ill never leave you alone” was written in the first hour of the session. The Mexican food started to give me a stomach ache. Around that time we wrote “my blood is in your veins”. We took a short drinking and eating break and started up again. During this time we recorded the last three songs. "i want to be the one to blame" and " you know you want to" were recorded back to back. "disappear" was the last song we did.

We packed up and left Sweatshop. Ryan gave us the audio files and we took the disc back to Austin with us. I loaded the files up and recorded the keyboard parts at our studio in Austin. I went to Brooklyn to record some more, but after the sessions the blizzard killed off the hard drive. Some files were recovered, the others we re-recorded at my studio in Austin. Jim added effects and interludes. We sent the record back to Ryan to mix and master. Jake did the artwork.

Song Explanations:

1. "you know you want to"
you think too much, be impulsive, you know you want to, so c'mon.

2 "i want to be the one to blame
the joy of corruption, stealing innocence, and the inabilty to resist what you want.

3 "ill never leave you alone
you caught the infection, the virus spread, you will carry the infection until your death.

4 "my blood is in your veins"
your destiny is waiting for you to give you what you deserve. there is nothing worse than too late.

5. "disappear"
there is a hole inside you that you will never fill, the more you try the bigger the vacany gets......disappear.

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Thanks Preston my friend...

http://bloodyknives.bandcamp.com/album/disappear

Satansville Revisited with Swervedriver - An Interview with Adam Franklin

Depois de um tornado que literalmente consumiu este que vos escreve fazendo com que eu ficasse um pouco distante do TBTCI, eis que a volta eminente estaria prestes a ser executada e finalmente o TBTCI esta novamente a ativa e para comemorar em grande, digo grande mais muito grande estilo o TBTCI tem a honra de apresentar e conceder a todos uma historica entrevista com o grandioso Adam Franklin do seminal, espetacular, poderoso e prediletissimo de todos os tempos Swervedriver, sim isso mesmo, uma entrevista que perdurou para ser concebida em 1 ano de conversação, troca de emails, e finalmente Mr Adam Franklin nos concedeu esta que facilmente é uma das mais importantes entrevistas já realizadas pelo TBTCI.

Quanto ao Swervedriver o que dizer, o que acrescentar ao que já foi escrito, discutido e tudo mais, simplesmente a mais barulhenta das bandas da primeira fase da Scene, albuns absolutamente indispensaveis como Raise, Mezcal Head, Ejector Seat Reservation e 99th Dream, sem contar nos eps e b-sides tão abrassivos e poderosos quanto os albuns cheios, por essas e outras que hoje é um dia de comemoração no TBTCI, um marco absoluto na historia do blog e principalmente para este que vos escreve, afinal a idolatria minha em torno do Swervedriver é incondicional, amigos deliciem com Mr. Adam Franklin.


***** Interview with Adam Franklin (Swervedriver, Magnetic Morning, Toshack Highway and Bolts of Melody *****

Q. About the early years, when did Swervedriver starts?
Swervedriver formed in the winter of 1988-89 after the break-up of our previous band Shake Appeal. That band had been well known locally in Oxford and was once voted Best Band in Oxford in 1987 or something by readers of a local music paper but we had become bored with it. We were doing this Stooges/MC5 thing and felt like we were in a bit of a vacuum but by 1988 there was actually something else bubbling up that was a lot more interesting. There is some Shake Appeal footage in this new Oxford documentary film Anyone Can Play Guitar which also features Swervedriver as well as Radiohead, Supergrass and Ride: http://www.indiegogo.com/anyone-can-play-guitar

Q. Who are your influences/heroes?
Myself and Jimmy Hartridge were both really into the Glam Rock guitar bands of the early 70s like T.Rex and Slade. When the band formed we were big fans of Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Husker Du - the more interesting guitar music that had been bubbling up - as well as old favourites The Stooges, MC5 and Jimi Hendrix. There was also some great music emerging from the UK at that time - it was an exciting time for underground guitar music.

Q. Tell us about the gigs, what´s the feeling to playing live?
We love playing live - this is where the songs literally come to life afterall. They sort of move around when played live - the recordings can be like photographs, they're just a record of how the band played the song that day but when played live, the songs are constantly evolving. There are parts or sounds that we don't ever play the same twice but generally we're pretty true to the recordings of course.

Q. In your opinion, what´s the best Swervedriver album, and the most emblematic song?
I don't know, they all have great moments but I don't ever listen to them - sometimes the odd song. For that reason the compilation album Juggernaut Rides 89-98 has the most high points in my opinion, for obvious reasons. Most emblematic song? Duel maybe? Son of Mustang Ford is killer isn't it? Although we were never crazy about that recording. Some of my favourite songs are probably the b-sides and obscurities like Maelstrom, 93 Million Miles From The Sun, Why Say Yeah, Scrawl & Scream - the songs that never that make the set! What else? These Times, The Other Jesus, The Birds, MM Abduction. I like most of them.


Q. How do you describe Swerve´s sounds?
It's all about power and melody I suppose. The songs might reach points of almost white noise in some parts but it's always layered over a strong tune.

Q. What´s your opinion about early shoegazing era? Do you feel Swerve´s are part of it?
Not really 'shoegazing', no but the whole era, of course. At the time there wasn't such a thing as a shoegazing era of course, because nobody had come up with a name for anything at that point - there was just a bunch of bands and everyone was doing their own thing whether it was Teenage Fanclub or Slowdive. There were a lot of great guitar bands coming out of the UK and the US - the more well known stuff like Sonic Youth or Spacemen 3 and then a lot of bands that made one record and then broke up and are now somewhat lost in the mists of time such as The Lavender Faction or The Loveblobs. I just think that in the late 80s/early 90s there were a lot of bands wanting to turn up the guitars and create something noisy and melodic.

Q. After break up, tell us about your projects: Toshack Highway and your solo albums?
In 1999 I recorded the Toshack Highway album which was me plugging keyboards into amps instead of guitars. I bought a Yamaha electric piano and an Italian Crumar synthesiser and started plugging them into my Vox AC30 and Marshall guitar amps and putting them through effects pedals just to see what would happen. The resulting album was half-instrumental and had a kind of 'soundtrack' vibe although Charlie Francis who recorded it with me immediately heard a late 70s Eno vibe which I hadn't picked up on. I'm really proud of that record! You should check out Harlem and Board The Bullet Train - someone said they thought the Lost In Translation soundtrack would have been even better if those songs had been on there.

I then moved to New York and there were some more releases under the name Toshack Highway which probably should have been released as 'Adam Franklin' records as they were more solo and lo-fi and sort of folky guitar affairs. Eventually people suggested I should release records under my own name and so in 2007 we finally released the first Adam Franklin album 'Bolts of Melody' but although my name was on the front it was very much a band record. This was followed in 2009 and 2010 by two more 'solo' albums Spent Bullets and I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years - the latest one is credited to Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody because Bolts of Melody has become the name for the band. I have some great guys in New York and London that I play with on this stuff. Check out Ramonesland, Two Dollar Dress and I Want You Right Now.

Q. Whats the concept behind Magnetic Morning?
Magnetic Morning is a collaboration between myself and Sam Fogarino, the drummer in Interpol. We met in New York and just decided to record some music together, with no concept as such but simply to see where it would end up. Sam had some strong ideas that he'd written on keyboards or guitar, some of which was quite abstract and I helped turn them into songs. An overall sound emerged and I then wrote some songs specifically for that also. We released an EP in 2007 and an album 'AM' in 2008 and we were really pleased with how it turned out - the live band was great too. I'd recommend Cold War Kids, Don't Go To Dreamstate and Indian Summer.

Q. About Swerve´s return, what´s the feeling to play with the guys again?
Well it's been great! Swervedriver is still as fast and loud and heavy as it ever was and the band has been very warmly received after being away for a long time which is truly amazing.

Q. About the future, what´s your plans? New solo records, maybe a Swerve´s new album, play in Brazil one day....
Been working on the next Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody album and it's gonna be pretty interesting I think as some of it actually started out with the intention of being a new Toshack Highway album, so there's more of that film soundtrack kind of sound mixed with rock'n'roll, I think. A new Swervedriver album? Maybe. But as far as Brazil is concerned - we'd love to! Where do we sign?

Q. Any parting words...
Thank you Renato - you have a great night!
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Thanks Adam!!!!

Swervedriver - Son of a Mustang For / Sandblasted