The Very Good Agency

Pataphysics Interview

Pataphysics took the time to chat with us recently on his new sound that had me surprised with Australia’s developing hip hop community… interview below…

Thanks for stopping by… after seeing your performance a few months ago I was intrigued to learn a little more. So where and what have you come from?

At the moment I’m really into ideas about creation blending Astrophysics and Maya.

Your performance is exactly that, an actual performance rather then just a band. Do you see music as a vehicle for expression?

Yes definitely.  Almost everything we do is an outward expression of our inner.  Music and Art are some of the more tangible of these expressions. For me music can capture feeling or emotions through melody which cannot be described by words.  While lyrics can touch on ideas and moments many people share but do not voice.  Music

Both rapping and playing trumpet are fairly taxing activities; does it wear you out doing both simultaneously?
Nah, been doing it for a while, it’s all about breath.

I’ve seen you playing quite a few instruments, in other groups than Pataphysics also… with which instruments & bands do you play.
I play trumpet and vocals in a stack of different crews.  As well  as that I play drums with Trillion and Project nRt, playing some bass with Rosie Burgess,  electric piano and organ in UDL (Ubiquitous Dub Legitimizers), play guitar in this band I teach at Kensington community High School, and will be playing Tin Flute in a experimental Jamaican folk band Lotek‘s working on.

Pataphysics – A short introduction

In the music and performances I have seen so far, you seem to have an underlying theme or message… how would you explain that message to someone who hasn’t heard your music?

The biggest theme that I feel runs through my music is one of positivity.  The message I guess is the one I tell myself, awake, understand, and ask questions. We aren’t powerless, there’s always a solution to a problem.  Today there are a heap of forces around that prevent truth and real dialogue.   Things are not always as they are portrayed to be, I am by no means a conspiracy theorist, but I do like to present an alternate view of things that we are fed .

What’s your take on the music scene in Australasia at the moment? Is anyone taking your interest?

There’s lots of music being made of all variety.  I am a huge fan of Rosie Burgess and Jemi White.  Also really enjoy Monkey Marc premier producer as well as another local lad by the name of Paranym.

And what about the international scene?

Morgan Heritage is the Bomb. Also Dead Prez.

Who were the artists you were bumping when you were developing your sound?

When I was little PE, NWA, Cypress Hill and Bob Marley are bands that influenced me greatly.  Later on in years, Miles Davis and The Brown Hornet showed me the freedom you had with music. Hendrix had a huge effect on the way I play trumpet.

Thanks for taking the time man… look forward to hearing more.

You can check out more of Pataphysics at:

www.myspace.com/brotherpataphysics

www.pataphysics.com.au

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, hip hop, Interviews

Omar Musa – Australian Slam Poet

I stumbled across this article the other day and thought it’s worth noting that the Australian scene is opening up more to the art and culture of hip hop. Omar Musa took out the title and $5,000 as the prize money for the Australian Slam Poetry championships.

Good to see poets coming up locally…

you can check out more if Omar Musa at:

His myspace

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, hip hop, Poetry

Pataphysics joins Very Good

Melbourne based artist Pataphysics has recently joined The Very Good Agency. Check out the artists page for an introduction to his jazzy, hip hop, funk, reggae crossover style for those who are not already familiar. You can check back anytime to hear about Pataphysics upcoming tours, collaborations and album dropping in ’09…

cool

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, hip hop

How The West was won

Hey everybody, just a quick note to let everyone in Melbourne know that there are two great gig’s on this weekend. This Saturday 29th November at Bar Open is a benefit music extravaganza for the Kokatha Mula Nation in the far West of South Australia, who are fighting the onslaught of the mining and exploration boom in the largest stretch of malle woodland in the world. Playing will be:

NFA (No Fixed Abode) of 1200 techniques
Pataphysics
Elf Tranzporter
Lady Lash & DJ Mz Rizk
Plus special guests

Musicians and media exhibits will raise awareness of the contentious nature of development in this ecologically unique region in the far West of South Australia and the impacts upon regional communities and will suitably be a donation on entry.. Bar Open is 317 Brunswick St.

Friday the 28th November will see the awesome Sydney funk, hip hop, rock group King Farooq playing at the Night Cat just off Brunswick st, if you haven’t seen these guys before you should, and what better way to see them then at a free concert in one of Melbourne’s funkiest night spots with a centre stage, and couches all around. I’ll see you all there huh.

King Farook – Zabbadouai

Peace

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, Funk, gigs, hip hop

Andy Bull – Small Town Girl National Tour

Nice…

That’s what I thought when I checked out the Soundlounge website to see if there was anything worth seeing while i’m working on Australia’s Gold Coast for two weeks. If you’ve spent any time on the Gold Coast of Australia before, you may be well aware that the place is starved of any identifiable culture (with the exception of surf culture), alternative entertainment, and unfortunately decent venues or clubs to enjoy a night out seeing a live artist or band in a comfortable environment. (it is worth noting that you have The Cooly Hotel in Coolangatta, an hour drive to Byron Bay NSW to The Great Northern Hotel, or an hour the other way to a few places in Brisbane).

Nice, because there was an Australian artist that I hadn’t yet heard, who I was immediately feeling, and yet unable to pigeon whole into a style, or compare to an artist gone by.

It turns out the fact that I hadn’t heard of Andy Bull is more indicative of my level of interest in mainstream media then his success as of late. Andy has been receiving plenty of attention from radio and television recently, mostly for his catchy, tidy, and even poppy (for once in a good way) little track that his current tour is named after “Small Town Girl”, and he is even signed to Universal, which just trips me out given their usual artist roster. Check it out:

Andy Bull – Small Town Girl

Andy began his musical life as a young child, playing on the parlour piano and pump organ his keyboard enthusiast father had collected through his travels in the 1970s. At just 24 today the singer, songwriter and piano player has gone from playing club shows to his hometown crowd in Sydney, to signing to ‘Island Records’ Australia, recording at New York’s legendary ‘Electric Lady Studios’ and Sydney’s ‘301 Studios’, as well as touring the country with Little Red and The Holidays. With such a variety of genres involved in the pieces I have heard thus far including folk, soul, jazz, pop, rock, blues, and even touches of hip hop, it’s going to be interesting to see the direction his career takes over the next few years as he further developes his already funky, definitive sound

If your in NSW, unfortunately this time you have already missed that leg of his tour, however for those of you who are not, the following dates are set to play over the next 2 weeks, which I will be fortunate enough to enjoy on the sunny Gold Coast Thursday at ‘Soundlounge’ (thanks guys), before returning to culture rich, beachless and rainforestless Melbourne (there’s always a trade off).

Thu Oct 23rd          Soundlounge, Gold Coast

Fri Oct 24th            Solbar, Sunshine Coast

Sat Oct 25th           The Troubador, Brisbane

Wed Oct 29th         Toff in town, Melbourne

Thu Oct 30th          Karova Lounge, Ballarat

Fri Oct 31st            Jive Bar, Adelaide

You can check out more of Andy Bull at:

www.andybull.com.au

www.myspace.com/andybull

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, Blues, gigs, Jazz, Soul