The Medics are on the cusp of becoming Brisbane’s next ‘it’ band.

Four years of solid touring, Band of the Year honours at the 2010 Deadlys and the QMA for Best Indigenous Band last year have positioned the former Cairns-based four-piece perfectly ahead of the group’s debut album release, ‘Foundations’.

“It’s been a long time coming,” the band’s guitarist, Andrew Thomson says. “I guess we’ve all grown independently and as a band, but I guess the whole dynamic of the band hasn’t really changed. We still see this as a really long term [project] and no one is pulling out any time soon ... Everyone has a lot of respect for each other; when it comes down to the band, everyone loves each other — it’s a big family.”

Spread across 11 tracks, ‘Foundations’ provides a great snapshot of the band’s first four or five years, with the inclusion of live favourites ‘Beggars’ and ‘Joseph’. “We didn’t really think we’d be recording the older tracks onto the album until the last minute, and that’s... when we sat down and thought about it, that’s where the name of the album came from, ‘Foundations’.”

If you’ve never caught The Medics live, you’re doing yourself a disservce. Sprawling rock soundscapes is the order of the day. Just don’t use the ‘p’ word. “I don’t see us as psychedelic; that comes across more in the live show. I couldn’t really say, like we have a lot of different ideas. But I think we’ll stay the way we’re going. But I don’t know if it’s psychedelic, it’s kinda experimental.”

Although they’re an emerging act, The Medics still have plenty to tick off their bucketlist. But winning a Deadly award is no longer on the list. “It boosted our recognition at the time, and at the time it was a really important step. We really wanted it because we missed out the year before. It was one of the stepping stones that we... ‘tick it off the list’... then there are always bigger fish to fry or bigger goals to push for.”

The Medics play Black Bear Lodge Tuesday May 22 and Splendour In The Grass July 27-29. ‘Foundations’ is out now.

Sydney producer Chasm has returned with his third longplayer, ‘This Is How We Never Die’.

Featuring a cavalcade of guests, both local and international (including AG, Guilty Simpson, Vast Aire, The Tongue, Hau, Dazastah, Lazy Grey and Dialectrix), it cements his position atop the Aussie hip hop food chain.

“I’m really proud of this [album]. I feel like it’s a good representation of the hip hop I want to be making,” Chasm says. “The overall sound of it is the closest to what I want to be doing at the moment. Overall I’m really happy with it, and it has been quite a quick turnaround for this (release). I only finished it not long ago and Obese have done a pretty quick turnaround with it.”

This is Chasm’s third solo release, and his first album since he teamed with Vida Sunshyne on ‘More’ in 2010. With greater industry recognition, was the added pressure of dealing with other people’s expectations a factor for Chasm? “It was probably in the back of my mind in a way. Like I felt, for sure, that I had to step up my game a bit because you know, you always want to be progressing with your art or whatever. Whatever you’re doing, you want to keep getting better at it. I definitely felt like I wanted to put a bit more time into it.

“I didn’t really feel pressure that much, but just myself... with this one, I really wanted to do what I do. I didn’t want to think about radio play too much. I was making stuff that I was feeling and that was the main priority.”

When it comes to sourcing samples, Chasm hunts for an emotional response. “For me, picking the right samples is the key. Having the ear for the right... what can be chopped up well or simply feeling music; having that emotional response to music is really important when you pick the samples. Because people feel stuff if there is a strong emotion behind the music that you decide to use that carries over to your production when you decide to flip it. That’s the key thing I reckon.”

‘This Is How We Never Die’ is out now via Obese Records. Chasm will be touring nationally in July; stay tuned for dates.

Naturally 7 aren’t your run-of-the-mill vocal group that hark back to a cappella doo wop groups of yesteryear. Rather, the Brooklyn based act give themselves a 21st century edge via their ‘vocal play’ style of a cappella.

The group’s founding member, and musical director, Roger Thomas sits down to discuss the seven-piece’s unique take on beatboxing.

Naturally 7 is a ‘vocal play’ group... how does it differ from the traditional a cappella sound?

Naturally 7 is an a cappella group. Vocal play expresses what type of a cappella. For example barbershop and doo wop. Assuming both are done without instruments, the names give you an idea of what type of a cappella or harmony you will hear. So a cappella simply means singing without instruments while ‘vocal play’ is becoming or imitating an instrument without actually using one.

You formed the group with your brother Warren... was the idea always to start an all-vocal outfit?

No, we only knew that we would have a heavy focus on harmony.

How influential was the a cappella competition the group won in New York in 1999, when you were first starting out?

I think this was the main reason we decided to focus on a cappella and look for a style that would be original. The competition gave us confidence that we were pretty good, somewhat unique, and it gave us the belief that we had a chance to pursue it as a career.

What does each member bring to the group?

Each member comes to the table with just the right tone that keeps our harmony very warm sounding. Many groups find that they can only get warmth in the lower parts, but we get a lot of it in the middle and upper parts too. This fills the spectrum differently than most people are used to hearing when listening to harmony.

When did you know you could utilise your voice to make unique sounds?

Some members such as my brother Warren were already aware that they could make musical sounds prior to the group. Others became creative once we decided that we wanted to be more ‘band-like’. We are blessed that it turned out that we all could do different things and in some cases we all are able to do the same sounds while imitating various guitars and horns.

As musical director, are there extra responsibilities that come with the title?

Yes. My most important jobs are arranging and deciding/ directing where we will musically go next.

How much did the YouTube hit, ‘Feel It (In The Air Tonight)’, catapult you further into the mainstream?

YouTube is everywhere... nothing travels faster than YouTube when it comes to viewing a performance. This has put us into countries and continents that we have yet to tour! In other words the video precedes us, and is always a major talking point when people meet us for the first time.

You’ve been associated with Michael Buble as well... what have you learnt from him, being a part of such a massive touring production?

Buble is from the old school... the school that believes that everyone on the tour deserves respect... almost like a family. We hope that we will be the same if or when we are in a similar position. He also believes in connecting with every audience; this really appeals to us and means so much more after you've seen it done over 350 shows!

You’ve collaborated with the likes of Quincy Jones and Ludacris. Do you have any other collaborations, joint projects in the works?

That's always on our minds and we hope to do some collaborations on some upcoming projects, but no names yet. But be on the look out; it's only ‘natural’.

Performing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver... that must have been one of the career highlights?

Yes indeed. We shall never forget it! We are now looking forward to performing during the Summer Games in London.

You’re headed to Australia later this month... what can local audiences expect from Naturally 7?

More! And better! If we said that last time then the answer should be ‘More than that! Better than that! More than ever! Better than ever!’

Naturally 7 play the QPAC Concert Hall May 22.

At 69, Ruth Flowers is a sexagenarian who shows no signs of slowing down.

While most people her age are more likely to be pottering in the back shed or stocking up on marker pens for the weekend’s bingo tournament, young Ruth is globetrotting across continents most weekends as the world’s oldest DJ, Mamy Rock.

You’ve said you’re the ‘craziest and oldest’ DJ in the world... define ‘crazy’? I have always been an extrovert. I like to be a little original. I probably am the oldest, but the ‘crazy’ expression was just for fun. I am a little bit crazy, I need to be to do what I am doing, playing all over the world at my age, but I love it ... I think it helps to be a little crazy to take it on.

Did you ever think that you would one day be headlining your own world tour?

No, I did not. Although you can imagine it has been quite an adventure over the past two years. I never imagined such a ‘success’, that the club kids maybe needed something different for their ‘party time’. I really share something with the youngs (sic), and most of the time I dance. I love to dance ... I've played almost 100 gigs all over the world, most of the time at the biggest venues, sometimes the same as David Guetta — in Madrid I played at an enormous club, Fabrik, where David was playing one week after me ... I played last summer in Ibiza at the Privilege, the biggest club in Europe. So no, I never thought it would be as it is now, that I would be requested and play in Japan, Singapore, Los Angeles, New York, Puerto Rico and Europe… this is crazy :)

What set of events led you to becoming a DJ? One day, my grandson invited me to his birthday party. I arrived as the disco was playing, the doorman said: "I don't think you will want to go in there madam". I replied that I certainly would, as it was my grandson’s party. So in I went and what I saw and heard when I entered was a revelation. An energising mix of lights, heavy bass, electronics. I adored it. It was so different from the dances and parties I used to go to when I was younger. There was a real osmosis between the music and the lights, it energised me... made me feel so much younger! This night shattered my view of things, especially the way I saw my life. I had a lot of free time (and) it was an idea I put to my grandson, at the end of his party. His response was: "That would be so cool Nan". A few months later, an acquaintance put me in touch with a young French producer, Orel Simon. He came to London and I told him my idea and he took on the challenge. I wasn't sure about it working but was prepared to give it a go. Orel was convinced and he took me with him. I confess I thought it was a crazy idea, then I thought, ‘what have I to lose, just time’ and that I had, so it began. 

Post DJ set: how does Mamy Rock wind down after an energetic performance? Water or a glass of chardonnay? I never drink before a performance, but I usually enjoy a glass of champagne at the end of the night to celebrate with my team and the management team of the club. It's the moment the pressure is off and the gig is done. So yes, a little glass of champagne fits the bill.

How do you deal with groupies? You do get groupies? Yes. And may I tell you, sometimes it's really crazy. They want to kiss me, hug me, they say: "I want you as my grandma, you are so awesome". I really love people, and I think when you love people they give you love… naturally. I try also to keep my fans from all over the world informed, so I had to be interested by all those social networks ... I keep my fans informed with Twitter. Actually, it's quite funny to have this direct link wherever you are with people. Orel, my manager, bought me an iPad … can you imagine?

Mamy Rock plays The Met Friday March 30 and Sin City April 1.

Founding member of Supergroove, and certified icon of reggae music in New Zealand, Che Fu is a name that’s spoken in revered tones in his homeland.

You’re known in NZ as an icon of the hip hop, reggae scene; obviously that’s a nice compliment to have in your back pocket?

Gee, that sort of stuff is awfully humbling. When I hear words like ‘icon’ being thrown around in regards to me, I feel like I should at least have arthritis and a pension. But yes, it’s great to be recognised in such a way, and I can honestly say, that I’m totally grateful for the job I have.

Performing at the Queen's Golden Jubilee... what was that like? And does the Queen dig her NZ hip hop and reggae?

That was just nuts! We played smack-dab in the middle of Hyde Park, on a day when one million people were out on the streets to celebrate; it was absolutely epic. As for the Queen and her hip hop/ reggae sensibilities, I’m unsure. But the future King, Prince William, did mention to me on his last visit at a dinner at Government House that he liked Jay-Z.

Do you have any memories of when you stood side of stage at a Bob Marley concert in 1978 as a four year old?

A few. I remember standing on stage next to the keyboardist, looking into the crowd and seeing gang members of the Mongrel Mob and the Black Power (bitter enemies) in a state of bliss, all enjoying the music oblivious to their rivalry. Testament to the man and his music.

Your upbringing; how important was music both personally and socially growing up for you?

Like most people, my parents, musical tastes were a big influence on me. Coupled with the fact that my Dad (Tigilau Ness) had a reggae band, music was very significant in my daily life. In terms of social influence, my parents, inspired by the words and life of Robert Nesta Marley, helped form a branch of '12 Tribes of Israel' in NZ and subsequently converted to Rastafarianism in the early ‘80s.

Emerging from the rich landscape of New Zealand drum & bass, The Upbeats first came together over a mutual love of the ocean.

The first encounter between Downie Wolf and Terror Snake: did the earth shake and the ocean boil?

Terror Snake: Haha indeed, well the ocean boiled at least. We met in high school through a shared love of bodyboarding. So the first few years together revolved around missions to the beach, and slowly but steadily converting Dylan (Downie Wolf) from his rock ways into an electronic, D&B listening raver!

As performers, how do you two interact on stage?

We like to keep things open here. Unlike most duos who DJ together we like to play back to back, one tune for one tune. It means we're both constantly doing something, and it means we have to communicate a lot about where we want to take the music. It's awesome, it keeps us really engaged when we perform!

Drum n bass in 2012; where is the genre headed stylistically?

The last two years it has felt like drum & bass has been really polarised. On one side labels like Ram and Hospital Records were releasing big commercial sounding songs that seemed like they were aimed directly at UK radio play. On the other end of the spectrum, there was a thriving scene for moody, deep minimal D&B. Now that's cool, there are aspects of both of those sounds that we like. But it really did feel like there was a gaping hole in the middle ground.

Do you guys have another artist album in the works... if so, what kind of musical broth are you cooking up?

We're furiously working right now on finishing our next Upbeats album before we head back to Europe in mid April. So we have about five weeks to get it all wrapped up! We've also signed it to a label we're extremely excited to be working with, more info on that soon! And I think this album is definitely the most banging, energetic dancefloor album we will have done to date. Having said that we're already hatching plans to write another album of strictly leftfield, introspective shoegaze D&B... one day.

The Upbeats play The Outlook Festival launch party at the Jubilee Hotel Saturday March 10.

When it comes to credentials, Greg Wilson’s DJing needs little introduction. The UK veteran has been rocking the ones and twos since the mid ’70s.

It’s 1983 and you’ve been asked to start a residency at a newly opened Manchester club, The Hacienda. Was there any inkling of how the venue would shape the UK music scene over the ensuring years?

Not in the slightest. The Hacienda was really struggling at the time and would have gone bankrupt but for New Order’s success. I was working across town at Legend at the time, which was a world apart – Legend was the leading club in Manchester back then. The Hacienda had major problems, not least their sound system, which was notoriously poor – this was in total contrast to Legend, which, arguably, had the best sound system in the country. The type of people who went to The Hacienda were generally students and indie kids, many of whom were incredibly snobby when it came to dance music, regarding it as inferior to live bands, so the fact that it became one of the most famous dance music venues of all time was somewhat ironic!

You were the first person to mix live on British TV; how novel an idea was DJing to the mainstream back then? Well, everyone, of course, knew what a DJ was, but the idea of mixing was new to most people. Even Jools Holland, who interviewed me, asked me to point out what a turntable was. You’re also known for teaching a guy called Norman Cook how to scratch before he became Fatboy Slim... 

It’s something I didn’t realise until five or six years later, when he had a UK #1 with ‘Dub Be Good To Me’ by Beats International. I was reading one of the music papers at a train station in London and was taken aback to see this Norman Cook guy name me, alongside Grandmaster Flash, as an influence. I had no idea who he was, and it wasn’t until later that I realised he was previously Quentin, who I’d met in Brighton while touring with ‘The Hacienda Review’ back in ’83. He came along with us to the next gig, and it was at the soundcheck that I showed him the basics of cutting and scratching.

Greg Wilson plays Barsoma Sunday February 26.

Electronic producer Tipper has been constructing ambient trip-hop productions for the better part of 15 years. In the country for a number of music festivals, Tipper has been boarding with fellow electronic artist, Spoonbill. You’ve been staying with Jim Moynihan aka Spoonbill; we hope Jim’s being hospitable in every way!!

Absolutely. In my opinion Jim is one of the finest humans gracing the face of this planet, so it's both an honor and a pleasure to hang out with him. Plus he has a really nice face.

On your current Australian trip; have you been searching out local musical talent? Any finds? Australia appears to have a great deal of up and coming talent across a multitude of genres. I have a huge amount of respect for anyone that has a unique creative offering that is clearly of their own volition. Two already established names that come to mind are Spoonbill and Opiuo, who are both completely different and fantastic at what they do.

Aside from straight artist productions, you’ve also dabbled in documentary soundtracks etc ... are you always looking for other avenues to express yourself creativity?  Absolutely. I just recently finished the music for a new Dr. Who video game that the BBC are releasing.

The current climate of electronic music; where do you see the next big sound or element coming from? Or has the scene fractured so much that niche sub-genres is the way of the future? I have no idea. There are so many variables that effect the trends and changes in music. It does seem as though the sub-genre mentality will prevail for the time being, as it seems to correlate directly with up and coming artists' desire to be responsible for creating something ‘new’, hence the constant changing of names for music that could just as easily be lumped into a much smaller grouping of genres.

Tipper headlines Earth Frequency at Landcruiser Mountain Park, on the Sunshine Coast, February 17-20. earthfrequency.com.au

Local hip hop luminaries, Terntable Jediz, are gaining momentum less than a year after re-forming.

Founding member DJ Sheep checks in from Tokyo, where’s he’s currently on the hunt for all kinds of rare vinyl.

Thirteen years strong for the Jediz; does it feel like a lifetime ago that Krypton and you started the crew outta Capalaba?

Yeah, it feels like a lifetime ago, buying my first set of decks after meeting Krypton (f/k/a as Karma) circa 1998. Those days at Capalaba watching VHS tapes of battles and mail ordering inspiration information will never be beaten. Kids got it easy these days with the digital age.

The crew reformed last year with the new inclusion of Prop Greg, a young gun you've been mentoring; it must be a pleasure to come across a young-un not caught up in the digital age?

We kinda disbanded for a while there… it made no sense to stay together, and we had no direction. Finatik is living in Miami, I was travelling the world hustlin' records and doing shows. However, after we found Prop Greg, we had a bit more direction and decided to bring real skills back as a turntablist crew. Greg got put through the O.G. training routine developed by Damage and I, with the guidance of our lost soldier, DJ Bribe; the classic training, analogue style. He's come a long way, and we're proud to have a new dude rep locally.

You're on the bill for the upcoming Qbert Brisbane show, and personally invited by the man himself... you guys go way back right? Damage and you had an eight-hour scratch session with him in 2000, right?

Oh wow? Qbert invited me to DJ, he's done that a few times now… I didn't know. I first met Qbert in 1996 when I toured him around Australia, and subsequently went to his house to scratch a few years later. In 2000, Damage visited when I was living in San Francisco and we had a long enduring eight-hour scratch session on the Octagon with fellow tablist, DJ Spair. I wish we filmed that. What started off as a very nervous session for us, became the blueprint for years to come...

Terntable Jediz support Qbert at Mustang Bar Sunday February 26.

Eternal Recurrence

San Francisco-based Canadian, ill.Gates, has been plundering the bass-heavy landscape for the better part of 16 years.

Whether it’s his glitch-hop infused productions, bassline friendly DJ sets or headlining such seminal festivals as Burning Man, Shambala and the New Orleans Jazz Festival, ill.Gates is a brand within the bass community.
Headed to Australia next month, including headlining Earth Frequency alongside Tipper, Mr Gates took time out from his travels to have a chat about all manner of things, including the Sundance Film Festival, Eternal Recurrance and hanging with the ‘real’ Gates.

You’ve been DJing, producing since your teenage years; did you ever have any doubt that this was the career path you wanted to pursue?

I had NO idea that this would ever become my job. It was always something that just happened, like sleeping, eating or showering. At one point I was studying to be a graphic designer all the while doing music in my spare time. My design school got me this horrid internship at a wedding magazine where I would get punished for being too creative or else my boss would hit on me when I was 'good'... it was slowly crushing my soul. I had been reading a lot of Nietzsche at the time and came across this thought exercise called Eternal Recurrence that really helped me to make the decision to focus on music full time. Eternal Recurrence works like this: imagine for a moment that you are dead, but your mind is still active somehow.

Now imagine that instead of going to heaven or to hell you are instead forced to watch your life play like a movie again and again and again and again. How would you feel about your decisions then? By which standard of judgement would you hold your actions? After considering Eternal Recurrence and the various options I had in life I was able to say 'Fuck it. I don't care if I'm poor my whole life, I don't care if I can't have a car or a kid or anything, I can not live with myself unless I am exploring my creativity full time." I never looked back.

How did you end up basing yourself in San Francisco; were you drawn to the bass heavy culture of the city?

Damn straight! The music was the main thing that drew me to the city, but the people, food, art, lifestyle and weather are all exactly to my tastes as well. It really is a magical place.

Does the richness of the city’s bass scene give you a fertile sounding board for your ideas?

It's not so much of a sounding board for me. I actually try not to play in SF any more than I play elsewhere. It's easy to play yourself out in your hometown, no matter how good you are. I do plunder the city for inspiration on the daily, and there are many excellent musicians that I collab with. Collaborating makes writing music a lot more fun, and it makes the tunes come out differently each time, which is an essential part of my modus operandi.

It's a pet peeve of mine when artists rehash their most popular tune again and again until all of their material sounds the same. The individual tunes might sell well, but then when you see that artist live it sounds like one long, predictable track and it gets to be disappointing after a while. A diverse set creates a feeling of spontaneity that I find essential to getting my dance on.

You were at the Sundance Film Festival recently; what was your role: artist, fan or both?

I'm a HUGE cinephile so I would try to come here even if I weren't playing. Nonetheless I had this absolutely killer gig playing with Drake at a private event. It's so rad that Bing get these megastars to perform with the likes of me in these arty intimate spaces. I performed with Wiz Khalifa, Theophilus London, Cobra Starship and James Murphy during the week at Sundance ... definitely a good use of the marketing budget in my opinion!

You played a 2010 Microsoft party at Sundance, ‘kicking it’ with Bill Gates; what was that experience like?

Oh man, what a night! Bill is a real sweetheart, very easy to hang out with and very down-to-earth. We had a private performance from The Roots with John Legend to enjoy together too. The only bad thing about that night is knowing I'll probably never top it.

As one of the pioneers of the glitch-hop sound, can you break down the genre for us - what exactly makes it glitch-hop?

The term or genre name 'glitch hop' actually really annoys me. Much of the genre is not glitchy at all, and most of it sounds more like slow breaks than hip hop. The word 'glitch' tends to turn a lot of people off too; it sounds like the music is going to be all pretentious and IDMey. Whatever you want to call the genre it seems like it's united by bass, modern production and BPMs between 80-110. I would love the genre to improve and gain more attention despite my not liking the name.

The subgenres that litter the EDM landscape - do you have a hard time keeping track of the new sounds originating out of bedrooms around the world? 

Living with all the hipsters in San Francisco I hear pretty much everything as soon as it has a name, and often sooner. There are so many DJs and producers in the scene here that the pressure to differentiate yourself is just massive. People here are always looking for the next big thing and are usually over any genre far before it becomes popular. At some point you gotta just roll your eyes and say 'Fuck it: it's all just music. Do I like what I'm hearing or not?’”

What are you thoughts on dubstep?

I love dubstep in all of its incarnations even if some of them make me cower and cringe. Dubstep as the lowest common denominator is a HUGE step forwards from house music or trance. As much as I hate Top 40 dubstep, I'd rather listen to that than hours and hours of evenly spaced kick drums with inane rave synths or filtered disco samples over the top. I think that the best thing about dubstep is the influence on other genres, though. Once the momentum started to really get going, it forced everyone else to up their game in response. It's also opened up the public consciousness to slower-sounding party music which is just great for me.

What is the next step for EDM; we’re now in an era where people are growing up from birth with EDM as a mainstream genre; will this affect the direction of the scene?

It already has and it's about time. You can shake your head at the Skrillex fan pages all you like, but I just think it's great that real success is possible for electronic musicians now. So much of the EDM in the ‘90s is just languishing in people's abandoned vinyl collections at this point and it's a bit sad. So many brilliant dubplates lost... So many epiphanies forgotten... I can't wait until people en masse consider producing to be as legitimately a part of music as playing guitar or singing.

ILL.GATES  PERFORMS AT EARTH FREQUENCY, WHICH TAKES PLACE AT LANDCRUISER PARK, SUNSHINE COAST, FEBRUARY 17-20. earthfrequency.com.au