Doesn’t Play Well With Others

There are two kinds of people in this world - those who enjoy group work and those who don’t. Either you like passing the buck to other people, or you just want to ditch the deadweight and go it alone. Pop genius Yeo knows which camp he falls into.
“You feel very exposed doing everything yourself,” the Melbourne-based talent says of sophomore album ‘Bag-O-Items’, on which he plays every instrument, “but you know what? I'll take responsibility for it. I've always been a person who's happy to do that. I don't like handballing anything to anyone. Not only because I like taking responsibility for things, but I think the achievement's bigger if you've done it all yourself.”

He would know - he independently released his 14 track debut album, ‘Trouble Being Yourself’, in 2007 and earned 100 percent of the praise that came with it.
The LP confirmed what those who had heard his earlier releases - all produced while studying for a Masters in Audiology at the Queensland Conservatorium - already knew. Here was a singular talent nobody could really pigeonhole; a nerdier version of N.E.R.D., able to flit between genres on a dime and excel at all of them.
‘Bag-O-Items’ sees his range expand even further. Pharrell Williams is no longer his favourite producer (he’s more likely to namecheck Flying Lotus or Hudson Mohawke, even if their influence isn’t immediately obvious).
Best of all, he’s now on Other Tongues, giving him enough label support to ensure people might actually hear this one without forcing him to compromise his vision or work with outsiders.

In the beginning, Yeo’s decision to go the route of the bedroom producer was largely a practical one.
“I couldn't afford to hire a studio. I didn't own any expensive amplifiers or guitars that sounded awesome. I never had any of that stuff, and I don't think I ever will. The most expensive thing I've ever bought is my Mac computer, and it's still not the best Mac ever. Most of my friends have laptops more powerful than what I'm running on.”

It’s easy to imagine Yeo living off the grid, growing his own food and building his own solar panels. He can imagine it, too.
“It's always been a dream of mine to move to the country. As a musician, you're surrounded by noise. There's a lot going on. If you live in the city there's heaps of traffic and you're battling it everyday to get to work; when you're at work you've got to deal with customers... when you're out bush, you can forget about all that. You’re so far away you can't do anything to help anyone other than yourself. It's your time to be selfish."

‘Bag-O-Items’ is out NOW. Yeo plays The Zoo on Thursday March 31.

REVIEW
‘Bag-O-Items’
Yeo
(Other Tongues)

Yeo Choong's 2007 album 'Trouble Being Yourself' propelled the Brisbane-based artist straight into the upper reaches of the blogosphere. But four years is a long time in modern music, and while 'Bag-O-Items' confirms Yeo's prodigious chop for penning a catchy tune, those same songwriting talents highlight the fact that it's time he up-scaled his production. There are some majestic moments on this little disc, 'The Weight I Pulled' proving particularly good, turning in unexpected directions to achieve its satisfying catharsis. But even this cut suffers through its framing, synthesised strings being no match for the real thing. Make no mistake: 'Bag-O-Items' is a great little listen, but it's time Yeo gave his heady tunes the opportunities they deserve to truly shine.

Matt Shea