‘[their] most eclectic crop of songs to date and stands out as a great guitar-rock album in a year that’s seen its fair share of them already.’ – Tinymixtapes
If you liked that, you might like these...
Bossk were one of the UK's leading lights in post-metal and the heavy scene at large. After releasing two excellent EPs and extensive touring they unfortunately broke up in 2008. However, the band announced their return to action last year and are ready to pick up where they left off, and maybe more. Phil Johnston recently caught up with bassist Tom Begley, to find out what Bossk have planned this time around.
(((o))): Hi Tom, first of all it's great to have Bossk back, can you tell us what led to reforming late last year
Tom: It was something I had been keen on for sometime, it would only really work with the original 5 members, so took a little while until we were all on the same page. It all really came about from doing the BBC Maida Vale session. Was just such a huge opportunity for us to do, and for us all a bit of a dream come true.
(((o))): Going back to the earlier days, what kind of influences did you and the band have? As back then, there weren't as many groups playing similar music in the UK scene.
Tom: It was such a different setup for bands back then, even though it's all still fairly recent, the music industry and platforms bands have now is much different. We were all friends with a lot of people that were in metal or hardcore bands that tour a lot harder than progressive or stoner bands. We took a lot of influence from this touring method, and spent a lot more time touring than some of the other bands in our 'scene'. We take influence from a lot of bands and movies too, our drummer and singer are big fans of film scores and soundtracks, but both our guitarists have very different tastes.
(((o))): Bossk amassed an impressive amount of shows, culminating with the 200th gig headlining in London. Are there any specific highlights or memories?
Tom: We did! We actually played more shows after that 200th one, the last 2 we did after announcing we were calling it a day in October 2008. For me my favourites had to be Brussels with Cult Of Luna in 2007, and playing with Envy in London that year too. So many more awesome shows to mention! The fact that we toured Spain and Portugal was an incredible experience too. But if I had to pick the best show we've ever done it would have to be Damnation Festival that we did last year. That was the best feeling to walk out on stage to a packed room and huge cheers as we started.
(((o))): You've been busy personally over the last few years touring with bands like Converge, While She Sleeps etc as tour manager. Did any of this drive your determination to reform Bossk and get back on stage rather than behind the scenes?
Tom: It did yeah, I met a lot of people on the road that were fans of the band, in places I never expected to find. I was so surprised to meet Bossk fans in countries we had never been to. And even though we did much smaller shows to what I have been involved with. Just being involved in live music really made me miss it even more.
(((o))): Bossk have already released a new track, 'Pick Up Artist' (available as a free download). Is this a good representation of what to expect from Bossk in 2013?
Tom: Yes and no, that song is a song we wanted to write before the band broke up, in terms of its structure and sound. The material we are working on for the album so far is different to 'Pick Up Artist'. But with the music industry being what it is these days, bands are able to self release music much easily. This could be the future of how we make out music available. But this is uncertain still at this point.
(((o))): How has work on the new material been going? Is there a different approach or new ground being covered?
Tom: We have always tried to cover as much new ground with our music as we can. And this album will be no different. We want there to be no limits, there will be stuff we have never tried to do before. And stuff that we have learned to do better. New music is our main focus for the rest of 2013.
(((o))): You're currently gearing up to play with Dragged Into Sunlight on a string of dates through the UK. How much are you looking forward to this?
Tom: Very much. It's our first run of consecutive dates since reforming. And our first time playing Glasgow since the split. It's with old friends Dragged Into Sunlight too, their first show was our last Leeds one, and it's great that they are now leading the UK scene for their kind of music. We have some good times ahead on that. We have plans to play the first track off the album live on these shows.
(((o))): Can we expect to catch Bossk on tour again this year, or are there any Festival appearances planned?
Tom: We are doing the ArcTanGent Festival and Hevy Festival later in the summer, and we have a show booked in Birmingham in August with Dragged Into Sunlight. But other than that we don't actually plan on playing anymore UK shows at all. Our focus will be on writing the rest of the album, and playing shows in Europe.
(((o))): What else is in store for Bossk in 2013, will there be more new music released?
Tom: We have plans to tour Russia in September, which is very exciting! Along with hopefully Germany, Holland and Belgium dates too. There are all kinds of things planned, we want to do a physical release of 'Pick Up Artist', probably as a 7". But I can't give you more details just yet.
Thanks to Tom for taking time out to speak to us. Most previous Bossk releases can be found via usual digital and physical outlets.
ArcTanGent Festival | Website
Location | Compton Martin (near Bristol), Somerset
Notable artist(s) | 65daysofstatic, And So I Watch You from Afar, Fuck Buttons, Future of the Left
With 2000trees having made itself THE festival for underground British music over the last few years it was perhaps inevitable that a sister event would have to spring up at some point, if only to make sure all the great bands had somewhere to play. Co-founder of both events, Simon Maltas, spoke to us about the festival's forthcoming debut this August.
(((o))): Tell us a bit about yourselves - what's your background in festival planning and how did ArcTanGent come about?
Well we started out in 2006 or 2007 simply as festival goers. We all had full time jobs but we were sick of going to and getting ripped off at some of the bigger festivals. It sounds like a cliché, or like I'm making it up, but the six of us were just sat around in our campsite at one of those massive festivals one night & we simply decided to start our own.
A week or so later, slightly more sober, we decided we'd give it a bash and 2000trees was born! It was a very DIY process in the early days. We had to learn everything from scratch all the way from getting alcohol licenses, to event management and we even trained up as security guards! It was a massively steep learning curve, but it's been a great ride so far. Six years on, we're ready to launch the next event on the world! Now two of us (James and I) do this full time!
(((o))): On a similar note, given that you already run 2000 Trees and Gocstock, what on earth possessed you to start another festival?!
Well ArcTanGent came about because we still passionately believe that smaller festivals are way better and 2000trees is (in our mind) about the perfect size at 5,000 people. So rather than grow 2000trees and potentially lose some of the things that make it special (like its small and friendly atmosphere), we'd start another one and spread the love to Bristol! Bristol has an amazing music scene already. Loads of great 1 day, city-centre based events, but not an abundance of 3 day camping based festivals out in the surrounding countryside. Except Glasto obviously.
We also wanted to do something slightly different musically. It won't surprise you to learn that we're massive music fans at heart, especially James who books all our bands. Band wise 2000trees has a little bit of something for everyone and prides itself on finding new underground British music. ArcTanGent, on the other hand, is the first UK festival to book a line up focussed primarily on post-rock, math-rock and the weirder elements of our musical tastes. We joked originally that it was the sort of music you could watch while stroking your beard. If you don't have a beard, then ask someone else if you can stroke theirs 🙂
(((o))): None of the bands on your line-up would be particularly out of place at 2000 Trees; is your aim to create something a bit more "niche", or will this also mark a change in musical direction for 2000 Trees - are you trying to separate out the styles a bit?
Definitely the first one, we've kicked the niche vibe around between us a lot, so it's great that you've picked up on that! Because there is a dedicated fanbase out there for this type of music that we felt wasn't really being catered for, we figured ArcTanGent could definitely fill that void. You will see some of these bands at other festivals but ArcTanGent is the only one where they are all in one place. For instance a couple of these bands would work well on The Cave stage (our heavier stage) at 2000trees, but it's obviously important for both festivals to retain a separate identity. 2000trees as I said above is a little bit of something awesome for everyone. ArcTanGent is aiming to be all awesome, all the time.... just as long as you're into that type of music!
(((o))): For the debut year of a festival, the line-up is absolutely stellar! How have you managed that? Is it through contacts you've built up, favours you've pulled in or is it just that bands were really keen to play?
Well that's all down to James, who books all our bands at both festivals. He has obviously made a load of contacts after 7 years at 2000trees, but really it all boils down to the fact that he knew who he wanted to book, and he just picked up the phone. He spends a hell of a lot of his time planning on who to book, and he's already drawing up some amazing bands for next year... including some from overseas! Next year is going to be even better!
I also think once he floated the concept of the festival and the line up to all the bands/ agents it soon became clear that the bands themselves are big fans of the rest of the line up, so were all pretty up for playing. We're still getting loads of bands banging on our door asking to be added to the bill!
(((o))): A number of the bands on your line-up are getting quite a lot of buzz at the moment (Tall Ships, ASIWYFA, TTNG to name but a few) but ArcTanGent is the first festival really to pull all these bands together in the same place - in some ways it's surprising it hasn't happened already. Was that one of the reasons you decided to put this festival together?
Yeah definitely. Personally speaking, this type of music is what I spend most of my time listening to at the moment... There's so much good stuff out there! So we simply figured there must be loads of other music fans who would love to see a whole weekend of these types of bands. It's been great, thanks to James and a lot of our partners; (Musical Mathematics, DIY, Fear of Fiction to name just a few), I've discovered so many new amazing bands in the last 6 months that I probably wouldn't have found on my own. So even for me it's expanded my musical horizons... something which is an awesome perk of the job!
(((o))): I think everyone agrees that the UK festival scene is absolutely saturated at the moment. What, for you, makes a festival really stand out from the crowd? What plans do you have to make ArcTanGent different?
Well, first and foremost as you've probably gathered number one is the bands, but as cheesy as it sounds, we honestly just want to make the best weekend possible for the punters. It kills me every year, that the one festival I'd love to attend as a punter would be 2000trees - but as it's still very DIY, we're too busy to sit on the grass with a cider and watch bands at our own festival.
As I am the licensee and bar/ food traders manager I would also say a massive part of what makes a festival great is properly decent bars and food traders. I spend so much of my time sourcing the best food traders possible from all the street food markets... you won't find any old festival food at ArcTanGent or 2000trees. We have our own onsite smokery for goodness sake! My favourite bit is obviously the bars though... what can I say? All local, all reasonably priced and all amazing tasting! No giant brewery/ mediocre pints in sight. This year we'll have Cotswold Lager, Bath Ales and some extra special local cider & perry options. Perfect for sipping in the sunshine and watching your favourite bands.
(((o))): What are the best and worst parts of festival planning? Will you actually get to see any of the event itself, or will you spend the entire weekend running around problem solving?
Ha - yeah unfortunately the latter. Especially in year one! Having said that we know what we're doing now. In year 1 of 2000trees I think we had about 3 hours sleep a night. I reckon this year we'll be able to catch a few bands (even if it's just for a couple of songs).
Best part... probably stood in front of the stage, or on the main stage looking out at 5,000 smiling people having an awesome weekend.... or afterwards seeing and hearing all the stories people post on facebook.
Worst part... hmm i guess just the amount of planning that goes into one weekend! It takes up nearly 12 months our our year to properly nail it... a lot of my mates still think I sit in a hammock for most of the year! Having said that, if you were to ask me if we'd known then, what we know now, would we still have done it? Hell yeah! Beats being an accountant (no offence to accountants).
(((o))): Are there any ArcTanGent surprises you have yet to pull out of the bag?
Yeah, there's a few for sure! The main stage is literally going to blow everyone's mind! I won't say too much more for now, but we think we're the only festival in the UK to have this stage as our main stage... it looks truly epic!
(((o))): Who would be your absolute dream act to book for ArcTanGent? Who on the bill are you most looking forward to?
Jeez, such a tough question! James would say Mars Volta for sure... (Maybe one day if they reform).
I would say some of the ace math rock bands from Japan, Toe or LITE just because I love a lot of the stuff coming out of Japan.... or this relatively unknown band from France called Pneu. They're pretty obscure, but I really rate them because they just seem fairly mental. Then there's bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Battles... I can't pick just one! Arrrggh!
Who am I most looking forward to? Again so tough! They are all brilliant... but probably Bo Ningen, Maybeshewill, Blacklisters, Arcane Roots, & The St Pierre Snake Invasion. Oh and a band we saw in London the other week, who we've yet to announce. They will seriously blow your mind!!! 🙂
(((o))): Finally, if there's one reason our readers should get up & buy an ArcTanGent ticket, what would it be?
Because you won't get such an amazing line up, and altogether awesome weekend for that price (£59) anywhere else in the known universe... and if you don't we'll have to go and get a proper job, and no one wants that 🙂
See you at the bar!
Si
ArcTanGent takes place at Fernhill Farm, Compton Martin, near Bristol. Tickets are available now from £59. Bargain - see you all there! We can't wait.
Public Service Broadcasting are everything I love about music, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. They love their art form, and are willing to sweat over it to make it perfect, and that’s alright by me.
They’ve gradually built a positive reputation over the last year, with 6Music championing them, albeit indirectly. Rather than feature them on the A list - at least in the beginning - they were left to slog it out with the other nearly-rans in the rebel playlist feature. Steve Lamaqc serves up three tracks, listeners vote for their favourite, the winner gets much needed airplay. Twice, PSB won it; first with ‘ROYGBIV’, then with ‘Spitfire’. Since then, they’ve had a well-deserved season ticket to our radios.
And it is well-deserved, because PSB do something that most now don’t; they sculpt their art, shaping it into something perfect with an almost obsessive attention to detail. They take spoken audio from public information broadcasts, old films, and ancient, long-forgotten radio shows and make it beautiful. They complement the crackly recordings of 70 year old audio with crisp, precise music, leading to music that oozes love. They didn’t make this album for their audience; they made it for themselves, to pay homage to those disembodied voices of old.
PSB are Lemon Jelly for now, via the dawn of radio and television. They’re Avalanches, with emphasis on musicianship rather than cleverness. Their raison d’etre is to champion the golden age of broadcasting, the early days of the BBC when Lord Reith was still running the show, when broadcasters were respected, and presented themselves in the studio in a suit and tie. The BBC had a duty to educate, entertain and inform, and with that came responsibility.
‘Lit Up’ features the breathless description of the royal fleet by Thomas Woodrooffe, broadcasting for the BBC in 1937. Under the influence of too much navy rum, he declares the fleet to be “lit up by fairy lamps”. His beautiful, enthusiastic, drunken commentary is backed by plaintive guitar that, through the course of its 5 minutes builds to something equally beautiful. It evokes those fairy lights, shimmering in the night sky, agreeing with the excitable Woodrooffe. It is wonderful, and deserves to be heard by all.
‘Spitfire’ uses dialogue by David Niven from the film First Of The Few to put us in the sky alongside the legendary fighter plane of the same name. We fly at speed through the clouds, swooshing and diving, the characteristics of the plane described with perfect hyperbole. The music pulls back, we’re cruising above the clouds in peace. Enemy planes appear, the music swells, we’re in battle. We’re in a Spitfire, we’re safe.
Current single ‘Signal 30’ takes audio from the 1959 American public information film of the same name. Now we’re in a car, driving recklessly at tremendous speed, concerned announcers telling us what we’re doing wrong. This song rocks like an utter bastard, and is probably my high point of the record. It’s difficult to judge though, because the whole album is so lovingly crafted that you couldn’t actively dislike any of it.
Some of the tracks are more low-key than others, but that doesn’t make them any less worthy. Those tracks are designed to take you somewhere beautiful, somewhere more relaxed inside your head. They are a rest for your brain, a chance to catch up with yourself.
There’s the aforementioned ‘ROYGBIV’, which is truly wondrous. This is the track that most puts the listener in mind of Lemon Jelly or Avalanches. It takes you to the beginning of colour TV, and the hyperbole that went with it. Somehow, even without being blessed with synesthesia, the delicate layering of the track makes you hear the colour spectrum. The drums are violet, the banjo green. Orange guitars layered over yellow cowbell. The whole thing carrying you towards the sun in a riot of colour.
I feel uncomfortable writing reviews like this. Perhaps I should offer more disconnect, more balance. But to do so would betray this album. It would be unfair, unnecessary sniping for the sake of it. Inform - Educate - Entertain was painstakingly crafted by people who love what they do. It’s entirely uncynical, so to criticise it wouldn’t be fair.
I could go on about this album, but I shan’t. I’ll leave it for you to listen to, to discover the many hidden gems. My breathless hyperbole couldn’t do it justice anyway. In a year that has brought us new Frank Turner and David Bowie, and promises new Daft Punk and 65daysofstatic, Public Service Broadcasting should be rightfully proud that they will feature in many bloggers top 10s come December.
