Interview with Bottlesmoker: Free Music, Furry Animals, & Fiddling With Toy Instruments

Photo by Decky Arrizal

Bottlesmoker is an Indonesian electronic pop reminiscent of Holy Fuck, if they were replaced with furry woodland animals (I mentioned this to the band). Their two albums (both available for free download) - Slow Mo Smile and Before Circus Over - exude a cheerful charm and electrical folksiness you'd expect if James Yuill and The Boy Least Likely To combined forces and decided not to sing. Their music is almost begging to be called electronic twee, with their use of toy instruments and customised music-makers facilitating in the creation of their wonderfully unique, brilliantly crafted sound.

The duo have agreed to be interviewed for the blog, and I feel excited to have them here. I'm a massive fan, and you can be a fan too on Facebook HERE. Follow Bottlesmoker on Twitter, along with their two members, Angkuy and Nobie.

J: First of all, why the name Bottlesmoker?

B:Most of the people think the name Bottlesmoker has to do with drugs or anything to do with alcohol. Frankly speaking, Bottlesmoker has no philosophy like that and it has nothing to do with drugs nor alcohol.

When we were cleaning files on our laptop, we had to rename every file differently in each document. While doing that, we often hung out in the room, composing tunes and songs or playing games while smoking. We treated bottled soft drinks as ashtrays. Without any hesitation, we named all the file folders as Bottlesmoker. And smokers we are both.

J: What's the inspiration for using all these toy instruments in your music? And what or who is your inspiration for making music overall?

B: At the beginning we wanted to prove to and for the electro music scene in Indonesia, that making electro music does not need expensive brands or high-tech gadgets. With a bias for toy instruments, nothing was in our way. Inspiration flowed using these toy instruments, and that's how it grew. While we're composing songs, we feel more comfortable with the smell of toys and kids' stuff such as cartoons, robots, toy cars, games and such. So we felt more and more confident composing songs from these toy instruments. We also get musically inspired by people we listen to, like Lullatone, I Am Robot And Proud, Shugo Tokumaro and Tidy Kids.

J: You've already released two great albums, Slow Mo Smile and Before Circus Over. Is there plans for a third album?

B: We will be releasing our third album in 2011, although we haven't decided on a specific date yet. One thing that's for sure though is that we will be releasing an EP in January 2011 as the opening for our third album.

J: To me, your music sounds like the music of the band Holy Fuck as performed by forest animals. What would you describe your sound as?

B:Yeah! Holy Fuck is one of our most favorite bands! We always get ideas from their rooting equipment, they're geniuses.

Okay, we would describe our sound as peaceful, joyful, of prosperity, and sometimes of depression. Everything involves passion and the personal. So it might sound too complicated in hedonistic parties, but it blends well with the kind of atmosphere you'd have in beaches, zoos, parks, rooftops, etc.

Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen (Live)

J: Coming back to forest animals, why do the both of you wear furry animal snow caps at shows?

B: It’s funny! When we got the idea to wear furry animal snow caps, it was because we truly love animals! We love the sound of animals. And we want to create a show that suits us and by wearing them it helps us to be more confident in our musical characters.

J: Who does the art for your album covers, t-shirts, etc? They look brilliant.

B: The best part in the Bottlesmoker experience, are the collaborations! We are glad to collaborate with anyone who is open and free. They are our friends. Every album was designed by different people, including t-shirts too. They are so brilliant! And we will keep doing these collaborations, always!

J: Do the both of you share the same musical interests? Or is Bottlesmoker a result of two divergent tastes combining together?

B:Well, Angkuy's interests lies in punk and metal music. Way back when he used to be in a black metal band and then that turned to a street punk band. In high school Angkuy got introduced to Britpop by his brother. To this day Angkuy still likes Britpop music. As for Nobie, his preference lies with grunge. He'#s a loyal grunge fan. He owns everything that involves grunge. Books, anything. To be honest, how those musical influences create tunes and beats that we have in Bottlesmoker now, only God knows how and why. Hahahaha!

J: Now you seem very proud to be Indonesians. How do you think this shows in your music or your shows?

B: Of course it shows in that it makes us believe in ourselves more. It helps with our self-confidence. The public in our country are starting to notice and observe us, slowly accepting our talents and then supporting us. Knowing this, it affects our music, giving us more confidence to explore.

Photo by Yulius Iskandar

J: Who sings on your cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence? How big an influence has Depeche Mode has on your music?

B: He’s Batman a.k.a Henry Foundation, and he is in Goodnight Electric. Man, Depeche Mode is our roots! Their music is always floating in our mind

J: Any future upcoming collaborations in the pipeline? Possibly with another Southeast Asian musician?

B:Yeah of course! With Space Gambus Experiment from Malaysia, they’re awesome!

J: How did you two first meet? And how long after was Bottlesmoker or its first incarnation formed?

B: In 2003 we were in the same class at campus, and we were studying broadcasting. Since then we've been good friends. Wherever, whenever, it's always the both of us, doing work, doing crazy things together. At the end of 2005, we decided to write songs together and we have been doing almost everything with Bottlesmoker. We are in love. LOL

J: Do any of you play the more conventional instruments (guitars, drums, etc)?

B: Nope

J: Is there a certain philosophy you both live by? If Bottlesmoker had a slogan, what would it be?
B: We just wanna share, share, share and share the music!.. Yeah, we have a slogan, it’s “free + music + share = love”

J: What's the best thing about being in Bottlesmoker?

B: The best thing is when others feel positive listening to our music. People enjoy our music and by going on road tours we meet new friends which creates a healthy family relationship and atmosphere. We love to share!

J: Are there any bands that you'd recommend to people who like the Bottlesmoker sound?

B:Sure! Now we are listening to Everyday Sight, we feel he is a musician which has succeeded in creating great sounds and an atmosphere almost similar to ours.

J: What do you hope to achieve with Bottlesmoker in 5 years time?

B: To tour in Europe and America and stay in Iceland. And getting signed by our favorite labels, Morr music and Fatcat Records.

Bottlesmoker - Slow Mo Smile (Taken from their first album Slow Mo Smile)

Signing out

Over and out

Fran & Josh - Better Off Alone (Alice Deejay Cover) / Days Like These

I've known Fran & Josh for quite a while now, but I've not really featured them here for a while now. So I thought I'd give you a taste.

This cover has been part of their live set for quite a while, and they do seem to enjoy covering it. When I saw them at The Well in Leeds, this song actually started a circle pit, which is quite an impressive achievement for an acoustic duo known for their mix of flamenco, ska, folk, funk, dance, and everything else in between and out of it.

They've been rightly described as "a glorious cacophony of melodic bliss," a description which transcends any attempt to classify them into a specific genre. This is quite handy, because you can't really put your finger on what type of music they actually play. All I know is, their live performances are always a joy to behold, and their skills on the acoustic guitar are never less than formidable.

This is one of their original songs (unquestionably my favourite), that's been in their arsenal for quite a while now, but seemingly continuously updated to reflect their ever-rising talent, and their musical interests. But what always stays in every new version of 'Days Like These' is that sense of overwhelming joy, of appreciating moments you can easily take for granted.

Signing out

Over and out

Review: Tall Ships - There Is Nothing But Chemistry Here

Tall Ships has so far been the eternal tour support band, playing before the likes of Tubelord, Minus The Bear, Maps & Atlases, and soon 65daysofstatic, while repeatedly selling out their self-titled debut EP (now in its third pressing, and available on sale at Big Scary Monsters). But I say unto you, this new release will make them into worthy headliners fit to conquer worlds.

This second EP has been widely-anticipated by many, and rightly so. Every song here is absolutely breath-taking.

Opener Plate Tectonics uses geological analogies to express itself, which is a repeating theme in the whole EP, in that Science or scientific terms are used as analogical tools for emotions. This song talks of treacherous terrains and lonely landscapes, and is where Tall Ships definitely can apply the label 'math pop' most appropriately.

Chemistry (available for download/streaming HERE) starts off with a slightly slowed-down maths-y guitar fare, and morphs into a debut-EP-era Tall Ships beauty of a song.

The third track is definitely my personal favourite. Ode (or Ode To Ancestors) is a love song for biologists (not that I'm one). Hey, someone's got to fill that niche. With its lyrics about natural selection and ancestral traits to explain someone's perfection, it's no typical romantic fare.

The penultimate track, Snow, is a heart-wrenching eulogy accompanied by beautiful melodies and mournful vocals that builds up to a truly satisfying climax. Then the whole experience suddenly slows down as we come into Bearandblitz, an under-2-minutes outro that sounds like your heart regretting this record coming to its end.

But don't worry, you can always press play again from the start.

The EP will be out on 25th October 2010 and is available for pre-order at Big Scary Monsters and Blood And Biscuits.

If I had to give this EP a rating, I would give it 9 Jack Sparrows out of 10.

Free Downloads 4.0

My favourite way to apologise for not having posted for so long is by bribing you with free downloads. So here you go, you cheap, cheap bastards.

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The Attika State - Genesis and Catastrophe / Leave Your Dignity At The Door

This particular download is a massive one, because it features 15 tracks from the same artist. The Attika State have recently released their new album, 'Measures', for which I'm still waiting to turn up in my mailbox. In the meantime, I've downloaded 'Genesis and Catastrophe' and 'Leave Your Dignity At The Door' for a grand total of 0.00 pounds. They're both wonderful pop punk records with their own share of rockin' choruses, catchy hooks and riffs, and a voice that's not actually annoying (a feature I find to be pretty common in pop punk bands).

http://theattikastate.bandcamp.com

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Vessels - Ornafives

The drummer from Lost From Atlas once said to us that Vessels is the best band in the world. Though I respectfully disagree (it's actually Tubelord) there's a lot to be admired with Vessel's brand of post-rock. Here we have a song that's been part of their live set for a while now which has recently just been recorded. Subscribe to their mailing list on their website to get the track for free.

http://vesselsband.com

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Mimas - Applications / Le Moustache

I'm going to Brainwash V Festival next week in Leeds, and one of the bands I'm most looking forward to is another outfit from Big Scary Monsters. Mimas, who will be releasing Lifejackets through BSM on October 25th, have made 2 songs from the upcoming album downloadable for free. You can get the links for both at Alter The Press!

http://www.alterthepress.com/2010/10/free-mimas-songs.html

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Chickenhawk - Scorpieau

Chickenhawk is a vicious beast. Scorpieau is a vicious beast of a song. Download it.

http://chickenhawk.bandcamp.com/

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Codes In The Clouds - Fractures / Don't Go Awash In The Digital Landscape

Codes In The Clouds are releasing a remix album of their brilliant album, Paper Canyon, as the aptly-titled Paper Canyon Recycled. You can download two full tracks (the others are excerpts) from the original release on their bandcamp, and also two tracks from the remix album.

http://codesintheclouds.bandcamp.com/album/paper-canyon

http://codesintheclouds.bandcamp.com/album/paper-canyon-recycled

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As a bonus, here's a video of cats in a band, and a cat being chased by a dog... in a car chase scene!

Signing out

Over and out

Free Track: Kytes - Oh, Don Piano!

I've never really been so excited about a band with only three tracks heard than I am with Kytes. I think it's no secret, that if math (rock, core, etc) is a kind of food, I'd be the morbidly-obese kid living on his couch with stacks of pizza boxes from Tubelord's, mountainous piles of cans of carbonated Foals, and packs of Rolo Tomassi potato crisps surrounding him.

And Kytes will definitely not help me to reduce said over-consumption of said musical genre, especially since they just gave away their new track, Oh, Don Piano! for a bargain price of zero pounds and zero pennies. And oh, what a track it is.

This track has more urgency than their previous two, almost veering into punk and hardcore territory, yet still abundant with that rythmically insane, awesomely angular guitars and typically atypical math dissonance. If I had to make a band+ band comparison, it'd be a bit like if The James Cleaver Quintet had a baby with Grown Ups and then that baby grew up and had another baby with Tubelord.

I expect great things when their next EP, "Ursa Major, The Great Bear" comes out on 30/10/10.

Download this song for free HERE or HERE.

Also download their brilliant, two-track first EP HERE.

Signing out

Over and out

Review: Hebiimetaru - Legion Of Metaru / Interview: Arif Sablee of Hebiimetaru

Hebiimetaru is a Brunei-based band who describe themselves as Melodic Thrash/Groove Metal, with five members in its line-up. For a full introduction, check out my previous article on them HERE, where you can listen to the brilliant track 'The Wheel Of Life' from this album.

Hebiimetaru might take their name from a Japanese transliteration of Heavy Metal, but their musical influences come from somewhere else altogether (I've discussed their influences in the previous article). Inspired from this wealth of metal's many genres and subgenres, they've managed to mesh those influences into a technically impressive, tightly-crafted collection of songs to please lovers of heavy and extreme music.

The whole experience starts with In The Darkest Abyss, a piano-led track reminiscent of the theme of The Exorcist. Then the record takes it up a few notches with lightning-fast drumming, heavy riffs, deafening solos, guttural screaming and dark lyrics. This is where Hebiimetaru excels particularly well.

Tracks like My Legion, and The Wheel Of Time showcase the band's technical ability and a flair for crafting a sound reminding you of all the metal bands you love but still come out with a musical experience distinct from all those bands. The band name, Hebiimetaru, is definitely quite apt, because this record will appeal to most heavy metal fans regardless of sub-genre preferences. This is an assured, confident debut from the headbangers.

Hebiimetaru is definitely one of the bands leading the charge in the Brunei metal revival after the genre having been sidelined by the sudden boom of indie and alternative bands. I've also interviewed the vocalist, Arif Sablee. Here's what he has to say.

J: (Sub-)Genre-wise, what would you say Hebiimetaru is?

A: Genre-wise, we agreed that we generally have a groove metal sound going on but we also like to emphasize that we are quite melodic too. It's quite difficult to distinguish what we really are. But I can safely say that we have a mix of Thrash, Melodic death and Power metal influence in our music.

J: If you had to describe Hebiimetaru in three words, how would you?

A: If I had to describe Hebiimetaru in three words, it would be energetic, chaotic and melodic.

J: Were there any Bruneian bands that inspired you to be in your own band? Non-Bruneian bands?

A: Back in the early 2000's there were a number of local bands I looked up to and inspired me to be in my own band. They were bands like Wan Long Kok, Senjakala, H8, 13th Project, Inchpin, Draconaeon and Saprosoul. Those were the good old days haha. With Non-Bruneian bands there were tons, but i would pin-point Sepultura and Metallica as my major source of inspiration.

J: What do you think of the local scene in terms of mainstream acceptance? Do you think there's enough support from the authorities? How about the metal scene in particular?

A: I am very impressed with the mainstream acceptance of local music. These are evident by the number of local songs being played in radios, award shows and competitions dedicated to local acts, album launches, music video premiers, facebook groups...the list just goes on. I think authorities have been a lot more supportive than in the past though I do wish they could be a little more open minded especially when it comes to metal. The metal scene however remains fairly underground with only a few metal bands being able to reach mainstream status. There aren't that many metal gigs in the Brunei-Muara district sadly.

J: What was your first gig like? How is that gig different to if you do a gig now?

A: My first gig was nerve wrecking really, I did not talk much and was a little self-conscious but eventually i thought to myself "forget what other people might think, just have fun". Positive thinking really helped my performance and the band as a whole. If we were to do a gig now, I'd say that we're much more confident in what we do and definitely a lot more experienced but keeping in mind that we're still here to enjoy ourselves.

J: How much work did you put on the album? How does it feel to have an album out there for people to listen to?

A: We put a lot of work into our album, well Hafiz and Aziiz did most of the work, they we working hard with song writing and recording/mixing and with getting things perfect. I was responsible for the lyrics and vocal recordings so I'd say they deserve most of the credit. Overall i think we spent a good 6-7 months working on the album. Once the album was out, we felt that we have accomplished something great and we felt relieved that all our hard work is starting to pay off.

J: How long do you think it will be till we can have a true music 'industry,' in which musicians can earn a living making music?

A: I'm really bad at predictions, but if I had to give it a shot, with the way the local music scene is heading, I would probably say in 5 years time.

J: How do you think the newly-established BeaT Berhad will affect the local scene?

A: I actually just found out about BeaT Berhad and I really find it interesting. With BeaT handling the copyright issues, we can safely distribute our music anywhere for those of us who worry about those kind of stuff.

J: What do you think the local music scene needs right now in order for it to flourish?

A: The local music scene needs more support and enthusiasm from everyone I would think. We need to put ourselves on the map, we need to get noticed, we need to let people know "hey! we exist, we've got awesome diverse talented artists here! come check us out"

You can grab the album for BND 10.00 now by contacting the band on their Facebook. They are currently working on their second album.