THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY With Akouo, aka Mynse
M
ynse’s new project, under the vowel-heavy moniker, Akouo, Outwit the Muscle is due to hit the streets very soon. We caught up with Mynse to find out a bit more about the making of the album…
What was the most challenging thing about creating your new album? Well this album was meant to be out early ‘08, so I guess - setting reasonable deadlines and goals was the biggest challenge. It’s tough when you’re working on a project that involves a lot of other musicians/ artists. It means you have to work around what projects the other artists are working on.
With members from such notable bands as the Red Eyes and Counterfeit Gypsies, The Woohoo Revue has been perpetuating the celebration for months now. Their particular brand of wild Balkan melodies and big band swing has entertained Melbourne’s folk-hungry audiences, and they’re just one of the bands set to help ring in The Alley Cat’s first birthday in November. How did the band come to be? Three of us played together in a gypsy band called the Counterfeit Gypsies for years. We didn’t get down to Tasmania, but we toured regularly and recorded two albums with the group. Richard [Burns, trumpet] has also had a long stint in the Red Eyes. So basically our background is playing gypsy music, jazz and dub, as well as touring and recording a lot for the last few years. After three of us left the Counterfeit Gypsies, we wanted to keep playing together because the music we were making was great. We then enlisted three great musicians we knew from around town to help us put together the band. What’s been the lowest point during the history of the band and why? We held a Sunday afternoon residency for a couple of months when we started playing together. That ended up being a drag, because the tunes we play are way too energetic for a cruisy Sunday afternoon. Now we generally stick to the Friday and Saturday night shows. What’s been the highest point for the band and why? Performing at the High Vibes Festival in Melbourne was tops - my Dad was there and there was a big crowd. Often though, the high points are when you least expect them, when you do a small show and the music just flows in an un-forced way. What is the most challenging thing about being in this band? The difficulty of the tunes. Some of the music is so tricky and hair-raisingly fast to play, you can’t help but laugh at it all, but that’s one of the main reasons we love to play this music – because it is such a challenge… and the epic egos- have you seen Some Kind of Monster? What particular original track are you most proud WWW.SAUCE.NET.AU
Describe to me the journey you hope people will go on as they listen to the album? About five years ago, I used to hang out with some pretty cool people in a smoky attic, freestylin’ and just listening to some dope music, like 2Dogs, The Herd, Qbert, and a bunch of experimental, left field stuff. I kinda wanted to remake that moment, make something that I’d have wanted to listen to back then.
What were some of the things that influenced you (as in other literature, music, art, culture) during the making of the album? Mi goreng, rental eviction, red bull & vodka, red bitter, summer, business ownership, weight gain, weight loss, and green mint tea.
What particular track are you most proud of and why? I’d say This Crown featuring Azrael was the one I put the most amount of work into, and we were both really happy with how it turned out. We started the track on a different beat a year ago, but we switched it up for the album.
What other albums could this one be compared to? Well I always go out of my way to make sure I don’t bite anything else that’s out there, so I’d struggle to compare it with anything personally. But, my influences would be producers like Ant, Copperpot, Hitek, Cut Chemest, Numark, Pete Rock, JDilla, James Brown, and so on.
What was the lowest point during the making of the album for you, and why? At one point I was considering scrapping everything and starting fresh, I thought my style had changed too much and that the new joints wouldn’t blend well with the rest. But eventually I realized that some of my favourite albums have no continuity at all, so I figured I’d keep at it, and I’m definitely glad I did.
Under what conditions would this album best be experienced? Relaxation mode, backyard parties with cheap cask wine, cheap cigars, beer, and good mates.
What was the highest point during the making of the album for you, and why? Receiving the final acapellas and doing the last
SPOTLIGHT ON… The Woohoo Revue
scratches for the album, that was a special moment. That lasted a few moments until I realized I’d be spending the next few weeks going through the gruelling task of mixing the damn thing!
Outwit the Muscle will be available from all good record stores from: 0 November 8 http://www.myspace.com/akouo
of and why? We play traditional tunes, so it would be a stretch to say we play original music. Having said that, some of the tunes have taken on a life of their own and reflect our musical identities. For instance, in one of the songs we have found a way of relating traditional gypsy music to surf music and it’s the song that gets the biggest reaction from audiences at the moment. What are some of the things (as in other literature, music, art, culture) that influence the band’s output? Musically, Balkan brass bands and, to a smaller extent, swing era big bands.
Aesthetically, we are into old world circus imageryimages that show a sense of class and style, yet reflect the animal within. What other bands can your sound be compared to? Bands that play gypsy music with a modern touch, such as Hungarian band, Besho Drom or even Doch from Brisbane. There are also a few Tasmanian bands that have influenced us. When I came to Tassie years ago I was blown away by a band called Vodka Party and, of course, Zulya’s music. What are your goals for the band? We are in the middle of recording our first album, which we will tour in December. From there we want to be on the road as much as possible. Under what conditions should The Woohoo Revue best be enjoyed? At around midnight on a boozy Saturday night in a packed venue, through a big PA. The music we play is not for the faint hearted- it’s full on, raucous gypsy dance music. Shout “Woohoo!” on: 0 November 1 @ The Alley Cat . ISSUE 80 . OCT 29 - NOV 11 2008
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