Epic 45 ¡it’s all part of life’s rich tapestry!

Epic 45 - Against The Pull Of Autumn (2004) ¡It’s all part of life’s rich tapestry!

Interview to Ben Holton from epic45 by Diego Centurión

Benjamin Holton is a founding member of this band of soundscapes music, that on the date of July 27, 2004, they publish this work, beautiful. The 13th Magazine contacted Ben and he tells us about this crystalline album.

Hi Ben, thanks for giving me the opportunity to ask about this album, the tenth anniversary of its launch is commemorated.

Can you say "Against The Pull Of Autumn" is the second or third album Epic45?

In some respects it could be seen as the second album, as Reckless Engineers was the first ‘official’ album release. However, if you count Secrets, Signs and Threats as the first (which it was), then it would make ATPOA the third album. As you may know though, it ended being released after our fourth album Slides. All very unnecessarily confusing and muddled up!

It was recorded in several of their homes. How was work this way?

With a few exceptions, most of the tracks started life on my four track tape recorder, which I had set up in my bedroom. Then we’d transfer them onto the computer at either Oli or Rob’s house and build up layers from that point on. From my point of view, this was a great way to work because it got me out of the house and into another environment which can be a positive influence on the recording process.

How and how long it took them to the process of writing the songs?

The whole album came together over about two years I think, but some tracks overlap from the Reckless Engineers days so it’s hard to pinpoint. As I said, most songs began at my house as fairly stripped down affairs, with me playing everything, then it became a more collaborative project when they were taken to either Oli or Rob’s house.

In preferences discography of the band. Where is "Against The Pull Of Autumn"?

What position is "Against The Pull Of Autumn"?

This is a tough question as it’s almost like putting your children in order of preference (almost). I remember that we (Rob and I) pretty much got sick of it and lost a little faith in it around the time but this was possibly due to the protracted time in which it took to be released. Also, over-listening to something during the recording process can dull one’s emotions towards a project. However, over the years, my fondness for it has grown and even though parts of it still make me cringe (I won’t say which parts!) I think it’s a strong record and displays an individuality that marks it apart from other contemporaneous works.

Even if I do say so myself!

Now as I usually do with the interviewees, we will appeal to their memories, each track album we ask in return a memory or a feeling. Do you agree?

I'm Getting Too Young For This.

The last addition to the album and a song that’s still close to our hearts and still play live.

Very fond memories of excitedly recording the final drum part in Rob’s bedroom and getting our friend, Matt Kelly, to add some lovely extra guitar. Bit of a sad song though, but its all part of life’s rich tapestry!

Programmes For Schools.

Makes me think of my bedroom at my mum’s house in Wheaton Aston. Chilly, Autumn afternoons glancing occasionally through the window at the distant fields, trying to get that sound onto tape. At the time, I think I was trying to capture something that connected with my memories of watching the educational programmes that we’d watch at school or when at home with illness during the school week. It was going to be the title track of an EP but that never came to fruition.

You Said Nothing.

Another sad one, recorded by me on my four track at mom’s house. Don’t think we added anything else to this as it worked as it was. A fairly late addition to the album, I remember us driving up to the airfield one evening and listening to it. Thumbs up all round, I recall…

Barn Diversions.

This and Where The Holidays Went were tracks recorded at mine on the four track then completed at Rob’s – just as Reckless Engineers had been recorded. I remember Rob was in a tiny room at his mum’s at the time and that’s where we recorded his lovely, deep bass line and additional samples/noise.

Where The Holidays Went.

The first thing that springs to mind here is that I had lost my drum sticks so had to play them using dried spaghetti! Again, I’m fond of this one too; I wish we’d played it live more than we did.

Sculpted By Winter.

This one was recorded entirely at Oli’s house. Always felt there were more possibilities with this one, which I guess is why we re-recorded it for Slides.

The Water Tower.

The water tower was a mysterious old structure by the canal, a couple of miles from Wheaton Aston. It’s a place we’d go and hang out occasionally, climbing up the rickety, rusty ladder to the top and just sitting there for a while. I’m sure the process of scaling it was quite dangerous but we were rebels. So, this is an ode to that place that came about quite quickly as I remember. Includes a sample by quite a big band so I won’t say who it is!

These Dead Years.

Again, a product of a lonesome Autumn afternoon in Wheaton Aston. Beats fired out from a crappy old computer straight onto tape. Lovely bit of clarinet from our friend Antony Harding of July Skies too. I have a foggy memory of Ant sitting on the lip of the loft hatch at my mom’s house and virtually blowing his clarinet directly into my dad’s ear as he left his room!

Much mirth and merriment was had by all.

Against The Pull Of Autumn.

A song of two halves (Late Summer, early Autumn). My initial memory of the piano section of the song is that I’d been playing around with the structure of it on my mum’s old piano one evening when my brother, who’d been half sleeping on the sofa, suddenly sat up and said, ‘that was lovely Ben, you should record that!’. So I did. The second section was started by Rob and Oli at Oli’s house and I added the guitar layers one very late night. Up on Oli’s roof, where we’d often take ‘tea breaks’ you could hear the distant rumble of the motorway traffic, so we decided to incorporate that into the track.

Where To Now, Captain?.

Ben: This was recorded at the Wheaton Aston Sports and Social Club and played around with at Oli’s house at a later date. Always fun to play live.

Secret Maps Of England.

Another of the ‘Autumn afternoon’ sessions. Instantly, I recall recording my next door neighbour Rebecca Stubb’s cello in my bedroom, all of us slightly awkward, quite shy. Ah, the innocence...

River Traffic.

The track that took us the longest to complete! We recorded the track in a studio in Manchester, during the night time hours, but ended up scrapping all the guitars and just keeping the drums (an original mix can be found on a very limited tape release, along with the unreleased track Backwards Yawn). Several re-recordings of guitars and synths later led to what you hear now. Another live favourite!

Participates in the album Anthony Harding of July Skies, how is the relationship Epic45 and July Skies?

We’d been friends since about ’99 after Ant had come to see us live and bought our first record. We just felt an instant connection in regards what we were trying to achieve with our music, along with lots of other things we have in common. From “Against The Pull Of Autumn “onwards we’ve tried to include each other on one another’s records.

How's the band today? Will there be a new job?

Epic45 was always about our lives at our parent’s houses, the landscape around our village and the relationships that connected us to that particular place. Life and circumstances have changed in so many ways in recent years; moving away, having children, different musical projects etc so it did seem that maybe all that needed to have been said had been said.

However, I still feel there is some unfinished business which may lead to the next chapter...

Do you listen to the whole album or just some songs?

Haven’t listened to it in a while, though the last time I did was on my headphones during a night shift a couple of years ago. I remember thinking it odd that it had been created by a group of kids in their early twenties and that it was quite a unique sounding collection of songs, quite detached from what was popular at the time (whatever that was...). http://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/the13th_numero_11