"It helped change the atmosphere in the studio, it's amazing what the donning of a pair of speedos and an eye-patch can do for a song. There are some photos that will never see the light of day." (Ed: probably just as well)
Galway/Dublin/Wicklow hybrid, Dark Room Notes emerge from the er... dark room to bring fans and followers their debut album, ‘We Love You Dark Matter’.
Having relegated the pre-programmed beats to the sidelines, in favour of a real-life, living, breathing drummer (a move which the band say has brought “irreplaceable energy” to the group), DRN bring their blend of electro rock to the Academy this Thursday to throw the proverbial champagne bottle at the album.
Connected say ‘Godspeed’ and chat with the foursome, so tight they speak as one, ahead of the launch.
You recorded the new album We Love You Dark Matter in London, why so?
We wanted to get away from home and to leave behind the distractions of every day life in Dublin. Of course in London there are many, many other distractions, but the change of scenery helped to keep us fresh while going through an exhausting recording process. We also discovered that cost was pretty much the same as in Dublin, and there was access to far more toys.
Would it be fair to say the album is a little bit heavier than previous work?
Our previous output was recorded in a more sterile atmosphere and probably lacked a lot of the impact that we felt when we played it live. All of this album was recorded as live as possible, and the energy that this captures gives it more impact, which probably comes across in certain songs as heaviness. But the album does have it subtle, quieter moments too. We like to bust out the big riffs though.
What did producer Ciarán Bradshaw bring to the table? Apart from the obvious, that is.
Ciarán planted the tree, cut down the tree, carved the table with his bare hands, set the table, cooked the food, served the food, cleared the table and washed the dishes. All with a smile on his face. The album just wouldn't have happened without him. He brought a golden glow to the table, he has an insane amount of technical knowledge, an unquenchable thirst for adventure and exploration, a brilliant spark of imagination, the keenest ear possible, but it was the golden glow that allowed us to get into the space where magic could happen. He's been working with us from the beginning and I honestly don't think we would be the same band without him and it definitely wouldn't be the same album. Who else would dress like a warrior to help the vibe of a song?
Your recording process - one track a day - sounds very methodical. How was it really?
Well a day can be a curious thing, so while it might sound very methodical it really wasn't how it felt, being in the centre of crazy London and having our very own bike gang was great. We had some crazy adventures on our breaks. Having said that we did have a plan, there was method to our madness, it was mostly Ciarán though who took care of the method, we took care of the madness.
You used vintage synths on the album, any interesting previous owners?
Yeah! They've been studio synths since the Berlin days of Bowie and Iggy Pop so I'd say they are probably the most interesting synths in the world.
Did you use analog or digital synths?
We used quite a few old analogue synths (Moogs, Pro-One, Putney) in the recording of the album, but unfortunately our own collection of synths doesn't stretch beyond digital at the moment. We hope this will change very soon.
How important is it to get into character for recording?
We found that after a few days of intense heat and intense concentration, it was a real help to seek out new, sublime and ridiculous costumes from the markets of Brick Lane. It helped change the atmosphere in the studio. It's amazing what the donning a pair of speedos and an eye-patch can do for a song. There are some photos that will never see the light of day.
You supported Kraftwerk last year in Kilmainham. What were they like in person?
Unfortunately they were a little stand-offish and kept themselves to themselves. I can however confirm that at least one of them has a mickey. And they eat sandwiches.
You heading to Depeche Mode?
You paying?
I like your hat.
Hats are always on my mind.
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