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atone
As a genre, dub music roots back to reggae influences of the 70's. Disguised as many other forms of music, dub crosses the boundaries of definition in the 90's surfacing in genres such as house, drum n bass or electronic listening music.
Existing as a style of music for decades, dub is currently facing a resurgence in Australia. In the past month there has been two new CD releases from Sydney alone, described as bass heavy excursions in time and space and deep dub excursions.
atone is an artist in Sydney whose work can be contributed to both these CD releases. One being a compilation called Jaunt produced by Clan Analogue. The other being the 'atonement' CD album out by a new and innovative label from Sydney, Zonar Recordings.
atone is Andrew Fitzgerald who originated from Manchester, and Ali Omar from Liverpool which explains atones extensive and impressive support gig listing. In various guises Andy and Ali have played alongside artists such as the Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays and 808 State in the UK. In Australia, atone has supported Gary Clail and the On U Sound System.
atone's new release through Zonar is their first full length CD and features tracks written by Andy and Ali over a couple of years. The music symbolises their experience traveling to Australia to live.
'I think the musical environment in Australia is a bit more underground than in Europe currently, there's not as much pressure to conform. In England you can fall into doing certain things stylistically. In Australia, it's like varied culturally so that you tend to get a bit stranger,' he says.
This is evident on the new atonement release.
'Some of our new songs are a bit interesting, more of a different style to what we have done in the past, a bit like trip hop, more uptempo. There's a couple of songs on the CD with a Wagonchrist kind of feel. The music is flexible, for all purposes, for people coming home after a big night they can put our sort of music on and chill.'
It doesn't take much to get Andy to admit there's a bit of a live void for styles of music like his own but he has managed to obtain a substantial number of gigs whilst being here. 'Places like the Metro, I supported On U Sound there. We did something at the Basement, which is a well known jazz club. That went down really well, as there's an excellent sound system.' Recently atone played alongside the mobile phone tapping terrorist Scanner from London, a gig organised by Zonar, the Australian Network for Art and Technology and EAR an experimental listening club. EAR has offered atone different opportunities to play weirder sets in the past.
'If your playing to an audience who are sitting down listening you take that into consideration and play with their brains a lot. If atone is playing at the Basement or at the Metro, there's a need to be a bit more up tempo. So we play sounds with a bit more of a groove so people can get up and dance a bit. The common feature of all atone's live sets is and always will be sweet and heavy bass, and wicked rhythms.'
Despite a lack of live venues, Andy speaks positively about outlets in radio.
'I think community radio is pretty tuned into us and it's growing. Like it gets a bit of air play in Sydney, it all depends on who you know really. If you know the right promoters you get the right gigs. I think it would be suitable anywhere this sort of music.'
Currently Atone is a two person act, however this name is shared by others who have worked with Andy including a member named Victor Freeman who is based in the UK.
'It's really strange, people from all over the world will come and work on atone and then they'll disappear again, it's pretty bizarre.'
Without pushing it any further I realise we're moving onto another story. Vanessa
FreakQuency issue 2 pages 4 & 5
