http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Wayneflask 2026-04-05T16:41:02Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.36.1 http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2586 2011-03-11T10:58:39Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]] meets hot “side-project” [[KOI]], but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039; [[Media:koi.pdf]]<br /> <br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, [[Errol Sammut]], compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) [[Wayne Camilleri]] still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2585 2011-03-11T10:56:07Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]] meets hot “side-project” [[KOI]], but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> [[File:KOI.pdf]]<br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, [[Errol Sammut]], compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) [[Wayne Camilleri]] still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=File:Koi.pdf&diff=2584 2011-03-11T10:53:16Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2583 2011-03-11T10:45:53Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]] meets hot “side-project” [[KOI]], but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, [[Errol Sammut]], compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) [[Wayne Camilleri]] still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2582 2011-03-11T10:44:47Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]] meets hot “side-project” [[KOI]], but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> [[File:koi_manic_february.pdf]]<br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, [[Errol Sammut]], compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) [[Wayne Camilleri]] still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2581 2011-03-11T10:42:43Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> [[File:KOI_Manic_February.pdf|200px|thumb|left|Manic February 2011]]<br /> &#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]] meets hot “side-project” [[KOI]], but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, [[Errol Sammut]], compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) [[Wayne Camilleri]] still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=File:KOI_Manic_February.pdf&diff=2580 2011-03-11T10:38:04Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Little_Daydream_Orchestra&diff=2579 2011-03-11T10:05:40Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]]&#039;&#039;&#039; visits folk band [[&#039;&#039;&#039;Stalko&#039;&#039;&#039;]] but doesn’t get to see the fairies. (Manic November 2010). ==<br /> <br /> Nerds, they don’t make them like they used to. A hundred yards or so away from me, basking in the unexpected sunshine of an otherwise hungover, heavy headed Saturday morning, the slim figure of violinist Chris Cini can be seen firing multiple phonecalls. Two, to be precise. The recipients are the other two thirds of Stalko, vocalist/pianist/jack-of-many-trades Tim Ellis and vocalist/acoustic guitarist Michael Stivala, who are nowhere to be seen leaving Chris to handle the niceties and gain some time while reinforcements arrive. (As he anticipates with the sneaky surefootedness of horse race riggers, Tim is the last one to arrive. Replying to my SMS with a tongue-in-cheek “Rockstars are always late” he scores another point in a long standing slanging match about his punctuality).<br /> <br /> They’ve been rather ungenerously branded as “Sissy Folk” by a loudmouthed punk artist some time ago, although in these first few minutes of our chat I see nothing remotely effeminate, or nerdy for that matter. Stalko are a relatively new act for Malta: new, because they only formed in the summer of 2009 and already have an array of songs that wouldn’t look untidy on an album; and because, in the flurry of pseudo-indie rock lazily proposed by roughly 80% of our bands, Stalko’s inspired orchestrations stem from a love of country folk, painstaking attention to detail and a streak of discipline longer than the equator. And, thankfully, despite their emergence seems too well timed with the international (mostly American) resurgence in “modern” folk and its visions of rolling plains and haystacks, none of them has taken up the Neanderthal habit of growing a forest of facial hair.<br /> <br /> Despite all of them enduring separate late nights out, they are in a talkative mood, especially Tim and Chris, the founders of this atypical trio. “Timmy and I had been playing together in the Du theatre troupe, we did the soundtracks to contemporary plays, a lot of incidental music. It wasn’t what you’d call a musical, we learnt a lot from that. Eventually we started introducing new instruments like the euphonium, the accordion... and yes we sort of clicked well together,” debuts Chris.<br /> <br /> “I thought he was a dick when I first saw him,” sniggers Tim.<br /> <br /> Chris grimaces, then smiles, as though holding back his retort. “We had spoken about getting into a band but we weren’t quite sure what band we wanted. I was thinking of something that would resemble Arcade Fire. Eventually last summer we started rehearsing, agreeing to do it regularly.” As yet unnamed, the two set about honing their sound, acknowledging their styles were different although that would not impede their songwriting. Eventually, they sought a third member, someone who could play guitar and sing. Tim confesses he wanted a female to do the job.<br /> <br /> Mike blushes. “That means yes, you did well,” says Tim laughing at his bandmate. “No, seriously, I was looking more at a country folk setup. He didn’t say much at the beginning, mostly because Chris and I would always be arguing about something. Many people liken us to a married couple.”<br /> <br /> The name Stalko, too, is shrouded in a veil of mystery. Pressed for time by Hairyamp’s Jean Zammit to come up with a name for their debut gig in February (in support of Adem), they first thought of The Cetta Experience (“ridiculous”) before Tim delved into the Grandiloquent Dictionary, a collection of archaic English words from which he shortlisted a score of potential names. “I liked Stalko a lot. In old times a stalko was a foreign pauper who would pose as a rich person. I liked it… it sounds a bit like “stalker” y’know. And aside from that we have quite a few people like that in Malta…”<br /> <br /> “You’re going to start off a polemic,” interjects Chris.<br /> <br /> “Am I? Well in a way it’s a cool name. It’s easy to remember. Google Stalko and we’re up first. Today you Google famous bands like The National and you end up in National Geographic. Names really stick even if they’re stupid. Imagine Coldplay, what is Coldplay?”<br /> <br /> While their creative flow seems to be set to maximum (the band penned their goosebump inducing epic Two on their first meeting) they are one of very few acts outside of Eurovision who farm their lyrics out to a “resident wordsmith,” Simone Spiteri, with whom they had worked at Du.<br /> <br /> “It’s not that we can’t write lyrics, we all can write, even though I personally hate it. Right now we write the music and send it to her with the vocal line and some gibberish, and she manages to... well if you read the lyrics, they’re not mine and I can say they’re very good,” says Tim.<br /> <br /> “It gives you an edge, because when you’re singing a melody line you tend to repeat a bit. When Simone does it she gives our songs a different dimension. She purposely puts in little accents that make the words sound nicer. I think out of 12 songs we looked at 10 and went, fantastic.”<br /> <br /> Their first unofficial “single,” and best known track, Lady Laundry, was written in Maltese first and then translated to a smoother English version. For now, however, the songwriting approach seems to work well for the band who have the luxury of focusing their efforts on perfecting their sound.<br /> <br /> While earlier tracks point to a folk root, the newer material recorded under the watchful eye of David Vella at Temple Studios takes them to more elaborate playing fields, where various instruments seamlessly exchange leading roles in an intricate, lofty interplay cushioned by Tim’s vocals. A bit grand, definitely expansive compared to their first offerings, as if Sigur Ros were transplanted into Alabama (or whereabouts).<br /> <br /> “I don’t consider us as folk in the traditional sense. There’s a confluence somewhere but of all of us are different. Mike likes the dancier stuff, Tim listens to singer songwriters, old country music and 1930’s music. We don’t listen to just one style, I think it would be very restrictive to do that. We have a very wide spectrum, perhaps I’m more of an album listener than Tim is,” says Chris.<br /> <br /> The foray into Mistra, of course, provides any band with new gems of knowledge. “Well, you should have asked us what we haven’t learnt. Between the first and second recording sessions there’s a huge difference in our approach. We went there the first time round with ideas, and well organised logistically because we had many guests on the record – drums, piano, double bass, violins, string quartet... the second time round we were maybe less prepared but it was more laid back yet more disciplined. We could tell if things were going to work in the studio especially those we do live,” says Chris.<br /> <br /> “You end up removing a lot of the stuff because tracks would sound busy, bit overkill, we had to downscale and we reduced a lot of things in the mixing. You have to be ready to write boring stuff for each instrument, like just four notes. We had people coming over to play just that. But we were always disciplined as a band and we didn’t waste any time. A good two hours, without speaking much. We just meet, say hello, and work for two three hours at a go.”<br /> <br /> The band are as yet undecided whether to pack the new material on an EP or wait a bit more until they release an album.<br /> <br /> “We don’t know, honestly. I prefer an EP, they prefer an album. I think an album is a bit of a... being presumptuous perhaps. Don’t know why. Maybe Mike has a point in saying that it makes no sense releasing an EP and follow it up by an album that has the same songs,” says Chris.<br /> <br /> Amid all this flair, it is difficult to imagine how such a fine extract of local music can make it onto our beloved radio stations, especially when considering Stalko’s tracks, on average, are way longer than the 4:00 mark. “Our finished songs, well I wouldn’t bother... honestly, if they pick them up on the radio it’s the people who are ready to play this music like Mike Bugeja or Eric Montfort, says Tim.<br /> <br /> “I don’t see our music played on Bay Radio. I honestly don’t. Some songs like ours aren’t considered radio friendly, at least for local radios. To mention Arcade Fire once again, I only heard them once on local radio,” adds Chris, whose energy reserve seems to be waning.<br /> <br /> “My aerial got stolen seven years ago. I never replaced it,” says Tim. “What’s on the radio now? Why should I listen to stuff I don’t want to hear? There’s internet nowadays so I listen to whatever I want online. I’d say my radio is seeing what people post on facebook or youtube or Grooveshark or whatever.”<br /> <br /> Ask them whether their musical grandeur can transform itself into big things, and they’ll tell you their feet are very much glued to the ground.<br /> <br /> “An album costs €5000 or €6000. If you don’t make it abroad how are you going to break even? None of us is spending money and expecting anything in return.” For now, Stalko’s promotion will depend on the floodgates of the internet.<br /> <br /> They acknowledge they are “not there yet” on some aspects of their music, even critical of their own performance at folk mini-festival Wirdien back in October. Earlier on this year they played to an unfamiliar crowd at Earth Garden.<br /> <br /> “We got a lot of good feedback. Chasing Pandora praised us publicly. At one point in time we started thinking, can we cross over? But that’s it; we never say this is good for this audience. We do it like that because it sounds good.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> Dictaphone switched off, our chat continues. Even Mike gets his occasional phrase across as Tim, once more, dominates proceedings. Eventually I am treated to a sneak preview of their new material, pre-mixing phase.<br /> <br /> Not bad at all for, um, a bunch of “sissies”.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=2578 2011-03-10T20:15:41Z

<p>Wayneflask: articles by Wayne Flask</p> <hr /> <div>==2011==<br /> Sunday 6 March 2011 - [[KOI]] - [[Light at the Edge of Town]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> ==2010==<br /> Sunday 28 November 2010 - [[Stalko]] - [[The Little Daydream Orchestra]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> == 2009 ==<br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> October 2009 - [[The Great Beyond?]] - [[Niki Gravino]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> May 2009 - [[The Mother Tongue and the Thorn in its Side]] - [[Brikkuni]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]<br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2577 2011-03-10T20:14:01Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]] meets hot “side-project” [[KOI]], but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, [[Errol Sammut]], compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) [[Wayne Camilleri]] still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2576 2011-03-10T20:09:55Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;Wayne Flask meets hot “side-project” KOI, but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, Errol Sammut, compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) Wayne Camilleri still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Light_at_the_Edge_of_Town&diff=2575 2011-03-10T20:07:49Z

<p>Wayneflask: Created page with &#039; == Light at the Edge of Town == &#039;&#039;Wayne Flask meets hot “side-project” KOI, but does not discuss shampoo. &#039;&#039; It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat…&#039;</p> <hr /> <div><br /> == Light at the Edge of Town ==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;Wayne Flask meets hot “side-project” KOI, but does not discuss shampoo.<br /> &#039;&#039;<br /> It’s a chilly evening of an otherwise uneventful Tuesday. Sat in a flimsy looking chair Wayne Camilleri, arms crossed, watches as another, younger musician – a passer by maybe? – plugs one of his tracks into an overwhelmingly bassy sound system that soon drowns any attempt at discourse.<br /> <br /> I stand there, fixing the chap’s guitar case, tagged with numerous stickers that include those of other Maltese bands, giant multinational brands who produce the tools of the trade, and even a local fish and tackle shop. We are, you might have guessed, in what Wayne calls workplace and what many refer to as toyland: a music shop.<br /> <br /> The demo is over after three minutes. “Well done, Andie Boy,” says Wayne, careful not to paternalise, nor patronise. The other half of KOI, Errol Sammut, compliments said chappie on the use of guitar arrangements – not sure how he baptised them – and makes for the cigarette case.<br /> <br /> “It will be mine,” Mike Myers famously recited in 1992’s Wayne’s World. Tall, tattooed and with enough experience to be considered as a veteran of our music scene (not that he will ever look stale) Wayne Camilleri still drools, but only occasionally, for a new guitar. Nowadays, he makes guitars work for him full time while the Big Band Brothers and session music for Tribali and Airport Impressions are but three ways how to keep him busy after hours (his omnipresence has recently seen him likened to a prostitute, but not that he’d worry).<br /> <br /> As things go, partner in crime Errol Sammut carries with him the lifelong attraction for denim attire, better control on his hairstyle and trademark aviator glasses. Commonly known for fronting Airport Impressions, Errol is one of few vocalists in the island endowed with proper English diction, and a rare songwriting prowess. Couple that with uncontrollable bouts of music creativity and you’ll stop wondering why he and Camilleri are in league together. Having already shared the stage in 2003 as part of the grungy Sourmash, they’re not new to each other either. This time their new side project KOI sees them explore wider plains uninhibited by notions of style, structure, production or even management. Let alone the radios, which nonetheless played a role in bringing some deserved exposure to a project that could have otherwise been dismissed as a garage gig.<br /> <br /> Sat in a corner of this enormous music shop, Wayne and Errol trade knowing glances to each other before launching into their first reply. <br /> “I knew Wayne was working solo on this instrumental project, something that did not involve a full blast commitment maybe, and he sent me some demos of his. I tried a vocal track on what would eventually become Tears in Your Eyes. I sent it back to him... you know how it is, I started to like it. Then we started looking at other songs we had written together.”<br /> <br /> “The project is a bit more consolidated now, there’s more rhythm. We threw a song to the radios and I hope this year we’ll have an album,” he adds curtly.<br /> <br /> The new project owes its name to the koi fish tattooed on Wayne’s arm. “We still wanted a meaning from it. We chose Knowledge over Instinct – it’s what makes us different from animals. It holds well for our music too, there’s a certain depth in our lyrics. We don’t really want to talk about love and all that stuff. There’s a positive energy but we look at depth, and hope.” <br /> <br /> Eight years after their first linkup, the two have also changed a lot in the way they work together. “We’ve worked together since 2003. Then Errol left for Ireland and formed Airport Impressions upon his return. We are totally different in the way we work. We used to fight a lot more at the time, but nowadays we’ve matured and we totally understand each other. These days we do it with more respect, there’s also a bit more freedom in the way we talk to each other. It’s challenging because we both want the best out of each other. We’re not really looking to play it safe, otherwise it wasn’t really worth the challenge to create something different.”<br /> <br /> Despite knowing each other well, KOI doesn’t have a precise identity. They are reluctant to talk much about a style, or pattern, that defines the band.<br /> “I don’t think we can really describe what we sound like,” says Wayne. “The songs sound worlds apart, very different from each other. I can genuinely say we don’t pinpoint our influences and we don’t have one single direction. We didn’t try to do something that can be harnessed – our music, our songs, they’re born in that manner. We’re in a situation where we have around 30 songs and we don’t know which ones to keep and which to get rid of.”<br /> <br /> With all the time they spend writing and refining, you’d be forgiven for asking whether KOI is an outlet for a lot of material that doesn’t make it into the bigger band’s work. “We are a lot less mainstream. I won’t say there are certain formulas that won’t work for Airport Impressions, but KOI doesn’t have such restrictions. If a track doesn’t need vocals it can go without it. We aren’t fussed about writing songs for the radio. Well, somehow a song did make it to the radios but I’m sure there’s a few tracks that won’t,” says Errol, with Wayne smirking in agreement.<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say it’s a way out of our solo projects. Errol has Airport Impressions and you can say he built it from scratch. KOI is just two musicians who are lucky enough to have a studio and they meet up, having fun writing songs,” says Wayne.<br /> <br /> Two demos that landed in my mailbox a week or so before our Tuesday evening rendezvous point at entirely different locations. The ambitious Raincheck Boulevard evokes nostalgia for Echo and the Bunnymen and early Killers descended from Boy-era U2, with its harrowing guitars and synths that lend the song a sullen, dark town atmosphere. On the other hand, Give it All Away brings Errol’s penchant for balladry to the fore, this time, however, he is not strumming about love. “Raincheck is something we’re quite pleased with. That’s where we’re going. We believe it’s something very original.”<br /> <br /> Insisting they are not willing to write or even arrange songs for the radio, they acknowledge time is not a commodity these days. Airport Impressions are busy promoting their first album and most of the time, Errol has to find ways around the situation. How much does it hamper their efforts?<br /> “Airport Impressions are in full blast right now. We think a lot about the effect it has on KOI,” says Wayne. “I have no problem with AI, I’m an occasional session musician with them too. We just work perfectly around it, I think... do we, Errol? Having our own studio has a lot of advantages. We can experiment, work on our own ideas in isolation and then lay out things properly in one day.”<br /> <br /> Unless their creative flurry is held up by force majeure, KOI will release their album in the next few months. “It will be a different album than what we do with our main project. Unusual I would say, no real rules, no real pattern. If vocals don’t work for a track then we’ll just do without. We’d never do that in the other projects. Hopefully the album will be ready in summer. And we have a new single coming out soon.”<br /> * * *<br /> Curious parents, two or three of them, are circling outside the glass door waiting for the trombone lesson in the adjacent room to come to a close. Andie Boy, meanwhile, is still inside the shop, patiently waiting for the two seniors to provide more advice, and maybe, the odd smoke. A day at the office? Frankly, none of them can be slated for alternative employment.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=2574 2011-03-10T20:05:32Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2011==<br /> Sunday 6 March 2011 - [[KOI]] - [[Light at the Edge of Town]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> ==2010==<br /> Sunday 28 November 2010 - [[Stalko]] - [[The Little Daydream Orchestra]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> October 2009 - [[The Great Beyond?]] - [[Niki Gravino]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> May 2009 - [[The Mother Tongue and the Thorn in its Side]] - [[Brikkuni]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]<br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Little_Daydream_Orchestra&diff=1695 2010-12-01T21:34:32Z

<p>Wayneflask: Created page with &#039;== &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; visits folk band &#039;&#039;&#039;Stalko&#039;&#039;&#039; but doesn’t get to see the fairies. (Manic November 2010). == Nerds, they don’t make them like they used to. A hun…&#039;</p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;[[Wayne Flask]]&#039;&#039;&#039; visits folk band [[&#039;&#039;&#039;Stalko&#039;&#039;&#039;]] but doesn’t get to see the fairies. (Manic November 2010). ==<br /> <br /> Nerds, they don’t make them like they used to. A hundred yards or so away from me, basking in the unexpected sunshine of an otherwise hungover, heavy headed Saturday morning, the slim figure of violinist Chris Cini can be seen firing multiple phonecalls. Two, to be precise. The recipients are the other two thirds of Stalko, vocalist/pianist/jack-of-many-trades Tim Ellis and vocalist/acoustic guitarist Michael Stivala, who are nowhere to be seen leaving Chris to handle the niceties and gain some time while reinforcements arrive. (As he anticipates with the sneaky surefootedness of horse race riggers, Tim is the last one to arrive. Replying to my SMS with a tongue-in-cheek “Rockstars are always late” he scores another point in a long standing slanging match about his punctuality).<br /> <br /> They’ve been rather ungenerously branded as “Sissy Folk” by a loudmouthed punk artist some time ago, although in these first few minutes of our chat I see nothing remotely effeminate, or nerdy for that matter. Stalko are a relatively new act for Malta: new, because they only formed in the summer of 2009 and already have an array of songs that wouldn’t look untidy on an album; and because, in the flurry of pseudo-indie rock lazily proposed by roughly 80% of our bands, Stalko’s inspired orchestrations stem from a love of country folk, painstaking attention to detail and a streak of discipline longer than the equator. And, thankfully, despite their emergence seems too well timed with the international (mostly American) resurgence in “modern” folk and its visions of rolling plains and haystacks, none of them has taken up the Neanderthal habit of growing a forest of facial hair.<br /> <br /> Despite all of them enduring separate late nights out, they are in a talkative mood, especially Tim and Chris, the founders of this atypical trio. “Timmy and I had been playing together in the Du theatre troupe, we did the soundtracks to contemporary plays, a lot of incidental music. It wasn’t what you’d call a musical, we learnt a lot from that. Eventually we started introducing new instruments like the euphonium, the accordion... and yes we sort of clicked well together,” debuts Chris.<br /> <br /> “I thought he was a dick when I first saw him,” sniggers Tim.<br /> <br /> Chris grimaces, then smiles, as though holding back his retort. “We had spoken about getting into a band but we weren’t quite sure what band we wanted. I was thinking of something that would resemble Arcade Fire. Eventually last summer we started rehearsing, agreeing to do it regularly.” As yet unnamed, the two set about honing their sound, acknowledging their styles were different although that would not impede their songwriting. Eventually, they sought a third member, someone who could play guitar and sing. Tim confesses he wanted a female to do the job.<br /> <br /> Mike blushes. “That means yes, you did well,” says Tim laughing at his bandmate. “No, seriously, I was looking more at a country folk setup. He didn’t say much at the beginning, mostly because Chris and I would always be arguing about something. Many people liken us to a married couple.”<br /> <br /> The name Stalko, too, is shrouded in a veil of mystery. Pressed for time by Hairyamp’s Jean Zammit to come up with a name for their debut gig in February (in support of Adem), they first thought of The Cetta Experience (“ridiculous”) before Tim delved into the Grandiloquent Dictionary, a collection of archaic English words from which he shortlisted a score of potential names. “I liked Stalko a lot. In old times a stalko was a foreign pauper who would pose as a rich person. I liked it… it sounds a bit like “stalker” y’know. And aside from that we have quite a few people like that in Malta…”<br /> <br /> “You’re going to start off a polemic,” interjects Chris.<br /> <br /> “Am I? Well in a way it’s a cool name. It’s easy to remember. Google Stalko and we’re up first. Today you Google famous bands like The National and you end up in National Geographic. Names really stick even if they’re stupid. Imagine Coldplay, what is Coldplay?”<br /> <br /> While their creative flow seems to be set to maximum (the band penned their goosebump inducing epic Two on their first meeting) they are one of very few acts outside of Eurovision who farm their lyrics out to a “resident wordsmith,” Simone Spiteri, with whom they had worked at Du.<br /> <br /> “It’s not that we can’t write lyrics, we all can write, even though I personally hate it. Right now we write the music and send it to her with the vocal line and some gibberish, and she manages to... well if you read the lyrics, they’re not mine and I can say they’re very good,” says Tim.<br /> <br /> “It gives you an edge, because when you’re singing a melody line you tend to repeat a bit. When Simone does it she gives our songs a different dimension. She purposely puts in little accents that make the words sound nicer. I think out of 12 songs we looked at 10 and went, fantastic.”<br /> <br /> Their first unofficial “single,” and best known track, Lady Laundry, was written in Maltese first and then translated to a smoother English version. For now, however, the songwriting approach seems to work well for the band who have the luxury of focusing their efforts on perfecting their sound.<br /> <br /> While earlier tracks point to a folk root, the newer material recorded under the watchful eye of David Vella at Temple Studios takes them to more elaborate playing fields, where various instruments seamlessly exchange leading roles in an intricate, lofty interplay cushioned by Tim’s vocals. A bit grand, definitely expansive compared to their first offerings, as if Sigur Ros were transplanted into Alabama (or whereabouts).<br /> <br /> “I don’t consider us as folk in the traditional sense. There’s a confluence somewhere but of all of us are different. Mike likes the dancier stuff, Tim listens to singer songwriters, old country music and 1930’s music. We don’t listen to just one style, I think it would be very restrictive to do that. We have a very wide spectrum, perhaps I’m more of an album listener than Tim is,” says Chris.<br /> <br /> The foray into Mistra, of course, provides any band with new gems of knowledge. “Well, you should have asked us what we haven’t learnt. Between the first and second recording sessions there’s a huge difference in our approach. We went there the first time round with ideas, and well organised logistically because we had many guests on the record – drums, piano, double bass, violins, string quartet... the second time round we were maybe less prepared but it was more laid back yet more disciplined. We could tell if things were going to work in the studio especially those we do live,” says Chris.<br /> <br /> “You end up removing a lot of the stuff because tracks would sound busy, bit overkill, we had to downscale and we reduced a lot of things in the mixing. You have to be ready to write boring stuff for each instrument, like just four notes. We had people coming over to play just that. But we were always disciplined as a band and we didn’t waste any time. A good two hours, without speaking much. We just meet, say hello, and work for two three hours at a go.”<br /> <br /> The band are as yet undecided whether to pack the new material on an EP or wait a bit more until they release an album.<br /> <br /> “We don’t know, honestly. I prefer an EP, they prefer an album. I think an album is a bit of a... being presumptuous perhaps. Don’t know why. Maybe Mike has a point in saying that it makes no sense releasing an EP and follow it up by an album that has the same songs,” says Chris.<br /> <br /> Amid all this flair, it is difficult to imagine how such a fine extract of local music can make it onto our beloved radio stations, especially when considering Stalko’s tracks, on average, are way longer than the 4:00 mark. “Our finished songs, well I wouldn’t bother... honestly, if they pick them up on the radio it’s the people who are ready to play this music like Mike Bugeja or Eric Montfort, says Tim.<br /> <br /> “I don’t see our music played on Bay Radio. I honestly don’t. Some songs like ours aren’t considered radio friendly, at least for local radios. To mention Arcade Fire once again, I only heard them once on local radio,” adds Chris, whose energy reserve seems to be waning.<br /> <br /> “My aerial got stolen seven years ago. I never replaced it,” says Tim. “What’s on the radio now? Why should I listen to stuff I don’t want to hear? There’s internet nowadays so I listen to whatever I want online. I’d say my radio is seeing what people post on facebook or youtube or Grooveshark or whatever.”<br /> <br /> Ask them whether their musical grandeur can transform itself into big things, and they’ll tell you their feet are very much glued to the ground.<br /> <br /> “An album costs €5000 or €6000. If you don’t make it abroad how are you going to break even? None of us is spending money and expecting anything in return.” For now, Stalko’s promotion will depend on the floodgates of the internet.<br /> <br /> They acknowledge they are “not there yet” on some aspects of their music, even critical of their own performance at folk mini-festival Wirdien back in October. Earlier on this year they played to an unfamiliar crowd at Earth Garden.<br /> <br /> “We got a lot of good feedback. Chasing Pandora praised us publicly. At one point in time we started thinking, can we cross over? But that’s it; we never say this is good for this audience. We do it like that because it sounds good.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> Dictaphone switched off, our chat continues. Even Mike gets his occasional phrase across as Tim, once more, dominates proceedings. Eventually I am treated to a sneak preview of their new material, pre-mixing phase.<br /> <br /> Not bad at all for, um, a bunch of “sissies”.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1694 2010-12-01T21:22:57Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 28 November 2010 - [[Stalko]] - [[The Little Daydream Orchestra]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> October 2009 - [[The Great Beyond?]] - [[Niki Gravino]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> May 2009 - [[The Mother Tongue and the Thorn in its Side]] - [[Brikkuni]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]<br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Being_Ira_Losco&diff=1281 2010-10-21T12:17:53Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== We cut a few long stories short. By [[Wayne Flask]] ==<br /> <br /> <br /> Walking into bookshops, these days, has the strange allure of a modern day toy shop. Browsing endlessly among bookshelves, looking for the title I’m sure they haven’t got, has become a welcome habit ever since I left university and the bleak corners of its adjoining stores.<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> We are sat in a quiet, low-key cafeteria with huge windows onto the outside world that remind me so much of those American diners. Ira Losco orders a mineral water and puts her phone on silent. Beside her lies her latest release, the sprawling 400-page mammoth photobook capturing career defining moments, live and promo shots collected by trusted snapper Allen Venables.<br /> <br /> “The photobook was primarily Allen’s idea. At first, his involvement with the band was more of a fun thing. But as time went by we couldn’t help noticing the images captured were simply amazing. Eventually he suggested this book to Howard and myself. Will it work, I thought, a book for such a small island?<br /> <br /> I’m glad to say it worked. At the end of the day it’s a collection of beautiful photos. Allen is very good at capturing the live atmosphere. Unfortunately much of the young audience in Malta have no idea what live concerts are about. Hopefully if they take a look at this, I hope it urges them to discover that for themselves. We’ve also included a few pictures from shoots that have never been used before.”<br /> <br /> Slightly open handed with Photoshop techniques, the photographic journal documents the ascent of Ira from an energetic stage stomper to unplugged songwriter, fashion icon and, as we know, one of Malta’s favourites.<br /> <br /> A slightly complicated animal, Ira Losco oscillates between the extrovert, exuberant showgirl that won’t pull punches, and the tender footed diplomat, the I-will-not-cross-that-line artiste that could do with a bit of time for herself. Yet, few are those who didn’t hear of her famous interview where she “admitted” to kissing a girl, the sort of phrase that shattered many a puritan’s glasshouse. As it comes, after hundreds of interviews into her career, I can’t help wondering whether she is an able attention grabbing magnet, or simply a naively honest girl next door who wades into murky talking points that should never even exist.<br /> <br /> “I never really see myself as anything special because of what I do, which is music. That would be stupid. The builder who builds our houses is as important as the baker, y’know? Music is what I feel I do best, it’s my art. Entertainment is an evolution, something that tantalises an audience and you are what people want to know more about. I don’t get carried away by celebrity status. Today I was eating baked pasta at Hunter’s Bar next to a guy who was eating with a knife, which I found really entertaining by the way... I don’t put myself on any pedestal nor do I expect to be on it”.<br /> <br /> The natural consequence is that nowadays, she has become pretty much public territory which fans, soothsayers and moralists alike find opportune to invade at their convenience. In certain moments, you’d feel that even her everyday movements are too closely scrutinised, let alone her media appearances. Drawing the curiosity of masses and classes, she remains one of the most talked about “celebrities” that everybody wants to own. Would she pay to lose that tag?<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say I would pay to lose it, it doesn’t bother me. Even if I f*** up. I don’t do things because people tell me to. If I lose that genuine streak I lose an integral part of who I am. That would make me the hypocrite which I’m not!” <br /> <br /> When asked whether she would pose naked, her reply was a flippant “Never say never,” which most interpreted as a statement of intent. She washed it down further by what seemed like a swoop at the moralist establishment, a Britney-esque “I am not holier than thou”.<br /> <br /> “What I wanted to say there was, when asked things about my future I will always say ‘never say never’. How do I know what’s going to happen in a few years’ time?”<br /> <br /> I ask her whether her ‘holier than thou’ could be aimed at peers in the music scene.<br /> <br /> “That beats me, don’t know. I wouldn’t have said that comment to reply to someone else. I frankly don’t think there are a lot of artists who do that. I have a lot of respect for artists who work their asses off and do it the right way. There are only 400,000 people to entertain in Malta, and the scene is very insular.”<br /> <br /> She might be a media darling, but definitely not your ideal role model. “I think it’s the downfall of every artist to try and become the role model. I’m all for passing on a message but I don’t want the responsibility of being a role model. Not because I’m afraid, but my role is something else. I’m not Mother Theresa. I do, however, have very strong viewpoints on issues such as bullying in schools.”<br /> <br /> Not that my colleague at timesofmalta.com was the first one to actually ask if she would pose naked. In the steamy afternoon on that same webpage that hosted the interview, a debate of biblical proportions was only just brewing. Storm in a teacup? Hornets nest? All these expressions are hardly enough to describe the incessant online buzz the interview caused. The result was a terse exchange of views between moralists, modernists and anti-sensationalists.<br /> <br /> “That interview kicked up a fuss because of the wrong reasons. I mean, hello, are we in Malta or LA here?”<br /> <br /> At one point, her manager, Howard Keith intervened to post: “Nonetheless we have been offered quite a number of opportunities to have Ms Losco pose naked and without hesitation we refused them for a number of reasons... We&#039;ll stick to music thank you very much and all that goes with the industry including the creative process of image and the freedom of writing...”<br /> <br /> Now, were the people asking you to pose naked being serious or plain ridiculous? She lets out a little embarrassed laugh.<br /> <br /> “I’ve actually already posed half naked for a breast cancer campaign. I didn’t bring that up in the interview because the question there was different. So [the interview] was definitely not a publicity stunt.”<br /> <br /> “I think you’d better ask Howard! I’ve no knowledge of that, Howard must have had these requests but they weren’t passed on to me, probably because he didn’t think much of them.”<br /> <br /> But her apparent disinterest in polemics finds a counterbalance within her own camp – the omnipresent manager, who sticks up for his charge when someone throws it to the fan.<br /> <br /> “Mind you we don’t control each other, and I’d hate it to be seen that way. Management is probably the most important role in the music industry so getting it right is very important. Believe me Howard says it as it is…and I must add I’m exactly the same. It’s as real as it gets.”<br /> <br /> She is, we know, opinionated about almost everything yet careful not to discuss everything in public. Sex, politics and religion are out of the equation, arguing that “some things should remain personal.”<br /> <br /> She does respond to three small questions outside of music. She finds police arraigning 21-year old Mark Camilleri of Realta as “heavy” and that the line between art and vulgarity is “when it stops being honest.” She doesn’t believe in abortion because “everything that lives should be given an opportunity.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> Insiders in music have often claimed that Ira Losco, [together with someone else who I’d rather not mention], are essential for any successful awards session to draw the crowds. Someone in Ira’s own entourage even whispered in my left ear that too many nominations can annoy an already saturated market.<br /> <br /> “I get your point, yes. Might be you’re right in saying my name is slightly abused, but then again, once again it goes back to the point that Malta is small market. I’m proud of all my awards especially those given to me through people’s votes because I like to think there’s an element of, between huge inverted commas, honesty in that. Personally I am more concerned of having two awards events every year, very close to each other and both in playbak due to TV restraints. I really admire all the efforts to recognise local music with all its limitations, but this might eventually damage the local music scene over saturating it.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> As it comes, Ira and band are writing new songs ahead of a yet unscheduled release. “The band are more involved now. And I want to work on taking the entertainment side of things one step further. I’m working against a certain predictability, that should end. We also have a number of foreign performances coming up which we’re very excited about” Her playlist is peppered with former Tiara bandmate Jamie Decesare’s suggestions – Bat for Lashes, Florence and the Machine, Dresden Dolls. Women in control, she calls them.<br /> <br /> It’s time to wrap it up. Her Hunter’s Bar baked pasta seems to be conjuring some bowel mischief.<br /> <br /> “So, this interview will appear in Manic’s Valentine’s Day issue…”<br /> “How sweet!” she debuts.<br /> “…who is the lucky girl you are going to kiss on the day?”<br /> <br /> Another small burst of mirth. “I’m not gonna kiss any girls. They’re probably scared of me by now,” she says, in the mood of someone who’s heard too much of that already.<br /> <br /> Another patron sitting on the far side of the bar overhears the last reply, and looks at her in bewildered amusement. A price to pay, perhaps, for such unrepentant normality.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Tales_from_Troubled_Truths&diff=1280 2010-10-21T12:17:22Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Mosta might be best known for its Dome, but the playground is earning its place in history. Jon Mallia’s&#039;&#039;&#039; No Bling Show&#039;&#039;&#039; is the soundtrack to a jilted generation. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> I always loved that line in Dan le Sac’s “Thou Shalt Always Kill.” It goes something like, Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be. By standards, the song is a sociorealistic rant where allusions to everyday British life are not so grossly exaggerated, and the painful reference to the pureed MTV hip hop that has catapulted its protagonists from ghettos to “cribs”: it’s turned into a joke.<br /> <br /> Jon Mallia, fortunately, doesn’t wear a ton of jewellery round his neck and unlike those you see on the box, doesn’t talk ghetto gibberish. He greets me in track suit pants and t-shirt, walking out into a chilly Mosta evening without bothering to put his shoes on yet making it a point to avoid the puddles as we head to his house. “Don’t be scared of the dog. It will ba…” he says before Sammy, a giant two year old mongrel, drowns our discourse.<br /> <br /> As it turns out, Sammy makes friends with the newcomer rather quickly. “I share the house with my mum, sixteen cats, a dog, and I’ve lost count of my brothers and sisters,” Jon titters as his mother prepares coffee and cigarettes.<br /> <br /> Jon is the creator and one-half of No Bling Show (the other being fellow Sixth Simfoni talent Phil Zammit), the hip hop sensation that rose to acclaim this summer with their homemade debut “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” (Tales from the Mosta Playground). Brash and occasionally corrosive yet witty, piercingly recited in the native tongue, their first attempt slithers through Jon’s personal experiences and the grim realities of Maltese society, letting skeletons out of padlocked closets, recounting teenage angst that ends helplessly in the dark throes of substance abuse. If for a moment you suspected No Bling Show was being tongue in cheek, the sordid life embedded in the rhymes crafted in anger is a shattering thud to earth.<br /> <br /> We’re settled down around the table, in the company of a courteous eighteen year old cat who sets on a discreet inspection of my belongings. Eager to answer and polite, the singer exudes self confidence and determination, even though he behaves very much unlike the reputed rabble-rouser you hear of.<br /> <br /> “It all started off this summer. Sixth Simfoni was a natural basis for us, it’s a great thing, experimental and flowing. But I felt a sting inside me. I felt it the first time after a festival in France three years ago. Almost all the hip hop acts who performed were doing so in their native tongue. We were the only ones to sing in English. It stung my conscience... hip hop is a voice to the oppressed in society. How can I be that voice without even using my mother language?”<br /> <br /> “I was spending a lot of time negotiating and all this bureaucratic stuff. I just couldn’t sit still without doing any creative work, like letting something die inside me. I found myself writing Lucija u Samwel on my own at night, thinking, this could lead to something. It was a good thorough look at the culture I’m living in right now.”<br /> <br /> Joining forces with Phil, Jon moved quarters to his garage (“a complete junkyard”) armed with basic recording equipment and tons of enthusiasm. “We only had a half a song written, and we set ourselves a deadline to finish the piece in five weeks. We stuck to it. We wrote, arranged, recorded, printed and marketed the album in just five weeks.”<br /> <br /> Acknowledging the challenge of bringing together two very disparate key elements, a Semitic language and an Afro-American music genre, Jon lists Brikkuni’s Kuntrabanda as the spark that convinced him to record in Maltese. “They were an inspiration. Kuntrabanda showed me how descriptive Maltese could be.”<br /> <br /> “I admit it wasn’t easy. I had written some things before and ran them by [[Niki Gravino]]. He pointed out that I was rapping in Maltese but there was still something borrowed from English. Maltese has a lot of consonants and that did help our diction a great deal. After much practising it all became natural. In those five weeks I had started to believe in it, and I wanted to do it so much that it became easier.” His rap routine has had an effect on his pronunciation, leading him to elongate and emphasise his ‘a’ during the course of our chat.<br /> <br /> Stejjer... does not stick to an accepted formula, not even in the course of its twelve tracks. It reaches its climaxes with the two parts of the epic Lucija u Samwel, a tale of violated innocence and drug bingeing (brilliantly filmed and produced by the crew of Take 2, another Youtube hit these days) and meanders almost lazily during the Police inspired ska beat of Anzi s-Sajf. It plunges to the pseudo-sleaze Ritornell, a recount of an intimate moment that serves, if anything, to defuse the tension of Lucija u Samwel. U l-Iskola is another highlight, a tour among the gallery of Jon’s first sworn enemies: teachers.<br /> <br /> He sings as matter of factly as can be, naming them in person, paying respect to those who deserve it, and vowing no forgiveness to the others. The album is deeply personal, in some phases Jon seems to tell too much. I lower my voice when I ask him about the frequent references to drug abuse.<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, mum knows about everything, unfortunately she’s witnessed all of it. The root of hip hop is to create a positive from the negative. I lived an obscure life for a period of time. I’ve tried everything and done everything. Now I put all my anger at the centre, looked at it in an objective manner, analysed it, and decided to tell the truth without shying away. If I don’t sell drugs myself, I will know someone who does. I’m not saying anything new. There’s no point in saying these things don’t happen, therefore I decided to be honest. It’s my duty as an artist.<br /> <br /> “I’m not trying to tell people what’s right and what’s wrong. I’m only saying these things are happening. At least the mothers, the parents know what’s going on. There’s a disillusioned generation. Many great aspiring musicians are amongst those worst hit by drugs. The truth is what it is. There are repercussions. I can forget about a sponsor. But at least I sleep at night.”<br /> <br /> Released to positive reviews this summer, the album is a raw deal, produced entirely in a garage with a 1995 software. “My sleeping bag is still down there,” smiles Jon. “And I used to shower once every three days.” <br /> <br /> Feedback from the live audiences was very encouraging. “Our songs are well known, even when we played to crowds who don’t know hip hop. People who’re more open minded and listen to a lot of different music liked it. As raw as it is, it’s still a breath of fresh air.”<br /> <br /> You sense, however, that the hype surrounding No Bling Show needs a more mature follow up. Precious seconds of the album are wasted on banter between Jon and Phil, which seems to capture the camaraderie of those days, but doesn’t necessarily sound funny. So is the refrain of Bla Xinxilli. Jon is disarmingly honest when faced with criticism, saying the next album needs more thought and experiment, admitting to a few venial sins while recording.<br /> <br /> “I’ll be very frank, I skip the first 1min26 of the opener, I can’t stand it. Same goes for the very last track. There’s a lot of room for improvement, in every track. Every song has a defect...in the first part of Lucija my tempo fluctuates, Bla Xinxilli needs higher vocals, maybe you’re right about the chorus. We recorded it on a PC in a 1995 Q-base, mate. It’s a pure garage recording, it needs more air. On the whole, musicians or pseudo-musicians can spot where the mistakes are. For all its rawness it did get good feedback.”<br /> <br /> As expected, they struggled to get any airplay. At one point Jon had even engaged a discussion with a foreign DJ to ask why songs in Maltese wouldn’t get played – Anzi s-Sajf, despite a couple of beeps, would have made a decent single – even though nowadays Jon is seeing things differently. <br /> <br /> “The Maltese artist doesn’t need radio. It would be nice if they could lend us a hand, but radio isn’t as important as it was in the nineties, before we could copy albums or download mp3’s. <br /> <br /> Ultimately the radio wants to make money, not play good music or defend the Maltese language. Three commercial radio stations have foreign station managers, what do they care about the legacy of the Maltese language? They only want to play hits and get their cheque at the end of the month. It irritates me to have foreigners leading our stations, but ultimately you can’t blame them. They don’t care about us, Brikkuni, Xtruppaw... it was angering me at first, but between internet and critics we can get through.”<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> I bid my goodbyes to Jon’s ma, and my new friend Sammy. Jon accompanies me out into the darkness of Mosta, an unusual setting for any album. It’s hip hop, but certainly not the LA ghetto or the MTV mansions. That’s why they its called No Bling Show.<br /> <br /> “Before the album was out, many youths had already discarded hip hop because it was becoming mediocre, killed by MTV. Real hip hop is very far from 50 Cent. Hip hop is not the mediocrity they want to sell us, it’s a social commentary, a spiritual message, political, it’s a teacher. People who push this consumerist philosophy have chosen to push the other genre, to sell us sneakers and bling. They&#039;ve turned hip hop into a selling tool. That’s not the root of hip hop.”<br /> <br /> Infectious albums like “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” grow on you easily. For artists like Jon, pushing the parcel is a must. “My next album? It’s going to be pretty much out the f*****n box.”<br /> <br /> Sounds like a promise.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Mother_Tongue_and_the_Thorn_in_its_Side&diff=1279 2010-10-21T12:16:51Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;Brikkuni&#039;&#039;&#039; have moved the goalposts of folk. Not a single ‘ajma’ to be heard. Words &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> His eyes scour the plateau in front of him. They could pop out of their orbits at any second. An array of even white teeth glares out at a largely unsuspecting audience; his weapon of choice: the mother tongue, of the refined diction, bent on stringing together ruthless rhymes and strategically placed sayings.<br /> <br /> Behind him, the rest of the naughty boys play a sophisticated brand of mischievous folk, tunes crafted to the minute details accompanying [[Mario Vella]]’s imposing stage act.<br /> <br /> This mini-orchestra has brought together well known if disparate faces from the alternative scene, blending together in a very rare act of skilful musicianship and a surgical, piercing use of Maltese, comparable to Italian satirist Paolo Rossi and his band of real musicians. Their debut album, the aptly-named [[Kuntrabanda]], debuted in November 2008 to a hungry crowd, tackling prickly topics such as illegal immigration, homosexuality and smalltown gossip, while seemingly denouncing an apparent backwardness of local mentalities on politics and religion.<br /> <br /> Such was the strength of the album that, barely two months after the launch, their gig at the MITP saw people turned away at the door of the sellout venue. In November, while the music scene was busy putting on its mascara for the MMA’s, Brikkuni triumphed in [[L-Għanja tal-Poplu]] with one of their non-album tracks, [[l-Uffiċċju]].<br /> <br /> It would be dismissive to discount them as the latest heralds of protest music. Their compositions reflect the poetic wit and enchanting linguistic skill inspired by Genoese songwriter Fabrizio de Andre, today a sorely missed legend; their music, a cross between the French chanson and Goran Bregovic’s bustling Balkan folk; their concerns, social, political, and very Maltese.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Tonight, therefore, the sight of Mario trudging up a staircase with a messy Chinese takeaway and subsequent skidmarks on his beard has a slightly uncanny effect. “It’s not as dodgy as the one I tried in Hamrun,” he vouches.<br /> <br /> [[Danjeli Schembri]], keyboardist and composer, plays host tonight, while [[Michael Galea]], drummer, complains of a busy weekend schedule. [[Fre Abdilla]], recently drafted on bass, walks in casually wearing a [[Dripht]] tee ([[Matthew Cuschieri]] and [[Steve Delia]], both on guitars, together with Maria Pia Meli complete the lineup).<br /> <br /> “Musically, I don’t think we did anything that new, because the influences are all there and can be picked out rather easily,” says Michael. “I’m saying we were not too innovative. Like most others we have a lot of influences, maybe our pool is wider. Maybe the advantage is that we managed to make them ours, and introduced them in Malta. But, if you look around Europe, this style has been familiar for ages.”<br /> <br /> “The singer-songwriting composition is at the base of the whole process. Our influences come in during the arrangements. I think the composer side stands out more, and that’s why the album sounds a bit more personal,” says Mario.<br /> <br /> The intensity of their lyrics on society, though, suggests an underlying anger, a sort of non-sociologic attachment to the Maltese society of Kuntrabanda.<br /> <br /> “I guess we’d have the same impulse if we lived in Oz, or Italy. So it’s not strictly a Maltese issue. There are rarely any people who are 100% satisfied with their surroundings. Except for Danjeli, that is,” says Michael as his bandmates chuckle away. “Otherwise there is always something irritating. Maybe in Malta we are a bit closer to certain issues and we experience them first hand.”<br /> <br /> Kuntrabanda’s considerations on national identity and the local political class seem to attack a conservative social base that, try as you will, still has its roots firmly entrenched to the ground. So, when Oliver Friggieri claims there is a need for parochialism in Malta, would you be up in arms?<br /> <br /> “He’s probably right as far as social interaction is concerned. People have become distant, even physically. This is because the globalised media is setting trends, making lifestyles hectic. The majority of the lyrics on Kuntrabanda (Fil-Bar, l-Assedju ż-Żgħir, Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd) veer away from the smalltown mentality. But there’s ample about the other spectrum as well. I love the paradox.”<br /> <br /> “Well... I see Mario as very conservative,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Up to a certain point, yes. For me that balance is important. I’ve had enough of fierce liberals who can’t tell their mouth from their arse. It’s great to be open minded and stuff…it’s just that open minded, more often than not ends up feeling like a sorry attempt at trying to be something that you inherently aren’t. Maybe that’s the point, but I’m not putting my name on that. Genuine innovators are welcome. We don’t get to meet too many of them very often.”<br /> <br /> “I’m conservative too in that I like to live my Mediterranean lifestyle,” says Danjeli. “Many people try to escape it, trying to go for something global which frankly doesn’t make sense. Our only limitation is that of living in what I call a golden cage. If you want to do anything in Malta you really can.”<br /> <br /> Tellingly, Brikkuni’s main strength is the use of their biggest limitation – a language that cannot be exported. “We ignored that factor completely when we started off. The foreigners aren’t our market. Making it big abroad was never our aim.”<br /> <br /> Their singer’s claim to conservatism almost puts the whole interview in a new light. So, those looking for a liberal message are looking in the wrong place?<br /> <br /> “No, there’s a liberal vein to our message, but we are not just saying ‘f*** the establishment and its conventions’ and stop there. There are many things in Malta that should be criticised but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to praise. Many people have just pigeonholed the album in the protest songs category. It’s true, they’re protest songs but there’s more to that,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Brikkuni is not trying to lecture anyone in sociology. The message isn’t apolitical either, but we’re not against Malta and the Maltese. On the contrary, we do love our country. We oppose certain mentalities that bother us. That’s all. We’d like to think of our music as ‘Maltese’ in spirit.”<br /> <br /> That Maltese spirit, and our national identity, is an issue often tackled in Kuntrabanda. Mario’s “It-Torok rebħulna fin fin” in [[Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd]] hints at our five hundred year old “foe” winning over Malta through a Trojan horse worthy of note – kebab outlets. Rather than a swipe at xenophobia, Mario points out how the globalised world has made it easy to create a relationship with your so-called enemies in a short matter of time.<br /> <br /> “The stances on national identity are nullified. Identity isn’t preserved by eliminating the possibility of influence but by exposure without loss of the true essence. Our habits – for better or worse – define us Maltese more than any flag or property will, our clumsiness and manner of overdoing things, our relentless appetite for taking the piss and continuous moaning. In fact in the album there’s a strong dose of...”<br /> <br /> “…your constant moaning,” interjects Danjeli, silencing his bandmate amid roars of laughter.<br /> <br /> Michael assures me the next albums will not focus on the same theme as Kuntrabanda. Mario, on the other hand, is happy they didn’t write an album with a set of hip statements. “That was ok when I was fifteen, sixteen, now I’ve had enough.”<br /> <br /> Maltese identity also comes under the lens of the opening track, L-Assedju z-Zgħir, a diary of Ivorian refugee Moussa Debidaouda’s odyssey to and in Malta. Stinging statements abound, among which a laconic “black doesn’t go with anything” and a reminder of the tough realities these frowned upon newcomers face, whether at work in a limestone quarry or in Malta’s nightlife Mecca. No prizes for guessing what their line of thought is.<br /> <br /> “For me, this [xenophobia] is the stupidity of a few pockets of people. Their fear of the current situation is only creating more boundaries,” says Danjeli. “That said, I’m also aware not everyone in the band agrees with this view.”<br /> <br /> Mario takes another angle. “I think the economic and media homogeneity is killing Maltese identity, not illegal immigration. The idea of trying to imitate the American or European model is leading to the death of our identity. This is happening across Europe too, not just here. Have a look at Italian TV... On the other hand I accept illegal immigration is causing a logistical problem, but it shouldn’t be regarded as a problem under any other aspect.”<br /> <br /> Sitting back in the largest of Danjeli’s armchairs, Michael seems eager to shift the direction of the interview towards the sound, rather than content, of Brikkuni. The production of Kuntrabanda, recorded over three weeks at Temple Studios, deserves its own corner of merit.<br /> <br /> “[[David Vella]]’s experience gave us a lot of input. He gave the album more strength by removing a few things. I personally saw him giving a lot of attention to our songs, not just pasting chunks together. At first I was a bit apprehensive, it was my first studio experience and I was scared he would be circling over me. But he’s far more relaxed than I had initially considered him to be,” says the drummer.<br /> <br /> “His clinical objectivity will collide head-on with many of your concepts at first. But then we realised this was an asset. It’s good to have someone with that objectivity, keeping our egos in check?”<br /> <br /> Vella’s creativity has seeped in and settled comfortably with Brikkuni’s arrangements, even if it involved the use of ordinary sound effects such as light bulbs, cooking pots, creaking doors, that created the likeable Brikkuni cacophony. Michael’s idle, seemingly random drumming on the burlesque Kollox Suggettiv is one example of how they use their instruments as extensions of their humour, as are the frequent yet welcome forays by the violin (Roberta Attard), the clarinet (Ruth Abela), and the horn sections. Overall, Kuntrabanda is the work of a musically mature band who can sound like the Shadows (Willie Vassallo) one moment and turn to ska (Rendikont) the other.<br /> <br /> My personal favourite is [[L-Eletti]], a painful commentary on the state of local politicians and their lackeys in the media. It’s a rare protest, clashing head on with the all too familiar image of well shaven youths who would die just to sit in rows behind politicians at mass meetings, ready to applaud when beckoned.<br /> <br /> Mario Vella’s spontaneity can be rather thought inducing, even though his habit of creating or wading into useless polemics with fellow musicians can occasionally land him under the bad light. His latest unprovoked lash saw him claim “he’d rather get an injection in his gums than listen to Tribali”.<br /> <br /> “I’ve already explained that,” he says without altering his composure. “Nothing against Tribali. It’s just that I cannot fathom how people can waste precious time writing chillout music. I don’t get the concept.”<br /> <br /> Danjeli, his toothy smile stamped on his face, suggests Mario is prone to tripping in his own tongue.<br /> <br /> “I’d say I’ve nothing to lose. Everybody keeps harping how a big mouth will lose you any possible opportunities. But since I don’t see any… I can’t see what I should be missing on. I haven’t lost anything thus far.”<br /> <br /> He is a rare breed, cocksure yet capable of keeping mediocrity in check by being verbose about it, just so he doesn’t stumble himself one day. And, with the band having enough material for a second album, you might turn a blind eye on Mario’s petulance and wait for the goods.<br /> <br /> In the meantime, their primary artistic concern has been satisfied. The bar has been raised.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Great_Beyond%3F&diff=1278 2010-10-21T12:15:32Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;Niki Gravino&#039;&#039;&#039;’s world could become smaller than his fist. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> The humid scent of garage days can be smelt from a few metres away. Niki Gravino silently unbolts the door of the hired rehearsal room where, in the last few months, he has been spending increasing amounts of time. Less pale than usual, with a slight hint of a suntan, his demeanour betrays the unusual tranquillity of the satisfied mind.<br /> <br /> He looks precisely the opposite of the glam persona his followers have known, hair mushrooming off at various points, wearing a slightly oversized white t-shirt with a band crayoned on it. I really should have asked him where he bought it from.<br /> <br /> This is, but, the sort of normality in which Niki has spent most of the last few months, rebuilding what were once called the Vile Bodies after the departure of two members, working on new material with the newcomers, oiling the machine.<br /> <br /> Sitting straight on the only single seater in the room (drummer stool excluded), he ponders his replies carefully, occasionally fidgeting with a couple of coins, his hair swaying with every nod. <br /> <br /> “The arrival of the new members... It was like starting all over again. We had to work on bringing in a certain harmony and understanding each other. Every change is good as long as the direction is right. I feel we’ve done a lot of improvement since the new people have come in. But now, it’s time to step on the gas.”<br /> <br /> Promising two shows and a secret gig (“a very crazy move, but it will get results”), Gravino acknowledges the task of finding two replacements for what seemed to be a definite, unmovable lineup.<br /> <br /> “I’d be lying if I said that. It would be nice to be able to choose from fifty instead of four decent musicians. But that would be another limitation. Without the help of a team who would weigh things according to certain criteria, it would have taken ages. So in a way, everything happens in proportion with your size.”<br /> <br /> “I feel that the musicians we found are very good, they fit into the style of the band better than their predecessors. Somehow, they have injected a new chemistry in the band. We are still a bit shy of each other; it’s like the first two or three dates with a new girlfriend, where the sweetest experiences come from. Apart from that, it is also true that whenever a door slams shut, there are other opportunities ready to be taken.”<br /> <br /> You start to wonder if his shoes are too big for Malta. He likens the local music scene to a flowerpod. “A plant in a small pod will never grow beyond a certain level. Malta is an exceptional breeding ground for young artists, but once you’re no longer a puppy, you need more space.” <br /> <br /> “We’re an island with an island mentality. Somehow, while we don’t have much to work with, we do little in terms of working together. At one point Malta becomes very restrictive and if you don’t get out, the growth process will stop there and then.”<br /> <br /> Rumour has it that Gravino may be ready to fulfil his lebenstraum of moving, band n’all, to the greener pastures of the UK, an ideal grazing ground to feed his mercurial talent. Surprisingly he is non-committal, choosing not to promise anything and deciding to stay clear of confirming anything.<br /> <br /> “For now, I will only say it may or may not be true. The plans have always been there since the beginning. They may be closer. But I know it’s very prohibitive for a band to do this move. I don’t want to talk too much about it. I want to do things my way. Talking too much about it limits my liberty to change things around, or the way of doing things.”<br /> <br /> There is, he stresses, work to be done, in getting the band back on track and issuing a release of sorts. “I’ve a lot of new material but it’s a bit, like, scattered everywhere. It still needs harnessing. I’m going through a lot of changes in my life, I’m growing older, the band has changed too. Direction was an issue during Politics too, but in these last few weeks I have been seeing something more tangible.”<br /> <br /> It took Gravino three years to release the pleasantly shocking Politics of Double Beds, whose second birthday is in November. Hardly anyone spends so long on a debut album.<br /> <br /> “I think Politics, although produced with extreme attention to every detail, is still only the search of who I am. It is not the final word. Before something else happens there has to be another release, be it an album, or an EP. I have to make another step to see who I am as an artist, or rather, the band. I will not do things by myself again. This time round, the band will be part of the process, at least in the arrangements. If we want to go elsewhere, it will depend on how well we can find our identity as musicians. I cannot go places with dead bodies.”<br /> <br /> The humane prospect of ageing doesn’t lose him sleep, either. “I’ve enough time. I’m not going to be pressed to move elsewhere. The release has to come first. I’m open to changing my method of work, I admit Politics took me a lot of time and energy to create. Now I’m open to accept that I might need to work faster. It’s a new avenue of which I’m not afraid.”<br /> <br /> His finest hour was probably the 2008 MMA night, where this Prince lookalike complete with makeup rose from the outsider’s corner to bag the beauty of five deserved trophies for his efforts on Politics. If only things were done the way they should, a sixth for Best Album should have followed. But this is just a tiny personal bracket I allow myself to open from time to time.<br /> <br /> “I knew - I had a feeling we would win something. I thought I’d get two awards. Winning five was a surprise, and it meant a lot, even if some other artists are willing to knock the awards. I like to think of them as rewards rather than awards. They were a confidence boost, you know.”<br /> <br /> Watching you perform tells me you’re already quite confident...<br /> “It’s passion, not confidence. I don’t go onstage to be cool, or sexy. That’s my way of expressing my passion, nothing more.”<br /> <br /> That said, however, it hasn’t brought down the walls in local music as many have hoped. It has surely taken the weight of their own eccentricity off their backs, giving them more credit with the mainstream. Niki isn’t sure of that either.<br /> <br /> The band’s ability, however, continues to be shrouded to the undiscerning publics by the particular image they chose. “I think many people ‘fancy’ us - that’s the word - because we wear nail polish and a couple of weird suits. We all feel that our image isn’t too unique. It’s such a repetition and a cliché, it should be sickening by now. They don’t understand we are a band in the making, who is constantly trying out new things.<br /> <br /> “We don’t want to stay in the niche. People who don’t understand what we are about, the same people who ‘fancy’ us, want us to remain a niche act.” <br /> <br /> “Niki Gravino,” he says suddenly referring to himself in the third person, “started off in the niche, but Niki Gravino doesn’t feel he should stay there because he’s not afraid of the world. I’m not afraid.”<br /> <br /> One of the best read musicians in Malta, Gravino is one of few people with the temerity of tattooing the words “Culture” and a barcode on the nape of his neck. A personal credo that has held true for all his life, as he strives, yet once more, to create a masterstroke that sets him aside from the rest. Second album pressure must be sky-high.<br /> <br /> Today, however, he philosophises less, even sounding pragmatic, wary of the daunting task he and his bandmates face in the coming months. How does he, self styled artist who cites David Bowie as his ‘paradigm’, spend his time away from the spotlight?<br /> <br /> “I spend a lot of time waiting for myself, for those around me, waiting for improvements, ideas, inspirations. I work on my attitudes, on my vision for the band and this project. I also spend a lot of time doing things that are not related to music, like washing my roof, just to get my mind off the music. But I spend a lot time trying to become a better person, to make my project more whole.”<br /> <br /> The next release? “I would say it’s months away, not years, for sure. I hope to surprise myself, and those who listen to me. Doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen.”<br /> <br /> Projects? “Right now, we’re focused on becoming a very good band, without leaving a single crack in our show.”<br /> <br /> As if I ever doubted that.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1277 2010-10-21T12:15:11Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> October 2009 - [[The Great Beyond?]] - [[Niki Gravino]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> May 2009 - [[The Mother Tongue and the Thorn in its Side]] - [[Brikkuni]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]<br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]<br /> [[Category:Magazine articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Being_Ira_Losco&diff=1276 2010-10-21T12:11:37Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== We cut a few long stories short. By [[Wayne Flask]] ==<br /> <br /> <br /> Walking into bookshops, these days, has the strange allure of a modern day toy shop. Browsing endlessly among bookshelves, looking for the title I’m sure they haven’t got, has become a welcome habit ever since I left university and the bleak corners of its adjoining stores.<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> We are sat in a quiet, low-key cafeteria with huge windows onto the outside world that remind me so much of those American diners. Ira Losco orders a mineral water and puts her phone on silent. Beside her lies her latest release, the sprawling 400-page mammoth photobook capturing career defining moments, live and promo shots collected by trusted snapper Allen Venables.<br /> <br /> “The photobook was primarily Allen’s idea. At first, his involvement with the band was more of a fun thing. But as time went by we couldn’t help noticing the images captured were simply amazing. Eventually he suggested this book to Howard and myself. Will it work, I thought, a book for such a small island?<br /> <br /> I’m glad to say it worked. At the end of the day it’s a collection of beautiful photos. Allen is very good at capturing the live atmosphere. Unfortunately much of the young audience in Malta have no idea what live concerts are about. Hopefully if they take a look at this, I hope it urges them to discover that for themselves. We’ve also included a few pictures from shoots that have never been used before.”<br /> <br /> Slightly open handed with Photoshop techniques, the photographic journal documents the ascent of Ira from an energetic stage stomper to unplugged songwriter, fashion icon and, as we know, one of Malta’s favourites.<br /> <br /> A slightly complicated animal, Ira Losco oscillates between the extrovert, exuberant showgirl that won’t pull punches, and the tender footed diplomat, the I-will-not-cross-that-line artiste that could do with a bit of time for herself. Yet, few are those who didn’t hear of her famous interview where she “admitted” to kissing a girl, the sort of phrase that shattered many a puritan’s glasshouse. As it comes, after hundreds of interviews into her career, I can’t help wondering whether she is an able attention grabbing magnet, or simply a naively honest girl next door who wades into murky talking points that should never even exist.<br /> <br /> “I never really see myself as anything special because of what I do, which is music. That would be stupid. The builder who builds our houses is as important as the baker, y’know? Music is what I feel I do best, it’s my art. Entertainment is an evolution, something that tantalises an audience and you are what people want to know more about. I don’t get carried away by celebrity status. Today I was eating baked pasta at Hunter’s Bar next to a guy who was eating with a knife, which I found really entertaining by the way... I don’t put myself on any pedestal nor do I expect to be on it”.<br /> <br /> The natural consequence is that nowadays, she has become pretty much public territory which fans, soothsayers and moralists alike find opportune to invade at their convenience. In certain moments, you’d feel that even her everyday movements are too closely scrutinised, let alone her media appearances. Drawing the curiosity of masses and classes, she remains one of the most talked about “celebrities” that everybody wants to own. Would she pay to lose that tag?<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say I would pay to lose it, it doesn’t bother me. Even if I f*** up. I don’t do things because people tell me to. If I lose that genuine streak I lose an integral part of who I am. That would make me the hypocrite which I’m not!” <br /> <br /> When asked whether she would pose naked, her reply was a flippant “Never say never,” which most interpreted as a statement of intent. She washed it down further by what seemed like a swoop at the moralist establishment, a Britney-esque “I am not holier than thou”.<br /> <br /> “What I wanted to say there was, when asked things about my future I will always say ‘never say never’. How do I know what’s going to happen in a few years’ time?”<br /> <br /> I ask her whether her ‘holier than thou’ could be aimed at peers in the music scene.<br /> <br /> “That beats me, don’t know. I wouldn’t have said that comment to reply to someone else. I frankly don’t think there are a lot of artists who do that. I have a lot of respect for artists who work their asses off and do it the right way. There are only 400,000 people to entertain in Malta, and the scene is very insular.”<br /> <br /> She might be a media darling, but definitely not your ideal role model. “I think it’s the downfall of every artist to try and become the role model. I’m all for passing on a message but I don’t want the responsibility of being a role model. Not because I’m afraid, but my role is something else. I’m not Mother Theresa. I do, however, have very strong viewpoints on issues such as bullying in schools.”<br /> <br /> Not that my colleague at timesofmalta.com was the first one to actually ask if she would pose naked. In the steamy afternoon on that same webpage that hosted the interview, a debate of biblical proportions was only just brewing. Storm in a teacup? Hornets nest? All these expressions are hardly enough to describe the incessant online buzz the interview caused. The result was a terse exchange of views between moralists, modernists and anti-sensationalists.<br /> <br /> “That interview kicked up a fuss because of the wrong reasons. I mean, hello, are we in Malta or LA here?”<br /> <br /> At one point, her manager, Howard Keith intervened to post: “Nonetheless we have been offered quite a number of opportunities to have Ms Losco pose naked and without hesitation we refused them for a number of reasons... We&#039;ll stick to music thank you very much and all that goes with the industry including the creative process of image and the freedom of writing...”<br /> <br /> Now, were the people asking you to pose naked being serious or plain ridiculous? She lets out a little embarrassed laugh.<br /> <br /> “I’ve actually already posed half naked for a breast cancer campaign. I didn’t bring that up in the interview because the question there was different. So [the interview] was definitely not a publicity stunt.”<br /> <br /> “I think you’d better ask Howard! I’ve no knowledge of that, Howard must have had these requests but they weren’t passed on to me, probably because he didn’t think much of them.”<br /> <br /> But her apparent disinterest in polemics finds a counterbalance within her own camp – the omnipresent manager, who sticks up for his charge when someone throws it to the fan.<br /> <br /> “Mind you we don’t control each other, and I’d hate it to be seen that way. Management is probably the most important role in the music industry so getting it right is very important. Believe me Howard says it as it is…and I must add I’m exactly the same. It’s as real as it gets.”<br /> <br /> She is, we know, opinionated about almost everything yet careful not to discuss everything in public. Sex, politics and religion are out of the equation, arguing that “some things should remain personal.”<br /> <br /> She does respond to three small questions outside of music. She finds police arraigning 21-year old Mark Camilleri of Realta as “heavy” and that the line between art and vulgarity is “when it stops being honest.” She doesn’t believe in abortion because “everything that lives should be given an opportunity.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> Insiders in music have often claimed that Ira Losco, [together with someone else who I’d rather not mention], are essential for any successful awards session to draw the crowds. Someone in Ira’s own entourage even whispered in my left ear that too many nominations can annoy an already saturated market.<br /> <br /> “I get your point, yes. Might be you’re right in saying my name is slightly abused, but then again, once again it goes back to the point that Malta is small market. I’m proud of all my awards especially those given to me through people’s votes because I like to think there’s an element of, between huge inverted commas, honesty in that. Personally I am more concerned of having two awards events every year, very close to each other and both in playbak due to TV restraints. I really admire all the efforts to recognise local music with all its limitations, but this might eventually damage the local music scene over saturating it.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> As it comes, Ira and band are writing new songs ahead of a yet unscheduled release. “The band are more involved now. And I want to work on taking the entertainment side of things one step further. I’m working against a certain predictability, that should end. We also have a number of foreign performances coming up which we’re very excited about” Her playlist is peppered with former Tiara bandmate Jamie Decesare’s suggestions – Bat for Lashes, Florence and the Machine, Dresden Dolls. Women in control, she calls them.<br /> <br /> It’s time to wrap it up. Her Hunter’s Bar baked pasta seems to be conjuring some bowel mischief.<br /> <br /> “So, this interview will appear in Manic’s Valentine’s Day issue…”<br /> “How sweet!” she debuts.<br /> “…who is the lucky girl you are going to kiss on the day?”<br /> <br /> Another small burst of mirth. “I’m not gonna kiss any girls. They’re probably scared of me by now,” she says, in the mood of someone who’s heard too much of that already.<br /> <br /> Another patron sitting on the far side of the bar overhears the last reply, and looks at her in bewildered amusement. A price to pay, perhaps, for such unrepentant normality.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Tales_from_Troubled_Truths&diff=1275 2010-10-21T12:11:21Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Mosta might be best known for its Dome, but the playground is earning its place in history. Jon Mallia’s&#039;&#039;&#039; No Bling Show&#039;&#039;&#039; is the soundtrack to a jilted generation. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> I always loved that line in Dan le Sac’s “Thou Shalt Always Kill.” It goes something like, Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be. By standards, the song is a sociorealistic rant where allusions to everyday British life are not so grossly exaggerated, and the painful reference to the pureed MTV hip hop that has catapulted its protagonists from ghettos to “cribs”: it’s turned into a joke.<br /> <br /> Jon Mallia, fortunately, doesn’t wear a ton of jewellery round his neck and unlike those you see on the box, doesn’t talk ghetto gibberish. He greets me in track suit pants and t-shirt, walking out into a chilly Mosta evening without bothering to put his shoes on yet making it a point to avoid the puddles as we head to his house. “Don’t be scared of the dog. It will ba…” he says before Sammy, a giant two year old mongrel, drowns our discourse.<br /> <br /> As it turns out, Sammy makes friends with the newcomer rather quickly. “I share the house with my mum, sixteen cats, a dog, and I’ve lost count of my brothers and sisters,” Jon titters as his mother prepares coffee and cigarettes.<br /> <br /> Jon is the creator and one-half of No Bling Show (the other being fellow Sixth Simfoni talent Phil Zammit), the hip hop sensation that rose to acclaim this summer with their homemade debut “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” (Tales from the Mosta Playground). Brash and occasionally corrosive yet witty, piercingly recited in the native tongue, their first attempt slithers through Jon’s personal experiences and the grim realities of Maltese society, letting skeletons out of padlocked closets, recounting teenage angst that ends helplessly in the dark throes of substance abuse. If for a moment you suspected No Bling Show was being tongue in cheek, the sordid life embedded in the rhymes crafted in anger is a shattering thud to earth.<br /> <br /> We’re settled down around the table, in the company of a courteous eighteen year old cat who sets on a discreet inspection of my belongings. Eager to answer and polite, the singer exudes self confidence and determination, even though he behaves very much unlike the reputed rabble-rouser you hear of.<br /> <br /> “It all started off this summer. Sixth Simfoni was a natural basis for us, it’s a great thing, experimental and flowing. But I felt a sting inside me. I felt it the first time after a festival in France three years ago. Almost all the hip hop acts who performed were doing so in their native tongue. We were the only ones to sing in English. It stung my conscience... hip hop is a voice to the oppressed in society. How can I be that voice without even using my mother language?”<br /> <br /> “I was spending a lot of time negotiating and all this bureaucratic stuff. I just couldn’t sit still without doing any creative work, like letting something die inside me. I found myself writing Lucija u Samwel on my own at night, thinking, this could lead to something. It was a good thorough look at the culture I’m living in right now.”<br /> <br /> Joining forces with Phil, Jon moved quarters to his garage (“a complete junkyard”) armed with basic recording equipment and tons of enthusiasm. “We only had a half a song written, and we set ourselves a deadline to finish the piece in five weeks. We stuck to it. We wrote, arranged, recorded, printed and marketed the album in just five weeks.”<br /> <br /> Acknowledging the challenge of bringing together two very disparate key elements, a Semitic language and an Afro-American music genre, Jon lists Brikkuni’s Kuntrabanda as the spark that convinced him to record in Maltese. “They were an inspiration. Kuntrabanda showed me how descriptive Maltese could be.”<br /> <br /> “I admit it wasn’t easy. I had written some things before and ran them by [[Niki Gravino]]. He pointed out that I was rapping in Maltese but there was still something borrowed from English. Maltese has a lot of consonants and that did help our diction a great deal. After much practising it all became natural. In those five weeks I had started to believe in it, and I wanted to do it so much that it became easier.” His rap routine has had an effect on his pronunciation, leading him to elongate and emphasise his ‘a’ during the course of our chat.<br /> <br /> Stejjer... does not stick to an accepted formula, not even in the course of its twelve tracks. It reaches its climaxes with the two parts of the epic Lucija u Samwel, a tale of violated innocence and drug bingeing (brilliantly filmed and produced by the crew of Take 2, another Youtube hit these days) and meanders almost lazily during the Police inspired ska beat of Anzi s-Sajf. It plunges to the pseudo-sleaze Ritornell, a recount of an intimate moment that serves, if anything, to defuse the tension of Lucija u Samwel. U l-Iskola is another highlight, a tour among the gallery of Jon’s first sworn enemies: teachers.<br /> <br /> He sings as matter of factly as can be, naming them in person, paying respect to those who deserve it, and vowing no forgiveness to the others. The album is deeply personal, in some phases Jon seems to tell too much. I lower my voice when I ask him about the frequent references to drug abuse.<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, mum knows about everything, unfortunately she’s witnessed all of it. The root of hip hop is to create a positive from the negative. I lived an obscure life for a period of time. I’ve tried everything and done everything. Now I put all my anger at the centre, looked at it in an objective manner, analysed it, and decided to tell the truth without shying away. If I don’t sell drugs myself, I will know someone who does. I’m not saying anything new. There’s no point in saying these things don’t happen, therefore I decided to be honest. It’s my duty as an artist.<br /> <br /> “I’m not trying to tell people what’s right and what’s wrong. I’m only saying these things are happening. At least the mothers, the parents know what’s going on. There’s a disillusioned generation. Many great aspiring musicians are amongst those worst hit by drugs. The truth is what it is. There are repercussions. I can forget about a sponsor. But at least I sleep at night.”<br /> <br /> Released to positive reviews this summer, the album is a raw deal, produced entirely in a garage with a 1995 software. “My sleeping bag is still down there,” smiles Jon. “And I used to shower once every three days.” <br /> <br /> Feedback from the live audiences was very encouraging. “Our songs are well known, even when we played to crowds who don’t know hip hop. People who’re more open minded and listen to a lot of different music liked it. As raw as it is, it’s still a breath of fresh air.”<br /> <br /> You sense, however, that the hype surrounding No Bling Show needs a more mature follow up. Precious seconds of the album are wasted on banter between Jon and Phil, which seems to capture the camaraderie of those days, but doesn’t necessarily sound funny. So is the refrain of Bla Xinxilli. Jon is disarmingly honest when faced with criticism, saying the next album needs more thought and experiment, admitting to a few venial sins while recording.<br /> <br /> “I’ll be very frank, I skip the first 1min26 of the opener, I can’t stand it. Same goes for the very last track. There’s a lot of room for improvement, in every track. Every song has a defect...in the first part of Lucija my tempo fluctuates, Bla Xinxilli needs higher vocals, maybe you’re right about the chorus. We recorded it on a PC in a 1995 Q-base, mate. It’s a pure garage recording, it needs more air. On the whole, musicians or pseudo-musicians can spot where the mistakes are. For all its rawness it did get good feedback.”<br /> <br /> As expected, they struggled to get any airplay. At one point Jon had even engaged a discussion with a foreign DJ to ask why songs in Maltese wouldn’t get played – Anzi s-Sajf, despite a couple of beeps, would have made a decent single – even though nowadays Jon is seeing things differently. <br /> <br /> “The Maltese artist doesn’t need radio. It would be nice if they could lend us a hand, but radio isn’t as important as it was in the nineties, before we could copy albums or download mp3’s. <br /> <br /> Ultimately the radio wants to make money, not play good music or defend the Maltese language. Three commercial radio stations have foreign station managers, what do they care about the legacy of the Maltese language? They only want to play hits and get their cheque at the end of the month. It irritates me to have foreigners leading our stations, but ultimately you can’t blame them. They don’t care about us, Brikkuni, Xtruppaw... it was angering me at first, but between internet and critics we can get through.”<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> I bid my goodbyes to Jon’s ma, and my new friend Sammy. Jon accompanies me out into the darkness of Mosta, an unusual setting for any album. It’s hip hop, but certainly not the LA ghetto or the MTV mansions. That’s why they its called No Bling Show.<br /> <br /> “Before the album was out, many youths had already discarded hip hop because it was becoming mediocre, killed by MTV. Real hip hop is very far from 50 Cent. Hip hop is not the mediocrity they want to sell us, it’s a social commentary, a spiritual message, political, it’s a teacher. People who push this consumerist philosophy have chosen to push the other genre, to sell us sneakers and bling. They&#039;ve turned hip hop into a selling tool. That’s not the root of hip hop.”<br /> <br /> Infectious albums like “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” grow on you easily. For artists like Jon, pushing the parcel is a must. “My next album? It’s going to be pretty much out the f*****n box.”<br /> <br /> Sounds like a promise.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Mother_Tongue_and_the_Thorn_in_its_Side&diff=1274 2010-10-21T12:10:56Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;Brikkuni&#039;&#039;&#039; have moved the goalposts of folk. Not a single ‘ajma’ to be heard. Words &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> His eyes scour the plateau in front of him. They could pop out of their orbits at any second. An array of even white teeth glares out at a largely unsuspecting audience; his weapon of choice: the mother tongue, of the refined diction, bent on stringing together ruthless rhymes and strategically placed sayings.<br /> <br /> Behind him, the rest of the naughty boys play a sophisticated brand of mischievous folk, tunes crafted to the minute details accompanying [[Mario Vella]]’s imposing stage act.<br /> <br /> This mini-orchestra has brought together well known if disparate faces from the alternative scene, blending together in a very rare act of skilful musicianship and a surgical, piercing use of Maltese, comparable to Italian satirist Paolo Rossi and his band of real musicians. Their debut album, the aptly-named [[Kuntrabanda]], debuted in November 2008 to a hungry crowd, tackling prickly topics such as illegal immigration, homosexuality and smalltown gossip, while seemingly denouncing an apparent backwardness of local mentalities on politics and religion.<br /> <br /> Such was the strength of the album that, barely two months after the launch, their gig at the MITP saw people turned away at the door of the sellout venue. In November, while the music scene was busy putting on its mascara for the MMA’s, Brikkuni triumphed in [[L-Għanja tal-Poplu]] with one of their non-album tracks, [[l-Uffiċċju]].<br /> <br /> It would be dismissive to discount them as the latest heralds of protest music. Their compositions reflect the poetic wit and enchanting linguistic skill inspired by Genoese songwriter Fabrizio de Andre, today a sorely missed legend; their music, a cross between the French chanson and Goran Bregovic’s bustling Balkan folk; their concerns, social, political, and very Maltese.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Tonight, therefore, the sight of Mario trudging up a staircase with a messy Chinese takeaway and subsequent skidmarks on his beard has a slightly uncanny effect. “It’s not as dodgy as the one I tried in Hamrun,” he vouches.<br /> <br /> [[Danjeli Schembri]], keyboardist and composer, plays host tonight, while [[Michael Galea]], drummer, complains of a busy weekend schedule. [[Fre Abdilla]], recently drafted on bass, walks in casually wearing a [[Dripht]] tee ([[Matthew Cuschieri]] and [[Steve Delia]], both on guitars, together with Maria Pia Meli complete the lineup).<br /> <br /> “Musically, I don’t think we did anything that new, because the influences are all there and can be picked out rather easily,” says Michael. “I’m saying we were not too innovative. Like most others we have a lot of influences, maybe our pool is wider. Maybe the advantage is that we managed to make them ours, and introduced them in Malta. But, if you look around Europe, this style has been familiar for ages.”<br /> <br /> “The singer-songwriting composition is at the base of the whole process. Our influences come in during the arrangements. I think the composer side stands out more, and that’s why the album sounds a bit more personal,” says Mario.<br /> <br /> The intensity of their lyrics on society, though, suggests an underlying anger, a sort of non-sociologic attachment to the Maltese society of Kuntrabanda.<br /> <br /> “I guess we’d have the same impulse if we lived in Oz, or Italy. So it’s not strictly a Maltese issue. There are rarely any people who are 100% satisfied with their surroundings. Except for Danjeli, that is,” says Michael as his bandmates chuckle away. “Otherwise there is always something irritating. Maybe in Malta we are a bit closer to certain issues and we experience them first hand.”<br /> <br /> Kuntrabanda’s considerations on national identity and the local political class seem to attack a conservative social base that, try as you will, still has its roots firmly entrenched to the ground. So, when Oliver Friggieri claims there is a need for parochialism in Malta, would you be up in arms?<br /> <br /> “He’s probably right as far as social interaction is concerned. People have become distant, even physically. This is because the globalised media is setting trends, making lifestyles hectic. The majority of the lyrics on Kuntrabanda (Fil-Bar, l-Assedju ż-Żgħir, Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd) veer away from the smalltown mentality. But there’s ample about the other spectrum as well. I love the paradox.”<br /> <br /> “Well... I see Mario as very conservative,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Up to a certain point, yes. For me that balance is important. I’ve had enough of fierce liberals who can’t tell their mouth from their arse. It’s great to be open minded and stuff…it’s just that open minded, more often than not ends up feeling like a sorry attempt at trying to be something that you inherently aren’t. Maybe that’s the point, but I’m not putting my name on that. Genuine innovators are welcome. We don’t get to meet too many of them very often.”<br /> <br /> “I’m conservative too in that I like to live my Mediterranean lifestyle,” says Danjeli. “Many people try to escape it, trying to go for something global which frankly doesn’t make sense. Our only limitation is that of living in what I call a golden cage. If you want to do anything in Malta you really can.”<br /> <br /> Tellingly, Brikkuni’s main strength is the use of their biggest limitation – a language that cannot be exported. “We ignored that factor completely when we started off. The foreigners aren’t our market. Making it big abroad was never our aim.”<br /> <br /> Their singer’s claim to conservatism almost puts the whole interview in a new light. So, those looking for a liberal message are looking in the wrong place?<br /> <br /> “No, there’s a liberal vein to our message, but we are not just saying ‘f*** the establishment and its conventions’ and stop there. There are many things in Malta that should be criticised but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to praise. Many people have just pigeonholed the album in the protest songs category. It’s true, they’re protest songs but there’s more to that,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Brikkuni is not trying to lecture anyone in sociology. The message isn’t apolitical either, but we’re not against Malta and the Maltese. On the contrary, we do love our country. We oppose certain mentalities that bother us. That’s all. We’d like to think of our music as ‘Maltese’ in spirit.”<br /> <br /> That Maltese spirit, and our national identity, is an issue often tackled in Kuntrabanda. Mario’s “It-Torok rebħulna fin fin” in [[Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd]] hints at our five hundred year old “foe” winning over Malta through a Trojan horse worthy of note – kebab outlets. Rather than a swipe at xenophobia, Mario points out how the globalised world has made it easy to create a relationship with your so-called enemies in a short matter of time.<br /> <br /> “The stances on national identity are nullified. Identity isn’t preserved by eliminating the possibility of influence but by exposure without loss of the true essence. Our habits – for better or worse – define us Maltese more than any flag or property will, our clumsiness and manner of overdoing things, our relentless appetite for taking the piss and continuous moaning. In fact in the album there’s a strong dose of...”<br /> <br /> “…your constant moaning,” interjects Danjeli, silencing his bandmate amid roars of laughter.<br /> <br /> Michael assures me the next albums will not focus on the same theme as Kuntrabanda. Mario, on the other hand, is happy they didn’t write an album with a set of hip statements. “That was ok when I was fifteen, sixteen, now I’ve had enough.”<br /> <br /> Maltese identity also comes under the lens of the opening track, L-Assedju z-Zgħir, a diary of Ivorian refugee Moussa Debidaouda’s odyssey to and in Malta. Stinging statements abound, among which a laconic “black doesn’t go with anything” and a reminder of the tough realities these frowned upon newcomers face, whether at work in a limestone quarry or in Malta’s nightlife Mecca. No prizes for guessing what their line of thought is.<br /> <br /> “For me, this [xenophobia] is the stupidity of a few pockets of people. Their fear of the current situation is only creating more boundaries,” says Danjeli. “That said, I’m also aware not everyone in the band agrees with this view.”<br /> <br /> Mario takes another angle. “I think the economic and media homogeneity is killing Maltese identity, not illegal immigration. The idea of trying to imitate the American or European model is leading to the death of our identity. This is happening across Europe too, not just here. Have a look at Italian TV... On the other hand I accept illegal immigration is causing a logistical problem, but it shouldn’t be regarded as a problem under any other aspect.”<br /> <br /> Sitting back in the largest of Danjeli’s armchairs, Michael seems eager to shift the direction of the interview towards the sound, rather than content, of Brikkuni. The production of Kuntrabanda, recorded over three weeks at Temple Studios, deserves its own corner of merit.<br /> <br /> “[[David Vella]]’s experience gave us a lot of input. He gave the album more strength by removing a few things. I personally saw him giving a lot of attention to our songs, not just pasting chunks together. At first I was a bit apprehensive, it was my first studio experience and I was scared he would be circling over me. But he’s far more relaxed than I had initially considered him to be,” says the drummer.<br /> <br /> “His clinical objectivity will collide head-on with many of your concepts at first. But then we realised this was an asset. It’s good to have someone with that objectivity, keeping our egos in check?”<br /> <br /> Vella’s creativity has seeped in and settled comfortably with Brikkuni’s arrangements, even if it involved the use of ordinary sound effects such as light bulbs, cooking pots, creaking doors, that created the likeable Brikkuni cacophony. Michael’s idle, seemingly random drumming on the burlesque Kollox Suggettiv is one example of how they use their instruments as extensions of their humour, as are the frequent yet welcome forays by the violin (Roberta Attard), the clarinet (Ruth Abela), and the horn sections. Overall, Kuntrabanda is the work of a musically mature band who can sound like the Shadows (Willie Vassallo) one moment and turn to ska (Rendikont) the other.<br /> <br /> My personal favourite is [[L-Eletti]], a painful commentary on the state of local politicians and their lackeys in the media. It’s a rare protest, clashing head on with the all too familiar image of well shaven youths who would die just to sit in rows behind politicians at mass meetings, ready to applaud when beckoned.<br /> <br /> Mario Vella’s spontaneity can be rather thought inducing, even though his habit of creating or wading into useless polemics with fellow musicians can occasionally land him under the bad light. His latest unprovoked lash saw him claim “he’d rather get an injection in his gums than listen to Tribali”.<br /> <br /> “I’ve already explained that,” he says without altering his composure. “Nothing against Tribali. It’s just that I cannot fathom how people can waste precious time writing chillout music. I don’t get the concept.”<br /> <br /> Danjeli, his toothy smile stamped on his face, suggests Mario is prone to tripping in his own tongue.<br /> <br /> “I’d say I’ve nothing to lose. Everybody keeps harping how a big mouth will lose you any possible opportunities. But since I don’t see any… I can’t see what I should be missing on. I haven’t lost anything thus far.”<br /> <br /> He is a rare breed, cocksure yet capable of keeping mediocrity in check by being verbose about it, just so he doesn’t stumble himself one day. And, with the band having enough material for a second album, you might turn a blind eye on Mario’s petulance and wait for the goods.<br /> <br /> In the meantime, their primary artistic concern has been satisfied. The bar has been raised.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Great_Beyond%3F&diff=1273 2010-10-21T12:10:45Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;Niki Gravino&#039;&#039;&#039;’s world could become smaller than his fist. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> The humid scent of garage days can be smelt from a few metres away. Niki Gravino silently unbolts the door of the hired rehearsal room where, in the last few months, he has been spending increasing amounts of time. Less pale than usual, with a slight hint of a suntan, his demeanour betrays the unusual tranquillity of the satisfied mind.<br /> <br /> He looks precisely the opposite of the glam persona his followers have known, hair mushrooming off at various points, wearing a slightly oversized white t-shirt with a band crayoned on it. I really should have asked him where he bought it from.<br /> <br /> This is, but, the sort of normality in which Niki has spent most of the last few months, rebuilding what were once called the Vile Bodies after the departure of two members, working on new material with the newcomers, oiling the machine.<br /> <br /> Sitting straight on the only single seater in the room (drummer stool excluded), he ponders his replies carefully, occasionally fidgeting with a couple of coins, his hair swaying with every nod. <br /> <br /> “The arrival of the new members... It was like starting all over again. We had to work on bringing in a certain harmony and understanding each other. Every change is good as long as the direction is right. I feel we’ve done a lot of improvement since the new people have come in. But now, it’s time to step on the gas.”<br /> <br /> Promising two shows and a secret gig (“a very crazy move, but it will get results”), Gravino acknowledges the task of finding two replacements for what seemed to be a definite, unmovable lineup.<br /> <br /> “I’d be lying if I said that. It would be nice to be able to choose from fifty instead of four decent musicians. But that would be another limitation. Without the help of a team who would weigh things according to certain criteria, it would have taken ages. So in a way, everything happens in proportion with your size.”<br /> <br /> “I feel that the musicians we found are very good, they fit into the style of the band better than their predecessors. Somehow, they have injected a new chemistry in the band. We are still a bit shy of each other; it’s like the first two or three dates with a new girlfriend, where the sweetest experiences come from. Apart from that, it is also true that whenever a door slams shut, there are other opportunities ready to be taken.”<br /> <br /> You start to wonder if his shoes are too big for Malta. He likens the local music scene to a flowerpod. “A plant in a small pod will never grow beyond a certain level. Malta is an exceptional breeding ground for young artists, but once you’re no longer a puppy, you need more space.” <br /> <br /> “We’re an island with an island mentality. Somehow, while we don’t have much to work with, we do little in terms of working together. At one point Malta becomes very restrictive and if you don’t get out, the growth process will stop there and then.”<br /> <br /> Rumour has it that Gravino may be ready to fulfil his lebenstraum of moving, band n’all, to the greener pastures of the UK, an ideal grazing ground to feed his mercurial talent. Surprisingly he is non-committal, choosing not to promise anything and deciding to stay clear of confirming anything.<br /> <br /> “For now, I will only say it may or may not be true. The plans have always been there since the beginning. They may be closer. But I know it’s very prohibitive for a band to do this move. I don’t want to talk too much about it. I want to do things my way. Talking too much about it limits my liberty to change things around, or the way of doing things.”<br /> <br /> There is, he stresses, work to be done, in getting the band back on track and issuing a release of sorts. “I’ve a lot of new material but it’s a bit, like, scattered everywhere. It still needs harnessing. I’m going through a lot of changes in my life, I’m growing older, the band has changed too. Direction was an issue during Politics too, but in these last few weeks I have been seeing something more tangible.”<br /> <br /> It took Gravino three years to release the pleasantly shocking Politics of Double Beds, whose second birthday is in November. Hardly anyone spends so long on a debut album.<br /> <br /> “I think Politics, although produced with extreme attention to every detail, is still only the search of who I am. It is not the final word. Before something else happens there has to be another release, be it an album, or an EP. I have to make another step to see who I am as an artist, or rather, the band. I will not do things by myself again. This time round, the band will be part of the process, at least in the arrangements. If we want to go elsewhere, it will depend on how well we can find our identity as musicians. I cannot go places with dead bodies.”<br /> <br /> The humane prospect of ageing doesn’t lose him sleep, either. “I’ve enough time. I’m not going to be pressed to move elsewhere. The release has to come first. I’m open to changing my method of work, I admit Politics took me a lot of time and energy to create. Now I’m open to accept that I might need to work faster. It’s a new avenue of which I’m not afraid.”<br /> <br /> His finest hour was probably the 2008 MMA night, where this Prince lookalike complete with makeup rose from the outsider’s corner to bag the beauty of five deserved trophies for his efforts on Politics. If only things were done the way they should, a sixth for Best Album should have followed. But this is just a tiny personal bracket I allow myself to open from time to time.<br /> <br /> “I knew - I had a feeling we would win something. I thought I’d get two awards. Winning five was a surprise, and it meant a lot, even if some other artists are willing to knock the awards. I like to think of them as rewards rather than awards. They were a confidence boost, you know.”<br /> <br /> Watching you perform tells me you’re already quite confident...<br /> “It’s passion, not confidence. I don’t go onstage to be cool, or sexy. That’s my way of expressing my passion, nothing more.”<br /> <br /> That said, however, it hasn’t brought down the walls in local music as many have hoped. It has surely taken the weight of their own eccentricity off their backs, giving them more credit with the mainstream. Niki isn’t sure of that either.<br /> <br /> The band’s ability, however, continues to be shrouded to the undiscerning publics by the particular image they chose. “I think many people ‘fancy’ us - that’s the word - because we wear nail polish and a couple of weird suits. We all feel that our image isn’t too unique. It’s such a repetition and a cliché, it should be sickening by now. They don’t understand we are a band in the making, who is constantly trying out new things.<br /> <br /> “We don’t want to stay in the niche. People who don’t understand what we are about, the same people who ‘fancy’ us, want us to remain a niche act.” <br /> <br /> “Niki Gravino,” he says suddenly referring to himself in the third person, “started off in the niche, but Niki Gravino doesn’t feel he should stay there because he’s not afraid of the world. I’m not afraid.”<br /> <br /> One of the best read musicians in Malta, Gravino is one of few people with the temerity of tattooing the words “Culture” and a barcode on the nape of his neck. A personal credo that has held true for all his life, as he strives, yet once more, to create a masterstroke that sets him aside from the rest. Second album pressure must be sky-high.<br /> <br /> Today, however, he philosophises less, even sounding pragmatic, wary of the daunting task he and his bandmates face in the coming months. How does he, self styled artist who cites David Bowie as his ‘paradigm’, spend his time away from the spotlight?<br /> <br /> “I spend a lot of time waiting for myself, for those around me, waiting for improvements, ideas, inspirations. I work on my attitudes, on my vision for the band and this project. I also spend a lot of time doing things that are not related to music, like washing my roof, just to get my mind off the music. But I spend a lot time trying to become a better person, to make my project more whole.”<br /> <br /> The next release? “I would say it’s months away, not years, for sure. I hope to surprise myself, and those who listen to me. Doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen.”<br /> <br /> Projects? “Right now, we’re focused on becoming a very good band, without leaving a single crack in our show.”<br /> <br /> As if I ever doubted that.<br /> <br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1272 2010-10-21T12:09:40Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> October 2009 - [[The Great Beyond?]] - [[Niki Gravino]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> May 2009 - [[The Mother Tongue and the Thorn in its Side]] - [[Brikkuni]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]<br /> [[Category:Newspaper articles]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Tales_from_Troubled_Truths&diff=1271 2010-10-21T12:07:51Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== Mosta might be best known for its Dome, but the playground is earning its place in history. Jon Mallia’s&#039;&#039;&#039; No Bling Show&#039;&#039;&#039; is the soundtrack to a jilted generation. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> I always loved that line in Dan le Sac’s “Thou Shalt Always Kill.” It goes something like, Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be. By standards, the song is a sociorealistic rant where allusions to everyday British life are not so grossly exaggerated, and the painful reference to the pureed MTV hip hop that has catapulted its protagonists from ghettos to “cribs”: it’s turned into a joke.<br /> <br /> Jon Mallia, fortunately, doesn’t wear a ton of jewellery round his neck and unlike those you see on the box, doesn’t talk ghetto gibberish. He greets me in track suit pants and t-shirt, walking out into a chilly Mosta evening without bothering to put his shoes on yet making it a point to avoid the puddles as we head to his house. “Don’t be scared of the dog. It will ba…” he says before Sammy, a giant two year old mongrel, drowns our discourse.<br /> <br /> As it turns out, Sammy makes friends with the newcomer rather quickly. “I share the house with my mum, sixteen cats, a dog, and I’ve lost count of my brothers and sisters,” Jon titters as his mother prepares coffee and cigarettes.<br /> <br /> Jon is the creator and one-half of No Bling Show (the other being fellow Sixth Simfoni talent Phil Zammit), the hip hop sensation that rose to acclaim this summer with their homemade debut “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” (Tales from the Mosta Playground). Brash and occasionally corrosive yet witty, piercingly recited in the native tongue, their first attempt slithers through Jon’s personal experiences and the grim realities of Maltese society, letting skeletons out of padlocked closets, recounting teenage angst that ends helplessly in the dark throes of substance abuse. If for a moment you suspected No Bling Show was being tongue in cheek, the sordid life embedded in the rhymes crafted in anger is a shattering thud to earth.<br /> <br /> We’re settled down around the table, in the company of a courteous eighteen year old cat who sets on a discreet inspection of my belongings. Eager to answer and polite, the singer exudes self confidence and determination, even though he behaves very much unlike the reputed rabble-rouser you hear of.<br /> <br /> “It all started off this summer. Sixth Simfoni was a natural basis for us, it’s a great thing, experimental and flowing. But I felt a sting inside me. I felt it the first time after a festival in France three years ago. Almost all the hip hop acts who performed were doing so in their native tongue. We were the only ones to sing in English. It stung my conscience... hip hop is a voice to the oppressed in society. How can I be that voice without even using my mother language?”<br /> <br /> “I was spending a lot of time negotiating and all this bureaucratic stuff. I just couldn’t sit still without doing any creative work, like letting something die inside me. I found myself writing Lucija u Samwel on my own at night, thinking, this could lead to something. It was a good thorough look at the culture I’m living in right now.”<br /> <br /> Joining forces with Phil, Jon moved quarters to his garage (“a complete junkyard”) armed with basic recording equipment and tons of enthusiasm. “We only had a half a song written, and we set ourselves a deadline to finish the piece in five weeks. We stuck to it. We wrote, arranged, recorded, printed and marketed the album in just five weeks.”<br /> <br /> Acknowledging the challenge of bringing together two very disparate key elements, a Semitic language and an Afro-American music genre, Jon lists Brikkuni’s Kuntrabanda as the spark that convinced him to record in Maltese. “They were an inspiration. Kuntrabanda showed me how descriptive Maltese could be.”<br /> <br /> “I admit it wasn’t easy. I had written some things before and ran them by [[Niki Gravino]]. He pointed out that I was rapping in Maltese but there was still something borrowed from English. Maltese has a lot of consonants and that did help our diction a great deal. After much practising it all became natural. In those five weeks I had started to believe in it, and I wanted to do it so much that it became easier.” His rap routine has had an effect on his pronunciation, leading him to elongate and emphasise his ‘a’ during the course of our chat.<br /> <br /> Stejjer... does not stick to an accepted formula, not even in the course of its twelve tracks. It reaches its climaxes with the two parts of the epic Lucija u Samwel, a tale of violated innocence and drug bingeing (brilliantly filmed and produced by the crew of Take 2, another Youtube hit these days) and meanders almost lazily during the Police inspired ska beat of Anzi s-Sajf. It plunges to the pseudo-sleaze Ritornell, a recount of an intimate moment that serves, if anything, to defuse the tension of Lucija u Samwel. U l-Iskola is another highlight, a tour among the gallery of Jon’s first sworn enemies: teachers.<br /> <br /> He sings as matter of factly as can be, naming them in person, paying respect to those who deserve it, and vowing no forgiveness to the others. The album is deeply personal, in some phases Jon seems to tell too much. I lower my voice when I ask him about the frequent references to drug abuse.<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, mum knows about everything, unfortunately she’s witnessed all of it. The root of hip hop is to create a positive from the negative. I lived an obscure life for a period of time. I’ve tried everything and done everything. Now I put all my anger at the centre, looked at it in an objective manner, analysed it, and decided to tell the truth without shying away. If I don’t sell drugs myself, I will know someone who does. I’m not saying anything new. There’s no point in saying these things don’t happen, therefore I decided to be honest. It’s my duty as an artist.<br /> <br /> “I’m not trying to tell people what’s right and what’s wrong. I’m only saying these things are happening. At least the mothers, the parents know what’s going on. There’s a disillusioned generation. Many great aspiring musicians are amongst those worst hit by drugs. The truth is what it is. There are repercussions. I can forget about a sponsor. But at least I sleep at night.”<br /> <br /> Released to positive reviews this summer, the album is a raw deal, produced entirely in a garage with a 1995 software. “My sleeping bag is still down there,” smiles Jon. “And I used to shower once every three days.” <br /> <br /> Feedback from the live audiences was very encouraging. “Our songs are well known, even when we played to crowds who don’t know hip hop. People who’re more open minded and listen to a lot of different music liked it. As raw as it is, it’s still a breath of fresh air.”<br /> <br /> You sense, however, that the hype surrounding No Bling Show needs a more mature follow up. Precious seconds of the album are wasted on banter between Jon and Phil, which seems to capture the camaraderie of those days, but doesn’t necessarily sound funny. So is the refrain of Bla Xinxilli. Jon is disarmingly honest when faced with criticism, saying the next album needs more thought and experiment, admitting to a few venial sins while recording.<br /> <br /> “I’ll be very frank, I skip the first 1min26 of the opener, I can’t stand it. Same goes for the very last track. There’s a lot of room for improvement, in every track. Every song has a defect...in the first part of Lucija my tempo fluctuates, Bla Xinxilli needs higher vocals, maybe you’re right about the chorus. We recorded it on a PC in a 1995 Q-base, mate. It’s a pure garage recording, it needs more air. On the whole, musicians or pseudo-musicians can spot where the mistakes are. For all its rawness it did get good feedback.”<br /> <br /> As expected, they struggled to get any airplay. At one point Jon had even engaged a discussion with a foreign DJ to ask why songs in Maltese wouldn’t get played – Anzi s-Sajf, despite a couple of beeps, would have made a decent single – even though nowadays Jon is seeing things differently. <br /> <br /> “The Maltese artist doesn’t need radio. It would be nice if they could lend us a hand, but radio isn’t as important as it was in the nineties, before we could copy albums or download mp3’s. <br /> <br /> Ultimately the radio wants to make money, not play good music or defend the Maltese language. Three commercial radio stations have foreign station managers, what do they care about the legacy of the Maltese language? They only want to play hits and get their cheque at the end of the month. It irritates me to have foreigners leading our stations, but ultimately you can’t blame them. They don’t care about us, Brikkuni, Xtruppaw... it was angering me at first, but between internet and critics we can get through.”<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> I bid my goodbyes to Jon’s ma, and my new friend Sammy. Jon accompanies me out into the darkness of Mosta, an unusual setting for any album. It’s hip hop, but certainly not the LA ghetto or the MTV mansions. That’s why they its called No Bling Show.<br /> <br /> “Before the album was out, many youths had already discarded hip hop because it was becoming mediocre, killed by MTV. Real hip hop is very far from 50 Cent. Hip hop is not the mediocrity they want to sell us, it’s a social commentary, a spiritual message, political, it’s a teacher. People who push this consumerist philosophy have chosen to push the other genre, to sell us sneakers and bling. They&#039;ve turned hip hop into a selling tool. That’s not the root of hip hop.”<br /> <br /> Infectious albums like “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” grow on you easily. For artists like Jon, pushing the parcel is a must. “My next album? It’s going to be pretty much out the f*****n box.”<br /> <br /> Sounds like a promise.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Brikkuni&diff=1270 2010-10-21T12:06:19Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* See also */</p> <hr /> <div>{{stub}}<br /> <br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> <br /> *[[Wirdien - Il-Masgar, Mtarfa, 02/10/2010]]<br /> *[[The Mother Tongue and the Thorn in its Side]]<br /> <br /> ==External links==<br /> <br /> *[http://www.myspace.com/brikkuni Brikkuni on MySpace]<br /> <br /> [[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]<br /> [[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Mother_Tongue_and_the_Thorn_in_its_Side&diff=1263 2010-10-20T20:49:08Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;Brikkuni&#039;&#039;&#039; have moved the goalposts of folk. Not a single ‘ajma’ to be heard. Words &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> His eyes scour the plateau in front of him. They could pop out of their orbits at any second. An array of even white teeth glares out at a largely unsuspecting audience; his weapon of choice: the mother tongue, of the refined diction, bent on stringing together ruthless rhymes and strategically placed sayings.<br /> <br /> Behind him, the rest of the naughty boys play a sophisticated brand of mischievous folk, tunes crafted to the minute details accompanying [[Mario Vella]]’s imposing stage act.<br /> <br /> This mini-orchestra has brought together well known if disparate faces from the alternative scene, blending together in a very rare act of skilful musicianship and a surgical, piercing use of Maltese, comparable to Italian satirist Paolo Rossi and his band of real musicians. Their debut album, the aptly-named Kuntrabanda, debuted in November 2008 to a hungry crowd, tackling prickly topics such as illegal immigration, homosexuality and smalltown gossip, while seemingly denouncing an apparent backwardness of local mentalities on politics and religion.<br /> <br /> Such was the strength of the album that, barely two months after the launch, their gig at the MITP saw people turned away at the door of the sellout venue. In November, while the music scene was busy putting on its mascara for the MMA’s, Brikkuni triumphed in L-Għanja tal-Poplu with one of their non-album tracks, l-Uffiċċju.<br /> <br /> It would be dismissive to discount them as the latest heralds of protest music. Their compositions reflect the poetic wit and enchanting linguistic skill inspired by Genoese songwriter Fabrizio de Andre, today a sorely missed legend; their music, a cross between the French chanson and Goran Bregovic’s bustling Balkan folk; their concerns, social, political, and very Maltese.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Tonight, therefore, the sight of Mario trudging up a staircase with a messy Chinese takeaway and subsequent skidmarks on his beard has a slightly uncanny effect. “It’s not as dodgy as the one I tried in Hamrun,” he vouches.<br /> <br /> [[Danjeli Schembri]], keyboardist and composer, plays host tonight, while [[Michael Galea]], drummer, complains of a busy weekend schedule. [[Fre Abdilla]], recently drafted on bass, walks in casually wearing a [[Dripht]] tee ([[Matthew Cuschieri]] and [[Steve Delia]], both on guitars, together with Maria Pia Meli complete the lineup).<br /> <br /> “Musically, I don’t think we did anything that new, because the influences are all there and can be picked out rather easily,” says Michael. “I’m saying we were not too innovative. Like most others we have a lot of influences, maybe our pool is wider. Maybe the advantage is that we managed to make them ours, and introduced them in Malta. But, if you look around Europe, this style has been familiar for ages.”<br /> <br /> “The singer-songwriting composition is at the base of the whole process. Our influences come in during the arrangements. I think the composer side stands out more, and that’s why the album sounds a bit more personal,” says Mario.<br /> <br /> The intensity of their lyrics on society, though, suggests an underlying anger, a sort of non-sociologic attachment to the Maltese society of Kuntrabanda.<br /> <br /> “I guess we’d have the same impulse if we lived in Oz, or Italy. So it’s not strictly a Maltese issue. There are rarely any people who are 100% satisfied with their surroundings. Except for Danjeli, that is,” says Michael as his bandmates chuckle away. “Otherwise there is always something irritating. Maybe in Malta we are a bit closer to certain issues and we experience them first hand.”<br /> <br /> Kuntrabanda’s considerations on national identity and the local political class seem to attack a conservative social base that, try as you will, still has its roots firmly entrenched to the ground. So, when Oliver Friggieri claims there is a need for parochialism in Malta, would you be up in arms?<br /> <br /> “He’s probably right as far as social interaction is concerned. People have become distant, even physically. This is because the globalised media is setting trends, making lifestyles hectic. The majority of the lyrics on Kuntrabanda (Fil-Bar, l-Assedju ż-Żgħir, Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd) veer away from the smalltown mentality. But there’s ample about the other spectrum as well. I love the paradox.”<br /> <br /> “Well... I see Mario as very conservative,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Up to a certain point, yes. For me that balance is important. I’ve had enough of fierce liberals who can’t tell their mouth from their arse. It’s great to be open minded and stuff…it’s just that open minded, more often than not ends up feeling like a sorry attempt at trying to be something that you inherently aren’t. Maybe that’s the point, but I’m not putting my name on that. Genuine innovators are welcome. We don’t get to meet too many of them very often.”<br /> <br /> “I’m conservative too in that I like to live my Mediterranean lifestyle,” says Danjeli. “Many people try to escape it, trying to go for something global which frankly doesn’t make sense. Our only limitation is that of living in what I call a golden cage. If you want to do anything in Malta you really can.”<br /> <br /> Tellingly, Brikkuni’s main strength is the use of their biggest limitation – a language that cannot be exported. “We ignored that factor completely when we started off. The foreigners aren’t our market. Making it big abroad was never our aim.”<br /> <br /> Their singer’s claim to conservatism almost puts the whole interview in a new light. So, those looking for a liberal message are looking in the wrong place?<br /> <br /> “No, there’s a liberal vein to our message, but we are not just saying ‘f*** the establishment and its conventions’ and stop there. There are many things in Malta that should be criticised but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to praise. Many people have just pigeonholed the album in the protest songs category. It’s true, they’re protest songs but there’s more to that,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Brikkuni is not trying to lecture anyone in sociology. The message isn’t apolitical either, but we’re not against Malta and the Maltese. On the contrary, we do love our country. We oppose certain mentalities that bother us. That’s all. We’d like to think of our music as ‘Maltese’ in spirit.”<br /> <br /> That Maltese spirit, and our national identity, is an issue often tackled in Kuntrabanda. Mario’s “It-Torok rebħulna fin fin” in Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd hints at our five hundred year old “foe” winning over Malta through a Trojan horse worthy of note – kebab outlets. Rather than a swipe at xenophobia, Mario points out how the globalised world has made it easy to create a relationship with your so-called enemies in a short matter of time.<br /> <br /> “The stances on national identity are nullified. Identity isn’t preserved by eliminating the possibility of influence but by exposure without loss of the true essence. Our habits – for better or worse – define us Maltese more than any flag or property will, our clumsiness and manner of overdoing things, our relentless appetite for taking the piss and continuous moaning. In fact in the album there’s a strong dose of...”<br /> <br /> “…your constant moaning,” interjects Danjeli, silencing his bandmate amid roars of laughter.<br /> <br /> Michael assures me the next albums will not focus on the same theme as Kuntrabanda. Mario, on the other hand, is happy they didn’t write an album with a set of hip statements. “That was ok when I was fifteen, sixteen, now I’ve had enough.”<br /> <br /> Maltese identity also comes under the lens of the opening track, L-Assedju z-Zgħir, a diary of Ivorian refugee Moussa Debidaouda’s odyssey to and in Malta. Stinging statements abound, among which a laconic “black doesn’t go with anything” and a reminder of the tough realities these frowned upon newcomers face, whether at work in a limestone quarry or in Malta’s nightlife Mecca. No prizes for guessing what their line of thought is.<br /> <br /> “For me, this [xenophobia] is the stupidity of a few pockets of people. Their fear of the current situation is only creating more boundaries,” says Danjeli. “That said, I’m also aware not everyone in the band agrees with this view.”<br /> <br /> Mario takes another angle. “I think the economic and media homogeneity is killing Maltese identity, not illegal immigration. The idea of trying to imitate the American or European model is leading to the death of our identity. This is happening across Europe too, not just here. Have a look at Italian TV... On the other hand I accept illegal immigration is causing a logistical problem, but it shouldn’t be regarded as a problem under any other aspect.”<br /> <br /> Sitting back in the largest of Danjeli’s armchairs, Michael seems eager to shift the direction of the interview towards the sound, rather than content, of Brikkuni. The production of Kuntrabanda, recorded over three weeks at Temple Studios, deserves its own corner of merit.<br /> <br /> “[[David Vella]]’s experience gave us a lot of input. He gave the album more strength by removing a few things. I personally saw him giving a lot of attention to our songs, not just pasting chunks together. At first I was a bit apprehensive, it was my first studio experience and I was scared he would be circling over me. But he’s far more relaxed than I had initially considered him to be,” says the drummer.<br /> <br /> “His clinical objectivity will collide head-on with many of your concepts at first. But then we realised this was an asset. It’s good to have someone with that objectivity, keeping our egos in check?”<br /> <br /> Vella’s creativity has seeped in and settled comfortably with Brikkuni’s arrangements, even if it involved the use of ordinary sound effects such as light bulbs, cooking pots, creaking doors, that created the likeable Brikkuni cacophony. Michael’s idle, seemingly random drumming on the burlesque Kollox Suggettiv is one example of how they use their instruments as extensions of their humour, as are the frequent yet welcome forays by the violin (Roberta Attard), the clarinet (Ruth Abela), and the horn sections. Overall, Kuntrabanda is the work of a musically mature band who can sound like the Shadows (Willie Vassallo) one moment and turn to ska (Rendikont) the other.<br /> <br /> My personal favourite is L-Eletti, a painful commentary on the state of local politicians and their lackeys in the media. It’s a rare protest, clashing head on with the all too familiar image of well shaven youths who would die just to sit in rows behind politicians at mass meetings, ready to applaud when beckoned.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Mario Vella’s spontaneity can be rather thought inducing, even though his habit of creating or wading into useless polemics with fellow musicians can occasionally land him under the bad light. His latest unprovoked lash saw him claim “he’d rather get an injection in his gums than listen to Tribali”.<br /> <br /> “I’ve already explained that,” he says without altering his composure. “Nothing against Tribali. It’s just that I cannot fathom how people can waste precious time writing chillout music. I don’t get the concept.”<br /> <br /> Danjeli, his toothy smile stamped on his face, suggests Mario is prone to tripping in his own tongue.<br /> <br /> “I’d say I’ve nothing to lose. Everybody keeps harping how a big mouth will lose you any possible opportunities. But since I don’t see any… I can’t see what I should be missing on. I haven’t lost anything thus far.”<br /> <br /> He is a rare breed, cocksure yet capable of keeping mediocrity in check by being verbose about it, just so he doesn’t stumble himself one day. And, with the band having enough material for a second album, you might turn a blind eye on Mario’s petulance and wait for the goods.<br /> <br /> In the meantime, their primary artistic concern has been satisfied. The bar has been raised.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Mother_Tongue_and_the_Thorn_in_its_Side&diff=1262 2010-10-20T20:46:31Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* Brikkuni have moved the goalposts of folk. Not a single ‘ajma’ to be heard. Words Wayne Flask */</p> <hr /> <div><br /> == &#039;&#039;&#039;Brikkuni&#039;&#039;&#039; have moved the goalposts of folk. Not a single ‘ajma’ to be heard. Words &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> His eyes scour the plateau in front of him. They could pop out of their orbits at any second. An array of even white teeth glares out at a largely unsuspecting audience; his weapon of choice: the mother tongue, of the refined diction, bent on stringing together ruthless rhymes and strategically placed sayings.<br /> <br /> Behind him, the rest of the naughty boys play a sophisticated brand of mischievous folk, tunes crafted to the minute details accompanying [[Mario Vella]]’s imposing stage act.<br /> <br /> This mini-orchestra has brought together well known if disparate faces from the alternative scene, blending together in a very rare act of skilful musicianship and a surgical, piercing use of Maltese, comparable to Italian satirist Paolo Rossi and his band of real musicians. Their debut album, the aptly-named Kuntrabanda, debuted in November 2008 to a hungry crowd, tackling prickly topics such as illegal immigration, homosexuality and smalltown gossip, while seemingly denouncing an apparent backwardness of local mentalities on politics and religion.<br /> <br /> Such was the strength of the album that, barely two months after the launch, their gig at the MITP saw people turned away at the door of the sellout venue. In November, while the music scene was busy putting on its mascara for the MMA’s, Brikkuni triumphed in L-Għanja tal-Poplu with one of their non-album tracks, l-Uffiċċju.<br /> <br /> It would be dismissive to discount them as the latest heralds of protest music. Their compositions reflect the poetic wit and enchanting linguistic skill inspired by Genoese songwriter Fabrizio de Andre, today a sorely missed legend; their music, a cross between the French chanson and Goran Bregovic’s bustling Balkan folk; their concerns, social, political, and very Maltese.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Tonight, therefore, the sight of Mario trudging up a staircase with a messy Chinese takeaway and subsequent skidmarks on his beard has a slightly uncanny effect. “It’s not as dodgy as the one I tried in Hamrun,” he vouches.<br /> <br /> [[Danjeli Schembri]], keyboardist and composer, plays host tonight, while [[Michael Galea]], drummer, complains of a busy weekend schedule. [[Fre Abdilla]], recently drafted on bass, walks in casually wearing a [[Dripht]] tee ([[Matthew Cuschieri]] and [[Steve Delia]], both on guitars, together with Maria Pia Meli complete the lineup).<br /> <br /> “Musically, I don’t think we did anything that new, because the influences are all there and can be picked out rather easily,” says Michael. “I’m saying we were not too innovative. Like most others we have a lot of influences, maybe our pool is wider. Maybe the advantage is that we managed to make them ours, and introduced them in Malta. But, if you look around Europe, this style has been familiar for ages.”<br /> <br /> “The singer-songwriting composition is at the base of the whole process. Our influences come in during the arrangements. I think the composer side stands out more, and that’s why the album sounds a bit more personal,” says Mario.<br /> <br /> The intensity of their lyrics on society, though, suggests an underlying anger, a sort of non-sociologic attachment to the Maltese society of Kuntrabanda.<br /> <br /> “I guess we’d have the same impulse if we lived in Oz, or Italy. So it’s not strictly a Maltese issue. There are rarely any people who are 100% satisfied with their surroundings. Except for Danjeli, that is,” says Michael as his bandmates chuckle away. “Otherwise there is always something irritating. Maybe in Malta we are a bit closer to certain issues and we experience them first hand.”<br /> <br /> Kuntrabanda’s considerations on national identity and the local political class seem to attack a conservative social base that, try as you will, still has its roots firmly entrenched to the ground. So, when Oliver Friggieri claims there is a need for parochialism in Malta, would you be up in arms?<br /> <br /> “He’s probably right as far as social interaction is concerned. People have become distant, even physically. This is because the globalised media is setting trends, making lifestyles hectic. The majority of the lyrics on Kuntrabanda (Fil-Bar, l-Assedju ż-Żgħir, Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd) veer away from the smalltown mentality. But there’s ample about the other spectrum as well. I love the paradox.”<br /> <br /> “Well... I see Mario as very conservative,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Up to a certain point, yes. For me that balance is important. I’ve had enough of fierce liberals who can’t tell their mouth from their arse. It’s great to be open minded and stuff…it’s just that open minded, more often than not ends up feeling like a sorry attempt at trying to be something that you inherently aren’t. Maybe that’s the point, but I’m not putting my name on that. Genuine innovators are welcome. We don’t get to meet too many of them very often.”<br /> <br /> “I’m conservative too in that I like to live my Mediterranean lifestyle,” says Danjeli. “Many people try to escape it, trying to go for something global which frankly doesn’t make sense. Our only limitation is that of living in what I call a golden cage. If you want to do anything in Malta you really can.”<br /> <br /> Tellingly, Brikkuni’s main strength is the use of their biggest limitation – a language that cannot be exported. “We ignored that factor completely when we started off. The foreigners aren’t our market. Making it big abroad was never our aim.”<br /> <br /> Their singer’s claim to conservatism almost puts the whole interview in a new light. So, those looking for a liberal message are looking in the wrong place?<br /> <br /> “No, there’s a liberal vein to our message, but we are not just saying ‘f*** the establishment and its conventions’ and stop there. There are many things in Malta that should be criticised but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to praise. Many people have just pigeonholed the album in the protest songs category. It’s true, they’re protest songs but there’s more to that,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Brikkuni is not trying to lecture anyone in sociology. The message isn’t apolitical either, but we’re not against Malta and the Maltese. On the contrary, we do love our country. We oppose certain mentalities that bother us. That’s all. We’d like to think of our music as ‘Maltese’ in spirit.”<br /> <br /> That Maltese spirit, and our national identity, is an issue often tackled in Kuntrabanda. Mario’s “It-Torok rebħulna fin fin” in Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd hints at our five hundred year old “foe” winning over Malta through a Trojan horse worthy of note – kebab outlets. Rather than a swipe at xenophobia, Mario points out how the globalised world has made it easy to create a relationship with your so-called enemies in a short matter of time.<br /> <br /> “The stances on national identity are nullified. Identity isn’t preserved by eliminating the possibility of influence but by exposure without loss of the true essence. Our habits – for better or worse – define us Maltese more than any flag or property will, our clumsiness and manner of overdoing things, our relentless appetite for taking the piss and continuous moaning. In fact in the album there’s a strong dose of...”<br /> <br /> “…your constant moaning,” interjects Danjeli, silencing his bandmate amid roars of laughter.<br /> <br /> Michael assures me the next albums will not focus on the same theme as Kuntrabanda. Mario, on the other hand, is happy they didn’t write an album with a set of hip statements. “That was ok when I was fifteen, sixteen, now I’ve had enough.”<br /> <br /> Maltese identity also comes under the lens of the opening track, L-Assedju z-Zgħir, a diary of Ivorian refugee Moussa Debidaouda’s odyssey to and in Malta. Stinging statements abound, among which a laconic “black doesn’t go with anything” and a reminder of the tough realities these frowned upon newcomers face, whether at work in a limestone quarry or in Malta’s nightlife Mecca. No prizes for guessing what their line of thought is.<br /> <br /> “For me, this [xenophobia] is the stupidity of a few pockets of people. Their fear of the current situation is only creating more boundaries,” says Danjeli. “That said, I’m also aware not everyone in the band agrees with this view.”<br /> <br /> Mario takes another angle. “I think the economic and media homogeneity is killing Maltese identity, not illegal immigration. The idea of trying to imitate the American or European model is leading to the death of our identity. This is happening across Europe too, not just here. Have a look at Italian TV... On the other hand I accept illegal immigration is causing a logistical problem, but it shouldn’t be regarded as a problem under any other aspect.”<br /> <br /> Sitting back in the largest of Danjeli’s armchairs, Michael seems eager to shift the direction of the interview towards the sound, rather than content, of Brikkuni. The production of Kuntrabanda, recorded over three weeks at Temple Studios, deserves its own corner of merit.<br /> <br /> “David Vella’s experience gave us a lot of input. He gave the album more strength by removing a few things. I personally saw him giving a lot of attention to our songs, not just pasting chunks together. At first I was a bit apprehensive, it was my first studio experience and I was scared he would be circling over me. But he’s far more relaxed than I had initially considered him to be,” says the drummer.<br /> <br /> “His clinical objectivity will collide head-on with many of your concepts at first. But then we realised this was an asset. It’s good to have someone with that objectivity, keeping our egos in check?”<br /> <br /> Vella’s creativity has seeped in and settled comfortably with Brikkuni’s arrangements, even if it involved the use of ordinary sound effects such as light bulbs, cooking pots, creaking doors, that created the likeable Brikkuni cacophony. Michael’s idle, seemingly random drumming on the burlesque Kollox Suggettiv is one example of how they use their instruments as extensions of their humour, as are the frequent yet welcome forays by the violin (Roberta Attard), the clarinet (Ruth Abela), and the horn sections. Overall, Kuntrabanda is the work of a musically mature band who can sound like the Shadows (Willie Vassallo) one moment and turn to ska (Rendikont) the other.<br /> <br /> My personal favourite is L-Eletti, a painful commentary on the state of local politicians and their lackeys in the media. It’s a rare protest, clashing head on with the all too familiar image of well shaven youths who would die just to sit in rows behind politicians at mass meetings, ready to applaud when beckoned.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Mario Vella’s spontaneity can be rather thought inducing, even though his habit of creating or wading into useless polemics with fellow musicians can occasionally land him under the bad light. His latest unprovoked lash saw him claim “he’d rather get an injection in his gums than listen to Tribali”.<br /> <br /> “I’ve already explained that,” he says without altering his composure. “Nothing against Tribali. It’s just that I cannot fathom how people can waste precious time writing chillout music. I don’t get the concept.”<br /> <br /> Danjeli, his toothy smile stamped on his face, suggests Mario is prone to tripping in his own tongue.<br /> <br /> “I’d say I’ve nothing to lose. Everybody keeps harping how a big mouth will lose you any possible opportunities. But since I don’t see any… I can’t see what I should be missing on. I haven’t lost anything thus far.”<br /> <br /> He is a rare breed, cocksure yet capable of keeping mediocrity in check by being verbose about it, just so he doesn’t stumble himself one day. And, with the band having enough material for a second album, you might turn a blind eye on Mario’s petulance and wait for the goods.<br /> <br /> In the meantime, their primary artistic concern has been satisfied. The bar has been raised.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Mother_Tongue_and_the_Thorn_in_its_Side&diff=1261 2010-10-20T20:45:17Z

<p>Wayneflask: Created page with &#039; == &#039;&#039;&#039;Brikkuni&#039;&#039;&#039; have moved the goalposts of folk. Not a single ‘ajma’ to be heard. Words &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; == His eyes scour the plateau in front of him. They could pop …&#039;</p> <hr /> <div><br /> == &#039;&#039;&#039;Brikkuni&#039;&#039;&#039; have moved the goalposts of folk. Not a single ‘ajma’ to be heard. Words &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> His eyes scour the plateau in front of him. They could pop out of their orbits at any second. An array of even white teeth glares out at a largely unsuspecting audience; his weapon of choice: the mother tongue, of the refined diction, bent on stringing together ruthless rhymes and strategically placed sayings.<br /> <br /> Behind him, the rest of the naughty boys play a sophisticated brand of mischievous folk, tunes crafted to the minute details accompanying Mario Vella’s imposing stage act.<br /> <br /> This mini-orchestra has brought together well known if disparate faces from the alternative scene, blending together in a very rare act of skilful musicianship and a surgical, piercing use of Maltese, comparable to Italian satirist Paolo Rossi and his band of real musicians. Their debut album, the aptly-named Kuntrabanda, debuted in November 2008 to a hungry crowd, tackling prickly topics such as illegal immigration, homosexuality and smalltown gossip, while seemingly denouncing an apparent backwardness of local mentalities on politics and religion.<br /> <br /> Such was the strength of the album that, barely two months after the launch, their gig at the MITP saw people turned away at the door of the sellout venue. In November, while the music scene was busy putting on its mascara for the MMA’s, Brikkuni triumphed in L-Għanja tal-Poplu with one of their non-album tracks, l-Uffiċċju.<br /> <br /> It would be dismissive to discount them as the latest heralds of protest music. Their compositions reflect the poetic wit and enchanting linguistic skill inspired by Genoese songwriter Fabrizio de Andre, today a sorely missed legend; their music, a cross between the French chanson and Goran Bregovic’s bustling Balkan folk; their concerns, social, political, and very Maltese.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Tonight, therefore, the sight of Mario trudging up a staircase with a messy Chinese takeaway and subsequent skidmarks on his beard has a slightly uncanny effect. “It’s not as dodgy as the one I tried in Hamrun,” he vouches.<br /> <br /> Danjeli Schembri, keyboardist and composer, plays host tonight, while Michael Galea, drummer, complains of a busy weekend schedule. Fre Abdilla, recently drafted on bass, walks in casually wearing a Dripht tee (Matthew Cuschieri and Steve Delia, both on guitars, together with Maria Pia Meli complete the lineup).<br /> <br /> “Musically, I don’t think we did anything that new, because the influences are all there and can be picked out rather easily,” says Michael. “I’m saying we were not too innovative. Like most others we have a lot of influences, maybe our pool is wider. Maybe the advantage is that we managed to make them ours, and introduced them in Malta. But, if you look around Europe, this style has been familiar for ages.”<br /> <br /> “The singer-songwriting composition is at the base of the whole process. Our influences come in during the arrangements. I think the composer side stands out more, and that’s why the album sounds a bit more personal,” says Mario.<br /> <br /> The intensity of their lyrics on society, though, suggests an underlying anger, a sort of non-sociologic attachment to the Maltese society of Kuntrabanda.<br /> <br /> “I guess we’d have the same impulse if we lived in Oz, or Italy. So it’s not strictly a Maltese issue. There are rarely any people who are 100% satisfied with their surroundings. Except for Danjeli, that is,” says Michael as his bandmates chuckle away. “Otherwise there is always something irritating. Maybe in Malta we are a bit closer to certain issues and we experience them first hand.”<br /> <br /> Kuntrabanda’s considerations on national identity and the local political class seem to attack a conservative social base that, try as you will, still has its roots firmly entrenched to the ground. So, when Oliver Friggieri claims there is a need for parochialism in Malta, would you be up in arms?<br /> <br /> “He’s probably right as far as social interaction is concerned. People have become distant, even physically. This is because the globalised media is setting trends, making lifestyles hectic. The majority of the lyrics on Kuntrabanda (Fil-Bar, l-Assedju ż-Żgħir, Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd) veer away from the smalltown mentality. But there’s ample about the other spectrum as well. I love the paradox.”<br /> <br /> “Well... I see Mario as very conservative,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Up to a certain point, yes. For me that balance is important. I’ve had enough of fierce liberals who can’t tell their mouth from their arse. It’s great to be open minded and stuff…it’s just that open minded, more often than not ends up feeling like a sorry attempt at trying to be something that you inherently aren’t. Maybe that’s the point, but I’m not putting my name on that. Genuine innovators are welcome. We don’t get to meet too many of them very often.”<br /> <br /> “I’m conservative too in that I like to live my Mediterranean lifestyle,” says Danjeli. “Many people try to escape it, trying to go for something global which frankly doesn’t make sense. Our only limitation is that of living in what I call a golden cage. If you want to do anything in Malta you really can.”<br /> <br /> Tellingly, Brikkuni’s main strength is the use of their biggest limitation – a language that cannot be exported. “We ignored that factor completely when we started off. The foreigners aren’t our market. Making it big abroad was never our aim.”<br /> <br /> Their singer’s claim to conservatism almost puts the whole interview in a new light. So, those looking for a liberal message are looking in the wrong place?<br /> <br /> “No, there’s a liberal vein to our message, but we are not just saying ‘f*** the establishment and its conventions’ and stop there. There are many things in Malta that should be criticised but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to praise. Many people have just pigeonholed the album in the protest songs category. It’s true, they’re protest songs but there’s more to that,” says Michael.<br /> <br /> “Brikkuni is not trying to lecture anyone in sociology. The message isn’t apolitical either, but we’re not against Malta and the Maltese. On the contrary, we do love our country. We oppose certain mentalities that bother us. That’s all. We’d like to think of our music as ‘Maltese’ in spirit.”<br /> <br /> That Maltese spirit, and our national identity, is an issue often tackled in Kuntrabanda. Mario’s “It-Torok rebħulna fin fin” in Kontra Kollox u Kullħadd hints at our five hundred year old “foe” winning over Malta through a Trojan horse worthy of note – kebab outlets. Rather than a swipe at xenophobia, Mario points out how the globalised world has made it easy to create a relationship with your so-called enemies in a short matter of time.<br /> <br /> “The stances on national identity are nullified. Identity isn’t preserved by eliminating the possibility of influence but by exposure without loss of the true essence. Our habits – for better or worse – define us Maltese more than any flag or property will, our clumsiness and manner of overdoing things, our relentless appetite for taking the piss and continuous moaning. In fact in the album there’s a strong dose of...”<br /> <br /> “…your constant moaning,” interjects Danjeli, silencing his bandmate amid roars of laughter.<br /> <br /> Michael assures me the next albums will not focus on the same theme as Kuntrabanda. Mario, on the other hand, is happy they didn’t write an album with a set of hip statements. “That was ok when I was fifteen, sixteen, now I’ve had enough.”<br /> <br /> Maltese identity also comes under the lens of the opening track, L-Assedju z-Zgħir, a diary of Ivorian refugee Moussa Debidaouda’s odyssey to and in Malta. Stinging statements abound, among which a laconic “black doesn’t go with anything” and a reminder of the tough realities these frowned upon newcomers face, whether at work in a limestone quarry or in Malta’s nightlife Mecca. No prizes for guessing what their line of thought is.<br /> <br /> “For me, this [xenophobia] is the stupidity of a few pockets of people. Their fear of the current situation is only creating more boundaries,” says Danjeli. “That said, I’m also aware not everyone in the band agrees with this view.”<br /> <br /> Mario takes another angle. “I think the economic and media homogeneity is killing Maltese identity, not illegal immigration. The idea of trying to imitate the American or European model is leading to the death of our identity. This is happening across Europe too, not just here. Have a look at Italian TV... On the other hand I accept illegal immigration is causing a logistical problem, but it shouldn’t be regarded as a problem under any other aspect.”<br /> <br /> Sitting back in the largest of Danjeli’s armchairs, Michael seems eager to shift the direction of the interview towards the sound, rather than content, of Brikkuni. The production of Kuntrabanda, recorded over three weeks at Temple Studios, deserves its own corner of merit.<br /> <br /> “David Vella’s experience gave us a lot of input. He gave the album more strength by removing a few things. I personally saw him giving a lot of attention to our songs, not just pasting chunks together. At first I was a bit apprehensive, it was my first studio experience and I was scared he would be circling over me. But he’s far more relaxed than I had initially considered him to be,” says the drummer.<br /> <br /> “His clinical objectivity will collide head-on with many of your concepts at first. But then we realised this was an asset. It’s good to have someone with that objectivity, keeping our egos in check?”<br /> <br /> Vella’s creativity has seeped in and settled comfortably with Brikkuni’s arrangements, even if it involved the use of ordinary sound effects such as light bulbs, cooking pots, creaking doors, that created the likeable Brikkuni cacophony. Michael’s idle, seemingly random drumming on the burlesque Kollox Suggettiv is one example of how they use their instruments as extensions of their humour, as are the frequent yet welcome forays by the violin (Roberta Attard), the clarinet (Ruth Abela), and the horn sections. Overall, Kuntrabanda is the work of a musically mature band who can sound like the Shadows (Willie Vassallo) one moment and turn to ska (Rendikont) the other.<br /> <br /> My personal favourite is L-Eletti, a painful commentary on the state of local politicians and their lackeys in the media. It’s a rare protest, clashing head on with the all too familiar image of well shaven youths who would die just to sit in rows behind politicians at mass meetings, ready to applaud when beckoned.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> Mario Vella’s spontaneity can be rather thought inducing, even though his habit of creating or wading into useless polemics with fellow musicians can occasionally land him under the bad light. His latest unprovoked lash saw him claim “he’d rather get an injection in his gums than listen to Tribali”.<br /> <br /> “I’ve already explained that,” he says without altering his composure. “Nothing against Tribali. It’s just that I cannot fathom how people can waste precious time writing chillout music. I don’t get the concept.”<br /> <br /> Danjeli, his toothy smile stamped on his face, suggests Mario is prone to tripping in his own tongue.<br /> <br /> “I’d say I’ve nothing to lose. Everybody keeps harping how a big mouth will lose you any possible opportunities. But since I don’t see any… I can’t see what I should be missing on. I haven’t lost anything thus far.”<br /> <br /> He is a rare breed, cocksure yet capable of keeping mediocrity in check by being verbose about it, just so he doesn’t stumble himself one day. And, with the band having enough material for a second album, you might turn a blind eye on Mario’s petulance and wait for the goods.<br /> <br /> In the meantime, their primary artistic concern has been satisfied. The bar has been raised.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1260 2010-10-20T20:43:39Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> October 2009 - [[The Great Beyond?]] - [[Niki Gravino]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> May 2009 - [[The Mother Tongue and the Thorn in its Side]] - [[Brikkuni]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=The_Great_Beyond%3F&diff=1259 2010-10-20T20:41:56Z

<p>Wayneflask: Created page with &#039;== &#039;&#039;&#039;Niki Gravino&#039;&#039;&#039;’s world could become smaller than his fist. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; == The humid scent of garage days can be smelt from a few metres away. Niki Gravino sil…&#039;</p> <hr /> <div>== &#039;&#039;&#039;Niki Gravino&#039;&#039;&#039;’s world could become smaller than his fist. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> The humid scent of garage days can be smelt from a few metres away. Niki Gravino silently unbolts the door of the hired rehearsal room where, in the last few months, he has been spending increasing amounts of time. Less pale than usual, with a slight hint of a suntan, his demeanour betrays the unusual tranquillity of the satisfied mind.<br /> <br /> He looks precisely the opposite of the glam persona his followers have known, hair mushrooming off at various points, wearing a slightly oversized white t-shirt with a band crayoned on it. I really should have asked him where he bought it from.<br /> <br /> This is, but, the sort of normality in which Niki has spent most of the last few months, rebuilding what were once called the Vile Bodies after the departure of two members, working on new material with the newcomers, oiling the machine.<br /> <br /> Sitting straight on the only single seater in the room (drummer stool excluded), he ponders his replies carefully, occasionally fidgeting with a couple of coins, his hair swaying with every nod. <br /> <br /> “The arrival of the new members... It was like starting all over again. We had to work on bringing in a certain harmony and understanding each other. Every change is good as long as the direction is right. I feel we’ve done a lot of improvement since the new people have come in. But now, it’s time to step on the gas.”<br /> <br /> Promising two shows and a secret gig (“a very crazy move, but it will get results”), Gravino acknowledges the task of finding two replacements for what seemed to be a definite, unmovable lineup.<br /> <br /> “I’d be lying if I said that. It would be nice to be able to choose from fifty instead of four decent musicians. But that would be another limitation. Without the help of a team who would weigh things according to certain criteria, it would have taken ages. So in a way, everything happens in proportion with your size.”<br /> <br /> “I feel that the musicians we found are very good, they fit into the style of the band better than their predecessors. Somehow, they have injected a new chemistry in the band. We are still a bit shy of each other; it’s like the first two or three dates with a new girlfriend, where the sweetest experiences come from. Apart from that, it is also true that whenever a door slams shut, there are other opportunities ready to be taken.”<br /> <br /> You start to wonder if his shoes are too big for Malta. He likens the local music scene to a flowerpod. “A plant in a small pod will never grow beyond a certain level. Malta is an exceptional breeding ground for young artists, but once you’re no longer a puppy, you need more space.” <br /> <br /> “We’re an island with an island mentality. Somehow, while we don’t have much to work with, we do little in terms of working together. At one point Malta becomes very restrictive and if you don’t get out, the growth process will stop there and then.”<br /> <br /> Rumour has it that Gravino may be ready to fulfil his lebenstraum of moving, band n’all, to the greener pastures of the UK, an ideal grazing ground to feed his mercurial talent. Surprisingly he is non-committal, choosing not to promise anything and deciding to stay clear of confirming anything.<br /> <br /> “For now, I will only say it may or may not be true. The plans have always been there since the beginning. They may be closer. But I know it’s very prohibitive for a band to do this move. I don’t want to talk too much about it. I want to do things my way. Talking too much about it limits my liberty to change things around, or the way of doing things.”<br /> <br /> There is, he stresses, work to be done, in getting the band back on track and issuing a release of sorts. “I’ve a lot of new material but it’s a bit, like, scattered everywhere. It still needs harnessing. I’m going through a lot of changes in my life, I’m growing older, the band has changed too. Direction was an issue during Politics too, but in these last few weeks I have been seeing something more tangible.”<br /> <br /> It took Gravino three years to release the pleasantly shocking Politics of Double Beds, whose second birthday is in November. Hardly anyone spends so long on a debut album.<br /> <br /> “I think Politics, although produced with extreme attention to every detail, is still only the search of who I am. It is not the final word. Before something else happens there has to be another release, be it an album, or an EP. I have to make another step to see who I am as an artist, or rather, the band. I will not do things by myself again. This time round, the band will be part of the process, at least in the arrangements. If we want to go elsewhere, it will depend on how well we can find our identity as musicians. I cannot go places with dead bodies.”<br /> <br /> The humane prospect of ageing doesn’t lose him sleep, either. “I’ve enough time. I’m not going to be pressed to move elsewhere. The release has to come first. I’m open to changing my method of work, I admit Politics took me a lot of time and energy to create. Now I’m open to accept that I might need to work faster. It’s a new avenue of which I’m not afraid.”<br /> <br /> His finest hour was probably the 2008 MMA night, where this Prince lookalike complete with makeup rose from the outsider’s corner to bag the beauty of five deserved trophies for his efforts on Politics. If only things were done the way they should, a sixth for Best Album should have followed. But this is just a tiny personal bracket I allow myself to open from time to time.<br /> <br /> “I knew - I had a feeling we would win something. I thought I’d get two awards. Winning five was a surprise, and it meant a lot, even if some other artists are willing to knock the awards. I like to think of them as rewards rather than awards. They were a confidence boost, you know.”<br /> <br /> Watching you perform tells me you’re already quite confident...<br /> “It’s passion, not confidence. I don’t go onstage to be cool, or sexy. That’s my way of expressing my passion, nothing more.”<br /> <br /> That said, however, it hasn’t brought down the walls in local music as many have hoped. It has surely taken the weight of their own eccentricity off their backs, giving them more credit with the mainstream. Niki isn’t sure of that either.<br /> <br /> The band’s ability, however, continues to be shrouded to the undiscerning publics by the particular image they chose. “I think many people ‘fancy’ us - that’s the word - because we wear nail polish and a couple of weird suits. We all feel that our image isn’t too unique. It’s such a repetition and a cliché, it should be sickening by now. They don’t understand we are a band in the making, who is constantly trying out new things.<br /> <br /> “We don’t want to stay in the niche. People who don’t understand what we are about, the same people who ‘fancy’ us, want us to remain a niche act.” <br /> <br /> “Niki Gravino,” he says suddenly referring to himself in the third person, “started off in the niche, but Niki Gravino doesn’t feel he should stay there because he’s not afraid of the world. I’m not afraid.”<br /> <br /> One of the best read musicians in Malta, Gravino is one of few people with the temerity of tattooing the words “Culture” and a barcode on the nape of his neck. A personal credo that has held true for all his life, as he strives, yet once more, to create a masterstroke that sets him aside from the rest. Second album pressure must be sky-high.<br /> <br /> Today, however, he philosophises less, even sounding pragmatic, wary of the daunting task he and his bandmates face in the coming months. How does he, self styled artist who cites David Bowie as his ‘paradigm’, spend his time away from the spotlight?<br /> <br /> “I spend a lot of time waiting for myself, for those around me, waiting for improvements, ideas, inspirations. I work on my attitudes, on my vision for the band and this project. I also spend a lot of time doing things that are not related to music, like washing my roof, just to get my mind off the music. But I spend a lot time trying to become a better person, to make my project more whole.”<br /> <br /> The next release? “I would say it’s months away, not years, for sure. I hope to surprise myself, and those who listen to me. Doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen.”<br /> <br /> Projects? “Right now, we’re focused on becoming a very good band, without leaving a single crack in our show.”<br /> <br /> As if I ever doubted that.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1258 2010-10-20T20:39:14Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> October 2009 - [[The Great Beyond?]] - [[Niki Gravino]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Tales_from_Troubled_Truths&diff=1257 2010-10-20T20:36:05Z

<p>Wayneflask: Created page with &#039;== Mosta might be best known for its Dome, but the playground is earning its place in history. Jon Mallia’s&#039;&#039;&#039; No Bling Show&#039;&#039;&#039; is the soundtrack to a jilted generation. By &#039;&#039;&#039;…&#039;</p> <hr /> <div>== Mosta might be best known for its Dome, but the playground is earning its place in history. Jon Mallia’s&#039;&#039;&#039; No Bling Show&#039;&#039;&#039; is the soundtrack to a jilted generation. By &#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask&#039;&#039;&#039; ==<br /> <br /> <br /> I always loved that line in Dan le Sac’s “Thou Shalt Always Kill.” It goes something like, Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be. By standards, the song is a sociorealistic rant where allusions to everyday British life are not so grossly exaggerated, and the painful reference to the pureed MTV hip hop that has catapulted its protagonists from ghettos to “cribs”: it’s turned into a joke.<br /> <br /> Jon Mallia, fortunately, doesn’t wear a ton of jewellery round his neck and unlike those you see on the box, doesn’t talk ghetto gibberish. He greets me in track suit pants and t-shirt, walking out into a chilly Mosta evening without bothering to put his shoes on yet making it a point to avoid the puddles as we head to his house. “Don’t be scared of the dog. It will ba…” he says before Sammy, a giant two year old mongrel, drowns our discourse.<br /> <br /> As it turns out, Sammy makes friends with the newcomer rather quickly. “I share the house with my mum, sixteen cats, a dog, and I’ve lost count of my brothers and sisters,” Jon titters as his mother prepares coffee and cigarettes.<br /> <br /> Jon is the creator and one-half of No Bling Show (the other being fellow Sixth Simfoni talent Phil Zammit), the hip hop sensation that rose to acclaim this summer with their homemade debut “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” (Tales from the Mosta Playground). Brash and occasionally corrosive yet witty, piercingly recited in the native tongue, their first attempt slithers through Jon’s personal experiences and the grim realities of Maltese society, letting skeletons out of padlocked closets, recounting teenage angst that ends helplessly in the dark throes of substance abuse. If for a moment you suspected No Bling Show was being tongue in cheek, the sordid life embedded in the rhymes crafted in anger is a shattering thud to earth.<br /> <br /> We’re settled down around the table, in the company of a courteous eighteen year old cat who sets on a discreet inspection of my belongings. Eager to answer and polite, the singer exudes self confidence and determination, even though he behaves very much unlike the reputed rabble-rouser you hear of.<br /> <br /> “It all started off this summer. Sixth Simfoni was a natural basis for us, it’s a great thing, experimental and flowing. But I felt a sting inside me. I felt it the first time after a festival in France three years ago. Almost all the hip hop acts who performed were doing so in their native tongue. We were the only ones to sing in English. It stung my conscience... hip hop is a voice to the oppressed in society. How can I be that voice without even using my mother language?”<br /> <br /> “I was spending a lot of time negotiating and all this bureaucratic stuff. I just couldn’t sit still without doing any creative work, like letting something die inside me. I found myself writing Lucija u Samwel on my own at night, thinking, this could lead to something. It was a good thorough look at the culture I’m living in right now.”<br /> <br /> Joining forces with Phil, Jon moved quarters to his garage (“a complete junkyard”) armed with basic recording equipment and tons of enthusiasm. “We only had a half a song written, and we set ourselves a deadline to finish the piece in five weeks. We stuck to it. We wrote, arranged, recorded, printed and marketed the album in just five weeks.”<br /> <br /> Acknowledging the challenge of bringing together two very disparate key elements, a Semitic language and an Afro-American music genre, Jon lists Brikkuni’s Kuntrabanda as the spark that convinced him to record in Maltese. “They were an inspiration. Kuntrabanda showed me how descriptive Maltese could be.”<br /> <br /> “I admit it wasn’t easy. I had written some things before and ran them by Niki Gravino. He pointed out that I was rapping in Maltese but there was still something borrowed from English. Maltese has a lot of consonants and that did help our diction a great deal. After much practising it all became natural. In those five weeks I had started to believe in it, and I wanted to do it so much that it became easier.” His rap routine has had an effect on his pronunciation, leading him to elongate and emphasise his ‘a’ during the course of our chat.<br /> <br /> Stejjer... does not stick to an accepted formula, not even in the course of its twelve tracks. It reaches its climaxes with the two parts of the epic Lucija u Samwel, a tale of violated innocence and drug bingeing (brilliantly filmed and produced by the crew of Take 2, another Youtube hit these days) and meanders almost lazily during the Police inspired ska beat of Anzi s-Sajf. It plunges to the pseudo-sleaze Ritornell, a recount of an intimate moment that serves, if anything, to defuse the tension of Lucija u Samwel. U l-Iskola is another highlight, a tour among the gallery of Jon’s first sworn enemies: teachers.<br /> <br /> He sings as matter of factly as can be, naming them in person, paying respect to those who deserve it, and vowing no forgiveness to the others. The album is deeply personal, in some phases Jon seems to tell too much. I lower my voice when I ask him about the frequent references to drug abuse.<br /> <br /> “Don’t worry, mum knows about everything, unfortunately she’s witnessed all of it. The root of hip hop is to create a positive from the negative. I lived an obscure life for a period of time. I’ve tried everything and done everything. Now I put all my anger at the centre, looked at it in an objective manner, analysed it, and decided to tell the truth without shying away. If I don’t sell drugs myself, I will know someone who does. I’m not saying anything new. There’s no point in saying these things don’t happen, therefore I decided to be honest. It’s my duty as an artist.<br /> <br /> “I’m not trying to tell people what’s right and what’s wrong. I’m only saying these things are happening. At least the mothers, the parents know what’s going on. There’s a disillusioned generation. Many great aspiring musicians are amongst those worst hit by drugs. The truth is what it is. There are repercussions. I can forget about a sponsor. But at least I sleep at night.”<br /> <br /> Released to positive reviews this summer, the album is a raw deal, produced entirely in a garage with a 1995 software. “My sleeping bag is still down there,” smiles Jon. “And I used to shower once every three days.” <br /> <br /> Feedback from the live audiences was very encouraging. “Our songs are well known, even when we played to crowds who don’t know hip hop. People who’re more open minded and listen to a lot of different music liked it. As raw as it is, it’s still a breath of fresh air.”<br /> <br /> You sense, however, that the hype surrounding No Bling Show needs a more mature follow up. Precious seconds of the album are wasted on banter between Jon and Phil, which seems to capture the camaraderie of those days, but doesn’t necessarily sound funny. So is the refrain of Bla Xinxilli. Jon is disarmingly honest when faced with criticism, saying the next album needs more thought and experiment, admitting to a few venial sins while recording.<br /> <br /> “I’ll be very frank, I skip the first 1min26 of the opener, I can’t stand it. Same goes for the very last track. There’s a lot of room for improvement, in every track. Every song has a defect...in the first part of Lucija my tempo fluctuates, Bla Xinxilli needs higher vocals, maybe you’re right about the chorus. We recorded it on a PC in a 1995 Q-base, mate. It’s a pure garage recording, it needs more air. On the whole, musicians or pseudo-musicians can spot where the mistakes are. For all its rawness it did get good feedback.”<br /> <br /> As expected, they struggled to get any airplay. At one point Jon had even engaged a discussion with a foreign DJ to ask why songs in Maltese wouldn’t get played – Anzi s-Sajf, despite a couple of beeps, would have made a decent single – even though nowadays Jon is seeing things differently. <br /> <br /> “The Maltese artist doesn’t need radio. It would be nice if they could lend us a hand, but radio isn’t as important as it was in the nineties, before we could copy albums or download mp3’s. <br /> <br /> Ultimately the radio wants to make money, not play good music or defend the Maltese language. Three commercial radio stations have foreign station managers, what do they care about the legacy of the Maltese language? They only want to play hits and get their cheque at the end of the month. It irritates me to have foreigners leading our stations, but ultimately you can’t blame them. They don’t care about us, Brikkuni, Xtruppaw... it was angering me at first, but between internet and critics we can get through.”<br /> <br /> ----<br /> <br /> I bid my goodbyes to Jon’s ma, and my new friend Sammy. Jon accompanies me out into the darkness of Mosta, an unusual setting for any album. It’s hip hop, but certainly not the LA ghetto or the MTV mansions. That’s why they its called No Bling Show.<br /> <br /> “Before the album was out, many youths had already discarded hip hop because it was becoming mediocre, killed by MTV. Real hip hop is very far from 50 Cent. Hip hop is not the mediocrity they want to sell us, it’s a social commentary, a spiritual message, political, it’s a teacher. People who push this consumerist philosophy have chosen to push the other genre, to sell us sneakers and bling. They&#039;ve turned hip hop into a selling tool. That’s not the root of hip hop.”<br /> <br /> Infectious albums like “Stejjer mill-Bandli tal-Mosta” grow on you easily. For artists like Jon, pushing the parcel is a must. “My next album? It’s going to be pretty much out the f*****n box.”<br /> <br /> Sounds like a promise.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1256 2010-10-20T20:31:21Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> December 2009 - [[Tales from Troubled Truths]] - [[No Bling Show]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Working Lists]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Being_Ira_Losco&diff=1152 2010-10-15T16:57:57Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div><br /> == We cut a few long stories short. By [[Wayne Flask]] ==<br /> <br /> <br /> Walking into bookshops, these days, has the strange allure of a modern day toy shop. Browsing endlessly among bookshelves, looking for the title I’m sure they haven’t got, has become a welcome habit ever since I left university and the bleak corners of its adjoining stores.<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> We are sat in a quiet, low-key cafeteria with huge windows onto the outside world that remind me so much of those American diners. Ira Losco orders a mineral water and puts her phone on silent. Beside her lies her latest release, the sprawling 400-page mammoth photobook capturing career defining moments, live and promo shots collected by trusted snapper Allen Venables.<br /> <br /> “The photobook was primarily Allen’s idea. At first, his involvement with the band was more of a fun thing. But as time went by we couldn’t help noticing the images captured were simply amazing. Eventually he suggested this book to Howard and myself. Will it work, I thought, a book for such a small island?<br /> <br /> I’m glad to say it worked. At the end of the day it’s a collection of beautiful photos. Allen is very good at capturing the live atmosphere. Unfortunately much of the young audience in Malta have no idea what live concerts are about. Hopefully if they take a look at this, I hope it urges them to discover that for themselves. We’ve also included a few pictures from shoots that have never been used before.”<br /> <br /> Slightly open handed with Photoshop techniques, the photographic journal documents the ascent of Ira from an energetic stage stomper to unplugged songwriter, fashion icon and, as we know, one of Malta’s favourites.<br /> <br /> A slightly complicated animal, Ira Losco oscillates between the extrovert, exuberant showgirl that won’t pull punches, and the tender footed diplomat, the I-will-not-cross-that-line artiste that could do with a bit of time for herself. Yet, few are those who didn’t hear of her famous interview where she “admitted” to kissing a girl, the sort of phrase that shattered many a puritan’s glasshouse. As it comes, after hundreds of interviews into her career, I can’t help wondering whether she is an able attention grabbing magnet, or simply a naively honest girl next door who wades into murky talking points that should never even exist.<br /> <br /> “I never really see myself as anything special because of what I do, which is music. That would be stupid. The builder who builds our houses is as important as the baker, y’know? Music is what I feel I do best, it’s my art. Entertainment is an evolution, something that tantalises an audience and you are what people want to know more about. I don’t get carried away by celebrity status. Today I was eating baked pasta at Hunter’s Bar next to a guy who was eating with a knife, which I found really entertaining by the way... I don’t put myself on any pedestal nor do I expect to be on it”.<br /> <br /> The natural consequence is that nowadays, she has become pretty much public territory which fans, soothsayers and moralists alike find opportune to invade at their convenience. In certain moments, you’d feel that even her everyday movements are too closely scrutinised, let alone her media appearances. Drawing the curiosity of masses and classes, she remains one of the most talked about “celebrities” that everybody wants to own. Would she pay to lose that tag?<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say I would pay to lose it, it doesn’t bother me. Even if I f*** up. I don’t do things because people tell me to. If I lose that genuine streak I lose an integral part of who I am. That would make me the hypocrite which I’m not!” <br /> <br /> When asked whether she would pose naked, her reply was a flippant “Never say never,” which most interpreted as a statement of intent. She washed it down further by what seemed like a swoop at the moralist establishment, a Britney-esque “I am not holier than thou”.<br /> <br /> “What I wanted to say there was, when asked things about my future I will always say ‘never say never’. How do I know what’s going to happen in a few years’ time?”<br /> <br /> I ask her whether her ‘holier than thou’ could be aimed at peers in the music scene.<br /> <br /> “That beats me, don’t know. I wouldn’t have said that comment to reply to someone else. I frankly don’t think there are a lot of artists who do that. I have a lot of respect for artists who work their asses off and do it the right way. There are only 400,000 people to entertain in Malta, and the scene is very insular.”<br /> <br /> She might be a media darling, but definitely not your ideal role model. “I think it’s the downfall of every artist to try and become the role model. I’m all for passing on a message but I don’t want the responsibility of being a role model. Not because I’m afraid, but my role is something else. I’m not Mother Theresa. I do, however, have very strong viewpoints on issues such as bullying in schools.”<br /> <br /> Not that my colleague at timesofmalta.com was the first one to actually ask if she would pose naked. In the steamy afternoon on that same webpage that hosted the interview, a debate of biblical proportions was only just brewing. Storm in a teacup? Hornets nest? All these expressions are hardly enough to describe the incessant online buzz the interview caused. The result was a terse exchange of views between moralists, modernists and anti-sensationalists.<br /> <br /> “That interview kicked up a fuss because of the wrong reasons. I mean, hello, are we in Malta or LA here?”<br /> <br /> At one point, her manager, Howard Keith intervened to post: “Nonetheless we have been offered quite a number of opportunities to have Ms Losco pose naked and without hesitation we refused them for a number of reasons... We&#039;ll stick to music thank you very much and all that goes with the industry including the creative process of image and the freedom of writing...”<br /> <br /> Now, were the people asking you to pose naked being serious or plain ridiculous? She lets out a little embarrassed laugh.<br /> <br /> “I’ve actually already posed half naked for a breast cancer campaign. I didn’t bring that up in the interview because the question there was different. So [the interview] was definitely not a publicity stunt.”<br /> <br /> “I think you’d better ask Howard! I’ve no knowledge of that, Howard must have had these requests but they weren’t passed on to me, probably because he didn’t think much of them.”<br /> <br /> But her apparent disinterest in polemics finds a counterbalance within her own camp – the omnipresent manager, who sticks up for his charge when someone throws it to the fan.<br /> <br /> “Mind you we don’t control each other, and I’d hate it to be seen that way. Management is probably the most important role in the music industry so getting it right is very important. Believe me Howard says it as it is…and I must add I’m exactly the same. It’s as real as it gets.”<br /> <br /> She is, we know, opinionated about almost everything yet careful not to discuss everything in public. Sex, politics and religion are out of the equation, arguing that “some things should remain personal.”<br /> <br /> She does respond to three small questions outside of music. She finds police arraigning 21-year old Mark Camilleri of Realta as “heavy” and that the line between art and vulgarity is “when it stops being honest.” She doesn’t believe in abortion because “everything that lives should be given an opportunity.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> Insiders in music have often claimed that Ira Losco, [together with someone else who I’d rather not mention], are essential for any successful awards session to draw the crowds. Someone in Ira’s own entourage even whispered in my left ear that too many nominations can annoy an already saturated market.<br /> <br /> “I get your point, yes. Might be you’re right in saying my name is slightly abused, but then again, once again it goes back to the point that Malta is small market. I’m proud of all my awards especially those given to me through people’s votes because I like to think there’s an element of, between huge inverted commas, honesty in that. Personally I am more concerned of having two awards events every year, very close to each other and both in playbak due to TV restraints. I really admire all the efforts to recognise local music with all its limitations, but this might eventually damage the local music scene over saturating it.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> As it comes, Ira and band are writing new songs ahead of a yet unscheduled release. “The band are more involved now. And I want to work on taking the entertainment side of things one step further. I’m working against a certain predictability, that should end. We also have a number of foreign performances coming up which we’re very excited about” Her playlist is peppered with former Tiara bandmate Jamie Decesare’s suggestions – Bat for Lashes, Florence and the Machine, Dresden Dolls. Women in control, she calls them.<br /> <br /> It’s time to wrap it up. Her Hunter’s Bar baked pasta seems to be conjuring some bowel mischief.<br /> <br /> “So, this interview will appear in Manic’s Valentine’s Day issue…”<br /> “How sweet!” she debuts.<br /> “…who is the lucky girl you are going to kiss on the day?”<br /> <br /> Another small burst of mirth. “I’m not gonna kiss any girls. They’re probably scared of me by now,” she says, in the mood of someone who’s heard too much of that already.<br /> <br /> Another patron sitting on the far side of the bar overhears the last reply, and looks at her in bewildered amusement. A price to pay, perhaps, for such unrepentant normality.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Being_Ira_Losco&diff=1151 2010-10-15T16:56:57Z

<p>Wayneflask: Created page with &#039;Walking into bookshops, these days, has the strange allure of a modern day toy shop. Browsing endlessly among bookshelves, looking for the title I’m sure they haven’t got, ha…&#039;</p> <hr /> <div>Walking into bookshops, these days, has the strange allure of a modern day toy shop. Browsing endlessly among bookshelves, looking for the title I’m sure they haven’t got, has become a welcome habit ever since I left university and the bleak corners of its adjoining stores.<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> We are sat in a quiet, low-key cafeteria with huge windows onto the outside world that remind me so much of those American diners. Ira Losco orders a mineral water and puts her phone on silent. Beside her lies her latest release, the sprawling 400-page mammoth photobook capturing career defining moments, live and promo shots collected by trusted snapper Allen Venables.<br /> <br /> “The photobook was primarily Allen’s idea. At first, his involvement with the band was more of a fun thing. But as time went by we couldn’t help noticing the images captured were simply amazing. Eventually he suggested this book to Howard and myself. Will it work, I thought, a book for such a small island?<br /> <br /> I’m glad to say it worked. At the end of the day it’s a collection of beautiful photos. Allen is very good at capturing the live atmosphere. Unfortunately much of the young audience in Malta have no idea what live concerts are about. Hopefully if they take a look at this, I hope it urges them to discover that for themselves. We’ve also included a few pictures from shoots that have never been used before.”<br /> <br /> Slightly open handed with Photoshop techniques, the photographic journal documents the ascent of Ira from an energetic stage stomper to unplugged songwriter, fashion icon and, as we know, one of Malta’s favourites.<br /> <br /> A slightly complicated animal, Ira Losco oscillates between the extrovert, exuberant showgirl that won’t pull punches, and the tender footed diplomat, the I-will-not-cross-that-line artiste that could do with a bit of time for herself. Yet, few are those who didn’t hear of her famous interview where she “admitted” to kissing a girl, the sort of phrase that shattered many a puritan’s glasshouse. As it comes, after hundreds of interviews into her career, I can’t help wondering whether she is an able attention grabbing magnet, or simply a naively honest girl next door who wades into murky talking points that should never even exist.<br /> <br /> “I never really see myself as anything special because of what I do, which is music. That would be stupid. The builder who builds our houses is as important as the baker, y’know? Music is what I feel I do best, it’s my art. Entertainment is an evolution, something that tantalises an audience and you are what people want to know more about. I don’t get carried away by celebrity status. Today I was eating baked pasta at Hunter’s Bar next to a guy who was eating with a knife, which I found really entertaining by the way... I don’t put myself on any pedestal nor do I expect to be on it”.<br /> <br /> The natural consequence is that nowadays, she has become pretty much public territory which fans, soothsayers and moralists alike find opportune to invade at their convenience. In certain moments, you’d feel that even her everyday movements are too closely scrutinised, let alone her media appearances. Drawing the curiosity of masses and classes, she remains one of the most talked about “celebrities” that everybody wants to own. Would she pay to lose that tag?<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say I would pay to lose it, it doesn’t bother me. Even if I f*** up. I don’t do things because people tell me to. If I lose that genuine streak I lose an integral part of who I am. That would make me the hypocrite which I’m not!” <br /> <br /> When asked whether she would pose naked, her reply was a flippant “Never say never,” which most interpreted as a statement of intent. She washed it down further by what seemed like a swoop at the moralist establishment, a Britney-esque “I am not holier than thou”.<br /> <br /> “What I wanted to say there was, when asked things about my future I will always say ‘never say never’. How do I know what’s going to happen in a few years’ time?”<br /> <br /> I ask her whether her ‘holier than thou’ could be aimed at peers in the music scene.<br /> <br /> “That beats me, don’t know. I wouldn’t have said that comment to reply to someone else. I frankly don’t think there are a lot of artists who do that. I have a lot of respect for artists who work their asses off and do it the right way. There are only 400,000 people to entertain in Malta, and the scene is very insular.”<br /> <br /> She might be a media darling, but definitely not your ideal role model. “I think it’s the downfall of every artist to try and become the role model. I’m all for passing on a message but I don’t want the responsibility of being a role model. Not because I’m afraid, but my role is something else. I’m not Mother Theresa. I do, however, have very strong viewpoints on issues such as bullying in schools.”<br /> <br /> Not that my colleague at timesofmalta.com was the first one to actually ask if she would pose naked. In the steamy afternoon on that same webpage that hosted the interview, a debate of biblical proportions was only just brewing. Storm in a teacup? Hornets nest? All these expressions are hardly enough to describe the incessant online buzz the interview caused. The result was a terse exchange of views between moralists, modernists and anti-sensationalists.<br /> <br /> “That interview kicked up a fuss because of the wrong reasons. I mean, hello, are we in Malta or LA here?”<br /> <br /> At one point, her manager, Howard Keith intervened to post: “Nonetheless we have been offered quite a number of opportunities to have Ms Losco pose naked and without hesitation we refused them for a number of reasons... We&#039;ll stick to music thank you very much and all that goes with the industry including the creative process of image and the freedom of writing...”<br /> <br /> Now, were the people asking you to pose naked being serious or plain ridiculous? She lets out a little embarrassed laugh.<br /> <br /> “I’ve actually already posed half naked for a breast cancer campaign. I didn’t bring that up in the interview because the question there was different. So [the interview] was definitely not a publicity stunt.”<br /> <br /> “I think you’d better ask Howard! I’ve no knowledge of that, Howard must have had these requests but they weren’t passed on to me, probably because he didn’t think much of them.”<br /> <br /> But her apparent disinterest in polemics finds a counterbalance within her own camp – the omnipresent manager, who sticks up for his charge when someone throws it to the fan.<br /> <br /> “Mind you we don’t control each other, and I’d hate it to be seen that way. Management is probably the most important role in the music industry so getting it right is very important. Believe me Howard says it as it is…and I must add I’m exactly the same. It’s as real as it gets.”<br /> <br /> She is, we know, opinionated about almost everything yet careful not to discuss everything in public. Sex, politics and religion are out of the equation, arguing that “some things should remain personal.”<br /> <br /> She does respond to three small questions outside of music. She finds police arraigning 21-year old Mark Camilleri of Realta as “heavy” and that the line between art and vulgarity is “when it stops being honest.” She doesn’t believe in abortion because “everything that lives should be given an opportunity.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> Insiders in music have often claimed that Ira Losco, [together with someone else who I’d rather not mention], are essential for any successful awards session to draw the crowds. Someone in Ira’s own entourage even whispered in my left ear that too many nominations can annoy an already saturated market.<br /> <br /> “I get your point, yes. Might be you’re right in saying my name is slightly abused, but then again, once again it goes back to the point that Malta is small market. I’m proud of all my awards especially those given to me through people’s votes because I like to think there’s an element of, between huge inverted commas, honesty in that. Personally I am more concerned of having two awards events every year, very close to each other and both in playbak due to TV restraints. I really admire all the efforts to recognise local music with all its limitations, but this might eventually damage the local music scene over saturating it.”<br /> <br /> *<br /> <br /> As it comes, Ira and band are writing new songs ahead of a yet unscheduled release. “The band are more involved now. And I want to work on taking the entertainment side of things one step further. I’m working against a certain predictability, that should end. We also have a number of foreign performances coming up which we’re very excited about” Her playlist is peppered with former Tiara bandmate Jamie Decesare’s suggestions – Bat for Lashes, Florence and the Machine, Dresden Dolls. Women in control, she calls them.<br /> <br /> It’s time to wrap it up. Her Hunter’s Bar baked pasta seems to be conjuring some bowel mischief.<br /> <br /> “So, this interview will appear in Manic’s Valentine’s Day issue…”<br /> “How sweet!” she debuts.<br /> “…who is the lucky girl you are going to kiss on the day?”<br /> <br /> Another small burst of mirth. “I’m not gonna kiss any girls. They’re probably scared of me by now,” she says, in the mood of someone who’s heard too much of that already.<br /> <br /> Another patron sitting on the far side of the bar overhears the last reply, and looks at her in bewildered amusement. A price to pay, perhaps, for such unrepentant normality.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1150 2010-10-15T16:54:30Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> <br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Articles_by_Wayne_Flask&diff=1149 2010-10-15T16:54:06Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* 2010 */</p> <hr /> <div>==2010==<br /> Sunday 26 September 2010 - [[Skimmed]] - [[Pricklier Than Thou]] (Manic)<br /> February 2010 - [[Being Ira Losco]] - [[Ira Losco]] (Manic)</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed&diff=975 2010-10-10T10:23:16Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* See also */</p> <hr /> <div>&#039;&#039;&#039;Skimmed&#039;&#039;&#039; is an indie garage-rock band from Malta. The band&#039;s current line-up features [[Alexandra Aquilina]] (vocals/synth), [[Daniel Borg]] (backing vocals/guitar), [[Federico Cilia]] (bass) and [[Christopher &quot;Toffer&quot; Mercieca]] (drums).<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> The band was originally founded by Borg, Cilia and Manuel Mizzi during their secondary school years at the [[Hamrun Lyceum]]. At this time the band was called [[Fade]]. In 2005 the band recruited singer Joanna Ellul but she was soon replaced by current vocalist Aquilina while Ellul moved to playing keyboards. This formation did not last long and Ellul eventually left the band due to diverging musical taste.<br /> <br /> The band members soon began writing new material and changed their name to [[Skimmed]] and performed for the first time at [[Naasha]] on Saturday 3 March 2007 with [[The Areola Treat]]. <br /> <br /> In 2009 the band recorded their debut EP [[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] at [[Temple Studios]] with producer [[David Vella]]. <br /> <br /> ==Discography==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Studio Albums&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] 2009 [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037BALG2/ref=dm_dp_adp?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1265751061&amp;sr=301-1&amp;tag=vglnk-c9-20 Buy it here]<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Compilations&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Bay Music Awards 2009 Compilation]] - [[Can&#039;t Stop]]<br /> <br /> ==Music Videos==<br /> <br /> * Skimmed released a music video for [[Napoleon]] at Rookies in Bugibba on 9 July 2010, where they also played a live gig for the occasion. The video was directed by Moira Zahra and Eleonora Rose Abela.<br /> <br /> ==Television and Radio==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2009&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Released debut single [[Can&#039;t Stop]] on local radio stations. The song occupied the No.1 spot in local charts for 2 consecutive weeks. {it would be good to have more details here}<br /> <br /> *Nominated as Best Newcomers 2010 during the Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards.<br /> <br /> *Performed during Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards 2010 which were also aired on local television stations<br /> <br /> *As Fade the band appeared on teen oriented program [[A-70]] presented by Zoo comedians Owen and Daniel where they played and original and a cover version on national television.<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2010&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Single Napoleon played on local radio stations<br /> <br /> *Music video for Napoleon aired on Fresh and Funky (local music TV programme) and Calypso TV<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> <br /> *[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed%27s_Crowning_Glories Skimmed&#039;s Crowning Glories (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta 20 Sep 2009)]<br /> *[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Pricklier_Than_Thou] Pricklier Than Thou (Wayne Flask - Manic - 26 Sep 2010)<br /> <br /> ==External Links==<br /> <br /> [http://www.myspace.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on MySpace]<br /> <br /> [http://www.youtube.com/user/skimmedtheband Skimmed on YouTube]<br /> <br /> [http://www.facebook.com/skimmed Skimmed on Facebook]<br /> <br /> [http://twitter.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on Twitter]<br /> <br /> * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXhL3rIDBI0 &#039;&#039;&#039;Napoleon&#039;&#039;&#039; music video on YouTube] <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed&diff=974 2010-10-10T10:22:43Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* See also */</p> <hr /> <div>&#039;&#039;&#039;Skimmed&#039;&#039;&#039; is an indie garage-rock band from Malta. The band&#039;s current line-up features [[Alexandra Aquilina]] (vocals/synth), [[Daniel Borg]] (backing vocals/guitar), [[Federico Cilia]] (bass) and [[Christopher &quot;Toffer&quot; Mercieca]] (drums).<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> The band was originally founded by Borg, Cilia and Manuel Mizzi during their secondary school years at the [[Hamrun Lyceum]]. At this time the band was called [[Fade]]. In 2005 the band recruited singer Joanna Ellul but she was soon replaced by current vocalist Aquilina while Ellul moved to playing keyboards. This formation did not last long and Ellul eventually left the band due to diverging musical taste.<br /> <br /> The band members soon began writing new material and changed their name to [[Skimmed]] and performed for the first time at [[Naasha]] on Saturday 3 March 2007 with [[The Areola Treat]]. <br /> <br /> In 2009 the band recorded their debut EP [[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] at [[Temple Studios]] with producer [[David Vella]]. <br /> <br /> ==Discography==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Studio Albums&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] 2009 [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037BALG2/ref=dm_dp_adp?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1265751061&amp;sr=301-1&amp;tag=vglnk-c9-20 Buy it here]<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Compilations&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Bay Music Awards 2009 Compilation]] - [[Can&#039;t Stop]]<br /> <br /> ==Music Videos==<br /> <br /> * Skimmed released a music video for [[Napoleon]] at Rookies in Bugibba on 9 July 2010, where they also played a live gig for the occasion. The video was directed by Moira Zahra and Eleonora Rose Abela.<br /> <br /> ==Television and Radio==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2009&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Released debut single [[Can&#039;t Stop]] on local radio stations. The song occupied the No.1 spot in local charts for 2 consecutive weeks. {it would be good to have more details here}<br /> <br /> *Nominated as Best Newcomers 2010 during the Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards.<br /> <br /> *Performed during Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards 2010 which were also aired on local television stations<br /> <br /> *As Fade the band appeared on teen oriented program [[A-70]] presented by Zoo comedians Owen and Daniel where they played and original and a cover version on national television.<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2010&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Single Napoleon played on local radio stations<br /> <br /> *Music video for Napoleon aired on Fresh and Funky (local music TV programme) and Calypso TV<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> <br /> *[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed%27s_Crowning_Glories Skimmed&#039;s Crowning Glories (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta 20 Sep 2009)]<br /> *[[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Pricklier_Than_Thou]] Pricklier Than Thou (Wayne Flask - Manic - 26 Sep 2010)<br /> <br /> ==External Links==<br /> <br /> [http://www.myspace.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on MySpace]<br /> <br /> [http://www.youtube.com/user/skimmedtheband Skimmed on YouTube]<br /> <br /> [http://www.facebook.com/skimmed Skimmed on Facebook]<br /> <br /> [http://twitter.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on Twitter]<br /> <br /> * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXhL3rIDBI0 &#039;&#039;&#039;Napoleon&#039;&#039;&#039; music video on YouTube] <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed&diff=973 2010-10-10T10:22:24Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* See also */</p> <hr /> <div>&#039;&#039;&#039;Skimmed&#039;&#039;&#039; is an indie garage-rock band from Malta. The band&#039;s current line-up features [[Alexandra Aquilina]] (vocals/synth), [[Daniel Borg]] (backing vocals/guitar), [[Federico Cilia]] (bass) and [[Christopher &quot;Toffer&quot; Mercieca]] (drums).<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> The band was originally founded by Borg, Cilia and Manuel Mizzi during their secondary school years at the [[Hamrun Lyceum]]. At this time the band was called [[Fade]]. In 2005 the band recruited singer Joanna Ellul but she was soon replaced by current vocalist Aquilina while Ellul moved to playing keyboards. This formation did not last long and Ellul eventually left the band due to diverging musical taste.<br /> <br /> The band members soon began writing new material and changed their name to [[Skimmed]] and performed for the first time at [[Naasha]] on Saturday 3 March 2007 with [[The Areola Treat]]. <br /> <br /> In 2009 the band recorded their debut EP [[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] at [[Temple Studios]] with producer [[David Vella]]. <br /> <br /> ==Discography==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Studio Albums&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] 2009 [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037BALG2/ref=dm_dp_adp?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1265751061&amp;sr=301-1&amp;tag=vglnk-c9-20 Buy it here]<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Compilations&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Bay Music Awards 2009 Compilation]] - [[Can&#039;t Stop]]<br /> <br /> ==Music Videos==<br /> <br /> * Skimmed released a music video for [[Napoleon]] at Rookies in Bugibba on 9 July 2010, where they also played a live gig for the occasion. The video was directed by Moira Zahra and Eleonora Rose Abela.<br /> <br /> ==Television and Radio==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2009&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Released debut single [[Can&#039;t Stop]] on local radio stations. The song occupied the No.1 spot in local charts for 2 consecutive weeks. {it would be good to have more details here}<br /> <br /> *Nominated as Best Newcomers 2010 during the Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards.<br /> <br /> *Performed during Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards 2010 which were also aired on local television stations<br /> <br /> *As Fade the band appeared on teen oriented program [[A-70]] presented by Zoo comedians Owen and Daniel where they played and original and a cover version on national television.<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2010&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Single Napoleon played on local radio stations<br /> <br /> *Music video for Napoleon aired on Fresh and Funky (local music TV programme) and Calypso TV<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> <br /> *[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed%27s_Crowning_Glories Skimmed&#039;s Crowning Glories (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta 20 Sep 2009)]<br /> [[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Pricklier_Than_Thou]] Pricklier Than Thou (Wayne Flask - Manic - 26 Sep 2010)<br /> <br /> ==External Links==<br /> <br /> [http://www.myspace.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on MySpace]<br /> <br /> [http://www.youtube.com/user/skimmedtheband Skimmed on YouTube]<br /> <br /> [http://www.facebook.com/skimmed Skimmed on Facebook]<br /> <br /> [http://twitter.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on Twitter]<br /> <br /> * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXhL3rIDBI0 &#039;&#039;&#039;Napoleon&#039;&#039;&#039; music video on YouTube] <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed&diff=967 2010-10-10T09:58:02Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* See also */</p> <hr /> <div>Skimmed is an indie garage-rock band from Malta. The band&#039;s current line-up features [[Alexandra Aquilina]] (vocals/synth), [[Daniel Borg]] (backing vocals/guitar), [[Federico Cilia]] (bass) and [[Christopher &quot;Toffer&quot; Mercieca]] (drums).<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> The band was originally founded by Borg, Cilia and Manuel Mizzi during their Secondary school years at the Liceo in Hamrun. At this time the band was called [[Fade]]. In 2005 the band recruited female vocals Joanna Ellul who was soon replaced by current vocalist Aquilina while Ellul moved to the keyboards. This formation did not last long and Ellul soon left the band due to diverging musical taste.<br /> <br /> The band soon began writing new material and changed their name to [[Skimmed]] and performed for the first time at [[Naasha]] in 2007 with [[The Areola Treat]]. <br /> <br /> In 2009 the band recorded their debut EP [[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] at [[Temple Studios]] with renowned producer [[David Vella]]. <br /> <br /> ==Discography==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Studio Albums&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] 2009 [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037BALG2/ref=dm_dp_adp?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1265751061&amp;sr=301-1&amp;tag=vglnk-c9-20 Buy it here]<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Compilations&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Bay Music Awards 2009 Compilation]] - [[Can&#039;t Stop]]<br /> <br /> ==Music Videos==<br /> <br /> * Skimmed released a music video for Napoleon in 2010. The video was directed by Moira Zahra and Eleonora Rose Abela.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXhL3rIDBI0 Watch it here] <br /> <br /> ==Television and Radio==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2009&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Released debut single [[Can&#039;t Stop]] on local radio stations. The song occupied the No.1 spot in local charts for 2 consecutive weeks.<br /> <br /> *Nominated as Best Newcomers 2010 during the Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards.<br /> <br /> *Performed during Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards 2010 which were also aired on local television stations<br /> <br /> *As Fade the band appeared on teen oriented program [[A-70]] presented by Zoo comedians Owen and Daniel where they played and original and a cover version on national television.<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2010&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Single Napoleon played on local radio stations<br /> <br /> *Music video for Napoleon aired on Fresh and Funky (local music TV programme) and Calypso TV<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> <br /> *[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed%27s_Crowning_Glories Skimmed&#039;s Crowning Glories (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta 20 Sep 2009)]<br /> *http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Pricklier_Than_Thou<br /> <br /> ==External Links==<br /> <br /> [http://www.myspace.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on MySpace]<br /> <br /> [http://www.youtube.com/user/skimmedtheband Skimmed on YouTube]<br /> <br /> [http://www.facebook.com/skimmed Skimmed on Facebook]<br /> <br /> [http://twitter.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on Twitter]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed&diff=966 2010-10-10T09:56:53Z

<p>Wayneflask: /* See also */</p> <hr /> <div>Skimmed is an indie garage-rock band from Malta. The band&#039;s current line-up features [[Alexandra Aquilina]] (vocals/synth), [[Daniel Borg]] (backing vocals/guitar), [[Federico Cilia]] (bass) and [[Christopher &quot;Toffer&quot; Mercieca]] (drums).<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> <br /> The band was originally founded by Borg, Cilia and Manuel Mizzi during their Secondary school years at the Liceo in Hamrun. At this time the band was called [[Fade]]. In 2005 the band recruited female vocals Joanna Ellul who was soon replaced by current vocalist Aquilina while Ellul moved to the keyboards. This formation did not last long and Ellul soon left the band due to diverging musical taste.<br /> <br /> The band soon began writing new material and changed their name to [[Skimmed]] and performed for the first time at [[Naasha]] in 2007 with [[The Areola Treat]]. <br /> <br /> In 2009 the band recorded their debut EP [[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] at [[Temple Studios]] with renowned producer [[David Vella]]. <br /> <br /> ==Discography==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Studio Albums&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Your Head Is Too Big For Your Crown]] 2009 [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037BALG2/ref=dm_dp_adp?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1265751061&amp;sr=301-1&amp;tag=vglnk-c9-20 Buy it here]<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Compilations&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *[[Bay Music Awards 2009 Compilation]] - [[Can&#039;t Stop]]<br /> <br /> ==Music Videos==<br /> <br /> * Skimmed released a music video for Napoleon in 2010. The video was directed by Moira Zahra and Eleonora Rose Abela.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXhL3rIDBI0 Watch it here] <br /> <br /> ==Television and Radio==<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2009&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Released debut single [[Can&#039;t Stop]] on local radio stations. The song occupied the No.1 spot in local charts for 2 consecutive weeks.<br /> <br /> *Nominated as Best Newcomers 2010 during the Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards.<br /> <br /> *Performed during Bay Music Awards and Malta Music Awards 2010 which were also aired on local television stations<br /> <br /> *As Fade the band appeared on teen oriented program [[A-70]] presented by Zoo comedians Owen and Daniel where they played and original and a cover version on national television.<br /> <br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;2010&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> *Single Napoleon played on local radio stations<br /> <br /> *Music video for Napoleon aired on Fresh and Funky (local music TV programme) and Calypso TV<br /> <br /> ==See also==<br /> <br /> *[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Skimmed%27s_Crowning_Glories Skimmed&#039;s Crowning Glories (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta 20 Sep 2009)]<br /> *[http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Pricklier_Than_Thou_Pricklier Than Thou (Wayne Flask - Manic! - 26 Sep 2010)]<br /> <br /> ==External Links==<br /> <br /> [http://www.myspace.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on MySpace]<br /> <br /> [http://www.youtube.com/user/skimmedtheband Skimmed on YouTube]<br /> <br /> [http://www.facebook.com/skimmed Skimmed on Facebook]<br /> <br /> [http://twitter.com/skimmedtheband Skimmed on Twitter]<br /> <br /> [[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Wayne_Flask&diff=949 2010-10-07T19:30:33Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>Wayne Flask is a Maltese music journalist and DJ. Flask started his career in 1999 with the Malta Independent before moving on to write for The Sunday Times and Maltanow magazine. He now writes for Manic! magazine. He also hosted shows on Calypso FM and A3FM for a brief period between 2003 and 2005 and was resident DJ at Coconut Grove, The Alley and Muddy Waters.<br /> <br /> [[Articles by Wayne Flask]]</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Pricklier_Than_Thou&diff=948 2010-10-07T19:29:24Z

<p>Wayneflask: </p> <hr /> <div>&#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask meets Skimmed: mother’s milk is a distant memory.&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> “This girl who worked with the sound crew came up to me saying, your album is really cool, we’ve been playing it over and over again. I’m going to make copies it for my friends. I went bonkers. Do you know how much money a twenty two year old invests in making a record, I asked her angrily. These people really don’t care about you, they even say it to your face they’re going to copy your work...”<br /> <br /> The half smile that had almost appeared on Skimmed’s Alexandra Aquilina’s face gives way to a disdainful grimace, like someone who’s just walked unscathed out of a drunken Montecarlo Tennis Club fete. Of course, you’d wonder whether at their age (Alex is 23, guitarist Daniel Borg a year older) they should still be channelling fury via their music or whether they should be looking at the benefits of a quiet life sat on a couch.<br /> <br /> No, not for them: they carry an unequivocal enthusiasm on their sleeve, and if they’re mean onstage they can be equally piercing off it. But, mind you, what would our over friendly, dour coffee table music scene be without someone spilling the pint? More so when a couple of young ‘uns like these two turn up with a determined glimmer in their eye, making it clear they’re not the types you’ll want to bully.<br /> <br /> Skimmed’s rapid emergence from the blissful nowhereness of garage days has caught the eye of many, if not the imagination. Their sound is a juvenile strand of the traditional blend of indie and punk that sweeps through you shamelessly fuelled by a block solid rhythm section and Alex’s vocals, which sound impeccably foreign. They don’t depart too much from the confines of their genre yet their songs are blessed, in most cases, with h word – the Hook. There again it’s what indie/punk/garage/callitwhatyouwish music is about – don’t go overboard, avoid people wearing linen, don’t get too friendly with those in flannel shirts, and get it done properly. In a scene where people who write three minute songs often let go of quality control, Skimmed are on the right track.<br /> <br /> The band knows its humble beginnings in the school scene, back when Daniel was involved with other musicians in a project named Fade. “I still shudder when I hear that name,” he says half-blushing.<br /> <br /> “It was a grungier type of music,” says Alex, who joined through the revolving doors of the band at the age of seventeen. “It was very different. There was no form of songwriting maturity, I was singing songs which Daniel had written for himself to sing, but weren’t really suitable to my voice. Eventually the keyboardist we had at the time quit the band and we started writing in a new way. At the time many people told us we were crap live.” <br /> Bassist Federico Cilia is the other mainstay of the band, while drummer auditions must have been frequent with the band claiming a total of 6 drummers in their rosters. “Fede, Daniel and I have very high standards, we are quite demanding of ourselves and of others,” says Alex, whom by now I can identify as the One Who Doesn’t Mince Words. “At one point we had a German drummer who recorded the EP [Your Head is too Big for Your Crown] with us, he was much older than we are. We were relaxed and everything wit him but he had a few issues. Recording with a forty year old who’d end up in tears isn’t really… you know. David [Vella] nursed him quite a bit in the studio and he knew he wouldn’t be around for long.”<br /> <br /> Well known among the local gig circuit, they received an unusual if very welcome endorsement from Brikkuni’s singer/lyricist/mouthpiece Mario Vella. A few years back, Skimmed themselves would be seen at gigs of Vella’s previous band, the legendary Lumiere, together with other left of centre favourites such as Totema, BNI, Beangrowers and Dripht.<br /> <br /> And while it’s easier to succumb to the temptation of pigeonholing their music, their influences are slightly different to what I first thought. “Well, the first remotely ‘rock’ thing I had ever listened to was Avril Lavigne,” says Alex. I ask her if she got picked on at school for that. “Yes, but that’s because I was the ‘rocker’. Let alone if I had been listening to Nirvana or the Smiths…”<br /> <br /> “Fede on the other hand always loved ska and punk, he was into The Police, and then he changed very quickly. He started listening to the Pixies and just went crazy about them. I think he matured musically way before we did,” says Daniel.<br /> <br /> There are a few parallels between their music and that of the other enfant terrible of Maltese punk, Areola Treat: the searing pace, their directness, less glitzy perhaps. “I think they’re more aggressive than us,” says Daniel, “in the sense that they have a bigger guitar sound influenced by American bands while we are mostly influenced by British bands. Lisa’s vocals are also more experimental and womanly while Alex’s are more child-like and punky. We have actually been placed in the middle-ground between Beangrowers and The Areola Treat.” <br /> <br /> Throughout the album, you’d sense the feeling that David Vella’s Midas touch has had some bearing on the final product. “I think David Vella has given us a lot of things. We’ve introduced the synth,” says Daniel. “He had a clear idea of what he wanted us to sound like, which we hadn’t quite realised when we went into the studio. The first time he came into our rehearsal place he recommended a few bands we had never listened to before, say, the B-52’s. There were quite a few names. He encouraged us to try and sound darker, and our sound slowly began to more mature. He also taught us to be more disciplined with our instruments.”<br /> <br /> While it is clear that Alex and Daniel share a huge portion of the songwriting duties, they are adamant that Skimmed is a collective process. “For us, the tune is simply not complete if Fede doesn’t nail a bass line he’s completely happy with. Some bands put songwriting merit on one person and I don’t think it’s fair. We all work together.”<br /> <br /> Here perhaps, the “darkness” encouraged by the veteran producer – a mentor for most – should hopefully find a way of seeping into the lyrics, which bear too much on how young the band sounds, confining it to younger audiences by nature of its easy, poppy rhyming. At some point in time, like some of their drummers, they will get tired of writing about drinking or boys who liked crack and see themselves growing ‘older’. Think the Arctic Monkeys’ transformation for their third album, and the future is rosy.<br /> <br /> Surely the title to their debut EP, Your Head is Too Big for Your Crown must have some origin worthy of mention. “To tell the truth I don’t remember when we decided on it. But it makes a lot of sense to us. Many people in Malta are bigheads who believe they’re gods or saviours of some sort. They’d be people who will go round making people think they’re someone important without really being the case.<br /> <br /> “It’s not politicians I’m referring to here. There are things that are much closer to home that are not working. It happens in local music, some people think they’re doing something great for the scene but a lot of it is happening for the sake of helping friends and so on. If you say a word against that you’ll get hounded. You see a lot of crap on Facebook, as soon as someone raises his voice against something they get attacked. We’ve had our own situations, like others organising gigs on the same date as our EP launch. We’ve been accused of being envious by people who do such things who then go around bragging they’re doing something for Malta’s live scene,” says Alex adamantly.<br /> <br /> Opening track Can’t Stop, a quirky ska track that would be comfortable on indie dancefloors around the isle did make it to the radios “by some freak accident” although other submissions weren’t so fortunate. “One particular radio station even congratulated us for our efforts even though they told us they wouldn’t be playing [followup single first song on video] Napoleon. It made us sound like we were trying out some heavy avant-garde stuff,” says Daniel, his chuckle of sarcastic disbelief surfacing once more.<br /> <br /> They rue, primarily, a local scene which lacks venues and a general lack of music culture. And…<br /> “There are lots of crappy bands who make it to the radio or to Eurovision who do a lot of harm and give the scene a bad reputation because they try to do what they are not capable of doing. There are good bands in Malta... it ticks me off because most people only have a passive interest in music. They don’t go to gigs.”<br /> <br /> Quiet life on a couch? No, not yet. They plan to record an album where nobody, really, is expecting them to do much more within a genre that is as catchy as confining. They are, however, a band that has matured through the ages and has an immense potential to keep it going. Don’t count on them running out of steam.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Pricklier_Than_Thou&diff=947 2010-10-07T19:28:32Z

<p>Wayneflask: Skimmed Interviewed by Wayne Flask for Manic!, September 2010</p> <hr /> <div>&#039;&#039;&#039;Wayne Flask meets Skimmed: mother’s milk is a distant memory.&#039;&#039;&#039;<br /> <br /> “This girl who worked with the sound crew came up to me saying, your album is really cool, we’ve been playing it over and over again. I’m going to make copies it for my friends. I went bonkers. Do you know how much money a twenty two year old invests in making a record, I asked her angrily. These people really don’t care about you, they even say it to your face they’re going to copy your work...”<br /> The half smile that had almost appeared on Skimmed’s Alexandra Aquilina’s face gives way to a disdainful grimace, like someone who’s just walked unscathed out of a drunken Montecarlo Tennis Club fete. Of course, you’d wonder whether at their age (Alex is 23, guitarist Daniel Borg a year older) they should still be channelling fury via their music or whether they should be looking at the benefits of a quiet life sat on a couch.<br /> No, not for them: they carry an unequivocal enthusiasm on their sleeve, and if they’re mean onstage they can be equally piercing off it. But, mind you, what would our over friendly, dour coffee table music scene be without someone spilling the pint? More so when a couple of young ‘uns like these two turn up with a determined glimmer in their eye, making it clear they’re not the types you’ll want to bully.<br /> Skimmed’s rapid emergence from the blissful nowhereness of garage days has caught the eye of many, if not the imagination. Their sound is a juvenile strand of the traditional blend of indie and punk that sweeps through you shamelessly fuelled by a block solid rhythm section and Alex’s vocals, which sound impeccably foreign. They don’t depart too much from the confines of their genre yet their songs are blessed, in most cases, with h word – the Hook. There again it’s what indie/punk/garage/callitwhatyouwish music is about – don’t go overboard, avoid people wearing linen, don’t get too friendly with those in flannel shirts, and get it done properly. In a scene where people who write three minute songs often let go of quality control, Skimmed are on the right track.<br /> The band knows its humble beginnings in the school scene, back when Daniel was involved with other musicians in a project named Fade. “I still shudder when I hear that name,” he says half-blushing.<br /> “It was a grungier type of music,” says Alex, who joined through the revolving doors of the band at the age of seventeen. “It was very different. There was no form of songwriting maturity, I was singing songs which Daniel had written for himself to sing, but weren’t really suitable to my voice. Eventually the keyboardist we had at the time quit the band and we started writing in a new way. At the time many people told us we were crap live.” <br /> Bassist Federico Cilia is the other mainstay of the band, while drummer auditions must have been frequent with the band claiming a total of 6 drummers in their rosters. “Fede, Daniel and I have very high standards, we are quite demanding of ourselves and of others,” says Alex, whom by now I can identify as the One Who Doesn’t Mince Words. “At one point we had a German drummer who recorded the EP [Your Head is too Big for Your Crown] with us, he was much older than we are. We were relaxed and everything wit him but he had a few issues. Recording with a forty year old who’d end up in tears isn’t really… you know. David [Vella] nursed him quite a bit in the studio and he knew he wouldn’t be around for long.”<br /> Well known among the local gig circuit, they received an unusual if very welcome endorsement from Brikkuni’s singer/lyricist/mouthpiece Mario Vella. A few years back, Skimmed themselves would be seen at gigs of Vella’s previous band, the legendary Lumiere, together with other left of centre favourites such as Totema, BNI, Beangrowers and Dripht.<br /> And while it’s easier to succumb to the temptation of pigeonholing their music, their influences are slightly different to what I first thought. “Well, the first remotely ‘rock’ thing I had ever listened to was Avril Lavigne,” says Alex. I ask her if she got picked on at school for that. “Yes, but that’s because I was the ‘rocker’. Let alone if I had been listening to Nirvana or the Smiths…”<br /> “Fede on the other hand always loved ska and punk, he was into The Police, and then he changed very quickly. He started listening to the Pixies and just went crazy about them. I think he matured musically way before we did,” says Daniel.<br /> There are a few parallels between their music and that of the other enfant terrible of Maltese punk, Areola Treat: the searing pace, their directness, less glitzy perhaps. “I think they’re more aggressive than us,” says Daniel, “in the sense that they have a bigger guitar sound influenced by American bands while we are mostly influenced by British bands. Lisa’s vocals are also more experimental and womanly while Alex’s are more child-like and punky. We have actually been placed in the middle-ground between Beangrowers and The Areola Treat.” <br /> Throughout the album, you’d sense the feeling that David Vella’s Midas touch has had some bearing on the final product. “I think David Vella has given us a lot of things. We’ve introduced the synth,” says Daniel. “He had a clear idea of what he wanted us to sound like, which we hadn’t quite realised when we went into the studio. The first time he came into our rehearsal place he recommended a few bands we had never listened to before, say, the B-52’s. There were quite a few names. He encouraged us to try and sound darker, and our sound slowly began to more mature. He also taught us to be more disciplined with our instruments.”<br /> While it is clear that Alex and Daniel share a huge portion of the songwriting duties, they are adamant that Skimmed is a collective process. “For us, the tune is simply not complete if Fede doesn’t nail a bass line he’s completely happy with. Some bands put songwriting merit on one person and I don’t think it’s fair. We all work together.”<br /> Here perhaps, the “darkness” encouraged by the veteran producer – a mentor for most – should hopefully find a way of seeping into the lyrics, which bear too much on how young the band sounds, confining it to younger audiences by nature of its easy, poppy rhyming. At some point in time, like some of their drummers, they will get tired of writing about drinking or boys who liked crack and see themselves growing ‘older’. Think the Arctic Monkeys’ transformation for their third album, and the future is rosy.<br /> Surely the title to their debut EP, Your Head is Too Big for Your Crown must have some origin worthy of mention. “To tell the truth I don’t remember when we decided on it. But it makes a lot of sense to us. Many people in Malta are bigheads who believe they’re gods or saviours of some sort. They’d be people who will go round making people think they’re someone important without really being the case.<br /> “It’s not politicians I’m referring to here. There are things that are much closer to home that are not working. It happens in local music, some people think they’re doing something great for the scene but a lot of it is happening for the sake of helping friends and so on. If you say a word against that you’ll get hounded. You see a lot of crap on Facebook, as soon as someone raises his voice against something they get attacked. We’ve had our own situations, like others organising gigs on the same date as our EP launch. We’ve been accused of being envious by people who do such things who then go around bragging they’re doing something for Malta’s live scene,” says Alex adamantly.<br /> Opening track Can’t Stop, a quirky ska track that would be comfortable on indie dancefloors around the isle did make it to the radios “by some freak accident” although other submissions weren’t so fortunate. “One particular radio station even congratulated us for our efforts even though they told us they wouldn’t be playing [followup single first song on video] Napoleon. It made us sound like we were trying out some heavy avant-garde stuff,” says Daniel, his chuckle of sarcastic disbelief surfacing once more.<br /> They rue, primarily, a local scene which lacks venues and a general lack of music culture. And…<br /> “There are lots of crappy bands who make it to the radio or to Eurovision who do a lot of harm and give the scene a bad reputation because they try to do what they are not capable of doing. There are good bands in Malta... it ticks me off because most people only have a passive interest in music. They don’t go to gigs.”<br /> Quiet life on a couch? No, not yet. They plan to record an album where nobody, really, is expecting them to do much more within a genre that is as catchy as confining. They are, however, a band that has matured through the ages and has an immense potential to keep it going. Don’t count on them running out of steam.</div>

Wayneflask http://www.m3p.com.mt/wiki/index.php?title=Wayne_Flask&diff=892 2010-10-01T15:01:41Z

<p>Wayneflask: Created page with &#039;Wayne Flask is a Maltese music journalist and DJ. Flask started his career in 1999 with the Malta Independent before moving on to write for The Sunday Times and Maltanow magazine…&#039;</p> <hr /> <div>Wayne Flask is a Maltese music journalist and DJ. Flask started his career in 1999 with the Malta Independent before moving on to write for The Sunday Times and Maltanow magazine. He now writes for Manic! magazine. He also hosted shows on Calypso FM and A3FM for a brief period between 2003 and 2005 and was resident DJ at Coconut Grove, The Alley and Muddy Waters.</div>

Wayneflask