"Our past is only a stone's throw away, so for us this wasn't so much about looking back," says Jason Singh. "It was more of a chance to showcase what we can sound like when you take all the glitter off, the way it was for
... "Our past is only a stone's throw away, so for us this wasn't so much about looking back," says Jason Singh. "It was more of a chance to showcase what we can sound like when you take all the glitter off, the way it was for us in the beginning. It was a great opportunity to put our music where our mouth is."
For all the varied approaches taken by Liberation Blue artists, it's fair to say that Taxiride chose the most challenging way of recording. . Electrophobia was laid down in a single performance, in a bluestone church in Melbourne on May 26, 2006, in front of a hundred fans.
The extraordinary warmth and precision of the performance, enhanced by a live string quartet on eight songs, is testament to a world class band in every sense of the term: exceptional songwriters, committed and passionate musicians with a rare chemistry that exists independent of studio gloss.
"It doesn't even feel like we made a record," says Tim Wild. "It was the least stressful recording date we’ve ever had. It was just down to rehearsing and making sure we put in a good performance on the night."
Adding to the album's thrilling sense of history in motion is the live return of original member Dan Hall, who co-wrote two brand new tunes, Everything's Changed and Beyond A Day, as well as rebuilding Taxiride's distinctive wall of vocal harmonies to stunning new heights.
Then there are the strings, arranged by Led Zeppelin/ Tea Party associate Rob John, which lend a distinctly eastern weight and grace to new tunes and Top 10 hits alike. Get Set is reborn, Oh Yeah is transformed rhythmically and harmonically, This Time explodes into the classic it was always meant to be.
"Working with Rob was terrific cause he put an angle on it, he helped us swing the songs in an eastern direction," says Tim. "We had that idea from the outset but it was nice to reintroduce that cross-cultural angle, especially the Indian traditional vibe we want to get involved with."
Bassist Tomy Kende, drummer Sean McLeod, lap steel guitarist Dale Winters and the Hammond organ of producer David Carr complete a rich acoustic sound that emphasises the classic pop sensibility of the songwriters' craft.
"That first rehearsal back we were like, 'Has any time elapsed between 2000 and now?'," says Jason. "A lot's happened but it felt totally fresh again. We’ve gone back to finding out what made us special in the first place, and that's the ability to play and sing together like nobody else."
"It feels like a punctuation point for us," adds Tim. "It's good to sum up what you've been doing for the last almost 10 years. It actually helps you to look forward, maybe angle the music we do in the future a little bit differently, cause you learn something from every experience."
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