Brisbane Music Scene: From Punter To Performer, Part 4: Experimentation and Ambience

 In addition to weekly rehearsals and gigs with Headkase, I was also a part of an experimental, improvised noise art project called "Silent Partners" from 2002 until 2008. There was no official end to the project. It's just that nothing has really happened with it recently. 

It was another very theatrical act with masks, facepaint, and costumes. We didn't rehearse. We just showed up and played. No two shows were the same. And they were hit and miss. On bad nights, people would either walk out, or just stare blankly at us, wondering what was going on. On good nights (thankfully there were more of these), people would smile, dance and come up to us afterwards and ask us what the name of the third song was we played. We didn't have an answer because it was just a live improvised jam, made up on the spot.

There were three main members of Silent Partners: Jesse Breckon, the mastermind of the outfit, on vocals, theremin, and various other electronic gadgets and effects units. Markus on bass, and myself on keys. Various other members joined us at gigs and on recordings. Sometimes the band would consist of up to 14 people at a time. Members from bands such as The Follow, The Red Paintings, Suspect Seven,  Felinedown, The Wretched Villains, and Headkase. Brass, strings, lots of percussion and vocal effects too... as demonstrated in this sample. Note the many different genres featured. There were no limits:

Silent Partners Sample by RealBrettHansen

And from 2003-2007, I was part of an ambient band called "Marlinchen". A couple of lineup changes to begin with, but we ended up with something pretty magical. It was quite a mournful sound we produced, but pretty as well. 
 
At our gigs, people would sit on the floor and close their eyes while they listened. A far cry from the crazy moshpits I was used to at Headkase shows. We had violin, operatic vocals, guitar, keys, glockenspiel and bass played with a cello bow. 

The following is an article about us in Time Off - 8 March, 2006:

MARLINCHEN

Marlinchen are that special something that makes you thank God such a thing as music exists; evoking everything from the mythical worlds of fairy tales and children’s rhymes to the more adult Tubular Bells and artists such as Faith & Disease and Lisa Gerrard.

Skye (Violin). Photo by Ricky Sullivan.

Named after a character from the Brothers Grimm tale The Juniper Tree, guitarist Maxwell Blair says the Brisbane quintet strive to recapture that childhood innocence. “Marlinchen, or ‘Little Marlene’, is a German term of endearment,” he says. “Childlike virtue, wisdom and wonder inspire me.”

Evoking more atmosphere than many composers do with large budgets, their demo Drawing A Cat With the Aid of Two Coins will certainly conjure up childhood images you thought you’d forgotten: real or imagined. So how does one go about creating such an impression?

Max (Guitar). Photo by Ricky Sullivan.

“The music writing process will start with Max’s or my chords,” keys player Brett Hansen says. “I like to think of a mood, and then the creation just flows. After we have run through a new song, we often discuss what it evokes for each of us. All sorts of films come to mind.”

Since the group’s inception, the line-up has expanded gradually to that which you see today.
 

“Each addition to the band has taken the music in a slightly different, but advanced, direction. It was certainly not imagined this way when Max and I first started making music but it pleases me,” bassist Glen Miller says.

Glen (Bass). Photo by Ricky Sullivan.

“Everyone is open enough to let it change, which is important,” vocalist Jasmine Hulme adds.

So what can you expect from their live show?

“Shivers-inducing violin; Skye [McNicol] is such an amazing performer,” Blair says. “And the cinematic implications of our music allow listeners to wander throughout their imaginations; our music invites people to visualise a scene from a film, whether imagined or real.”

Jasmine (Vocals). Photo by Ricky Sullivan.

Marlinchen turn Ric’s into an enchanted forest (or whatever you imagine) Wednesday Mar 15.

Marlinchen Sample by RealBrettHansen

Marlinchen played our final show at the Troubadour in the Valley in March 2007. 

Members now live in faraway places like France, Japan and other parts of Australia. Some have pursued other interests, while others continue to perform music in other groups. 

In my next blog post, I'll continue talk about Headkase's journey, the release of our full length album, and the reception it received both in Australia and overseas. 

And coming soon: I'll talk about the ska/swing band I joined in 2010 called "Rad Rockets Are GO!"

 To be continued...

Part 5 (Final) - http://geekazoidopinion.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html 

Brisbane Music Scene: From Punter To Performer, Part 1

Dylan (Headkase) at Hi-Fi Bar, 2011

As I stood on that big stage at the Hi-Fi Bar with the band, before a sea of almost 1,200 cheering people, I finally felt like all the hard work had paid off. For that brief period of time on Friday 28th of January, 2011, it was our turn. The 'Headkase' Ten Year Anniversary performance was not just another gig. This was the ultimate "rock concert" experience that every unsigned musician dreams of. 

Brett (Headkase) at Hi-Fi Bar, 2011

And it all began 14 years ago, when I started attending local gigs. I watched as some of my favourite local bands played to increasingly larger audiences at every gig. Nobody I talked to had ever heard of these bands, but it was fascinating to see all the fans come out of the woodwork on these nights. It was like being in a secret club. While the rest of the world's population were ignorant of the existence of these bands, 500+ fans would come together, pack out a venue and party to some great original live music. I too wanted one day to be up there on the stage, in a band, performing to big crowds. 

4ZzZ 102.1 FM

I don't know what it was that lead me towards some of the more abstract, underground sounds that were coming out of Brisbane's local music scene at the time. I guess I've always enjoyed music that's a bit different. Even as a kid, I'd get a kick out of some of the weird stuff that 4zZz were playing, as opposed to all the commercial pop music everybody else liked. 

I guess part of being unpopular was enjoying unpopular music. All the cool kids liked what was "in". But what was "in" was just too bland for me. And there was (and still is) no way to avoid it. Every ad on TV, every shop, bar and passing car has it blasting. Even without listening to commercial radio, the songs still get stuck in your head. But while I couldn't avoid this over hyped, overplayed, generic, teeny-bopper rubbish, I could at least escape it occasionally by either listening to CDs, or attending live gigs.

Time Off Magazine - Brisbane Street Press

I used to read the local street press (Time Off, Rave and Scene) even before I was legally allowed to attend most gigs, so I kept pretty well informed about the scene. I was very much into acid jazz, trip hop, turntablism, trance, ambient, folk and funk at the time, and many Brisbane bands catered for these tastes. In fact, many of them combined all of those elements, which fascinated me. 

Regular bands I would go and see included: 

Soma Rasa, Zephyr Timbre, The Visitors, Hydrophonics – All live bands with real instruments, playing funky dance and hip hop that you'd normally expect to be electronic. It sounded like real music, and the stage performances were a lot of fun. 

Trinkets

Trinkets – Ambient, delicate, quiet music. Strings, keys, cleantone guitar. Really soft moments that would elevate into louder, hypnotic sections. Hard to explain. It’s the sort of music you’d listen to while reading a good book by a fireplace in a quaint old cottage. These guys were definitely an influence for the band “Marlinchen”, which I was in between 2003 and 2007.

Tulipan

Tulipan – Four girls playing exotic instruments such as hurdy-gurdy, zither and hammered dulcimer, as well as sax, violin, keyboards and plenty of drums and percussion. They all sung in harmony as well. Playing fun world music, folk and "Hungarian fusion", band members would talk about the history and origin of the instruments, which was always interesting too. 

George

George – Before they were famous, they played jazz, funk and ambient soft rock. I used to pay $10 to see them perform at The Zoo in the Valley. Sometimes, they’d perform for free in the Valley Mall rotunda during the Saturday and Sunday Markets.

Listen to a sample of "Homebrew" by George:

George - Homebrew (Sample) by RealBrettHansen

Resin Dogs

Resin Dogs – Dave Atkins’ live drumming in this hip hop/dance outfit always blew my mind. And DJ Katch was quite the turntablist. And there were always so many performers on stage, often including break dancers. This was a band who really knew how to pull massive crowds. Always a BIG, spectacular show with a big live sound. They knew how to party! Now, this is a time when Aussie hip hop was NOT played on the radio like it is now. These guys were making the crowds jump long before we were hearing Hilltop Hoods on the radio. My brothers and I ended up appearing as extras in one of their music videos: “Hardgroove 2001”.  

Listen to a sample of "Que Kumbers" by Resin Dogs:

Resin Dogs - Que Kumbers (Sample) by RealBrettHansen


 

Gota Cola

And my all time favourite, the dreamlike Gota Cola. Tylea, Lexie and Skritch always had me in a trance. I was always there, front row, centre at their gigs. I would often have a chat with Tylea afterwards. What a fanboy I was. I have both their debut EP and an autographed copy of their album, which I got them all to sign especially. Nobody else got a signed copy. It’s not like they were signing them at the merch desk. I was honoured to meet all of them. They were just such an amazing live band. It was ambient trip hop combined with indie rock. Very mesmerising stuff.  

Listen to a sample of "Red Red Moon" by Gota Cola:

Gota Cola - Red Red Moon (Sample) by RealBrettHansen

All of these influences lead me to undertake a course in DJing and turntablism at the “United DJ Mixing School”. Run by professional DJs in the business, I learnt how to scratch rhythmically (as they used to do in hip hop throughout the 1980s and early 90s, and in trip hop throughout the 90s), how to beat mix (creating beats using the drum sounds on records), and how to mix one dance (techno/house/trance) song seamlessly into another, creating the illusion of one long, drawn out track, as heard in nightclubs.

I did really well at the turntablism (scratching) element of the programme. I had an interest in this style, and have an ear for rhythm and timing in music thanks to years of classical piano.

From there, a couple of fellow animation students and I, along with a girl who was studying fine art formed “Boris”, which incorporated all of the elements of these bands I was going out to see on most weekends. There was funk, jazz, folk, trance and hip hop elements. I was on turntables and keyboard. I had originally thought that this band was going to eventually follow in the footsteps of Gota Cola, George, Resin Dogs and the others, performing for the same crowds, and perhaps even on the same bill. But things took an interesting turn. 

Listen to a few short (poorly recorded) samples of songs by Boris:

BorisMedley by RealBrettHansen

How did heavy metal get mixed up in all of this? How and why did Headkase form? And how were the large crowds achieved?

To Be Continued…

Part 2 - http://geekazoidopinion.blogspot.com/2011/07/brisbane-music-scene-from-punter-to_21.html

Introduction to Brett Hansen

Hello, I'm Brett Hansen. A bit of a social outcast. A bit of a weirdo. I'm pretty quiet and shy until I get to know people better. I have strange luck, strange adventures and a warped view of life. I'm married (2013 edit: Used to be), I perform with puppets, I draw cartoons, I write and perform music. I studied animation, and am a cartoon geek! I'm also a film buff. And I'm addicted to music. Interesting music. Different music. I have a Dad and two brothers, Todd and Dale. My wife Jen (2013 edit: Ex-wife... We're still friends though) and I go out to a lot of concerts, comedy shows and other events.

I studied classical piano between the ages of 3 and 15. Then I joined a jazz/funk band in 1999 called BORIS, playing keys and turntables (yep, I was a scratch DJ/turntablist).

In 2001, I helped form a quirky 6-piece "circus-metal" band called HEADKASE. For ten years, we took Brisbane by storm, dressing up in wacky costumes, masks and facepaint. We brought theatre, colour, jazz, techno, and all the fun of the carnival to the heavy metal scene. Our music appealed to fans of Mr. Bungle, Dog Fashion Disco, Vicious Hairy Mary, Carnival in Coal, System of a Down, Slipknot, and Insane Clown Posse. We didn't sound exactly like any one of those bands, but perhaps incorporated several elements of them all. We released an album and toured the country. We played to almost 1,200 people at our 10 Year Anniversary Show in January of 2011 at the Hi-Fi Bar. Members of the band currently live in Canada, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. But, like our big show in January, we have agreed to keep the band alive, and come together for the bigger shows. Shows that are worth the flight costs. A second album is very slowly starting to come together.

During this time, I was one of the main members of an experimental noise-art group called SILENT PARTNERS. We would play all kinds of shows with all sorts of musicians - horn players, string players, people from many different bands all jamming, improvising. Lots of crazy fun! We've freaked out a lot of people! We would perhaps appeal to fans of John Zorn, Mike Patton, John Kaada, Ulver, End, Einsturzende Neubauten, Toydeath, Boredoms, Fantomas, Locust, Painkiller, Secret Chiefs 3, Mr. Bungle and Monsieur Camembert.

I was also a member of a dream-like ambient quintet called MARLINCHEN (2003-2007). We described the sound as "a crawling ambience". The group featured violin, guitar, keys, bass, glockenspiel, and occasional operatic vocals. Perhaps of interest to fans of Sigur Rós, Amiina, Múm, Trinkets, Decoder Ring, Bloon, The Dirty Three, and Ulver, we had audiences sitting on the floor with their eyes closed, getting lost in the music. A far cry from the wild moshpits at Headkase shows! We mostly performed at Ric's Cafe in the Valley. But we also performed at small art exhibitions, and at The Troubadour. Members eventually moved to places like Japan and France, and one went on to join the popular Brisbane folk band "Lion Island".

In 2010, I joined an 8-piece ska/swing band called RAD ROCKETS ARE GO! Another crazy and colourful group! From first wave ska and reggae sounding tunes, to modern ska-punk, and big band swing jazz - we had the crowds' fingers a-clickin' and toes a-tappin'. Influences include Madness, Reel Big Fish, Rancid, Toots and the Maytals, The Skatalites, The Specials, Save Ferris, Desmond Dekker, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown Revue, and Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Things were happening very fast for Rad Rockets. We were approached after every show, and being invited to play more shows every week! Sadly, after Christmas 2010, three members decided they didn't want to be a part of it anymore. The remaining members have since continued to rehearse and write, while searching for new members.

In 2011, I was asked to perform as musician with improvisational theatre company IMPRO MAFIA for their weekly "Speakeasy" shows. Much like the TV Show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", teams of actors improvise their way through funny scenes, sketches, songs and mimes. It's the first time (since a piano recital I played at the age of 10) that I've been the only musician on stage, without several other band members who have my back. Thankfully, the actors/improvisers are talented and professional enough to make this work. Coming up with something on the spot is the aim of the game, and mistakes are often what makes it all the more funny. At the time of writing this, I have only performed two of these shows so far. I'm still a bit nervous, but I'm getting there. Learning something new each week and building up more confidence.

I am a cartoonist by trade, drawing cartoon illustrations for technical and general print media. Some clients have included Education Queensland, Lifeline, Leukaemia Foundation, Commerce Queensland and 4zZz radio station. My formal qualifications are - Diploma of Visual Arts: Animation; Diploma of Freelance Cartooning & Illustration; Advanced Certificate in Multi-Disciplinary Arts, Design & Technology (Fine Art & Illustration); Certificate III in Animation; Certificate III in Film & Television.

http://www.bretthansen.com features my student films to download, as well as samples of my cartoon and art work. My animated student films, "Blind Man's Rough" (1998) and "Weasel Boy in: Shop Goes the Weasel" (2000) have screened at several film festivals and art shows, and can also be found on YouTube.

 

In 1997, while in the USA, I had the pleasure of meeting and discussing animation techniques with fellow animators in Hollywood studios Klasky-Csupo (Rugrats, Duckman, The Simpsons 87-92) and Film Roman (The Simpsons 92-current, Family Guy, King of the Hill).



For money, I work as a storeman in the loading dock of a supermarket. I've been in the retail industry since 2006, working in Grocery, Dairy, Service (checkouts) and Fresh Produce.

Before that, I worked in a couple of market research call centres. I conducted surveys and political polls over the phone. Not sales, mind you. That's telemarketing. Market Research is very different, but still considered just as annoying to the general public. I went into retail when the call centre I worked for moved all work to New Zealand. I also spent a year doing a traineeship of Office Administration. Full-time on the job training, with one day a week at Business College.

Common question I'm asked: Why Brett? Why are you working in office admin, market research and retail? You're a fully qualified and skilled artist and musician! Why don't you simply get a job in the arts?

My answer: Unless you're lucky enough to be discovered by someone big in the industry or someone rich and famous, it is impossible to live off the arts. I've entered into every film and art festival, and had my art displayed far and wide by the clients who've hired me to draw for them. I've performed music all over Australia, making many fans and contacts in the music industry. Headkase's album has received positive reviews and radio airplay all over the world, and we've appeared on local and national television (including "RAGE" on the ABC). With all of this, I (and most artists in Brisbane) remain 'undiscovered'. But we don't give up. We keep following the dream and doing what we love. It doesn't pay the bills, so we have to work less interesting jobs for whoever will hire us. But I know that I would be nothing without these creative outlets. There's no point in giving up on art just because it doesn't pay the bills.

The other thing I just wanted to mention is my wonderful mother, Helen Jean Hansen. She was kind and loving and put everyone else before herself. An amazing sense of humour, always singing and joking. She passed away on the 15th of July, 2010 from Ovarian Cancer. It was so sudden. From diagnoses to her passing, she only had about nine or ten months. When the pain starts, and you go to get it checked out by a doctor, it's already too late. There's no early detection. She remained positive and full of humour right until the end. It was a horrible loss for us. Please donate to the Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Research. One of my Mum's nurses was involved with that organisation. http://www.gyncan.org

RIP Mum. Helen Jean Hansen
 1944-2010



On a lighter note, I've been married to my amazing wife Jen since August 2009. She studied journalism years ago, and currently works in a government call centre. Like the arts, journalism is a bit difficult to break into. But she's starting to make a few contacts here and there, and appears from time to time as an entertainment reviewer on 612 ABC Brisbane, reviewing some of the concerts and comedy shows she and I attend. 

2013 edit: Sadly the marriage was short lived. We tried all we could to save it. But we simply grew apart. I don't feel that marriage is a joke, and I don't feel good about what has happened. But we enjoyed six wonderful years together. Apparently, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

So that's me! That's my life. Hope you enjoyed this novel of an introduction.