Interview: White Noise Radio

One of the most pleasing aspects of music lately has been the fantastic developments within progressive rock. Great new bands pushing the boundaries of prog, established acts recording great new music and some fantastic shows to boot. All this has been done under the nose of the fashion police and without the approval of the guardians of musical taste (for example Steven Wilson selling out venues the size of the Colston Hall despite being completely off the mainstream radar). Arguably the most exciting developments are where metal and prog combine and it’s pleasing to report that Bristol has a rather fine band on the cutting edge of the scene. White Noise Radio have a debut EP about to launch and they took some time to reveal their influences and tastes. The launch party is at the Crofters Rights, get there and get your tastes expanded. James Gill (Drums), Ben Lampard (Guitar/Vocals), Antoine Maas (Guitar/Vocals) and Mark Detre (Bass) spill the vinyl beans below.

What was the first record you ever bought and where did you buy it?

Mark: The Offspring – Smash, in a music store in Budapest. Antoine: Papa Roach – Getting Away with Murder in Lille, France. Don’t judge me, I was young… Ben: Linkin Park – Reanimation, it may sound strange to have started off with a remix album but I think all the weirdly re-imagined songs stuck with me! James: Eminem Marshall Mathers. I’m not even embarrassed by that! It was and still is a classic album. Although I seem to remember my mum had to be with me when I bought it because of the parental advisory sticker on the front. Bonus fact: I think the first album I ever had bought for me was Spice by the Spice Girls on cassette. Even at age 8 I clearly had an impeccable taste in music!

What was the most recent record you bought and where did you buy it?

Antoine: Icon by the Dutch band De Staat, on Amazon. These guys are fabulous! Ben: Heirs by And So I Watch You From Afar, got it on Bandcamp! James: 4.5 by Steven Wilson.

What record do you stick on the deck to sooth your soul?

Ben: I have a definite go-to record: Modular by Dan Phelps is a real masterpiece – it’s thoroughly well-written and intricate but feels organically whole, like it’s the world’s best jam session. It’s one to check out if you like ambient music, but it’s also a demonstration of just how much you can achieve with acoustic instruments and some well-chosen processing. Mark: Chet Baker + Bill Evans – The Complete Legendary Sessions. Antoine: not a record, a song Passive by A Perfect Circle. This song has an incredibly soothing power on me. James: usually can’t beat a bit of John Mayer, either Battle Studies or Continuum. But I’m spoilt for choice really… I’d particularly recommend anything by Foy Vance or Martin Harley as well. 

Have you bought a record on the basis of a great single and then been disappointed by the rest of the album? If so, tell us all about it…

Antoine: all the time! Take the recent Clutch – Psychic Warfare, the record is good but the opening single is by far the strongest song. Ben: a bit, yeah; I got the Cunninlynguists Winterfire EP after hearing Gas Station Attendant – the rest of the record is good, but that song is definitely a cut above. I suppose disappointment is a bit of a harsh word to use, it’s more that the best song is much better than the rest! James: Here We Go by Lower Than Atlantis is an outstanding single, but I’m afraid to say the rest of their self-titled album didn’t hit the same heights for me. I think a lot of big acts are going through second album syndrome lately. For example, I loved Chvrches’ first album The Bones of What You Believe, but their follow-up Every Open Eye has left me pretty underwhelmed.

What record do you turn up to maximum to get in to that party mood?

Ben: It Hates You by He Is Legend – just awesome. Mark: Karnivool, Sound Awake. Antoine: Rage Against the Machine first album does the job every time! James: the others will all tell you I’m a big Taylor Swift fan, definitely Red or 1989!

If we had the ability to land you at the recording of one classic LP so you could witness the whole recording process, what would you choose and why?

Antoine Metallica’s Black Album (Metallica), this band and album have had such a huge impact on my guitar playing and musical “awakening”, full of instant classics! Ben: Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power it’s the record that really defined heavy metal to me. James: from a nerdy studio engineering point of view, any of the Beatles’ later albums. They were pioneering in their use of (at the time) cutting edge technology and techniques, and created effects that nobody had heard before. And who wouldn’t want to see some of the best songwriters who ever lived hard at work in the studio!

Ever bought a record solely because you liked the sleeve? If so, what was it and did it delight you or disappoint you?

Ben: I bought Cleft’s Whale Bone EP on the basis that it portrayed Stewart Lee about to bash Jimmy Hill in the noggin with an enormous whale bone! I was not disappointed. James: I can’t say I’ve ever bought a record solely because of the sleeve. But I think too few bands take the time these days to create a fantastic overall package when it comes to making a record. Artwork should be part of a record, not an afterthought.

Oh no, your house is burning down and you can only rescue one record! What would it be and why?

Mark: Soilwork, Stabbing the Drama. Antoine: Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle. I’ve been loving and listening to this record since I’ve discovered the band 10 years ago, still not getting tired of it! Ben: Opeth’s Heritage, just one of those albums that grows and grows and grows! James: probably A Flash Flood of Colour by Enter Shikari. I’ve been in love with it for years, and it reminds me of many good times shared with one of my best friends.

What’s your favourite record sleeve? Tell us all about it (and whether or not the music gives you as much pleasure as the sleeve). 

Antoine: 10,000 Days by Tool, not so much for the design than for the crazy packaging: embedded 3D glasses to look at some cool twisted 3D artwork. Ben: the aforementioned Vulgar Display of Power, there’s just something so perfect about the poor chap getting punched in the face.

Morbidity alert: what record(s) would you like played at your funeral?

Antoine: Something ridiculously epic! Anything by Queen. Ben: Alive by Pearl Jam. James: Fat Bottomed Girls alright Antoine? I think I’ve always imagined having something long and wistful… Maybe Stevie Ray Vaughan’s instrumental cover of Little Wing, or perhaps Lazarus or The Sound of Muzak by Porcupine Tree.