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26 : JAN : 05 ANGELSPIT British fashion commentator Ted Polhemus observed that at the end of the 90s, stylistic devotion to one subcultural identity had been replaced by a process referred to as ‘style surfing’, where one could pick and chose elements from the whole range of subcultural history (‘the supermarket of style’) to create a new, unique image. Sydney band Angelspit have put his theory dramatically into action in both their image and music. Wired Magazine may have announced ‘The Death Of Cyberpunk’ in 1993, but that didn’t deter Sydney industrial/electro act Angelspit from embracing the term, finding it the most suitable for their particular aesthetic amalgam. And it’s this enthusiasm for rescuing precious shiny things from pop cultures of yore with such post-ironic glee that has helped them create such a stir, with support slots for everyone from KMFDM to IKON. “I love the ideas of cyberpunk”, says Zoog (aka – appropriately – Cyberpunk), “but I just don’t think it was explored enough. It got dropped because it was uncool or something”. DestroyX (aka Riotgrrl), who completes the duo, agrees. “We adopt the D.I.Y take on the creative process - no barriers, no rules, no formulas”, she says. “We aim to challenge perceptions anarchically, with unwarranted amounts of distortion”. Angelspit are refreshingly honest about the significance of their striking appearance. “Image is paramount”, DestroyX continues. “People won’t pick up your CD unless it looks cool. Bands are remembered not only for their music, but also for the fashion and visual styles they project and incite. Images and music work in tandem to express our concepts”. Zoog agrees; “We decided on the look and image before the music! For me visuals conjure up musical ideas. Once we had images for inspirations, we sculpted the music around them”. Although their stylistic kernel is based firmly in their active involvement in the goth scene (they run the popular website www.sydneygothic.com), both DestroyX and Zoog take pains to emphasise that they are not a ‘goth band’ per se. “I associate more with the visual and aesthetic stimulus of the goth subculture than the music itself”, says DestroyX, a self-confessed “child of mainstream music”. “We are quite entrenched within the goth scene in Australia because it is the group we most aligned with, even if we don’t represent the genre entirely and especially because of the lack of specific alternative groups with ‘goth’ being a blanket term”. Zoog, an ex-member of the now defunct Sydney band Jekyll Switch, has a more straight-down-the-line goth/industrial musical background, and says other influences like punk have also influenced Angelspit (and goth in general). “It’s all been amalgamated together, reflecting the growth of the goth scene. New influences like electroclash and psytrance are resulting in ‘sub-subcultures’ like cyber goth and dark rave. However, ultimately it’s all still just a bunch of misunderstood kids with bad eye make-up”. With an art book/zine in the works as well as working on the upcoming debut album to follow their first release, the Nurse Grenade EP, Angelspit are busy beavers. But their songwriting agenda is clear; “If you can’t remember it and if you can’t dance to it we throw it out”, says Zoog. “The music must inspire images in your head. And we drill the songs until they do. We have this crazy theory that Australia’s goth/industrial scene is the best in the world. We look better, we dance better, we dress better, WE ROCK HARDER and we’re more open minded and are willing to try something new”. Angelspit play at Cabaret Nocturne @ Dream Nightclub, Carlton on Friday 28 January. >> Read the uneditted interview. Download the EP : http://www.angelspit.net/nurse_grenade/ |
