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As anyone who switches on the radio, flicks between music channels and reads the press will know the indie-electro crossover is everywhere and associated bands can be found plastered across the scene; although this isn’t to deny the fact many are talented bright young things, but rather that a failure to really look below the surface of the music has developed. And this is what makes South Central- a DJ duo and live band, very different.
The Brighton based five piece mix “electronic and indie music” and through a blending of different tastes and knowledge try to push their sound to the limits. As Rob (vocals) and Keith (DJ) sat down for a chat with Gigwise down in Brighton before going on stage to support Gary Numan explained, “We both come from Malta, we have a Danish drummer- Nick, and an English guitarist- Brandon and Chris the bassist who’s English as well”. “Me and Keith have a long relationship” Rob continues, “I was doing music in the UK and Keith was doing music in Malta, then three years ago I convinced him to move to the here. Before, we were both producing electronic and dance music but we changed completely into a rock band. So we’ve learned both worlds and mixed them together- it took a long time for us to make the 50/50 mix that works because indie people don’t like dance and the dance people don’t like indie but now it’s all come together and we’re here at the right time with the right music”.
Having worked on South Central for about two years, they’ve come further, faster than most bands do but Keith still insists “It took us a long time to get the right sound and the right mixture of both worlds, and then it came together. Our first remix as was Metronomy from then onwards the sound developed”. In mixing two different genres it is always interesting to see which influences a band list, because you get a very good idea of the bands own sound then, with South Central not only do they have a varied list but they know their influences and music inside out and that makes all the difference between a good band and a brilliant one.
“There’s Joy Division, Bauhaus, Kraftwork obviously, Neu!. He Likes Siouxsie and The Banshees”, “Yeah I love them!” Rob beams, “I used to be very into The Cure and there’s loads of people who’ve inspired me…” “But those are the main ones” as Keith goes on. “Dance stuff and the electronic side of things…” “And drum n’ bass as well. We like Interpol- I love that sound” adds Rob. The Happy Mondays and the Madchester scene as a whole is something South Central love too as it was the first time indie and dance was really blended together and this reflects a lot of what they do, which aside form the band includes a lot of DJing and remixing on Rob and Keith’s parts. The Maccabees and The Wombats (which they’ve just finished and assure Gigwise that “it’s gonna be a good one!"), amongst many remixes both official and for ‘fun’.
When asked how they feel about the Nu-Rave question Keith immediately says they do not consider themselves to be Nu-rave, firmly separating themselves from that style. Rob sighs and carries on. “We get asked that question quite a lot of times. New Rave, New Wave, Nu-Rave it’s the same stuff and is basically just music! They had to put something on it to create a scene”. “A Marketing scene” Keith agrees. “But I don’t think it actually exists. We’re dance-indie or indie-electro”. As for the current bands South Central are big fans of The Whip and have been playing ‘Trash’ for a long time, as well as Does It Offend You Yeah? who they say are coming out with some good music that’s different to other English indie-electro because the guitars are quite American.
“We try to keep out stuff very English” says Keith. These kind of subtleties are something that South Central pick up on quite a lot where other bands wouldn’t, and it’s this in depth understanding of music and songs and the way they’re constructed that comes across and defines their own music. “I think if you want to be an indie-electro band you have to really understand music and dance music. Some bands only understand indie and then they put a couple of synths in. You need to really understand both of them” Rob explains. “When we said Neu! Earlier,” Keith goes on, “it wasn’t just because we like the tracks. When you hear what they tried to do in 1973?! And that’s what we try and do at the moment”.
“We try to push the boundaries. We’re not going with any route. Like with the medi a- at first rock magazines were going ‘you’re too dance’ and the dance magazines were saying ‘you’re too rock/indie’. In the 80s I was an indie kid and in the 90s I was a hardcore dance kid and I think you’re just like a sponge and when you grow older, then you really understand the cultures”. “Like Tony Wilson and what he tried to do back in the 80s”. “I think that’s the secret, you need to really understand that if you’re an indie band and you wanna be an indie-dance band then you need to really understand dance music”. “This scene doesn’t exist at all in Malta, there is trance and funky-house…” Rob muses before Keith jumps in again, “When I was younger I was into Kraftwerk, I was very different…”, “I was a loner as well!” Rob laughs “So I just did my thing!”
The next question is how does the band feel about gracing the same stage as one of their heroes- Gary Numan, whom they supported recently at the Brighton Dome. They say it’s “like going full circle” considering they used to listen to his music when they were younger, especially ‘Cars’ which Rob remembers right back from his childhood. “A mutual friend of our manager’s and Gary’s... well we’d done this track and had him in mind. Then our manager said it was very similar to what Gary was doing. So we sent it to him saying ‘he’ll never do it’ and after a couple of weeks…” Keith says animatedly, “Or maybe hours!” Rob smiles, “And he accepted to do the vocals, and we couldn’t believe it!”. “Because he’s one of our heroes, it’s quite an honor for us to be playing with him”.
They are going to release the track on an album called ‘Owl Of Minerva’ that’s more like a compilation of singles whilst they’re working on their official album, but for those who can’t wait that long ‘Golden Dawn’ is the band’s current single and will soon be followed by ‘A Higher State Of Consciousness’. So until then you’ll just have to get yourself down to a gig and enjoy every fucking loud, brash and electrified minute of South Central’s sound.
