Issue #008 (June 2004) Music vs Physics Selects Email this article to a friend In conversation with Dale Harrison Everyone has those special records that changed their lives. And they aren’t always just teenage songs. The most memorable music makes an emotional connection, more than just a ‘dope beat’ or a ‘hot dsp effect’. This issue’s Selects comes from the Melbourne. Dale Harrison spoke to Music Vs Physics' turntable manipulator, 3rd Dek. Abbey Road The Beatles 1969 (Capitol) Age 0-5 Let’s start at the beginning. This album is the soundtrack for the earliest memories I have. It got some serious airtime in my childhood, I’m half-convinced my dad must have listened to it three times a day for five years or something. I’m pretty sure this was the music that introduced me to music. The Queen Is Dead The Smiths 1986 (Warner) Age 11 One day my older brother returned home with this album and the rest of us had copies in a week. Up until this point my music collection pretty much consisted of cassette recordings I had taped off SA-FM: “Hits of ‘84”, “Pop Charts of ‘85”, and “Pre-Packaged This Is The Music You Like of ‘86”. This album sent me down the path of listening to music that I guess would be dubbed ‘alternative’, and led me to discovering a whole cache of music I probably would have never found. Goo Sonic Youth 1990 (Geffen) Age 14 The first time I heard someone making giant racecar sounds on a guitar I knew I wanted to make music. Unfortunately I lacked the guitars and amps, but there was something about this album that told me it didn’t matter. After messing around with tape experiments and microphone feedback for awhile I realised it probably did matter, but at least the seed had been planted. Midnight Marauders A Tribe Called Quest 1993 (Jive) Age 16 I had been listening to a bit of hip hop for a few years but this was the first hip hop album I ever bought. It defines the crossover from guitars to samples for me. The simplicity of hip hop production opened my eyes up. I learnt a hell of a lot about production from cutting this album to pieces on my parents’ computer. Soon after this I hooked up with some producers in Adelaide and got introduced to my first ever sampler. Blue Ox Breaks Tha Lumbajak ???? (RECORD CO???) Age 18 This record was my first battle album. As an aspiring young turntablist, it felt good to finally get my hands on that all important ‘Ahhh this stuff is really fresh’ sample. Up until this point I had been using spoken word albums (mainly old children’s storybook albums) and you can drive yourself, and everyone else, insane learning to cut with Rumpelstiltskin and Goldilocks. Although I can’t remember a single break on this album, I can recite every single sound in the last centimetre of both sides. Brains are weird. Beatrix’s Selection Harvest Neil Young 1972 (Warner) When I was ten I stumbled across a dusty turntable in the garage. I set it up in my bedroom and was eager to test it out. As I had no records of my own I had to settle with my dad’s collection, which included Harvest by Neil Young. I instantly fell in love with his voice, lyrics and guitar. I would lock myself in my room for hours and sing along to “Heart Of Gold”. This experience not only prompted me to get an acoustic guitar but also helped me discover my love for vinyl. Nirvana Nevermind 1991 (Geffen) Nirvana was my introduction to grunge music. Kurt Cobain’s simple chord changes and melancholic vocals really touched a spot in my cynical teenage heart. Nirvana made me realise that simple songs can be just as striking as complex compositions. When I was 14 I went to the all ages Nirvana gig in Melbourne. As you could expect, I got trampled in the moshpit, but luckily a kind bouncer let me and my friend hangout sidestage. From this close angle we saw a big trucker dude throw a can of beer at Kurt’s head, he didn’t even flinch! Greatest Hits Billie Holiday 1998??? (Sony???) Billie Holiday’s voice blows me away when ever I hear it. Her voice is like a free-flowing spirit with no constraints. The combination of Billie’s textured voice, the instruments and record crackle all meld together like a sweet humming horn. Billie’s live recording of “Solitude” with her orchestra is by far my most favourite song. If you’re feeling lonely, Billie’s crooning soothes your soul and makes you revel in your lonesome mood. Billy made me realise that there is a lot more to singing than just being in tune. Yanqui U.X.O God Speed You! Black Emperor 2002 (Constellation Records) This album is like a big, grey, ominous orchestral storm slowly marching towards a tranquil blue sky, and at times covering it completely with heart-stomping thunderous sheets of melodic noise. The slow haunting builds and monstrous crescendos make this album ideal for those times you feel like being engaged in your deepest darkest thoughts. All of GSYBE albums are extraordinary and I find them most effective when played really, really loud! Man Overboard Buck 65 2001 (Anticon) This album has probably influenced me more than any other hip hop album. Buck 65 has the ability to fuse hip hop with country, folk, heavy metal, blues, etc. Buck 65 has proved without a doubt that hip hop has evolved into a genre that can encompass any kind of music. His husky, old man, narrative, rapping style sets my mind a wandering. Has anyone noticed how similar Buck 65’s voice is to Jim Henson’s “Rolf the dog” voice from The Muppets?