“I’m actually going to be in and out like a flash this time,” Power says. This is a contrast to the British musician’s previous visits with Fuck Buttons, which included performances at All Tomorrow’s Parties and Harvest Festival. “I’m going to be in Australia for a total of three and a half days I think. And travelling from where I am on the other side of the world, I’m going to be in the air as much as I’m on the ground. So it’s going to be fleeting but I’m super excited to get back over.”
Power has been planning a trip to our shores ever since the release of Dumb Flesh last May. During that time, he also released The Great Confuso EP, which features one new song (an 18 minute, three part epic) and remixes of three Dumb Flesh tracks. Power says Australian punters can expect to hear a selection from both his recent releases, and some older material.
“There’s still quite a bit of life in [Dumb Flesh] and a lot of places I haven’t played during the Dumb Flesh life cycle and The Great Confuso,” says Power. “Sure I’m going to be concentrating on that stuff, but I still enjoy playing the old stuff too.”
Power founded Blanck Mass in 2011, and his first tour was in support of Sigur Ros in 2013. “They were huge shows,” he says. “The interesting thing about that was that they had a kabuki, which is like a big screen that drops at a pivotal moment – like the big reveal for the band. Obviously it was too much of a feat to construct it after I had played, so for the whole time of the tour I was actually playing behind this huge curtain, which was being backlit. So people could see me, but I couldn’t see anyone in the crowd. It was pretty much like I was playing in a room to myself. Now and then a light would flash across the audience and I’d get a glimpse of thousands and thousands of people. That was a really strange experience. It was very obscure. I had to make sure I wasn’t scratching my arse or something, because you forget there’s thousands of people in front of you watching what you’re doing.”
The recording of Dumb Flesh took place in several locations around the UK. “It started out in the studio that Andy [Hung, Fuck Buttons] and I used to have in East London,” says Power. “Then it moved to a windowless attic space in North London, then it went through its final evolutionary stages in Scotland where I live now.”
As a result, Dumb Flesh inadvertently presents a broad landscape of sound. “I think perspective is quite important when you’re working on anything. It’s always good to get a fresh set of ears. Your surroundings definitely have some impact on how you experience these things and life itself in general.”
When it comes to working solo versus collaborating, Power says he has no preference. “I’m up for anything. I like experimenting with other people’s ideologies and seeing where that takes things. It’s an interesting thing for me to see how other people’s brains work. But I also really like the complete creative control thing I have with Blanck Mass. It’s such an honest picture of the artist, which I really do enjoy.”
By Bel Ryan
