1. The First Record I Bought:
I bought Mel & Kim’s album Showing Out in 1987 on cassette. Probably had a crush on them and was getting into the early dance music sounds coming out of the UK. I remember going halves in the cassette with my neighbour Steve B. We also bought Yo! Bumrush the Show and License to Ill around the same time but shamefully, that was the first.
2. The Last Record I Bought:
I recently bought The Bombay Royale’s new LP The Island of Doctor Electrico. They are the best Bollywood/surf rock band in the world in my opinion, I love the old Bollywood tunes but they are so badly recorded, it’s amazing to hear songs in the same vein but really lushly recorded. They album is an absolute head-trip. I’m into all sorts of music so it’s not too left field. I saw them play at Hope St Studios a couple of years ago and I was hooked.
3. The First Thing I Recorded:
I couldn’t tell you the first thing I recorded. I was into trackers from my early teens so I made heaps of beats that probably got lost on floppy disks somewhere. Most of the early vocal stuff I recorded is out there somewhere on Elefant Traks early comps. I don’t listen to any of them if I can help it, it is way too cringe-worthy. I recorded a bunch of stuff back in the day with my partner in crime, DJ A.L.F.
4. The Last Thing I Recorded:
The new Astronomy Class record is Mekong Delta Sunrise. It’s a journey through Cambodia past and present and a tribute to the “golden age” of Khmer rock and pop (‘50s-‘75). We were fortunate enough to work with Srey Channthy, the lead singer of The Cambodian Spacer Project. She is an absolute star and the leading light in the Khmer music revival. Myself (Ozi Batla), Sir Robbo and Chasm travelled to Cambodia for gigs in 2012, and we were turned on to the amazing classics of Khmer music, which is where the project started. We’ll be playing gigs with Channthy while she’s in the country.
5. The Record That Changed My Life:
Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet changed my life and led me to a life-long love affair with hip hop. It’s one of the most complete concept albums ever made. It opened my eyes to history, to sampling, black cinema and politics. It’s got it all. I was blessed to be able to support PE on the tour where they played the album in its entirety, I know every line, sample and cut word-for-word. A dream come true! I listen to it a few times a year, when I really need to get amped.
