Silver Columns: "Some of us are into Thundercats."
Who doesn’t love a bit of mystery, eh? Musical whodunits keep us all on our toes. Burial before he was outed, the effervescent JJ and, yeah, loads more that are so secret I can’t remember them. A couple of months back, the guess who game was back after SILVER COLUMNS dropped the brilliant Brow Beaten (download it on the right). With it’s squelchy bass, eyes-half-closed intensity and properly massive velvet sledgehammer vocal, it felt like a gloriously sweaty, heady dance-off between Bronski Beat and Hercules & Love Affair. Trying to work out they were kept us all entertained for, oooo, a good ten minutes. But it doesn’t really matter. Having had a listen to their very-good-indeed album sampler, they’ve got a ton of proper pounding, dancefloor diva (blokes often make the best divas) songs. They’ve also got some slower, lovelier stuff that makes you melt a bit. Upcoming new single Yes And Dance – out on December 15th – is of the former type, darker and dirtier than Brow Beaten yet just as unashamedly addictive. I’d like to say I met up with them to have a chat but I didn’t. They’re a secret, remember. They did answer my rather silly questions over email though. I think the regional accents are part of the disguise…
Who are you? How many of you are they? Can I at least have a clue?
“How many of you are they?” There are five of us, likesay pal. But only two of those are “they”.
Are you Adem & The Pictish Trail as claimed by posters on Nialler9?
Who?? Never heard of ‘em, la. Is that a band? Sounds like a warped Christian fairytale. Innit, geeza?
I’ve heard it’s the quiet one out of Vengaboys, with the cousin of the fat one from Aqua.
Is it Jimmy Somerville on vocals? You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone.
It is. Yes. But not the Jimmy Somerville. Whatever you do, don’t tell the Jimmy Somerville. Eeeee. He’ll be fooking livid. By gum.
What’s with the secrecy? Do you plan to be more visible or are you going to get Daft Punk style robot heads?
The plan is to have the hype swell our heads to such proportions that we know longer recognise ourselves. Yerknowharrameeeaaaan?
Okay, more serious-ish questions now. I love Brow Beaten. It makes me want to dance. Do you go out dancing?
We’re glad you like Brow Beaten. We like it too. Especially the embossed 12” sleeve. You seen that? It’s reet good. To be sure. La. We don’t go out, much. But we do like a good conga.
What kind of music do Silver Columns listen to? What/who are you inspired by?
Ey-yup. Some of us are really into Roy Orbison. Some of us are really into Joy Orbison. Y’ken him, pal? Some of us are into Underworld. Some of us are into Thundercats.
Inspired by everything, really. X Factor on a Saturday night is currently doing the magic.
Joe Goddard from Hot Chip remixed Brow Beaten. How did you hook up with him?
Hawway, man. He asked us if we wanted a MySpace and Twitter account, and things just got out of control. Actually actually … he’s someone who makes incredible music and whose judgement we really trust. We’ve known him for years – so we played him our music, he really liked it, gave us some suggestions on mixing, and we agreed to do a remix swap. WOT A LARF.
And finally, when do we get to hear the album?
Whayaye, pet. Album is done. BOSH. Should be out fairly early next year. Och aye! Sigh.
Silver Column’s myspace (maybe)
