Not the place to go if looking for some cheap cars, but if you're looking for cheap, interesting, new music then Stress Cadet's site cheapcars.net.nz is the place for you. The 'rusty electronics band' have been releasing a song a day during the World Cup, an epic 34 tracks all available now. We caught up with one part of the duo mid way through the Cup for a bit of background.
Who are you guys and what do you do?
Stress Cadet is a 2 piece rusty-electronics band. I mangle samples and improvise vocals.
Josh is the rhythm and lead, he plays a collection of drum machines and synthesizers from mismatched eras.
How long have you been around?
In 2006 we got together to play our first chaotic show within a chaotic show.
Where are you from?
I’m a South African-Greek, Josh is Kiwi. None of it seems to matter though.
Where did the band come from?
I was running a small studio off K’rd recording bands. I became involved in mixing Meat-Bix, which Josh was in. My fondness for strange textures and his cavalier arrangement style then proceeded to brew into Stress Cadet.
What are your influences for making music?
I like to violently juxtapose media. It’s something I’ve been hard wired to do. There is much glee to be had in force feeding someone else’s meaning into a newer, weirder outcome.
A major goal for me, is to one day write an annoying novelty mega global hit. It will cause a frenzy, and then instantly disappear. Most importantly: it will frequently refresh my bank account.
I can only hope to aspire to hits like: ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘Wooly Bully’, ‘Yakety Sax’ , ‘Barbie Girl’, ‘Doop’.
Do you have any releases to speak of?
Our first album ‘Swimmer!’ was recorded in 2006 from a live radio broadcast on Fleet FM.
We also made a video in 2008 for a track called ‘Build A Hole’. The song was recorded live during a gig in a Wanganui sports bar. (Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LScmfwgCXvk)
Do you have any shows coming up we can look forward to?
No, but we might be collaborating with a group that teaches break dancing to young children... I’ll let you know. Also keep a look out for the next Auckland Box Wars. We’ve hosted 2 of these and intend to do another. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2wriJFIeZk)
I see you've been releasing a song a day until the Rugby World Cup is over, what's your beef with ruggaazzz?
No beef really. It has been amusing to watch the country fall over itself in order to host this event, and I’m not sure that all this fuss is going to benefit our deluded national identity. MasterCard and all the other sponsors are the real winner$ at the end of the day.
Otherwise, Stress Cadet is ok with sport. We are just exploiting a topical event for the sake of putting out 5 albums; how else do you release so much material into a world already over saturated with music?
That's also impressively prolific, how do you find the time for a song a day in this dog eat dog world?
Yes it is prolific. And although a bunch of the material is already completed, we are still scrambling to complete the rest of the stuff. Lots of final mixing and overdubbing is going on.
What's your live set up?
I’d rather not bore your readers with our midi architecture. There are plenty of leads and flashing lights though. It looks intense.
How do you approach live shows?
We make it all up. At moments it can be terrifying.
I see you have a studio, what's your set up there? Is it where you do all your recordings?
Our recording studio is inside a 100 year old building that used to be a hat factory, a breakfast packing plant and then a dog pound in the 80’s. Its an underground warren with many acoustical sound possibilities which we exploit for Stress Cadet, and non-Stress related music projects.
Are you worried that people looking for cheap cars will end up on your website and not know what to do?
Worried? That sounds ideal. They will figure it out and thank us in the end.
And lastly, in your opinion, what is the state of New Zealand music?
Mostly I find it hard to relate to, I am a sound engineer and I see plenty of bands. Amongst the blandness and trend-aping are some great talents though. The face of our ‘pop industry’ is also in healthier shape than it was a decade ago, and I am encouraged by the ‘making tracks’ funding scheme.
The best NZ music to me, the stuff I will actually put on for listening pleasure, comes from our hermetic-obsessive artists; the ones who seem to voluntarily isolate themselves and become wholly immersed in their craft. Kraus, Pumice, G-Frenzy are artists I’ve been digging a whole lot of.BUY OUR SHIT
