Today, the irrepressible Kirin J Callinan blesses us with his new LP Return To Center, a record of cover versions that serves as the latest fascinating kink in Kirin’s musical garden hose.
But why, after a history of such ridiculously inventive works stretching from the heft of Embracism to the the inimitable ‘Big Enough’, is he now trying his hand at a covers record?
“In August, 2018 I embarked upon my most ambitious solo album to date,” Kirin explains. “With the Terrible Records plastic in hand and USD $8888.88 on it, I – along with producer Francois T, said label head honch Ethan S, creative consorts and L’Angeleno shred pigs – set out to purchase the most spartan assembly of instruments and studio equipment deemed necessary.
Watch: Kirin J Callinan – The Whole Of The Moon
“Guitars, drums and keyboards of course; as well as mics, monitors, a mandolin and multi fx, cords and cables, bongos, congas, maracas, a djembe, sticks, brushes and plenty of plectrums, plus a brand-new new-age low-budget digital desk recorder / mixer thingy (to capture the imminent magic) and a quintuplet of coloured bulbs + lamp (for mood) – all from my favourite West Hollywood instrument shop.
“Our sonic palette and deadline was set,” he adds. “There would be no going back. Kinda. That night, day zero, in an east LA garage; Travis, my trusted engineer, and I would set it all and power it up. Boxes stacked ‘n stocked away with price tags still intact, we began in earnest, honestly, on what would become an album worth of tunes that were and are even more so now some of the nearest and dearest songs to me.
Listen: Kirin J Callinan – ‘It Takes A Muscle To Fall In Love’
“All within 14 days. All before our eventual eviction from that garage on 1024 Manzanita Street. All before our inescapable… Return To Center.”
That’s the record as a whole, then, but Kirin has also gone into detail on his approach to each of the album’s tracks, and what drew him to each of them.
The album is onsale now from all good retailers, and you can check out the August dates for his Australian tour along with his track-by-track below – a show definitely not to be missed.
Kirin J Callinan takes us through Return To Centre
Life is Life
Originally titled ‘Live is Life’ by Austria’s Opus, my version is more akin to the Slovenian art / martial industrial band Laibach’s take, ‘Opus Dei’.
Up there as both the best & worst recorded hit song to have ever come out of Europe, it sounds to me now like the crude & confident would-be fanfare of a fictional, fantastical medieval Australia.
The Homosexual
By the singular Momus, albeit somewhat rearranged, with a few lyrics omitted & reworked, in the musical style of 70’s Gainsbourg perhaps and the softly spoken story telling of Playschool.
First introduced to Momus by Jack Ladder; I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard him earlier and have been spreading the gospel ever since. I first listened to this song driving down Beach Road en route to an Icebergs swim n saun’ – elated by how I related. The song speaks for itself.
The Whole of The Moon
Our lead single, this song might have very easily not made the album at all, so unsure of my own ability to do it justice I was. The intro is an improvised piece by Drew Erickson; each time we recorded it he would do something
different. This was the 3rd time lucky. As for the outro, it’s a play on Bruce Hornsby’s ‘That’s Just The Way It Is’, as a final thought or gesture. “You saw the whole of the moon and that’s just the way it is”.
Flatteringly, Bruce gave us his personal blessing to use his great motif, our rendition of the Waterboys classic apparently striking a chord with him. Though it’s unconfirmed, I heard a rumour this is only the second time he has granted access gratis to his seminal smash, the one and only other time to Tupac.
As for the song proper, the wonderful ‘The Whole Of The Moon’ by Mike Scott & The Waterboys, what more can I say other than I believe it to be one of the all-time great songs of devotion. Prince agrees.
It Takes A Muscle (To Fall In Love)
Originally by the Dutch duo Spectral Display, it was Ethan Silverman of Terrible Records who first played me this years ago & I’ve loved it ever since. With this version, I wanted it to sound & feel more like the music on the radio & television o my childhood: A touch o Moby’s ‘Porcelain’, a smattering o’ Primitive Radio Gods, a sprinkle o Christina Aguilera too. Stretching for faith, a little like a plea or final prayer before bedtime.
Pretty Boy
By the great Randy Newman, such a clever clever song, beautiful & threatening. Another one I was inspired by and related to the moment I first heard it, that felt as if it was targeted at me. I thank Aaron Cupples for introducing me to this underrated Randy record whilst working on Bravado together.
Return To Center
An original & improvised guitar performance by yours true. The eye of the storm. Serene comedy. Hysterical bliss. Temporal torture.
I always wanted to give the album a gooey centre. And an improvised ambient guitar performance, done on the last day of tracking, was the ticket. However, the final piece o the puzzle was achieved whilst on tour, having (Californian Surf Rock band) The Growlers hold me down & tickle torture me silly on the cold chequered floor o Prince’s personal auditorium, the Minneapolis institution 1st Avenue. As Lao Tzu whispered, “As soon as you have a thought, laugh at it”.
Rise
A perfect song. Originally by John Lyndon & Bill Laswell, Mr. Rotten stated that it was written for & inspired by Nelson Mandela, Apartheid as well as a specific, horrific, electric torture technique. Its message is also, brilliantly, universal & ubiquitous. In Gaelic, Go n-éirí an bothar leat, or “May the road rise with you”.
Signed Curtain
“This is the first verse. This is the chorus now. This is the second verse. Or just another key change. Never mind. It only means that I’ve lost faith in this song… ‘cause it won’t help me reach you.”
Absurd & heart breaking. I wanted to honour this lesser known Robert Wyatt masterpiece by creating a comical world where I, the tragic romantic, have gone to the extreme lengths of forming a band, recording & releasing an otherwise pointless, even vacuous single (in the irreverent style of The Jesus & Mary Chain, owners of the greatest band name of all time) for the ultimately futile & sole reason of winning the affections of a person or people who really couldn’t care less. I really couldn’t relate more.
You Weren’t In Love With Me
The only Australian cover that made the record, this fact surprised me more than anyone. That said, I’m glad it’s this one. Underrated Billy Field’s best. In order to deliver the vocal, I imagined my unrequited love sitting by the fireplace, her pretty white dress slowly engulfed in the flames as I sing to her & her alone.
‘Tis dramatic, ‘tis tragic, ’tis Billy Field’s only number one, both the singer and his song destined to be desperately alone (at the top of the charts, at least). To achieve the drum sound, we passed Stella Mozgawa’s entire drum performance through a series of pedals, the result being that the drums also sound rather tragic & lonely.
Vienna
The last, maybe the least, the main reason for its inclusion was, mostly, one of sport.
The song was originally produced by the late great Conny Plank of Cluster, Moebius & Plank and more; the original passionate hater of U2 who otherwise frequently worked with Eno, Kraftwerk, DAF and indeed Ultravox. One of the truly great pioneers of electronic & popular music.
It is also arguably the perfect example point of synth-pop & its neoclassical New Romanticism, written & recorded at the top o 1980 in a state-of-the-art studio using some of the best instruments, studio gear & players available. Conversely, we had three quarters of a day to do it, in a garage on borrowed time, gear and a hyper-limited budget in the summer of 2018. It was never on my short-list, or even on my long, of songs to do. I merely woke up with it in my head the morning that we cut it.
Interestingly, despite its greatness, the original never went to number one in England, being kept at number two for three weeks straight by Joe Dulce’s ‘Shaddap You Face’. It was made an honorary number one in 2012.
I look forward to performing this one, and all of these great songs, live in concert for all of you soon.
Kirin J Callinan’s Return to Center Australian tour dates
Tickets on sale now – see here
Thurs 8 Aug – Lion Arts Factory Adelaide
Friday 9 Aug – Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne
Sat 10 Aug – Freo Social Fremantle
Fri 16 Aug – The Zoo Brisbane
Sat 17 Aug – Metro Theatre Sydney
