Melbourne muso and one half of local punk/ garage band Udays Tiger, Devin de Araujo has been working on something very different of late.
Named Fever Land the new solo project came as de Araujo explains from “spending time with a new piece of software or different instruments was a great way to keep busy and to challenge myself. I basically just started exploring other areas and ideas. I really enjoy being involved in completely different projects. Keeps things interesting.”
Drawing influences from some of modern electronic music’s greatest innovators like Nils Fram, Jon Hopkins, and Floating Points he’s now crafted and entire EP worth of work which we have the pleasure of premiering today.
Check out our little chat with de Araujo and the EP titled FL_01 EP below. More info on the Fever Land Facebook page.
The Beginning
Basically, while [Udays Tiger bandmate] Nath and I were working on any Udays Tiger stuff, I found that in between, I was writing tracks that weren’t really suitable for that project. Most of them just ended up as voice memos. I would often be searching for a UT demo or idea and would come across one of these, and for whatever reason it would get stuck in my head.
So I started developing them, trimming the fat, rearranging and then recording them roughly at home. The idea was to keep it simple and minimal but still interesting.
I started playing around with synths and midi, which caught the ears of a friend, Craig Collie who offered to help produce and mix. I put out an EP on my own through Bandcamp and then started working on the next batch with Craig, which turned into the FL_01 EP. It was basically another avenue to explore that contrast what I had already been working on in bands.
Was this Project a conscious decision to work on something so different?
Definitely. Ultimately I think there are definite crossovers in style. I know what kind of sounds I like and what kinds of progressions or ideas make my brain tick.
Spending time with a new piece of software or different instruments was a great way to keep busy and to challenge myself. I basically just started exploring other areas and ideas. I really enjoy being involved in completely different projects. Keeps things interesting.
The Writing Process For This EP
It varies, no recipe has stayed the same. Some songs start with a chord progression, others with a beat, others will be really old ideas that I’ll revisit and rework. I’ll keep listening back and fixing things or adding ideas until something sticks. Once I find a vocal melody that I like, it’s usually a good sign that I’m on the right track.
From there I’ll write lyrics and then start playing around with the arrangement and layers. Sometimes ideas come quickly and everything falls into place very neatly but mostly it’s a pretty laborious process. Craig will step in at different points of the process, bouncing ideas or offering opinions. It’s refreshing to have another pair of ears to go over things.
The Recording process For This EP
Generally, after a song has been through a few drafts I’ll have a rough idea of the sounds I want to add. Drafts are mainly guitar and vocals or keys and vocals. I’ll record the basics then start building from there. I try to make sure each new part adds something, or is there for a reason.
If it doesn’t work then it doesn’t stay in there. I’ll send tracks through to Craig, again some more fleshed out than others. If he is into it, we sit down together and work through it, cull stuff, try other ideas, re-record parts,change sounds etc. Then Craig takes over and mixes. He has a great ear for over/undertones. Finding and focussing in on sounds that are more buried down and need to be dug up.
Major influences
They change all the time but I’m really into repetitive, additive music. So stuff that builds on one idea and creates tension or flow by adding instruments, motifs or parts and phrases. Nils Fram, Jon Hopkins, Floating Points and Burial are some examples.
A friend of mine has got me hooked on Talking Heads and their album ‘Remain in Light’. Which is just awesome. I try to listen to a lot of different things. I like music that doesn’t really subscribe to the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge etc arrangements. Things with interesting or unusual sounds.
Plans For 2016
We are working on some new tracks at the moment that will turn into another EP. An album would be great but that’s probably a little way off.
