TSO: How did The Typhoons come together?
Brian: Well Lewis (Galaga, one of The Typhoons’ emcees) and myself had been working on music together for a while, and eventually we thought it would be better to have a band play the music than just a DJ. I don’t really have any DJ skills. At first Lewis didn’t really want drums, or the full horn section, but he came round in the end. I can be very stubborn.
TSO: How would you describe The Typhoons sound?
B: Soul-Hop is the tag line. The texture is organic, the layers vary from wafer thin to ultra thick, the rhythms tend to be primarily about flow, and the lyrical content probably has more in common with people who aren’t into Australian hip-hop than those who are.
TSO: With so many members in the band (there are 10 members) are decisions a little more difficult in making?
B: Yes. It’s all about people skills. Patience is important, and lying. It takes practice to lie straight to people’s faces.
TSO: You have risen to be one of Perth’s hottest bands. What are your thoughts on this?
B: Public favour is a fickle thing. When you have it, it doesn’t seem that important, and when you don’t it seems very desirable. I don’t like what reading reviews of my own gigs do to me, especially good ones. I mean, you want it, but it’s an ugly feeling.
TSO: What has been your most memorable experience to date?
B: Seeing the album in my hands. A lot of work has gone into that baby.
TSO: The album is out this month. Can you give us an insight into what we can expect to hear?
B:Hopefully the tunes will be like Potato Chips. You have one, then feel like another, and then another. Salt and Vinegar is what we’re aiming for, but I’ll settle for Honey Soy. The music is good, the lyrics are good, buy it.
TSO: With the anticipation for the release did it put pressure on the band in regards to putting out the album?
B: No more than what we already put on ourselves. Now it’s done we can better focus our efforts on preparing for the launch, and continuing to write and record for the next project.
TSO: What is your favourite track off the album and why?
B: ‘Inter’ has some moments that are beautiful and intimate, whereas most of the other music is more brutally extroverted in groove.
TSO: What is the ultimate goal of The Typhoons?
B: To look out at a crowd, and to see and feel what drives them, and play to that. Connectedness, naturalness, and honesty, but also disconnectedness, unnaturalness, and dishonesty. I want to write music that can stand proudly alongside serious art.
TSO: What is next for The Typhoons?
B: Our next project is tentatively titled, ‘We Are All Museums of Fear’ (a Charles Bukowski quote). I think it will be a marked step up in quality and depth. Look out for something towards the end of next year.
The Typhoons ‘Pleasure Is A Freedom-Song’ is out now.
