Omniliberation, Usurper Of Modern Medicine’s beautiful, trippy sonic journey of an album, is getting the limited edition 12″ treatment, launching at The Bird this Saturday, October 4, with support from Mt. Mountain, Derailluer and Sacred Flower Union. We had a word with Steve Aaron Hughes, one third of Usurper, about the release.
So we’re all up to speed, who are Usurper Of Modern Medicine?
Birthed in 2010 from the collaboration of three twisted creative souls who liked to experiment with beats, amps and technology. A jam turns into a song turns into touring, records, life-affirming experiences in sound and the birth of a debut album in 2014.
What led to the decision to do a vinyl release of Omniliberation?
The reproduction of sound on vinyl is paramount and we wished to share the album with you in this way. Recording to tape and processing sounds in the analogue realm brings out more beautiful ghosts in the sound.
How’s the Omniliberation video project coming along?
We have had three videos released so far, the most recent one by local film-maker Dan Nicholls of Illusory Projects for Above And Beyond, which came out only two weeks ago. There’s a clip from Amber Fresh, Tahlia Palmer and maybe one more coming before the end of the year.
You’ve spoken of new material currently being workshopped…
We have a selection of songs from the Omniliberation launch not yet released that we’re finishing the mixes of for some new releases. We’ve gotten into the process of writing new material with our new drummer (Cameron Hines stopped performing live in late 2013) which is taking on a new direction. New instruments are on the mind. I’ve recently built a new type of instrument from some home-made technologies and Matthew Bairstow, who now plays drums with us live, builds his own circuit bent technology, which is taking our music in a whole new lush and distorted analogue direction.
How did you arrive at the lineup for the launch gig?
Mt. Mountain are one of the greatest new acts in Perth, awesome sludgy stoner rock that we absolutely love. Derailluer is a new project featuring some of Perth’s best session musos like Karl Hiller and John Nandez simply improvising – they’re mindblowing to watch create jams on the spot. Sacred Flower Union is one of the most unique solo electronic producers in Perth right now and he’ll be closing the night with some of his beats.
Anything else we need to know?
Heartless Robot Productions released our vinyl and organised this show and we should celebrate creative labels like this one who put such time and effort into our local music. See you on Saturday and come with open mind and open ears.
