Little Baby Nothing
Curious Oyster Another band who are signed to 25 Records are the
now defunct Curious Oyster. Although Adam, the band's lyricist told
me that they'd happily re-form if they received any record label
interest/gig requests, and with their unique, ambient sound, they're
definitely worth checking out.I spoke to Adam about the band's influences,
and life in the industry.
So, what's going on with Curious Oyster now? Well, we are
no more, really! We'd been together for about 10 years, which is
a long time for a small band like ourselves. We'd reached what we
wanted to do; our album was so unique and different to a lot of
stuff out there today, and we felt that we'd need to make big changes
if we were to do another one.
That was going to be hard and we weren't sure if we could do it,
so we decided to split for now and start new projects. I'm now working
with Steve in a band called Zinc. Our music's a bit more commercial
than Curious Oyster, it's a bit dancy, but it's still got that edge
to it. We're currently looking for a vocalist so that we can really
perfect our demos.
Curious Oyster were really unique, but has there been anyone
who has inspired your music? Yeah, the Cocteau Twins have been
a huge influence to us, we all really like them, and when you're
a fan of a band, they're bound to have some influence on your work.
They were kind of, an industrial band, watered down, and their earlier
stuff was fantastic!
You've been signed to 25 Records, will you work with them again?
Yeah, I hope so, they've been really good to us previously, and
they're an excellent way to get your music heard.
So, if a big label offered you a contract, would you accept
it? If it meant sacrificing my music in any way, then definitely
not. It's nice to have money, of course, but there are a lot more
important things than that. I'd rather be able to make what I want,
and be happy with my music...
What was the first gig you went to, and which has been the best?
The first was Steve Illige, he was kind of keyboard based; a bit
like the Orb and the Grid. And the best gig I've ever been to was
the first time I saw the Coctau Twins; they're amazing live!
So what was the most memorable Curious Oyster gig? We used
to play London a lot, and our last but one gig at the Bull & Gate
was really good. Everything was perfect; the lighting, sound, audience;
everything. The set was basically the album, and was an excellent
gig!
Is there anyone that you'd really like to play/record with?
Wolfgang Press; our music would suit a lot of bands, as would Wolfgang
Press, but I think that my style would be spot on with them!
What ambitions do you have? For Zinc, to find a good vocalist,
who is as good as Joanne was in Curious Oyster, but I've also got
a few other projects on the go, which I hope go well. My girlfriend
runs a dance company, and I'll hopefully be doing a show for them
in August. I've also been working solo on purely guitar loops. These
are really ambient and bizarre; ideal for film sound-tracks. So
hopefully I'll get some interest in those!
Adam was interviewed by Helen from Little Baby Nothing, late in
1999.
The Original Sin
Those who have read original sin *4 already know what we think
about the debut album "Horse Feathers" from Curious
Oyster. The album will be high in my top 10 list from 1997!!! Well
this is how "Garlands" by the Cocteau Twins should have
sounded in 1997!!| THRILLED? Well, buy their CD!!! Thanks to Mark
from 25 Records your zine was able to talk to Joanne.
Hello! Curious Oyster is quite a strange name for a band, don't
you think?
I think the name is a very 80`s name which was when we originally
formed. We were a strange group so a strange name seemed appropriate.
We are thinking of changing it to something fitting to the music
that we are making now. Who are you?
Joanne (vocals)
Steve Goymer (keyboard)
Adam Lygo (guitar+drums)
What have the band done so far?
Over the nine years that we have been together we have played live
all over England, recorded a lot of demo tapes which we would sell
at gigs and we have had tracks on four compilation CD`s as well
as recording "Horse Feathers", our first full CD album.
When listening to music I was completely amazed cos I thought you
sound a lot like The Cocteau Twins. Do you like this comparison
and do you like The Cocteaus?
We used to listen to the Cocteau Twins a lot and they did influence
our sound in the early days but we also have been influenced by
a great deal of things. We did sound very much like them once, but
our aim was never to copy them. We are interested in developing
our sound in many different directions. "Horse Feathers"
has a very industrial under current. We seem to take influences
on board, extract from them what we like about a sound or a movement
and add it to our sound and it becomes mixed in with whatever we
are doing. We never say "That's it we have arrived at our goal,
we can relax and carry on doing it." We reach a certain point
and then decide to move on. We all feel that we have reached one
of those points with "Horse Feathers". So we all feel
the need to move forward or sideways but never backwards!
Suppose you could get a record deal with 4 -AD Would
you do it?
If we felt that they could help us further ourselves
then yes! But not with the Horse Feathers sound. We would need to
change in order to become more individual and not just another Cocteau`s
sounding band
In fact: what do think from 4 -AD?(They were once
my absolutely fave label of all time, but now they are really going
downwards I think).
I agree. They used to be very good. The problem
is that they belong to the 80`s when experimental music was encouraged.
I like a lot of the old 4-AD -bands, but the label belongs to mythology
now.
Do you expect any coverage from the press?
Our problem is that we don't belong to any musical movement and
never have. If you can't be boxed off as British Pop or dance or
whatever then people become uncomfortable.
It seems 80`s wave stuff is hip again.(God re-welcome the mighty
Bunnymen!)
Do you think Curious Oyster can take any profit from it?
Probably not. As I said we are looking to move forward. I hope
the Bunnymen become huge again as they write great songs. If elements
of the 80`s come back like the chance to take risks then that would
be good. I think a lot of 80`s music sounds dated.
As a musical decade, what was the best: the 80`s or the 90`s?
I see all the periods of music as having very good elements and
very bad. I don't know how long you already exist but can you imagine
being in a band for let's say 20 years?
Making music isn't something you can just stop doing. I am constantly
excited about new ideas and need to try out new things so yes I
can imagine being in a band or making music over 20 years. As long
as I don't feel that I have become stale or that I have become fixed
to a method or a sound then I intend to carry on.
What can we expect from Curious Oyster in the future?
At the moment Curious Oyster is at a very strange point. Steve
and myself have been working separately on computer generated music,
samples, etc. This could result in two separate solo projects or
it could become the base of the next Curious Oyster album. As I
said we feel that "Horse Feathers" was the epitome of
that period of the group
and we need to move on. We have never been afraid to change direction
that is why we have lasted for nine years. Having said that we are
uncertain how we will develop from here.
What's your fave album of all time?
It is impossible for me to answer this question. I like so many
records for so many different reasons. Any Cocteaus album. "Downward
Spiral" by Nin, "No Pussyfooting" by Eno & Fripp
"Scary Monsters" by Bowie, all Bjork stuff,both Curve
albums, "Dead Cities" by FSOL, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy,
Pwei, Zappa.
And your final words?
DON`T LISTEN TO ANYONE`S OPINIONS. LISTEN TO A WIDE RANGE OF MUSIC
AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL: BUY OUR CD!!!
interview taken from issue 4 of the Original
Sin fanzine, if you want a copy send a swap or an IRC or two to:
Didier Becu, The Original Sin , Jozef Guislainstraat 6, 900 Gent,
Belgium.
'Horse Feathers' by Curious Oyster
The music of Curious Oyster combines industrial inspired
rhythm with multi-layered guitar effects, keyboard generated bass
lines mixed with washes of hand crafted keyboard textures over which
Joanne adds her unique vocals and surreal, dream inspired lyrics
Zabadak
Curious Oyster one of the star bands on the fab 25 Records compilation
'Ooer, Missus' and so it was with joy that this was slipped into
the CD player. Starts of promisingly with 'Fur' via the swilling
growling solid backdrop of synth & spaced guitar but then second
track 'Silverfish' is almost identical. Singer Joanne certainly
has an attractive voice (sounds Irish which can't be bad) but they're
going to have to vary things a bit to gain wider popularity. Third
song 'Mink' is a gentler version of the previous two – and
really that's how the album continues. Final track the remarkable
'Imprint' but that even sounds a little ordinary here after having
heard it in its eight previous incarnations. Perhaps not quite the
pearl that was hoped for but nevertheless enough curious moments
to give it a few listens.
6½ Reviewed by Ron in issue 18 of Zabadak
Especial 35deg
Mas de nueve anos pasaron antes que Curious Oyster grabara su CD
debut, "Horse Feathes". Al escuchar la placa, lo primero
que se me viene a la cabeza es Cocteau Twins: baterias programadas.
Capas de guitarras sinteretizadas con muchos efectos y una voz eterea
muy parecida a la de Daniela Rivera de Sien.
A pesar de esta comparacion, el disco es muy agradable de escuchar
aunque las influencias se hacen bastante evidentes. Quizas logrando
un poco mas de identidad propia, Curious Oyster podria dar bastante
que hablar.
Reviewed in December 98 issue of Especial 35deg, Rio Jachal #1634,
Independencia, Santiago, Chile 6530450.
Feel free to contact the band at 25 Records anytime for interviews/Band
features/ gig info etc. at: 25 Records PO Box 3006, Poole, Dorset,
BH12 2HU. or Phone/Fax on (01202) 749244.
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