Friday, December 24, 2010

A Bombazine White Xmas

Jayne and I are holed up in an apartment in Montmartre playing chess and writing songs for the next Bombazine Black album.  Snow is falling as I type and it's almost time to break out the vin chaud.

It's a complete coincidence that in the year we release a song called Montmartre we find ourselves here for Xmas - life moves in mysterious ways doesn't it?  Next year we'll release a song called the Maldives and let's see what happens.

Among other things it seems the perfect time to have a bit of a look back on the year and see if we actually did anything, or am I just tired because I'm suffering from mono.

Thank you to everyone that came to shows, bought records, gave encouragement or even downloaded our songs illegally.  It's just nice to be in your life.


2010: A Re-Cap

January

Matt, Dan and Daryl's 'other' band Gersey begin rehearsals for the Pavement Australian shows in March.


February


Gersey play their first show since 2007 at The Toff in Town, Melbourne.


March

Gersey tour Australia with Pavement and have an absolute blast.  Lots of photos up on Facebook.




April

Matt composes the score and Jayne is a twisted sister in the theatre production Cageling, conceived by the unstoppable force that is The Rabble. It opens to rave reviews and full houses at Melbourne's Forty-Five Downstairs. A "nuanced sound design" said esteemed theatre critic Alison Croggon among other things.




Dan and Daryl's other other band Tall Buildings record their debut album at SoundPark in Northcote.


May

Mixing of second Bombazine Black album Motion Picture completed by Tim Whitten in Sydney.


June

Cageling opens in Sydney to more rave reviews.  Curtain Call say the score is "one of the most engrossing and cohesives aspects of the work."
The Sydney Morning Herald said it was "a ringing score." 


July

Motion Picture is mastered by Roger Siebel at SAE in Arizona.

Matt and Marty from Gaslight Radio start record label/distro house Letters & Tapes.




August

Jayne completes the artwork for Motion Picture, with layout by Iain Downie.




Paris-based Bombazine Black bass player/drummer Taylor Holland releases a book of his photographs, Lignes.




September

Motion Picture is released to universal acclaim.  Wireless Bollinger called it "heartfelt, emotive music that trades in sincerity and timelessness" and The Music Blogs said "I’m a little speechless. This album is incredible."

You can read all the reviews for yourself here.


Bombazine Black perform the album launch show at The Toff in Town in Melbourne with The Marlon Winterbourne Movement and Sirens of Venice. The AU Review review the show and say "there are movies and there are motion pictures and the Melbourne based instrumental band led by Matt Davis of Gersey fame, proved that they are Scorsese."




October

Rehearsals begin in Berlin for theatre/dance piece Soft Landing that features music from both Bombazine Black records.




Letters & Tapes releases The Marlon Winterbourne Movement album Merry Go Round on the Moon.




November

Soft Landing opens in Berlin and sells out the season.

Tall Buildings finish mixing their new record with Sloth at Head Gap.  Expect the release early next year.


December

Matt completes score for Jonathan auf der Heide's new film The Day Before Yesterday.

Jayne publishes a book of her writing and artworks from The Existential Bunny Rabbit.




It snows in Paris.


Merry Xmas all, see you on the other side.

M

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Motion Picture review - The AU Review

Mellow yet filled with a form of optimistic, surreal ambience, Motion Picture by Bombazine Black is a fitting soundtrack to the beginning of summer.

Filled with melodic, prevailing guitar alongside light percussion and keys undertones, this album coaxes one into a sort of trance, within which I might envision some carefree, naturalistic persons lying around a secluded field or forest. But, away from my romantic imagination, Motion Picture remains a rewarding musical experience.

Motion Picture is a title that perfectly captures the essence of this album. Every track on this album is voxless, supporting the cathartic feel of the music. Despite the similarities between tracks one through to seven, each one serves as an individual piece contributing to the final product. The opening track is an understated, epic introduction to the rest of the album, which seems to travel in waves.

‘The New Ruse’ resonates positivity in its 3:50 length, containing a backing of organ sounds and light keyboard. Next, ‘Montmartre’ features the cello, while ‘Roosevelt’ is short and sweet with a beautiful piano overtone. But, 'The Bel Esprit', which is found towards the end of the album, is my personal favourite. So light, with horns in the background and either xylophone or piano played in a very high key in the forefront.

In general, the second record for the unconventional group formed by guitarist Matt Davis is a musical progression dispersed in to seven mellow tracks, all of which seem to be a level-up progression from Bombazine Black’s last record, Here Their Dreams. Love it, particularly as everyone chills out to inhale the summer air.

Review Score: 8/10

by Josie Smart
www.theaureview.com