musical edge USH, MY Bloody Valentine and The Cocteau Twins take the lead in a group of U.K. pop deconstructionists who fashion a sound that manages to simultaneously seoth and shatter the savage |} pop beast lurking just below the surface within us ail. RECORD REVIEW The new 4AD Lush release Spooky, produced by Cocteau Twins sound shaper Robin Guthrie, placates with subversively polished aggression. Fey female voices gambol lightly at the edge of obliteration. A thousand guitars crash and cajole, drift off and drive back home to the head to do it again. The Lush trance-dance sweeps Vancouver for the first time Satur- day, April 13 at the Commodore. Music Now recenily talked to Lush guitarist and singer Emma Anderson. Music Now: When did you first play music with Miki Berenyi? (the cther Lush singer-guitarist) Anderson: “We actually met in school about 10 years ago. We used to go to gigs and buy records, and we just got really, really into music. Probably about six years ago we played together. Back then 1 was listening to New Order, The Smiths, The Cocteau Twins.”’ Music Now: The story goes that you and Miki spent your teen years jamming to Blondie singles played at half-speed. Anderson: “We had a song book, and we used to play from that. We had the singles, but we couldn’t jam to them because they were too fast. We were very bad, and we actually started playing gigs when we were still pretty bad. We actually had another singer who left and is now in the Pale Saints. After we auditioned a ot of terrible people we decicied that Miki should be the lead.” Music Now: How did you link with producer Robin Guthrie, is that something you worked hard to make happen? Anderson: ‘No, actually it was quite easy. About three years ago when we did a demo to send out to the record companies, we were going to do a record on another label before 4AD, and we didn’t have a producer, and a friend of mine said why don’t you send Robin a tape. He really liked it, and he phoned — he’s a pretty laid-back guy.” Music Now: !s that where your sound cosnes frem? You share a similar sonic structure with The Cocteau Twins on Spooky. Anderson: “Well, it’s only similar on Spooky because he produced it. But our basic sound live is not really so much like that. I’m sure our next record will be very dif- ferent.” Music Now: That was going to be my next question. | was wondering how you can reproduce thai sound live, what with all of the layers happening. Anderson: ‘‘We don’t try and produce that live. It’s quite a polished album. When the Cocteau Twins play live they have sequencers and drum machines. We're still very basic guitars and drums. We have some guitar ef- fects going on, but | think we're a lot more powerful live.” Music Now: Spooky is very evocative and the sound is quite different when you stack it up against most everything etse in the way of new pop Stop in at Shertstop Brake & Muffler. 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It’s a bit unusual, roake to think.” Music Now: When fe ¢ to describe your sound they” usually drop words like ‘ethereal’ and ‘dreamy’. Are you happy with those tags? Andersen: ‘I suppose it’s in- evitable. But we've definicely got an edge to us. We've gat some Noisy songs as well, live especially. Last night we played Washington, and someone called it our punk rack set. And in Boston we couldn’t come back on because people had been all over our equipment. But we like that.” Music Now: The vocal mix on Spooiy is equal with.the in- strumental elements. You make the listener work to decipher actual words. | was wondering if tyrics were important to the band? Anderson: “They are, but the words are there to fit in with the music. You can’t really hear them, : abe, : but we do spend time an them. ; oo 7S a a GO BE % e They're important, but we're not Bring this coupon to Public Storage and get trying te have messages. If you wW% Off your first read some of my lyrics you prob- ably wouldn’t be able to under- stand them.” Music Now: What’s with this much-vaunted Abba connection? Anderson: “Oh yeah, they're very good friends of ours. When | was small | was a really big Abba fan. The press picked up on this two-girl, two-boy thing and we used to do an Abba song live. We dropped that.” : f month’s rent. NORTH VANCOUVER 1775 Main St. 929-7166 ~ Subject to. availability on selected sizes only. Limit one space per customer. New rentals andy. Dies ant inctade applicable deposits at tees. Otter ospires May 17, 42. NSNSI92 Se amg me a es oe ee Personal or Business Storage When you need more space hen you move Affordable monthly rates Store almost anything PUBLIC STORAGE RENTAL SPACES You Store it. You lock it. You keep the key. Vancouver = . — — on , 3 —— 2105 East 12th Ave. 872-6047 Delta/Tsawwassen 1617 - 56th St. 943-6065