Music

A peculiar entity within the smoky, enigmatic depths of the Blue Mountains underground music scene, a certain quartet have been intriguing and thrilling audiences since being formed sometime in 2016. Now after a couple of singles and a single live album, the young group are recording their first studio album. Invited inside the beloved Katoomba punk pad of Quinlan Semenetz (vocals) and Sonny Kooma De Bie (bass), two galvanising quarters of local cosmic post-punk/funk anomaly Alienativ, HAZE reporter Corin Shearston probed into the development of the group’s DIY debut. In the style of the group’s live album, Live At The Steakcastle, which was put out at the very start of 2019, the upcoming studio album might be released on the first minute of 2020, though “we’ve officially started recording it this afternoon”, Quinlan reveals, with the group announcing the start of recording on Facebook last night.

Relating to the content of the project, Sonny tells us that the majority of the release will be new, unheard songs that the group will be bringing to the stage over the coming months. “Pretty much all the old songs that people have heard aren’t going to be on there.” Some new adaptations of older songs will be included too, states Quinlan, involving a possible epic finale of popular Alienativ number, ‘Nang Salad’. Guitars, vocals and effects will all be independently recorded inside Sonny and Quinlan’s house, with the question of drum recording proving to be slightly trickier at this early stage. “The house has pretty good natural reverb for vocal recording, I’ve found”, says the singer. Quinlan, Sonny and guitarist Rory ‘Seven-Cigs’ Wilson proved to be the main songwriters for the upcoming release, with drummer Alex Giles adding some flavour and offering a rock-solid rhythmic basis in home rehearsals and gigs. As far as album art goes, “we’ve got a whole heap of ideas”, says Sonny. “We’ve also got some ideas for some photos we want to do.” Quinlan suddenly interjects with a mysterious verbal offering, “code word: Chariot Of Fire”. “It will be cool”, Sonny assures us. “We’ve got some little Easter eggs planned, and a few little cheeky things too”, says Quinlan. “While some of the songs are done, there’s some that we’ll be writing as we record them”, says Sonny. A question of collaboration is now raised, between the core four and scheduled future guests on the album, or in future releases. All Quin can reveal is, “a certain (local) female singer and a certain (local) male rapper [might be teaming up with us] on two seperate (future) singles.” We leave the Alienativ ‘hype beasts’ as they continue to trek their independent path of local punk history in the making, but not before we’re offered two words in reference to future live opportunities for bringing this album to the public…“fuck oath.”

Words by Corin Shearston

 Band shot by Callan Huggard Photography

(L-R, seated: Sonny, Rory, Alex, front: Quinlan)

Poster by Angus Lewis