MORE SONGS ABOUT CIRCUITS AND DIODES

Rip It Up, Issue 70, 1 May 1983, Page 8

MORE SONGS ABOUT CIRCUITS AND DIODES

Friday night. Cricketers. The Body Electric perform supported only by choice, imported rock video'jJHMß Cabaret Voltaire, Clash, Zoom Lens, David Byrne. Watching the Body Electric is like watching video; ex-actor Garry Smith captivating as he plays out the songs with resonant voice and co-ordinated motion. Ex Steroids Alan Jimson and Andy Drey, the electric to Garry's body, work intensely at guitar or synthesiser; providing a rough underside to the [vocal gloss and synth-drum p°!is!^aniMn

The Body Electric, as Alan says later in more convivial surroundings, "was a plan of Andy's and mine for ages. We wanted to do something different starting with small synth machines and graduating as we needed to. Gaz came to practice one day and we caught him for his voice?. Synthesisers prove to be a passion for Garry and Alan, their interest lying in the vast possibilities such machines offer. Their mainstay, the versatile Prophet 5, which will have cost them "around twelve grand" when it's paid off, evincing their fanaticism and concern for quality. They had hoped recently to augment their equipment with Linn drums but the cost was prohibitive. And the

Body. Electric have avoided the real thing because "drummers take up too much room on stage and have a massive consumption of drugs, women and alcohol which seems to get everyone else into trouble. With a machine all -it needs is plugging in". - , . The Body Electric have existed for only six or seven months, their impressive support for Hunters and Collectors at Victoria University being one of their earliest performances. Now with their debut EP still in the charts after four months, what's the next step? 'Things have been moving at such a - speed it's hard to see or even contemplate a new move," says Garry. "That may seem like getting around the question but it really is that way. The album is definitely on for June/July though, a month after our new man, who understands keyboards better than us, arrives." The new recruit will replace Andy Drey who's leaving because of financial necessity. 'There's no animosity," Alan says. "Andy's just sick of having nothing." 'Pulsing' has been the key to the band's success. During the Well T ington leg of the Pulsing With Punch tour Garry expressed dismay to one audience that people only know the band for that song. He explains: "We've got a dozen songs, 'Pulsing's' just one facet of our music. "It was one of our first songs. It's really a send-up of ourselves," says Garry. Lyrically the Body Electric are very international. "It's hot intentional," Alan, elucidates. "Garry usually doesn't like the original lyrics. Some nights we'll start on them at six and be there till four in the morning. It's a process of elimination." "You have to be critical of your own stuff," says Garry. "You've got to be able to listen to it." . The New Zealand input is still there, 'Who Takes The Rap' for example. Garry explains: 'That was the time of the Patea freezing works closure. I thought 'shit, it's all being closed down because of bureaucracy'. But you can't say exactly what you mean in songs because people tire of that." "Like punk," Andy adds. The EP with a richer, fuller production sound than many. local releases, was the result of the special attention given to mixing the songs. Bryan Staff's role as coproducer with the band, was to "come in and create an atmosphere. But he wasn't a Bryan Rushent or Martin Staff!" The recent national tour with the Spines helped to pay a few bills and the audience response, particularly at Otago University and in Motueka, was very positive. A further tour is planned to promote the album, but, the band aren't aiming to be superstars. As Garry sagely notes: "Country and Western music is the biggest seller in New Zealand, if we went C&W we'd be big sellers!" . Last words on the rock'n'roll condition.

"Everyone thinks it's fame and fortune, there's plenty of fame but no fortune," laughs Alan. And Garry says, The saying goes fame and fortune await you. But it's a hell of a weight." David Taylor