You know how sometimes you see someone walking a huge hyperactive dog, and you say to you friend, “huh, looks like the dog is walking him!” Perhaps you don’t, because you have a more original sense of humour than that, but in any case, it seems a good metaphor for Re:Enactment’s relationship with their music.

Not just because the music is unpredictable, persistent and unrelentingly energetic, but because it seems that it has a life of its own, and the band simply go wherever it wants to go. Frontman Jac Hicks believes this may be their biggest weakness, but also their biggest strength. “We never came together, smoked some jazz and were like “Right, we’re going to be the next Cream”. Instead we’ve always just thought that we’re capable of doing really anything we want musically and then diving into whatever is going to inspire us at the time.”

Re:Enactment’s songwriting process is on a similarly lengthy leash. “I can easily spend ten days trying to write either two bars or two lines of lyrics and still feel like they’re not quite right. Then in another ten minute period I’ll have a song with 20 layers, four part harmony and a full page of lyrics all buzzing around like fruit flies.” Jac tells us. “It’s as ludicrous as going somewhere as culturally exotic as the Nambour show, hopping on some suspicious looking ride and genuinely not knowing what it’s going to do, or how long it’s going to go on for. It might be the funnest surprise you’ve ever had, or the most terrifying. It might break at any point, or it might fly off and do something you didn’t think was even possible.”

One result of such a liberated approach is an inevitable eclecticism. “I guess that’s why some people might struggle to identify us sometimes, we genuinely go about writing music that will surprise ourselves first and foremost, and hope the same effect happens to whoever else is going to hear it.”

It’s a strategy that has worked for them so far, winning them devoted fans in Brisbane and an internet following around the world. Their 2 EP releases in 2008 – Kittens and Regicide – have been favourites on local radio and supported the likes of We Have Band (UK) and PVT. They are gearing up to release their debut album in the second quarter of 2011. In the meantime, they are letting slip two amazing tracks in the form of the double A-side, Talent for Retail, and will be launching them at the Troubadour on Saturday 18 September.

nintendogs by reenactment
problematic by reenactment

Nintendogs and Problematic are the two tracks you’ll find on the disc, and they are a great introduction to what Re:Enactment do. Nintendogs grooves along at a driving-to-the-coast tempo, and rides on smooth melodies until it sucks you into its euphoric climax. Despite being the slower track, it still retains an element of Re:E brand unpredictabity. Once Nintendogs has lulled you into a slow head-bobbing trance, Problematic jumps out of your speakers and shakes you out of it with blazing synths and hyperactive beats. It sports a growled vocal track that will infect your brain and take months to get rid of.

Jim Grundy, Re:enactment’s bassist is also a pioneering electronic music producer in his spare time, and came up with the foundations for Nintendogs. “I remember [Jim] calling, saying I should drop everything and write some lyrics for this beat he’d done. I had severe tonsilitus at the time so I pretty much dragged myself out of bed and did the most roughhouse vocal I think I’ve ever done. My voice in that early demo almost sounds like a Tibetan throat singer who’s just discovered karaoke. It turns out though that it was perfect for the song and so I had to go to some extremes the night before recording the version proper to try to get the same quality.”

Problematic on the other hand began with an idea of Re:Enactment’s keyboard player Shane Rudken. “Shane wrote this classic 80′s synth bassline with a truly remarkable apocalyptic chorus. I was really into any punk or dance track at the time that managed to evoke everything about a particular moment in as few words/notes as possible. Those two ideas are definitely the core of the song and I think it does it well that it’s not too jam packed. It’s just straight up, no ice.”

So if the idea of music that is barely held on its leash by some of Brisbane’s most talented and creative musicians seems exciting to you, it would be insane to be anywhere but the Troubadour on Saturday September 18. In addition to a blistering Re:Enactment set, your $15 entry fee also gets you a copy of Talent for Retail. And if that’s not enough for you, thrown in the deal are some of Brisbane’s great indie & electro acts, Hunz, Toy Balloon, Goodbye Gravity, and Moon Jog. It’s set to be a memorable night in the history of Brisbane music.

And what can we expect from Re:Enactment on the night? According to Jac, “A high distinction, dux of the class in energy and conviction. A straight up distinction in quality songs. A decision pending pass for clean clothing, self respect and grooming. And a big fail for accuracy, poise and technical prowess!”

Re:Enactment Talent for Retail single launch:
The Troubadour, Saturday 18 September 2010.
w/ Hunz, Toy Balloon, Goodbye Gravity, Moon Jog.
Entry $15. Tickets at http://troubadour.oztix.com.au/default.aspx?Event=17328

- Listen to Problematic and Nintendogs and tell everyone what you think…

- Tell us you’re coming to the show!!

- Buy tickets! And quick as they’re selling fast!

A special evening, curated by everyone’s favourite ex-Rational Academy member Meredith McHugh. Meredith is heading to Baltimore for ever and ever, and has assembled a great line up in celebration/whatever that other feeling is. This is a good show for people who like their hangar like it used to be.

Turnpike - Most of hangar’s favourite bands say Turnpike is their favourite band. Fierce winding journeys (11pm).
Seja – Fantastic analogue synth pop from member of Regurgitator and Sekiden
Seaplane – Wit, hooks, twin guitar genius and devillish good looks.. the inimitable, wonderful Seaplane.
Big Strong Nation – Paul from BigStrongBrute combines with Jessie from Carry Nation. Wonderful harmonies and folk pop songs.
Opals & Poole – Heartfelt ukelele pop punctuated by glorious bursts of guitar wash (7.30pm)

It’s a big line up so the doors open at 7 and the bands kick off soon after.

In what is a stunning line-up of Queensland indie acts that also includes Hazards of Swimming Naked, Lion Island and Hunz, lofly’s Mr. Maps may (or may not) be playing their last show of 2010 as the band prepare to knuckle down for their album release in January 2011. The show is at The Hi-Fi Bar in West End and the cost is a paltry $12.

Presented by Jungle Library Records

Blessing Brisbane with a second show in the space of 24 hours is Re:Enactment with a late show at The Troubadour on late Saturday Night (24th)/early Sunday morning (25th July) at 1am. Only $5 to get in after midnight.

Re:Enactment are playing at the new Guns & Lovers night at the Step Inn (Upstairs). Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Joining them will be Streamer Beny, Aisitlt, Martin party, Moon Jog, Villains of Wilhelm and DJs galore. $12 at the door.

Super Wild Horses

Kitchen’s Floor

Loomer

Southern Comfort

I want to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about our philosophy. Kind of like an information session without the Powerpoint presentation. I think you only really get to know a friend when you finally get a sense of their deepest values. So I’m going to cut to the chase so we can be Besties straight up.

We believe that Community Music is the future of music. But who gives a fuck about Community Music? Who even knows what it is?

For most of the few people who are familiar with it, the term ‘Community Music’ conjures up the image of bearded social workers forming drum circles to resolve conflict between warring ethnic groups, or committed young women conducting music therapy for children with disability. The thing is, all communities need healing, and that includes musicians themselves, particularly in that obscure place we live in called ‘the West’. Music is sick, and it needs a new lifestyle. That’s because it is mad with power and getting quite boring as a result.

Before you say ‘whatever – plus you’re not even a friend of mine on Facebook’, we feel this way because we know the age of any musician thinking they’re better than anyone else is coming to an end. The music industry has become a quagmire of repetition in which copycats compete to own the keys to the photocopier. It’s a system that has pretty much already eaten itself and is now sorting through its own turgid bowel for leftovers. To those devoted souls of independent music who toil away on the smell of a rag, and some amazing contemporary bands with integrity that walk the tightrope of hybrid major label deals: you have our full support. But for the most part the music industry is a reflection of everything that’s happening in our economy and environment – a slow and painful descent down the side of a Mt. Everest of mobile phones playing the Crazy Frog ringtone on repeat.

One day soon the general public is going to wake up to the fact that being ignorant and selfish isn’t a sustainable lifestyle. In the future when we are your OVERLORDS, no one will give a fuck about some three-chord bullshit song with repetitive lyrics that someone’s Dad paid thousands on production to cover up the terrible musicianship. No one will think it’s cool anymore. Doing things on your own terms with skill and integrity is what is going to be cool. People on the street will want to listen to all different kinds of high-quality DIY music because they will know that it comes from the hearts and minds of real people. It will be the only sort of music that doesn’t reek of the stale pants of the big label players that have shit in everyone’s minds for the last 20 years. It will reflect all the other values that are, by necessity, coming into vogue. They are the values of self-awareness, of courage, of openness and spontaneity. Just you wait.

That’s where we step in. We don’t claim to be innovating in a way that anyone else isn’t, we just have total confidence that we know where things are going and we want to do what we can to help music get healthy. If we’re wrong, then we’ll have a great musical community and there will be no loss to anyone. Either way, it’s going to be a good time…..

We will be hosting a Hacienda/ Factory Records style winter dance party featuring the phenomenal Qua produced World’s End Press (Melbourne), alongside local heroes Re:Enactment, Charlie Why (world class Disco House side project of Comic Sans member) and Citizen Loud performing and iPhone drum circle improv session. In between bands we will be playing some classic no wave disco punk and acid house.

Doors at 7:30 and we have to be finished and in taxis by midnight.

Mick Turner (The Dirty Three), performance and art exhibition

Opals & Poole

Ghost Notes

THE EVENT:
No-one puts on a party like FANS.

Headliners for this one will be the beautifully experimental Parades, hiking up here from Sydney to launch their new album.

From Melbourne, energetic indie-disco pioneers World’s End Press will be there causing involuntary movements throughout the dance-floor.

Also appearing are the act that are slowly but surely claiming Brisbane as their post-dancing-all-night breakfast, Toy Balloon. Good friends of ours who will make you dance with your serious face on.

Somewhere amongst this truly amazing line-up Mr. Maps will play a set to celebrate the launch of their double A-side single release, “Nice Fights”.

THE RELEASE:
Nice Fights will be a sneak peak of our forthcoming album “Wire Empire” and will contain the tracks “Nice Fights” and “Fly You Monumental Mistake”

Get a copy from us at the show!

THE LOCATION: Alhambra Lounge, 12 McLachlan St, Fortitude Valley