This month Dublin post-punk outfit – and recent MOJO Rising stars – The Murder Capital release their second album, Gigi’s Recovery. Here, exclusively for MOJO, the band talk to us about some of the music that inspired them...
Bill Callahan
All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast
Diarmuid Brennan, drums: “The instruments are spread and grow across the track evoking a feeling of evolving and becoming. Musically building in small effective ways creates an arc for the vocal to climb and hang from the music surrounding it. In isolation I was drawn to Bill's discography especially the earlier Smog records, but it drew me to return to the room and play together.”
Minimal Man
Pull Back The Bolt
James McGovern, vocals: “This shook me up and straightened me out whenever I needed it. I often listened just before heading into the studio. Gets the blood flowing.”
Radiohead
Staircase
Cathal Roper, guitar: “Hearing this, I immediately wanted to put synth pads against driving drums. How big it makes the harmony feel is what I love about it.”
John Hassell/Brian Eno
Delta Rain Dream
Damien Tuit, guitar: “The textures of this song in particular but also his, Harold Budd’s and Brian Eno’s discography were very inspirational to me in terms of pure texture and mood.”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Jubilee Street
James McGovern, vocals: “Potency.”
Kings of Leon
Milk
Gabriel Paschal Blake, bass: “I wanted to write a bassline that was as impactful as the one on this, thinking in my head it was an absolute banger. When I listened back to it the elements were far more simple than they were in my head. I woke up one morning listened to it 5 times in a row then went in and wrote the opening bassline for ‘The Lie Becomes The Self.’”
Alex G
Gretel
Damien Tuit, guitar: “From the vocal sampling at the start to the pitch bent flute sound, this song was a big inspiration to me in terms of how a simple rock song could be done in a very modern way.”
Autechre
Teartear
Diarmuid Brennan, drums: “The minimalist approach of Autechre repeating patterns to create succinct ideas allows for strong meaningful changes. The tones are so solid from beginning to end too that though change is happening it doesn't deviate too far from the original essence. This was something we considered a lot particularly when recording the album.”
Steve Reich
Electric Counterpoint Part II. Slow
Cathal Roper, guitar: “In terms of texture and approach, this was so inspiring.”
Alice Deejay
Better Off Alone
Gabriel Paschal Blake, bass: “This was the only tune that could make me cry for like two months at a stage when we were writing!”
Gigi’s Recovery is out now via Human Season.
BECOME A MOJO MEMBER today and receive every new issue of MOJO on your smart phone or tablet to listen to or read. Enjoy access to an archive of previous issues, exclusive MOJO Filter emails with the key tracks you need to hear each week, plus a host of member-only rewards and discounts.