New material gives O Emperor a fresh take on performing

Date Published: 07-Nov-2012

With an expansive and rich sound, O Emperor play the Róisín Dubh on Thursday, November 22. The band have just released the double A-side (essentially two singles), Electric Tongues and Erman Gou. These songs are a taster from their second album, which the quintet plan to release next year.

As well as working on new material, the southern band have set up a new base in Cork.

“We spent a good couple of months building our own studio,” says lead singer Paul Savage. “So there was a lot of time painting the place and listening to music. In a way, [the new material] kind of just came about. We were all listening to different stuff and finding different music [including] some eighties synth stuff like Brian Eno and some Krautrock, like Can or Neu.”

The synth/electro feel to the new O Emperor songs came about in part when Phil Christie, the vocalist and piano player was given a new piece of equipment by the father of lead guitarist, Alan.

“It was an old Roland Juno from the eighties, an analogue synth” says Paul. “He started messing around with that, and we kind of just grew into that kind of stuff. We didn’t sit down and decide we were going to go into a synth-led sound. And it may not be yet – it depends on when we finish the album. But at the moment it’s kind of like that.”

Some of the songs from Hither Dither, O Emperor’s 2010 debut, had a lush 1970s feel. The new single, Electric Tongues is an impressive change of direction; it starts out sparsely but soon builds into a combination of guitar and dissonant electro.

“It does start off, and you’re not quite sure what it is – and by the end you’re even more not sure!” says Paul. “The two singles came about very quickly, and we got a mix and decided to put them out because they’re done. Just get something out to keep moving.

“We’re very pleased with how they turned out. They kind of give an indication of what to expect for the album. They’re different in their own right, but are linked by some weird sounds – slightly psychedelic stuff.”

Hither Thither received warm and deserved praise, and went on to be nominated for the prestigious Choice Prize. Paul must have been happy that O Emperor made such an immediate impression.

“Of course,” he says. “It’s brilliant to get recognition and to be a blip on someone’s radar is always nice. People liked the stuff, and they responded to it, which is all anyone creating anything wants.

“I guess the thing now is to capture someone else, but to keep those people on board. That’s always a tricky one. They like the first album, but they may not like the second one – or vice versa.”

People listening to music today do so in the age of the digital download, where bands are often judged on the strength of just one track. But as artists like PJ Harvey, Bon Iver and the recent Mercury prize winner Alt J show, the album is still a valued art form.

“As a band, you spend long hours considering the playlist and how it runs,” says Paul Savage. “Even releasing these singles, it’s nice to get them out but if it’s just a single, it’s over in three or four minutes and that’s it; people move on. With an album, it’s a body of work, and often might have a running theme.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.