Young Legionnaire’s Gordon Moakes and Paul Mullen talk to BRAD BARRETT about the highs and lows of starting over again.
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aul Mullen, former vocalist and guitarist of the incredible yourcodenameis: milo and currently guitarist and co-vocalist of pop band The Automatic, and Gordon Moakes, bassist of Bloc Party – currently on hiatus – had previously collaborated in 2006 on yourcodenameis: milo’s Print Is Dead Vol. 1 project, an album of collaborations with some of the Newcastle band’s favourite musicians. Germinating in the back of their minds, as a result of this inspired musical meeting, was the possibility of working together again in a slightly more substantial capacity.
“I know when I came out of that session I thought ‘I’d love to do something
more like this’. I kinda have to give props to all the guys in yourcodenameis: milo because I thought they were all really clever and clued in and I was quite bowled over by what they were doing,” says Gordon. “I thought ‘they’ve got some really different ideas’ and I thought maybe one day I’ll just form a crazy math rock band and ask Paul to be the singer and that was just a stupid idea I had which sort of in a way...well this is the result of it.” The result of this long gestation period is captured on Crisis Works, Young Legionnaire’s debut album. The distinctive Dalek tone of Paul’s singing is laid upon a frenetic maze of earthy riffs written by both Paul and Gordon. The trio – completed by drummer Dean Pearson – have hit upon a sparse exciting sound that recalls the skeletal brutality of Steve Albini’s Shellac; only with a more contemporary edge. “It’s more of a challenge,” says Paul about being part of a three-piece
band. “You do play differently but you can challenge yourself more in what you do with your voice and guitar playing. I’ve been really enjoying it to be honest. There are one or two less people to keep happy! The impact and dynamics you can get from a three-piece are clearly defined, you can see what’s happening and that makes much more of an impact.” As Gordon’s original vision was one where the bass and the guitar
synchronised with the sole intention of sounding as big as possible, this format works wonders.
“It’s a punch in the throat. It takes your knees off. That’s kind of what I wanted to do. ‘We’re here! Hope you like it!”
“You can’t build up harmonic parts before the bass comes in. I tend to be going off with the drummer and the lead guitarist in Bloc Party - the two reference points you’re working between - whereas with this, the idea has to work on it’s own. It can’t rely on a counterpoint to make it work. Since the starting point of this was to write some really heavy riffs, and you want everything to be playing the same thing to make it as heavy as possible. Generally I’m into that idea of less is more; how you express it as simply as possible without the luxury of embellishing it.” Songs like Chapter, Verse that relentlessly drive a riff home to crushing
effect, or Blood Dance where ranks of notes march up the fret board in a hypnotic pattern, all display this direct approach to excellent effect. Perhaps most effective though is the face-smashing opener Twin Victory, a riff written by Gordon before the project began and one which Paul relished making the most of. “It’s a punch in the throat. It takes your knees off. That’s kind of what I wanted to do. ‘We’re here! Hope you like it!’” For yourcodenameis: milo fans, it’s like returning home and everyone you love is there. But as you’d expect the album still cycles through a series of different ideas, from A Hole In The World’s eerie, jangly ambience to Black Lion’s looming, reoccurring five-note melody. Yet again, they’re another
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example of a trio sounding significantly larger than they are through use of space and saturated tones.
“I set out to make as live a sounding record as possible, pretty stripped back.
The producer was Rich Jackson and my starting point was the Future of the Left record,” says Gordon, citing either album by the Welsh then-trio (they are now a sturdy four piece), Curses or Travels With Myself And Another, both excellent records with similar MOs. “It’s a very different sounding record in lots of ways but I went in saying ‘can I have that drum sound?’ because that’s my ideal. That’s one of my favourite British records of the last five years and to have the guy who pressed the buttons was a pretty good start for me.” There’ll be no arguments from Playmusic here. There aren’t many better starting points we can think of. But Crisis Works is similarly self-contained and standalone. There’s not much that will sound like this debut, nor have the propellant energy of the majority of its songs. Perhaps the only thing standing in the way of progress is the impending return of the core members to their respective main bands. “It’s became a different beast really,” argues Gordon. “People will come to it with fresh ears and genuinely respond to it as it is a new band. It doesn’t bring baggage with it, which is nice. Where it’s hard is going through the machine again and touring in a very budget way. There’s no blank cheque involved here but there’s a real strength to working like that. In terms of the future, I can see both things still happening at different points. Bloc Party is still very much an on-going concern. You know, if you want to do the record justice you don’t just put it out, you tour it and we’re in that phase right now. It’s been a long road. I wasn’t looking to turn it into a full time thing but also you have to try and do it justice.” PM
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