Being huge fans of Three Dimension Tanx here at colourhorizon’s ice palace, we were excited and delighted to hear Synthetic Villains, a new project from Brother Richard of the mighty Tanx. This new foray features a joyous, bouncy set of electro pop / synth dance cut-ups, smash ups and rave-ups.
We caught up with Richard Turner to talk Villains most Synthetic.
For a fiver, less than a pair of burnt watery coffees, you can treat yourself to this great release! So treat yourself now and support local music!
https://syntheticvillains.bandcamp.com/releases
Who are Synthetic Villains?
It’s just me, Richard James Turner as it says on my birth certificate. But it might be more in the future. I’m thinking of getting some guest vocalists.
As a name it’s great. How important is it for a band to have a name that’s bob-on?
Why thank you. The name’s taken from a speech from Labour legend Nye Bevan in 1956. I read it in the Guardian in about 2007 and jotted it down. Given the electronic/synth aspect of the project, it fitted that way too, plus it also has nerdy sci-fi/ comic super villain connotations. So triple win.
How hard was it recording, which costs the earth?
I absolutely fucking LOVE recording. It wasn’t hard at all. Actually, the hardest part was postponing sessions due to storms and floods. It was recorded at Stonegate Studios, technically in Yorkshire, but near the Lancashire border. Sam Parkinson is really easy to work with, and very reasonably priced. I’ll be going back there.
How long did the album take to write and record?
If you put it into days – it’d probably only be 3-4 days altogether to record. But I actually did 3 hours a week over a few months. That gave me time to think about it, and cobble the money together!
Writing-wise, some of the tracks had been written or half-written ages ago, some were new ideas, and in all cases they evolved once recording commenced.
Tell us about some of the songs on the album…
Initially, this was going to be a guitar album. I was going to use drum machines, but basically, my aim was to do an instrumental guitar album. In the bands I’m in, apart from some riffing, I generally play rhythm guitar, and I was going to say “listen everyone, I can play lead too”. So, ‘Time Out of Rhythm’ would have been a massive raga-rock Mike Bloomfield does East-West, John Cippolina Quick Silver Messenger Service type thing. I was going to do a lot of Tom Verlaine impressions!
But as recording commenced, I layered more electronic textures, and mostly junked the lead guitar idea.
There is still loads of guitar tracks on the, but a lot of them are through synth pedals or bowed etc.
I’ve been collecting little mini-synths and drum things for years, and it was there time to shine.
Why use titles from The Three Stooges?
Well-spotted. The guitar and drum machine thing I mentioned was a rip-off of ‘Escape’ by Jody Harris & Robert Quine (Contortions and Voidoids respectively). Escape uses Three Stooges episode titles for it’s tracks, and I thought it was a great idea so nicked it! I love puns, and the ones I used seemed to fit the mood of the tracks perfectly – the melancholy in ‘Rhythm & Weep’, the cowboy-country of ‘Bonanza’ etc.
I confess to not having seen the episodes, but I’ve loved what I’ve seen of the Three Stooges. And the Stooges loved them, so that’s also cool.
I didn’t spot to be honest, I got it from Louder Than War’s review (a-hem). Everyone seems to agree that ‘Bonanza’ is the best song!
Really? I’ve probably had more good feedback for ‘Rhythm & Weep’ out of all of them. But I’ve also had people say ‘Time Out For Rhythm’ and also ‘The Captain Hates the Sea’. ‘Bonanza’ was something that I had as an idea for a while, and actually used a few separate ideas together. Then thought, what the fuck is this? It’s a ridiculous track. But it made me laugh, and I liked the juxtaposition of that after the previous track.
You’re getting some good traction, attention from bandcamp and louder than war! How hard is it to make yourself heard?
It’s really hard. First of all, I make the music I feel compelled to make. Then, when it’s done, you think “who the hell wants to listen to this, and how can I possibly market it?” It’s electronic, but it’s not IDM or EDM or anything else that you can tag easily. It’s psychedelic, but it’s too electro for most of the heads. And so on. Hard to pitch. You just have to reach out to people who do things that you enjoy. Most people don’t reply. I’ve been making music nobody wants to hear for 20+ years now, so I’ve built up some contacts over that time that get it.
What tech do you use? Tell us about them dirty synths!
Well, it’s mostly cheap eBay stuff. Casio MT400 and Yamaha PS2 are both early 80’s synths with great sounds and all-important analogue drum presets. Also Casio VL Tone. Microkorg is a workhorse – strings sound great through a Fender Twin amp, Korg Monologue for the basslines and a few other things. Borrowed a Roland SE02 for the Moog-sounding bits. Also a Rakit Drum Synth, Stilophone Beats (used for drums and basslines) and Korg Monotron Delay, Korg Monotribe, Volca Beats, Volca Kick and Volca Modular. Some synth sounds are the guitar through an EHX MonoSynth pedal.
At colourhorizon our Holy Trinity is Julian Cope, John Cale and Tom Verlaine. Which 3 celestial bodies rule Synthetic Villains?
Ooo….that’s too difficult…probably for this project Kraftwerk, Bruce Haack and Silver Apples.
We know you’re also a big Verlaine fan, Richard. He’s awesome isn’t he?
Yes, he’s my favourite guitar player, solo and Television. Songs And Other Things was another touchstone for my abandoned guitar album.
Hmm, not one of my faves oddly, Richard, we prefer Dreamtime here but let’s not bicker! Roxy Music? With Eno or without Eno?
‘Love is the Drug’ is without Eno. Therefore, without Eno!
Which modern acts do you listen to?
To be honest, I mostly listen to old-but-new-to-me stuff. But…
I subscribe to Electronic Sound and Shindig! Magazine, so I keep my ear to out.
I’ve just ordered a bunch of albums from Castle in Space, and the reissues of first 3 Pole albums (old, but he’s current!) I’ve been enjoying some ambient/experimental/haunty stuff on shows like Phantom Circuit and Kites & Pylons.
I get bored of guitar music most of the time, but some that I’ve enjoyed over the last couple of years are La Luz, Frankie Cosmos, Omni (very Television), Las Mitras and a Dutch band called E.T Explore Me that are super-energetic-manic garage-rock.
Lets talk the mighty Three Dimensional Tanx… plans, news, gossip?
Well. We’re still going…just on lockdown imposed hiatus. We recorded 6 new tracks that are awaiting Spacey’s vocals. So, once we can get back to it, there’ll be another album.
At colourhorizon we consider ‘Psychedelic Sun’ to be in the top 10 psych songs of the 21st century. What a honour!
It’s basically ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ on speed!?
Do you sometimes think that 3D Tanx were born in the wrong decade?
Ha! I think we’d probably be wrong in every decade!
And on that topic, ‘Idiots Deluxe’ from Synthetic Villains sounds like what Human League wanted to be. How hard is it in the 20th century to evoke, not repeat?
‘Idiot’s Deluxe’ basically came from putting a keyboard drum preset though an Attack/Decay pedal. There was an overtone of ‘B’, so I got my guitar and played some funk that fitted, added Stylpohone beats and a bassline and went from there.
To me, it’s more evocative of stuff like New York late 70s/early 80s stuff that combined disco, funk and New Wave/NoWave, much as I’m a fan of the Human League.
I think there are always new ways to mix things up.
Do you think making music is becoming more of a hobby than a career?
For 99% of musicians, yes. A labour of love.
If SV could soundtrack a movie, what would it be?
Wouldn’t mind having a go at Metropolis, not keen on that 80s attempt.
Favourite movie director?
Don’t have a favourite one in particular…but I’m going to go for Ken Loach mostly for KES.
What next for Synthetic Villains?
SV2! Already got the material, just working on arrangements.
colourhorizon 