Thrupence is one of the newest breeds of beat-makers in Melbourne that has wowed us. (If you haven't already heard it) His music is often referred to as chill out, but for us it crosses over into many different moods. Jack's much anticipated EP Voyages received wonderful reception and put his name on the map.
I recently read someone saying your work is like a soundtrack to life. Do you feel your music is a soundtrack to your life?
I don't think it is. It might be for other people (i hope it its!) but it's not my soundtrack. Making music in my bedroom is a bit of a therapeutic activity. The music is an outlet to things that are happening around me. Its like when writers say that they cant understand the world until they write it, or a painter trying to understand the world by painting - its the same for music I think. Feelings and emotions can be transposed into the music - but that doesn't necessarily mean its my own soundtrack.
You're also a talented designer. Would you say design is your main hobby and music is the sidekick, or the other way around?
Music was always the sidekick until about five months ago when I graduated from university. When I was studying, music was always the nice outlet away from visuals. After graduating I was pretty tired of dealing with visuals. Three years of making stuff for peoples eyes was too much. The way that the internet eats up visual content was getting me down a bit so after finishing up i sort of stepped away from making visual work and started to really get into the music. It's really nice to be able to switch from optical to aural!
"I'm still a baby in the game. Melbourne is a bit of a hot bed for beat makers at the moment"
Do you see a link in the creative process between music and design?
Of course! The same methods and thinking processes that are used to create music are parallel to those that are used to create visual works.
Your music has a special organic texture about it. Can you tell us a bit about your production process and influences?
My music has been mainly influenced from my mum and the stuff she used to play when I was a kid. As for the organics, I think they come from the lack of vocals. So far Thrupence hasn't used any vocals. Its interesting to see that people can still connect with the songs without the use of a voice dictating and directing the content or feeling. The songs act as a base - people can bring their own emotions to it. Even if they're not the emotions I was feeling when i was making the songs. In fact, i hope they're not the emotions that I was feeling! It doesn't always need a sexy woman or charming man to belt out heart felt lyrics about love and losts for the music to still be beautiful. People forget that sometimes.
Melbourne seems to have growing number of producers and "beat" producers. Where do you see yourself against it all?
I don't really know at the moment. I'm still a baby in the game. Melbourne is a bit of a hot bed for beat makers at the moment - guys like Galapagoose, Andras Fox and the crew from This Thing are doing really cool things. I don't know where my music fits into it all though. I don't know that my music is beat heavy enough to cut it with those guys. I'd love to make people dance but the word 'chill' seems to put a hold on it. People comment on the music and say how 'chilled' it is but most of the time I wasn't chilled at all when I was making it! I was dancing around my room banging my head. Strange thing, the interpretation of the music. I don't feel pressured to make people dance though. Thats not what Thrupence is about.
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| Cut Records & Thrupence EP/Company Launch |
It appears all your music is solely promoted without the aid of any kind of label. Is this a personal decision? Is there any labels that you would love to see your sounds on in the future?
Its not a personal decision, nobody has really asked me to jump on board with a label. Maybe the music isn't good enough yet! Its been a good experience - doing everything myself. I can have control over everything. But in saying that, after releasing the EP I got so many emails from publicists and marketing people that I was spending whole days writing replies! Most of them request ridiculous amounts of money for things that I can do myself anyway. Maybe when the right label comes along Ill get on board.
"I don't feel pressured to make people dance though. That's not what Thrupence is about."
Is there anyone playing in your stereo you think we should know about?
Locally, there are a lot of great producers that people should check out. Chet Faker is heading for big things. TUC is another name that people may hear around the traps. Melbourne is full of great beat makers and producers making stuff that is just as good as anything you would hear across the globe. Aside from that, I've been listening to Olufar Arnalds a lot. That man is a genius.
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