Image: Sam DavisonProduct don’t mess around. The Melbourne three-piece recorded First Wave of Death Funk, their debut cassette, the night after their first show. It must have been some show. The tape ain’t half bad either, six tracks that obsess over the rhythms of Isaac Hayes, Funkadelic and the grit and gristle punk ssounds of Destruction Unit. It’s simplistic but it grunts and gurns.To be released on Space Ritual (Unpeople, Priors), the tape is a welcome addition to the world of jammy, psychy punk rock.“Dance of Death” the track that we are premiering below is delivered through some howling shrieks and deconstructed beats. Have a listen and read a few words from the band’s Riley Graham.Noisey: What was the seed of the band?
Riley Graham: The idea formed at Meredith last year. I'd been really digging back into old soul and funk music along with a few weird dub producers and I really wanted to start a project where i could experiment with those rhythms and the space that's in those old beats. The band really got off the ground when we had a show lined up without any songs down, so we kinda had to get our shit together as we only had a month. The night after that first show we recorded FWODF. We recorded the whole thing live and it captures the first time we got through the songs completely, which is always a really nice moment. As far as recording goes it's the least stressful experience I've ever had.I can hear the loud distortion and feedback of bands like Destruction Unit in some of the songs. Is the kind of music you'd been listening to?
I love Destruction Unit, I'm also a big fan of Comets On Fire who I think they draw influence from a lot. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Les Rallizes Denudes who have this insane guitar sound. “Dance of Death” is particularly inspired by Funkadelic. Eddie Hazel is a big hero. Guys like Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield have this amazing catalogue of rhythms that are great to draw upon especially when trying to break out of the standard punk beats. I guess I got into all that music from hip hop, Madlib, MF Doom and A Tribe Called Quest really opened the door into that world.What inspired “Dance of Death”?
The song isn't particularly deep lyrically. I wrote the main riff in my kitchen and the whole thing progressed really easily from there, Em and Matt filled in all the blanks and the chorus pinches a melody from Iron Claw (thanks Psychedelic Coven for that one). I guess the song is about the weird rituals people do throughout their life based on the fact they'll inevitably die. Kinda grim, but it's a great song to play.
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Riley Graham: The idea formed at Meredith last year. I'd been really digging back into old soul and funk music along with a few weird dub producers and I really wanted to start a project where i could experiment with those rhythms and the space that's in those old beats. The band really got off the ground when we had a show lined up without any songs down, so we kinda had to get our shit together as we only had a month. The night after that first show we recorded FWODF. We recorded the whole thing live and it captures the first time we got through the songs completely, which is always a really nice moment. As far as recording goes it's the least stressful experience I've ever had.I can hear the loud distortion and feedback of bands like Destruction Unit in some of the songs. Is the kind of music you'd been listening to?
I love Destruction Unit, I'm also a big fan of Comets On Fire who I think they draw influence from a lot. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Les Rallizes Denudes who have this insane guitar sound. “Dance of Death” is particularly inspired by Funkadelic. Eddie Hazel is a big hero. Guys like Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield have this amazing catalogue of rhythms that are great to draw upon especially when trying to break out of the standard punk beats. I guess I got into all that music from hip hop, Madlib, MF Doom and A Tribe Called Quest really opened the door into that world.What inspired “Dance of Death”?
The song isn't particularly deep lyrically. I wrote the main riff in my kitchen and the whole thing progressed really easily from there, Em and Matt filled in all the blanks and the chorus pinches a melody from Iron Claw (thanks Psychedelic Coven for that one). I guess the song is about the weird rituals people do throughout their life based on the fact they'll inevitably die. Kinda grim, but it's a great song to play.
'FWODF' is available from Space Ritual.Product launch 'FWODF' in Melbourne June 18 at the Tote with Priors, Taipan Tiger Girls and Leather Lickers.