it takes two:earsugar
(June 2004)

The robo radar lit up when the unidentified flowing object glided gently over the Irish Sea. Curiously for such a futuristic item it seemed to materialise close to outmoded technology, frequently being discovered leaning against record players in cramped bedsits. When undocked from its rectangular outer module it revealed a core that formed a perfect disc, slim in profile, which could be found horizontal, spinning and emitting a stream of beguiling noise to attract the attention of anyone within audio radius. Our committee of bearded experts spent long hours examining footage of the phenomenon before pronouncing it officially a good record.

And welcome back to the real world where, even if that stuff is largely made up, The Toy Sound of Earsugar (a 10" double A) is still a confusing affair. It's not clear what the title, band and label are, except for some typographical clues and the fact that the catalogue number is earsugar02. The website, www.earsugar.com doesn't help much either. But the music.. the music: FaustChick and GuitarSplinters just slide on regardless. We said they moulded speckled electronics around somehow audible spaces, spaced-out glimmer shimmering in the air as dissolve and reform. And it's true, even if that sounds like we're still on one. The Earsugar UFO is piloted by Niamh (pronounced "neeve") and Jay (as you'd expect.)

Jay: Do you feel that the mullet, as a hairstyle, has gone beyond urban ironic and is once again a legitimate expression of suburban sohistication?

Niamh: That’s not a good question, I thought this was supposed to be about music.

Jay: Ok, yes, what’s your music question then ?

Niamh: I’ve got two questions, but I don’t think you're interested in my questions. I think you're interested in your questions. Well my first question is... have you ever had sexual feelings for another man? hmmm, what’s your answer to that?

Jay: Well, I love my dad but not in that way. So don’t be fuckin gross and ask a real question.

Niamh: If you could have any female vocalist to sing on the earsugar records who would it be?

Jay: Why you darling... and perhaps Mavis Staples and Patty Waters.Or maybe I should be more modern and say Coralie Clement and Juana Molina ? All thru a vocoder of course.

Niamh: Where do your lyrics come from?

Jay: That’s kind of a lame question.

Niamh: Well you don’t have any questions

Jay: Yes, I do. What’s your fave album of the moment?

Niamh: Gillian Welch, that new one by her. Whatever it’s called.

Jay: Soul Journey

Niamh: Is that the title?

Jay: Yes, I just found the CD. So why do you like it?

Niamh: Because it’s so fuckin’ sad.

Jay: Really?

Niamh: Not sad in a bad way. Just really, really, sad.

Jay: Lonesome?

Niamh: Hmmm. No, not lonesome, just all sad songs.

Jay: And if Gillian Welch was performing at the Sonar festival in Barcelona what electronic artist would you pair her up with? Who would her sad songs work with in a shiny new context?

Niamh: So Solid Crew.

Jay: No, they totally sucked at Sonar this year. They bored my ass off so I don’t think Gillian ‘mixing it’ with a lame ass So Solid Crew would really be that culturally necessary, dude.

Niamh: Well, what about that band from Portugal, Micro Audio Waves?

Jay: Yeah, they were cool. So you’d like to see Gillian Welch doing some new wave electronics with hipsters from Portugal?

Niamh: Not really, but you asked the question.

Jay: Right, so do you have another question?

Niamh: What is your fave 7" of all time?

Jay: That’s gonna expose me as a complete nerd...

Niamh: But you are a complete nerd.

Jay: Which is why I'm compelled to answer the question. I do have a Yo La Tengo and Stereolab split 7" which I kinda cherish but I also favour this Lee Perry Roast Fish and Corn Bread 7’ that I’ve got.

Niamh: Don’t you wanna know what mine is? Take a guess.

Jay: Something by the Carpenters perhaps?

Niamh: Correct... a little song called Close to You which I have on American radio promo 7" from back in the day.

Jay: I never quite understood your Carpenters fetish. Why do you like them so much?

Niamh: 'Cause I’m a sucker for a girl who sings in tune.

Jay: Yeah, so am I, and a good vocoder.. Like, can you imagine Karen and Kraftwerk?

Niamh: Yeah, totally.

Jay: Should we plug our label's releases at this point?

Niamh: How long is the interview supposed to be?

Jay: I ’m not really sure. Maybe we should just say that Earsugar is a label, but it started as the name of our band, when we first started releasing singles. But then we released the album for Schneider TM and kinda realised that Earsugar sounded better as a name for the label.

Niamh: I have one more question for you. Since we are getting the plugs in there, what are the next releases?

Jay: Well, funny you should ask that Niamh. We have just got the test pressing back for a new 7" single by an artist from berlin called Mek Obaam who is also a member of Schneider TM as well as having played with Barbara Morgensterm, and the single was produced by kpt michigan. And we’ve also got another seven after that by Hi Lonesome Electrics, which sounds kinda like the Harry Smith Anthology being interpreted by Mapstation. It’s wild stuff.

After that, we are releasing an album from By Coastal Cafe who we are totally psyched about....

Niamh: Yes, they rule our world! Like Karen Carpenter, Daniel Johnston, the Shaggs, and Yo La Tengo all rolled into one!

Jay: Cool, you got another question?

Niamh: Yes, can we go to sleep now?

Visit us at www.earsugar.com