Music, Style & Culture

Cut Copy: Turn Up The Drums

Willis Arnold talks 'Zonoscope' with Cut Copy bassist, Ben Browning

Willis Arnold has a chat with Cut Copy bassist Ben Browning mid-way through their current US tour, about their new album 'Zonoscope'.

You have a pretty specific blend of dance music and rock, was this an intentional attempt to hybridize two interests or an organic product of your musical process?
I think mixing elements of all kinds of music is always part of the creative outlook and approach to our music. Initially Cut Copy was a DJ and solo project and it was based more in dance music. I think we've definitely blended dance music with other genres deliberately.

'Zonoscope' has a warmer, more relaxed feel than your previous album 'In Ghost Colors'. What brought about his change?
We were interested in exploring a different array of sounds, and wanted to experiment with things like percussion. I think we may have been influenced by more 1970s records as well. There was a desire to mix dreamy warm sounds with some colder sounds, like electronic programmed beats.

When recording songs, how do you put together an album? Do you plot out the change in energy, decide at some point "now we need a dancefloor banger?," or do you take a different approach?
We didn't start putting together the order of the album until we had worked on a number of different songs. We were not certain which songs would be on the final thing, until they began taking serious shape. Some more songs came later when we noticed a thread to the album.

When you’re in a studio recording, how do you keep the energy level high on such dance-inflected songs?
I'm not sure. Turn up the drums I guess.

I’ve heard that you’re willing to experiment a lot in the studio, how do different instruments inform your songwriting process?
I think particular sounds and instruments are fundamental in the songwriting process for us. We tend to approach songs from a production point of view more so than 'singer / songwriter.' On this album the CS-80 synthesizer was often used to create the initial sounds for a song. We used a lot of acoustic guitar on the record, as well as heaps of different guitar pedals on different instruments.

This album has a very distinct look to it. How do go about choosing and creating the cover art and packaging for your albums, and how does it reflect your aesthetic visually?
Dan is a graphic designer, he actually owns a graphic design business. So he has always been highly involved in all aspects of our cover art and album packaging. I think the artwork on this album reflects our desire to sonically create some kind of imagined world, a place that we escaped to whilst making the record.

Does your approach to playing songs change if you’re performing or recording?
Nothing changes essentially. You can get things wrong in the studio and fix them. You can't do that live.

What different influences do you draw on while performing and while recording?
I try to draw on all the things in life that interest me, including films, art and music.

Do you have any dream collaborations, producers you’d love to work with, bands with whom you’d like to share the stage?
I think it would be amazing to work with Brian Eno, and he was a big inspiration for 'Zonoscope'. We recently did a festival that toured Australia with Ariel Pink, Deerhunter and Beach House. That was a bit of dream come true, because we love all those acts.

Cut Copy’s new album ‘Zonoscope’ is out now via Modular.