Githead Mailing List
Githead News - 12.06.05
Dear Githead Fan
Welcome to the second edition of our occasional but strangely fascinating newsletter - Githead's way of sharing topics of interest and letting the select few into news of items and events not yet confirmed (not all of which are guaranteed to happen!)
Those of you on reasonably swift internet connections might like to check out the following link, trawled up by our ceaselessly active web monkeys, on the Studio Brussel site - click on the Beluister het hier! option. This links to a Radio Show recorded last month in which Colin is talking about Life, Githead and whatever with highly respected Flemish DJ/ music journalist Luc Janssen at Studio Brussel . Radio station. The interview is sound-tracked with material from the Githead album �Profile�. The show in highest quality (Beste kwaliteit) MP3 makes a download of about 80 meg (there are options for smaller downloads also). However, quality notwithstanding, our advice would be to grab it now as we reckon it won't stay there for long.
The news junkies amongst you may well have realised that due to it's almost unique nature the word Githead makes a good google subject and thus will start to trawl up gig being announcements for later in the year. The band can confirm that a European tour is currently being set up for this Autumn and as soon as we are able to formally announce the dates we will and in answer to the most consistent feedback question we are certainly investigating the practicality of UK dates. Meanwhile there is serious discussion of a date in Tel Aviv in mid July although this is yet to be confirmed, it will go up on the website as soon as it is.
You've all got copies of our debut album Profile (wm36) haven't you? Anyone hesitating might get inspired by the 1st 3 UK reviews.
UPDATE MAGAZINE
ALBUM OF THE WEEK - GITHEAD - PROFILE (SWIM)
Corr! Did I get excited or what when this landed on my doorstep. You see Githead are two members from Minimal Compact, Malka Spigel on bass and vocals, with drummer Max Franken, joined by Robin Rimbaud aka Scanner on guitar, and fronted by Colin Newman from legendary art punks Wire (the best band in the world ever), delivering just the right amount of distaste and sarcasm into his snarling and sometimes pompous lead vocals. Githead's debut album Profile is a massive brooding wall of sound with a funky edge, that only occasionally comes up for air, but even then, you get the feeling there's a certain amount of irony, in it's fleeting breezy feel good charm. Public Image Ltd spring to mind, and obviously you can't help thinking of Wire, which can only be a good thing, but Githead are lighter and a tad more melodic, which brings me to my conclusion, that Profile is the album of the year so far. Genius. DEAN THATCHER 5 *****
BIRMINGHAM POST
GITHEAD - PROFILE (SWIM)
Githead are Colin Newman (formerly or, maybe even currently, from Wire), his partner Malka Spiegel and techno boffin Robin Rimbaud (aka Scanner).
Together they make a glorious noise. Retaining Wire's streamlined way with a song, Githead go deeper than that band, retaining a taut sense of unified purpose rather than pulling in different directions which was Wire's calling card.
Scanner plays guitar here, a bit of a revelation since the sampler and short wave radio are his normal weapons of choice. Spiegel and Newman trade lyrics like some 21st century Sonny and Cher. The addition of full-time drummer Max Franken has really pinned down the band's sound which is as tight as could be expected from these old pros.
Although undoubtedly home recorded, Newman knows how to get the best out of his resources and Profile, as a piece of sonic furniture, sounds fantastic. What you get here though is a set of songs that simply demand to be played to death. And the more you play it, the more you love it.
Commercial yet with enough of an avant edge, Profile makes for a terrific statement of intent. It's not too hard to imagine this catching on, especially with
songs as more-ish as LCA (Little Box of Magic) or Raining Down. A great album. **** Andrew Cowen
WIREVIEWS
GITHEAD - PROFILE (SWIM)
Githead is a supergroup from another dimension: a quarter of Wire, half of Minimal Compact, and the force behind Scanner combined. Those arriving here for the first time may be expecting noise terror, but those intelligent enough to have checked out the band's debut, the Headgit EP, will already know Githead is more about tightly-honed, energetic pop songs that get into your head and take up residence.
Profile is not just more of the same, though. Indeed, this album finds the band making something of a quantum leap, especially in the manner in which the music is delivered. Headgit was a fun EP: a result of the collision of three largely compatible, long-time musical minds. But Profile is something more, although it's hard to put your finger on exactly what. It's as if the band is its own entity and it's somehow grown up. While Profile is hardly the most deadly serious of records, it's certainly more mature than the band's debut: the arrangements are tighter, the mix is better, and the continually weaving mesh of instruments weaves its way further into your brain.
This, in part, is down to the music. Still somewhat wearing its punk-funk influences on its sleeve, what Profile sometimes lacks in terms of direct and memorable melodies, it makes up for with funky rhythms, Spigel's dynamic, churning basslines, and a sublime mesh of overlaid guitars. Githead is far from a one-trick-pony, though, and while those who suggest references to P.I.L. aren't far from the mark at times, Profile's mood constantly changes during its 45-minute length. Nowhere is this more apparent than during the three-track run from Cosmology for Beginners to They Are: the first of those tracks is a funky, angular and slightly shouty pop song, which is followed by the heavy and intense, guitar-churning instrumental Antiphon, which in turn gives way to the laid-back, glittering grooves of They Are. Elsewhere, Alpha manages to sandwich all of these ideas into one classic six-minute effort.
But the music isn't the only thing that Profile has going for it. One of the criticisms levelled at the band's debut was its insistence on throwaway lyrics. Newman's hacking up a load of junk mail created a few charming and wry moments (and the stomping Profile), but it all felt a little inconsequential (which, presumably, was part of the point). That's not the case here—although some of this album's words are perhaps a little disposable, Alpha's complex rhymes coupled with Newman's stern delivery, underpinned by strong, engaging rhythms, seem to confirm the band's newfound maturity, and also that Profile fires on all cylinders at once. Suddenly, it all matters. Even better is My LCA—Spigel's ode to her 'little box of magic'—one of the most emotionally charged tracks Swim~ has ever released (not least due to Spigel's sensitive and slightly fragile delivery), and even more poignant for those who know of Spigel's dedication to her photography. They Are is another classic lyric, built from Googlisms, yet the edit provides an insight into the band that's surreal, full of character, and unlike anything else you're ever likely to hear about them. And, finally, who could do anything other than love a CD that has within it the genius chorus of "shrink the world/micro hip/streets ahead/love at first sight", sung in the most swimmingly melodic manner? Not me, that's for sure. Craig Grannell (June, 2005)
Some studious googling will unearth similarly proportioned reviews in Dutch, French, German...
Anyhow the album is out now in Europe and also available through posteverything with a bonus free EP available only to posteverything customers.
Love Githead
Previous Newsletters
Githead News 05.05.05
Dear Githead Fan
Welcome to the first edition of our small but perfectly formed githead news letter. This is an occasional publication which we will only send out when we have something of note to share with you.
Today is a BIG DAY in the Githead world as we can announce that our debut album Profile (wm36) (due for late spring physical release) is now available through posteverything - The album contains entirely new material and there is a bonus free EP available only to posteverything customers....