PVT

Tue 3rd Aug, 2010 in Features

Lawrence Pike, of the brotherly duo who make up the core of Sydney scenesters PVT, is in a jovial mood, fresh from an afternoon session at his local. It’s a rare chance to actually get to speak to a muso who comes across as so open and relaxed, but luckily the drummer is in the early stages of new record PR.

Starting life as Pivot (they underwent a name change in May due to a legal challenge by an American band of the same name), they first came into being as an improv 5-piece in 1999. They gained widespread critical acclaim (and lost and gained members here and there) with the release of their debut album Make Me Love You in 2005, followed by an EP, then their first international release O Soundtrack My Heart, which spawned a 2008 European tour, and support slots with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Sigus Rós and Gary Numan.

Pike says the title of the band’s new album Church With No Magic was inspired by an artwork bandmate Dave found in a museum overseas. It seemed to resonate with the record’s themes, Pike says, but on the exact meaning he is tight-lipped.

“What I like about it is it’s a provocative title, and open to interpretation. It’s linked to that first song Community and how community has changed, and our opposition to the global or external world.”

The record is infiltrated with a potpourri of styles, running from the heavy, disjointed beats of Light Up Bright Fires , to lo-fi electro of Crimson Swan, and the laid-back borderline-ambient of Community. The almost poppy, drums-laden, and very danceable first single Window is blitzing radio airwaves as we speak.

Besides the release of the record, the band have a national tour coming up in August, followed by European dates in September/October. Before their debut European tour of 2008, taking to the road had never been a big part of PVT’s ethos.

“We had to learn to play together,” says Pike. “That’s why the record sounds quite live, because of the touring influences.”

This is a result of PVT having been, in the past, something of a ‘virtual band’, with one member based in London, the other two at home in Sydney. In the past, MP3 files were exchanged and samples discussed online. This wasn’t very conducive to incorporating vocals. But now, possibly the most striking thing about the record is the very prominence of vocal work on it. A first for the band, these are supplied courtesy of Lawrence’s brother, Robert.

“He’s always sung. It happened organically, as a result of us playing together. We didn’t go into a room saying, ‘this is how it’s going to be.’ We were really only interested in doing things rhythmically better.” It’s true that a strong rhythmic feel is captured throughout the whole record, which sounds like it would go off on a dance floor on a Saturday night. The vocals blend into the mix seamlessly.

“We’re not deliberately trying to re-invent the wheel,” Says Pike. “The development of the record was organic. We just jammed for hours on end. We had to learn to play together.”

For the first time ever, the guys found themselves in the same country. This allowed for a more natural development of their sound.

Pike said the record shows “live influences, as we were doing a lot of touring and playing together.” The band went on an extensive European tour in 2008-9, which seems to have gelled their sound into something more firm.

The band sound unmistakably more confident on Church With No Magic, which features borderline-ambient tracks such as Community to stomping pop of Windows. While edgier in tone than something like The Presets, and certainly more rock, the band have something of that electro, 80s-influenced beats and abstract vocals influenced British electronica like Cabaret Voltaire and Depeche Mode.

“I feel like my listening is rejecting my modernism,’ Pike says says, “There’s such a purity about old music… 50s music, especially. It’s that sense of quality and artistry which doesn’t seem to exist anymore.”

He also says that the recordings were made in a basic studio, no frills, just a bunch of guys jamming together. ‘The process was very informal’, says Pike.

When I ask Pike how he’s describe the PVT live experience, he’s a typical Aussie: not won’t to talk himself up much.

“I should figure out something to say here… ok, so it’s like Andre Reiu but with more drugs!”

PVT’s Church With No Magic launch tour:

Friday 6th August – The Rosemount, Perth
Friday 12th August – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday 19th August – The Zoo, Brisbane
Saturday 21st August – Manning Bar, Sydney