gerling - Gathering the Gosson Gerling 4

Mon 8th May, 2006 in Features

Gerling have just released their fourth album, creatively titled Gerling 4. In a new step, all the songs were written before entering the studio to work with analogue producer Ethan Johns. Presser, Gerling’s drummer/button pusher said, “Writing the songs was different for us, especially (compared to) the last two albums. We’d just go into the studio everyday, turn the computer on and one of us would have an idea, or a sample or a melody and we’d just kinda layer a big puzzle into the computer and we’d all chip in and build the songs that way…(this time) we’d just be strumming and jamming and somebody would have an idea. The whole recording method and writing method is a lot different in this album … I guess it’s not a strange way, it’s the more normal way to write songs…

“Ethan (Jones, producer of Gerling 4) doesn’t even have a computer and his whole method of recording is totally old school and analogue and everything, so we decided to go with him and thought that in doing an album like this it was probably most appropriate to use him because he’s totally different from everyone else and the stuff that he does isn’t necessarily like the stuff that we do which made it more exciting when he came back and wanted to do it.”

In their endeavour to create a live sounding album, the new tunes use less filters, synths, bleep and bops. Burke Reid sings for the first time with natural voice, a result of greater confidence on stage and in the studio according to Presser, “I think he’s more comfortable now, but we’ve all sung on our past records with weird effects and stuff put on them (vocals). I guess out of the three of us Darren’s the only one that can sing, I just kinda yell shit and Burke’s generally just been quiet on stage and in the studio, vocal wise.”

Despite Presser’s observations, quiet is not an accurate way to describe Burke on stage. He has been known to jump into the crowd, microphone cord garrotting those in its path, and when on stage to swing the microphone around his head. Gerling always put on an energetic live show; Burke and Darren streak around the stage and Presser holds the sound together. There is always a chaotic element to gigs, when the audience aren’t quite sure whether it’s all going to plan or completely out of control. Their live sound is quite different from their records, having to recreate electronic music on stage with limited equipment. Presser mentions that they don’t perform the song ‘Dust Me Selecta’ anymore because they’re sick of lugging around keyboards.

Presser said, “We encourage crazy behaviour, especially from people who come to the gigs. Generally, if they want to come up on stage, we don’t have a problem with them coming up on stage and having a dance if that’s what they want to do. We’re there to entertain to a degree and for everyone to have a good time and get into it.”

As a band, they’re happy to have a chat with a fan. After a show in Byron Bay four years ago a Gerling fan invited them out for a drink and they had a such a great time they ended up staying at his house when they lost their way back to Sydney. Presser said, “In the past few shows we’re getting eighteen year olds coming to the gigs and saying thank Christ I can come see you at a pub now, because they’ve liked our music for the past five/six years and don’t have to go to a festival to see just, they can just see us in a pub.”