Decoder Ring
Encyclopedia
Decoder Ring is an experimental electronic
-rock
crossover
group
from Australia
.
. The original line-up consisted of Matt Fitzgerald (keyboards, guitar) Geoff Towner (bass, El Mopa), Pete Kelly (guitar, Sea Life Park), Kenny Davis Jr (keyboards, piano, The Jackson Code
, The Blackeyed Susans
) & Tom Schutzinger (Keyboards, drums). This line-up recorded the EP Spooky Action at a Distance (2002) and the album Decoder Ring (2002). Geoff Towner departed in 2003 and was replaced by Ben Ely
(Regurgitator
).
The track "Night Shift" from Spooky Action at a Distance, featuring vocals by Jodi Phillis (Clouds
), was featured in the soundtrack to the Alex Proyas
film Garage Days (2002).
The band wrote the soundtrack for the 2004 Australian film Somersault, for which they won an AFI Award
for 'Best Original Music Score', an Australian Screen Sound Guild Award for 'Soundtrack of the Year', a Lexus IF (Inside Film) Award for 'Best Music', 'Best Original Song Composed for a Feature Film, Telemovie, TV Series or Mini-Series' at the APRA
/Australian Screen Music Awards, a Jackson Hole
Film Festival Award for 'Best Score' and was nominated for an ARIA Award
in the category of 'Best Soundtrack/Cast/Show Recording'.
Kenny Davis Jr & Ben Ely departed after the recording of Somersault in 2004, the band subsequently reconfiguring with new members Lenka (vocals, keyboards), Xavier Fijac (keyboards, samples) & Matthew Steffen (bass, [la Huva]).
The band wrote the soundtrack for the 2005 short feature Jewboy
by writer/director Tony Krawitz, which was presented in 2006 at the Sundance Film Festival
. All the band's performances are accompanied by film projections put on by Simon Killalea who, while not playing an instrument, is considered a member of the band. Both of the films were shown at the Cannes Film Festival
.
2005 saw the release of the band's third full-length album Fractions, as well as performances at Homebake, the Big Day Out
concerts, Splendour in the Grass
, Cockatoo Island Festival and the Perth International Arts Festival
.
In March 2006 Decoder Ring performed at the St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Sydney. A US tour saw them play shows in in Los Angeles
and New York
, as well as at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas
. Upon their return home they played at The Great Escape Festival
and Splendour in the Grass
, as well as completing a national tour of Australia.
In 2007 a short film by Stephen Lance, Yolk, with music by Decoder Ring was screened as part of the Sydney Film Festival.
Recently 'Decoder Ring's remix of the song "Yama Yama" featured on an Australian Television advertisement for Tooheys Extra Dry
beer
. The song is adapted from Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki, a pseudo-Japanese concept album produced by French duo Jean Kluger
and Daniel Vangarde
(also known as The Yamasuki Singers) in 1972.
In 2009 key song writer Tom Schutzinger left the group. Decoder Ring toured Australia with Coldplay
as part of the Viva La Vida World Tour. In July of that year the band released their fourth full-length album They Blind the Stars, And the Wild Team through Inertia Recordings
.
In January 2010 the band played in Hobart as part of the MONA FOMA festival
. In December that year, the band performed at Peats Ridge Festival
.
Tom Schutzinger
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
-rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Biography
Decoder Ring was formed in 2001, in Sydney, AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The original line-up consisted of Matt Fitzgerald (keyboards, guitar) Geoff Towner (bass, El Mopa), Pete Kelly (guitar, Sea Life Park), Kenny Davis Jr (keyboards, piano, The Jackson Code
The Jackson Code
The Jackson Code are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989.-Biography:The Jackson Code were formed in 1989, following the breakup of Snarksi's earlier band, Chad's Tree. For the band's debut album, Snarski utilised the services of Amanda Pearson , Barry Turnbull and Mark Dawson...
, The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
) & Tom Schutzinger (Keyboards, drums). This line-up recorded the EP Spooky Action at a Distance (2002) and the album Decoder Ring (2002). Geoff Towner departed in 2003 and was replaced by Ben Ely
Ben Ely
Ben Ely is a musician and artist best known for his work with Brisbane indie/alternative rock band Regurgitator, a multi-ARIA Music Award winning group which formed in Brisbane, Australia in December 1993....
(Regurgitator
Regurgitator
Regurgitator are an Australian rock band from Brisbane, currently consisting of Quan Yeomans , Ben Ely and Peter Kostic . The band formed in 1994, its original line-up consisting of Yeomans, Ely and drummer Martin Lee...
).
The track "Night Shift" from Spooky Action at a Distance, featuring vocals by Jodi Phillis (Clouds
Clouds (Australian band)
The Clouds are an indie rock band from Sydney, Australia formed in December 1989. The core of the group consisted of frontwomen Jodi Phillis and Patricia "Trish" Young . The line-up of The Clouds has changed several times with different drummers and lead guitarists...
), was featured in the soundtrack to the Alex Proyas
Alex Proyas
Alexander "Alex" Proyas is a Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing such films as The Crow, Dark City, I, Robot and Knowing. He is known for employing a stylish photographic techniques in his films, with dark overtones usually in a post-apocalyptic...
film Garage Days (2002).
The band wrote the soundtrack for the 2004 Australian film Somersault, for which they won an AFI Award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
for 'Best Original Music Score', an Australian Screen Sound Guild Award for 'Soundtrack of the Year', a Lexus IF (Inside Film) Award for 'Best Music', 'Best Original Song Composed for a Feature Film, Telemovie, TV Series or Mini-Series' at the APRA
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
/Australian Screen Music Awards, a Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, originally called Jackson's Hole, is a valley located in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the western border with Idaho. The name "hole" derives from language used by early trappers or mountain men, who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along...
Film Festival Award for 'Best Score' and was nominated for an ARIA Award
ARIA Music Awards of 2004
The 18th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 17 October 2004 at the Sydney Superdome within the Sydney Olympic Complex...
in the category of 'Best Soundtrack/Cast/Show Recording'.
Kenny Davis Jr & Ben Ely departed after the recording of Somersault in 2004, the band subsequently reconfiguring with new members Lenka (vocals, keyboards), Xavier Fijac (keyboards, samples) & Matthew Steffen (bass, [la Huva]).
The band wrote the soundtrack for the 2005 short feature Jewboy
Jewboy
Jewboy is a 2005 Australian film directed by Tony Krawitz. The film stars Ewen Leslie, Chris Hayward, Saskia Burmeister, and Nicholas Eadie. It won the 2005 Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Short Fiction Film, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay in a Short.The film tells of a young...
by writer/director Tony Krawitz, which was presented in 2006 at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. All the band's performances are accompanied by film projections put on by Simon Killalea who, while not playing an instrument, is considered a member of the band. Both of the films were shown at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
2005 saw the release of the band's third full-length album Fractions, as well as performances at Homebake, the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
concerts, Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass is an annual Australian music festival held in July at Woodford, Queensland, and previously held at Belongil Fields, outside Byron Bay...
, Cockatoo Island Festival and the Perth International Arts Festival
Perth International Arts Festival
The Perth International Arts Festival is Australia's longest running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia between February-March. The program features contemporary and classical music, dance, theatre, opera, visual arts, large-scale public works, Lotterywest Festival Films and the...
.
In March 2006 Decoder Ring performed at the St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Sydney. A US tour saw them play shows in in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as well as at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Upon their return home they played at The Great Escape Festival
The Great Escape (festival)
The Great Escape was a music festival held at Newington Armory, located within Sydney Olympic Park that took place in 2006 and 2007. Initially held over the Easter long weekend for the first two events, in 2008 it was announced the festival would take place on the Labour Day weekend, however the...
and Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass is an annual Australian music festival held in July at Woodford, Queensland, and previously held at Belongil Fields, outside Byron Bay...
, as well as completing a national tour of Australia.
In 2007 a short film by Stephen Lance, Yolk, with music by Decoder Ring was screened as part of the Sydney Film Festival.
Recently 'Decoder Ring's remix of the song "Yama Yama" featured on an Australian Television advertisement for Tooheys Extra Dry
Tooheys Extra Dry
Tooheys Extra Dry, commonly referred to as a TED/TEDs , is a crisp-tasting dry style lager owned by the Kirin beverages company part of Lion Nathan National Foods owned by Kirin .-History:...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. The song is adapted from Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki, a pseudo-Japanese concept album produced by French duo Jean Kluger
Jean Kluger
Jean Kluger is a Belgian artist, producer, songwriter and musical composer.His career started in 1957, working for his father's company, World Music. He wrote widely for the French and German pop music markets, including songs for Dalida, Will Tura, Ringo and Petula Clark...
and Daniel Vangarde
Daniel Vangarde
Daniel Vangarde, born Daniel Bangalter in 1947, is a French songwriter and producer. He is the father of music composer Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk.-History:...
(also known as The Yamasuki Singers) in 1972.
In 2009 key song writer Tom Schutzinger left the group. Decoder Ring toured Australia with Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
as part of the Viva La Vida World Tour. In July of that year the band released their fourth full-length album They Blind the Stars, And the Wild Team through Inertia Recordings
Inertia Distribution
Inertia is an independent record company based in Sydney, Australia. It was established in March 2000 by Ashley Sellers. Inertia releases exclusively the music from many of the world’s most prominent independent labels...
.
In January 2010 the band played in Hobart as part of the MONA FOMA festival
Mona foma
MONA FOMA is an annual festival based in Hobart, Tasmania, curated by Brian Ritchie bass player from the rock band Violent Femmes. It is billed as Tasmania's largest contemporary music festival and showcases the work of artists in a broad range of art forms, including sound, noise, dance, theatre,...
. In December that year, the band performed at Peats Ridge Festival
Peats Ridge Festival
Peats Ridge Festival is a sustainable arts and music festival, held in Glenworth Valley, Peats Ridge, 1 hour north of Sydney and 90mins drive from Newcastle, New South Wales. Established in 2004, one year after the passing of the founder of the Glenworth Valley Horse Riding facility, the Festival...
.
Discography
- Spooky Action At a Distance (2002, EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
) - Decoder Ring (2002, LP)
- Somersault (2004, LP)
- Fractions (2005, LP)
- They Blind the Stars, And the Wild Team (2009, LP)
External links
- Decoder Ring Official website
- Decoder Ring MySpace website
- A sample of Lenka Kripac's music on Lost At E Minor
- Decoder Ring's album Somersault was released on Bella Union/Worlds Fair in 2006
Tom Schutzinger