Session Victim - Dark Sienna

Ripping apart the one's and two's, Session Victim don't care about the boundaries of house music, taking it from disco to soul to hip-hop and back, with the aim of stamping love on every groove and leaving a smile on everyone’s faces.

The German duo will release their debut LP, The Haunted House Of House, on Delusions of Grandeur this week. Check out Dark Sienna, the brand new video for the opening track of the album above and, if you like what you hear, then you can find them causing bother at the following European venues:

May 05 Schon Schoen, Mainz
May 17 Ego, Hamburg
May 25 Monocult, Leeds
May 30 Watergate, Berlin
June 16  Silbergold, Frankfurt
June 22 Chicago Social Club, Amsterdam
June 23 Kapitel, Bern
June 30  Auslage, Vienna
July 06 About Blank, Berlin
July 10 The Garden Festival, Tisno

Steve Smyth interview

Celeste Macdonald talks to Steve Smyth about his new album, his influences and his collaboration with Howling Bells' Juanita Stein:

Originally from the south coast of Sydney and based in London, Steve Smyth has returned home to the country he describes as the "endless summer." Smyth's passion for the country he was born and raised in is evident when he speaks of the way in which the Australian landscape has influenced his music. "This country doesn't do anything lighthearted in a lot of ways. Its weather, its landscapes that I've seen across here, from the dessert to the oceans and floods to the fires. It's very fierce."

Smyth was born with a case of wanderlust. As a child, his parents would tether him to a tree on family picnics to keep him from disappearing. He explains, "I get itchy feet, I love to travel, change is the only constant. I would just keep running against that rope. For some reason I just came out kicking and wandering. I'm still trying to find out what's round the next corner; I feel that kind of fire in me."

It's the fire inherent in Smyth that impacts on his songwriting and had an insurmountable effect on his first solo album, Release. It's a cohesive album, drawing on a wide range of musical styles and genres. He is reluctant to classify the album, stating that the outcome of a song comes down to when it's created. "You have to give a song what it wants, not what you want. It's shortsighted to aim for a particular genre. It has its own little formations and it begs for different instruments and arrangements."

Smyth once played with a band featuring men much older than him, men who he credits for teaching him much of what he knows about music. Realising that he couldn't expect them to travel long distances to play gigs for next to nothing, he began playing as a solo artist. "I went out solo and it made me work harder for the songs and for what I was trying to put across. I don't feel as though I'm letting people down at the moment, so I'm keeping it solo and seeing what the future brings up."

Along with Australia and his upbringing, Smyth is equally influenced by the musicians he was introduced to as a teenager. He mentions Howlin' Wolf and Leadbelly among others. It's impossible to avoid comparisons with artists like Tom Waits, especially evident in songs like Barbituate Cowboy and His Dark Horses. Smyth refers to his voice as a muscle that you exercise, with versatility as a key, saying he uses his voice as if it were an instrument, just like a guitar or a mandolin. "I found that you can really get across a lot more emotion and feeling and story of the song by going into different aspects of your vocal range."

The gorgeously delicate Stay Young features the gentle vocals of Howling Bells' Juanita Stein, a collaboration Smyth recalls happened in the studio late into the night when, "everyone was over-tired and cracking up." The result is definitely one of the standout tracks of the album. He also recently supported Howling Bells on their tour. "It was wonderful having her Juanita up every night, singing the song as it is on the record," he says of Stein, who he refers to as a wonderful friend. Howling Bells, he says, are an amazing band.

Steve Smyth has a number of dates lined up over summer and is excited about the release of his album in late January. He feels privileged for the experiences and opportunities which he believes have "flowed into the album." He adds, "It feels nice to let it go now. I'm hoping it'll get out to a few people and they'll appreciate the songs."

Check out Steve Smyth's Australian and European tour dates here.

Interview by Celeste Macdonald. 

The Bobby Six Guide to Budapest

 
There is a saying that is pretty much banned at Bobbysix. It is used by people with the imagination of a puddle when they see a building that is a bit grungy and adorned with graffiti. They will turn to their friends and loudly proclaim, "Oh, that is so Berlin," as though they are the most well-cultured and worldly person when in truth they only ever spent two days in the German city on a school trip.

However, on this solitary occasion, it's hard to think of a better way to sum up Budapest in a nutshell than to compare it to Berlin. That's not to say it is a poor relation. Rather, it has its own identity and wonderful idiosyncrasies, but the Hungarian capital undeniably has a similar mix of heavy history, buzzing nightlife and fascinating architecture as its German neighbour.

Just like Berlin, Budapest has a particularly interesting past and it is one which stirs conflicting emotions. On one hand, there seems to lie a certain level of guilt at how helpless the country was to stop Germany from completely dominating the nation's policies and decision-making during the Second World War. While this is explained away unconvincingly in the National Museum, it is spelled out in damning terms in the museum at the Synagogue (below). However, mixed levels of negativity towards such utter subordination during the conflict contrasts massively with the pride that Budapest feels at the revolution against its Communist dictatorship in 1956. There are monuments all around the city to this landmark uprising, from statues of Pest Kids (think a Hungarian Gavroche from Les Miserables) to the national flag with the Hammer and Sickle crudely cut from the centre, which flies above a grave in memorial to the hundreds who perished in this watershed fight for freedom.

 In truth, Hungary wasn't truly free until the late 1980s. The '56 uprising resulted in a move towards a 'soft dictatorship' but free voting only became reality in 1989. At such time, all Communist statues were finally removed from the city. They have since been relocated to Memento Park (pictured above and below), on the outskirts of Budapest, which stands as a constant and stark lesson about life under a Communist rule. Visiting these giant reminders of a bygone time is a must for any visitor, and taking a guided tour - while nearly doubling the cost of entry - is highly recommended, as it brings colour and context to the story. It is remarkable just how deep the propaganda ran. Be sure to visit the exhibition centre just outside the entrance for an easily digestible chronology of the '56 revolution too.

Stepping away from politics, yet sticking with the Berlin comparisons, Budapest offers all manner of amazing bars. Indeed, the drinking dens here are arguably even better. You can barely turn a corner without chancing upon an open door behind which lies unknown adventure. Following warm lighting and a murmur of noise will lead to, for example, a watering hole the size of a living room, a pool club with insanely cheap beer or an old garage turned into a pub. A good way to discover some the city's countless drinking spots is to plan to visit a handful of the official ruin bars - dilapidated old buildings that, rather than being ripped down or regenerated, are now supercool boozers - and then walk between them. In trekking the cobbled streets, you are sure to chance upon places that aren't in the tour guides. You'll end up drinking in a beaten up old car in the middle of the beer garden, lounging on a hammock, sipping tequila in a tiny Mexican eatery, playing ping pong, stuffing your face with hummus or almost setting fire to yourself with absinthe (as happened to this intrepid reporter).

A good place to start is on Blaha Lujza tér, on the corner of Jozsef and Rakoczi. As with most ruin bars, there is no facade, but when you reach some yellow-shirted security men standing outside an open door, you'll know you've found it. Aside from the dodgy music (an interminable mix of those tiresome mash-up songs) this place is wonderful, and strikes an uncanny resemblance to former Bobby Six headquarters, Sydney's Hibernian House. Climb the graffiti-ridden stairs and watch the pink sunset from the rooftop before venturing further into the city. If you return later in the evening, expect the chilled vibe to be replaced by a banging party but expect, also, to have to queue to gain entry.

Clear your hangover the next day with a hike up Gellert Hill to visit the Liberty Statue - known to locals as the bottle opener (work out why, above). This spot offers stunning panoramic city views (below). A more touristy area but with equally fine vistas can be found further along the river, peaking at the Fisherman's Bastion. Elsewhere, Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube River doesn't offer much in terms of sights, but is a quiet and green spot to escape the bustling city for a picnic on a sunny day. Not too far from Margaret Island is the simply stunning Parliament building (below), which was inspired by the design of Westminster Abbey. Visit at night to see it resplendent in floodlights. It is here that you will find the aforementioned holed flag and grave.

If you have a morning to spare, then try to venture to some of the districts that sit away from the centre (the reliable, interchangeable and cheap bus, tram and metro system will get you there easily enough). While you may not find any specific tourist attractions, some of the buildings are beautiful, dominating thin streets with paint flaking from their Gothic fronts while impossibly boxy little cars sit out front. If you want a snapshot of the real Eastern Europe, you'll find it by taking such a trip. Stadium nerds might also like to check out Puskás Ferenc Stadium, named after one of the world's greatest ever footballers. Walk the perimeter of the ground to find entry to a raised concourse for a fine view of the stadium.

Of course, no visit to Budapest could be complete without heading to the thermal baths, where potbellied hairy Hungarians rub shoulders with foreigners across a labyrinth of baths and saunas of varying temperatures. The most popular of these bathhouses is Szechenyi, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in a couple of years time. After checking out Hero Square en route (an important site in the story of the revolution), bask in the sun at the baths before dipping into 38 degree water in one of the large outdoor pools. To achieve ultimate relaxation, be sure to let the powerful jets of water massage your shoulders. For a truly invigorating experience, hit up the downstairs saunas which reach up to 100 degrees and then, when you can no longer stand the heat, step out of the sauna straight into the freezing cold bath next door. Your body doesn't know if it is coming or going, but when you've done it you'll feel strangely amazing.

And that, actually, is probably the best way to sum up Budapest. Strangely amazing. Its summer days are hotter than hell, it's evenings cool. At times it is a sensory overload, other times serene, but whether you are there to party, to breathe in its colourful history, or both, you'll find what you are looking for.

Budapest is certainly one of Bobbysix.com's favourite cities in the world and can be accessed by air with Easyjet or by bus with Eurolines. Need somewhere to stay? The Mandarin Hostel is well positioned, cheap and has excellent facilities. 

Words and pictures by Bobby Townsend. And you can see heaps more photos from Budapest here.