True Live - The Shape of Things to Come
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True Live’s MC RHyNO has developed quite a reputation amongst Melbourne’s musical circles. As he answers my questions I find it difficult to judge exactly how much can be attributed to the ego that many want to cut him down for, and how much to the straightforward honest bloke that others see. After the release of their first full-length album, The Shape of It, there was much to talk about.
Part of the EP was done in a church, how has the process for The Shape Of It been different?
We tracked the strings in a church. ‘The Shape Of It’ strings were also done in a church and some of them in a concert hall. The rest of the process was similar; I work on it for about 12-13 hours a day until its done then the boys had some input. Then I work on it a bit more.
Joelistics, Blue MC and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra strings all guest on the album, how did each come about?
Joel started out as someone that I looked up to and over time he became a friend who I just asked. BLUE was staying with us in our warehouse and the MSO strings were assembled for another project, Raah, which is the violin player and myself writing for orchestra. I just snuck the arrangement in to the session. I hope that I get the chance to do it in a concert hall and have it feel like ‘this is art as well as entertainment’ rather than just rock and roll with funny instruments –
The irony of ‘TV’ getting played on TV was lost on very few people, and earlier this year there was a bit of a feather ruffling amongst the Melbourne jazz community thanks to a particular street press interview. Do you ever want to swallow what you’ve said?
No. I stand by what I said. Jamie Ohlears and Scott Tinkler came good and I respect those guys so much. They realised the context of what I was saying after we chatted; I was talking about how important it is for musicians to play on the edge and push the envelope, and not just regurgitate the same old same old, and those cats are totally on the edge! I saw Scott last night and he was so over the fucking edge it was ridiculous. What I want to set straight is this; apparently I said "Australian engineers can’t mix bass" and (as a result) I really offended one of my mentors and friends, Lauchlen Carrick and Franc Tetaz who mixed some of my record and mastered all of it. Those cats can mix the fuck out of anything! It hurt me to put my foot in my mouth.
