Here we go. Hirameka Hi Fi were born out of the ruins of Teebo and Lando. A Colchester band doing something different and grabbing a bit of national attention for it, via Radio One. Hooray. Chris and Tom guitar there way home while also singing the blues as Dom and Steve Nice large it on drum and bass. Their live shows stink the joint up and bass and bass equipment often gets damaged. So far they've put out one single, Munchin' with another one shorty to follow (Play Hard EP). I got some words in with the Tom-Dom, post playing with Arab Strap, a night that saw a bass destroyed on the dancefloor:

J: What's it like playing live?
Dom: Kinda cool as long as you don't fall off your stool when you're playing drums (like tonight).
Tom: I enjoy playing because I always get really nervous at first and then I kinda get into it but I go real numb and I actually forget about like playing.
J: Which has been the best gig?
Dom: I thought the Garage was.
Tom: Yeah or Mogwai. It was nice playing with Mogwai and Aerial M.
Dom: Yeah because they're Scottish.
J: What has been the strangest contract stipulation they have made you agree to?
Tom: No bad language probably, considering that rock n roll is the music of rebellion and like you're not allowed to swear.
Matt: Did you agree to that? Where?
Tom: Every venue, no bad language, its been written in the contract you're not allowed to swear or any offensive behaviour.
Dom: But Arab Strap did. They're Scottish though.
Tom: I have to apologise for Dom's terrible Scottish accent.
Dom: I'm not Scottish really (in a Welsh accent).
J: Where is the future?
Tom: Behind you!
Matt: Are you sure you can afford to smash up guitars?
Tom: No we can't but Steve is passionate.
Dom: He's actually insane and no one's actually noticed yet.
Tom: He's been driven insane by the loss of his girlfriend.
Dom: Runover.
J: What's your favourite record of the moment?
Tom: My favourite record of the moment is Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy. Its about the only thing I've been listening to because I keep trying to record it and I keep fucking up the recording somehow. Like I'll miss off the first two seconds and I'll think "fuck it I'll listen to the whole side" and then I think no I'll have to record it all again.
Dom: Mine's the Tortoise tape Tom did me, the second Tortoise album. Its cool.
J: What are your long term plans?
Dom: Get a job, get some money, move out, get drunk.....
Tom: Marriage, semi, living in a shit estate on the outskirts of London and thinking I'm being really adventurous by going to a like dreary bar in Soho where loads of like diseased, evil people......
Dom: ....who just mug people and they've got....
Steve: I'm not Mr Lets Be PC but.....you know!
Dom: ....diseases you don't want to know about.
Tom: They've got style. Say that. That was sick.
J: How do you think you'd have done if you hadn't been from Colchester?
Dom: Er, we wouldn't all be cunts.
Tom: If we'd come from America, probably we'd be like all dead now except for Dom who'd have a filthy mullet and he'd go to like truck driving contests in Florida. Monster Truck Derby.
J: Is telly good or evil?
Dom: Good.
Tom: Evil:
Dom: Why? Why evil?
Tom: Its the drug of the nation. Its crap and depressing and on another level its like a total propaganda tool.
Dom: Yeah but thats for you though. I enjoy it.
Tom: Also its bad for you because of radiation, gives you cancer. And people waste their time watching TV when they could be out doing something like creative and interesting. People believe what they see on TV, like if they're told something on the news they believe it.
J: What's funny?
Dom: Tom.
Tom: Hot Shots 1 and 2 and the Monkees.
Dom: What's funny?
Tom: When we beat up Wig and he lets us.
J: Do people like you?
Dom: No. Crap name crap band.
J: What band is the anti-Hirameka Hi Fi?
Tom: Manic Street Preachers.
Dom: Reynolds.
Tom: No, Manic Street Preachers. The Reynolds are our friends. Symposium.
J: Cats or Dogs?
Tom: Cats.
Dom: Cats. I have got a dog but cats are cool.
J: Why?
Tom: Because they're intelligent and when they lick you it doesn't ming, it doesn't fucking ming! It just smells of nothing. And they bury their own shit. And they can look after themselves. And they've got attitude. And cats are also like gay but they're not bothered about it whereas dogs are. Dogs get guilt complexes.
J: Who's the most famous person you've ever seen?
Tom: Fergie.
Dom: Prince Charles. He passed in a car when I was on a coach.
J: Do you reckon you'll look good on telly?
Dom: No because we're all ugly and stink. He's got a growth, I'm red and he's mad and Chris is a wig.
J: Who's your favourite actor?
Tom: Kevin Spacey off my head. Ralph Meeker. He was in Kiss Me Deadly. He's really like straightfaced through the whole thing as it develops into a weird science fiction thing.
J: Swear.
Dom: Come to Clacton.
Tom: Buttfuck.

 

Hirameka Hi Fi website


[taken from No Pictures 8]