‘Experimental’ music isn’t boring if paper aeroplanes and lasers are involved, discovers Claire Sawers
When the Edinburgh-based four-piece, Found, say they are going to put on an “experimental” live music performance, it’s impossible to predict what will happen.
Last month, a crowd of more than 200 fans gathered in the Royal Scottish Academy on the Mound to join in one of the band’s weird but generally wonderful musical experiences. Band member Tommy Perman asked the crowd to make paper aeroplanes, then chuck them at a laser beam. As gallery curators looked on in bewilderment, the slightly stunned spectators obediently complied.
Each time the laser beam was broken, an electronic sound pierced the air, which was then layered over live laptop beats, keyboard ditties and guitar samples. The result was a slightly frantic, but strangely melodic mish-mash of sounds. After ten minutes, the feeling in the room was nothing short of electric.
If the recent flurry of interest is anything to go by, Found has stumbled upon a winning formula. As well as packing out venues across Scotland with their live shows, their tracks have been getting airplay everywhere from Radio 1 and XFM to Glasgow-based music station Radio Magnetic and BBC 6.
The video of their new single, Mullokian — made with Edinburgh animator Joe Richardson — is currently showing on MTV Europe. And just last month, the group were asked to record tracks for an American radio station in the Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles performed.
“I think everyone in the band has been along to art gallery shows or music performances in the past that set out to be experimental,” says Perman, 25, “and normally it’s just a lot of pretentious crap. We like to do something light-hearted, and keep it accessible and fun for the audience.
“It’s been a really exciting year for us, and we have tons going on in the next few months too,” he adds, referring to upcoming dates at the Triptych festival, the launch of their debut album and a proposed visit to the South by Southwest festival in Texas next year.
Perman met his bandmates, Ziggy Campbell, 26, and Kev Sim, 28, in 2001, at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. Although they were studying illustration, painting and sculpture, the three soon discovered that they shared a passion for experimental music.
“I think we were all doing our best to turn our art degrees into music degrees,” Perman says, sipping a green tea at his home in Edinburgh.
After adding new member Gavin Sutherland on keyboards, their music developed, blending modern electronica with lilting folk lyrics and bass-heavy beats. Their record sleeves tend to be hand-drawn and hand-printed and, for special events, they have called upon Campbell’s girlfriend to stitch pockets into the covers for the track listings.
Although their musical style has drawn comparisons with The Beta Band and Tom Waits, Perman prefers to describe it as “catchy electronic pop, with strong production values and a good sense of humour”.
When Perman is not creating music with Found, he runs a record label, Surface Pressure. “We work hard at what we do, and like to create something of a very high quality,” says Perman. “But the main thing is proving experimental doesn’t need to mean inaccessible.”
Mullokian is released on Surface Pressure Records on March 27. Found’s debut album, Found Can Move, is out on May 29. For more information, visit www.surfacepressurerecords.co.uk/found
Found will be playing at Mono (Kings Court, King Street, Glasgow, 0141 553 2400) Thursday, and the Bongo Club (Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, 0131 558 7604) Saturday.
Read this article on the Sunday Times site.
