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Fresh Fruit #54 Mikey Young Special w/ The Frosch Prince

05 December 2020
  • Art-Rock
  • Electronic
  • Ambient
  • Krautrock
  • Minimal Synth
  • Celebratory
  • Funky
  • Flowing
  • Up-beat

Fresh Fruit is your new four weekly dose of punk, hardcore, post punk, neo-folk and basically anything else with 6 strings and a mic.

For this month’s and 2020’s last edition of Fresh Fruit. The Frosch Prince decided to take his listeners on a deep dive through all things Mikey Young. Unfortunately there were some technical difficulties when recording, so all the show notes that were meant to be dished out on mic will now be found here! Tonights show will be dedicated solely to Mikey Young performance or remix credits. If I tried to do all of his mix and studio production credits it’d need to be done in about 15 instalments!

Mikey Young first came to my attention as the guitarist from Mebourne Garage Punk band Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Eddy Current Suppression Ring formed in 2003 in Melbourne when two brothers “Danny Current” (Daniel Gordon Young) on drums and Mikey aka “Eddy Current” (Michael David Young) on guitar and keyboard, started jamming at the Christmas party at the Corduroy Records vinyl pressing plant where Mikey worked. They encouraged now-lead singer “Brendan Suppression” (Brendan Huntley) who also worked there, to ad-lib vocals into a tape recorder. The subsequent tape prompted the band’s first recording, which produced a 7-inch single with A-side Get Up Morning. They were joined by “Rob Solid” (Brad Raymond Barry) on bass guitar. They went on from there to release 3 Albums from 2006 until 2010. (Self Titled, Primary Colours and Rush to Relax). And then after a nearly 10 year hiatus they released the album ‘In Good Time’ in 2019.

During the hiatus from ECSR Mikey Young featured in multiple other bands. He was playing guitar in The Oooga Boogas after being approached by the other members after a show once and asked if he would be interested in playing with the Ooga Boogas, he replied he’d be into it as long as it didn’t sound like ECSR. They went on to release two albums and 2 7″‘s. Featured on the show are songs from the self titled album.

While also playing with The Ooga Boogas Mikey featured in Total Control. Total Control was formed in 2008 by Eddy Current Suppression Ring band member Mikey Young and UV Race’s Dan Stewart. The pair, who came together over a shared interest of early 1980s acts such as Devo, Gary Numan, The Screamers, and The Adolescents, recorded some songs using a sampler and synthesizers at Young’s home studio. They gained a following over the next few years after releasing a series of 7-inch singles and playing only a handful of live shows.[1][2][3] Total Control became a quintet with the additions of guitarist Al Montfort, bassist Zephyr Pavey, and drummer James Vinciguerra. Young explained the reason for the expansion to The Washington Post: “Bands with drum machines and three synths are just not as much fun to watch as bands with drummers and guitars,” he said. “We realized it couldn’t be good live, so we tried to adapt the songs to work in a rock-and-roll band.”

Brain Children are a group that as far as I can tell only had one release but what a release that is. Brain Children was formed after a semi drunken conversation beteween Mikey Young and drummer Max Kohane, mostly known as a grindcore drummer from bands such as Agents of Abhorence and Internal Rot. After which they produced an incredible album but not exactly what you’d expect from the pairing. That in being a synthesizer infused disco album.

Then a little bit later came The Green Child. The Green Child is the once long-distance, now based in the same house recording project of Raven Mahon (furniture maker and former member of Grass Widow) and Mikey Young (recording engineer and band member of Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring). The duo draw their spectral pop sound from an illusory past as much as they advance into pastures new. Broadly retro-futuristic in scope, verdant acres of lushly evocative synthesizers and vintage drum machines underpin most of The Green Child’s upbeat yet decidedly uncanny songs. Raven’s calmly scenic and measured vocal flits like a will-o’-the-wisp throughout the tracks, proffering a guiding hand as she walks us through the often eerie electronic concoctions.

There are a outings in groups such as Lace Curtains which features fellow Total Control Member James Vinciguerra. Also putting his hand to a couple of remixes for bands such as POW!, Nots and Black Cab to name a few.

And finally we have the solo albums. For Mikey Young’s latest outing he has gone out on his own and produced two amazing solo records. Firstly releasing ‘Your Move Vol. 1’ on Moniker records and then after that ‘Are you feeling me?’ on Hobbies Galore and later re-released on Castle Face Records. Both are incredible synthed out wonky adventures. Lush soundscapes sparingly decorated with atmospheric synth and drums. Very Enoesque.

Anyway this show was a blast to put together and I hope you enjoyed it. As always there will be a complete tracklist of all the tracks. Thanks for listening and See you all again next year!

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Playlist

Total Control - Cathie & Marg
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Get Up Morning
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Which Way To Go
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Anxiety
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Modern Man
Ooga Boogas - The Studio Of My Mind
Total Control - One More Tonight
Total Control - Flesh War
Ooga Boogas - Oogie Boogie
Total Control - Love Performance
Ooga Boogas - Ecstacy
Brain Children - Tastes of Iron
Lace Curtain - Falling
The Green Child - Traveller
The Green Child - Low Desk, High Shelf
Mikey Young - Socks
Mikey Young - Billions of Tears
Mikey Young - Lord Barrel
Pow! - Castle Of Faith (Mikey Young Remix)
Black Cab - Victorious (Mikey Young Remix)

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