Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Robocobra get some Momentum going for their creative writing..
Belfast band one of several local acts to get Music Fund boost
With music and the arts among the sectors hardest hit over the past few months, getting creative in the creative industries has been an absolute must.
And while many artists have turned to technology to reach out to audiences, Belfast band Robo cobra Quartet has turned its attention another direction.
“We’ve very much got our heads into writing a new record,” says Chris Ryan, who sings and drums in the band. “We’ve gone with the assumption that with so many gigs cancelled and pushed back for the minute, we won’t be back in front of an audience for a while.
“But instead of trying to do livestreams we’ve switched our brains entirely to writing new music. Some livestreams are great, but if you’re trying to replace a live gig then I think in many cases, it’s usually a bit sub-par. My opinion is that when there’s new technology, it takes a while for it to become an interesting medium.
“In early film, everything was just one-angle shots. They were just replicating theatre with a wide shot from the front so people watching had the experience of sitting in a traditional audience.
“But then came close-ups and different angles, and of course cinema became its own thing. At the moment, livestream performances are being used to replicate a live gig, and in the same way as early cinema, I’m not sure it’s actually working.
“I’m sure as time goes on and everyone gets their head around the medium a bit more then there will be some awesome ways of doing it. But for now, we’re not going there all that much, and we’re focusing on getting some new music ready for when things start to level out again.”
Robocobra Quartet, an improv-focused post-punk and jazz band, began in Belfast back in 2014 after its members crossed paths at Queen’s University ’s Sonic Arts Research Centre.
And while the name suggests there might be four members of the group, there are in fact six core members involved in writing and recording. At one point, explains Chris, there were as many as 12.
“We perform as a quartet but as well as improvising with our music, we change things up with who performs, as well as swapping roles,” he says. “It’s part of the jazz influence, and it keeps things fresh.”
As well as Chris, there’s also Nathan
Rodgers on bass, Ryan Burrowes on bass and electronics, Tom Tabori on soprano sax and electronics, and Thibault Barillon and Peter Howard, both on tenor sax.
With each of the musicians aged 30 or younger and hailing from across Ireland and the UK and as far as away as France, it’s a dynamic and energetic vibe.
Chris himself is originally from Co Wexford but grew up in the United Arab Emirates.
“I moved there when I was eight,” says the 28-year-old. “But when I got to 19 I wanted to do something a bit different and I didn’t really feel a huge kinship to the country.
“So after doing my A-levels in the UAE I came to Belfast where I studied music technology at Queen’s, and I can honestly say it’s the most at home I’ve felt in any of the places I’ve lived.”
And while the guys in the band are devoted to their music, they work in other things too. Chris works in music production, while the others do a mix of things from teaching and computer programming to painting and decorating.
Recently though, in a huge boost for the band , they were awarded a substantial grant from the PRS Foundation’s PPL Momentum Music Fund to help towards the costs of recording their new record and planning a tour next year.
Since 2013, the fund has bolstered the careers of some of the UK’S top talent, including Years and Years, Ryan Mcmullan, Joshua Burnside and Anna Calvi.
The guys in Robocobra Quartet are thrilled to have joined the ranks.
“It’s amazingly helpful,” says Chris. “We applied for this money to go towards the new album and to support us in a tour next year and it takes so much of the pressure off,” he says.
“All of these things, recording, touring, mean you can incur big costs. I have lots of friends in the industry because
I work
For us, the focus is very much on the music, the creative process and what we get from it.
in production too, and the pressures can be quite extreme. “For a lot of people going into this work, it can be easy to get chewed up and spat out if they ’re very fixated on the idea of success beyond their creative outlet. “For us, the focus is very much on the music, the creative process and what we get from it. This funding is perfect for that. It means you have the financial support and freedom to make the music you want. You’re still master of your own fate in that way, and the more musicians and bands can access support like this, the better our work will be.”