808s and Greatest Hits is the bedroom recording project of Melbourne based multi-instrumentalist Skube Burnell. What started as an experiment for Burnell and friends to release some demos developed into a two-track/7songs that will be the first release for new label Golden Lab.
The tracks of down-tempo pseudo-pop were mixed by Stu MacKenzie (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) and mastered by Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Total Control).
With more writing and recording over summer look for more 808s and Greatest Hits in 2016 and even a band to bring the songs to a live setting.
Listen to the tracks below and read some words from Skube.
Noisey: You recorded these tracks in your bedroom. What is stuck/hanging from your bedroom wall?
Skube Burnell: Well I've lived in four different houses since I started writing and recording. At one point I had a cheap Elmo clock on my wall. Currently on our bedroom wall there is some drawings from Korean artist Puuung. In our new place there's only two of us so the largish backroom is my jam room and I record in there. It's got cool vertical wood panels and old yellow lights. The Elmo clock now lives on there and I took the batteries out because the ticks were too loud.
You used to play in En Tout Cas. Do you prefer working solo or with a band?
I played drums so didn't really have a hand in the songwriting other than providing the beats. I prefer working solo by far. Whatever you end up with is all you and you can make whatever you want without making compromises. I'm usually up late at night anyway so no ones ever around when I'm in the zone. Working collaboratively can be good but as soon as some part changes that I don't like, I lose interest and mentally disappear from the picture. That being said, I play drums in Chips Calipso both in recordings and live. I enjoy doing that, keeping in mind it's not my baby to tamper with.
Pre-order the 'New Bounce' limited edition 7" vinyl.