We’ve all got at least one Asad Rizvi
or Ravi McArthur tune in our collections. But it’s probably
more like ten. Either individually, under other guises or
in collaborations (Silverlining, Dancing HQ, Two Wright Rongans,
Appleheadz, Southern Comforters) or together as Impossible
Beings, Asad and Ravi have taken up a soul-drenched corner
of the tech-house world and made it their own.
And whether they’re making slamming dancefloor beasts,
crystal-clear breaks or downtempo excursions, there’s
something in the production that always screams Asad or Ravi.
Currently both dropping tasty solo singles and remixes, they’re
both excited about the forthcoming Impossible Beings long
player which drops in 2003.
The pair have been joined by singer/songwriter Paul Sng who
we first heard on the recent Too Late single. He’s now
a fully paid up new Impossible Being as they progress from
studio junkies to full-on stage-trashing band.
How did you
originally hook up?
I kept bumping into
Ravi around 1995 when we were out at clubs such as Vapourspace
or Final Frontier. After many a rant in each other’s
ears over club systems we resolved to get in the studio. The
first thing we produced came out on our pilot label, Re:verb.
We made a couple
of absolute stinkers together before we hit on Sunset Over
Brixton Beach, which was some way towards how we wanted to
sound. After a few releases here and there The End decided
to take a track by Asad called The Incredible Rubber Band
Man. I recorded the flip Greasy Kittens [quite possibly the
best named tune ever - Ed] with Asad and Impossible Beings
was formed.
I’ve been friends with Ravi for close to
15 years - we met in the school playground and formed a band
as 14 year-olds. We were called ‘Inner Vision’
and the music that resulted was a combination of teenage angst
and an unhealthy obsession with Guns n’ Roses. Needless
to say it died out once we stopped drinking cider, got into
dance music and started going to clubs. I started working
with them Impossible Beings in 1998, initially as a songwriter,
and it wasn’t until the beginning of this year that
I actually joined Impossible Beings officially.
What was your motivation?
To make shit loads
of money out of excellent records.
At the time, our vision was to simply to make
music that would sound good over big systems and that would
please dance-floors. Thankfully, we’re seeing beyond
that now…though never leaving that behind.
What have you done so far and what are you up
to next?
As Impossible Beings,
we’ve released about six 12s, four of which were on
End Recordings. The project started as a casual outlet for
the kind of quality rocking house music that we’d like
to hear out, But when The End asked us to record an album
for them we immediately knew that we needed to take a more
musical approach and look further afield than the party environment.
When we started this project we knew we’d have to push
ourselves, but we didn’t realise we’d end up learning
as much as we have from it. We’ve spent the last two
years developing our new sound and refining it in-between
all the other projects we do.
We decided to start recording the album out in
Canada to tie with some gigs. We ended up landing some $2mil
Log Cabin over looking a lake in Whistler with it's own dock
and a hot tub on the veranda. We had to put a ban on saying
"this is the life".
Since I’ve joined we’ve been working
on finishing the album, ‘Cabinessence’, that we’re
hoping to release around May 2003. In the meantime there’ll
be a couple of EPs, the first of which is almost finished.
Song titles include: ‘Because of Dust’, ‘A
Hundred to One’, ‘Through Wires & Air’
and ‘Closing Hand’. The first EP will have a serene
feel, most of the songs are slower and more thoughtful. It
will surprise anyone expecting a tech-house record.
How do you work
together?
Sometimes we all
write together. But more often then not Paul will write the
basics to a song and either Asad or myself or both will develop
the idea into a record. We are sometimes assisted by session
musician and arranger Trevor Mires who helps us to arrange
string parts and conducts the players.
When we went out to Canada a couple of years
ago, it was the most interactive as we were all in the same
place at the same time. But nowadays we tend to use the net
to send each other ideas. Once something is ready to be finished
we bring it into my studio to master.
Why do you think you work well together?
We’ve all
got a very defined musical vision that is different from the
others’. What makes it special is the area of intersection
in which we’re all happy with something. This usually
is found after much attrition of ideas and refinement, but
when we get there we know we’ve got a record.
Needless to say it also works because we all have our own
area of speciality.
What does each
of you bring to the partnership?
Asad - Heart; Paul
- Soul; Ravi - Deathwank.
Ravi writes some of the best guitar lines I’ve
heard from any contemporary and is a great arranger. Paul
is a little John Lennon in the making. I guess I pull it all
together and make it sound like a record. But we do all have
an input in each others’ field which stops us all from
going up our own arses.
In a way Asad is the glue that holds the whole
thing together. As a producer he is able to realise the sound
in our heads, something no one else could do as brilliantly.
He also created the distinctive Impossible Beings sound that
you’ll hear on the EPs and the album next year
Ravi is the best musician in the band, writing, arranging
and recording the various parts that make up the songs. He
makes Impossible Beings sound like a band. I bring songs and
my voice to Impossible Beings. Some people call it soul.
Are two heads better than one?
There are three
of us now and whereas before, Ravi and I would tirelessly
argue our respective cases to keep a hi-hat in (for example),
we’ve now got three heads to make decisions which certainly
helps to move things along quicker.
What's happening
with the Reverberations label? And parties?
Reverberations is
back in full swing which I’m really pleased about as
it’s a little baby that we’re all very fond of.
Well we’re actually more than fond of it, because we
(Ravi, Tom Gillieron, Charlie Inman and I) ARE Reverberations.
We’ve now got a friend taking care of administrative
duties which means that it will be run with 100percent dedication
which I couldn’t have possibly done before because of
all the other studio and DJ work I had on.
After the Silverlining CD we’ve got some great new 12s
on the way from some new signings like, Haris, Subverter,
Massacio, Sean Dimitrie and Superagua.
The parties will basically happen when we’ve all got
the stamina for a month of madness, so probably not more than
once every three months. We’re keeping them in the same
place but we’re trying to find ways to make each one
different and memorable. So there’s a few surprises
in store for next year!
Individually, you’ve been really busy…what
have been up to recently?
I’ve been
doing a bit more DJing but I’ve been mostly recording.
I’ve recently done a couple of records with Tom Gillieron,
one for Big Chief and the other for Turbo. I also have my
own releases coming out on Visitor and Groovetech. I’ve
also been getting extremely mashed up and calling everyone
around me cunts…
: Despite all the industry doom’n’gloom
it’s actually been the busiest year I’ve had to
date. Loads of remixes this year and lots of time spent on
Impossible Beings. I also put together a mixed compilation
of my favourite house productions and remixes called Silverlining
Exposures, and as ever, DJing and label-running.
What's the plans for the coming year?
I’ve got some
DJ tours planned as well as new 12s and remix projects.
I’ll also be releasing another one with
Visitor and I’ll be working with Tom on some seriously
vicious shit with some really fucking nasty rapping on it
courtesy of my recently liberated, old primary school friend
Junior.
Anyone you'd like to work with?
I used to want to
collaborate with some of the greats, but we’ve all decided
to take a more DIY approach and not piggy-back on any superstar
guest appearances, which seems to be the way that a lot of
people go. Everything we’d ever want to achieve musically
can be done in-house or with a little help from our friends.
And anything
we don't know about you that we should?
I’m a nonce.
Well I’ve already talked about my 12 inches
;)
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