An inclinator is something that takes you up, like a sort of outdoor escalator, explains Lisa Ffrench, talking about the title of Linos second album. We like the idea of reclining while rising!
And a very apt title it is too. With Inclinator in the CD player, the listener may feel inclined to do any number of things, depending on the track to lapse into reverie, to float away on a blissful cloud, to sing along, to leap up and dance around the room. As for rising, Inclinator represents a step up in every measure from the bands self-titled 1999 debut. The gap between Linos penchant for winsome, almost delicate pop and dark, dubbed-out instrumentals has narrowed, the two styles better integrated. Lisas voice has grown in strength and depth and shows more confidence. And the songwriting has moved on to the proverbial next level, the arrangements and lyrics complementing one another to create a wide range of moods.
The Lino story for me begins in 1998, when Jad McAdam handed me a demo CD of some music hed been working on, explaining that it was a group hed formed with Andrew Lancaster, whom I also knew, and Lisa Ffrench, whom I didnt. Id met Andrew through Supersonic, the studio he co-owns, and was familiar with his work as keyboard player and video clip director for Custard.
Jad a prominent, eclectic and highly respected Sydney DJ explained that the project, already called Lino, had started out as a collaboration between him and Andrew to write music for a dance company. One night in the studio, Lisa had come in and begun singing over the top of their backing tracks. Thus Lino was born, and six months later the demo was the result.
That demo got Lino signed to Virgin, and with a bit of spit and polish became their self-titled debut album. Tracks such as Troubleshooting and Wastedbecame Triple J favourites and the band took its first tentative steps into the live arena, gradually growing in confidence as Lino went on to play at Glenworth Valley and support Gomez at Sydneys Metro.
With a solid base established, Lisa, Andrew and Jad set to work on the follow-up. However, tragedy struck in mid-2000 when Jad died suddenly and unexpectedlyAndrew and Lisa told me at that time the three of them had already written more than two dozen tracks for the next album and of their determination to finish what they started.
But before they could face that, a break was needed. Andrew headed to the Sundance Film Festival, where his short film In Search of Mike (with music by Lino, natch) was shown to great acclaim, then off for a holiday. When they returned to Sydney they slowly but surely got back to work on Inclinator between their other commitments Andrew as a producer and film-maker, Lisa as a choreographer and dancer.
Eventually the original 26 songs were narrowed down to the 13 (14 if you include the hidden track) that make up Inclinator. And very fine it is too, from the opening strains of Auger Well to the closing fade of the poignant dub ballad, That Has Gone. In between come all manner of gems. The punchy, string-laden, club-inclined Yours. The slightly more winsome Accident, again with live strings recorded at Studio 301 (Russell Crowe was working next door at the time). The almost fierce drumnbass instrumental, Rotary. And Max, a track that looks destined to become a live favourite thanks to the sense of propulsion that comes from its gradual increase in tempo.
For the first time Lino has also worked with collaborators. Lisas friend Brian Carbee wrote lyrics for Dont Make A Move. Glen Thompson (ex-Custard) wrote the aptly-titled Mexican Reverb while his erstwhile bandmate Dave McCormack, gave Lino the ballad Hand It To You. In fact, McCormack is credited on album as musical advisor. He really is a great songwriter and were pretty much new to the game, so it was great to have his input, says Andrew.
Inclinator was mixed by Bob Scott (Wicked Beat Sound System) and Tony Espie (The Avalanches). That was great, says Andrew. Wed done so much of it ourselves so it was great to have that independent perspective. We gave them a pretty thorough brief and went overseas. When we came back and heard the mixes our first reaction was like, What?! But now we couldnt imagine the songs any other way.
Inclinators first single will be a vinyl-only, straight-to-DJ track for the clubs, the opening instrumental Auger Well, with a mixes by Melbournes Cut Copy and Sydneysider Tonemeister. (Were so pleased that our first single will be on vinyl for DJs to play in clubs, says Andrew, because thats so much what Jad was about.) But fans shouldnt fret: those mixes will also be available on the CD of the first proper single, Yours. After that its anyones guess in terms of singles on an album that bristles with hooks, strangeness and charm.
Despite the sadness of their loss, both Andrew and Lisa are rightly pleased with Inclinator, an album in which you can hear echoes of Massive Attack and The Carpenters, Everything But The Girl and The Sundays, without imitating any of them. Its a real progression and they know it. The thing is, when we did the first album it was just for fun, says Andrew. At that point Lisa had never really sung and Jad had never really made music he wasnt a musician as such, he was more a DJ. By the time we finished he was playing keyboards and guitar and Lisas voice had grown so much. Thats carried on with this album.
We had so much fun making this album with Jad, Lisa concludes, and after he died we became really determined to make a record hed be proud of, a fitting tribute to someone who was so funny and so talented.
Mission accomplished.
Stuart Hitchings, April 2001
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Two fantastic albums - ever since I got hold of them years ago I've tried to get more people hooked on them. Such a shame there was never a chance to make more :(
incredible stuff. i mean, am i the only one to realise how great it is? perhaps, but i think people are too worried to come out of their myspace closets. come out, come out, where ever you are..... just follow my voice. you will find me. yes, yes, come this way. almost. i can smell you now. mmm, sweet. or is that sweat? you tell me? Have you been near Jordan lately? Or a slaughterhouse? Are you well? Well, you look well. Club at 7pm?
