Sure we’ve heard about you before, but we think it’s time for Tone Deaf to get to know you a little better. Slip in to something comfortable while we put on some music, pour us a couple of drinks and turn the lights down low.
Who are you and what do you do in your act?
Hey, Im Cal Young, I sing and tweak synthesiszers in our band.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
Kraftwerk ‘Man Machine’. Its absolutely bangin’, and the cover artwork is seriously German. The record was a big inspiration, and gave me an insight on the awesomeness of Moog synthesis.
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
SebastiAn’s album ‘Total’. And plenty of VanGuard.
‘Home taping is killing the music business was the catch-cry of the record industry in the 1970s, but it managed to survive until now. What do you think is the difference between mates taping copies of friend’s records back in the 80s and 90s and file sharing now?
The only differences are the physical medium and quality of the recordings. We don’t necessarily use cassettes anymore, instead we’ve replaced it with cheaper digital options that are easier to distribute.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What was the first gig you went to.?Where was it and what was the venue?
My first ever live show was The Beastie Boys, when they came down to Hobart in 1999 and played at the City Hall. I was 12, and it was Mix Master Mikes birthday. I think it was the first time Ive ever had ringing in my ears!
What’s your favourite site to download music from and do you ever pay for it? Can we find any of your releases there?
I usually like to scour blogs for remixes or promo’s through Hype Machine, other than that I purchase music from either Beatport or iTunes. All our music is on Itunes at the moment!
What artist made you want to pick up an instrument and/or sing?
That would definitely have to be The Chemical Brothers, their album ‘Surrender’ pushed me to start making computer music.
Have you ever been arrested?
No, but I have been mugged and had a bottle thrown at my head from a passing car. Both involved the police but not to get myself nicked.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
Not really actually! I guess the only ritual I have (if you can call it that) is I don’t like to drink alcohol before and during our set. I save the beers till after.
What’s been your most outrageous rider request?
We’re actually pretty boringly sensible! Nothing outrageous like a Thai hot stone massage before the shows or anything like that.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
I would have to say Midnight Juggernauts, we’ve always liked their music and they’ve supported our music in the past, so I think we’d have a pretty decent working relationship. Working with a plethora of synthesizers is my idea of a wet dream.
Right, let’s get really intimate. Tell us what releases you have that we can listen to with the lights down low, or even better, where we can see you play in person next.
We have our EP’s and new single ‘Because If I Die’ from our forthcoming debut album on iTunes. And you can see us in person in Sydney on the 1st of July at World Bar, 2nd of July at the CBD Hotel in Newcastle, 15th of July at the New York Hotel in Launceston and finally the 16th of July at The Brisbane Hotel in Hobart.
