Live @ The Scratch Club, The Spitz, East London, 18th September 1997
Original position in magazine: page 62
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First their classic ’60s LPs make it out of obscurity onto CD, now the Silver Apples themselves are back. The lineup has changed - there’s a new drummer at Danny Taylor’s stool and a keyboardist fleshes the group out to a three piece - but their musical identity and sound are still alive and well and if anything they’ve matured with Simeon’s extended fallow period.
At their storming Spitz gig they treated us to superb renditions of old ‘hits’, cast in a new light by the happier-sounding Simeon of the ’90s, plus a sprinkling of impressive new material. They still use nominally ear-unfriendly wwtnes, bell sounds, oscillating signals and unwieldy bass lines as the unlikely components of their tunes, which insinuate themselves into your head and tap the parts which melodic pop songs don’t reach. In this respect the Apples remind me of Pere Ubu. At first encounter you’re wondering what on earth you’re inflicting on yourself - another listen and you’re crying out for more. If anything’ll make you hunger for atonal music it’s this stuff.
Taking an imposing position at the side of the stage is The Simeon (the instrument). Anyone who’s heard the original records can’t have failed to be astounded by the number and range of different sounds The Simeon seemed to be producing at once. Its latest incarnation resembles a giant dressing table which has sprouted knobs and pedals, and appears well up to the task - nevertheless these days Simeon (the person) sensibly delegates some of its duties to a trusted deputy on standard keyboards. The new drummer efficiently recreates and rebuilds Danny Taylor’s insistent drum patterns. As far as I know this marks their only appearance in rock music’s vocabulary since the Apples’ first outing (although similar beats did form the basis of hi-NRG - surely a coincidence?)
It’s sobering to think that when Silver Apples began there would have been few reference points to guide their experimentation - yet they still managed to produce consistently concise and direct music. A few decades of experimental rock music down the line and there’s plenty of history for young bands to soak up, but how many take any notice? It’s not only obscure outfits like the Apples whose innovations are ignored. I’m staggered by the number of bands who cite the Velvets or Can as a influence but seem to have learnt nothing from them, economy being a particular blind spot (Primal Scream are the worst offenders in this respect). Silver Apples old and new have economy in spades and a dark and edgy music that’s like no other. Go on, take a bite.
HARLEY RICHARDSON
[2004 additions: Simeon Coxe, by email 11-12 May 2000: ‘Saw the image in issue 3 by mark robinson. spooky to say the least! how would i get in touch with him to try and find out what was in his head when he did it? I was just interested in contacting Mark if he were doing some kind of visual treatment of the music, as I have been doing off and on- but if he, in fact as you say, has never heard it then we can pass on it- but I would like to see some issues of Sound Projector in the flesh. I’ll send you some recent releases if you’ll send me an address. One that’s rattling around now is a CD I made with a band from Somerset called The Alchemysts. It’s called The Alchemysts & Simeon and is on a London based label called Woronzow Records (www.woronzow.co.uk) and should be in stores over there. Quite surprisingly it was the London Sunday Times’ record-of-the-week about a month ago. I’ve NEVER received that kind of mainstream attention on a release before- must mean I’m losing my touch. Take care- Simeon]