Have you heard about ‘faux-fi’?
Neither had I. But apparently Melbourne-based duo Client Liaison, made up of Monte Morgan and Harvey Miller, are pioneers of the genre. “It’s a play on the established term ‘lo-fi’,” Monte explains, “but we actually have a hi-fi sound.”
Other labels that have been flung their way include ‘’80s revivalists’, ‘blue-eyed soul’ and ‘dance-electric’. One thing that’s undisputed is their reputation for putting on one hell of a live show, which was enough to win them a place via Triple J Unearthed at Laneway Festival in 2014.
”We hope we are too underground to be pop, and too pop to be underground.”
Things really took off from there – a national tour supporting Miami Horror, two of their own headlining tours (the second of which is now underway) and a slot at this year’s Falls Festival.
But unlike most bands, they won’t be staying in any fancy hotels. Or hotels built in the last decade. For them, it’s all about keeping true to the Client Liaison aesthetic – which means pastel wallpaper, green leather lounges and patterned carpets. “Fiction becomes non-fiction,” Monte says. “In Canberra, we would happily pop into Parliament House for breakfast… we try to actualise Client Liaison.”
Similarly, their hallucinatory clip for ‘End Of The Earth’ is a gaudy pastiche of some of the most cringeworthy moments in Australian culture ever caught on camera. Everything from a kangaroo hopping along in the outback to the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony is overlaid with disco synths and images of Monte and Harvey throwing shapes in all-out ’80s get-ups.
There’s John Farnham, Vegemite and Shane Warne all thrown in the melting pot. None of it makes much sense, or even attempts to make a coherent political statement, but it all taps into what it means to be ‘Australian’. It’s equal parts uplifting and hard to watch. “It’s about trying to embrace [Australian culture] and reinvigorate a sense of patriotism, not nationalism, and it’s important to make a distinction,” Monte says.
“Nationalism is like the White Australia Policy and Cronulla [the 2005 riots], whereas patriotism is more inclusive, and a celebration of the country.”
Despite this clear manifesto, Monte is quick to insist that Client Liaison were never meant to be a commentary on Australian culture. “We’re not professors of sociology,” he says.
Harvey also offers his thoughts on the same point. “When people are dancing to ‘End Of The Earth’ in a nightclub, they’re not thinking about the subject matter of the lyrics,” he says. “They’re just enjoying the song. It functions on a range of levels.”
It is true that what Client Liaison produce is primarily dance music, and whatever extra layers are contained within it are additional to the songs themselves. To them, making music from a particular era is no different to making music from a particular genre. It just so happens they were drawn to the sound palette associated with ’80s music. “We just like that programmed pop, that’s the tools we use,” Monte says. “Just like someone in folk music from the ’60s or ’70s. We don’t really think about it too much.”
This all makes sense, but I can’t help but note that unlike other constantly evolving genres, the ’80s aesthetic is one that is fixed in time. Plus, Client Liaison haven’t just used that sound palette – they’ve appropriated the hairstyles, clothing and imagery from an era that no longer exists. “Any gypsy folk player down in Brunswick will have unwashed scruffy hair,” Harvey says.
“We don’t discriminate against Monte’s haircut or a folk haircut. We use modern technology so it’s impossible to not have those modern artifacts come through.”
With their forthcoming EP, Client Liaison have been working hard to clarify and define exactly who they are. They might not quite be there yet, but obviously they’ve tapped into something, as their fan base continues to expand. “We hope we are too underground to be pop, and too pop to be underground. We’re in limbo,” says Monte.
Written by Emily Meller
Client Liaison Tour Dates
Fri 5th Sep- Crown & Anchor (Adelaide)Sat 6th Sep - The Bakery (Perth)
Thu 11th Sep - Oh Hello Bigsound 2014 (Brisbane)
Fri 12th Sep - Rad (Wollongong)
Sat 13th Sep - Transit Bar (Canberra)
Sat 20th Sep - Republic Bar (Hobart)
Sun 21th Sep - Secret Location (Gold Coast)
