Embark on a journey through a utopian kaleidoscope of cinematic textures full of orchestral grooves, warbling horns, beguiling vocals and immersive atmospheres with Melbourne electronic artist Spoonbill’s latest album.
Jim Moynihan – aka Spoonbill – has once again provided his fans with a captivating album aptly titled 'Canopy'.
The record showcases his ability to fuse elements of different genres and sounds, in order to craft entirely unique songs which sound distinctly 'Spoonbill'. “The last two years has been spent working on this album,” Jim says.
“I wanted to write a more downtempo-based follow up to my 'Tinkerbox' album, so ['Canopy'] has some of the same flavours. It's a fusion of live recordings but electronica as well. Those 'humanous' touches, for me, add a different type of soul or feel to the music which I enjoy.”
Jim’s latest creation is the product of a four-year hiatus spent exploring his own imagination and creativity.
Surrounded by natural beauty in his custom-built house and studio in the bush about an hour north-east of Melbourne, Jim had no shortage of inspiration for his tracks. “The whole album was recorded here in the studio that I designed and built myself.
"It’s a lovely spot, nice and inspiring place to work, very quiet apart from the natural world around you which I have a good connection with. We have our own drinking water and we grow our own food here. I’ve got an orchard and we’ve done it all from scratch.”
The new album is a bit of a shift from some of Spoonbill’s previous work, as he continues to explore and develop different areas of his craft.
The focus has shifted from dancefloor electronica to easier listening music, but he won’t be leaving the party tracks behind. “At this point in my career, I’m interested in writing some good, interesting songs that are still groovy, listening music as opposed to dancefloor music.
“I think it’s interesting and enjoyable for me to mix it up like that, but I think I’ll probably continue to do it that way – put out albums in the form of more listening style tracks and [keep] the party music more in EPs.”
'Canopy' boasts the the talented producer’s signature sound, which evokes strong emotions but at the same time proves to be elusive to describe with words. “It’s always a difficult thing to describe. I wanted it to be interesting and stimulating, but also be just enjoyable to listen to you know, but at the same time, tickle the senses of your mind.
“I think ['Canopy'] tries to walk that fine line between being edgy and left of field, but also something people can catch onto as well. Some of the adjectives I would use to describe it are a little bit wonky or off-kilter but it’s also groove based, inspired by jazz and funk, blues, soul. It’s inspired by that sort of movement, but then made with the computer.”
When it comes to other music/ genres influencing his music, Spoonbill remains organic with his own inspirations. “I allow myself to be reasonably naive to what is popular and what is going on around me, and that is maybe a good thing, maybe a bad thing. I think then you’re less inclined to be influenced by that and you are more likely to create a more original sound and vibe.”
Jim will be taking to the stage this weekend in Melbourne for the album’s official launch show. The night will feature two sets from the Spoonbill Ensemble (downbeat and party set) alongside a host of local talent including Monkey Marc, Goosebumpz, Chamberlain, Beatrice and late addition, Eastwood.
"It's such an exciting show for me to put on,” Spoonbill says.
“There’s a lot of work and effort going into the production of the event, it’s like running a small festival. We have built an animatronic robotic art car, which is a mobile stage called UKI. It’s got giant wings that have custom-built LED screens in them, and its legs and wings move.”
The rest of 2019 is looking pretty full for Jim, with a bunch of tours as well as an exciting appearance at Elements Festival on the Sunshine Coast. “I’m doing a bunch of touring, going over to the US and then pretty soon after that in June, July in the UK playing shows then I come back, and I’m playing Elements Festival.
“I will get some time off where I’ll be writing music, but yeah it’s mostly shows. It’s gonna be pretty busy, which will be good and hectic. It’s all I can really ask for, being able to share my own sort of tangent of creativity and if there's people to hear it that's awesome.”
