The hip-swinging, loop-busting craziness that is Brisbane duo Choon Goonz today unveil their new single, ‘ContrADDICTION’, which you can watch exclusively on scenestr.
Smashka Word'n and Loopert Fast have been filling dancefloor since early 2012, and with a number of adventures — both in Australia and abroad — planned in the next couple of months, you can expect to be seeing and hearing a lot more from Choon Goonz.
Tell us a little about the concept/ idea behind Choon Goonz' latest song, 'ContrADDICTION'?
The track has been on the boil for a good while now, it was actually the first song we wrote together nearly three years ago and it has slowly but surely morphed into what you see now. The concept behind it lies in the meaning of this made-up word, which can be anything you want since it doesn't officially exist — one description we came up with was ‘an addictive pattern or habit which is inconsistent with ones values’. But Urban Dictionary didn't like that one.
What message did you want to present to the audience?
We feel the power of the song really hits home in the story of the clip. Money plays a massive role on how we live our lives and what lines we will and won't cross. We noticed that people's values would come into question when confronted with the greenback, the don-bradman, the grey-nurse. You watch this clip and see that all these characters have a morally grey area despite being good people, so where does the line of judgement actually lay when it is cast by our own eyes?
You'll be holding a launch party at Vision Gallery in West End tonight... what sort of shenangians do you have planned?
Well, funny you should ask that. We are going to have a mad jam party! It's free entry, it's in a warehouse, we're bringing down our rig armed to the teeth with killer beats and backed with the added fire power of an electric kit and a few other instruments. Seems everyone we know is a muso or amongst it, so we thought we'd have some proper fun before embarking on our adventures. Oh and of course we will be screening the video on the big screen.
The filming of the clip... you've profiled a lot of West End locales... looks like you had plenty of fun?
So much fun! West End is where it is at, and that's not even mentioning those $4 kebabs ;)
The clip was directed by Mel Poole, with Nik Lachajczak as cinematographer and edited by Dan Macarthur. What did they bring to the project with all the experience they've amassed?
Between the three of them they have over 50 years professional experience in the TV/ movie industry, so it was a real honour to have them all contribute their skills to the video. We've been good friends with Mel and Dan for a while now, and when we pitched Mel the idea she jumped straight on it and organised the rest — she is an absolute legend! Mel and Dan produce some great work. Keep an eye out for their full length feature, 'Nice Package'.
Is a full length release in the works for Choon Goonz?
Well it was on the cards there, after recording the EP, but lately we've been looking at the way in which we share music and contribute to the global stance and questioning whether we could do it differently. Keep moulding the clay to find a model which really works. Creating music can be like putting a child out into the world because once you put it out there it makes its own mark, which you're not always aware of or responsible for how somebody else experiences it.
This is the latest release from Beanstalk Records; what do you have planned next for the label?
Just going to keep doing what we do, working with rad acts to rock shows and release quality music and videos.
And we're told Smashka and yourself are headed into central Australia soonish for a workshop/ retreat. What's going on there?
Yeah yeah, that's it. Bit of a round trip through Alice Springs and Darwin to get amongst family, then onto Bali to connect up with the global family, then straight smack bang into one of our favourite Brisbane festivals, Manifest. We've got workshops and projects lined up with plenty of time for writing and recording booked in, which is something we rarely get time to do. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and putting yourself in new situations and creating change will keep the songwriting fresh and also be a chance to rein in the next level of inspiration.
The ‘Contraddiction’ launch party takes place at Vision Gallery, West End, Friday July 25. Choon Goonz also play Manifest September 26-28.
