19911994 by Soulscraper

This album is all the good bits ever recorded by Soulscraper, who recklessly crashed the early 90’s Melbourne alternative music scene, with a high passion live show, and a sound that never quite managed to fit into the nascent St.Kilda based headwinds of grunge, electronica, rave, or the politically driven raw punk of the day.



It was the technological breakthrough of the more affordable sampler that was key to Soulscraper’s formation and sound. These early electronic instruments didn’t work well, only catered for short bursts of sound and required a stack of floppy disks to load between every song or two. Soulscraper managed to beg and borrow a couple of these fascinating machines, with a determination to find fresh ways to make some kind new noise, beyond the obvious James Brown plundering, or Beatles cuts sung by barking dogs. 

While some of the band were across music like Jim Thirwell’s Foetus, Cabaret Voltaire, Swans and Front 242, it was Ollie Olsen’s “No” and Ash Wednesday’s Crashland that were direct local influences, as well as pub rock bands like X (Australia) and the punk music emanating from drummer James Lynch’s history playing with hardcore bands like Children of Sorrow and Vicious Circle.

Soulscraper proudly plundered from all those elements, mixed in a little melody and plenty of dreadlocks (as was the fashion of the day) and away she sailed.. It certainly felt like a new frontier at the time, but it wasn’t long after the release of the first EP ‘Heard it all before’ that the Americans were revving up in similar directions. And while the band weren’t initially keen on being framed as Australia’s answer to a band they didn’t know - Nine inch Nails - ultimately the comparison may just have helped get the first song away into the underground clubs and via the ever supportive network of Australian community radio (especially Melbourne's own 3RRR and 3PBS), and then onto the newly formed national rock station at triple J. All just good timing, I guess.



So just the facts:

The band released two CD EPs – “Heard it all before” (1992) – produced by Kalju Tonuma, with remixes by Ollie Olsen, and the second EP "Neo-Anarcho" (1993) produced by Matt Thomas. The band played shows across Australia, including tours with Pop Will Eat Itself and Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Soulscraper also played at the first Melbourne Big Day Out festival in 1993.

The band splintered in 1994 and members went on to form many glorious and humble new bands including Discordia (Lynch, Shnookal), iNsuRge (Dubrow), Sobriquet / The Crystalline (Reyner), and have all gone on to create lots more music since.

Soulscraper formed in Melbourne Australia in 1991 with Chris Dubrow on guitar and vocals, James Lynch on drums, Sarah Lord on bass, and Elenor Rayner and Jim Shnookal on samplers.

They released two EPs, toured regularly, and played the first Melbourne Big Day Out in 1993.

The band split in 1994 with members forming bands such as Discordia, iNsuRge, Sobriquet, and The Crystalline.

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