Dictaphone Blues

About the Artist

The year was 2006 and Edward Castelow was addled with uncertainty. He had just returned home to New Zealand to find that things were not as they should be.

With personal relationships heading south and no real connection to his new home, he began to go through the arduous process of finding lodgings and employment while gradually writing a new body of songs.  His previous group, Degrees.k, had left Christchurch and gathered a new audience for themselves in Sydney. Their singles played on Triple J and they toured Australia repeatedly - including trips out with Betchadupa, Shihad and The Icarus Line. Nevertheless, after releasing two EPs and two albums with Degrees.k, Edward felt thrashed out and he wanted to create new songs that were at once more dynamic and carefully tailored. Songs that, dare I say it, leant more towards “easy listening”.  Thusly, he set out to work on some more tender pieces; ones not based on jams, but instead focused on melody and structure.

Around the second half of 2006, Edward was asked to play drums for local psychedelic pop troupe The Ruby Suns and he grabbed the opportunity with a self-assured hand - one driven by a thirst for performing live.  This band gave him the chance not only to hone his skills as a drummer, but also reinvigorated his own music.  In little under a year, the band completed two tours of New Zealand and played shows across Australia and Europe, becoming a live favorite of many folk. Then Ruby Suns leader, Ryan McPhun, decided to cut the band down to a two-piece to save on travel expenses by incorporating backing tracks where once would have been band members.  The odd Dictaphone Blues show had been played over this time with members of the Ruby Suns, Heavy Jones and Reduction Agents making up a live band.  Audiences greeted these shows warmly and early demos received play on Kiwi Fm and 95Bfm. All of this gave Edward some assurance that he wasn’t barking up the wrong tree.

Accompanying Liam Finn on his “I’ll be Lightning” Album Tour in late 2007 provided other cities in Aotearoa an opportunity to see first-hand what Dictaphone Blues had to offer and they were not disappointed.  Whether playing solo or with other musicians the capacity crowds were taken with the material and the manner in which it was delivered. Professionalism, off the cuff charm, and with tongue firmly in cheek, Edward and band positively wowed Finn junior’s audiences.  A plan to release an album in early 2008 was put on hold after Edward was offered the chance to join The Brunettes for a tour that would take in Australia, UK, Europe and the States.  This took Edward through to a mid-year crossroads of introspection, as the jaunt, although fun, was hard and lessons were inevitably learned.  Ultimately, it only strengthened his resolve to concentrate solely on Dictaphone Blues upon on his return to New Zealand.

After a well-received support slot with Canadian pop collective The New Pornographers in October, recording begun on another heady brew of songs that had been demo-ed at a secret Christchurch location in June. These were the remaining songs that made up the album On the Down and In. The live band comprising of Ben Eldridge, Rob Collins and Myles Allpress completed the basic tracking at the Lab Studios, while overdubs were recorded in various flats and studios in a relaxed manner. Singles were then taken to radio in the lead up to the album’s release, Taken Aback spending two months in the 95bfm top ten and several in the Radioscope Alt charts. Its summery pop jangle proved to be infectious.  Spooky room has been getting similar treatment across the airwaves and introduces the listener to a psychedelic-pop element that runs throughout the album. The album was mixed at the Lab by both Jol Mulholland, known for his work with The Mots, Motocade and Dimmer, and Ollie Harmer who has worked with everyone from Tim Finn to Billy Connolly. On the down and in is an album packed with memorable melodies, experimental washes, plinking pianos, screaming guitars, naughty bass lines, bells, whistles and 3 different drummers. Released in April on the shiny new label Blah-lah-lah Records and distributed through Isaac Promotions/Universal Music, it finally seems Edward will no longer be riddled with uncertainty.  Well…. at least not concerning Dictaphone Blues!