My Town: Sydney
The Presets on Their Beach-City Paradise
The Presets (comprised of Kim Moyes and Julian Hamilton) have been taking the dance world by storm for several years. Known for hypnotic electronic pop beats, the two boys from Down Under-- Sydney to be exact-- have moved many dance floors with their debut EP in 2003, Blowup, and LP, Beams in 2005, the latter of which attained international acclaim and DJ approval. Their self-produced sophomore album, Apocalypso, released on Modular Records in May of 2008, topped with singles “This Boy's in Love” and “My People.” Who’d guess that the duo originally met during school at Sydney's Conservatorium of Music, cracking the books and notes of Mozart?Considering their current world tour and recent album release, dreaming of their balmy hometown must happen often. Before their performance at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, psychoPEDIA joined Moyes and Hamilton inside their tour bus, where they discussed all-things-Sydney:
What’s the current music scene like in Sydney?JH: There have always been great DJs and parties. There are quite a few good indie nights where bands play, and a few great venues; the Oxford Art Factory, where there’s a club and a live venue where bands perform. Another spot that’s really dingy called Club 77.
KM: We’ve played there!
JH: There are a few bands like us in Sydney. Sydney is really known more for a club-place. The pub-rock rock n’ roll thing is pretty there, yet it’s more a suburban thing in the greater Sydney area. Sydney has a huge gay population so there’s a lot more of the club vibe.
Are there popular sex shops in Sydney?JH: Well, we have Tool Shed!
KM: The sex shops here in New York are fun and cool. Australia is so oppressed, unfortunately. In Australia, there are awful scary places that you don’t want to go into, where it’s run by heroin.
JH: It’s the more dingy, Book Exchange-type places, where you go swap your pornos, are really dirty and seedy.
Is there a big heroin scene there right now?
KM: There was, then the war in Afghanistan killed it. From what I understand, there was a huge heroin problem, then it disappeared suddenly overnight. Ice now has become a problem. They call it crystal meth here in the States. You couldn’t get heroin in Sydney for a while because of the war in Afghanistan, since they produce most of the heroin for Australia. Ice now has slowed down and the overdoses have stopped, but mental illness has gone through the roof.
Any other major controversy?KM: We have a new Prime Minster right now, Kevin Rudd, who we love to compare to John Howard, who was our last Prime Minster. Rudd is more left leaning and liberal. What happened recently was that an amazing photographer Bill Henson, who shoots a lot of teenage models in these stark, dark, ghostly images just released a photo of a naked 13-year-old girl. It’s beautiful, but the police raided the exhibition and took away all the photos. Kevin Rudd came out publicly and said it was disgusting and the work was horrible. He’s a left-leaning guy, but socially a Christian and a conservative. It’s funny, because the national art galleries in Sydney and Melbourne have had major retrospectives of Bill Henson’s work. In the art world, he’s quite respected.
On a lighter topic, where would you recommend staying in Sydney?
KM: Zerp Tree Hotel. It’s down near The Rocks, which is an area down underneath Sydney Harbor Bridge. The Park Hyatt is really lovely down there, because it has a great view of the Opera House and harbor. Also, Observatory Hotel.
JH: More boutique hotels, The Kirketon and the W. Most of the hotels on the harbor are great.
Best restaurants to check out?JH: Bondi Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. It’s right on the south side of Bondi Beach, and it looks across Bondi and out to sea. It’s one of the most breathtaking places to have a meal.
KM: We’re so lucky because we’re really multicultural. We can get anything you want, except Mexican! All Mexican food in Australia is crap. We have great Thai, Pakistani and Chinese. There’s a spot called Golden Century, where we can go at 4am. It’s a little bit of a musician haunt too. Often, when bands finish shows, they head down to grab something to eat. During the Olympics in 2000, after a show we’d gone down to get some food and the Hungarian wrestling team was there!
Places to shop?
JH: There’s this great store called Assin and the clothes are stupidly expensive but really cool designer stuff. Ksubi is a clothing label with sort of street-beach vibe. That Beach Boys sort of culture and attitude mixed with street city vibe. Obviously, all the surfing labels are huge too.
What's the most special thing inherent to Sydney?
KM: I don’t think you could find a better beach anywhere in the world than Sydney. To be able to go to these world-class beaches that are so clean and beautiful is just amazing. It’s definitely its high point.
JH: And, of course, The Presets!
~Jessica McMenamin

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina,
What are the hometown influences behind your newest album?
Is there a good spot for bird-watching?
They have hundreds of varieties that they make them themselves. Cream-based and vegan ones, flavors like strawberry basil or rosemary chocolate. They also have dog popsicles!
My favorite gallery is
And the
Young female bowerbirds are known for having a penchant for "fancy men." Where are the best places to pick up them up?
What about your own first date in town?
Modern music as we know it wouldn't be around without Cincinnati. From
Since Cincinnati has a Coney Island, is there a connection with Brooklyn?
You can choose to have coney’s or three-ways (spaghetti, chili, and cheese). There have been days where I’ve eaten at Skyline for lunch, dinner, and then post-bar. Yes, it’s that good.
Best neighborhood to hang out, grab coffee, or shop?
I grew up going to loads of punk shows—where you could stand about an inch from the entire band. Northside Tavern is similar—the crowd surrounds you and you can feel the energy in the room the minute you start playing. Larger venues are great, but nothing quite feels like those intimate shows where people are attentive and focused on every aspect of the songs and, ultimately, the performance.
Any sights you'd recommend for people visiting the city?
Matt Allen is many things: an international adventurer, fundraiser, and avid concertgoer on a perpetual road trip. Matt’s also an
Which music festivals do you hit each year?
Who are the most anticipated acts for this year?
What's your most popular treat among the crowd?
I went to
What’s your advice or warning for first timers?
Although the sunny sound of
Hot off the release of their debut album,
No, I work at a church. That’s the south for ya— the
With such diversity in the population, what are some of the best cultural offerings?
Which places transport you back in time for that true Southern experience?
Where does the band like to kick back and relax?
Any cozy inns you recommend to visitors?
99 miles from London sits the history-ridden, tourst-laden Bath. Unrivaled in its beauty, the city is home to a Royal Theatre, centuries-old Roman Baths, and
What did you think of the States?
How is it to be a musician there?
No, you’ve got a real mix of complete idiots… it’s a weird place. You’ve got the original Chavs-- the real
idiots. There’s a lot of trouble here. A lot of hooliganism, and I’m not referring to football necessarily.
But there’s a real drinking culture. There are a lot of old people. If you ever come, check out
What about food?
The Midwestern metropolis of Detroit not only birthed
Rumor has it you met bassist Pat Edwards at a Colorado mime school?
Are there downsides to having a band in Detroit?
Is Detroit’s musical legacy a lot to live up to?
the whole bunch. Detroit is at the heart of the recession in the U.S. because of its automotive industry. A lot of people have lost their jobs. There are definitely a lot of people here doing cool things, but whether we’re organized or not, I don’t think so. There’s a disconnect because everyone is so spread out.
Where do you go for stellar soul food?
Having not been educated formally as a photographer, was there any particular documentarian or photographer you looked to for inspiration when you begun as the Facehunter?
I take pictures of interesting people who happen to express who they are through their clothes, but I don’t take pictures of just clothes. I try to create or set up a situation where the person is the star and the clothes are not. It’s about the charisma and character of the person– there lies the style. I could see someone in all designer clothes but they don’t look great. The person is the key, not just the pair of shoes.
What’s your favorite city to find your stars in?
Is it the best place for parties as well?
My best memory was in Reykjavik, going to this public pool in the middle of the morning after a party, where it’s still dark because of their sunlight hours. It has different pools and hot tubs. It’s a traditional place for old men to go and discuss issues and chat like a coffee house, but has something very cozy, healthy and relaxing about it.
Your pictures remind me of a bird spotter’s guide. Do you have any specific rules on how your pictures should be shot, or who you photograph on a particular day?
Göteborg, an idyllic port town on the west coast of Sweden, is the second biggest city in the country. At Göteborg's heart is the Gota River, which runs alongside the city's famous opera house and several museums. The current that flows through the city consists of a diverse musical legacy whose influence reaches around the world. The town is home to both death-metal band
psychoPEDIA joined Sarah Assbring, of El Perro del Mar, on the eve of her US album release
While on the subject of names, would you please explain the story behind your project's name?
What is your favorite venue to play or see a show?
I’m a vegan and it’s kind of difficult to find good vegan places in Göteborg, unfortunately. But there is one which is splendid. It's housed inside an old movie theater called
What is the first thing you do when you arrive home from touring?
What happens when a trio of boys decide to transport themselves from squeaky Ann Arbor, Michigan to the rough-and-tumble streets of Brooklyn with intentions to just “play music, skateboard, party, and have fun,” is nothing short of awesome.
What's the most awesome thing about your 'hood?
With such a high concentration of immigrant communities, particularly Puerto Ricans, there must be good ethnic food?
most bands live in Bushwick, or Greenpoint, and Williamsburg, depending on how successful they are. That’s how I ended up there. You can easily get a place to practice. There are fewer bitchy, rich white neighbors. You can rent a place and get away with stuff.
Is there anything inspiring about making music where you are than any other part of the city?
What's the best place to kill some time?
International pop-culture junkies are probably well-aware of the post-Franco cultural movement that swept through Madrid in the late ‘70s and ‘80s.
Having now relocated to London, their passionate the search lives on while DJing and putting on their own parties, whereby the beautiful trio tend to leave a gaggling posse of broken-hearted artists and musicians in their wake. psychoPEDIA met up with the girls in their Whitechapel abode to discuss the trouble with their city’s creative culture, and their favorite shops, eateries, museums, and hangouts:
Where did you put on your events in Madrid?
You want to revive the creative spirit of the city?
day,” and there are a lot of galleries around it too, if you still have strength.
PM: There’s a good culture of sitting outside, having tapas, drinking beer, and talk, talk, and talk, and drink, drink, and drink, everywhere in the city. It’s tradition.