Peterloo Massacre

Formed in late 2006, Peterloo Massacre (Paul Green, Colin Fry, Howard Jones and Kin) blend 80's electronica with 90's indie, trip-hop and contemporary folk. In result they are guided by the highly unique vocal lines of Kin through surreal synth-based soundscapes. They have been compared to Massive Attack, Thom Yorke and Portishead and have shrugged off the indie electro-pop zeitgeist in favour of something more cerebral and are all the more seductive in consequence. Their self-titled e.p showcases the band's deft ability to span multiple genres and make it look effortless. The e.p includes a remix by the acclaimed beatmaker and arranger Robert Lippok. If new sounds are craved then Peterloo Massacre are making them loudly.

We saw the band perform at the revered Manchester RNCM to a full house of electronica fans and caught up with Paul Green, the bands programmer and synth player, to talk about the integration of the technology into their sound.

Paul, we see you are using Tenori-On in your setup. Can you tell us more about your experiences with Tenori-On and how you have been using it?

"I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Tenori-On's that came into the UK last year. It just looked so different and its pattern-based programming methods instantly fitted into the way Peterloo Massacre was creating arrangements. Recently I've been using it alot with Cubase on my MacBook Pro both on-stage and in the studio and that combination seems to work really well for us. Cubase gives me the arrangement flexibility and audio manipulation features I need while the Tenori-On gives me those more diverse and creative sequencing capabilities.

We have all the major audio parts sequenced within Cubase. We also drive our two MIDI devices, my Nord Lead and the Tenori-On from Cubase but, even with all this sequencing power, alot is still played live. The great thing about Tenori-On is that I can really play it 'live'. Although I do not use the internal sounds of Tenori-On so much, I do find the user sampling very useful. I also use the more creative sequencing modes such as bounce and random extensively for creating new loops and sequences that would be impossible to do in a 'traditional' linear sequencer.

Although Tenori-On is primarily a creative sonic instrument we do also use it as a visual 'centre-piece' device on stage. Our audiences really appreciate the connection between the audio and the visuals of our shows so we do also use Tenori-On as a bit of 'stage eye-candy'. I think its a pretty unique way of approaching this instrument. Digital Donut our VJ, projects many images using Arkaos VJ software from a MacBook Pro and the Tenori-On on-stage really blends in well with these emotive visuals."

Peterloo Massacre also rely heavily on Yamaha products for their front of house sound. The event at RNCM saw them use the brand-new Yamaha IM8-24 live front of house sound mixer and two 'P series' P5000S power amps.

Colin Fry, Bassist and live sound controller told us...

"The new IM8-24 gives us enough input channels to cater for pretty much anything that we might want to do. Because of the experimental nature and constant evolution of our onstage setup its important to know that when we need to add more that we have enough channels, enough eq control and enough routing options at our disposal. Peterloo Massacre have a very complex live setup so, at the mixer we try to keep things relatively simple. We therefore really appreciate the single knob compressors on each of the mic channels of this desk - it just helps keep our sound tight, punchy and effective.

The IM8-24 is an incredible desk for the money and we are really excited by the live sound opportunities that this desk brings us."

Peterloo Massacre continue to evolve and have many new projects in the pipeline. Further collaborative work with such pioneers as Barbara Morgenstern from Berlin-based electronic-pop label Monika Enterprise is also planned.