From Belly Dancing To Bass

"[Zoe] kinda helps us rein in our music geekness and put it towards more breakdowns and simpler rhythms and simpler breaks.”

After two albums, Beats Antique split from CIA. “We were wanting to expand our sound and wanting to try our hand at the newer distribution models that we were seeing bands do. We decided, ‘Well, let’s just try releasing it ourselves and seeing what happens.’ We liked the model of ‘pay what you want’ – and that ended up working out really well for us.” Most recently, the Oaklanders presented the two-part concept album, A Thousand Faces – Act I takes in the rock opera Beelzebub with Primus frontman Les Claypool.

As a dancer, Zoe’s role in Beats Antique is unconventional – but she is involved in the music production. “This band is definitely all three of us – we all collaborate on pretty much everything, from the performance side aspect through to the arrangement of tracks and what instruments we’re gonna use, who we’re gonna have do it, and stuff like that… [Zoe is] most famous for dancing, and the performance art element, but it’s definitely a collaboration. It’s really nice to work with someone who’s not predominantly a musician... because they hear the music differently. [Zoe] kinda helps us rein in our music geekness and put it towards more breakdowns and simpler rhythms and simpler breaks.” Alas, Jakes isn’t accompanying Beats Antique to Australia this time.

These days the hippie Beats Antique identify themselves with “the bass music scene” (their contemporary music has dubstep elements). Still, their music is inherently alternative – and serpentine. “We try to not go in one direction with any particular song or album.”