There is no doubting the esteem in which Melbourne’s Muph And Plutonic are held. The pairing of Plutonic, one of Australia’s premier beatmakers as well as Muph, one of the most respected emcees in the country has yielded three high quality albums thus far. The latest of which,…And Then Tomorrow Came, sees the two advancing their game once more. Refreshingly earnest lyrics and richly layered instrumentation characterise one of the strongest releases of recent times.
…And Then Tomorrow Came is your third full-length release together. How, if at all, did you approach the whole process differently this time?
Muph: Naturally, after working together for so long you become quite comfortable with critiquing each others’ work. We were a lot harder on each other this time around, which made for a much speedier process. And Then Tomorrow Came was made in a more random way than the previous record. Some songs were created on the spot, some began with a beat, some began with a lyrical concept. It was a bit of a mish mash of processes. This time around we did a lot of final takes in the first recording sessions. In the past, we would basically record the whole album, go our separate ways and then come back and re-record the whole thing over. Instead of doing this, I would record my raps onto a dictaphone and use that as my guideline.
After all this time, do you have a natural chemistry figured out or do you still surprise each other in the studio?
M : Yeah I’d say it’s fairly natural, it never feels forced, in fact if things don’t seem to be working we know when to call it quits and come back to that track another day. Every now and then Plutonic will trip me out, he’s got a lot of instruments lying around, most of which he can play at some level, even the ones he says he can’t, he still can as far as I can tell. That used to surprise me, but not so much anymore!
Plutonic: I’m surprised Muph can actually string a sentence together sometimes…haha. But seriously there are only a handful of emcees I’ve worked with that elevate beyond the vocal booth like I think he can.
The album has the loose concept of considering the implications of a fast-paced lifestyle. Was this your intention from the outset or did the idea develop during the project?
M: It’s something that evolved after writing the first couple of songs. It’s strange, because the one thing I initially wanted to avoid was to make another concept record. The previous albums were both written to an overall concept. Hunger Pains was based on the affects of alcohol. Each song represented the slow burning affects of drunkenness, but with double meanings. I actually wrote down a list of how I’m affected by booze and then would get an idea for each affect. For example, Raise Your Voice came from the stage when our voices increase in volume without us knowing. Silence the Sirens was about living in our own worlds insulated from the wider world. Whereas the last two records definitely had intentional concepts from the beginning of creation, this one seemed to happen more subconsciously. It wasn’t until about three tracks deep that I noticed the theme evolving. Since it wasn’t something planned out, I realized there must have been a reason for it, so I stuck to it. Generally the music is going to reflect the current stages of your life.
Can you describe the source of the paradox in the track title Beautiful Ugly?
M : Me. You. Her. Him. Most people, not everybody go through it. It’s based on the Jekyll and Hyde transformation. Often, if I’m having a little drama or problem, the appeal of booze(escape) is beautiful, but the repercussions more often than not are ugly. Some people tend to handle their booze or drugs fine throughout there whole life, but some(like me) lose that control as they get older. It feels beautiful and looks ugly. Beautiful Ugly.
Was the upbeat style of production a conscious aspect of this contrast?
P: Possibly, I was maybe considering the live performance aspect a bit more. But really it was probably a lot more of a natural sway towards that style of production. I had just finished the Ivens record and had maxed out on the part of me that likes dark beats. That record was something I needed to get out, but also I realized during the process that I’m actually a lot more optimistic than that.
Muph, after years of churning out insightful lyrics, most rigidly associate you in this category. Does it annoy you that you’re almost typecast as such? Do you try to make things more casual at times?
M: Nah it doesn’t really annoy me. I don’t care. I used to get a bit pissed off about that “most honest MC” bullshit, but not so much anymore. That whole idea of making a big deal out of honest music didn’t make sense to me. What does that say about all the other music out there? I’m definitely not the only one being honest. Also, there are a lot of artists whose music I enjoy, but I could almost guarantee they are nothing like who they portray they are in there music. I don’t have a problem with that, it serves its purpose as solely a form of entertainment. I just try to offer an alternative to that. I don’t try to make my lyrics more casual, but I am conscious of what I do put out there. I believe there is a line you need to draw when writing personal songs, sometimes they can be so personal only I would get anything out of them. So I’m careful to consider what somebody listening might get out of it too.
“…I used to get a bit pissed off about that “most honest MC” bullshit, but not so much anymore. That whole idea of making a big deal out of honest music didn’t make sense to me. What does that say about all the other music out there?…”
I can see parallels with Slug from Atmosphere, is he an influence on your songwriting?
M: Yeah I’d say he’s a bit of an influence along with The Grouch, Elliott Smith, Daniel Johnston and a bunch of others! I guess from each of these artists I draw different inspirations. Slug and Elliott Smith both have a knack for making those obvious observations that we tend to overlook, but know are there. I’ve got respect for both these artists and the way they point out these things, but almost more importantly how they simplify them. As far as similarities between us, well I probably like to use a lot of double meanings like they do.
The production on the new album has an even greater focus on instrumentation. Is this something you have developed over time? Is it a means of challenging yourselves?
P: Well you’ve got to understand that I come from a live music background, from a young age, so it’s almost come full circle now. Basically not wanting to use live instruments at all for years because I love sampling so much, and then regaining my love for recorded instrumentation to the point where I’m fascinated with buying microphones and recording techniques again.
Is it born of the simple motive to change things up that vocalists such as Jess Harlen, Pete Lawler and Paul Williamson feature on the album? Or is there more to it?
P: It probably has more to do with having an ear for samples, trying to find interesting voices for beats and being bored with the norm. The rest is luck and networking.
How did the collaboration with Lawler come about? How did you approach working with someone accustomed to a different genre?
P: Basically my friend and collaborator Chris Toronyi got me in touch with Pete, because I was winging about trying to find more of a rock vocal on the track and coming up cold. Originally I was trying to find a blues muso who could play harp too (which I later found out Pete could do). I couldn’t believe how easy he was to work with and so open too. I know a lot of rock dudes would have a hard time dealing with sample based production.
What made you decide to feature international favourites Eligh and The Grouch as well as locals Raph Boogie and The Tongue to feature on Today, the track complimenting …And Then Tomorrow Came?
M: Firstly, they are all artists whose work I respect and actually listen to. As far as the concept of the song goes, it’s about getting things done. All these artists are people who make moves, get the job done and so forth, so it seemed fitting to have these guys on that track. They came through quickly thus proving my point. It was great to have them involved in the album.
Musical integrity is something that really comes through in all Muph and Plutonic releases. Is this something you think that could be focussed on more in the local scene?
P: Hmmm, You could apply that to all genres on a global scale. The ’scene’(as it is) has a lot more diversity and artists of varying caliber releasing records more than ever. I guess I’m just much more concerned with what we’re doing as artists and not focusing on trying to police ‘the scene’ as it has been in the past. Everything is always twofold in terms of you get some great ideas coming through because artist X doesn’t give a fuck, but you get some really whack shit because “artist” Y doesn’t give a fuck.
…And Then Tomorrow Came is an album of standout tracks. What is your favourite and why?
M : Don’t Worry About Nothin’ is my favourite at the moment but it depends on the day. I don’t know exactly why it’s my favourite, but I think it just comes down to the uplifting vibe.
P: Musically I’d say Show Me Your Face or Yesterdays Basement. Lyrically Don’t Worry About Nothin’ I think is really dope.
Have either of you got any other projects in the pipeline currently?
M: Not at the moment, but I’ve been contemplating the idea of getting more into actual song writing for other people. Not ghostwriting for rappers, but writing songs for singers.
P: Currently putting together Perplex’s DMC custom wax and giving Raph Boogie a hand with his release. I’m also gonna start working proper on a new solo joint too.
Recently a massive national tour was announced, how do you plan to keep your set innovative?
M : We have Bonez on board now, he’s playing a fairly crucial role in our show. His involvement goes much further than just a few cuts here and there. He will be adding some of the musical elements to the tracks live ie sounds. I’m sure there are other artists who do this, but you don’t see it that much, so it’s a little innovative I guess, maybe? Also, we have a larger back catalogue of songs now, much more to work with. We’ve been molding the songs, making slight changes for the purpose of the shows, to make them more interesting live. It’s going to be a much tighter live show all round.
What does the future hold for Muph and Plutonic as a duo? Planning another album?
M: For now we’ll be touring this album, and waiting to see how it goes. Most likely there will be another record somewhere down the track. Maybe some remixes, or an unreleased tracks compilation or something. To be honest we haven’t really discussed that yet.
P: If we haven’t killed each other at the end of the tour, I’d say there’s definitely another record left in us.
