FourPlay String Quartet
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FourPlay String Quartet

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"Review"

FourPlay’s latest album Now To The Future is glorious. Possibly Australia’s only indie rock band string quartet, they fly in the face of the often-held belief that classical music and rock can never sit side by side. Two violas, a violin and a cello, sometimes combined with the hypnotic vocals of Lara Goodridge, merge to create a sumptuous sonic feast.

Inspired by outfits such as the Kronos and Brodsky quartets, and with parallels to the skilled thrust of Phillip Glass’ music, FourPlay present original material as well as a selection of anarchic covers. The use of two violas bulks out the sound while still allowing the execution of three and four-note chords, giving the band a rich vigour outside the scope of many other string ensembles.

Having previously covered work by Jeff Buckley, Depeche Mode and the Beastie Boys, the album opens with a striking interpretation of Radiohead’s ‘2+2=5’. Other covers include Miles Davis’ ‘All Blues’, with its syrupy strains that soar with movement and feeling, and The Strokes’ ‘Reptilia’, a wild and propulsive track with a loaded sound that belies the all-acoustic instrumentation. The Arthur Hamilton jazz classic ‘Cry Me A River’ is buttressed by the honeyed romanticism of Goodridge’s vocals.

The original material on Now To The Future is equally as impressive. On ‘Trust’ Goodridge’s sweet but seductive vocal stylings are juxtaposed with animated staccato compositions that surge and abate with carefully exercised control. The beautiful partnership between Goodridge’s voice and the dramatic string constructions is also exemplified on ‘Evolve or Decay’. ‘The Hunter’ is simply haunting – with ghostly legato harmonies artfully draped over a bed of foreboding siren-like instrumentation. The epic ‘Bollyrock’ possesses a distinctive Indian flavour with string work that is moody and percussive, at times even cacophonous. Indeed, these original tracks span many genres, from rock, jazz and blues to gypsy and klezmer.

Ultimately FourPlay offer a tantalising fusion of rock sensibilities with the finely cultivated skill of classically trained musicians. They are abundantly creative and true collaborators, having traded their talents with bands such as George, The Whitlams, Gerling and the Screaming Jets. Their fourth offering is a wonderful achievement.
— garettbithell.
Reviewed in Rave Magazine (Brisbane street press), 11.07.06

Who knows what might pop up when these four play
Not to be confused with the veteran American jazz outfit (which probably explains why they added the String Quartet part to their name). Sydney's FourPlay have spent a decade or more blurring the boundaries between the normal notion of a string quartet and a broader audience. They've done this by electrifying their instruments and applying their classical training to rock and contemporary music generally to create a surprising crossover sound. This latest album, their third, is no exception. Among a brace of original pieces are reworked jazz masters like Miles Davis's All Blues. Okay, you may see some logic to that link. But Radiohead's 2+2=5 or The Strokes' Reptilia? In these cabable hands, it makes sense. And singing with a string quartet? Violinist Lara Goodridge not only cruises her way through Julie London's 1957 classic Cry Me A River, she adds a folk touch to self-penned works like Trust. Not to be outdone, other tracks here take you on diverse journeys, from Downtown Nudnik's Stephan Grappelli jazz jaunt with Eastern European and tango elements to the metal and Indian flavours of Bollyrock. Sure, it all reads like it's weird but it actually sounds fine. Quite an accomplishment, really. - FasterLouder.com.au


"Review of The Trilogy"

FourPlay are like the maiden aunt that still smokes pot and has "young male friends". (Say what? - Ed) The kind of paradoxical juxtaposition (is that a tautology?) that makes you think whatever it is you're thinking twice over. They have made a career out of exploring the potential that rock and pop melodies have as the basis for arrangements within what is generally understood as a classical construct. The danger of course is that one could end up alienating both spectrums of your audience. Fortunately FourPlay have a fair degree of chutzpah and more than a little anger. Certainly enough to give their arrangements the kind of biting kick that makes the rock histrionics translate into a kind of "Rite of Spring" for a generation with an attention barely long enough to wait for a psp2 game to load. Cool.
- The Brag (Sydney street press), 05.06.06


"Live Journal review"

31.08.06

Sweet Jebus I'm in love with FourPlay. I bought their new album between shifts yesterday, and I can only say that it's as eclectic and and gorgeous as their preceeding albums. Lara Goodridge sings like an angel, when she puts that violin down, and she's currently singing like one who's had a glass too much of bathtub gin. Something about crying a river over me. It also opens with 2+2=5. And the rain in the background, just audible under the base and cello, makes me very happy. Even if I do have to go to work in twenty minutes.
(oh, and they have listed as their:
Current Music: FourPlay: I Don't Know The Title Yet But It's Very Sexy
— *heh*)
- LiveJournal user Jilder


"Album Review"

FourPlay String Quartet is an eclectic, electric combination of four classically trained musicians that hail from Sydney. However, don't be fooled by the name, these instrumentalists warp the conventions of typical classical music, the result being a truly unique musical experience. With the completion of their third studio album Now To The Future, listeners have become privy to covers by artists including The Beastie Boys, The Velvet Underground, Jeff Buckley and even Metallica. Using two violas, as opposed to a typical string quartet that uses one, the result is a heavier, deeper and somewhat crunchier sound. The instruments blend fantastically with the cello and conribute to the jazz sound achieved so persuasively in many of the tracks. Now To The Future [contains] five covers, including the Strokes' 'Reptilia' and 'All Blues' by Miles Davis, and opens with a cover of Radioihead's '2+2=5', an amazing interpretation that, even with the absence of vocals, still manages to capture the intensity and appeal of the original. The haunting laments of Arthur Hamilton's 'Cry Me A River' showcase the vocal talent of sole violinist Lara Goodridge, whose voice is gladly received in other tracks, including 'Evolve or Decay' and 'Trust'. 'Downtown Nudnik' can be seen as a blend of tango, swing jazz and klezmer and is one of the highlight tracks on the album, due to standout cellist Peter Hollo. The sheer diversity of this band is phenomenal. Distortion pedals, pickups and amps are cleverly used throughout the album, thus manifesting influences such as rock, jazz, contemporary, folk and electronica. However, by fusing such conflicting genres, FourPlay may leave orthodox classical fans converted or taken too far out of their comfort zones. Warning: over-listening by the indifferent may induce mild psychosis. Regardless, a wonderful album.
— Brooke Beswick - Rip It Up (Adelaide street press), 08.06


"Album Review"

There never has, nor ever will be, a pigeon hole quite the right size to fit Sydney electric string quartet FourPlay. Taking an age-old musical formation, the classical string quartet, they transplant it into a new millennium. Their choices of covers have always been inspired (who could forget their version of Metallica's Enter Sandman) and they maintain that standard here. Miles Davis's All Blues is all nuance and restraint, while Radiohead's 2+2=5 is a perfect hand-in-glove fit, confirming what all Radiohead fans know, that the band has orchestral roots that go far deeper than those of the pop world. More surprisingly, and more effective for it, is their version of The Strokes' Reptilia, where the strings bring a new menace to a great riff, and a melody is revealed in all its full glory. Of the vocal tracks, Lara Goodridge's Trust is an enchanting example of youthful sorry and age old dilemmas. Excuse the pun and swim in the sensuality of the strings. ★★★☆ - Sydney City Hub, 08.06


"Album Review"

Who knows what might pop up when these four play
Not to be confused with the veteran American jazz outfit (which probably explains why they added the String Quartet part to their name). Sydney's FourPlay have spent a decade or more blurring the boundaries between the normal notion of a string quartet and a broader audience. They've done this by electrifying their instruments and applying their classical training to rock and contemporary music generally to create a surprising crossover sound. This latest album, their third, is no exception. Among a brace of original pieces are reworked jazz masters like Miles Davis's All Blues. Okay, you may see some logic to that link. But Radiohead's 2+2=5 or The Strokes' Reptilia? In these cabable hands, it makes sense. And singing with a string quartet? Violinist Lara Goodridge not only cruises her way through Julie London's 1957 classic Cry Me A River, she adds a folk touch to self-penned works like Trust. Not to be outdone, other tracks here take you on diverse journeys, from Downtown Nudnik's Stephan Grappelli jazz jaunt with Eastern European and tango elements to the metal and Indian flavours of Bollyrock. Sure, it all reads like it's weird but it actually sounds fine. Quite an accomplishment, really.
★★★★
- Rave Magazine (Brisbane street press), 11.07.06


"Album Review - DrumMedia"

For everyone out there who always thought there was an undeniably orchestral quality to the music of Radiohead, the proof is right here in the opening track, 2+2=5, off the third album by Sydney's own internationally renowned electric string quartet. I'll be you weren't expecting the same to be said of The Strokes but again, their feisty rendition of their Reptilia says it all.
As to fans of FourPlay, don't assume that you've got them pegged either. The quartet has always been eclectic, opting for a broader musical diversity than their contemporary classical quartets, Kronos or Balanescu, which initially inspired them. But with Now To The Future, FourPlay finally place themselves as much in the centre of their work, as composers, as interpreters of the work of the pop, rock or metal bands with whom they've previously toyed.
So you get the European sensibilities and romance of Peter Hollo's Downtown Nudnik segueing into the bounce and frivolity of pure Grapelli, set against the limpid sadness and beauty of Lara Goodridge's trio of vocal love songs, Evolve or Decay, Trust and The Hunter, contrasting the ebullience and energy of the collective collaborations You've Changed Your Tune, Appalachian Jam (which isn't) and the gloriously exotic Bollyrock.
But then you get the bebop jazz influence of "new" boy Shenton Gregory courtesy of some wonderful reworking of Miles Davis' All Blues and Mingus' Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, a promise of an even more improvisational future. Forget anything you ever thought about string quartets. This is the future.
— Michael Smith - Drum Media (Sydney street press), 04.07.06


"Live Review - Drum Media Perth"


It's almost unfathomable how talented this group of accomplished musicians are, as each member is a jack-of-all-trades and master of many. Their credentials are perhaps incomparable, and as such there was no support band. They did however play for over an hour and a half, divided into two long sets so there was no lack of quantity nor quality. They attracted a small but dedicated crowd of followers whose attention was grabbed from the very first song, a divine version of Radiohead's 2+2=5.

Not limited to the traditional confines of their instruments, FourPlay augment their sound with electric pickups, effects pedals and an infectious energy that makes them more like a rock band than just a string quartet. The percussive element to their show was beyond words. Their track Bollyrock appealed to my Punjabi roots as Tim Hollo sat cross-legged on stage, mimicking the beats of a tabla by holding his viola vertically and tapping its fingerboard and belly. The ability of an instrument to so vividly impersonate another was astounding. Peter Hollo's handslaps and strums of the cello strings also created beats throughout the performance.

Their tracks revealed their interest in a vast range of styles. Downtown Nudnik added a French bistro flair to the Fly By's already cabaret style seating, then morphed into a frenzy of notes reminiscent of Disney's Jungle Book. Shenton Gregory strummed his viola like a banjo for a rendition of Drunken Hearted Man Blues, a Mississippi delta song circa 1930s, whilst Cry Me A River and Charles Mingus' Goodbye Pork Pie Hat showed off their jazz inclinations.

Amongst my favourites was an arrangement of Grace, tapping on their pickups and sliding up and down their fingerboards to recreate the magic of Jeff Buckley, and Depeche Mode's Sweetest Perfection saw violas creating a fast electronic-like background playing an impressive six bows per beat. However it was their cover of the Beastie Boys' Sabotage that got the previously pensive crowd cheering, as Shenton played an electric viola riff that would make Axl Rose cry. It was during this track that Peter's percussive tapping sadly caused a crack in his cello! Though that didn't hold them back... The show culminated in The Strokes' tune Reptilia, and finally the crowd demanded an encore for their signature cover of Metallica's Enter Sandman where they broke into dark echoing effects.

Their intensity and warmth was mesmerising. Horsehairs snapped off bows under pressure and these fine threads danced above the violas. It was fascinating that whilst playing they were comfortable and confident yet putting down their instruments to talk to the crowd they suddenly appeared softly spoken and almost awkward, as though incomplete when not connected to their strings. FourPlay are certainly a spectacle not to be missed.
— Saschveen Singh - Drum Media Perth


Discography

Now To The Future | Cat# SP004
FourPlay 3" trilogy parts 1-3 | Cat# SPS001-003
Digital Manipulation — the FourPlay remix project | Cat# SP003
The Joy Of... | Cat# SP002
Catgut Ya' Tongue? | Cat# SP001

Photos

Bio

The Bio

FourPlay started life as a classical string quartet, originally made up of friends from the Australian Youth Orchestra. Inspired by the Kronos, Balanescu and Brodsky Quartets blurring of the boundaries between classical and rock music, they began playing rock covers for friends. FourPlay use two violas as opposed to two violins (as a traditional string quartet would use) to produce a thicker, deeper sound.

In 1995 they bought pickups and distortion pedals, and transformed themselves into an electric string quartet. In 1998 they released their first album, Catgut Ya Tongue? which sold out of the first 1,000 copies in 3 weeks... with no distribution or label in place. In April 2000 they released their second full-length album, The Joy Of... to glowing media coverage (now re-pressed an estimated 6 times — and even more for the first album).

FourPlays double remix album Digital Manipulation came out in 2001 to rave reviews across the nation. Produced and distributed independently, this uniquely designed double CD is an amazing compilation of 25 Australian electronic artists remixing FourPlays material, from B(if)tek and David Thrussell to Machine Translations and Deepchild. An album of new work fusing the electronic with the acoustic.

FourPlays live shows are unlike any other string quartet in the world. The energy and sound created is more like that of a rock band, as is their on-stage presentation and banter. A FourPlay gig is an affair not to be missed.

FourPlays repertoire includes arrangements of diverse artists such as the Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Charles Mingus, Depeche Mode and Metallica together with a dash of contemporary classical music, and their own originals, inspired by wide array of genres such as dub, klezmer, electronica, post-rock, improv and avant-garde.

"They are like cinema for the ears" — SBS Television

"There are parallels with the taught propulsion of Philip Glasss music and with the ultra modern and sometimes quixotic Kronos Quartet. They spit in the eye of classical romanticism, chain-sawing into these songs and then throwing them together in new shapes" — Rolling Stone