Tim Powles

Last updated

Tim Powles
Tim Powles 2015.jpg
Powles in 2015
Background information
Birth nameTimothy Guy Gerard Powles
Born (1959-12-21) 21 December 1959 (age 63)
Wellington, New Zealand [1]
Genres Alternative, electronica, rock
Occupation(s)Record producer, musician, composer
Instrument(s)Drums, keyboards, bass, synthesisers, programmers
Years active1973–present

Timothy Guy Gerard Powles (born 21 December 1959) is a New Zealand music producer and artist. Also known as "timEbandit" Powles, [2] his main instrument and first love was the drums and percussion in general, though over time he's become a dab hand on a medium-sized pile of instruments and gadgets, not to mention the studio itself- and virtual instruments as they occur.

Contents

Early career

Powles started his music career at Nelson College, which he attended from 1973 to 1977. [3] He subsequently moved to Wellington and then Auckland to join the band Flight X-7. In the 1970s he won a scholarship to join the New Zealand Youth Orchestra in a training camp in Cambridge. His interest in both classical and rock orchestrations and ambience has continued throughout his career, and was instrumental in his becoming the drummer with the Australian-formed band The Church, with whom he was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of FAME in October 2010, coinciding with the band's 30 year anniversary celebrations and touring.

Powles eventually moved to Australia in 1981 where he first became known in 1980s' band The Venetians. With this band in particular through the 1980s he learned his production skills working alongside greats like Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and Mark Goldenberg, and locals Mark Opitz and Mark Moffatt, often in the Festival Records Studios.

The Church

He started working with The Church in 1994, [4] [5] with the album Sometime Anywhere (though he was misidentified as "Tim Powell" on the liner notes of that album). He became a permanent member of the band in the year following. He sings the lead vocal on the track "Take Your Place" on The Church album Pharmakoi/Distance Crunching Honchos with Echo Units (1996, as The Refo:mation, Phantom Records) and has worked on all of their many releases since then, as a musician and composer, and taking production responsibilities on all levels. A highlight of these responsibilities was Powles' co-directing and co-producing A Psychedelic Symphony - The Church and the George Ellis Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House, a sold-out show in April 2011. He produced the band's 25th album Further/Deeper in 2014, and th band toured that album extensively thru Europe and USA 2015 and 2016.

Production work

Powles resides in Sydney, Australia and has his own recording studio; the current version is called Spacejunk III. Amongst others, timEbandit has produced albums/EPs/ singles of varying genres and styles for Skulker (debut), Switchkicker (debut), The Camels (debut), Regular John (he was ARIA-nominated for Producer of the Year for their debut album in 2009 - and then produced the follow-up Strange Flowers ; Jack River (Holly Rankin project); Hammock Departure Songs (double album, mixed in Nashville); The Khanz (numerous singles and 2 EPs); Iota and the Beauty Queens; Laura Imbruglia (debut album); Winters Wish, Montpelier, The Faults...... (a constantly growing and always eclectic list).

Powles's official website is www.spacejunk.biz.

He released a solo album, Tyg's in Space (on Spacejunk' thru Phantom Records), in 1999.

Currently he is working on multiple solo collaborations for imminent release. He features with a cameo vocal on Nashville post-rock ambient band Hammock's recent EP Asleep In The Downlights, a band whose most recent albums he has co-produced and/or mixed.

Spacejunk Production House

"Combined with a reputation as one of Australia's most solid and diversely experienced drummers (The Church, The Divinyls, Rose Tattoo, Dragon, The Venetians, to name a few), this massive depth of experience makes Tim a 'big picture' producer in the true 'A&R' sense of the word. Allowing instinct and 'accident' to flourish and thrive are key ingredients on Tim's production canvas." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Seymour</span> Australian bassist

Nicholas More Seymour is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitarist in the rock band Hunters and Collectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church (band)</span> Australian rock band

The Church are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave, neo-psychedelia, and indie rock, their music later came to feature slower tempos and surreal soundscapes reminiscent of dream pop and post-rock. Glenn A. Baker has written that "From the release of the 'She Never Said' single in November 1980, this unique Sydney-originated entity has purveyed a distinctive, ethereal, psychedelic-tinged sound which has alternatively found favour and disfavour in Australia." The Los Angeles Times has described the band's music as "dense, shimmering, exquisite guitar pop".

Schnell Fenster were a New Zealand rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1986 by Noel Crombie on drums and percussion, Nigel Griggs on bass guitar and backing vocals, Phil Judd on lead vocals and guitar, and Eddie Rayner on keyboards and piano – who were all former members of New Zealand-formed rock group, Split Enz. Fellow founder, Michael den Elzen on lead guitar had worked with Tim Finn Band, another band formed by a Split Enz alumnus. Judd's band were briefly named The Wanx: but Rayner soon left and they changed their name to faux-German for "quick window", because it "appealed to [their] perversity". The group formed the core members of Noel's Cowards, a short-term ensemble, whose sole output was six tracks for the soundtrack of a feature film, Rikky and Pete, in 1988. Schnell Fenster released two studio albums, The Sound of Trees (1988) and Ok Alright a Huh Oh Yeah (1990), before disbanding in 1992. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989 they were nominated for Breakthrough Artist – Album for The Sound of Trees, Breakthrough Artist – Single for "Whisper" and Best Cover Art for Judd's graphic art.

Peter William "Pete" Wells was the founder and slide guitarist in Australian hard rock band, Rose Tattoo, from 1976 to 1983. He was previously bass guitarist with the pioneering heavy metal outfit Buffalo from 1971 to 1976. Wells also had a solo career and issued albums, Everything You Like Tries to Kill You (1991), The Meaning of Life (1992), No Hard Feelings (1993), Orphans (1994), Go Ahead, Call the Cops (1996), It's All Fun and Games 'till Somebody Gets Hurt (1999), Hateball (2000) and Solo (2002). In 2002, he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and, on 27 March 2006, Wells died of the disease, aged 59. Rose Tattoo were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame on 16 August of that same year.

My Friend the Chocolate Cake are an Australian chamber pop group formed in 1989 by mainstays David Bridie on vocals and keyboards and Helen Mountfort on cello and backing vocals. They have released seven studio albums with two reaching the ARIA Albums Chart top 50, Brood (1993) and Good Luck (1996). These two albums have both won the ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album; in 1995 and 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David McComb</span> Australian musician

David Richard McComb was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career including leading David McComb and The Red Ponies. Over his career McComb had bouts of alcoholism, and amphetamine and heroin abuse. He developed cardiomyopathy and in 1996 underwent a heart transplant. David McComb died on 2 February 1999 "due to heroin toxicity and mild acute rejection of his 1996 heart transplant", according to the coroner. In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "Wide Open Road" by The Triffids – written by McComb – as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time. On 1 July 2008 The Triffids were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with McComb's contribution acknowledged by a tribute performance.

For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.

<i>Forget Yourself</i> 2003 studio album by The Church

Forget Yourself is the fifteenth album by the Australian alternative rock band The Church, released in October 2003. It was recorded at drummer Tim Powles' Spacejunk studios in Australia and features many straight-to-tape recordings with few overdubs.

<i>Uninvited, Like the Clouds</i> 2006 studio album by The Church

Uninvited, Like the Clouds is the 20th album by the Australian alternative rock band The Church. It was released in Australia on 20 March 2006 and internationally on 17 April.

<i>Hologram of Baal</i> 1998 studio album by The Church

Hologram of Baal is the eleventh album by the Australian alternative rock band The Church, released in September 1998.

<i>Jammed</i> (album) 2004 studio album by The Church

Jammed is the sixteenth album by the Australian alternative rock band The Church, released in August 2004. It was their second album of entirely improvised material, following the Bastard Universe bonus disc from Hologram of Baal and consists of only two extremely long tracks. It was only available from the band's website or at their gigs.

<i>El Momento Descuidado</i> 2004 studio album by the Church

El Momento Descuidado is the eighteenth album by the Australian psychedelic rock band The Church, released in November 2004.

Venetians were an Australian synthpop act formed in 1982 by English-born Rik Swinn on lead vocals, who enlisted Matthew Hughes on keyboards ; Tim Powles on drums ; Dave Skeet on guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser and vocals; and Peter Watson on guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser and vocals. They issued three studio albums, Step Off the Edge, Calling in the Lions and Amazing World (1988). They had top 30 hit singles in Australia with "So Much for Love", "Inspiration" and "Bitter Tears". Swinn disbanded the group in 1989.

<i>After Everything Now This</i> 2002 studio album by The Church

After Everything Now This is the thirteenth album by the Australian alternative rock band The Church, released in January 2002. It was produced by group member Tim Powles and the rest of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Shepherd</span> Australian musician (born 1961)

Bradley Mark Shepherd is an Australian rock musician. Shepherd is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and harmonica player; he has performed with several bands, especially Hoodoo Gurus.

Charles Lothian Lloyd "Charlie" Owen is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and producer. He has been a member of The New Christs (1987–90), Louis Tillett and His Cast of Aspersions (1990), Tex, Don and Charlie, Tendrils (1994–99) and Beasts of Bourbon. His solo album, Vertigo and Other Phobias, was released in 1994 on Red Eye/Polydor.

Tim Gaze is an Australian rock and blues guitarist, songwriter, singer and producer. He was a member of several Australian groups from the 1960s to 1990s including Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute (1970), Ariel (1973–74) and Rose Tattoo (1985–87). He also had a solo music career and released the albums, Band on the Run, Rough Trade (1992), Blue Sierra (1996) and Blues Remedy (1998). In April 2008 he issued a retrospective compilation covering both his group and solo work, Reckless Love: the Tim Gaze Anthology.

The Monitors were an Australian pop band of the early 1980s. They were primarily a studio group which involved a collaboration between Terry McCarthy on vocals and keyboards, and Mark Moffatt on guitar, bass guitar and keyboards. They used various guest vocalists. Their debut single, "Singin' in the '80s", was released in 1980 and reached No. 16 on the Kent Music Report singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Hussey</span> Musical artist

Simon Cyril Hussey is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter-arranger, record producer and audio engineer. In 1984 he formed Cats Under Pressure on keyboards with David Reyne on vocals and Mark Greig on guitar. On the Australian Crawl album Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Hussey co-wrote four tracks with the band's lead singer, James Reyne. In 1987 when James undertook his solo career, Hussey joined his backing band on keyboards, and co-wrote six tracks for James' debut self-titled album including top 10 hit singles, "Hammerhead" (October) and "Motor's Too Fast". In May 1988 Hussey was the producer, and provided keyboards and song writing, for Edge (November), the comeback album by Daryl Braithwaite (ex-Sherbet), which peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart for three weeks in mid-1989.

Scribble were a post punk synth pop band based around Johanna Pigott on lead vocals, guitar, piano and keyboards, which she formed in 1983. She was joined by her domestic partner, Todd Hunter, on bass guitar and keyboards, and session musicians. They released two albums, So Far 1983-1985 and Pop Art (mid-1986). Scribble disbanded in 1987 with Pigott focussing on her song writing.

References

  1. "Tim Powles (The Church): The Making of 'Man,Woman, Life, Death, Infinity'". 7 November 2017.
  2. "Tim Powles". Discogs .
  3. Nelson College Old Boys' Register, 1856–2006, 6th edition
  4. Holmgren, Magnus. "Tim Powles". passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  5. Holmgren, Magnus. "The Church". passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  6. "Spacejunk studio website". Archived from the original on 14 December 2005. Retrieved 9 March 2006.