The Best Download Album In The World, Ever!
We’ve scoured the length and breadth of the country to deliver 12 essential tracks that could very well prove the soundtrack to your summer. Best of all, it’s completely free! Producer Dave Christophers and Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters man Shane Serrano tell us all about it...
Dave Hanratty, 03 Apr 2012
Last autumn, Hot Press teamed up with Dublin-based NDT Productions and the students of the city’s Sound Training Centre in a bid to bring you Genre Free, a free download album of the best and brightest Ireland has to offer.
The response was overwhelming, with over 500 bands and artists submitting their work in the hopes of making the cut. Such was the calibre of entries on display, narrowing it down was never going to be easy. Add in Genre Free’s unique twist – each selected act gets to lay down not one, but two tracks – and the task became even trickier.
Nonetheless, it’s a good complaint to have, as such a concept can only yield strong results. Producer Dave ‘Skippy’ Christophers (Mundy, Josh Ritter, Whipping Boy) and his dedicated team at NDT have come up trumps with the final line-up, choosing six very different acts to create the perfect eclectic mix. Those illustrious names? Indie popsters The Dirty 9’s, funk-rock-rap hybrid The Fibbs, propulsive duo Kid Karate, avant-garde artistes Frederick And The Golden Dawn, soulful songstress Izzy and Limerick groove rockers Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters.
“The quality of the bands is astonishing,” beams Christophers as he enjoys a brief moment of downtime at Temple Bar’s Apollo Studios, where much of the recording has taken place. “I have been so pleasantly surprised by this process. It’s been a real eye-opener. Bands like Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters, the way they have approached this recording has been phenomenal. They’ve given it 100%.
“I think a lot of acts are realising today that when you get an opportunity like this, you really have to grab it with both hands. There’s a real hunger in the six acts and it’s been lovely to see them trying to get the best out of this chance.”
In the case of Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters, it was their first time working with a recognised producer, despite having already released two EPs and last year’s accomplished full length The Devil In Music.
“The students at the Sound Training Centre have been great but working with Skip has been quite a treat,” enthuses sticksman Shane Serrano. “He became like an honorary fifth member. He just gave us so many ideas and suggestions and it was very, very comfortable to work with him.”
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