Brighter Quicker Dimmer

As for why the album never got away beyond these shores, well, you could point out a number of reasons, including September 11, a shift towards conservatism in the international marketplace, the fact, as Shayne freely admits, that many an A&R person will have listened to bits of two tracks and thought "Weirdo shit from New Zealand, next..."

Sony NZ's A&R man Malcolm Black, who created the marriage, agrees that local sales were reasonable and it was more the lack of international pick up which led Sony to release Carter after that first album.

"We tried very hard to get it released internationally through our Sony affiliates, with the common response being '... there are no radio singles'. We then tried very hard to get various indie labels to pick it up (over 200 packs were sent out). The typical response from them was 'We love this record, it's on high rotate in our office, but... we're not sure how we could be able to work it'."

This was a disappointment to Black, who admits further that it was a learning experience for him. "I had thought that if the record was strong enough, in terms of its artistry, then we would succeed with it."

It is reasonable to ask whether the challenging Dimmer and the easy-pop loving Sony (or rather the independent Shayne Carter and corporate Sony), were ever going to be a good fit. Black acknowledges that it was a 'square peg in a round hole' situation and that it is his job to ensure that the acts fit the label. Sony, he says, spent a lot of money on the album, losing most of it, but Carter himself gained a local fan-base and home studio.

A little bloodied perhaps, but un-bowed, Carter sounds more determined than ever to get this one away. "I just really want to get an international release. I'm not making music to sell tens of thousands of records in New Zealand and be the Channel Z guy. No disrespect to Channel Z, but no I'm not man! It's not really that kind of music."

For their part, FMR are conservatively saying that they expect this album to perform at least as well as the first in the local market, with hopes of achieving greater success in Australia.

MD Mark Ashbridge says that they plan a sustained six-to-nine month approach in NZ, with a series of marketing phases rather than a hard out one time campaign.

"Having him with FMR and back closer to the Flying Nun fold is obviously a good thing. The first Dimmer album was great and we think we have a fantastic album to work with this time. FMR Australia is currently busy working Scribe, Carly (Binding) and The Mint Chicks for us so we haven't serviced them with 'You've Got To Hear The Music' yet, we'll focus on it mid year."

Apart from Australia with FMR no international rights have been assigned for the new album. Carter has some useful contacts in the U.S. and Europe from his Straitjacket Fits days, including former Flying Nun boss Paul McKessar, now based in London and a faithful Carter lieutenant, so who knows? Why not? The music certainly warrants at least a fighting chance in the international arena. Carter knows this, which probably contributes to his getting a little heated on this particular topic.

"I don't know, fuck man, I just make the fuckin' records and they've gotta feel good. I've done it long enough bro', to understand that. The only barometer is if you feel good about it, eh? You can't sit there and imagine this imaginary demographic of a hundred thousand people, that whole thing where you try guessing what other people will like - that's when you're fucked."

"'Will people like this, is that right?' Man you know when it's right, you know it's right when you're standing in the practice room and you're playing those chords and singing that melody, no-one can touch that because it is right. I see it time and time again where people get derailed or distracted by all those other considerations, and you hear it in the music."

While Carter is clearly happy to delegate some of the musical aspects these days, he still likes to keep a fairly tight reign on the other creative aspects of the Dimmer project, particularly videos.

"In the past I've had videos go out that I'm kind of embarrassed by. All the Dimmer stuff we've done, all the videos we've done ourselves - Gary's either animated them or I've conceptualised them and co-directed them, and I've really enjoyed it as well. Plus they fit in with the music.

"If there's anyone who should know what the intent of the song is and what the interpretation of it should be it's the musicians, so I've really taken responsibility for that. It's all coming out under your umbrella and it's what people see as being representative of your band or your project. And it doesn't have to be a drag, it can actually be really exciting and a really creative thing to do. It's just another aspect of what you do, especially these days where video is so much part and parcel of getting across to the public."