X Factory: Can't Get Enough

This instalment of X Factory is a retrospective account of Supergroove, one of our most successful bands.

It seems hard to believe that it is over 10 years since they burst onto the live scene in Auckland, and we should be reminded that they sold more than 200,000 units in their relatively short existence.

'Postage', the recent Supergroove compilation is a great introduction to their legacy, and what leaps out is the attention to detail, the unexpected twists and turns, and great chops!

I spoke with the band's vocalist Karl Steven about the creative processes, stylistic influences and stylistic outcomes.

Supergroove had two obvious stylistic periods, reflected in their two albums; 'Traction' (1994) and 'Backspacer' (1996). 'Traction' shows their roots in funk, blues and images of hip hop, with a fresh amalgam of these with a soul band horn section. Syncopation and space feed the funk on this album and on 'Tractor', the EP of the same year. There's an abundance of one-chord/one-riff jams showing James Brown, and Parliafunkadelicment influences.

Great examples of this are Scorpio Girls, You Freak Me, Can't Get Enough, Come To The Party, and You Gotta Know.

Most songs focus on primary chord blues, and Mixolydian, Dorian and Aelioan progressions. No real Phrygian or Locrian darkness here - that was Shihad's domain at this time. Guitar and horn riffs bring occasional chromatic runs, not only assisting comic imagery but also introducing harmonic doubt. Check out You Freak Me for this technique.

Vocal melodies are unusual, with unexpected leaps and rhythms. The easily identified sound of the duo of Karl Steven and Che Fu stamped a real identity on their sound; Karl frequently employing falsetto shrieks in his off-beat poetry, and Che mixing r'n'b sensibilities with his hard-hitting rap sound.

Karl says the unusual melodies often resulted from mapping the "sweet notes" in the chords and progressions of co-composer and bassist, Joe Lonie. An unaffected New Zealand accent is also heard - very few passive middle-Americanisms are found in the vocal tracks.

It is also in the area of musical arrangement that Supergroove gain such a punchy and compelling sound. The interweaving of backing vocals, call-and-response rap, diving guitar lines and horn attacks is invigorating.

This type of arrangement is the result of very careful decision-making, a skill acquired through the study of freeing the funk. George Clinton would be proud - cluttered funk is unbearable. Supergroove arrangements emphasise space in the rhythms and avoid filling holes. Guitar textures commonly err on the side of heavy rock, an energy-builder in the live shows that worked its way into their recorded sound (there are plenty of funky clean textures too).

Few songs rely upon conservative verse/chorus exchanges, and Come To The Party is a fine example of this: a pumping funk workout beginning with a 'tiered' entry technique. The bass line is smokin'. There is no repeating chorus 'bookending' of the song, and instrumental solos and breakdowns progress the song by working through new keys in each section.

Can't Get Enough is a standout example of arrangement detail; the interplay of instruments and vocals is intricately syncopated and brilliantly executed. I particularly like the 'interruption' of "too high, can't get over it" etc, which is somehow reminiscent of the jumbling of songs and styles in an old-time Music Hall performance. The contrast between the vocals of Che and Karl cements the dialogue principles that informed much of their writing and live performance at this time.

The dramatic swing away from groove-based funk, to the more sophisticated musical palette evidenced in the 1996 Supergroove album 'Backspacer', represents a significant maturing of musical tastes. (Not suggesting that funk is immature in any way.)

The new songs retain the same detailed arrangement ideology as 'Traction' and 'Tractor', but in a radically altered setting. Now equally driven by keyboards and guitars, the horns disappear, along with the driving rap styles that had previously characterised their sound. More 'conventional' singing is heard from Karl, and brings with it deeper, more personal issues in the lyrics. The harmonic language is complex, with frequent subtle modulations between verse and chorus, and scarcities now of the one-chord jam.

Gone are the wide-ranging funk bass-lines, replaced with successions of root notes underpinning the guitar and keyboard chords. This reduction in activity at the bottom end throws greater focus on the vocals. Drum rhythms are now much straighter with little syncopation, in keeping with the lessening of the funk. Karl suggests that in the place of James Brown and Parliament/Funkadelic, an Elvis Costello (or similar) influence might be audible - Costello being far more a songwriter's songwriter than a groover.

Reflecting on this inevitable metamorphosis (most bands experience such changes), Karl describes how bands often "...assimilate the prejudice that the greatest musical sophistication will lead to greater musical quality," and that Supergroove might be considered in this light.

Certainly, and much like David Bowie's chameleon changes, the abrupt shift in style may have cost them part of their fan base, but nonetheless created a new audience. Bear in mind that this stylistic shift was much less abrupt for the band than for their audience; writing songs and recording albums are not swift processes.

Overall the songs are substantially more challenging, perhaps telling us something of the effect touring (the world) can have on a young band; they grow, they change, and they search for a more eloquent means of self-expression to do justice to their new experiences. Retrospectives can unfairly age a musical entity, but with Supergroove there is a reassuring aura of experimentation and innovation. I strongly suspect that a new 'Nature's Best' series voted by the public, would reveal the impact Supergroove had, and continue to have on New Zealand music. Respect.