After three years in the studio, Meem has released the follow up album to his much loved release, Yum Yum and Miffy, (the limited edition was produced in a hand-made wooden case, lovingly by Meem himself!). The Big Hoo-Hah is Meem’s third album and is laced with warm funk and disco sounds, purring basslines and imaginative, whimsical concepts. If you’re wandering through the Blue Mountins and catch a tune on riding on the wind that makes you smile, chances are that Meem’s studio is near… Currently on national tour, Bec Paton caught up with the funk prophet to find out about music, inducing spine injuries in butt shaking crowds and design.

D: I just finished listening to “The Big Hoo-Hah” – really fluent and with some great interpolations between sound combinations. This album is the tubbiest release I’ve heard out of Australia in a long time. What were the main concepts behind its creation and what influences have you drawn on?
M: Initially, there was no real concept behind the album. I was interested in compiling the best tracks I had (from live sets) into an album and through this process I dropped many tracks which didn’t fit the overall vibe. I was (and still am) listening to a lot of funk, soul, disco, reggae and roots etc… so, many of these influences crept into the vibe of the songs. The music started moving away from minimal bleeps and electro, and became warmer organic funk.

D: Three years is quite a while to spend on an album. Did you find you found some new interesting processes for producing tracks that are exciting or want to share with us?
M: A year and a half ago, I thought I had a finished album. I began playing it to people and realized that I wasn’t entirely happy with what I had. The album wasn’t finished at all! I took some time out and returned to spend 18 months re-writing and re-mixing the album. This process was a new one for me and I began working with different audio techniques, not just straight sequencing.

D: Tell me about your studio set up and environment, (it would be good to be able to picture you bleeping and blobbing with some frame of reference)!
M: I keep trying to keep everything as simple as possible. Computer technology has made this really possible now. I work on a G3 Powerbook (using various programs…mainly logic audio) with a MOTU 828, 2 hard-drives and a midi keyboard.

D: Do you have any juicy collaborations happening at the moment – who are you exploring with?
M: At the moment I am just focusing on the tour, although, there are a few things in the pipeline which could lead to some interesting sounds.

D: You have quite an extensive tour schedule combining live and djing elements. I’ve always found you to be a really dynamic performer. What can groovers expect from the show?
M: Loads of funk! I have been noticing that when performing recently. It’s not only the dance floor that moves, it’s the whole room. The crowd at the Sydney tour show was moving right up to the back wall, so expect to dance! The live set will feature a mix of stuff from the new album, previous releases and some new material that no-one has even heard yet. I keep both my live and dj sets very funky – dancing to this music is a priority.

D: What are you looking forward to most (musically speaking) at the moment?
M: I am really excited about getting back into the studio. I love to write music and new material always excites me.

D: Tell me about your involvement with Superpeople and that release – (bugger, this tasty morsel has sold out, right?)
M: Yeah, the vinyl sold out within about 3 weeks – we didn’t even get a chance to get it out of Sydney. Superpeople is a great night in the CBD involving djs and live jazz musicians. I have played there regularly and enjoy the dynamics of overlaying organic instruments with P.A. sound.

D: What kinds of sounds would you like to explore in future ventures?
M: I would love to work with some live instruments; would like to produce some party hip-hop – who knows??? I will see where my motivation leads me next.

D: Your website was designed by you, correct? All your visual communication and design is really distinctive and original. Why do you choose to do it yourself?
M: It’s important for me to have real and direct input into all visual elements surrounding Meem. It makes it a whole and complete thing. I want people to know that when they find something from Meem, they know that all elements are completely from Meem. It’s about complete artistic expression.

D: Do you find that design and music production are similar processes and if so, how do you think they interrelate?
M: Completely different! I approach art, music and design in completely different ways. I have never worked on film, so I can safely say that each has its own individual process.

D: You started on your musical journey in 1995. What’s in it for you and what keeps you fresh and keen to have a chew?
M: I am still discovering so much about music everyday and I am open to everything that I hear. It would be hard to not stay fresh! I feel that I still have a great deal of exploration and discovery left.

D: This is your chance to tell me anything you feel is interesting about you and your work – go nuts!
M: My aim in music is to present positivity in sound and make people smile. My main goal is to write a classic album – simple as that!

The Big Hoo-Hah is out now.