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Badminton Bandit

Its conception was in the woods, a dark southern forest. Barely any light reaches the canopy floor, where fungal growth thrives in the damp. It was here, many years ago, in a clearing strewn with leaves and various instruments, that Carbuncle came into existence. At first they were like the fungi, thriving on the dark and eerie, and as the years progressed, grew ever upward towards the light and open air.  Carbuncle’s voyage was not undertaken alone. It came at a time when the Perth music community (for there is too much kinship and not nearly enough antagonism for it to be called a scene) had begun to blossom. Countless bands played in backyards, at bowls clubs and bowling alleys and in the musty haven for weird music that was the Hyde Park Hotel (RIP). Everybody knew everybody, everybody carried a torch for everybody else. It was this fervor for the fostering of local talents that inspired David Egan, head honcho of Carbuncle, to usher things into the realm of physicality and history – and establish his own local record label, which he named Badminton Bandit. He has released albums by the psychedelic pilgrims known as Pond, as well as the debut album from long-standing drone ruiners Cease, with much more up his undoubtedly intrinsically-patterned sleeves.

Interview by Tanya De Souza

TDSM: Dave, was there a particular show or moment that made you realise there was something remarkable going on in Perth, enough to want to preserve it by way of recordings?

DE: The realisation definitely came around the time when you and I were working on the Cair Paravel shows together. The concept of having an open house, a blank space to do whatever we wanted with was so thrilling. I got to ask all my favourite bands to come play for free and they were all totally psyched to be doing it. Those parties showed that there were already plenty of amazing artists and musicians around Perth who had interesting ideas and a desire to share them. All they needed was for someone to organise them. I certainly don’t do anything for artists that they couldn’t do themselves, most dudes just need someone to set them a deadline to work to or share some perspective on an idea.

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