Blowtorch Records Podcast Blowtorch Records

What a delight to talk to Rob Flynn aka Rob Rua in episode 53 of the Blowtorch Records podcast. Rob is our guide to all things heavy bass and his passion, which was ignited by the arrival of dubstep in the 00s, shines through.

With no less than four record labels (Rua, Spheres, Foxy Jangle and latest Ar Ais Arís) and a thriving club night in Galway, we were lucky to pin him down for an hour!

The brilliant artwork for this episode is by DJ Egg. The opening track is Laced Up by Doubt from the new Ar Ais Arís Volume 1 release on their Bandcamp page.

Ar Ais Arís - Big soundsystems. Big energy. Small safe spaces.
Run by Alannah, Hannah, Robin & Rob

Ar Ais Arís Bandcamp
Ar Ais Arís Instagram
DJ Egg Instagram

Michael Smyth from Belfast's Virgins guides us track by track through the band's debut album nothing hurt and everything was beautiful.

Virgins have quickly become one of Ireland's most promising bands, flying the flag for Irish shoegaze since their sold out and critically acclaimed debut EP transmit a little heaven in 2023.

The eagerly anticipated debut album  is out now digitally and on a pressing of 300 starburst vinyl. The album finds the band exploring a wider sonic palette, seamlessly moving between the gaze-pop of first single slowly long and disappearer, to the dance influenced softer and the heavy, expansive and ethereal pale fire and tend.

Virgins Instagram
Buy vinyl
Dublin launch gig
Belfast launch gig

Virgins on this album were Michael Smyth, Rebecca Dow, David Sloan, James Foy and Brendy McCann. It was recorded at 1980 studios with producer/mixer Jonny Woods and mastered by Jon Moorehead at Moosetronix Mastering.

Here at Blowtorch Records we love a deep dive and episode 51 is devoted to the divine sounds of The Swedish Railway Orchestra's new album Once Upon A Time...

Rob Smith is the man behind the project and he is our guide as we go through the album track by track and hear the influences and inspirations behind the project as a whole and the tracks individually.

The vinyl album is available here 

Tracks played are:

The Chelsea Hotel 
Forever And A Day 
You'll Never Take Me Alive 
Obelisco 
Once Upon A Time In Palestine 
I Saw The City 
People Will Let You Down 
Motions Of The Tone 
Circus 

Seabass Vinyl is Scotland's first ever, and currently only, vinyl pressing plant. As vinyl is our favourite obsession there's no better subject for the half century of Blowtorch podcasts than Seabass co founder Dave Harvey.

Dave and his wife Dominique have setup a state of the art pressing plant 20km from Edinburgh which aims not only to deliver short vinyl runs to up and coming bands (and Taylor Swift if she asks nicely) but also be the most sustainable facility in the world.

We pressed our recently released Swedish Railway Orchestra album with Seabass and were delighted with the result. So here's our chat covering everything you wanted to know about vinyl production but were afraid to ask.

Mentioned in the podcast:

Seabass Vinyl website
Seabass Vinyl Instagram
Fish on a Friday podcast
Indicator Records
Stamper Discs
Barry Grint mastering
Calum Malcolm audio

One away from the half century episode and we are chatting to Kyle Thornton, the frontman from Mayo/Galway trio, and contender for loudest band in Ireland, Nerves.

Fresh from a triumphant continental debut in Paris and with recent single Empty garnering rave reviews, Kyle is in fine form. He charts the band's trajectory, from meeting drummer Adam aged 12 to adding bass (and flute?) maestro Charlie in college to now being on the cusp of releasing their debut EP on vinyl. And being recognised as one of the most devastating live acts in the country.

With debut EP Glórach being released in March, 2024 is going to be Nerves' breakthrough year.

Links mentioned in the podcast

The Tracks Society Paris backstage podcast

CR's video vaults

Glórach vinyl pre order

Nerves on Instagram

Nerves on Spotify

The Savage Hearts is the new project of Evan Walsh, former drummer of The Strypes. Episode 48 finds us chatting with him deep in the Cavan countryside as he casts his mind back to his formative musical experiences and influences; and brings us right up to date with the imminent release of The Savage Hearts' debut vinyl single Gang War/Speed Kills.

Evan is passionate, enthusiastic and all about the music. Listen as he tells us about how he nearly missed out on The Letterman Show; his Dr Feelgood obsession; how for him Cavan is the Canvey Island of Ireland; find out who Eddie Cruizer is, and get the inside scoop on new single Gang War.

Links

Vinyl pre order

The Savage Hearts on Spotify

The Savage Hearts on Insta