Compost Theory

If you are interested in previewing or purchasing tracks from our new debut album ’Ten Minutes ..til Now’ please click on the iTunes link below which will launch your iTunes application.
Compost Theory are Ivan Hayld and Dub Advocate . We produce music to help relax the listener and recycle thoughts and emotions. Although we are big fans of musical styles such as Dub, Reggae, Jazz, Dance, and Electronica we try to borrow ideas from these styles rather than to make each song easily identifiable as being from a particular genre. Youll find riffs in our music that may be inspired by Brian Eno , Toots and the Maytals , Sly and Robbie , or even The Monks for example but it’s just a hint. It’s our way of saying You are great artists who inspired us and we thank you for your influence on our lives.
If our music reminds you of something else and inspires you to spend a few hours going through old cds or records then all the better. It’s our way of saying maybe there’s a lot of great music out there that is seriously worth a listen even though it might be considered old. Don’t fall for the line that newer is always better.
In the context of Compost Theory we try to combine our own original sounds (live percussion and bass for example) with found objects as well as playing with lots of effects. We try to blur the line between electronically produced music and music generated by more traditional musical instruments. We also respect dj culture although once again we try only to give a hint of it in our own music.
Dub Advocate has a background in theatre and always preferred the “behind the scenes” production side of live performance so after arriving back ‘down under’ after many years traveling he developed his skills as a writer/producer. Dub Advocate has since worked in professional audio production and has promoted, DJ’d and played percussion at many music based events including The Big Day Outs’ Boiler Room in Sydney.
Ivan has a background in large studio recording, composition, programming and arranging. He has always been into electronic music, buying his first Synth (a Korg Mono-Poly) in 1982. He studied Music Concrete and electronic music when he was younger and has since produced artists in the rock and dance music world as well as working as a session musician and programmer/arranger.
It seems that much avant-garde music requires a great deal of concentration from the listener. Forms of art that require this intellectual investment are extremely important to the development of new directions and ideas, however, that’s not what Compost Theory are trying to achieve. We prefer to let the listener relax into our music. There’s more in there if you want to look for subtext and so called deeper meaning but we don’t want to hit people over the head with our ideas. At least not all of the time ;-) We’re not trying to surf the furthest reaches of musical experimentation. We just hope people relax and chill-out to Compost Theory in whatever way feels natural.

We have just finished our debut album Ten Minutes..til Now, a mix of electronica, dub, and jazz with big bassy grooves. Rather than being tied to a certain genre Ten Minutes ..til Now is about exploring what 5AM means to the listener. 5AM can be a time, a place, or a state of mind. A semi-conscious state. A state of mind in which we recycle our thoughts and emotions. Not quite here, not quite there. Five seconds from anywhere, but Ten Minutes ‘til Now.