Base Detail are one of the few new bands around capable of making new and innovative rock music. Like all bands Base Detail began by performing covers, but when Joel played the opening riff of "Whispers" it became painfully apparent that playing covers would not satisfy their desire to create new and interesting music.
Guitarist Joel Posthuma De Boer said, "We don't want to simply copy or recreate any one else..s music; that would be an insult to our fans and ourselves. We want to create something different, something people have never heard before. That's our goal."
As a result, their songs are complex, unorthodox, experimental and set apart from the flock; their kinetic approach sees their sound and lyrical content continually evolve. The music is both intellectual and ambitious, ever changing and developing in the process, and manages to elude being categorised by clumsy, fictitious labels.
Vocalist Liam Trubshaw added, "We don't want to be tied down to any specific genre or label, we just want to create music that is as unique and honest as it can be. Today..s music industry is so fragmented and fractured, and we don..t want to compromise our creative freedom to simply fit in anyone..s category. We want the music to speak for itself."
All hailing from Wolverhampton in the heart of the Black Country, Liam, Joel, Adam and James grew to be firm friends before music was even considered. It is this foundation of friendship that has become an integral part of the line up; that closeness and trust is just as important as musical ability. Since their inception in 2003 they have formed a tight musical unit, becoming more competent and mature the further they evolve.
Joel said, "Melody is such an important aspect of our music, and there are many melodies and counter melodies that are not evident on the first listen. The music is very dense and multi-layered, and the more you listen to it the more you will be rewarded. We feel that our music is mature, intelligent and holds integrity, and we don't want compromise that."
From the opening guitar melodies of "Dandalion", which are delicate and beautiful to the intense riffing of "Whispers" their multi-layered songwriting follows no formula. With complex counter melodies that are both subtle and possessive and diaphanous vocals, expressive one moment then aggravated the next, they have the rare ability to turn sonic chaos into a multifaceted work of dark beauty.
Accordingly, the lyrical content is just as dark and complex as the music, taking on many different layers of meaning. Liam said, "Sometimes it can be very challenging to balance objective and subjective viewpoints, so the lyrics can be quite ambiguous at times, but there are still levels of emotion that people can relate to." He went on to add, "I don..t think people should be sheltered from difficult or unsettling subject matter. They should be free to determine the meaning themselves."
Base Detail excel in the live environment, and without all the gadgets and trickery of a studio, it is where they define themselves as an organic band. Bassist, James Thomas said, "It's more challenging to perform live because there is just the four of us and we have to win over the audience. We don't have the luxury of complex effects and high production values; all we have to rely on is the chemistry that exists between us."
The only real ideology that Base Detail maintain is the effort to create music that sounds different, whether people like it or not, and their level of achievement can be measured by how high they set the bar for themselves.
"Base Detail are the vanguard of the progressive, alternative movement that has been missing from the English music scene." - Kevyn Gammond, M.A.S. Records.
