Electronic duo I Am The Cosmos ready for road
Groove Tube with Jimi McDonnell – [email protected]
Electronic music duo I Am The Cosmos play a free show in Róisín Dubh next Thursday, March 22. Founding members Ross Turner and Cian Murphy have pared back their live show, going from having five musicians onstage to just themselves. The guitars are gone, but Ross and Cian still aim to put on a good gig.
“It’s much more like a club experience than it used to be,” Cian explains. “Hopefully it’s as enjoyable as the old shows. Obviously, it’s a lot more affordable and compact. It makes it a lot easier to go to places like Cork and Galway. We’re trying to capitalise on that and be as active as we can, this year especially. We’re taking the show to as many people as possible.”
Cian and Ross will be playing a variety of instruments between them, as he outliines.
“I use a synthesiser called the Roland Juno 106,” he says. “It’s been our trusty synthesiser since we started. I also use a bass synthesiser called a Moog Minotaur, which is a lot of fun as well. That’s really my set-up. Ross then uses a 404 sampler, a drum machine and a sequencer. That will add live drum loops and effects like reverb.”
Is there ever a chance that some of these electronic instruments can act up onstage?
“I suppose there always is!” Cian says. “We’re pretty well drilled at this stage, purely because it’s the two of us. Obviously, we know the songs inside out and you remove the risk of relying on people who aren’t as familiar with the songs, and nailing their cues.”
Last year, I Am The Cosmos released the catchy track Nothing But Love, which features Galwegian Maria Somerville on vocals. They added her impressive voice to the song to give it another layer.
“We’ve been pals with Maria for a while, just from being involved in music in Dublin,” Cian says of their collaboration. “The song that she features on, Ross felt that his vocal was lacking another dimension to it. Because Maria’s a great singer and musician, she was the first person we thought of.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.