Minimum Chips
Encyclopedia
Minimum Chips are an Australia
n band formed in Brisbane
in the mid-1990s. During their Brisbane years they supported many international acts including Stereolab
, Bikini Kill
and Pavement
. Their first release was a split 7" single on Chapter Records with Perth-based band Molasses which featured Guy Blackman of Chapter Music (and Salty and Delicious zine) and eventual bassist in early in 2000. They followed this with the Blip 7", the Alastair Galbraith
Australian tour split 7" and the Swish CD EP. Swish featured their signature song 'Furniture'. They relocated to Melbourne
in the late 1990s and continued to support many international acts. Their first release for Melbourne-based Trifekta Records was the Freckles mini-album which featured the vocals of Pat Ridgewell of cult Brisbane band Small World Experience. In 2002 Chapter Records released a CD compilation of the early 7"s and the Swish EP as well as a couple of other tracks that were released elsewhere (such as on the Asparagus Milkshake compilation cassette).
Their influences are varied and include 60s film soundtracks ('Sunny Spot' from Gardenesque contains portions of Les Caids from French composer Francois de Roubaix
) and French pop, indie rock and krautrock
. Using a small but effective palette of instruments from guitar, bass and drums to Yamaha Electone organ, trombone and glockenspiel, Minimum Chips have managed to achieve a cult following in Australia. Recent releases such as Gardenesque and Sound Asleep show further musical progression and exploration into more complicated structures while still retaining their evocative, intimate and eclectic sound.
Guy Blackman of Chapter Music/Sleepy Township
played bass in Minimum Chips until departing for Japan, when he was replaced by Turner. He has since rejoined the band after Turner's departure for China.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n band formed in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in the mid-1990s. During their Brisbane years they supported many international acts including Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
, Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill was an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in October 1990. The group consisted of vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band is widely considered to be the pioneer of the riot grrrl movement,...
and Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
. Their first release was a split 7" single on Chapter Records with Perth-based band Molasses which featured Guy Blackman of Chapter Music (and Salty and Delicious zine) and eventual bassist in early in 2000. They followed this with the Blip 7", the Alastair Galbraith
Alastair Galbraith
Alastair Galbraith is a musician from Dunedin, New Zealand.Galbraith's first band was The Rip, which he formed with Robbie Muir, and Mathew Ransome and later Jeff Harford . They released two EPs on the Flying Nun label...
Australian tour split 7" and the Swish CD EP. Swish featured their signature song 'Furniture'. They relocated to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in the late 1990s and continued to support many international acts. Their first release for Melbourne-based Trifekta Records was the Freckles mini-album which featured the vocals of Pat Ridgewell of cult Brisbane band Small World Experience. In 2002 Chapter Records released a CD compilation of the early 7"s and the Swish EP as well as a couple of other tracks that were released elsewhere (such as on the Asparagus Milkshake compilation cassette).
Their influences are varied and include 60s film soundtracks ('Sunny Spot' from Gardenesque contains portions of Les Caids from French composer Francois de Roubaix
François de Roubaix
François de Roubaix was a French film score composer....
) and French pop, indie rock and krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
. Using a small but effective palette of instruments from guitar, bass and drums to Yamaha Electone organ, trombone and glockenspiel, Minimum Chips have managed to achieve a cult following in Australia. Recent releases such as Gardenesque and Sound Asleep show further musical progression and exploration into more complicated structures while still retaining their evocative, intimate and eclectic sound.
Current members
- Nicole Thibault
- Julian Patterson
- Ian Wadley
- Ellen Turner
Guy Blackman of Chapter Music/Sleepy Township
Sleepy Township
Sleepy Township was an indie pop band which was formed in Perth in 1994 as a side project by Guy Blackman , Mia Schoen , and Paul Williams . The band moved the following year to Melbourne, Australia, with Gorman replacing Williams. Alison Bolger joined the group on bass in 1998...
played bass in Minimum Chips until departing for Japan, when he was replaced by Turner. He has since rejoined the band after Turner's departure for China.
Releases
- Minimum Chips/ Molasses split 7" (Chapter Music, 1995)
- Blip 7" (Chapter MusicChapter MusicChapter Music is one of Australia's longest-running independent record labels. It was founded by Guy Blackman in Perth in June 1992, after a few issues of a Syd Barrett inspired fanzine called Chapter 24, that Blackman started in October 1990, when he was seventeen...
, 1996) - Minimum Chips/ Alastair Galbraith split 7" (Varispeed, 1997)
- Swish EP (Varispeed, 1997)
- Freckles EP (TrifektaTrifektaTrifekta is the name of an Australia based independent record label, based in Fitzroy, Victoria. It was started in 1997 by Tom Larnach-Jones , Tim Everest and Paul 'Presser' Towner ....
, 2000) - Portfolio CD (retrospective compilation) (Chapter MusicChapter MusicChapter Music is one of Australia's longest-running independent record labels. It was founded by Guy Blackman in Perth in June 1992, after a few issues of a Syd Barrett inspired fanzine called Chapter 24, that Blackman started in October 1990, when he was seventeen...
, 2002) - Gardenesque EP (TrifektaTrifektaTrifekta is the name of an Australia based independent record label, based in Fitzroy, Victoria. It was started in 1997 by Tom Larnach-Jones , Tim Everest and Paul 'Presser' Towner ....
, 2003) - Sound Asleep EP (Sound Malfunction, 2004)
- Kitchen Tea Thankyou (Trifekta, 2005)
- Lady Grey (Moteer Records, 2006)