Electronic duo Maribou State have quickly earned themselves a reputation for their smooth beats, lush melodies and gorgeous live performances. Comprised of Hertfordshire-born Chris Davids and Liam Ivory, their EPs, remixes and recently-released debut album Portraits have us firmly in love with their seductive, explorative music. They’re set to tour Australia next month, and we’re already counting down the days.
We wanted to learn a bit more about their influences, their musical experiences and their personal loves, so we asked Liam to share three albums that changed his life. We didn’t ask for his favourite, greatest or objectively acclaimed albums, but those which truly mean something to them on a personal level.
The Streets – Original Pirate Material
It’s hard to imagine what my childhood would have sounded like, without the release of Mike Skinner’s seminal debut, Original Pirate Material. For my friends and I, this album soundtracked every bus ride to school, every party and of course every night spent in our friends room playing PlayStation and er… drinking herbal tea. I for one was hooked on Mike’s unique approach to beat making, however looking back now, I imagine that we were, all drawn to his ability to communicate in a voice of his own, about matters that we could almost relate too. Something we had not yet experienced through the hip hop and rap we heard from the States. We still play The Streets tracks out today in our DJ sets and will do for a long time.
The Knife – Silent Shout
The Knife, and this album in particular, was the first musical influence that I really locked onto, and as a result would spend hours trying to emulate their music in my studio. I discovered The Knife when I was studying at college and would bring their recordings and videos into lectures for assessments, as well as writing as many of my essays on the band as possible. The Knife really drove my taste of electronic music further a field, into the weirder and stranger, whilst maintaining a hint of pop sensibility, which is something I’m very grateful for today. It’s a record that I still listen to and I’m always finding new and exciting influences hidden amongst the very familiar songs.
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
This album simply oozes nostalgia, for both Chris and myself. We discovered Justin Vernon’s dulcet LP during our time at University. We had just moved in with two other friends, who we had been in a band together for a number of years, and were desperately trying to ‘make it’ with our music. This album not only inspired many lyrics and melodies of the music we were writing at the time but it also was the chosen sound to every after party and all night gathering. It soothed us into the early hours of the morning and was subsequently used to recover the following day.
[ed note: read our full feature on For Emma, Forever Ago]
Catch Maribou State on tour:
Wednesday 11th November: Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
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Thursday 12th November: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
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Friday 13th November: Shadow Electric, Melbourne
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Saturday 14th November: Rocket Bar, Adelaide
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Sunday 15th November: Garden Party, The Court, Perth
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