Ahead of the ABE SADA/SUB ORDNANCE 12” vinyl review we took time to chat with CAT HOPE:

1: Abe Sada are a collective that has had many members of Perths music scene come through and contribute, can you name some of the people that have played with Abe Sada? How many bassists will be playing at the launch this saturday?

  Abe Sada began when I saw Pex do his solo live bass thing, something I was doing as well, and I asked him if he wanted to be part of a multi bass improv group. Since then the membership has been wide ranging – and international! Here in Perth we have played with Ben Franz, K Ford, Mal Riddoch, Kat Papas, Paul Haimes, Rachael Dease, Ant Gray, Lindsay Vickery, Theodore Bird… There are lots! We did a tour in Japan with a different Japanese bassist in each venue, and in Melbourne Abe Sada members have included Robin Fox, Dave Brown and Bruce Mowson.

2- The track ‘redux’ is 25 bass guitars live in the ‘Spectrum Project Space’, what were some of the guidelines/conditions you asked for when people agreed to play?

Well, there is a score for this one (like all Abe Sada scenario’s) that is included with the record. It gives all the parameters for the  performance: like how long, how low, what to play/not to play, how to set up etc. It comes from the Abe Sada Songbook, which has lots of scores for different places we’ve tried out. You can download the songbook from http://cathope.com/scores/ and try them yourself!!


3: What are some of the differences/challenges of playing live in Abe Sada compared to a more ‘conventional’ act like Gata Negra?

The main challenge is getting venue people to understand not wanting a PA or a stage. Once we overcome that, its ok. But the audience is sometimes not  for that kind of theing either. Without the stage presentation its very likely people don’t know you’ve even started, they think something has gone wrong with the house music. I remember the last time we played at the Bakery, spread around the floor space,  there was someone standing RIGHT in front of me for the whole gig, I mean like 20cm from my face – they had no idea what I was doing there, even though I had a bass guitar in my hands! I used to get very nervous at Gata Negra gigs – remember the lyrics, sing in tune, that whole singing and playing bass multi task challenge (!) - Abe Sada gigs are much more relaxed as you just feel you way through the piece. The only bad thing that can happen is if you can’t hear the others and its hard to find the ending. A short Abe Sada concert is a good one! Its great to see people engage with the off stage idea, and wander around finding different places to listen and watch.

4: Abe Sada have had 2 releases in Japan and a tour there, what was the reaction like to the sound ?

Things go well for us in Japan, but I think we will always be a small, experimental act there. That’s fine – we’ll never be a stadium band that’s for sure! There are so many different approaches to music in Japan, that we fit right in!


5: Abe Sada have played basses in creative and unique ways, also in and around venues. Tell us about some of these, how will the band play the venue this weekend, compared to the way it is on the release.

Well the Songbook has scores for playing in a football field, in corridors, multi room buildings, and even music venues. This one will be the music venue idea. The release however features just under 30 bass players – that play in the art gallery, which was locked, and the audience was outside. The recording is made from a mix of the sound inside the gallery, and some pick ups put on the large glass of the gallery. Outside the gallery you could hear the building vibrate, different parts of it at different parts in the piece, but on the record its really the ‘players perspective’.

I am very keen on retaining ephemeral elements to every concert. If you were there at the concert, you would get the building vibrations – the record is a different kind of document. Though having said that, some people at the show really didn’t understand what they were listening for either, it wasn’t spelt out and they felt we were being ‘exclusionist’ but keeping them out! It did turn into a bit of a pressure chamber in there, not always pleasant. At the launch tho, it wont be anything like that! It will be pleasant for all!