Part Chimp: Monkey Business

You’ve no doubt heard of the infinite monkey theorem, where a monkey, a typewriter and a length of time spanning the age of the universe could conceivably produce the complete works of William Shakespeare. With the flakiest of simian connections, The Skinny undertook the slightly more modest project of punting some probing questions to London noiseniks Part Chimp ahead of the release of their third album, ambitiously titled Thriller, and awaiting their replies. Thankfully this took days rather than millennia, yet the quality was impeded not one bit.

In the current musical climate, the first question inevitably references the recently deceased ‘King of Pop’. “I do feel it's a bit hot to be releasing this record right now,” admits frontman Tim Cedar on the topic of whether he has any qualms of the album's title. “Hopefully come September it will have cooled down a bit and we can crack on with things in a bit more of a comfortable atmosphere.” Drummer Jon Hamilton is less diplomatic, however. “Qualms? Fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke!” However, guitarist Ian Hinchliffe takes a more mathematical approach. “I worked this out. I reckon we will sell somewhere around 0.00005% of what MJ's Thriller sold. We of course don't have the Faberge Egg habit to support that he did.”

Thriller as an album itself, though, seems a fair bet to swell the ranks of the Chimp army, if not quite to the stratospheric proportions enjoyed by Jacko. Opening gambit Trad reveals a more classic rock template and though you may have heard the riff a dozen times before, it’s somehow still as fresh and incisive as a newly unpackaged scalpel. “Trad is about as classic as we could get it, hence the title,” admits Cedar. “It was a bit of a piss-take on a lot of the 'stoner' bands around at the moment... but it turned out great.”

“Classic heavy rock is cool with me,” says Hinchliffe of the description. “Genres or suchlike don't usually come up during the writing process. Things just end up the way they end up depending on mood or how knackered everyone is at practice after work.” Cedar sums up the general feeling: “The guy that recorded us, Heironymous, is an extremely classic rock kind of guy. And so are we.”

However, when probed about their move away from the occasional post-rock moments of their previous work, the chat turns hairy. “Umm... get fucked!” responds Hamilton to the accusation. “You're gonna have to convince me on the other records having post-rock bits... unless you're referring to our ten minute drone epic on Cup? I guess that might pass as post-rock. The working title for that one was 'helpwe'returningintomogwai’.”

Joining the male Chimps on album three is female bassist Tracy Bellaries. “It's been fairly stable bar bass players,” says Hamilton, suggesting that Bellaries' transition to the tribe has been a smooth one: “I think we're settled at the moment. Tracy's a good addition to the Chimp – we were all comfortable with her really quickly.” However, Cedar suggests he'll be keeping her on her toes. “Bass players are unpredictable beasts, but that's their charm,” he says. “I think it is very important to have a different bass player for each album.”

With that we can assume that Part Chimp are not likely to rest on their laurels, and there will be no doubt of their skill when Thriller lands in September. A UK tour will coincide with the release, providing the opportunity to find out just how loud these mothers can crank it in the live arena. Cedar is nevertheless playfully ambiguous about their decibel level, claiming they are “not loud enough, maybe too loud.” Thankfully Hinchliffe is a little more descriptive. “The volume is part of the Part Chimp experience,” he states matter-of-factly. “We've had exploded eardrums, people blacking out, someone being sick, and one lady claiming a 'special' moment due to the volume. That makes me fairly satisfied.”

Cedar goes on to explain the band's blueprint in the studio, and it seems crooning is still overrated at camp Chimp. “Vocals have never been that high in the mix on any of our albums,” he says. “Part Chimp have always been more of a sonic element than a vocal statement. It's the same live.” Hamilton embellishes things further: “Tim doesn't like singing and is rather self-conscious about his lyrics. I fully sympathise with this. I don't want to write lyrics or sing them either.”

It’s a somewhat similar, guarded approach to vocals that Mogwai – whose Rock Action label Part Chimp have been with since their first 12" – have also conceded. True to claims, Cedar reveals that the label is a rather casual affair. “I don't actually remember signing anything,” he claims when asked about the comfort of being with a record label in these times. “It was more of a gentleman's ‘argument’.” “There ain't no signing to it,” concurs Hamilton. “We want to record something and they make it happen money-wise. It's nice that somebody cares enough to want other people to hear us.”

However, it seems modesty runs a streak through the diligent label's masters. “Compared to the way we run Part Chimp, it's a well-oiled machine. I have no qualms,” says Cedar. “I did hear that they actually use real monkeys as interns though.”

They’re everywhere, those damn dirty apes, and from where we're sitting it looks like Part Chimp are leading the revolution.