░
░ ▄▄▄
▄▄ ▓██▀▀█
░ ▄▀ ▓▀ █ ▓█▀ █
▄▄▄▄▄ ░░ ▄ ▀ ▀▀▄ ▓█ ▀▄▀ ▄▄▄▄
▄███▓▒▓███▄ ▄▄▄▄█████████▄▄▄▄ ▀▓█▄ ▄▄██████▓▓█████▄▄▄
██▓▒░░▒░░▒▓██ ▄███▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓███▄▄ ▄███▓▒░░░░░░░░░░░░▒▓███▄
██▒░▒░░░░▒░░░█▄ ░▒░░░░░░░▒░░░░░░░░░░▒▓██▄ ░░░░░░▒░░░░▒░░▒░░░░░▒▓██
█▒░░░▒░▒▒▒░▒▒▒█ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒░░░░▒░░░▒▓█▄ ▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒██
█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▒▒▓█ ▒░░░░▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▒░▓█ ▀░░▒░░░░▒░░▒▒░░░░░▒░░░░██
██▓▓▒▓▒▒▓▓▒▓▓██ ░░░▒░░░░██████▓▒░░░▒░░░░▒██ ▒░░░░░▓███▀███▒░░░░░░░▒█▄
██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██ ▄░░░░░░▒░█ ▀▀▀██▒░░▒░░░▓█ ▀░░▓██▀▀ ▄▄▄ ▀█▒░░░░░▒▓▓█
▀███▓▓▓████▀ ▀░░▒░░░░░█ ░ ░░ ▀█▓░░░░░▒██ ░▒██ ▄███▓▒░ ▀█░▒▓████▀▀▀
▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▄▄▄██ █░░░░░▒░██ ▒░░▒░▒ ▀█▒░░▒░░▒█ ░▓█ ▄█▓▓▒▒░░ ███▀▀
▄▄▓████████▓▒░█ █▒░░▒░░░▓█ ▓░▒▓▒▒▓ █▒▒░░░▒██ ▒██ █▓▓▒░ ░ ▀▀
▓████▓▓▓▒▒▒░░░▒█ █▓░▒░▒▒░▒█ █▒▓▓▓█ ▄█▒░░▒░▓█ ▄░█ ▄█▓▒░ ░ AyL
▓█▀ █▒░░░░░░░░█ ▀█░░░░░▒░█ █▓██▀ ▄█▓░▒░░▒██ ░▒█ █▓▓▒░ ░ cRO
▓█▄ █ ▀█░░▒░░░▒░██ █▒░▒░▒░░█ ▀▀ ▄▄██▓▒░░▒░▓█ ▄▒░█ █▓▓▒
▓██▀ █░░░▒░░░░░█ █░▒▒▒▒▒▒█▄████▓▒▒░░▒▒▒▓█▀ ▓░░█ █▓▓▒ ░ ░
█▒░▒░░░░▒░█ █▒▒▒▓▒▒▒▒▓▒▓▒▒▒░▒▒▒░▓██▀ ░▒░▒█ ▀█▓▒░ ░
██▒░░░▒░░▒█ █▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓███▀▀ ▄░▒░▒░██ █▓▒░ ░
█░░▒▒░▒▒░█ ▀█▒▒▓▒▒▒▒▒████▀▀▀▀ ▄▄░▓▒▒▓▒░▒▓█ █▓▒░░ ░░ ▄
░ █░▒░░▒░░▒██ █▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▒█ ▄▄▄███ ██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒█ ▀█▓▒░░ ░ ░░ █████▄▄▄▄
█▒░▒▒▒▓▒░▓█ █▓▒▒▓▒▒▒▒█ ██████▄ █▓▒▒▓▒▒▓▒▓██ ▀█▓▓▒▒░░░ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█▓▄
█▒░▒▓▒▒▒▒▒█ █▓▓▓▒▒▒▓▒█ ▀█▓█▓██ █▓▓▓▒▓▒▒▒▓▓██ ▀███▓▒░ ██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██▀▀█▓
░ █▓▒▒▒▒▓▒▓▒█ █▓▒▓▒▓▒▓▓██ ██▓▓▓█ ██▓▒▓▓▒▒▓▒▓▓██▄▄ ▀▀ ▄▄██▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓█ ▄ ▀█▓
░ ██▒▓▒▓▒▒▓▒█ ▀█▓▓▒▓▒▓▒▓█ █▓█▓██▄ █▓▓▒▒▓▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓██████▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██ ▀▄▓▓▀
█▓▓▒▒▒▓▒▓██ █▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓█ █▓▓▓▓██ ██▓▓▒▓▒▓▓▒▓▒▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▓█ ▀
░ █▒▓▒▓▒▓▓▒▒█ █▓▒▓▓▓▓▓▓█ ██▓▒▓▓█▄ ██▓▓▓▒▓▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓█▀
░ █▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ █▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓█ ▀ ▄ ▀▓▓█▄ ██▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█▀
░ █▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓█ ▀█▓▓▓▓▓▒▓██ █▀█▄ ▒▓█▄ ▀██▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓██▀
░░ ██▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▓▓██ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█▄ ▄▓ ░▓▓▓█▄ ▀▀████▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█▓▓██▀
▄██▓▓▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ █▓▓▓▓█████▓██▓▀ ░ ▒░▒▓▓▓▄▄▄ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀███▓▓▓█▀
▓▀ ▄██▓█▓▓▓████▀ ██▀▀▀▀ ▀▓██ ▀
█▄ ▓█▓▓█▓█▀▀▀ ▀ ▀▓▓█▄██▄
███▓▓█▓▀ ▀▀▓█▓ ▀ ▄
██▓██ ▀█▓▄ ▀▀█
▓█▓▓█ Artist.....[ The Bats ▀████▄█▓
██▓▀ Album......[ At The National Grid ▀▓██
▄ █▓█ █ Label......[ Magic Marker Records █ █▓█ ▄
█▒█▓█▄▀ Catalog #..[ MMR034 ▀▄█▓█▒█
▀█▓█ ░░ ░░ █▓█▀
░█▓█ ░░ ░░ █▓█░
▀▀██ ░ ██▀█ ██▀▀ ██ ██▀▀ ██▀█ ██▀▀ ██▀▀ ██ █▄ █ ██▀▀ ██▀█ ░ ██▀▀
▀▓█ ▓█▄▀ ▓█▀ ▓█ ▓█▀ ▓█▀█ ▀▀▀█ ▓█▀ ▄▄ ▓███ ▓█▀ ▓█ █ █▓▀
▄▄ ▀▓█ ▓█ █ ▓███ ▓███ ▓███ ▓█ █ ▓███ ▓███ ▓█ ▓█ █ ▓█ ▓███ █▓▀ ▄▄
▓█████▓▓█ █▓▓█████▓
▓█▀ ▀▀█▓█▒ Source.....[ CD ▒█▓█▀▀ ▀█▓
▓█▄ ▀▄ ██▓ Genre......[ Indie ▓██ ▄▀ ▄█▓
▓▓█▓▀ ██ Language...[ English ██ ▀▓█▓▓
▀ ▄████ Rip Date...[ 2005-09-18 ████▄ ▀
▄ ▀ ▓█▓ Store Date.[ 2005-09-20 ▓█▓ ▀ ▄
█▀▀ ▄▓█▀ Rip Tool...[ EAC ▀█▓▄ ▀▀█
▓█▄████▀ Encoder....[ LAME 3.90.3 --alt-preset standard ▀████▄█▓
▀█▓▀ Quality....[ 215kbps AVG VBR 44.1/Joint Stereo ▀▓█▀
▄ █▓█▄▓█▓ Url........[ http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/theba ▓█▓▄█▓█ ▄
█▒██▓█▀ ▀█ █▀ ▀█▓██▒█
▀█▓█▀ █ █ ▀█▓█▀
░█▓█ ▀ ▀██▀ ██▀█ ██▀█ ██▀▀ ██ █ ██ ██ ██▀▀ ▀██▀ ▀ █▓█░
▄▀▀██ ▓█ ▓█▄▀ ▓█▀█ ▓█ ▓█▄▀ ▓█ ▄▄ ▀▀▀█ ▓█ ██▀▀▄
▀▓█ ▓█ ▓█ █ ▓█ █ ▓███ ▓█ █ ▓███ ▓█ ▓███ ▓█ █▓▀
▄▄ ▀▓█ █▓▀ ▄▄
▓█████▓▓█ █▓▓█████▓
▓█▀ █▀█▓█▒ ▒█▓█▀█ ▀█▓
▀▀ ██▓ ▓██ ▀▀
█▓ 01 Western Isles 2:49 ▓█
█▓ 02 Horizon 4:43 ▓█
█▓ 03 Hubert 2:11 ▓█
█▓ 04 Bells 3:31 ▓█
█▓ 05 Single File 3:02 ▓█
█▓ 06 Pre War Blues 4:37 ▓█
█▓ 07 The Rays 3:13 ▓█
█▓ 08 Things 2:56 ▓█
█▓ 09 Mir 3:27 ▓█
█▓ 10 Up To The Sky 2:56 ▓█
█▓ 11 We Do Not Kick 2:19 ▓█
█▓ 12 Flowers And Trees 3:57 ▓█
█▓ 13 Crazy Crowd 3:00 ▓█
█▓ ----- ▓█
█▓ 42:41 ▓█
▄███▓ ▓███▄
▄ ▀ ▓█▓ ▓█▓ ▀ ▄
█▀▀ ▄▓█▀ ▀█▓▄ ▀▀█
▓█▄████▀ ▀████▄█▓
▀█▓▀ ▀▓█▀
▄ █▓█▄▓█▓ ▓█▓▄█▓█ ▄
█▒██▓█▀ ▀█ █▀ ▀█▓██▒█
▀█▓█▀ █ ██▀█ ██▀▀ ██ █▄ █ ██▀█ ▀██▀ ██▀▀ ██▀▀ █ ▀█▓█▀
▓█▓█ ▀ ▓█▄▀ ▓█▀ ▓█ ▓█▀█ ▓█ █ ▓█ ▓█▀ -▀▀▀█ ▀ █▓█▓
███ ▓█ █ ▓███ ▓███ ▓█ █ ▓███ ▓█ ▓███ ▓███ ███
▀▓█▄▀ ▀▄█▓▀
▀▓█▄█▀ ▀█▄█▓▀
█░█ That's a 10 years hiatus since the last regular █░█
█░█ The Bats LP. What made The Bats return now? Why █░█
█░█ now? █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Kaye - We started talking about a new album not █░█
█░█ that long after "1000's of Luminous Spheres" █░█
█░█ (2000 Compilation) came out but it took us a █░█
█░█ couple of years to get that happening because Bob █░█
█░█ was busy with The Clean and his solo album, "The █░█
█░█ Creeping Unknown". █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Paul, Malcolm and I busied ourselves in the █░█
█░█ meantime doing Minisnap stuff, lots of gigs and 2 █░█
█░█ EP's ("In My Pocket" 2002, "March Hare" 2004). █░█
█░█ Over Easter 2003 The Bats recorded on 8 track █░█
█░█ analogue then digitised it to continue at home, █░█
█░█ we had made a good start on editing and █░█
█░█ overdubbing when in August we were burgled and █░█
█░█ had to go back to re-digitising and getting a new █░█
█░█ computer. Summer is busy for us, work and family █░█
█░█ wise, so the bulk of it had to wait till the █░█
█░█ following winter (2004) and was finished by last █░█
█░█ Christmas, this year has been artwork, label █░█
█░█ hunting etc and here we are. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Paul - "1000's of Luminous Spheres" contained an █░█
█░█ extra track hence we where still recording. We █░█
█░█ also got together every year for gigs in █░█
█░█ Australia and New Zealand. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ The last LP "Couchmaster" was a bit of a █░█
█░█ departure, what can we expect from the new album, █░█
█░█ the "Couchmaster" sound, "more traditional" The █░█
█░█ Bats sound or something different? █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Kaye - "Couchmaster" was more of a return to █░█
█░█ "Daddy Highway"' and "Law of Things" with The █░█
█░█ Bats producing. This was after extravagant use of █░█
█░█ US producers, expensive studios with the █░█
█░█ resultant pressure of time constraints and █░█
█░█ playing it safe. "Fear of God" and "Silverbeet" █░█
█░█ are still great albums but flawed and "de- █░█
█░█ sparkled" (for the above reasons) New stuff is █░█
█░█ more in the vein of "Couchmaster", don't think █░█
█░█ we'll ever be as hyped/intense again as we were █░█
█░█ on "Fear of God" and "Silverbeet" which were our █░█
█░█ big budget/American producer albums. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ I remember going back the next day to listen █░█
█░█ after recording the rhythm tracks for █░█
█░█ "Silverbeet", we thought there was something █░█
█░█ wrong with the machine because it sounded way too █░█
█░█ fast. We had played them at breakneck speed █░█
█░█ because we were so uptight in the studio so we █░█
█░█ had to do it all again and it's still pretty █░█
█░█ speedy, I heard that album recently and really █░█
█░█ enjoyed it but had to have a wee nap afterwards. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Is it the same four The Bats? Who is on vocal █░█
█░█ duties/song writing duties? Who else (if any) is █░█
█░█ featuring, producer? When was the LP recorded? █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Paul - The new album features the same line-up - █░█
█░█ mostly Robert's songs but with studio jams █░█
█░█ evolving into tracks and one of my songs. We got █░█
█░█ Alistair Galbraith to play violin on a couple of █░█
█░█ tracks which was much wilder than last time █░█
█░█ (which was in 1988 on "Law of Things") and sounds █░█
█░█ cool, Paul has played more guitar this time, he █░█
█░█ has a much looser style than Kaye or I and it █░█
█░█ really takes off on tracks like "Mir", "Hubert" █░█
█░█ and "Flowers and Trees". Production was mostly █░█
█░█ myself but input from all and help initially in █░█
█░█ the studio from John Kelcher. █░█
█░█ Initial studio session for the album was Easter █░█
█░█ 2003, all the rest done over the next year and a █░█
█░█ half at home. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ The songs on the new LP, have these been █░█
█░█ collected over the 10 years of are they more █░█
█░█ recent affairs? █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Paul - Bob had a couple of weeks of intensive █░█
█░█ song writing once we had settled on the recording █░█
█░█ dates and sent us a whole lot, the Christchurch █░█
█░█ contingent chose some to work on and that makes █░█
█░█ up most of the new CD. There were also a couple █░█
█░█ from old stock that we had wanted to do and a few █░█
█░█ that were born in the studio and one of Kaye's. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ How do you think writing now compares with █░█
█░█ writing say in your early twenties? █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Paul - Bob might be better to answer this one but █░█
█░█ don't think it's changed hugely. More are █░█
█░█ finished arranged songs from Robert and Kaye █░█
█░█ though these days. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Back then they had an element of chance as we all █░█
█░█ learnt how to play our instruments and we all █░█
█░█ played a larger part in the song development - █░█
█░█ still learning and leaving some room to capture █░█
█░█ the valued elements through chance and █░█
█░█ improvisation █░█
▄▄ █▒█ █▒█ ▄▄
▓█▓▓██▓█▒ ▒█▓██▓▓█▓
▓█▀ ▄ ▀██▓ ▓██▀ ▄ ▀█▓
▓█▄█ ▀██░ ░██▀ █▄█▓
▀▀ ▄████░ ░████▄ ▀▀
▄ ▀ ▓█▓ ▓█▓ ▀ ▄
█▀▀ ▄▓█▀ ▀█▓▄ ▀▀█
▓█▄████▀ ▀████▄█▓
▀█▓▀ ██▀▀ ██▀█ ██▀▀ ██▀▀ ▀██▀ ██▀▀ ▀▓█▀
▄ █▓█▄▓█▓ ▓█ █ ▓█▄▀ ▓█▀ ▓█▀ ▓█ ▀▀▀█ ▓█▓▄█▓█ ▄
█▒██▓█▀ ▀█ ▓███ ▓█ █ ▓███ ▓███ ▓█ ▓███ █▀ ▀█▓██▒█
▀█▓█▀ █ █ ▀█▓█▀
░█▓█ ▀ ▀ █▓█░
▄▀▀██ 1way AMOK BCC BUTT CMS EGO ██▀▀▄
▀▓█ ESC FNT FTD gF HiT2000 iTS █▓▀
▄▄ ▀▓█ JUST MTD NuHS pyt rH RNS SDR █▓▀ ▄▄
▓▓█████▓▄ SER soup SSR twee UKi WUS ▄▓█████▓▓
▓▓█▀ ▀▓▓█ █▓▓▀ ▀█▓▓
▀▓█▄ ▄ ▓██▄ ▄██▓ ▄ ▄█▓▀
▀▓█▀ ▓██▄ ▀▀▄ ▄▀▀ ▄██▓ ▀█▓▀
░ ▓████▄▄█▄ ▄ ▄ ▄█▄▄████▓ ░
▒▄ ▀▓▓█████████▄▄▄▄█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█▄▄▄▄█████████▓▓▀ ▄▒
▀ ░▓█▄ ▀▀▓▓▓█▓▓▓███▓▓▓▓███▓█████▓█████▓███▓▓▓▓███▓▓▓█▓▓▓▀▀ ▄█▓░ ▀
▄ ▒▓███▄▄▄▄ ▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄ ▄▄▄▄███▓▒ ▄
▄ ░▒▓▓▓▓▓█▄▄▄██▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀██▄▄▄█▓▓▓▓▓▒░ ▄
▄ ░▒▓█████████▓▒░ ASCii By AyL!cRO 2oo5 ░▒▓█████████▓▒░ ▄
▄▄▄ ░▒▓████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄████▓▒░ ▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄