Last autumn, Hot Press teamed up with Dublin-based NDT Productions and the students of the city’s Sound Training Centre in a bid to bring you Genre Free, a free download album of the best and brightest Ireland has to offer.

The response was overwhelming, with over 500 bands and artists submitting their work in the hopes of making the cut. Such was the calibre of entries on display, narrowing it down was never going to be easy. Add in Genre Free’s unique twist – each selected act gets to lay down not one, but two tracks – and the task became even trickier.
Nonetheless, it’s a good complaint to have, as such a concept can only yield strong results. Producer Dave ‘Skippy’ Christophers (Mundy, Josh Ritter, Whipping Boy) and his dedicated team at NDT have come up trumps with the final line-up, choosing six very different acts to create the perfect eclectic mix. Those illustrious names? Indie popsters The Dirty 9’s, funk-rock-rap hybrid The Fibbs, propulsive duo Kid Karate, avant-garde artistes Frederick And The Golden Dawn, soulful songstress Izzy and Limerick groove rockers Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters.
“The quality of the bands is astonishing,” beams Christophers as he enjoys a brief moment of downtime at Temple Bar’s Apollo Studios, where much of the recording has taken place. “I have been so pleasantly surprised by this process. It’s been a real eye-opener. Bands like Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters, the way they have approached this recording has been phenomenal. They’ve given it 100%.
“I think a lot of acts are realising today that when you get an opportunity like this, you really have to grab it with both hands. There’s a real hunger in the six acts and it’s been lovely to see them trying to get the best out of this chance.”
In the case of Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters, it was their first time working with a recognised producer, despite having already released two EPs and last year’s accomplished full length The Devil In Music.
“The students at the Sound Training Centre have been great but working with Skip has been quite a treat,” enthuses sticksman Shane Serrano. “He became like an honorary fifth member. He just gave us so many ideas and suggestions and it was very, very comfortable to work with him.”
Genre Free’s two-track-per-artist conceit also gave the Hunters the chance to go back to the well and reconfigure some old material. One song in particular, ‘King Amongst Fools’, has undergone a complete makeover, the recording process benefitting the track hugely, adding new instrumentation and depth to proceedings.
“We’ve had one hell of a year, releasing The Devil In Music and gigging in places like Canada, but this has been great,” continues Shane. “It’s given us a new outlook on our songwriting process and coming up to album number two, it’s really given us a kick-start in that direction.”
Christophers is quick to hail the album concept, believing it to be highly beneficial for both the acts and the students working alongside them.
For him, it makes more sense to get fully involved with six bands rather than getting half-involved with 12. It’s gone some way in establishing the unique tone of the record too, with a genuine sense of identity present throughout. In the case of Dublin noisemakers Kid Karate, Genre Free acts as a preview of sorts, with ‘Louder’, a typically frenetic number from their forthcoming debut album, set to feature.
“Some of the bands have multi-faceted personalities and they have a few distinct characteristics to their tones,” explains NDT’s Thom McDonnell.
“It’s nice to be able to showcase multiple sides of the acts all the way through. It’s exciting for them to be able to show as much of themselves as possible. If they were to try and pick one song, they might pick one that may not be their personal favourite but rather an audience’s favourite. With a couple of choices, they can go, ‘Well, this is the one that we’re excited and fired up about and this is the one that we think other people will get excited about.’”
“It’s been easy working with these acts because they’re so passionate,” enthuses Christophers. “It is a two-way street. Our ethos is that you’ve got to be able to try anything once, then live with it for a while and see how you feel. If a song requires something, then let’s explore that.”
If Genre Free is anything to go by, the mission is accomplished.

Genre Free will be available for free download exclusively from hotpress.com in May. Stay tuned to hotpress.com for details of the special launch gig. For more information on NDT Productions and the Sound Training Centre, visit ndtproductions.org and soundtraining.com.