Vital Statistics

As excited as we are over all the new guitar bands emerging from these shores at the moment, it pays not to forget that it isn’t the full picture. From Jape to Little Drummer Boy to the WONKY collective, the electronica scene is also flourishing. One of its leading lights is Tim O’Donovan, aka Neosupervital, a purveyor of an exquisite line in classy electro pop.

“I’d drummed in various bands over the years, most recently Settler and Bell X1,” he explains, “and I just began writing my own stuff. Initially I was racking my brains to see who I could use as musicians, but I ended up doing it all myself on a PC at home, recording-wise anyway. Musically I gravitated to those sorts of sounds over guitars. Certainly, for the moment, keyboard sounds are more satisfying to me than electric sounds.”
Did he find that the experience of being a solo electronica performer was that different to life as part of a band? “If nothing else, it’s easier to cart yourself around, rather than with five other members of a group. It’s not to say that being in a band isn’t enjoyable, I do love it. But this was just another aspect to making music that I wanted to try.”
That experiment has proved a huge success, firstly with last year’s Use What You Got mini album and now with its follow-up, Focus. He’s also become a regular fixture on the live circuit. “It’s nice, because I’ve supported punk bands, I did singer songwriter nights at the Ruby Sessions, I played with Jaga Jazzist at the Village. I can turn up and play anywhere, really.”
Despite the nature of his music, Tim is not the dance head that you might expect. “I rarely go to clubs, I much prefer house parties where you can choose your own music. They’re a lot less formal and serious. Maybe it’s the age I’m at, but I’m all clubbed out. Nothing really interests me in that regard at the moment. But I do buy a lot of electronic music.”
The musical process that has led to the two albums has likewise been quite unconventional. “Everything I’ve done up to now has been written on an acoustic guitar or a piano. It just so happens that they’re recorded in an electronic way. Underneath it all, there are songs.”
From an outsider’s perspective at least, it would appear that many of those operating in this field are more computer programmers than musicians.
“I would tend to agree with you there. I’m not a fan of watching people who just open up a laptop on stage. For all you know they could be emailing their friends or playing Quake. I like to see people do something in real time rather than just pushing faders and triggering samples. There is a place for that, but if you’re going to call it a live gig, then that’s what it should be. Plenty of people would disagree though – they would say they’re representing the music and that’s what it is.”
If Tim is sure of one thing, it’s that he won’t be heading down any musical blind alley.
“I wouldn’t limit myself to anything. I love when people do different things, like when the Kings Of Convenience got people in to remix their album. It’s like doing cover versions: you can attack a song from all angles with all different instruments.”

Focus is out now on Richview Recordings