Testimonials and Reviews
- Ernie O
- Jan 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 16
What those in the know are saying about Ernie O and his Urban Fringe Compound
Stu and the Connections - Crawling Back to You (May 2024)
Recorded at Stu Stu Studio in 2023, the album features great production thanks to Stuart Wilson's own recording prowess combined with the mixing and mastering skills of Ernie O at his Urban Fringe Compound, "Crawling Back to You" is filled with infectious hooks and memorable melodies offsetting Stu's personal tales.
Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier
(Mixed and mastered by Ernie O at his Urban Fringe Compound)
"I guess this is an album that exists against all odds. The fact that its creation involved multiple players from across different locations and a ridiculously small amount of studio time would tend to lean towards suspicions of a more piecemeal offering.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Let's look at the strengths of Dog Soldier. Firstly, Chris is probably singing better than he ever has. The songs have a poppy '70s America hard rock sound. The sort of sound you'd stumble over in the more obscure corners of that old "Midnight Special" television show.
I searched around the back corners of my head trying to nail down some comparison. Even one of those dumb "such and such meets some other guys" things. I was fairly pleased to realise I couldn't.
This is a throwback to the glory days when people tried, for good or ill, to do their own thing. In my book, you earn points just for doing that.
Lyrically, Chris has also dropped the poisonous barbs towards ex-bandmates (unless he's hiding them so deep down that I can't spot them). Spite, of course, can be a driving force for creativity but it's probably better for this album that the hatchet is buried anywhere other than someone else's back.
Instead, Chris returns to the roots of American Gothic and Noir tales. The realm of "Death by the Gun" and "Didn't Tell the man." There's also a flirtation with the Carny Midway without stooping to Cave's Biblical indulgences. The album has a time and a place; a mid-twentieth century imagined America where the world really was a television.
Overall, this is a rock-solid release worth all of its five stars."
Bob Short
Pillbox NYC - Calling from Nowhereland: Live in Vancouver 1994
(Audio restoration and mastering by Ernie O at his Urban Fringe Compound)
"… let’s go back to New York Fucking City three decades ago and Pillbox sounded like so much that was around at the time yet nothing like anything else. Few remnants of the Lower East Side musical culture of the ‘70s remained intact; like toothpaste in a battered tube, it had been squeezed out by gentrification and high rents and was clinging to the edges of the cap, all crusty and dried out.
Like venues CBGB and Coney Island High, Pillbox hung in there. Powered by ex Motorcycle Boy member Mr Ratboy’s ballsy guitar-work and the character-laden vocal of Chris Barry (39 Steps), they were a little Thundersesque and a dash Dolls-y, but went beyond those influences with an engine room of Joe Rizzo (The Waldos, Jane County) on drums and Steve Mach on bass that possessed genuine swing.
On to the CD and it’s an audience recording, so don’t expect the full audiophile experience. Once the soundie sorts him/herself out, the quality isn’t half bad and it’s been tweaked by the ubiquitous sonic wiz, Ernie O, at his Secret Compound outside Melbourne, Australia.
“We’re here to rock your world”, Chris Barry tells the audience and he’s positively a chatterbox as the band bumps and grinds its nimble way through a nine-song set, peppered by classics like the soaring “Get Hip” and the gritty and grim “Come Up Heroin”.
There’s some scorching Ratboy guitar (cf. the psychedelic “Sister Caroline”) and lots of reverb. The set’s well-paced, ending on a high-note with a surging “What She Wants”. It doesn’t need Dobly (sic) to sound real.
The ace in the hole, however, is the ’92 demo tracks (all nine of ‘em) which were presumably preparation for the album. Naturally, there’s less polish than on “Jimbo’s Clown Room” and a couple have different personnel, but they all convey the spirit that would have pushed Pillbox into the spotlight, if only they’d been around a decade earlier."
The Barman
Hitmen DTK - Tonight We Ride: Official Bootleg Live in Sydney November 13 1991 – with special guest Deniz Tek
"Hello I-94 barflies! Ain’t life grand? A new official bootleg recording of the magnificent Hitmen DTK, with special guest Deniz Tek, ripping through a few choice cuts from the Birdman catalogue, How good is that?
But first, the back story.
Hitmen DTK were fresh back from recording the underrated album “Moronic Inferno” in the USA. They hit the road to promote said record in Sydney, Australia, for a handful of gigs.
Now the Hitmen - Hitmen DTK by this stage - have had a few members throughout their illustrious career, but the core players were Johnny “Zeus” Kannis (vocals) and Chris “Klondike” Masuak (guitar and vocals).
Joining them in this line-up were Gerard Presland on drums, Shane Cooke on bass, Bob Sattler on guitar, Deniz “Iceman” Tek (guitar and vocals) and Mark Sisto (back-up vocals).
The date was 13th November 1991. Speaking with folks who where at this highly anticipated gig. It had Sydney’s independent music public buzzing because it marked the first reunification in 10 years of the twin-guitar attack that had taken the place by the throat and inspired countless other bands.
Masuak had called in Tek to play some guitar on “Moronic Inferno” and asked if he would be interested in doing some shows. With a resounding YES they hit the stage.
Now, no-one within the Hitmen organisation thought to record this moment in history but some punters with a passion for the Hitmen took a cassette recorder to the Newtown show - and thank fuck they did. Finding the tape many years later, it was restored by Melbourne’s Ernie O, who did a fabulous job,. Yes, it ain’t pristine, but it sounds pretty bloody awesome, pumping out of these speakers here at The Farmhouse
General Johnny Kannis sent me this message about it:
Thank you LTG Brown. I salute you.
Remember, this is a bootleg album. That means that someone’s come to the gig with an old cassette recorder and taped the gig. Mono. We fixed as much as we could to make it sound good but you can’t mix those things. I’m happy with it. It’s like standing in front of the sound system. Enjoy
Doing my best. DTKJohnny
Kicking it off, “Justice Blind” and “Utopian Emotional Love Aura” sound just great live. “Slice and Dream” and “Slice of Life” clearly leave the punters happy. The New Order cover “Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers” is always a crowd pleaser. There are a few more new Hitmen tunes, and then Klondike takes the microphone, nailing “Walk Don’t Run” with some stunning guitarwork.
Then, with one of the greatest bass lines ever, Dr Tek takes to the stage, takes over on the vocals and smashes out “Hand of Law”. Oh, how sweet it sounds. “Heartful of Hate” and the awesome “I Don’t Mind” follow and they keep everyone happy.
“This Bar” is a magical tune that I’ve always loved it no matter who sung it, but this version is just so good. Johnny Kannis’ vocals are heartfelt and powerful.
Now Deniz Tek takes back the microphone for a great guitar duel with Chris on “Man With Golden Helmet”, followed by “Do The Pop” and “Aloha Steve and Danno” (which never sounded better.) These versions sound fucking awesome’ the vocals are perfect and the twin guitars are going off .
The encore: “LA Woman” is a tune a young Radio Birdman would play at shows. It’s fabulous and the rhythm section are so tight as Johnny Kannis channels his hero, Jim Morrison, and has some fun with the audience. The amazing back and forth soloing on guitar is just brilliant.
“California Sun” ends this 18-song set of classic tunes with the band on fire.
So I will leave you with this note from Klondike:
Vicious Kitten rescued quite a moment in timeThe recording certainly captures the long lost friendship and generosity of sprit of said band. Ironic, isn’t it?
I love this CD but I’m biased. Hitmen DTK are one of my all time favourites. Every album (especially those cd reissues with live and demos) are pure gold. So to be able to add live “Moronic Inferno” and “UELA” songs to the collection is so bloody good." Ron Brown
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