queenslandbrisbane (1997) by Antony Milton

Another early song based album of 4 trk recordings that was released on my Wire Bridge label as a C60 cassette. This one is from 1997 and documents my girlfriend and my move from NZ to Australia. This was a huge deal to me- I was very obsessed with my identification with (the NZ...) landscape at the time so deciding to explore another country was a HUGE step for me. My whole sense of self was attached to a feeling of being-in-the-land..
The album is pretty much in chronological order, the first few tracks recorded on my brother inlaws 4 track in Auckland on the days leading up to our departure and the the rest over our first few months in Queensland.
After an initial period travelling as far north as Airlie Beach in search of work we returned to Brisbane, found a flat down by the river (with the owners of the Pendragon Boot Company) and under the table jobs in local cafes. I remember being absolutely thrilled to be earning $9/hour- this was much more than the minimum wage in NZ. I didn't know then that the minimum wage in Australia was $12 at that time.. I spent my days off biking about the city, recording and developing a taste for cheap Aussie beers.
6 months or so later Sara spotted an ad for a chefs position on North Stradbroke Island and we shifted over there. This was a great change- a move to a wild bushy island with awesome fishing and body surfing that was dead quiet except for weekends and holidays when it would fill up with rowdy city folk. I found several part time jobs- in kitchens- but spent most of my time exploring the island, fishing and recording. Every so often I would catch a ferry to the mainland to but supplies and do photocopying so as to make my tape releases. This was the first one out of Australia. It was followed by 'And Where the Coloured Planes Are Rafts' (available on the Last Visible Dog CD 'Sirens') and Fleeting.

Antony Milton is a sound artist based in Masterton, New Zealand. He has been active in the underground and experimental music scenes since the early 1990s. He is also the curator of the 'Another Sunday' series and the PseudoArcana label.

Another Sunday