After tears away from the spotlight, Peter Endall—keyboardist of Melbourne’s cult 1980s synthpop band Schizo Scherzo—returns with a fresh creative spark. Channeling the spirit of Kraftwerk, New Order and the atmospheric depths of shoegaze and post-punk, his latest project Suburban Spell reimagines classic electronica for a modern era. We sat down with Peter to explore his sonic rebirth.
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
After a significant hiatus from the music scene, what inspired you to reignite your creative journey?
My musical formative years were right in the middle of the popular evolution of electronic music, say late 70’s to mid 80’s, the culture and creative force of that period has never left me. I dabbled in other genres over the years but I could no longer deny these musical roots, it was inevitable that I would be drawn back into the genre at some point. I was at a point in my life where I had time to devote to creating music so it was a very natural genre for me to pick up on. The technology had changed somewhat since I was dabbling in recording, writing, sequencing etc. so I had a steep learning curve from a technical perspective.
How has your approach to songwriting and production evolved since your days in Schizo Scherzo?
The biggest change is the approach to songwriting now takes, in that production now runs concurrently with songwriting. What that means is back in the Schizo Scherzo days my songwriting was developed in a traditional sense with either just a guitar/piano chord progression and a melody and you would take that to the band for development. Nowadays the songwriting process is a derivative process where you start with a concept, build it up, develop it, refine it, cut it back, edit out the bad bits, re-construct it and continue this process until you are happy with the outcome. Sometimes this process can take you on a 360 degree journey where you end up where you started but sometimes you need to go on the journey to realise the strengths of the original idea.
What does the title “Ceremony” signify for you personally and artistically?
“Ceremony” is lyrically an observation on how significant an impact social ceremonies have had in all of our lives over a very long period. Ceremonies and partaking in ceremonial processes is a means of controlling behavior and potentially suffocating an individual’s true self. And after many years of succumbing to a ceremonial event, one’s true self can be completely lost and you’ll never know what free thinking is anymore, you become indoctrinated. This is not only realised at a personal level but also in a professional and political environment. Musically, one of my favorite New Order albums is “Technique” so I wanted to develop a sound that paid tribute to that sound but also take it to a different level.
How do you balance nostalgia for 80s synthpop with the need to innovate and remain contemporary?
Great question….for me it’s not a conscious process, I think the 80’s synthpop concepts are just there, however I’ve always taken a darker lens to my music. The term Synthpop has flippant overtones and can pigeonhole one’s preconceived idea of what the genre is. I think the innovation that applies to my music is where the darker side ebbs into the lyrics and sounds. I will always have a love for searing melodies and 80/90’s grooves but want to inject something more sinister into that vibe.
The new EP contains two new songs, “Ceremony” and “Fingers of Sin”. Can you give us all the info about the composing, recording and production process of these two songs?
“Ceremony” and “Fingers of Sin” were written, produced and recorded in my home studio in Melbourne (Narrm) Australia, they were written late 2024 following a trip to Japan. You will notice “Ceremony” has a couple of rave elements in it, namely the style of keyboard playing and kick drum sound and I thought those two elements gave the track a nice edge. The video of “Ceremony” has some footage from the trip to Japan noted above. These are also some simple guitar riffs which give a nice undertone to the overall sound.
“Fingers of Sin” has a lot more guitar and a lot less bass going on, when I was writing the track I could hear Echo and the Bunnymen’s album “Ocean Rain” in there. All tracks were mastered by Emily Magpie in the UK, I have been working with Emily for a while now and I really like the sound that she pulls together.
How did the three remixers—Leæther Strip, Ontic and Ant Trance—come on board, and what did you hope to achieve through these reinterpretations?
I thought it would be interesting to get Leæther Strip to remix “Ceremony”, I’ve always liked Claus’s uncompromising approach and as the track is pretty much in your face, I wanted to hear where he could take it. I really like the stripped back, brutal version of the track. Ontic is a local Melbourne artist who does wonderful dark trance style music and I would recommend your readers to check out his work. The “Fingers of Sin” remix is masterful and takes the track to the most darkest of spaces, almost bordering on madness. Ant Trace is the front person for the band Sequential Zero. Ant is an artist from Sydney who delves into lots of creative pursuits. I invited Ant to remix “Ceremony” and I’m very happy with the outcome, he takes the rave element even further.
The Suspiria remix of “Bright Gold Cross” stands out with its flair and finesse. What drew you to collaborate with them on this particular track?
Suspiria’s Mark Tansley is a close friend and I knew he was from goth royalty so was keen to hear his take on a classic 80’s inspired dance track “Bright Gold Cross”, thankfully he took to the challenge with gusto and he did a really great job, I’d invite the readers to listen to both the original and the remix.
Is there a thematic or sonic thread that connects all the tracks on the EP, remixes included?
I try to limit or put a boundary around the sounds I use on any release or track. There are so many sonic and audio options that it is very easy to get lost in searching for sounds rather than concentrating on what’s in front of you. So I’m hoping this approach brings a sonic continuity to the music.
You’ve cited “Technique” by New Order as an influence. What is it about that album that continues to resonate with you?
I’ve always loved the angular guitars mixed within with heavy sequencing and drum machines. I think the stories around the creation of this album are also interesting as it was a threshold album for the band as they were trying to define what New Order was about. Great production and mixing by Alan Meyerson too. There is a lovely melancholy aspect that sits alongside the frenetic dance production that interests me too.
How have other foundational electronic acts like Kraftwerk shaped your current sonic identity?
Kraftwerk are masters of understatement, one of my challenges as a musician and songwriting is to master the less is more approach, and I really admire the courage of Kraftwerk to have the faith in stripping back their sounds to the bare essentials. that ethos is always circling around in the back of my head when i’m writing and producing less is more….less is more. Sometimes I think I’m successful in achieving the minimal approach, sometimes not, it’s an ongoing pursuit.
Looking back at your time in Schizo Scherzo, what do you think were the defining elements of that era, and how have they shaped Suburban Spell’s DNA?
Schizo Scherzo morphed from an art band into a new romantic band over a period of about 6 years, I think that period and the tumultuous change that occurred to the music during that time had an impact on my approach to music. When looking back I don’t think we know what we’re about and there was a lot of internal conflict about the musical direction (much like New order and Technique) I think Schizo Scherzo were at the their most creative and interesting during the early art rock days we were compared to early Hunters and Collectors, Big Pig, and similar styles.
Do you feel that Australian electronic music has its own identity, and how does Suburban Spell fit within or push against that landscape?
Australian electronic music has a rich history, when you look at bands like Scattered Order, SPK, Severed Heads and the like it indicates a strong musical identity. It’s very hard to quantify how Suburban Spell fits into that landscape, I think the only I can describe it is by osmosis, I was part of it, it was part of me so it’s just a part of who I am. It’s not something I consciously think about. My lyrics are quintessentially Australian…the urban banalities and the observations of growing up in that middle class dull and hypocritical world has given me great songwriting fodder for Suburban Spell (hence the name).
What tools or instruments—hardware or software—were most central to shaping the sound of the “Ceremony” EP?
There are guitars, bass guitars, soft synths and a few buzz boxes and sample boxes that have gone into the production of my music. I use Logic Pro as the recording platform and as referred to before, I try to put a border around what types of sounds I’m going for and create a soundscape by limiting what’s available to me.
Has working as a solo artist given you more freedom in terms of production and vision, or do you miss the collaborative dynamics of a full band?
I have a side project called Qwarkz, that consists of three other talented individuals, so that process satisfies the collaborative urge that I have sometimes. I do quite enjoy having total control that Suburban Spell gives me however I am thinking about engaging with other artists for the next phase of Suburban Spell.
There’s a certain cinematic quality to some of your arrangements. Have you ever considered scoring for film or multimedia projects?
I have but only from the point of view that I’d like to do it, i haven’t taken any steps in actually pursuing it but if any of your readers have a project in mind I’d be very happy to talk further.
There’s an emotional depth in your new material. What role does personal experience play in shaping your music?
I think the more I get in touch with my stories the better I get at telling them, especially when sharing my personal experiences, it takes a lot of courage to bare your soul so I’m working on this constantly and hopefully communication of my stories is getting stronger.
What do you hope listeners take away from “Ceremony”—emotionally or spiritually?
The saying “to stand on ceremony” means to behave with excessive formality or adherence to strict rules of etiquette. It’s almost always used in the negative, and if the song “Ceremony” initiates some thinking about the damage that Standing on Ceremony has caused over the millenia…. then I think I have succeeded.
Where do you see Suburban Spell heading next? Is there a full-length album or new thematic territory on the horizon?
I think I want to be a bit noisier in the future, take more risks and challenge myself musically and sonically. Some of the artists I intend to collaborate with in the next iteration of songs will be good for me, it will take me outside of my comfort zone and challenge me to experiment even further.
Send your message to our readers!
This journey to date has been amazing and it is so satisfying that my music is being heard around the world. I feel my journey is only just beginning and I’m looking forward to creating new and interesting music. I appreciate your time in reading this interview and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or want to know what’s coming up for Suburban Spell.
