Mastersystem was the last musical project of Scott Hutchison–known primarily for his band Frightened Rabbit–before his passing in 2018. RESOUND takes a look back at the single album released by the band, Dance Music, and the handful of live dates that accompanied its release in April seven years ago.
Band side projects are a mixed bag, often being the lesser sum of their component parts and a consequential let down. But when news seeped out in early 2018 that members of Editors, Frightened Rabbit and Minor Victories were collaborating on music, the combined pedigrees could not be ignored. That the members were two sets of brothers—the Lockeys and the Hutchisons—added an extra dynamic to pique curiosity. Their first single ‘Notes on a Life Not Quite Lived‘ set out what could be expected with pounding drums, fuzzed up guitars, and Scott Hutchison’s vocals starting off low before soaring into the chorus. The music video featuring James Lockey’s young sons bashing on guitars and drums in a garage captured the spirit of Mastersystem to a tee; this a band setting up and cranking out noise and songs with the abandon of their younger selves, freed from the constraints of the day jobs. “Free of vanity and wankery” as the NME quite rightly put it when they reviewed the album.
And what an album Dance Music proved to be. A raw blast inspired by the 90s alt-rock and grunge familiar to those of us of a certain age, it does not fuck about. There is a cathartic abandon both lyrically and sonically across the nine songs, crafted with the experience of musicians that have been around and know what they are about, but are not too precious to make something a bit rough and unpolished. And whilst singles ‘Notes On a Life…‘ and ‘Old Team’ will catch the first-time listener’s ear, the real highlight lurks in the pent-up tension of ‘Teething’ lurking towards the end of Side A. The building of layers grows more and more claustrophobic over the first three minutes before reaching an explosive crescendo of propulsive drums, crashing guitars and Hutchison’s raw plaintive vocal howl as a release is reached over the closing two minutes. It is an absolute gem, something that can be said for much of the album. Although only nine songs and thirty-five minutes in length, the listener is left somewhat breathless by the time the closing notes of ‘Bird is Bored of Flying’ fade away, but also ready to jump back to the start and listen all over again. Good albums have that knack.
Promotion of the album came via interviews and reviews, with the latter universally positive with 4 out of 5 a regular score, followed by live dates. A couple of solo in-store sets by Scott Hutchison in Brighton and Bristol preceded nine full band gigs including a Quay Sessions performance recorded for the BBC in Glasgow. The latter offers insight to the band in the interview clips, highlighting the back to grassroots nature of living in a van and the camaraderie foisted by the travails of flat tyres inflicted by motorway hard shoulders and lugging amps in and out of small venues.
Your writer was fortunate to catch the tour in Manchester at the lovely Deaf Institute. Whilst many would’ve come to the band via Scott and Grant and their work in Frightened Rabbit, I was likely in the minority of having the Lockeys and their work in Minor Victories, another ‘supergroup’ with Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai and Rachel Goswell from Slowdive, as my entry point to Mastersystem. As such, I must confess I had never seen Frightened Rabbit or knew much about its members or even their music. More fool me and the latter long since rectified. Attempting to fully review the gig seven years on would do the band and those present a disservice, but it is a gig that firmly sticks in my memory.
The setlist was simple, with the nine tracks of the album played in order, and the four musicians on stage 100% committed to delivering. Centre stage was Scott with a blue Telecaster, often with his eyes closed in the shadow of his cap, wringing his lyrics out into the packed room propelled by the percussive force of nature of his brother Grant behind. Stage left had James Lockey wielding his bass split between facing the crowd and turning to face his singer during instrumental passages. On the opposite side of the stage, guitarist Nicholas Willes, standing in for Justin Lockey, dished up endless riffs that entwined with his bandmates to generate a sound even heavier than that on record. Bloody marvellous. The small room amplified their output to a ferocious intensity for the ears of the couple of hundred punters lucky enough to be present. With only half an hour of material, in-between song patter was to the fore. I wish I could remember exact words, but the warm presence and charisma of Scott stands out in memory. The openness of his lyrics matched in persona, he wore his heart on his sleeve in words and actions.
All too soon, the buzzsaw opening riff to set closer ‘Bird is Bored…’ came around to the sweat drenched room. As perfect an example of the loud/quiet/loud blueprint laid out by those 90s bands that had gone before, if you had to choose a song to close a set with then this would be it. By the end, rapturous applause guided the band as they ducked down the narrow staircase to head offstage, a beaming James staying behind to take a photo of the crowd before following.
The hopes of fans was that more would follow. Mention was made in interviews of summer festival appearances and new music to come and the excitement of band members for these plans shone through. Sadly, that was not to be and those that did discover the album in time to catch Mastersystem at any of their gigs should feel lucky.
The music of Frightened Rabbit is quite rightly Scott Hutchison’s main and everlasting legacy as it continues to have an incredibly powerful impact on people’s lives, but as the anniversary of Mastersystem’s release comes around again, fans not in the know should be introduced to Dance Music as it deserves and merits a wider audience. Many bands will go entire careers without getting close to making an album as fine and powerful as this one.
As a final word, I can point you to the video for ‘Old Team’ as the band’s own tribute and closing endnote on Mastersystem. It’s four minutes of your life well spent that will allow you to raise a glass to the memory of Scott Hutchison and all those involved in the flicker of bright light that was Mastersystem.
Words and live photos by Geoff Shaw (IG: @gsmusicphotos)