That
compilation of course was the first port of call & I quizzed
Costa about the change in direction from previous editions of the
series.Triple J - Costa Zouliou Story / Interview
There are few radio stations dedicated to playing at least some hard edged rock & metal music in general throughout Australia & indeed around the world. Perhaps fewer still programs specifically devoted to that genre, but Triple J, Australia's national youth broadcaster, a non-commercial station funded by the Federal Government through the umbrella of the ABC.
So when given the opportunity to have some time chatting to Costa Zouliou, the host of Triple J's 3 Hours Of Power program, both about the program & the release of the program's latest compilation CD, I jumped at the chance. Over the phone, Costa & I covered considerable ground, not the least being the new compilation, which is out now, Full Metal Racket.
That
compilation of course was the first port of call & I quizzed
Costa about the change in direction from previous editions of the
series.
"Well, we thought we'd pretty much explored the possibilities of that theme. I mean, of course Eleven was inspired by the Spinal Tap thing & we thought it would be good for the next couple of editions to follow the same sort of theme, but you can only go so far with something like that before it gets a little tired, so we thought it would be good to make a real change before we got sick of it."
The compilation this time around has a good mix of international & local acts & Costa explained the reasoning behind the lineup.
"We've got some outstanding local talent here. There are some bands I'm very proud of on this one. It's a hard choice to pick who to have on & who to leave off. I had a list of I suppose 40 or 50 songs & bands I wanted to get on there & I have to hand that list to ABC licensing, who then go out & do the hard work with the licensing people at the various record companies."
Costa was also forthcoming when I asked a little about the current playlist on Triple J.
"We've copped some flack about what we play as a station, but people have to realise that Triple J isn't the only radio station out there. We do the best with the amount of airtime that's available & to what people like. I have to admit that I'm also guilty of jumping on the 'we play some songs too much' bandwagon, but overall, I think we get the mix pretty well right."
Of course the question arises as to whether there were any disappointments with who wasn't able to be included.
"With the last couple of editions, I tried very hard to get Sepultura, but they just don't go on compilations - not a record company thing, it's a personal issue with the band, so I respect that. We did have a problem with one record company, but I suspect it was an issue that the ABC is just too drawn on funds, so that one wasn't worked out. The band I'm proudest of having on here is Superheist I guess. That was the one where I drew the line & threw a bit of a hissyfit, but they're there, so it worked. That band's been a fairly integral part of the show over the last while, so I wanted them there."
A big problem for Triple J & the ABC in general has been the shrinking funding available to the organisation & I asked Costa how that had affected projects such as this compilation.
"Funnily enough, merchandising is actually one of the things that makes a little money back for the ABC & of course Triple J has been fairly successful on those lines. Funding has definitely affected things though. Basically, the Triple J presence in Brisbane is one person - me. I manage to run the office on the smell of the proverbial oily rag, but it's not easy. It is satisfying to be able to host the program in the way I do though."
Lastly, one question that's probably the most obvious is that there is a significant selection of local talent on the compilation & within the program.
"There's definitely a huge pool of talent around Australia that I think equals international acts & the quality is definitely getting even better. There are so many great bands even in my own local area, as well as around Australia & that's one of the things I try to do, cover local bands as well as a cross section of overseas stuff. Likewise, if there's a track that starts getting played across the day rather than just on 3 Hours Of Power, then I'll drop that one in favour of giving something that's not getting that airplay, some coverage, where that other track is already getting more than enough."
Check out Full Metal Racket out now through Virgin. 3 Hours Of Power is broadcast on Friday nights at 10pm on Triple J FM.
