Seeing a talented artist perform on a live techno setup is an impressive thing to witness. The maze of queueing, effects, loops and subtle changes that take place in the genre can make for a confusing time for some.
We caught Brisbane’s Rebel Yell a.k.a. Grace Stevenson doing just this at BIGSOUND. From running her vocals through a guitar pedal, to dancing all over a classic drum machine, we were wrapt with her show from start to finish. Eager to learn how she tosses it all together, we asked Stevenson to run us through her setup.
Rebel Yell is the Sydney techno powerhouse taking crowds to space wherever she plays. We get into the setup that creates her vicious wall of sound.
KORG Electribe ESX-1
The core of the Rebel Yell drum sound comes from this badboy. My Korg Electribe ESX-1. My songs start as demos on it before I build them up and bring in other elements and gear. My work is very sample heavy and I love the pattern sequencer on this cutie. I have recently upgraded to an MPC and will be promptly throwing this thing in the bin.
Pedals, Pedals, Pedals
I have played round with a few different pedal setups for my vocals but in recent times I have settled on this configuration. The pretty speckled blue Analog Ordnance pedal was a gift from my brother (Dom Stephens of Yaws). I bought the Metal Zone off Alec and I found the Digi-Delay on the floor. My Kaoss Pad? You can find it in the bin.
Yamaha CS10
I use the Yamaha CS10 mainly for its nasty overdriven filter. It’s got a really harsh analog sound. It is very heavy, belongs to my boyfriend (Sean of Multiple Man) and I hate it. Might chuck this lil ripper in the bin as well.
Bratz Electronic 5-Pad Drum Set
Can’t understate the importance of this crucial bit of gear. My Bratz Electronic 5-Pad Drum Set by The Singing Machine. It’s got 10 non-programmable drum patches and some intense backing tracks with adjustable tempos. A hand clap sound like no other.
2007 Toyota Corolla 4-Door Hatch
Got this financed from CreditChoice who trucked it in from Mount Isa. This is the backbone of my live setup because without it I would have to take the bus. Gets me from point A to point B, and on weekends point C.
