Unit

33⅓ Oceania #3

by Lachlan Goold, Lauren Istvandity (Contributor)

Regurgitator's second full-length album, Unit (1997), was produced in a DIY warehouse studio at a time when this was unusual for a major label band. The album went three times Platinum in Australia and won five esteemed ARIA Awards in 1998, including Album of the Year. The album's success is indicative of a particular point in time in popular music trends, when the world was recovering from the impact of grunge and post-grunge bands.

Regurgitator's subversive attitude toward pop music, punk aesthetic, unique lyrical narratives and an ironic view on their own creative product made their music potent in an alternative market defying the prevailing music trends. Unit and Regurgitator were the focus of divisive critical reviews, yet they continue to rank highly as a quintessentially Australian band. This volume situates the development of Unit amongst the DIY culture of a politically charged Brisbane scene, and breaks down the album through the lens of recording and songwriting processes. This book outlines the impact of Regurgitator's music locally and globally, by discussing what made Unit a success at the peak of the alternative music genre.

Genres: Music

Unknown Binding

First published July 14, 2022

Reviews

[Adam C Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great! I find 33 1/3 books hit and miss but this one goes really deep on the recording process and uncovers a lot about how the album came together. That side of things is really the focus, and I’d love to read more broadly about the band and their context someday, but for this format it’s a great approach and I learnt heaps.

[Thomas Reads books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice insight into the recording process of my fav album of all time.

I thought it could have gone a bit deeper on the bands personal dynamics however the length of the book was good and made for a satisfying read.