Formed during the lockdowns of 2020 in Melbourne Australia, Middlway is project created by two old friends, Stefan Ehrenlfeld and Adam Pavitt. A mutual interest in art and Hawaiian shirt collecting first drew them together. Later collaboration on comics, video clips and soundtracks cemented a strong work ethic around free flowing artistic expression.
As the opportunity to get together became more challenging during the pandemic, jam nights were quickly locked in. A loop pedal helped lay the foundation for a range of musical experiments. Lo-fi do it yourself recording techniques paved the way for a no rules approach. First takes were kept and celebrated with further reckless improvisations. As the songs got more and more crazy they reflected the real time reality of disappearing work, travel restrictions and the halt of many creative industries. The grass roots need to make music was unstoppable and the musical duo pressed on trying to unleash a loose punk ethos. They initially drew on hard rock sensibilities and a shout out to their respective grunge heroes Tocotronic and Pavement.
Guitars were traded back and forth to layer up some chunky rock grooves and then the fun started. Many many instruments were later added to the mix. After initial garage and bungalow sessions the songs were expanded upon and over the next few years they began to really take shape. Eventually there would be fifty tracks created and then clawed back to their favourite thirteen. Middlway: Join In The Panic is an album born out of necessity. As the world shifted to online connection only, Stefan and Adam worked on the songs remotely. Spoken word to enhance the songs was often made up on the spot or written in a stream of consciousness style. Singing was done in character or on the outer limit of their vocal ranges and limitations. Broken windows in the middle of winter and twisted chords plugged into crashing computers were the norm for their process. All manner of chaos ensured that songs were kept fresh one offs. It is still uncertain whether Stefan and Adam can recreate the songs live.
When the duo met up to hone the project it was always a celebration of what they had already achieved with their newfound musical freedom, and a search for the next unique sounds that they could concoct. A shout out for broken or discarded instruments netted them a smorgasbord of new exciting options. Sounds added included: Trombone, Melodica, Cajon, One String Bass, Toy Piano, Oven Tray, Cardboard Box, Recorder, Piano Accordion, Congas, Rain Stick, Synthesizer, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar. A fifty dollar broken guitar from India made the cut, whereas a fifty dollar broken violin from the op shop unfortunately did not make it to the album.
As they wrestled the new instruments, it became apparent that they would have to be both Jack of all trades and master of none. Programming and electronic elements made an appearance and musical genres began be twist and melt together. Each song was treated as a soundscape with different instruments scratching away in the corner of mixes.
A new sound that was mysterious, experimental and very psychedelic to their ears had been born. Now it is for you to discover the middle way.
Middlway is a state of mind. Not drawn to the left or right, it steers away from idealism or perfection. It happily gives up it’s power and is happy to float seemingly directionless. It is an observer in a world gone mad with a people divided. The music is both tongue in cheek and yet somehow direct and sometimes intentionally serious.
The listener is transported into a dentist chair while expecting to go a date, given a poetic history of the Earth with bass turned up to eleven, they are told to join in the panic and yet also told that an we should wait and see about an urgent emergency, then eventually they fly off to Mars with cheering crowds, a rocket, a crew and an over confident commander.
Get ready to return your tray tables to their upright position and fly with Middlway.
Yet again….“Middlway is a state of mind. The way forward can be unclear and so we walk the middle way. If the feeling is clear, then we close our eyes and run.”