Record Time

The last information that was provided was the news of the release of the new Icehouse single. It was due out, at that time, in either April or May of 1999. However, as those dates drew closer, it was decided by Iva and management to postpone the release. The new projected release date is early 2000.

Iva took a trip to London in July. While there, he worked in the studio with producers, bringing the music further along the completed path. Although Iva could not reveal names at this time, he said the producers with which he worked were “very good.”

There is another journey to London planned at the end of the year, perhaps November. This trip will require Iva to be away from home for a longer period of time than the July visit. During this time, he is slated to be working with producers on finalizing the production of the new music.

Those who have heard the new music have noted that Iva has been able to bring new elements to his music but it is still identifiably his. There has been special notice taken of his vocal performance. Listeners have said that his voice is exceptional on these new tracks and that it was “good to hear him sing again.”

When asked about other musicians that he might have brought on board to play, Iva said that the recording of this album is a bit like the Primitive Man album. He said, “It’s not that kind of set of sounds. It’s just me and my machines.”

However, there have been contributions to the album by other musicians. The Australian Chamber Orchestra has worked on at least one track with Iva. Also, Richard Tognetti, the lead violinist for the ACO, has played several solo pieces for the album. The ACO have a wonderful website that we encourage interested parties to check out!

When speaking of classical musicians, we asked Iva if we could expect any playing of that sort from him. He said he has played the oboe on one or two tracks. His Cor Anglais is out of commission at the moment. Unfortunately for fans of the bagpipes, those have stayed silent for this album as well.

Touring is something that will be thought about at a later date so there are no plans to report at this time.

Other Adventures

There is another project Iva is working on that is being described as “global.” The details are very top secret as Iva is not the only party involved. We should see the results of this project at around the same time as the new music. [Some of the details of this project have been announced. Here's more information on this exciting event!]

Iva has also been involved in other projects that are musical in nature. One job saw him working again with Max Lambert. He has co-written with Max the music for the play Corporate Vibes. The play was penned by David Williamson, who Iva describes as “the most famous playwright Australia has had in the last 20 years.” The play was performed by the Sydney Theatre Company at the Opera House and then traveled to the Australian capitals. Iva said the play is about “political correctness and corporate life.” He had fun creating with Max the music which he described as “machine driven music but that was what was required because it’s meant to be clinical and modern.”

Junior Delgado, a respected figure in reggae music and a featured artist at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival, recently had something in common with Iva. They both worked with Adrian Sherwood of On-U Sound. Adrian is the producer of Junior’s latest CD, along with Skip McDonald. Because of this connection with Adrian, Iva can be heard playing oboe on two tracks of the CD titled Reasons. Iva’s classical playing is incorporated into the title track, as well as on the song “Time Will Tell Us All.” The NME website recently gave Reasons a favorable review:

It's the voice that does it. An ancient, earthy sound stretches from a low rumble to forgotten tribal chants and fills 'Reasons' like a dense cloud of incense.

Junior Delgado's 30 years as an ambassador for reggae haven't cooled his ardour any. And now, the London-based Jamaican has decided to explore territories anew - and broaden his range. Made in collaboration with On-U Sound's Adrian Sherwood and Skip McDonald, plus some top sessioneers, 'Reasons' develops a kind of acoustic reggae blues that pulses, storms and relaxes.

But everything returns to the voice, cast centre-stage. Delgado expresses a deep spiritual longing as he casts his eyes on the state of the world. 'The King Shall Come', complete with an Amharic blessing, states that judgement will soon be set, to a Near-Eastern lilt.

As his tones deepen, the jaunty 'Turn 'Em Over' reflects critically on bad boys with ammunition; 'Ancient Civilisation' transposes the mystery of the lost ark and sceptre to World War Two Ethiopia; 'Hanging Tree' chants down oppressors; and 'Prophecy', the nearest cut to straight roots reggae, is another conscious tune.

In a time of a rejuvenated reggae scene, Delgado's mainstream experiment provides a diversion from the raw lyrics of the young pretenders. Age and wisdom serve him well.
Rating: 7

Iva’s playing on both tracks is, as always, superb. The feel of his playing on the title track can almost be likened to a snake charmer. On “Time Will Tell Us All,” his playing is delicate and haunting. The album itself is not reggae in the classic sense. There is almost a “new age” feel to it (although that is an overused term). Junior’s voice has a bluesy growl to it, as well. This CD is well worth seeking out!

Another invitation Iva received was to be part of a panel of experts that would choose Australia’s Top Ten albums. The results were printed in the Sun Herald newspaper. Iva was invited by Brett Thomas, the journalist who put the feature together. Iva put his five cents in by voting for such acts as Nick Cave, Spectrum, and The Loved Ones. The Flowers’ album Icehouse was in the “close but no cigar” category.

Iva played in the Starlight Cup in Sydney. This tennis tournament benefits the Starlight Foundation, which is dedicated to making the wishes of seriously ill children come true. The tournament was played on 6 December 1998 and found Iva paired up with Mike Tebbutt.

Iva said playing in the Starlight Cup was a bit “disastrous” for him. He hadn’t played a game of tennis since he had toured with Berlin and said “even Mike couldn’t save the day.” However, Iva’s participation was very much appreciated by the fans.

Special thanks to Lisamaree Mathews for providing this photo!

At around the same time as the Starlight Cup, Iva was, unfortunately, unable to attend the Warhol exhibit to which he was invited.

The APRA awards in May were also on the agenda for Iva and his wife, Tonia. The Sun Herald (16 May 1999) featured a lovely picture of Iva and Tonia attending the event. This was one of the first published photos of Iva with his much shorter hair!

Exclusively...

There is a new website-exclusive interview with Iva on the official Icehouse website. Craig Peacock, the site’s webmaster, interviewed Iva in July of 1998 and continuously updated the interview until its posting in July of this year. Craig and Iva discuss Iva’s working methods, as well as the upcoming album.