The Goo 1
Words: Paul McDermott TO HERE KNOWS WHEN – GREAT
IRISH ALBUMS REVISITED LOUDER & CLEARER BY STANLEY SUPER 800 This is the first time that the name Eoin “Stan” O’Sullivan has appeared in this column but he has featured on the podcast three times: Episode 27 focused on his first band The Shanks and their two great albums – The Prawn Lawn (1994) and Brang (1999). Stan featured on Bonus Episode No. 5: An Draíocht - the music of Sliabh Luachra, my documentary about trying to track down a load of old traditional Irish vinyl records. Stan in his then role as the Sliabh Luachra musician in residence guided me in my quest. Between these two distinct periods - the demise of The Shanks and his return to North Cork and his reimmersion in the traditional Irish music he grew up around - Stan was the songwriter and frontman of Stanley Super 800. The band’s story is recounted on Episode 47 of the podcast. Stan was joined in Stanley Super 800 by Tosh O’Sullivan on guitar and banjo and Flor Rahilly on bass. Later again they were joined by Dave Hackett on drums. Their debut self-titled album was released in 2004 to acclaim. For the next album Stan wanted to merge his indie roots with his passion for Irish traditional music and Cork’s dance culture: “I had this vision that I was going to be like Beck from 44 Sliabh Luachra with a penchant for trance techno and reggae, I could just hear it in my head.” Some years ago, reflecting on the album for the website We Are Noise, Stan wrote: “The process featured a cast of thousands and at times looked like it might be a tragedy but like a good Western, it ended with the sound of a bugle and the cavalry riding in to save the day. I’m really proud of other albums I worked on, but Louder & Clearer is the zenith of all those efforts and the ultimate realisation of something that started as a seven-year-old sitting by the radio with fingers poised over the record button.” There’s no doubt producer Mark O’Sullivan was part of the cavalry that Stan mentions. Mark recorded under the name The Mighty Quark and his blend of dub, house, jazz and electronica had won him fans and admirers from all circles not least from the electronic giants Leftfield who asked him to remix a track for them. The news that Mark would be producing Stanley Super 800 was exciting. The indie and dance worlds colliding, throw a bit of Sliabh Luachra trad into the mix and what could go wrong – absolutely nothing! Mark recalls his time working with the band with real affection: “As we were producing and mixing the album, I was being reminded of Flann O’Brien and some of the trad sessions with Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin that I was lucky to wander into while attending UCC. I heard the enigmatic quirkiness of Cork and its characters and a real love for them.” Louder & Clearer was nominated for the Choice Music Price in 2007, upon its release The Irish Independent wrote, “Cork’s best band, their second album offers a winning mix of spiky guitars, shoegazing delights and electro-rock.”. It’s a lost classic. Stanley Super 800 reformed in 2024 for two sold out gigs in Clonakilty and Cork. Louder & Clearer is available from Bandcamp. Eoin “Stan” O’Sullivan revisits Louder & Clearer on To Here Knows When – Great Irish Albums Revisited, available on all podcast platforms. Episode notes and further information: https:// www.paulmcdermott.ie/podcast