Stand up for Sattwa Arising

Bendigo-born David Turpie, better known as Sattwa Arising, is a one-man band with new EP, Paradise County, hitting our sound-waves. With beautifully mastered instrumentals and a clear eclectic sound, it can only be described as a pleasure for the eardrums.
Turpie started his musical career on the pub scene at the ripe age of thirteen and he cut his teeth in the newly formed grunge scene, supplying the drums and vocals for various cover bands and underground alt-rock groups in his late teens. This period in David’s musical formation fostered an opportunity to form a love for song writing that continues to this day, as evidenced with his new EP.
Incredibly, Sattwa Arising’s first two albums were entirely solo efforts, with David supplying every instrument featured on the records. The resulting efforts were understandably less polished than this new effort, but they are strongly typical of a hard-working and multi-talented artist of rare quality. For David, mixing instruments for a live show is an exciting process, which is also integral to the performance.
“When it comes to performing live, I use backing tracks as some of the songs like ‘Jesus Gonna Make My Dying Bed’ and ‘Red Velvet Sin’, which really need that extra drive in a live environment and it’s always exciting to hear drums, bass, guitar and piano behind you,” he states. “But some of the songs work well with acoustic interpretations. I don’t mind the blend of both because it also means you can play around with the dynamics of the show. Start off very strong and then bring it down slightly in the middle, before raising it to a climax at the end. Either way it’s great fun and performing new songs is extremely exciting.”
His new EP, Paradise County, is a clear progression in sound as Sattwa Arising deploys a heavier and more pointed sound to great success. Performing every instrument for David meant completing basic guide tracks, followed by a day of drumming, then guitar, bass, vocals, keys and overdubs for every track on the EP himself. Although the work was intensive, with the help of Four4ty Studios in Melbourne, the various sounds were brought together in amazing unison. The more professional setting is an opportunity that David relished.
“It certainly makes a difference having a producer in the room, as they can bounce ideas off you and record while you concentrate on the performance. So that makes musical life a lot easier when you go from your 16-track studio machine, to a larger desk where you don’t have to record and playback by yourself.”
Sattwa Arising will be promoting the Paradise County very soon with dates to be announced at various venues, in various towns shortly. David Turpie will also be performing at Kangaroo Flat Hotel on April 20.
Written by Daniel Jubb
Image sourced via Sattwa Arising socials