An S9000 sampler, battles with addiction, and Kris Kross. How The Avalanches made Since I Left You.

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A Different Feeling

17 min readMay 14, 2021

A couple of G4 Power Macs and Pro Tools. It has been 20 years since people first got their hands on Since I Left You. The brainchild of producers Robbie Charter and Darren Seltmann, the record was originally meant for the burgeoning Australian dance music scene that had begun to take shape in the ’90s but it was met with immediate critical and mainstream success and is still widely regarded as one of the greatest albums in the history of not only electronica but music as a whole. I first discovered this album during my freshman year in high school about 7 years ago and since then it has never dropped off as my favorite record of all time. So how did a few kids from a no-name town in Australia come together and create one of the most memorable and unique sounds that would still be so highly coveted 20 years on? Well, that’s what we’re here to talk about today. We’re going to take a look at the history behind The Avalanches, take a look at the headache that was releasing a project with thousands of samples, and talk about just why this project is so revered.

The story of The Avalanches begins in 1994. Robbie and Darren first meet in Melbourne and share a passion for writing music. They begin writing as a duo and Robbie quickly enlist the help of Maryborough High School friends Tony Di Blas and Manabu Etoh to form Alarm 115. Not many recordings of this group exist but the one I was able to track down has a bigger Shoe Gaze influence than anything they made after. This isn’t a coincidence give Seltmann’s appreciation of the group (and the latter half of The Beatles career) but it wasn’t really until they signed to Modular Recordings (known at the time as Wondergram Records) that they stuck with the name The Avalanches and recorded their first EP El Producto. El Producto is a wonderful collection of songs with Darren acting as the frontman for the blatantly Beastie Boys-inspired rap group. Eventually, they drifted away from this style with the release of Undersea Community, a 4 track EP that was released exclusively in the UK. This was when we got one of our first glimpses at the masterful use of sampling and combining multiple tracks to create brand new energetic arrangements. During this time the group was struggling financially and often had to work on the side to support their music. Robbie eventually saved enough to afford an S9000 sampler from a thrift shop and taught himself how to use it. From there on they began to incorporate more and more samples into their work. It was not long after this that they began work on their first full-length LP, what would eventually become Since I Left You.

The process of recording Since I Left You is a great story in and of itself. And to tell that story we need to go back to what inspired The Avalanche’s creative and innovative use of sampling to create all-new arrangements. To tell that story let’s start with two kids from Atlanta. Kris Kross was the duo of Chris Kelly and Chris Smith, two of the youngest artists to have both gold and platinum records all before the age of 13. Their hit single Jump earned them immediate success and they skyrocketed up the charts. But what does this have to do with The Avalanches? Well, the producer for Jump was a guy by the name of Jermaine Dupri, the one who discovered the two kids while on a trip to a mall in Atlanta. On Jump, he sampled a total of 4 different songs from The Jackson 5 to Cypress Hill to create the smash single that topped the charts. It was songs like this that inspired Robbie and the gang to create specific orchestrations composed almost entirely of different sounds and pieces chopped up from more than just one or two records (Jump in particular so much so that it is credited in the original LP of Since I Left You).

Most of our information on how the album was produced and the production style comes in the form of a short 15-minute documentary that was developed by the government of Australia and short articles around the time from long-defunct websites so please spare me if I get some of this information incorrect. While Tony and Darren have credits all over the project this was really Robbie’s child as he had a hand in every single one of the songs on the record (with the exception of Pablo’s Cruise). The album was recorded and mastered over the span of 18 months with Darren and Robbie in charge of most of the sampling and producing. They both had identical studio setups with the same Apple G4 Powermac’s and both with a fresh copy of the at the time state of the art music production program Pro Tools. They would spend most of their time riding the train going to multiple record stores across their area looking through the dollar bin for anything that looked interesting. They had a specific love of records that had “sparse sounds” with solo rhythms that could be picked apart and combined with other records they had found. They described it as “listening to records in an entirely different way. Listening and thinking about what it could be not what it is.” Around this time Robbie began to speak about his own demons that he had only recently conquered. He was only a few years removed from defeating his addiction with drinking and coming out on top. Since the age of 15 he had struggled with alcohol and at one point was even drinking an entire bottle of vodka a day. By the time he was 21 and trying to quit he went through intense withdrawal symptoms and was in and out of the hospital. He recounts one particularly scary moment in an interview with the Guardian

(I) ended up in intensive care for a number of weeks. I nearly didn’t make it, basically. Since I Left You came maybe two years after that, when I was sober and just glad to be alive. That’s a lot of the feeling and the joyousness behind that album — me at 23, making music and just happy to be alive, you know?”

But after checking himself into a detox facility and eventually recovering -they began work on this record. In multiple interviews, Robbie recalls living in shared living housing alongside Darren and Tony and how they would frequently visit each other exchanging CDs and ideas. He also recalls working on the album day and night not because of any outside label force or pressure but simply because he loved the music he was making. There were often times he would work throughout the night and not realize how long he had been sampling and mixing until he saw the sun begin to rise. He had always considered himself a perfectionist and would work tirelessly until every instrument and every vocal blended seamlessly. This labor of love is constantly felt throughout the record with the insane amount of samples that are present and just how flawlessly they fit together like a puzzle made out of thin air.

There is constant debate on just how many samples are on the record. Since the beginning of the promotional run different numbers where given to just about every publication and journalist. At one point it was at a “measly” 900 other times Darren would recount Akai samplers filled to the brim with 3500 samples and we even get the occasional rumor about tens of thousands of samples (lol). The point is that there were A LOT of samples used for this 18 track album. From Madonna to obscure 70’s disco to 90’s film and tv there are memorable sounds and quotables scattered all around this record. At one point their record collection clocked in at over 70,000 different records from all parts of the world. Some long damaged and some that barely functioned but still served a purpose for those looking to just extract bits and pieces for their own art

This extensive use of sampling didn’t come without its own issues . While Madonna was surprisingly cool with the use of her 80’s hit Holiday it was a lot harder to track down some of the people to give them proper credit and monetary compensation. The album was finished and slated for release in early 2000 in Australia but was held back until the end of the year due to the sample clearance that had to be done for all of the songs. This doesn’t mean that every sample was cleared in fact to this day different bits and pieces are being discovered from songs that were never cleared or credited. You had acts like DJ Shadow, J Dilla, and Madlib that were all signed to independent record labels with little legal council and a genre like hip hop that is notorious for not clearing samples so the standard was essentially set there. So it was a bit of a different time for clearance and Modular Recordings were more interested in getting the rights to the most egregious examples and getting the record released on time. This doesn’t mean they didn’t work meticulously to give proper credit to the artists who made this record happen just that with over 3500 different bits and pieces of different songs spanning generations you can understand why some things may get lost in the haystack. In interviews, they recall having floppy drives full of music and artists and when it was time for the international release of Since I Left You there was a mad scramble to get all that information back to clear these samples worldwide.

The Avalanches accepting an ARIA Award in 2001

So how did that international release go? Well after the unexpected critical and commercial success of Since I Left You, it was time to take this record on the road. It had won multiple ARIA awards (the Grammy equivalent in Australia) and was the darling of music publications. They partnered with multiple distribution labels across the globe to release it. In the US they partnered with Elektra, a Warner Brothers company to release the album. This however created a whole slew of new issues with sample clearance. This was no longer Pavlovic’s independent record label in Australia this was a giant multi-billion-dollar company they were dealing with. This is where the sample clearance hero’s of this story come in. And while many were involved in even allowing this record to hit US store shelves we’re gonna focus on the people most prominently involved. This includes XL Recordings owner Richard Russel, who worked with (and continues to) The Avalanches on some of the biggest clearances including the Madonna one that was mentioned previously. Robbie credits him with contacting Madonna’s agent personally and giving her a demo CD which she listened to and personally really enjoyed. Another key player in their quest to clear samples was Pat Shannahan. Often described as The Detective by Robbie she was hired by The Avalanches to personally seek out the rights owners of the most obscure samples on Since I Left You to negotiate fair prices for use of their music. While she didn’t exactly wander the globe she described it for Red Bull Music Academy as a painstaking but rewarding process.

When I’m reaching out to someone, I first send a written request and I describe the project. It’s really a very limited request. But if I can get someone on the phone who I would be dealing with, I would basically explain who the artist is — “These are the Avalanches” — and try to make them understand what creative geniuses they are, and how creatively they use the sample, too. That it’s something to be really proud to be a part of, and see if I can get them to negotiate something that’s reasonable.

The problem of clearance became an even bigger issue with different people or labels owning the rights to the samples in different countries. This led to many different versions of the album with some countries getting more samples than others. While this was a headache at the time nowadays it is considered a pilgrimage of real Avalanches fans to discover the legendary Zomba promo cut. Simply titled “The Album” this is the definitive publicly released version of Since I Left You, sent to UK publisher Zomba for the British release it features a song that was cut from all other versions due to sample clearance issues as well as other little bits and pieces scattered throughout the record. Besides the teased 2 hour cut of the album (also riddled with sample issues), this is as close to the authentic and full experience of the record as you and I are going to get.

Eventually with as much due diligence as they could afford and all the pieces of the puzzle aligned, it was released worldwide throughout 2001 to the same acclaim that it had been released to in their home country. Releasing at the top 10 of both the UK and US electronic charts. It also topped many of the end-of-the-year lists for 2001 from publications such as Pitchfork and others. It was and still is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums not just of the year or of that decade, but of all time.

So you’ve heard a lot about how the album was created and the issues that came from it. But why is it so good and why is it so highly coveted? Well, let’s start with the opening track named after the album. Since I Left You is the perfect introduction to a perfect album. It begins with a soothing vocal harmony from The Main Attraction and a clip from the 80’s movie Club Med quite literally welcoming you to paradise. It almost feels like you’re on an airplane coming to some remote island ready to have the time of your life soaking up the sun. Almost 2 minutes into the song we get this big swell that leads into this amazing organ backing from a 70’s German boss nova artist. And it’s things like “70’s German boss nova artist” that really makes you question how the fuck they found half of the records on this album. Crate digging is often an underappreciated part of sampling in just the amount of effort it took to find this many different songs that blended perfectly in an age without YouTube and other digital means.

Another aspect of this album that has always blown me away is just how perfectly every song blends into the next. Before this record I had not delved deep into DJ mixes and their style of transitioning between songs but at the time of discovering this record it blew me away. Take for example the transition from Since I Left You to Stay Another Season. Effortlessly mixed with a nice extra clip from Club Med to remind you that you’re still in paradise, the song evolves into a much more low key and underground bossa nova club piece (thanks in part to the wonderful Sergio Mendez that lent his 60’s Brazilian hit to The Avalanches) that brings you back to reality with a little help of a horse’s neigh that plays repeatedly throughout the section of the track.

We don’t stay underground for long though as we get right back to the Melbourne dance scene vibes with songs like Radio and Two Hearts in 3/4’s time. One with a thumping kick that keeps you moving throughout and the latter which makes you feel like you’re laying in a meadow with the love of your life. Both magical in their own special way. As we continue to dance our heart out to these tracks you really begin to appreciate the magic that The Avalanches have created. Songs like Avalanche Rock and Flight Tonight are unlike anything that had been made at the time. Almost like throwing dozens of different foods into one dish and somehow it coming out just perfectly. The clash of sounds and instruments with sprinkles of pop culture and other tv/film references added in to give this a truly unique feeling.
I think the track that best exemplifies their mastery of sampling (and my personal favorite song on the album) is Close To You. With a whopping 18 DIFFERENT TRACKS all mixed together on this song it is a brilliant concoction of everything that came before it. Starting where Flight Tonight left off it immediately gets you in the dancing rhythm just begging for the kick to finally hit. When it does you’re immediately transported to that dance club you remember so vividly until it knocks you back onto earth as the song fades away and Diners Only serves as the outro to what I believe is the more buoyant and dance music inspired half of the record. It would be a disservice to not talk about the song that inspired this blog but A Different Feeling is simply magical. The repeating horns from The Kaygees and how the song just completely evolves while maintaining that same rhythm that keeps your head bobbing is just riveting every time I listen.

Original notes for Frontier Psychiatrist

Electricity is one of the few records that had actually been in their demo tapes long before Since I Left You was even an idea. Released in EP’s and constantly being worked on it’s one of the rare Avalanches songs that we saw form in real-time throughout its different releases. The album release however is just absolutely perfect. the operatic introduction, the ramping strings during the beginning harmony, and the blending of tracks that only perfectionists like Darren and Robbie could accomplish. Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life is another one of those songs that just sucks you in with its simplicity. The piano sample had sat in one of Robbie’s vast collection of records for years but it wasn’t until he put the record on his sampler that it naturally came with this warped and screwed sound that you hear on the official release. It was truly magical from the start. And of course, it wouldn’t be an article of The Avalanches without speaking about Frontier Psychiatrist. I won’t say much because it seems like throughout the years enough has been said, but the spaghetti western aesthetic combined with the orchestral instrumentation is just pure brilliance. A combination of their early Beastie Boys influence with inventive vocal mixing of what Kid Koala would become it is their defining song and deservedly so. The ending of this record to me is just as important as the beginning. Extra Kings starts almost like a victorious anthem with these medieval-style horns welcoming the king back to this throne, however as the song progresses the sounds become more and more distorted until it becomes a conglomeration of twisted and contorted synths (with the help of a “pretty derivative “God Only Knows” bassline) . And from the ashes, we get just 15 words but they are as poignant as the first 10 we heard on the record.

I’m trying, but I just can’t get you
Ever since the day I left you

Since I Left You has been described as a smorgasbord of sounds that somehow were accumulated and piled on top of each other to create perfection. A never-ending radio on constant scan with every song being just as beautiful and heartfelt as the one prior. A concept album depicting “an international search for love from country to country. The idea of a guy following a girl around the world and always being one port behind. And that was just because we had all these records from all over the world, and we’d like to use all that stuff.” It became pretty apparent throughout the process of creating the album that they were making something special. Something that had not be done before at that point. While artists like DJ Shadow had taken a grittier approach to the same style this was upbeat and much more vibrant in the sense that it was a celebration of life. A deeply personal feeling that Robbie had undergone giving his constant battle with alcohol addiction and nearly not making it to finishing this record. It’s a magical trip throughout time exploring almost every genre they could get their hands on for a dollar or less. It transcended dance music that was being made at the time and because of this, it will be remembered fondly by music fans across the globe. Thank you, Robbie, Tony, Darren, and everyone else who contributed to this once-in-a-lifetime project.

Epilogue

After the breakout success of Since I Left You and its subsequent tour The Avalanches would go on to begin early work on their follow up project in late 2002. Robbie unfortunately continued to struggle with his addiction with alcohol and often inhibited progress on the record. As they continued to try and perfect their sophomore effort it was taking longer than any of the three had imagined. So much so that sometime during 2006 Darren left the group to pursue movie and film soundtracks as well as spend more time with his wife and child. We wouldn’t see or hear from The Avalanches apart from sparse interviews and remixes for the better part of 15 years. It wasn’t until rumors began to swell in early 2016 that we got the official confirmation that an album was coming. Wildflower was released in the summer of 2016 to immense praise complimenting the record on it’s evolution from Since I Left You and giving commendations to all the collaborators that helped them on the project. This theme of collaboration with the living (and not just samples) would continue when they returned for a 3rd time with the release of We Will Always Love You in December of 2020. Now we are here, The Avalanches are celebrating 20 years of Since I Left You with a brand new box sex including the full album with tons of remixes and cool art/merch. If this article has had any effect on you please make sure to support them by purchasing below. Thank you for reading!

A Different Feeling produces new issues every few weeks and is written and produced entirely by Javier Rodriguez. If you like what we do here and would like to support please feel free to follow us on twitter @ADiffFeeling.