A linear equation is an algebraic equation in which each term is either a constant or the product of a constant and (the first power of) a single variable.

Linear equations can have one or more variables. Linear equations occur with great regularity in applied mathematics. While they arise quite naturally when modeling many phenomena, they are particularly useful since many non-linear equations may be reduced to linear equations by assuming that quantities of interest vary to only a small extent from some "background" state. Linear equations do not include exponents.

Linear equations in two variables[link]

A common form of a linear equation in the two variables ''x'' and ''y'' is

:$y\; =\; mx\; +\; b,\backslash ,$

where ''m'' and ''b'' designate constants. The origin of the name "linear" comes from the fact that the set of solutions of such an equation forms a straight line in the plane. In this particular equation, the constant ''m'' determines the slope or gradient of that line, and the constant term "b" determines the point at which the line crosses the ''y''-axis, otherwise known as the y-intercept.

Since terms of linear equations cannot contain products of distinct or equal variables, nor any power (other than 1) or other function of a variable, equations involving terms such as ''xy'', ''x''², ''y''^1/3, and sin(''x'') are ''nonlinear''.

Forms for 2D linear equations [link]

Linear equations can be rewritten using the laws of elementary algebra into several different forms. These equations are often referred to as the "equations of the straight line." In what follows, ''x'', ''y'', ''t'', and ''θ'' are variables; other letters represent constants (fixed numbers).

General form[link]

:: $Ax\; +\; By\; +\; C\; =\; 0,\; \backslash ,$

:where ''A'' and ''B'' are not both equal to zero. The equation is usually written so that ''A'' ≥ 0, by convention. The graph of the equation is a straight line, and every straight line can be represented by an equation in the above form. If ''A'' is nonzero, then the ''x''-intercept, that is, the ''x''-coordinate of the point where the graph crosses the ''x''-axis (where, ''y'' is zero), is −''C''/''A''. If ''B'' is nonzero, then the ''y''-intercept, that is the ''y''-coordinate of the point where the graph crosses the ''y''-axis (where x is zero), is −''C''/''B'', and the slope of the line is −''A''/''B''.

Standard form [link]

:: $Ax\; +\; By\; =\; C,\backslash ,$

:where ''A'' and ''B'' are not both equal to zero, ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' are coprime integers, and ''A'' is nonnegative (if zero, ''B'' must be positive). The standard form can be converted to the general form, but not always to all the other forms if ''A'' or ''B'' is zero. It is worth noting that, while the term occurs frequently in school-level US algebra textbooks, most lines cannot be described by such equations. For instance, the line ''x'' + ''y'' = √''2'' cannot be described by a linear equation with integer coefficients since √''2'' is irrational.

Slope–intercept form[link]

::$y\; =\; mx\; +\; b,\backslash ,$

:where ''m'' is the slope of the line and ''b'' is the ''y''-intercept, which is the ''y''-coordinate of the location where line crosses the ''y'' axis. This can be seen by letting ''x'' = 0, which immediately gives ''y'' = ''b''. It may be helpful to think about this in terms of ''y'' = ''b'' + ''mx''; where the line originates at (0, ''b'') and extends outward at a slope of ''m''. Vertical lines, having undefined slope, cannot be represented by this form.

Point–slope form[link]

::$y\; -\; y\_1\; =\; m(\; x\; -\; x\_1\; ),\backslash ,$

:where ''m'' is the slope of the line and (''x''₁,''y''₁) is any point on the line.

:The point-slope form expresses the fact that the difference in the ''y'' coordinate between two points on a line (that is, $y\; -\; y\_1$) is proportional to the difference in the ''x'' coordinate (that is, $x\; -\; x\_1$). The proportionality constant is ''m'' (the slope of the line).

Two-point form[link]

::$y\; -\; y\_1\; =\; \backslash frac\{y\_2\; -\; y\_1\}\{x\_2\; -\; x\_1\}\; (x\; -\; x\_1),\backslash ,$ :where $(x\_1,y\_1)$ and $(x\_2,y\_2)$ are two points on the line with $x\_2$ ≠ $x\_1$. This is equivalent to the point-slope form above, where the slope is explicitly given as $\backslash frac\{y\_2\; -\; y\_1\}\{x\_2\; -\; x\_1\}$.

Intercept form[link]

:: $\backslash frac\{x\}\{a\}\; +\; \backslash frac\{y\}\{b\}\; =\; 1,\backslash ,$ : where ''a'' and ''b'' must be nonzero. The graph of the equation has ''x''-intercept ''a'' and ''y''-intercept ''b''. The intercept form can be converted to the standard form by setting ''A'' = 1/''a'', ''B'' = 1/''b'' and ''C'' = 1.

Parametric form[link]

::$x\; =\; T\; t\; +\; U\backslash ,$ : and ::$y\; =\; V\; t\; +\; W.\backslash ,$ :Two simultaneous equations in terms of a variable parameter ''t'', with slope ''m'' = ''V'' / ''T'', ''x''-intercept (''VU''−''WT'') / ''V'' and ''y''-intercept (''WT''−''VU'') / ''T''. :This can also be related to the two-point form, where ''T'' = ''p''−''h'', ''U'' = ''h'', ''V'' = ''q''−''k'', and ''W'' = ''k'': ::$x\; =\; (p\; -\; h)\; t\; +\; h\backslash ,$ :and ::$y\; =\; (q\; -\; k)t\; +\; k.\backslash ,$ :In this case ''t'' varies from 0 at point (''h'',''k'') to 1 at point (''p'',''q''), with values of ''t'' between 0 and 1 providing interpolation and other values of ''t'' providing extrapolation.

Polar form[link]

::$r=\backslash frac\{mr\backslash cos\backslash theta+b\}\{\backslash sin\backslash theta\},$ :where m is the slope of the line and b is the y-intercept. When ''θ = 0'' the graph will be undefined. The equation can be rewritten to eliminate discontinuities: ::$r\backslash sin\backslash theta=mr\backslash cos\backslash theta+b.\backslash ,$

Normal form[link]

:The ''normal'' for a given line is defined to be the shortest segment between the line and the origin. The normal form of the equation of a straight line is given by: :: $y\; \backslash sin\; \backslash theta\; +\; x\; \backslash cos\; \backslash theta\; -\; p\; =\; 0,\backslash ,$ : where ''θ'' is the angle of inclination of the normal, and ''p'' is the length of the normal. The normal form can be derived from general form by dividing all of the coefficients by

::$\backslash frac\{|C|\}\{-C\}\backslash sqrt\{A^2\; +\; B^2\}.$

:This form is also called the Hesse standard form, after the German mathematician Ludwig Otto Hesse.

2D vector determinant form[link]

The equation of a line can also be written as the determinant of two vectors. If $P\_1$ and $P\_2$ are unique points on the line, then $P$ will also be a point on the line if the following is true:

:: $\backslash det(\; \backslash overrightarrow\{P\_1\; P\}\; ,\; \backslash overrightarrow\{P\_1\; P\_2\}\; )\; =\; 0.$

:One way to understand this formula is to use the fact that the determinant of two vectors on the plane will give the area of the parallelogram they form. Therefore, if the determinate equals zero then the parallelogram has no area, and that will happen when to vectors are on the same line.

To expand on this we can say that $P\_1\; =\; (x\_1\; ,\backslash ,\; y\_1)$, $P\_2\; =\; (x\_2\; ,\backslash ,\; y\_2)$ and $P\; =\; (x\; ,\backslash ,\; y)$. Thus $\backslash overrightarrow\{P\_1\; P\}\; =\; (x-x\_1\; ,\backslash ,\; y-y\_1)$ and $\backslash overrightarrow\{P\_1\; P\_2\}\; =\; (x\_2-x\_1\; ,\backslash ,\; y\_2-y\_1)$, then the above equation becomes:

: Thus, ::$(\; x\; -\; x\_1\; )(\; y\_2\; -\; y\_1\; )\; -\; (\; y\; -\; y\_1\; )(\; x\_2\; -\; x\_1\; )=0.$

Ergo, ::$(\; x\; -\; x\_1\; )(\; y\_2\; -\; y\_1\; )\; =\; (\; y\; -\; y\_1\; )(\; x\_2\; -\; x\_1\; ).$ Then dividing both side by $(\; x\_2\; -\; x\_1\; )$ would result in the “Two-point form” shown above, but leaving it here allows the equation to still be valid when $x\_1\; =\; x\_2$.

Special cases[link]

:: $y\; =\; b\backslash ,$ : This is a special case of the standard form where ''A'' = 0 and ''B'' = 1, or of the slope-intercept form where the slope ''M'' = 0. The graph is a horizontal line with ''y''-intercept equal to ''b''. There is no ''x''-intercept, unless ''b'' = 0, in which case the graph of the line is the ''x''-axis, and so every real number is an ''x''-intercept.

:: $x\; =\; a\backslash ,$ : This is a special case of the standard form where ''A'' = 1 and ''B'' = 0. The graph is a vertical line with ''x''-intercept equal to ''a''. The slope is undefined. There is no ''y''-intercept, unless ''a'' = 0, in which case the graph of the line is the ''y''-axis, and so every real number is a ''y''-intercept.

:: $y\; =\; y\; \backslash$ and $x\; =\; x\backslash ,$ : In this case all variables and constants have canceled out, leaving a trivially true statement. The original equation, therefore, would be called an ''identity'' and one would not normally consider its graph (it would be the entire ''xy''-plane). An example is 2''x'' + 4''y'' = 2(''x'' + 2''y''). The two expressions on either side of the equal sign are ''always'' equal, no matter what values are used for ''x'' and ''y''.

::$e\; =\; f\backslash ,$

:In situations where algebraic manipulation leads to a statement such as 1 = 0, then the original equation is called ''inconsistent'', meaning it is untrue for any values of ''x'' and ''y'' (i.e., its graph would be the empty set). An example would be 3''x'' + 2 = 3''x'' − 5.

Connection with linear functions [link]

A linear equation, written in the form ''y'' = ''f''(''x'') whose graph crosses through the origin, that is whose ''y''-intercept is 0, has the following properties:

:$f\; (\; x\_1\; +\; x\_2\; )\; =\; f\; (\; x\_1)\; +\; f\; (\; x\_2\; )\backslash$ and :$f\; (\; a\; x\; )\; =\; a\; f\; (\; x\; ),\backslash ,$

where ''a'' is any scalar. A function which satisfies these properties is called a ''linear function'' (or ''linear operator'', or more generally a ''linear map''). However, linear equations that have non-zero ''y''-intercepts will have neither property above and hence are not linear functions in this sense.

Linear equations in more than two variables[link]

A linear equation can involve more than two variables. The general linear equation in ''n'' variables is:

:$a\_1\; x\_1\; +\; a\_2\; x\_2\; +\; \backslash cdots\; +\; a\_n\; x\_n\; =\; b.$

In this form, ''a''₁, ''a''₂, …, ''a''_''n'' are the coefficients, ''x''₁, ''x''₂, …, ''x''_''n'' are the variables, and ''b'' is the constant. When dealing with three or fewer variables, it is common to replace ''x''₁ with just ''x'', ''x''₂ with ''y'', and ''x''₃ with ''z'', as appropriate.

Such an equation will represent an (''n''–1)-dimensional hyperplane in ''n''-dimensional Euclidean space (for example, a plane in 3-space).

In vector notation, this can be expressed as:

:$\backslash overrightarrow\{n\}\; \backslash cdot\; \backslash overrightarrow\{x\}\; =\; \backslash overrightarrow\{n\}\; \backslash cdot\; \backslash overrightarrow\{x\_0\}$

where $\backslash overrightarrow\{n\}$ is a vector normal to the plane, $\backslash overrightarrow\{x\}$ are the coordinates of any point on the plane, and $\backslash overrightarrow\{x\_0\}$ are the coordinates of the origin of the plane.

See also [link]

Line (geometry)

Quadratic equation

Cubic equation

Quartic equation

Quintic equation

Linear inequality

Linear belief function

References [link]

External links [link]

Algebraic Equations at EqWorld: The World of Mathematical Equations.

Video tutorial on solving one step to multistep equations

Linear Equations and Inequalities Open Elementary Algebra textbook chapter on linear equations and inequalities.

Category:Elementary algebra Category:Equations

am:ሊኒያር እኩልዮሽ ar:معادلة خطية be-x-old:Лінейнае раўнаньне bg:Линейно уравнение ca:Equació lineal cs:Lineární rovnice da:Linjens ligning de:Lineare Gleichung et:Lineaarvõrrand el:Εξίσωση Ευθείας es:Ecuación de primer grado eo:Lineara ekvacio eu:Ekuazio lineal fr:Équation linéaire ko:일차 방정식 hi:रेखीय समीकरण hr:Jednadžba pravca id:Persamaan linear is:Línuleg jafna it:Equazione lineare he:משוואה לינארית lmo:Equazziun lineara mk:Линеарна равенка ml:രേഖീയസമവാക്യം mn:Шугаман тэгшитгэл nl:Lineaire vergelijking ja:一次方程式 nap:Equazione lineare nn:Lineær likning uz:Chiziqli tenglama km:សមីការដឺក្រេទី១ pl:Równanie liniowe pt:Equação linear ru:Линейное уравнение simple:Linear equation sk:Lineárna rovnica sl:Linearna enačba sv:Linjär ekvation ta:நேரியல் சமன்பாடு th:สมการเชิงเส้น tr:Doğrusal denklem uk:Лінійне рівняння ur:لکیری مساوات vi:Phương trình tuyến tính vls:Êestegroadsvergelykinge zh:一次方程

In mathematics, a linear map or linear function ''f''(''x'') is a function which satisfies the following two properties:

Additivity (also called the superposition property): ''f''(''x'' + ''y'') = ''f''(''x'') + ''f''(''y''). This says that ''f'' is a group homomorphism with respect to addition.

Homogeneity of degree 1: ''f''(α''x'') = α''f''(''x'') for all α.

It can be shown that additivity implies the homogeneity in all cases where α is rational; this is done by proving the case where α is a natural number by mathematical induction and then extending the result to arbitrary rational numbers. If ''f'' is assumed to be continuous as well then this can be extended to show that homogeneity for α any real number, using the fact that rationals form a dense subset of the reals.

In this definition, ''x'' is not necessarily a real number, but can in general be a member of any vector space. A less restrictive definition of linear function, not coinciding with the definition of linear map, is used in elementary mathematics.

The concept of linearity can be extended to linear operators. Important examples of linear operators include the derivative considered as a differential operator, and many constructed from it, such as del and the Laplacian. When a differential equation can be expressed in linear form, it is particularly easy to solve by breaking the equation up into smaller pieces, solving each of those pieces, and adding the solutions up.

Linear algebra is the branch of mathematics concerned with the study of vectors, vector spaces (also called linear spaces), linear transformations (also called linear maps), and systems of linear equations.

The word linear comes from the Latin word ''linearis'', which means ''pertaining to or resembling a line''. For a description of linear and nonlinear equations, see ''linear equation''. Nonlinear equations and functions are of interest to physicists and mathematicians because they can be used to represent many natural phenomena, including chaos.

Integral linearity [link]

For a device that converts a quantity to another quantity there are three basic definitions for integral linearity in common use: independent linearity, zero-based linearity, and terminal, or end-point, linearity. In each case, linearity defines how well the device's actual performance across a specified operating range approximates a straight line. Linearity is usually measured in terms of a deviation, or non-linearity, from an ideal straight line and it is typically expressed in terms of percent of full scale, or in ppm (parts per million) of full scale. Typically, the straight line is obtained by performing a least-squares fit of the data. The three definitions vary in the manner in which the straight line is positioned relative to the actual device's performance. Also, all three of these definitions ignore any gain, or offset errors that may be present in the actual device's performance characteristics.

Many times a device's specifications will simply refer to linearity, with no other explanation as to which type of linearity is intended. In cases where a specification is expressed simply as linearity, it is assumed to imply independent linearity.

Independent linearity is probably the most commonly-used linearity definition and is often found in the specifications for DMMs and ADCs, as well as devices like potentiometers. Independent linearity is defined as the maximum deviation of actual performance relative to a straight line, located such that it minimizes the maximum deviation. In that case there are no constraints placed upon the positioning of the straight line and it may be wherever necessary to minimize the deviations between it and the device's actual performance characteristic.

Zero-based linearity forces the lower range value of the straight line to be equal to the actual lower range value of the device's characteristic, but it does allow the line to be rotated to minimize the maximum deviation. In this case, since the positioning of the straight line is constrained by the requirement that the lower range values of the line and the device's characteristic be coincident, the non-linearity based on this definition will generally be larger than for independent linearity.

For terminal linearity, there is no flexibility allowed in the placement of the straight line in order to minimize the deviations. The straight line must be located such that each of its end-points coincides with the device's actual upper and lower range values. This means that the non-linearity measured by this definition will typically be larger than that measured by the independent, or the zero-based linearity definitions. This definition of linearity is often associated with ADCs, DACs and various sensors.

A fourth linearity definition, absolute linearity, is sometimes also encountered. Absolute linearity is a variation of terminal linearity, in that it allows no flexibility in the placement of the straight line, however in this case the gain and offset errors of the actual device are included in the linearity measurement, making this the most difficult measure of a device's performance. For absolute linearity the end points of the straight line are defined by the ideal upper and lower range values for the device, rather than the actual values. The linearity error in this instance is the maximum deviation of the actual device's performance from ideal.

Linear polynomials[link]

In a different usage to the above, a polynomial of degree 1 is said to be linear, because the graph of a function of that form is a line.

Over the reals, a linear equation is one of the forms:

:$f(x)\; =\; m\; x\; +\; b\backslash$

where ''m'' is often called the slope or gradient; ''b'' the y-intercept, which gives the point of intersection between the graph of the function and the ''y''-axis.

Note that this usage of the term ''linear'' is not the same as the above, because linear polynomials over the real numbers do not in general satisfy either additivity or homogeneity. In fact, they do so if and only if ''b'' = 0. Hence, if ''b'' ≠ 0, the function is often called an affine function (see in greater generality affine transformation).

Boolean functions[link]

In Boolean algebra, a linear function is a function $f$ for which there exist $a\_0,\; a\_1,\; \backslash ldots,\; a\_n\; \backslash in\; \backslash \{0,1\backslash \}$ such that :$f(b\_1,\; \backslash ldots,\; b\_n)\; =\; a\_0\; \backslash oplus\; (a\_1\; \backslash land\; b\_1)\; \backslash oplus\; \backslash cdots\; \backslash oplus\; (a\_n\; \backslash land\; b\_n)$ for all $b\_1,\; \backslash ldots,\; b\_n\; \backslash in\; \backslash \{0,1\backslash \}.$

A Boolean function is linear if one of the following holds for the function's truth table: # In every row in which the truth value of the function is 'T', there are an odd number of 'T's assigned to the arguments and in every row in which the function is 'F' there is an even number of 'T's assigned to arguments. Specifically, f('F', 'F', ..., 'F') = 'F', and these functions correspond to linear maps over the Boolean vector space. # In every row in which the value of the function is 'T', there is an even number of 'T's assigned to the arguments of the function; and in every row in which the truth value of the function is 'F', there are an odd number of 'T's assigned to arguments. In this case, f('F', 'F', ..., 'F') = 'T'.

Another way to express this is that each variable always makes a difference in the truth-value of the operation or it never makes a difference.

Negation, Logical biconditional, exclusive or, tautology, and contradiction are linear functions.

Physics[link]

In physics, ''linearity'' is a property of the differential equations governing many systems; for instance, the Maxwell equations or the diffusion equation.

Linearity of a differential equation means that if two functions ''f'' and ''g'' are solutions of the equation, then any linear combination ''af+bg'' is too.

Electronics[link]

In electronics, the linear operating region of a device, for example a transistor, is where a dependent variable (such as the transistor collector current) is directly proportional to an independent variable (such as the base current). This ensures that an analog output is an accurate representation of an input, typically with higher amplitude (amplified). A typical example of linear equipment is a high fidelity audio amplifier, which must amplify a signal without changing its waveform. Others are linear filters, linear regulators, and linear amplifiers in general.

In most scientific and technological, as distinct from mathematical, applications, something may be described as linear if the characteristic is approximately but not exactly a straight line; and linearity may be valid only within a certain operating region—for example, a high-fidelity amplifier may distort even a small signal, but sufficiently little to be acceptable (acceptable but imperfect linearity); and may distort very badly if the input exceeds a certain value, taking it away from the approximately linear part of the transfer function.

Military tactical formations[link]

In military tactical formations, "linear formations" were adapted from phalanx-like formations of pike protected by handgunners towards shallow formations of handgunners protected by progressively fewer pikes. This kind of formation would get thinner until its extreme in the age of Wellington with the 'Thin Red Line'. It would eventually be replaced by skirmish order at the time of the invention of the breech-loading rifle that allowed soldiers to move and fire independently of the large scale formations and fight in small, mobile units.

Art[link]

Linear is one of the five categories proposed by Swiss art historian Heinrich Wölfflin to distinguish "Classic", or Renaissance art, from the Baroque. According to Wölfflin, painters of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries (Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael or Albrecht Dürer) are more linear than "painterly" Baroque painters of the seventeenth century (Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, and Velázquez) because they primarily use outline to create shape. Linearity in art can also be referenced in digital art. For example, hypertext fiction can be an example of nonlinear narrative, but there are also websites designed to go in a specified, organized manner, following a linear path.

Music[link]

In music the linear aspect is succession, either intervals or melody, as opposed to simultaneity or the vertical aspect.

Measurement[link]

In measurement, the term "linear foot" refers to the number of feet in a straight line of material (such as lumber or fabric) generally without regard to the width. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as "lineal feet"; however, "lineal" is typically reserved for usage when referring to ancestry or heredity. The words "linear" & "lineal" both descend from the same root meaning, the Latin word for line, which is "linea".

See also[link]

Linear element

Linear system

Linear medium

Linear programming

Bilinear

Multilinear

Linear motor

Linear A and Linear B scripts.

Linear interpolation

References[link]

Category:Elementary algebra Category:Fundamental physics concepts

ca:Linealitat da:Lineær de:Linearität es:Lineal eo:Lineara fr:Linéarité ko:선형성 it:Linearità (matematica) nl:Lineariteit ja:線型性 no:Lineær nn:Lineær pt:Linearidade sv:Linjär funktion zh:線性關係

name	The Basics
background	group_or_band
origin	Melbourne, Australia
genre	Rock
years active	2002–present
label	Independent, Albert Records
associated acts	Gotye, Down Hills Home, Dog With Wheels, Blood Red Bird
website	The Basics Official Website
current members	Wally De BackerKris SchroederTim Heath
past members	Michael Hubbard
notable instruments	Lead guitar, drums, bass guitar. }}

The Basics ( ) are a three-piece band from Melbourne, Australia, formed by Wally De Backer and Kris Schroeder in 2002. Their style has been described as anything from 'indie-pop' to 'rock'n'roll' to 'pop-rock', though their records show they span a wide range of genres, including reggae, ska, country, and electro-pop. They are "recognised as one of Australia's hardest-working bands".

With close to 1000 shows in their ten-year career, their live performances are well-known for their sense of humour and energy.

Formation [link]

The Basics were formed after Kris met Wally at a party in Melbourne. The event was to see off the young aspiring producer, who was about to depart for Los Angeles, and together with a number of musician friends, the two jammed on some blues-rock standards. Later that night, they bonded over a mutual love of The Beatles, 70s and 80s cartoon theme songs and old Sierra adventure games.

Initially, they played around Melbourne as an acoustic guitar/drums combo, starting at The Opposition in Frankston and the House of Fools in Footscray, where in late 2002 they met Michael Hubbard and later invited him to join them on electric guitar. Though lacking any real experience with the instrument, Kris willingly purchased his first bass guitar, and the trio was born. During this time, the group start performing songs with more complicated three-part harmony.

During late 2002 and early 2003, The Basics recorded and released an album called ''Get Back'' through MGM Distribution. They began what was to become regular tours of the East and West coasts of Australia.

2004-2005: Current lineup [link]

Tim Heath joined the group in June 2004, after Michael decided to pursue his solo career, which has included being one half of Down Hills Home. Tim was reportedly the only person to reply to an advertisement in Melbourne's Beat Magazine looking for a new guitarist. Tim apparently answered the advertisement - which said the applicant "must have a love of 50s and 60s rock'n'roll" - thinking that he would be meeting "a couple of old guys to play with on the weekends over some beers". They soon recorded ''For Girls Like You''.

The Basics in 2005 continued to tour and play small festivals, and after releasing ''For Girls Like You'' through MGM Distribution, they departed for a national tour of Australia, which lasted for two months and took them to every Australian state and territory. Stuart Padbury, a young Melbourne sound engineer, joined them on much of this tour. On returning, the band began demonstrating songs for a new album.

2006-2009: Touring and soundtracks [link]

In 2006, The Basics began recording what was to become known as ''Stand Out/Fit In''. Taking several months, it was not completed until the end of the year, despite intentions to have it released in June. Instead, they held a successful 'album preview', where each of the tracks was demonstrated in 'rough form' accompanied by a music video for each (produced by Melbourne photographic artist James Bryans). The band also talked about the origins of the songs. This event brought a lot of attention to the band for the idea's originality. They pre-released a radio single 'Just Hold On' from the album. The band were invited to play the hugely popular Homebake Festival in Sydney, where they received a great response, after being introduced onto the stage by a short stocky Asian guy with big calves ("one of the highlights" wrote ''The Daily Telegraph'').

In 2007, the band departed on a tri-state residency which saw them play Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane every week for the month of April - a bold move which brought further attention to the band for its original idea. Riding on the wave of this tour, Schroeder, De Backer and Heath departed on their first overseas tour which saw them performing 26 shows around Japan, Norway and the United Kingdom. They also toured twice more up the East Coast, one of which was with popular Japanese band The Bawdies. Their song 'Rattle My Chain' was used in a series of commercials for Volvo Australia. The song 'Hey There!' featured in the British film ''The Bank Job'' - starring Jason Statham - and was used as the backing for a February 2007 short film directed by Tim Longhurst called The Rip. Their song 'Better' was featured in a surfing documentary about the invention of the shortboard in 1967.

In 2008, the band appeared on Australia's Channel 9 for Australia Day celebrations, performing two of their songs - 'Just Hold On' and 'Hey There!' - to an estimated audience of 2 million. Securing an Australian Government grant, they embarked on a two-month tour of Australia, specifically targeting "culturally underprivileged groups" in rural and regional schoolchildren and Indigenous communities. The programme had them holding masterclasses and performing alongside Indigenous groups in the remote Northern Territory and Queensland. Their initiative also had them raising money for the charity Lifeline, their contribution to which was recognised with a plaque at the end of the tour. Season two of ''Californication'' starring David Duchovny featured their cover of the classic 'Have Love, Will Travel', most famously covered by 'The Sonics'.

In 2009, The Basics for the first time enjoyed the support of Australian radio network Triple J, which had reportedly snubbed the band's previous material. The singles 'With This Ship' and 'Like A Brother' were added to the station's playlist, and momentum carried The Basics overseas for a second tour of the United Kingdom and Norway, and also a series of shows in Dublin, Ireland. They were joined by the longtime front-of-house engineer Stuart Padbury, who had been mixing them since 2005. The band was often seen in the Grafton Street Mall in Dublin, busking to promote their concerts there. Their second show in Oslo, Norway, saw the band perform with Hot Tub, one of the members of the Norwegian boy band "Boyzvoice", in his first performance for several years. Season Eight of ''Scrubs'' featured the song 'Lookin' Over My Shoulder'.

Despite all this promise, the band's album ''Keep Your Friends Close'' - produced and part-recorded by Peter Cobbin at London's Abbey Road Studios - though enjoying many favourable reviews, failed to impress Richard Kingsmill, music director of Triple J. This effectively ended the band's apparent upward spiral and the resulting album launch tour was reportedly "trying".

2010: Hiatus and live album [link]

In 2010, following the band's fourth stint at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and the recording of a yet-unreleased live album, an indefinite hiatus was announced on the band's websites. This was in part due to the impending release of a new album produced by Wally for his Gotye project, and also to reported tensions within the band following the previous year's disappointments.

However, this hiatus was soon broken with a two-month residency at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne, which saw an apparent return to form. The band's EP "Wait For You" enjoys airplay on Triple J. The Basics also played a one-off show at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory.

On 20 August 2010, The Basics released their fourth LP , available free and exclusively from their website for digital download. The band had reportedly moved to expand their listenership through this free giveaway, though 300 "Deluxe" CD/vinyl versions have been printed. was recorded at the Northcote Social Club on 6 February, "in front of a live studio audience", and like the previous record, was mixed by Peter Cobbin at Abbey Road Studios. Technically a self-titled album, the phonetics spell out the accurate pronunciation of the band’s name. Kris Schroeder: "For years we’ve worked at bringing our live energy into the studio and thus far it’s been a bit hit-and-miss. Our trick this time was to pull a switcheroo and bring the studio to us instead; the result is the best and closest to us we’ve sounded yet."

Melbourne thespian and Dog With Wheels bassist David Bramble - friends with Heath from university days - has occasionally joined the band on tour, playing keys, often while sporting a large moustache. Other guests have included Jake Mason (saxophone), also of Cookin' on 3 Burners and The Bamboos, Gideon Brazil (saxophone, flute), Simon Imrei (guitar and vocals) and Monty MacKenzie (saxophone).

Covers have often made an appearance from various sources: to date, some of the bands covered have been Cream, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Police, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, New Kids on the Block, Richard Berry, Sonny Curtis and The Crickets, JJ Cale, Harry Nilsson, Bill Scott, Ryan Adams and The Coasters (via The Beatles for their cover of Three Cool Cats).

Members [link]

;Current

Wally De Backer - drums, vocals (2002-present)

Kris Schroeder - bass, vocals (2002-present)

Tim Heath - guitar, vocals (2004-present)

;Former

Michael Hubbard - guitar, vocals (2002-2004)

Discography [link]

Albums[link]

Get Back (15 January 2004)

Stand Out/Fit In (5 May 2007)

Keep Your Friends Close (25 September 2009)

(20 August 2010)

EP[link]

For Girls Like You (11 July 2005)

Lookin' Over My Shoulder (10 February 2007)

Like A Brother (5 June 2009)

Wait For You (21 May 2010)

Singles[link]

Call It Rhythm & Blues (20 August 2004)

Just Hold On

With This Ship (22 February 2009)

Upcoming projects[link]

The band is taking a three year hiatus, with an announced return to the stage together in early 2014. Wally De Backer launched Making Mirrors under his Gotye act in August 2011, Tim Heath will be touring and recording with Blood Red Bird, and Kris Schroeder recorded a solo EP titled, Patience in the Face of Control, before leaving Australia to work with the Red Cross in Kenya for a two year sabbatical.

References[link]

External links[link]

Official Website

Myspace Website

Category:Victoria (Australia) musical groups

nl:The Basics