tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13904473143287960542023-11-16T09:05:58.018-08:00Strange and DeliciousThe Bay Area's source for current synth/darkwave/electro/shoegaze and death rock.
~~~You will never run out of the Strange and Delicious~~~Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-521148814751850252017-12-02T13:03:00.000-08:002017-12-02T13:08:58.442-08:00Ride in this Point of Light: Ötzi and their latest video "Ghosts" <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the one year anniversary of the Ghost Ship tragedy that happened in Frutivale last December, I still can't articulate the right words to say. I feel clumsy, fumbling over my words and overly vulnerable whenever I do. However, many artists can articulate the pain, confusion and utter emptiness that I certainly still can not. So, I think I would rather let them do the talking. From the title track of their latest album (available from Near Dark, Last Hour Records, and Bat-Cave Productions) we have the premier of Ötzi's video "Ghosts": </span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The "Ghosts" video was created in memory of those who died in the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland last December 2, 2016. Some of those lost in the fire were friends, some were acquaintances, and some we only knew through their art. On the anniversary of their passing, we are joined by their loved ones and survivors in creating tribute to them, and speak to them in the way they spoke to us. This video is about anger and regret, the intersection between public and private mourning, and the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead." </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">The song itself is gripping and haunting. It's echoing, polished goth punk tousled in Riot Grrrl with precise, moody and most certainly addictive string work, sometimes reminiscent of the darker side of the 90's. Akiko and Gina blend together vocally to make a new school Skeletal Family/Vice Squad sound: bold, somber and raging. It's a chilling, passionate work and it's some of their best to date. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The primary camera work was done by the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;">über </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">talented local photographer that is Kevin Brown (bandseyescene) and the upcoming videographer Rissy. With additional camera work by</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Post-Consumer and even Akiko herself, it is visually lucid in eeriness with great use of layering and lighting, creating many a hold-your-breath moments with its' symbology. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the song ends, the lyrics sit with with me and they can speak for aspects that I feel now yet can not formulate into words. They resonate deeply with the reoccurring thoughts and feelings I've had in light of those that I have lost this last year. </span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> "In the darkness I can't see all the voices following me...I'll wait for you in a dream...I'm falling over...I'm sinking further...Where are you?"</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">For those who would like to be amongst community and friends at this time for support here is a list of memorial gatherings. Thank you, Akiko, for this compilation. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ghost Ship Pop-Up Memorial Dec 2, 5pm - 9pm at Ghost Ship Site</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/1977345335841006/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNF-ghZKpjo-yr_yGaispeHFv99vFg" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1977345335841006/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/1977345335841006/</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ghost Ship Fire Memorial 2017 Dec 1-3, 8:30am - 5pm at Chapel of the Chimes</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/1747681428597843/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNHmG-guXpnc90qW1MCseF-cHdC4DQ" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1747681428597843/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/1747681428597843/</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sound Reflection tonal drone event Dec 2, 5pm-8pm at Vintage Synthesizer Museum</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/1534567956638833/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNHkqBUBEv5a_FMPCEWEl9pkthNZ6Q" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1534567956638833/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/1534567956638833/</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hybrid Veils : The Artwork of Jsun Adrian McCarty Dec 1-8, all day at Pro Arts Gallery</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/1614486275238404/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNE5YuxxVMDOIbqbWbBg9b4V2xTQfQ" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1614486275238404/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/1614486275238404/</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ghostship Memorial Dec 2 9pm-2am at Starline Social Club</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/1565541440203456/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNFSXMq3Ky-0T5Ic7XHXCFlaq1Oj_w" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1565541440203456/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/1565541440203456/</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ships in the Night benefit for Ghost Ship qt/poc survivors & fam Dec 2, 9pm-2am at the New Parish</span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/1849593385326524/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNF3WY4_3ilcYheAx83QS1kUDfZpmw" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1849593385326524/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/1849593385326524/</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Hanging Garden Dance Party Moment of silence and remembrance of Introflirt. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dec 2, 11:15pm at The Uptown. </span></div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/1947944068787724/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNFVBh2biVveZT-ZzsUbNf39Dv9b-Q" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1947944068787724/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/1947944068787724/</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: white;">Ghost Ship Fire: Moment of Silence at SF Dance Clubs on Dec 2nd Dec 2 between 11pm and midnight at various dance clubs iin the Bay Area and beyond </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.facebook.com/events/917830935031583/&source=gmail&ust=1512190152948000&usg=AFQjCNHkjXJb179RRctvmJclOClK1PkIYg" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/917830935031583/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #a64d79;">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>events/917830935031583/</span></a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-26851061818359640622017-11-30T20:47:00.003-08:002017-11-30T20:47:12.816-08:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-54089054104420394492017-11-07T14:43:00.000-08:002017-11-30T20:46:25.907-08:00Catch the Man! Richard 23 on Front 242, Revolting Cocks and life in the Wax Trax!<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are a fan of all that is Wax Trax! well, then this is a pretty exciting time for you. With Front 242 just finishing their Circling Overland tour, the Revolting Cocks is also touring once again and stopping in SF (11/12/17) and doing a set the night before at the Cold Waves show in LA. Minsitry just played the Warfield in SF and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult played a Halloween show at the Brick and Mortar. On top of that, the Wax Trax! Documentary "Industrial Accident" is in it's pre-screening phase and is presenting that at the Montalban theatre in LA (hopefully a bay area screening soon). So, getting a chance to talk to Richard 23, one of the front men in Front 242 and Revolting Cocks was very exciting. Their album "Front By Front" was Wax Trax! top selling album in their history. Richard 23 alongside Patrick Codenys, Jean- Luc De Meyere and Daniel Bressanutti was the original line up in Front 242 and it is one of THE quintessential industrial bands. Revolting Cocks consists of Paul barker (ex- Ministry bassist) Chris Connelly, and Luc Van Acker and is revered in the Wax Trax! cult that still has an obsessed following today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This interview was originally supposed to be done via email, but in a turn of events I ended up doing it in person the night of the SF Front 242 show. I showed up at the Mezzanine at 6pm and met him in the metal box/storage container-like smoking room, getting a little sick off smoking too many cigarettes in anticipation. They were doing sound checks for the drums. I sat there in the smoke, smiling to myself, anticipating about what we were going to talk about. Richard talks about the early inspirations in forming Front 242, the fun that is had in doing the live RevCo shows again, and inside info on the making of the Wax Trax! documentary. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Richard 23 performing in Front 242</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">1981 was a very prolific year for many genres — punk, goth industrial. What was the scene like when you first started out in Belgium? You seemed to gain popularity quickly there, then it spread to the U.S. when you got signed to the famous Wax Trax! records in 1984. How did you get started in making music? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> First of all, in Belgium, punk was already gone. It was dead. Punk really started in 1976/1977. Starting out in NY and the U.K. with people like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols and all that. So, in 1981 there was still punk bands around, but at that time it became more New Wave with Bauhaus and Siouxsie. When we started there wasn't really a “scene” in Belgium. But there was an audience for sure. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s going to get really loud in here! (lights cigarette). In our little “corner” (Belgium) there wasn’t anything organized as a “scene”. Those were the early days. But like I was saying there was an audience and there was a lot of shows. Most of the bands from England, for example, their first show outside of the U.K was ALWAYS in Belgium: Joy Division, Cabaret Volataire, even U2. The fist time U2 played outside of the U.K. was in a small club in Brussels, made for 50 people. We (Belgium) were always really open because we didn't have strong cultural roots, it's like a made up country. We were very open to what was going on. We were in to the U.K music as much as the French and German stuff. So when we started out it was sort of a DIY story. No one was really able to understand what we were doing. The studios back then in Belgium were big and expensive. So we had to do it in our home made studio; small recorders, small mixers. We also realized it would be easier to do the covers, the graphics ourselves. So we found out quickly what we had to do. There was no tour managers. We could have gone and worked with U.K (industry) for this reason but we really didn't want to enter that “Anglo-Saxon” environment. So, yes, it was all DIY on our end; from making the music, producing it and creating the graphics, the stage sets, the costumes, everything. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What was the concept that was behind Front 242? I know in another interview you mentioned that you wanted to convey an “intensity”. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, first off, none of us were musicians. None of us had any background in music. That’s why we started to use machines, synthesizers, computers to express ourselves musically and even beyond. If you are learning to play guitar you have to learn how to play your instrument. With a synthesizer all you have to do is sit down and take the time to fuck with it. We found it was more interesting this way, to sound differently than all those other bands at the time. Since we weren't musicians, we were influenced by many other things than music- architecture, movies, literature. Some of these bands that were up and coming, like Depeche Mode or The Human league (their music) was great but the live performances were kind of boring. Just people standing around keyboards. You were missing that "something", like in punk music their live performances has an energy to it. It was just a lack of energy. So we wanted to bring that energy, a physical power. When we were creating music, it was like we were creating a soundtrack to a movie that didn't exist yet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">That makes sense, thinking back to the "Headhunter" video produce by Anton Corbijn. Bringing the cinema to cinematic music</span>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The thing is that the medium we were lacking back then was the video aspect. We were doing everything else. Doing video back then was impossible to do that all by yourself. It’s not like now you just buy a camera and put it all together on your computer for real cheap. Anton Corbijn work was very interesting to us because he was first a photographer. So he had the “eye” before anything else. When we met him we told him was that we didn't want to do a video just for a single, we wanted to do a video to promote the album (Front by Front), like a trailer for a movie, featuring samples of different tracks from the album. Instead the label asked him to do a video for “Headhunter”. We told him he had complete freedom. We didn't give him any direction. Didnt’ explain any of the lyrics to him. It was cool because I think he got some of the sense of humor that isn't easy to catch the first time you listen to (Front 242) It was cool to work with someone and to give them total freedom and to see what they come up with. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s cool since you mentioned some of your inspirations was architecture, and he definitely uses architectural lanscapes in that video. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes! That was all shot in Brussels. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love that! So going back, in creating the initial sound for Front 242, sampling was a big part of it. Where did you get the idea for using this? Were you kind of the innovators of this sound?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wouldn't say we were the beginning. When we first started sampling, sampling machines had just came out on the market. Before that people were using tapes, and we were too in the early days. So was Cabaret Volatire for example. They were using tapes as a sort of archaic sampling system. In the early 80’s when they systems came out we were lucky enough that Patrick won the lottery. He won some money and with that money we were able to afford the Emulator 2 which was verryyy expensive sampling machine. It was like the price of a car back then. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What a turn of events! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were lucky that Patrick could actually buy this and we could start sampling. The idea for sampling was because we were influenced by architecture and movies but we were also influenced by TV. Belgium, in the early 80’s was the only country in Europe to have cable TV. So we had access to 15 or 20 channels from all over Europe. Which was not the case in France, England or Germany back then. So we were filled with images from French, German, British tv. So we had access to so many great sounds and images. So we are sampling TV news, movies and trying to make music with this was very exciting. We were trying to avoid using preset sounds from synthesizers. Except for people like Throbbing Gristle, we were trying to do something different. We would use the sound of someone hitting the table- make a sample of that and it became the “snare” in a song. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Incredible!</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were one of the first bands who started using samples in that way. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It creates a musical collage.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, we were also using synthesizers. The lyrics and vocals were important, but not as important as the sounds. We always considered the vocals as another instrument before the story telling. Sometimes </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Jean would come up with interesting lyrics but like "<a href="https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=sfp&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=rotz&p=front+242+operating+tracks#id=51&vid=7b6590df220300">Operating Tracks</a>" is a good example of that. The lyrics mean nothing but it brings an imagery.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">More rhythm focused rather than poetically focused.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">I always wondered about the lyrcis. They always sounded somewhat political to me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Did these songs mean to have a political edge to them on your end?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No! We were using news samples and of course you get the political aspect that's going on in the world. In the early 80’s it was still the Cold War and that was pretty interesting in terms of propaganda, speeches from political leaders. We were not making a statement, we were just using those words, speeches and sounds to put back in the music. A reflection of what was going on around us. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Historical reflection.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">Yes, but no position taken. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-blp-default&hsimp=yhs-default&hspart=blp&p=front+242+welcome+to+paradise#id=49&vid=" style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">“Welcome to Paradise</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">”</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> we weren't saying we were Christians or Anti-Christians. We visited the states in 1984 and we turned on the TV and saw all those preachers on all these channels. That was something completely unknown in Europe! We were so excited! the way those preachers were talking about God and Jesus and just the drama. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh yes, high drama!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For us we were thinking “Whoa! What IS this?!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's still really weird!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sure! But now everybody knows about it because the rest of the world now has access to it. Back then no one knew. So we recored it, we sampled it. and it’s in the track. It’s no statement. We used it because the way the expresses them selves, just the sentences they used alone were very strong. That doesn't mean we agree with what they say, we just found it very interesting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, you use their emotional intensity to heighten the musical intensity that you're creating.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yeah! it was so weird just hearing, “Jesus is the son of God,” “No sex until marriage” sort of stuff. We were fascinated by this aesthetic, not so much it’s substance. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Funkahdafi” same thing with that song. The intro is a speech and we felt the sme way. It was strong and we just wanted to fuck with it. It was just all over the news back then.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">You're being observational and with that you "assault" people sonically with it</span>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Going on this tour what songs do you look forward to performing now?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I really look forward to playing “Operating Tracks” which is the first song off the first album "Geography". It has big bass lines, cut up lyrics and some good smaples. of course “Head hunter” is always a fun one to play. It was the song that sort of made us sort of “famous” and helped us to go a little bit further than the others. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Is there any other songs that you notice the audience really enjoy, that they get wild about?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It depends on where you play. In Spain they go mad with “Commando Mix”. I think a lot of DJ’s were playing that back in the day in the clubs. It has that kind of repetitive, techno aspect to it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh yeah they love that over there!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Im Rhythmus Bleiben" is very popoluar in Germany. It's German and it’s tough!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What was the initial idea with your outfits?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When we started, we wanted our stage presence to be different. We were really influenced by war movies, like Apocalypse Now. We sampled that movie a lot for "No Comment” album”.The military outfit look was a reflection of the Cold War/Vietnam era. We had to reflect that feeling. They were also cheap to buy, easy to wear. We wanted to have a very strong look. It just fit with that feeling of the “No Comment” album so well. Of course the imagery changed slightly over the years, but that was the basis. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I saw ‘The Cocks” perform the "Big Sexy Land" album anniversary show at the DNA lounge. I know you thought you would never perform those songs again. But now you are on tour for the second time. What is that like? You guys have great chemistry. It looks like you all have such a good time performing it, which makes it so fun.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, thats exactly what happened. At first it we got back together to do the one show for the Cold Waves festival in Chicago (2016). But putting in all that energy just for one show was a bit stupid. I thought maybe we should set up a few more shows. So we set up six and we found out we could do a few in Europe so we did. It’s working so well, we get a long so well. It’s just such a pleasure and it’s just so fucking fun. We did SF last year, it was a success and I can’t believe were coming back. Like I said before, It’s just such a pleasure to play with those guys, away from what I’m doing with Front 242. I mean they're just great musicians. Paul Barker!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was going to ask you about him! He’s my favorite bassist!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes! Basically the idea is to get together and have fun! And people are asking for more..so....</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The energy is so infectious!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">I know back in the day Al Jourgenson was a part of RevCo back in the day. I know he’s also very problematic to work with. Do you still talk to him?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOPE! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">HAHAHA! no surprise there!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">None of us. None of us do. It’s even worse for Paul and Chris. Paul went through with suing him and stuff. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Oh jeez too messy</span>!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oh yeah, it's messy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So! Wax Trax! documentray! What was it like being involved in some of the filming of that?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I saw it a few times before the pre-screening in Chicago. They did an amazing job. It’s just such a great story. Poeple will probably think it’s just going to be about industrial music, but it goes beyond that. But it's really about the guys who created the label. It’s more about how they came up with the idea. How they moved from Denver to Chicago and the way they did it and all that stuff. It’s a human story before it being a music story. There’s lots of unseen footage and secrets revealed! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was pleasantly surprised to hear that "Front By Front" was Wax Trax! biggest selling album!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yeah! plus the fact that “Head Hunter” was on there as well as “Welcome to Paradise”. Yep, it was their best selling album.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wow, how amazing to be apart of something so iconic. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The thing is we grew up in the States as the same time as Wax Trax! Our reputation started growing in the states as well as the label. That really made a connection between the label and the band. Later on we had to go because the limit of promotion and distribution was already reached for the label. We felt like we could grow a little bit more, in terms of exposure. Then they started to have money problems because they were very bad business men. They were both music lovers, great people but just not good with the business aspect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, they would spand millions on a record that everyone knew wasn't going to sell, but just because they loved it. That’s the beauty of Wax Trax! but that’s the same reason why they went bankrupt. When that started to happen, we felt like we had to go. It wasn't our main label, it was our U.S. label as we had our European label. We were just connected by a distribution contract. At a certain point we just had to say, you know 'paymnets are coming late'. The distribution had met it's maximum. When the money problems started happening many bands on the label felt the same. When you can sell more and tour more with someone else, even if you have a very strong connection with the people (Wax Trax!) you try for awhile to stay and work it out. But eventually we had to say “I’m sorry I have to keep up on my career”. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Right, it’s not personal, you've just hit a ceiling.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was heartbreaking, but we had to go. What happened after that is they went bankrupt. It’s all in the documentary, you’ll see. There’s no more record store. but they keep the legacy alive by doing “pop up” record sales, selling some of their original merchandise. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, I guess we will find out more in the documentary!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s touching, it's a very cool story. Right now it’s in the pre-screening phase due to legal issues/ figuring out copyrights etc. Then once that’s sorted out it will tour film festivals for more exposure and then one day hopefully it will be on DVD. (Wax Trax!) really was an accident. That’s why it’s called “Industrial Accident”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Get tickets to see The Revolting Cocks<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/479918595688463/"> here</a>!!!!!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-36065926079294638312017-10-18T15:03:00.000-07:002017-10-18T15:16:27.763-07:00A little Show/Album Review - Stacian "Person L" release party! with Lohza, Gel Set and Dimentia!<div style="line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Despite being so burned out that day, I am so glad I went t</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">o this show. The three opening solo female fronted acts caught my attention for the night. It was Stacian’s night to shine with her release “Person L” full length E.P. with support from solo femme acts Lohza and Gel Set. Headlining the night was Dimentia from the hard-wired music collective, Katabatik.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lohza, Gel Set and Stacian 10-7-17 Eli's</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">Lohza opened the evening in front of the keys delivering uncontrived yet engaging soundscapes enchantingly lit by a modest candelabra. A slower tempo, minimal singing and less beat focused, it was entrancing without putting you to sleep. I was imagining putting this album on once I got home that night to wind down after all the dancing I was about to do. Upon getting her digital format only EP- I was happy to find it was the perfect music to do so that night, early morning, my room gently lit with candles amongst my new potted plants. “Night Bay” is well suited for your “good night mornings (1)", “Topic Hole” meditates with more earth tones, and “1987” is a perfect backdrop for an early 80’s melodrama (yeah, I was thinking Twin Peaks). Find a punk- ask them for her email, buy the </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">digital EP.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://gelset.bandcamp.com/">Gel Set</a> (LA)…. I just kept thinking of the words “lucite” and thinking of clothing made of shiny vinyl and jelly sandals. I just had to see it. Turning towards more of the electronic -beat side element of the evening, she brought brave innocence with miminal wave and moody moments that suggested down tempo dancing and swoon swaying. Although at times her live set I felt could be a little more polished (maybe technical difficulties? Hell, it is Eli’s) I was determined to get her LP as well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was immediately invited in to “Don’t you miss Me” with the un-fussed yet bouncing digital sounds of early Depeche Mode- A Broken Frame era and continued to be wooed by the smokey sadness of "Sexual Numerals" and taken in by the clean pops of "Bounce". </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://stacian.bandcamp.com/">Stacian</a> always brings the bodies out to dance in every live performance I've seen of her. "Don't worry, I'll wake them up" I remember her saying at one drowsy party, before her set. Her sound is an </span>e<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">dgy, techno noir-wave trance and she sings with a </span>sensual <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">aggression channeled through a dark wave filter. Her record label, "Night School” describes her as “(Stacian) is Person L, is Oakland resident, solo artist and academic Dania Luck. Beginning in the American Mid West, Stacian has been an ongoing Bay Area concern since 2008, deeply involved in the minimal wave and underground electronic music scene. A dystopian vision of alienated humanity, broken communications and technoid mal-forms, Person L is her most fully developed full length and a leap forward from 2012’s Songs For Cadets. Moving away from the primitive Cold Wave of previous work, Person L manages to create a bleak dystopia without relying on Ballardian cliche, though still invoking concrete prisons and urban disassociation. Person L is a throbbing, murky underworld that revels in imperfections, a submersive, digital swamp bleeding through the club.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> First side of her LP allures you with lo-fi, dark-side vocals and Subtonix-y feels on the keys. The second side brings you to the steely and hypnotic mode of post -apocalyptic dance electro via two analog synths, sequencer and drum machine. Side two is less vocal and pulls you right in with the provocative first song “Dirgent” and to the perfect last song “Gnomon” with its’ keenly chosen samples. I got lost in it and that's what I wanted it to do. Good late night music. Good fucking anytime music. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dimentia brought his knob-laden, Katabatik-ness to the mix, which I love myself some Katabatik. He opened for Front 242 the week prior! His technical </span>intensity<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> is on point. However, the ladies stole the show. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you all for your passion! Make sure you check out all these acts! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">(1) "good night mornings" is a thing my friend Richard Toomer (SF/NYC comedian and philosopher) likes to say. I can't take credit for it, but I know those days where </span>you stay<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> up all night to the morning and there is the perfect </span>song<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> for that specific moment. <3</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-2236481000727681872017-09-05T11:32:00.002-07:002017-09-07T18:58:50.203-07:00Looking Inwardly: An Interview with Mark Burgess of The Chameleons <div style="line-height: normal;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Listening to The Chamelons is like smelling a perfume you once knew. Once that certain aroma captures your attention you are transported back to that very moment where you first experienced it. That moment you met someone, left someone, starved, cried, laughed. This Manchester-based paragon banded in 1981, a year that was rich with budding avant-garde, post-punk legends such as Bauhaus, Modern English, Dead Can Dance and Clan of Xymox. Mark Burgess was on vocals and bass, Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding doing the guitar work and John Lever on drums. They were involved in the BBC John Peel sessions era, who showcased prodigies such as Joy Division, Cocteau twins and The Smiths .The Chameleons went on to produce the 1983 debut album "Scripts of the Bridge" followed by "What does anything thing mean? Basically" and "Strange Times". By 1987 they were disbanded only to reform briefly, years later, in 2000. They're an underdog in terms of lyrically charged, glimmery, subtly psychedelic British post-punk, that has a depth unmatched. Sometimes, with such an illustrious musical affinity, you don't get the honesty that they have and continue to have. Mark Burgess, who now performs this original material under the title The ChameleonsVox, is on tour now. They will be at the Pandemonium event alongside Theatre of Hate, Soft kill, Ötzi and The Ink Bats on 9/9 in Oakland. He invites us in on this interview with very introspective stories recalling his time working with the BBC sessions, his moments as human/artist trying to navigate through this world and his love for the bay area. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You are now returning to the bay after two years since doing the “Script of the Bridge” tour. Your last show with us at the Elbo Room in SF sold out. One of my friends and local DJ's said that in 1982 “Script of the Bridge” was the Number One played album on bay area radio station KUSF! I was happy to hear that! You’re coming back on 9/8 with Theatre of Hate and Soft Kill. What was your reaction to the current excitement as well as lasting legacy The Chameleons have in the current music scene? Who is in your line up this tour?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It never ceases to surprise me when we get an excited reaction to the news that we’re coming into a city to play. That’s something I’ve never taken for granted., I mean, that’s a pretty good feeling, right? It definitely gives us a very positive outlook and makes us more excited about doing them. I’ve personally been performing this material a long time and I’d be a liar if I said that my enthusiasm never waned. On occasion it has, but never when we get those kinds of reactions to a tour announcement. I think for me, personally, it helps me focus too on trying to want to make the shows the best we’ve shows we’ve done. Whether we succeed or not is entirely subjective but it definitely motivates everyone to focus that little bit more than we would when it’s felt kind of routine. Having said that, the times performing this music HAS felt routine is quite rare. We get a lot of direct feedback and there’s often excitement around an upcoming show, maybe not every date on a tour but certainly key places.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The line-up SHOULD have been the same line-up as the last time we were in town, myself on bass on vocals, Neil Dwerryhouse on guitar, Chris Oliver on guitar and Yves Altana on drums. Unfortunately, Chris has had complications around his passport and visa applications, which resulted in him having to withdraw from the tour and I’ve had to ask my old friend and past collaborator, Justin Lomery, who’s currently based in New York, to step in. Justin has played a few tours with me both here and in Europe so I was very relieved not to say overjoyed that he’s stepping in, cause he’s a great guitar player with a real passion for this music. I’m looking forward very much to having him back on board. Those people who are familiar with some of my recordings outside of Chameleons will know the name Yves Altana. I’ve made a couple of albums with him over the years and performed quite a few number of tours with him too. He’s a very talented multi-instrumentalist, guitar being his strongest, but took over drum duty a couple of years ago when John Lever got injured and continued with that after John eventually left the band. Anyone who’s been around long enough to see The Sons Of God U.S. tour in 1994 might remember Yves played guitar on that, as did Neil Dwerryhouse who’s also with me currently. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm really glad that worked out with Justin Lomery. I know a lot </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> bands who have had to cancel their U.S. shows due to passport complications. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Dont’ fall”, “Here Today” and “Second Skin” to name a few are just a few of your songs that highlights the pain and struggles in life while simultaneously having a positive edge to it. Your songs have a sort of rebirthing quality to them. As if maybe one minute you are going “up on the down escalator” (to be cheeky) and you're crying and losing it and then your lyrics bring back this glimmer of hope, a realistic hope and you might even find yourself smiling, getting ready to pick yourself up and face the day, the month, the problem with a shred of virtue still present. What was some of your situations you were in that helped write these songs? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh God yeah, I mean life even now, is a bit of a roller coaster. I mean there’s a common arc through all of them really that stems from a feeling of alienation, of being the outsider, but I’ve never felt that things are totally hopeless or anything. I mean, yeah, it gets harder to see that hope or to hang on to it, no question but events and circumstances, or consequences haven’t been able to stamp out that light of hope I carry completely. I mean, I believe in following paths, finding the right one and following it, although right and wrong are not really good words to describe them, there is no wrong path or right path really, just this one or that one and often they can converge into the same present, what sets them apart are the experiences and lessons and consequences of cause and effect that are unique to them. They don’t all necessarily have the same destinations however, so it pays to listen to one’s instincts and not be afraid of taking hard, long, analytical or critical looks at oneself. All of my lyrics are born from direct experience of life and the interpretation of the reality around me and the alienation I’ve always felt from society. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">I</span><span style="color: #a64d79;">’ve noticed in other interviews you mention that the audience has approached you with some detailed experiences of listening to your music. I have to say when I did at the Elbo Room I found you to be such a kind and generous spirit. It must be pretty incredible to be performing all over the world and hearing such personal stories that were inspired from listening your your records.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, it is incredible and also incredibly powerful. You know, I’ve had people in tears holding me (saying) it’s meant so much to them. It’s the real reason why I do this, why I continue to perform this music instead of just moving on and relegating it to history. This is too important to people to just let it die, and the increasing relevance of it, the power of it, demands that I continue to perform it. Working out a way of doing both, making more music outside of it and continuing to perform it has been a little problematic for me. I’m not wealthy and I have to make a living just like everyone else. Those kinds of complexities can be tricky to deal with to be honest. It’s the kinds of reactions and encounters that you speak about that brings the purpose of what I’m doing into focus. People can and have got very cynical about the music and it’s ability for change, especially rock based music, which many see as being largely irrelevant these days. If you’re not the Beatles or the Sex Pistols, you know, changing the fabric of society why bother? Surely, then in light of that rock music is rather superficial. What they fail to see is the impact it has on a personal level for people and how that can change the world in ways that, despite not being globally visible, are just as significant if not more so. “He saves a single life, saves the world entire". So that kind of feedback, the kind your talking about, is never, ever lost on me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I’ve always been curious about the album art. They all have their own dream like quality to them. The cover art of “Script of the Bridge” has a new romantic feel to it while “Strange Times” has this sort of surrealistic take. I read that Reg Smithies was the artist. Can you tell me a little bit on the ideas/story behind presenting your albums by this cover art?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can try but my instant take it on it is, not really and I doubt that Reg could either. "Script of the Bridge" is somewhat easier in that all of the places on there were places we went to, they’re real places. A freeway bridge that you cross on your way to cenotaph that stands in a park surrounded by the lights of Greater Manchester. The castle is Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland, a place we used to visit often and still do. The colours and the face represent something we saw there one night, Easter Sunday actually in 1982. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"What Does Anything Mean? Basically!" I have no idea. It’s my favourite of all the sleeves, which is why I like to use it so much promoting the band I suppose. I liked it immediately but once it had been placed against the cloud backdrop I LOVED it. Gorgeous. What does it mean? Fuck knows.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Strange Times"... well, I’m not sure again but I suspect it’s Reg just having some fun. The characters on the table are the usual Reg "surrealistic creations". His girlfriend at the time is looking on, opposite him, while he draws his own hand reaching in and interacting with it. It wasn’t designed to be a record sleeve, he just showed it to me as something he’d done and I immediately knew that was it. None of the records had titles when he worked on what became the sleeves, they just seemed to fit naturally to each other. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I think some of the most timeless recordings came from the BBC/ Peel Sessions- and you were apart of the chosen! Any thoughts on this moment in time for you and The Chameleons? What was it like to be apart of something so iconic?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">AMAZING.. Definitely high amongst my favourite experiences with the band. We had no motives other than to be on that program, which we listened to religiously each evening Monday to Thursday. It was a nightly ritual for a while. We’d meet at a friends place after doing whatever it was we’d been doing that night: roll a few spliffs and listen to Peel. I’d been listening to him since his Radio Caroline days. I got into T.Rex as a young kid through John Peel and a lot of other things. WE all did. So, to actually be on the show was fantastic and having him hype the session the night before it went out, well, we didn’t expect that. We were floored by that. I’d never heard him do that before when he was promoting the following night’s session. I was stunned by that. The whole experience was surreal. Meeting him outside the BBC to give him the tape to have him phone me at home early the following Monday morning. I mean I thought it was a wind up for about 30 seconds. Recording at the BBC at Langham. We’d be given the choice to do it there immediately or wait for the new state or the art studio at Maida Vale to be finished. It was no - brainer. I knew how many great sessions had been recorded at Langham going back to the likes of Jimmy Hendrix and a fledgling David Bowie. And we learned so much with their engineers and producers. It was said that if they didn’t like it you’d be done and dusted by 10:30 pm. We never got out there before 3:00 a.m the following morning. I think the other reason why I loved those sessions so much was that by and large you’d do ideas that were barely developed or finished, because they were the freshest and the ones we were most excited about, and seeing as you had to record four songs in a single day it was very fast and spontaneous, but the producers and the engineers were good enough that they could capture that excitement and freshness. I think that’s why Peels sessions in particular still hold a place in people’s hearts when it comes to their favourite bands. You don’t have the weeks of production in there, the meticulous attention to detail, you just have the band raw and excited to be there. I mean I’d take The Smiths’ Radio Sessions over most of their records any day of the week for that very reason. ………..</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would have to agree with you on that one! Those sessions do capture those candid moments. Your story alone makes me excited! What a whirl wind!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">One of my musician acquaintances commented casually that the “music industry is an industry of rejection. Don’t let it get you down and stay focused”. Do you think this is a true statement from when you started out in 1981 up until now? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I do and I think it’s a very good way of expressing it. It always seemed strange to me that they’d pick up on something or sign something that was obviously exciting people but then interject and re-interject elements they thought needed changing or fucking with, until what was great about it is lost or the band splinter cause they can’t agree. And then yeah the myriad of bands and talent out there that never even make it that far who might actually believe that these accountants that run the business actually know what they’re fuckin’ talking about. I’ve been really gratified to see the industry expand to the point where the mechanisations that were traditionally running it have become pretty much irrelevant. I mean, sure, if you throw a million dollars at a record chances are you get it to chart or on rotation or what not, but what genuine artist is interested in that anyway? It used to be important, I suppose, to the likes of early Bowie, but in recent years it’s become as hollow and as mundanely irrelevant as it ever was. It’s a hard question to answer though to be honest because while rejection is the norm in this business, I mean you have to be prepared for that. Unless you can show merit on your own, no one’s going to take notice and cause resources to fall into your lap from the sky. If you can’t mentally prepare and stand up to that kind of rejection you’re fucked, now more than ever. While that’s the norm, I never really experienced it. Within six months of joining the band and getting to grips with the song writing I found myself on John Peel’s show and CBS records. While it’s true the band was eventually dropped, that was what we wanted. We were happy to get out of that and it didn’t take us more than a few weeks to find a home somewhere else and when that went south we found another one, or another one found us. So, I’ve never really experienced that kind of rejection, although as I say I know it is the norm for artists and up and coming talent. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">You are touring with Soft Kill right now. I know you collaborated with them on their 2016 album Choke. I know last week you announced that you had produced a recording session with Belgium band “An Orange Car Crashed”. Looking forward to hearing this! How did you get involved with Soft Kill and AOCC? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, Soft Kill contacted us with a view to putting together the 2015 tour we did and we became firm friends, added to which obviously we really liked the band. We play with a lot of bands and while many of them are good, a few outstanding and Soft Kill for my money are one of them. So when they asked if I’d do a spot of vocals on their record last year I was happy to do that. Now they’re bringing us out again having just toured with us in Europe, although, the European shows had nothing to do with us. Our agent in London phoned and asked if we’d mind if he featured this band he’d discovered from America, on the dates he was putting together, and told us it was a band called Soft Kill. He had no idea we knew them, which says something about our relationship with our agent, how we laughed. AOCC were a band I met when were on the road in Belgium (Arlon to be exact) and we played with them a few times and became friends. I’d spent the weekend out there performing with them on an Adrian Borland tribute show they’d put together and it kind of cemented our friendship. So a couple of them came over when we played with The Mission last May at a festival and asked me to do it. I don’t really do much of that to be honest but in this case they’re such a great gang I fell in. I have to say it was a very enjoyable experience on every level. They’re very happy with the results too, which is a relief- haha!! I couldn’t stay for the mixing though, which is a bit of a bummer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like what you were talking about earlier, it was as if your paths were converging.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">I’m so sorry to hear about the passing of drummer John Lever earlier this year. I’m sure you have had quite the journey of the soul. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yeah, that was very hard to process seeing as over the last few years we hadn’t been on the best of terms, which I suppose is putting it lightly. I don’t know I mean, when I got the news I was shocked obviously that it had finally happened, but I couldn’t say I was surprised given his lifestyle choice. It was really was a ticking time-bomb. I mean, I was able to make my peace. I had a very strange experience a few days after I got the news, which I won’t go into, suffice to say it brought me a lot of peace. I think what I hate about those situations, aside from losing someone you love obviously, is all the social politics that come to bear after and around the event. It become so emotive and clouded that the really important factor, i.e. losing someone you love, gets completely lost in the bullshit. The living are to blame for that, not the dead. At any rate, yeah, it’s very, very strange to think that John isn’t out there right now being John, that we’ve lost one of us in a very real sense. I suppose I’m still processing that really and will be for years to come if I live that long. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #232323;"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">When you come here for tour what are your feelings on San Francisco/ Oakland?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, my feelings for San Francisco have been there for years because I’ve made no secret that it’s one of my favourite cities in the world, one I’d dearly love not to have to leave. In recent years Oakland, too. I had an incredible roller coaster summer in Oakland some years back and the music I was finding that was coming out of the Bay was incredible. I mean it kind of reminded me of Manchester - circa 1978, which was a bit of a golden age really with the likes of The Fall and Joy Division. So yeah I have a massive amount of affection to the Bay Area and the music that’s come out of it. I mean, off the top of my head, Blackbird Blackbird, Blasted Canyons, Grass Widows, Wymond Miles, Tamaryn, The Oh Sees, some great talent and some great, great records. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #232323;"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">All of your songs are emotionally charged in some way, some are more somber and existential than others, but is there any particular songs that you still perform that bring up pain for you? is there a sense of “re-living” certain situations via performance of certain songs? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well yeah, but my pain plays a huge part in who I am and as long as I can still feel that when I perform the music I know I’m still me, although, I like to think I am evolving as a person and dealing with a lot of that. To be honest, I wouldn’t perform the music if that wasn’t true. I mean people come to shows in the hope you’ll be able to recreate how that music made them feel when they first heard it, before they eyes, so I have to tap into that in order to give the music its potency, otherwise I’m just going through the motions. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: large;">Better get your tickets to Pandemonium! The ChameleonsVox put on an incredible live show. You really shouldn't miss it. Such a great line up! Get your tickets<a href="http://m.bpt.me/event/2919754"> here! </a></span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-14068361390235781702017-07-29T15:19:00.000-07:002017-07-29T15:28:00.026-07:00Near Dark Fest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I felt like Oakland needed a dark punk fest. There is so much good music here and everyone is really supportive.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gina Marie of local goth punk band Otzi muses on the initial inspiration for the Near Dark Fest. Over the weekend of August 5-6 at various locations in Oakland, a diverse line up of international and local darkwave/anarcho punk acts will perform. For many of these bands it will be their first time touring to us in Oakland. Gina, with the help of Brianne from Kurraka, another one of the acts performing this weekend and with a few other helping hands, it has a been a project that started forming last summer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here’s what to expect: the weekend starts on Saturday, August 5 over at Granny's with our local Esses project, End Time and Lovestruck Paranoia (LA) in the day time from 2-6pm. Granny's is an awesome spot that has hosted some special events-plus their backyard really lends itself to a good time. The Fest then continues over at the Golden Bull with Pawns from NY (with a new record out on Mass Media), Espejo Convexo (straight from Mexico City!), Cruz De Navajas (who also hail from Mexico City) alongside our local lovelies Otzi (Gina’s band!) and Screature. Rikk Agnew headlines the show (Christian Death and Adolescents fans anyone? Swoon!).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Sunday we start the party again over at Eli’s at 3pm. There will be a host of vendors from records to zines and clothing such as SOS zine, En tu Kara records and Foolish Fetish. Then for some anarcho-punk sounds we have Terminal A (visiting from LA), Kurraka (Texas), Bay Area’ s False Figure, Primary, Remnants (record release show!) and anarcho legends Omega Tribe (U.K on Crass records)- it’s their only Northern CA show! Check it out a rad preview video for it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/neardarkfest/videos/269604486855828/?hc_ref=ARSAP7RaY5kVBe8VGw0vmHCSHsWSCysfOUgLZZsdWZECxU7H5mQF49">here</a>!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We asked Gina if there were any bands she was particularly looking forward to seeing-</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I don’t want to play favorites. But I am really excited to see Omega Tribe. I've loved them for a long time and I never thought I would have a chance to see them. Like, I actually booked them?! They've never been to the U.S! I've never seen Kurraka before- and my fest partner Brianne plays drums for them! I mean I love them all, so It’s kind of a dream come true!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Get your tickets today for this international Near Dark Fest<a href="http://neardarkmusic.com/"> here</a>! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For event pages on Facebook go<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/193535264470691/"> here!</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And of course in the style that is Oakland- everyone is invited and welcomed and celebrated! </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-22416964076518639992017-07-13T10:45:00.000-07:002017-07-15T10:30:38.116-07:00Pharmakon and the culmination of Contact: The Elbo 7/13 with Chasms and V.E.X.<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Shrieks, shrills and trills done vocally and synth-etically inspire a quixotic nausea of the existential kind in the ten year concept that is <a href="https://pharmakon.bandcamp.com/">Pharmakon</a>. Creating this music installation from NYC, Margaret Chardiet’s solo project has released the output titled “Contact” in which she examines “what it takes to be human” in dabbling with trance states and primal vibrations. In her words she explains “Despite all our rambling rejections, we cannot transcend all of our instincts-just animals lost in a confused dream…”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> One of her fans on Bandcamp.com describes it as “This album sounds exactly as (the cover art) looks like. It makes you feel disgusting. It’s very, very good”. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taking a look at the album cover photo of pink, grubby, slimy fingers, mushing hair and the glistening flesh of a face is a</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> reminder that we are all existing inside a sack of meat, a sort of biological nihilism. Yet, if we accept “this tiny sliver of time it opens us to revel in it, to make CONTACT”. On first listen, I felt ill. I turned the song "<a href="https://pharmakon.bandcamp.com/track/nakedness-of-need">Nakedness of Need</a>" off, only to be left with a sense of intrigue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">If you are in the mood for the intensity of say, Swans in their</span><a href="https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrTceFnrWdZvssA6OQPxQt.?p=swans+filth&fr=yhs-blp-default&fr2=piv-web&hspart=blp&hsimp" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Filth</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">-era paired with the dark unpredictability that Nurse with Wound has mastered with bleak relentless synth incisions and human cries from the depths of uncomfortable darkness this is for you. I would recommend coming to indulge in this show if you want to</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">trudge in the fear and the glimmer of the human experience.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">It might make you sick in a way, but doesn’t life? In the word’s of Chardiet,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“When the mind uses the body in order to transcend- escape it!”</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also the<a href="https://chasmssf.bandcamp.com/"> Chasms</a> duo visits their home town of SF after a move to LA to perform their heroine-gaze-y collaboration as well as Oakland’s own masked demons of light<a href="https://xanaxax.bandcamp.com/"> V.E.X</a>., doing their dual synth queer-core weirdness that hopefully involves some improv sax.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be there and be moved…. </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-64629074240713839322017-06-30T13:38:00.000-07:002017-06-30T14:20:30.110-07:00Frequencies of Power and Pain: An interview with Petheaven<div style="font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anya and I were supposed to meet at Gaylord’s coffee on Piedmont ave, but to make a long story short that location didn't happen. I ended up sitting in a quiet corner of a Chinese restaurant with pink table cloths and sipping tea waiting for her with an extra cup.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“The concept of<a href="https://petheaven.bandcamp.com/"> Petheaven</a> is more of a ritual ”. They are these sort of spells we cast out to survive in this world.” describes Anya, founding member of Petheaven. In May of 2013, she started out as a solo act doing guitar and vocals, doing one-off shows and doing bedroom recordings. Just a few years later she invited her musician friends Izzy and Rory from Spit Tips to create a three-piece formation, at least until they both relocated to Portland. For the next few months the project returned to it’s original solo state until Dec of 2016 when ungraspable events occurred in Anya’s life as well as friend and drummer Zoe Stiller. Losing both of their partners in the Ghostship fire, they banded together in music to help them cope, heal and tell a story. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Their live shows makes you feel like you are being taken into an esoteric </span>catacomb<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> of the human spirit, where they fill the dark stone walls with resonating guitars tinged with “sweet 90’s PJ Harvey grunge rock dreams” (maybe even a little reminiscent of early Hole), jazz ruled drums, and haunting lyrics that touch you to your innermost fiber. You may be surprised how moved you feel by this self-described “singer-songwriter” tour-de-force. Petheaven provides "gaps and moments to take a look and see into yourself” and that’s all they want from this project….</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I mean I guess we COULD do the interview here, but doesn’t that feel like a scene out of some 1970’s documentary interviewing Richard Hell about NYC punk?!” I stated while we were cracking up sitting at the table drinking our lukewarm Oolong tea and waiting for the check. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Our punk rock fantasies faded as they were about to close. So we headed to the sanctity and privacy of my living room kitchen across the lake, where it was just us, the fishes and their water filter bubbling in the background. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Which color candle do you want to light?” I asked her while lighting some moon incense. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Let’s light this one, it's Cash’s favorite color” she said as she picked up the dark blue tapered candle. Sitting by the open window to the backyard I found myself honored to have her peaceful, mindful presence in my company, to be invited to hear about her musical “diary” and the depth of her tribulations on creating and “being” in this world. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> So I heard you are coming out with new stuff. I’m really excited to hear more material from you. Tell me about what you’ve got coming out!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Basically the new stuff will be kind of the culmination of what Zoe and I have been doing together as Petheaven. Our new stuff is cool, not only is it a studio recording (Skot B) that we are really proud of but its what each of us brought to this project- rather than it just being my solo project.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">I really love the way you both sound together. You wouldn't expect something to sound so rich and full just using guitar and drums.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> We use a lot of pedals on my guitar to create the soundscapes and also a little bit of magic. I know we are kind of haunted in a way so I think it makes our sound a little bigger. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Yes, I remember you actually saying that in between songs at Oakland Secret in February of this year, that you are kind of “haunted” in a way. That was a magical set. I think you played four songs… I totally cried. I was moved in a whole new way. That doesn't really happen to me at live shows, even if it is a truly sad song or something like that. You hit me in the deepest realm that no one really gets too often.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> I’m glad that you can access that part of yourself. People come up to me a lot and say that “I cried and I wasn’t expecting to”. I’m glad. Maybe you were seeing a different world or a different emotional realm. That is why that band exists now. At first it was a place to put all of my stories, all the ghost stories in my mind; all of the anger and all of the trauma that I have experienced. For Zoe and I, this is our outlet ever since what happened in December (Ghosthship tragedy). It’s like channeling a frequency of pain and of power. Casting your own protection spells and being honest with your own emotions. The different layers of instrumentation can work to present itself in a way that lets you access that point if that makes sense. It makes me want to cry when I hear that other people cry (listening to our stuff). All I can hope is that someone can access our stories. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">You mentioned gathering this “power”. That’s exactly what I was thinking about you today as I was listening to your older material. There is this raw power and strength in this beautiful sadness that kept coming up for me. That’s a really potent combination. Your vocal range and intonations sometimes remind me of a Diamanda Galas.</span></span></span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s wild, deep sad, powerful, angelic. How is this all happening at once?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> I don’t think it is mutually exclusive. I don’t think it is different things. I just think it’s total expression. I appreciate that comparison. Cash always said (my voice) had a Kate Bush/Diamanda sound. I was thinking “Wow, that’s a pretty big comparison”. I've never felt "here". I think my voice is some dead lady that lives inside of me that tells stories. I Use the voice as an instrument. Im a guitar nerd. we have a lot of jazz elements it too. It’s like a cloud, rather than a genre</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Going back to that show I saw earlier this year (Oakland Secret feb. 2017) Oh god…. Being so soon after December, I thought some of those songs were directly related to you and Zoe both losing your partners ( Cash Askew and Feral Pines). Some of those songs felt like they were created out of this huge unimaginable loss. Then I found out these songs were written <i>previously</i>, in 2013.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Yes! Previous. Yes I think a lot of that has been solidified in losing her. Cash was (and this went for either one of us) she was right in front, the first person there at the show. She gave me the love and strength to perform. that was preventing me from going up there and doing it. I was in a very dark head space, in a very dark body space and she was my light. She was so proud of me. I am so proud of her. all the love and music we hold together. I just just hope I keep making her proud.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes…..I remember that……</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> You were saying you were coming from a dark space in your early Petheaven days. In a sense your early stuff was based in a much more solitary view. How does it compare now? What’s the view like? Is it more focused on your relationship with Cash now?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> It’s not all Cash. But she will be a part of it forever. She will be in every band I’m in. She will be forever tweaking my pedal boards. She will always be doing my sound. Because that’s what she did. She was everything to me. Music, for each of us, was our most important thing. As musicians (music) is one of the only ways we communicate and one of the ways we have found solace. The only other way to find a sort of therapy is to find your other half. Then to have them taken from you is totally uncharted territory. I can't even really explain it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Right, like “Fear of Dark Water” sounds like it could be written about your experience losing your other half, yet it stems from a different experience. That was one of the songs I heard at that O.S show that I thought was directly related to the fire. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #232323;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">My previous songs were more like ghost stories. That song “Fear of Dark Water” was written one night I woke up in the middle of the night. It was like a gash into my psyche. It is definitely a ghost story</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">. This song is about someone who opens up a photo album and sees her great grandmother.she sees her face in her face. she knows her story. she never met her great grandmother, but she knows she took her own life a long time ago, and her family looked at it as shameful. She was deeply abused. She ends up being put in an asylum because she won’t keep quiet about what has been done. So, there, in the garden she takes her life because she couldn’t choose how she lived, she could only choose how she died. Oddly enough, the lyrics (to “Fear of Dark Water”) kind of correspond to what my life is at this point: “ I will choose how I die”....</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #232323;">..</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">..</span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> It’s subconscious. Petheaven is like the ephemera of the mind…how are you going to deal with the shit and come out strong in the end…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s exactly how I feel when I listen to your material.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm so glad. (The) “I will choose how I die” (is something that I) hope is true for all of us, figuratively.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those lyrics really hit me hard at that live show.</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;">We all have strength, and for me, sometimes that’s the only thing that keeps me going. I was blessed to have the most amazing person in my life. cash is heavenly. I just wish she could hear it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;">She’s always at your shows…….( candle warmly glowin</span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;">g)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(teary laughter) She’s always at my shows! I would hope she would be there! ...... I miss my loves, I miss my heart. So the music is the only way to fill the void……. We are a two-piece but we might be a four-piece. We might have some beautiful ghosts in the band. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"> What are some of your favorite tunes to listen to? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my favorite is Charles Mingus “Myself when I am real”. It’s a piano piece. If you are ever alone, light a candle, listen to it. That song is how I feel. It dances and it cries and it speaks to spirits in the room. Another recommendation for the readers is Gloria Ann Taylor “What’s Your world?” It’s some haunted crackling soul. Those were my friends when I was young. Jazz is where my heart is. and of course stuff like Klaus Nomi, Kate Bush, Diamanda Galas. There’s so many.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where did the name Petheaven come from? By the way, I love the font! It kind of reminds me of The Dick Van Dyke show font!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">( All of a sudden we thought we got a blast of some old school heavy duty cologne through the open window. It was truly overwhelming and distractingly funny)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Damn, is that cologne? Somebody's got some Old Spice up in here!! DRAKKAR NOIR</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That is some Old Ass Spice!!!! Someone is going on a hot date!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Room mate comes into living room to admit it was his incense and apologizes sheepishly)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, yes the name…I was once at this pet hospital and on the ceiling was this panel of a sky with all this pets looking down on you. It was really depressing and I got obsessed with this idea of a pet heaven. I’ve always had this intense connection to dogs. I just like the name, I think it’s endearing. Plus i’ve always felt like more of a pet than a human anyway. Petheaven is one word for us! People always think it’s two!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black;">So in your future albums what format do you think you'll release it on? Another cassette? viny</span><span style="background-color: black;">l?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0px;">I think vinyl! Plus I’ve got some original Petheaven art by Cash. So yeah, we gotta do it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> We will release an EP. 2-3 songs. “Spellbreaker”, “My house” and “Fortune” will be on there- so stay tuned!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You think you'll keep it a two-piece between you and Zoe?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah! I think its working! We could sample bass some day if we wanted…</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Zoe is such an incredible talent and I am thankful every day that we met and that we can do this project together doing shows and showing people our heart. at the end of the day we can be Petheaven together. We can’t be molded or changed sonically. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Make<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> sure to find yourself at the </span>next</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> Petheaven show!</span></span></span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-62560987971994195642017-06-16T09:05:00.001-07:002017-06-16T09:17:40.015-07:00Give the Noise a Beat! Machina #2 is here!<div style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Devyn Saturnus of Esomoprhic records rematerializes this friday 6/16 with his curated</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Machina </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">night “a multi-sensory night of esotronic//dungeon acid//industrial tech//modular synth and evilutionary visuals”.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This is the second one that he has curated and involves musicians from his own label as well as musicians from the bay-area based electronic collectives Katabatik and 5lowershop. Devyn tells us about the featured artists, his musings on our Oakland scene and remembering Obscura Machina. Listen to this</span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/redcellaroakland/machina-2-june-16th-at-night-light-oaklandteaser-trakk" style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> teaser track </a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">while you read!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; letter-spacing: 0px;">********* In this interview the events of Dec. 2 2016 that took place in Oakland are mentioned. I am still very sensitive to this subject and wanted to let you know what to expect</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; letter-spacing: 0px;">before reading*******</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;">So Machina #2 is underway! Tell me more about musicalfungus as he is on your label Esomorphic records. </span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;">I met Chris (<a href="https://musicalfungus.bandcamp.com/album/demon-core">musicalfungus</a>) in passing at “that one thing in the desert”, many a past life ago. At the time, all I really knew of him was his affiliations with certain crews in the west coast bass culture. Essentially I found through social media he started collecting and building modular synths, which always piques my interest, and its been fun watching him explore these machines, getting to a point where he was ready to explore this in an album. I forget the initial communication we made (the sea of faces on social media can do that..) but he shot me what is now DEMON CORE. Instantly I fell in love, threw it up on Esomorphic Records and booked him a show. You can also consider this Machina as MFungus’ cassette debut show. Be sure to pick it up! He’s from Santa Cruz, so catch him while he’s in town! I’m confident his modular magickal conjurings will be quite the treat, improvised through real circuits and currents, experienced and released into the aether, audio spore frequencies settling into the fertile dirt of our senses .</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">You've also got some guys from 5lowershop and Katabatik that night as well.</span></span></div>
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Yes, not to be missed is <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hakuin/live-excerpt">Hakuin</a>, the pseudonym from Justin Rafferty from 5lowershop who will be starting the night off with his signature brand of psychedelic hardcore IDM, an alchemy of styles and aesthetics revealing machine whispers and warnings from beyond.. He is an absolute genius and I’m very excited to see what he has in store for us. </div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial";">And if this doesn’t already sound like the show of the summer, we have <a href="https://scarford.bandcamp.com/album/who-are-you">Scarford</a>. It felt like a long shot asking a Veteran from Katabatik to perform at this very new event, but the timing was apparently perfect for Scott Arford to deliver unto us a new beast, Scarford. Recently released is an EP under the newly formed Katabatik record label. "Who You Are" is a funky, dark, and fresh approach to EBM and industrial. He's definitely standing out from a style that is easy to rely on "what has been done". It's obvious that Scarford is a beast that only Scott can tame with hard beats, stabbing bass lines in a sinister mid tempo range that personally grips my rib cage and shakes me....I can't wait to hear it on the system at The Night Light and if anyone had an second thoughts on attending Machina the chance to see this new entity should change your mind.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">I love the "dark disco" notes that Scarford is doing, plus </span></span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;">I haven't seen any 5lowershop sets in awhile so this should be pretty interesting. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial";">Yes, quite the variety show. ((((((******TRIGGER WARNING********)))))) It goes without saying that our rather tight-knit community took a blow half a year ago and i’m doing my best to fill in the void we now face from the comrades we lost. Im extremely inspired by my band mate and good friend Micah Danemeyer. He pretty much paved the way as I worked with him under his label Discarded and as a semi-regular performer at his monthly Obscura Machina shows, where, in case you were wondering, is a direct nod and tribute to his energy before us, not stealing, but reminding us who brought our “scenes” together under his mutant vision. My intention is to continue the platform for all of us weirdos to get our stuff out there and have it be heard, guided as a new label and collective entity. The unofficial “theme” of Esomorphic is “””bringing the underground... above ground”””, considering our DIY spaces are all at risk right now. Our options from my observations are very small house shows or trying to convince venues that people will actually come to these shows to subject themselves to such challenging outsider electronics. I have to thank Jason Kick over at The Night Light for his continued support and understanding and for giving us weekend dates. I knew that Micah had been booking and promoting shows for years and it took him so long for him to finally break even. I have to thank him for his tireless effort doing the good work for all of us, a gift that we should never take for granted. He set the stage for us to pick it up and to keep the legacy and tradition alive.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">That was everything I would have wanted to have said about this situation, and you worded it so eloquently. It's still hard for me to write the right words about all that has happened. I'm so happy that this is still going on. It really carries an essence of him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span>Everything everywhere is different now as far as what our culture is like. There is a time before the event in question and there is the time afterwards. Everything was different before and now its different after it. We have to somehow find it in ourselves to manage the harsh realities that we have before us and try to make the best of the situation.</div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;">I think that is all we can do at this point.</span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We got a lot of very mixed attention to the event that happened a year ago. So many media outlets from corporate media to small personal blogs. To some it was a tragedy and to some it was a bunch of stupid ravers that got what was coming to them. Although I can spend time just feeling absolutely SICK about that I want to transmute that energy and push it further into the mainstream attention and show them we aren’t just a bunch of stupid raver kids. We are doing something unique and special and we have the ability to transform culture. Such as Wax Trax!</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> ...</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Some of the artists on there looked like a bunch of rag tag junkie criminals and you wouldn't think they would create a whole subculture and make an impact world wide. If you did, you probably would have been laughed at. But now you have Ministry, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, KMFDM all these bands which have defied all mainstream logic and have gotten to tour world wide and ultimately transformed peoples’ lives. I think that the culture that we have here in Oakland has the ability to achieve similar things. I’m going to try my best to make that a reality and I invite anyone to join me on this potentially crazy ride. Make some thing real and impacting happen,together, and see where it takes us. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You've got the drive and the spirit. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So this is your first self promoted show as Red Cellar. Are you still doing Regretamine?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes, I have a pattern of splintering projects. Regretamine started off as an outlet for underground hard acid techno, ultimately dance music. Something I had never tried to do. But after moving to Oakland and going to Katabatik parties I realized how much of an impact electronic music can have and of course putting you down dark spin on it to reflect the very strange times we live in- yes, even techno can be social commentary!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">There’s definitely a place for it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial";">Red Cellar happened was a collaboration with Micah. So then I had two outsider “dance” music projects going- of course the term “dance” music is used very loosely here hahah! Give the noise a damn beat basically! So I got inspired to do electronic music songwriting with more tradtional song structures. At this point I’m working on a full length album for Regretamine, which is me doing synth and keyboard and vocals. That’s being cooked up in my Regretamine lab! 12-13 tracks in progress but I'm going to keep it a secret until I can unleash it. I also have the noise outlet Neural Eunuch in the Esomorphic catalog. That’s a much looser project with the intention of having revolving artists- whoever wants to come in and make some noise. I have hours and hours of music to sift through. I probably have enough for four or five EP’s right now but of course I have other things that are more pressing with deadlines.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">How Does Red Cellar compare to </span>Regretamine<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; line-height: normal;">Red Cellar's mutant vibe is undoubtedly the mark of Micah’s work. It’s less improvised than it used to be with the two of us jamming out, but my approach is to collect an arsenal of sound to appease whatever spirits I happen to conjure during the live performance ritual. The circle will be cast beyond the cellar door and I invite you all for these incantations and ecstatic dances that follow.......</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Original Red Cellar Line up- Devyn Saturnus and Micah Danemeyer</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Transport yourself over to Machina this Friday 6/16 !!!!</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;">The Night Light at 311 Broadway St. in Oakland</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dj Sailor Saturn will be spinning in between sets too!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-29062374525217269132017-06-07T15:05:00.000-07:002017-06-07T17:14:33.919-07:00OK, this is the POPTONE! An Interview with Kevin Haskins on his post-Bauhaus revival tour<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kevin Haskins needs no introduction. This year the legendary drummer for Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, and Tones on Tail has reunited with former bandmate Daniel Ash (vocals and guitar) and his daughter Diva (bass) to form the supergroup Poptone — referencing the Public Image Limited song "<a href="https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-blp-default&hsimp=yhs-default&hspart=blp&p=public+image+limited+poptones#id=4&vid=39ff95b80b4ba86dea18c153b2b1204f&action=click">Poptones</a>" — who will be performing a career retrospective of his bands' songs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For many this is a dream show, as Tones on Tail hasn't performed since the early '80s. I remember listening to "Rain" and "Lions" while languidly laying in the folded-down backseat of my 1982 Dodge Aries woody station wagon, staring out into a 2 a.m. sky through the rear windows and writing in my composition notebook all the lush poetries that come from the nocturnal stirrings of youth. Let us not forget the afternoon bike rides while singing to the Love and Rockets album <i>Express</i> and glimmering on the inside with verve and a sense of mystique. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was curious to know more about this long-awaited resurgence from Kevin Haskins, as I always sort of viewed him as a wallflower in terms of his other more vociferous bandmates from the past. A quick and humble interview prior to their Regency Ballroom show in San Francisco is what I got from Mr. Haskins, and I couldn't be more pleased to experience this sonic rarity live. </span></span></div>
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<b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I read in different interviews that Daniel Ash had a revelation in the early hours of morning about how he wanted to do live shows again after a decade in hiatus. What was your reaction when he wanted to do Tones on Tail again? To me, the Tones on Tail fans I know have been dying to see you tour once again and always wondered why it didn't happen sooner. </span></b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Basically [Daniel Ash] wanted to play songs that he had written and sang on, so that really formed the set list. However, the majority of songs are TOT. I am very pleased that we are playing predominantly TOT songs. I know from talking to people I bump into at shows that they have been anticipating hearing Tones on Tail music live for a long time. I really love the music of TOT and it's very exciting and fulfilling playing those songs again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tones on Tail was such an incandescent and dynamic project. It's still so evocative and fresh today. Why was it so short-lived and close-kept back when you first started? I know you only toured Europe and the U.S. once.</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was down to musical differences for the most part.</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #a64d79; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The Poptone tour seems very well received so far! The footage I've seen looks like it's a really well-executed show and there has been so much excitement buzzing about it. How does it feel performing these Tones on Tail songs live after 3 decades?</b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a great deal of fun and I'm happy that people who were either too young, or missed seeing our various bands, get to hear the songs live.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is [original Tones on Tail bassist] Glenn Campling up to these days? Why was he not interested in resurrecting these songs? How did your daughter get involved in the project? I know she was in Blackblack.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not sure what Glenn is up to. I think that he's working as a graphic artist. He designed our current Tones on Tail shirts, which I think look fantastic. We didn't approach Glenn or David J as it felt more appropriate to have a neutral bass player. I couldn't really picture either of them playing each other's basslines. Diva also brings a different dynamic to the table, which is fresh and exciting.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucuc-qXJkGF-MjH-SUR4RkxIKSQIrTmsDb9mrOlR-H3oEi26v2rJFpaWrePPAIiMRZ1uIqjKmZnwjtmmO84bAv_irqcOz10PLU-hPDIwGYjVadWL7prDINpJmuq66u8mLpnEWgpzWc_E/s1600/FullSizeRender-37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="750" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucuc-qXJkGF-MjH-SUR4RkxIKSQIrTmsDb9mrOlR-H3oEi26v2rJFpaWrePPAIiMRZ1uIqjKmZnwjtmmO84bAv_irqcOz10PLU-hPDIwGYjVadWL7prDINpJmuq66u8mLpnEWgpzWc_E/s320/FullSizeRender-37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Tones on Tail: Glenn Campling, Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins</i></span></td></tr>
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<b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It must be a truly unique experience playing these career-defining songs with your daughter. You must get along very well! What's the dynamic like?</span></b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's quite surreal at times, glancing to my right and seeing her play on stage with me! We get along really well and share similar interests. She has a beautiful old soul and inspires me almost every day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Returning to your older material, how does it feel in today's music scene? Does it feel like the "scene" used to be better years ago? Are there any newer acts you are into these days?</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thankfully our music feels very fresh and relevant still. I'm really into our current support band called Pow!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What do you like to do in your off time? What does a day in the life of Kevin Haskins look like?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It depends what I'm doing career-wise. Poptone has completely absorbed all my time for the past three months. It's incredible the amount of work it takes, especially as we're very hands-on. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Has there ever been a moment when you have been out in public and one of your songs from your previous projects comes on and it becomes a surreal moment for you?</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not really, although [I was] surprised to hear our songs in Urban Outfitters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You've been composing for film and video games for quite some time now, since 1998. Are you working on any projects right now?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I placed the composing on the back burner for the last two years to work on my coffee table book. It's coming out in October and is called <i>Bauhaus Undead</i>. It's a lot of photos, drawings, writings from the band, and assorted memorabilia. The content is exceptional and unique. I'm very excited that it's finally being published! It will be available on Cleopatra Records, Amazon, and selected book stores.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>It seems like every major city in the U.S. is suffering from gentrification or a homogenization in terms of the arts and subculture. What is your take on the current scene/mood in L.A. these days?</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not happy about the current urbanization of Hollywood.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What are your favorite songs to revisit on this tour?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mainly the Tones on Tail material because it's so eclectic and unique.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've read that Bauhaus and the like didn't set out to make necessarily "goth" music, but it just sort of placed in that category. How does it feel to be a part of so many people's romantic memories of "goth" music?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It doesn't really concern me as to which category we are placed in. I feel blessed to have had and to continue having such an incredible career. I feel truly blessed and grateful every day. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDyH7PvGg0RfXnjW2OGCEuOWUqZgUI5B9yBZPK14TqkrGBcfFSQTefDTPXuc36jcgp6v47Qmqhtj640g5cTF2hpF1Iu_nOKIfv_2Jm9BlqOi8mUhQoR-JOZ4Q9R2pFWdxIZl4GbIhJA4/s1600/FullSizeRender-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="750" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDyH7PvGg0RfXnjW2OGCEuOWUqZgUI5B9yBZPK14TqkrGBcfFSQTefDTPXuc36jcgp6v47Qmqhtj640g5cTF2hpF1Iu_nOKIfv_2Jm9BlqOi8mUhQoR-JOZ4Q9R2pFWdxIZl4GbIhJA4/s320/FullSizeRender-36.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A young Kevin and Daniel in the inimitable Bauhaus</i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Poptone is currently on tour! Make sure you get out there to see them! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">GO!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-59200342171102252882017-03-16T02:19:00.000-07:002017-06-07T15:01:13.270-07:00Aural Fixation: Steilacoom and their new singles release<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"A picture is worth a thousand words and a song is the same coming from an aural perspective," Dave Han comments about Steilacoom, his latest and darkest collaboration with bassist Rob Hanson. As a guitarist and vocalist, Han is not new to the scene: His first more shoegaze-y infused post punk output was Astral in 2001, followed by the more trip-hop focused Foreign Cinema (with Natalia Silva) and various other local bands. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr0euQfbd5_SIIwZvklP2mUxEZU_T0X3RGBwQtbvQxGmO8zKvm3vgXAz9FdftFhO5S5Czf2trCpZU4yJktV541vhnqncPi2QeGF3lmi9Apn2jrzb4xO6urpoPk_ENRkep2nS_oRhSWnY/s1600/10505213_358202641051359_1790324465580157788_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvr0euQfbd5_SIIwZvklP2mUxEZU_T0X3RGBwQtbvQxGmO8zKvm3vgXAz9FdftFhO5S5Czf2trCpZU4yJktV541vhnqncPi2QeGF3lmi9Apn2jrzb4xO6urpoPk_ENRkep2nS_oRhSWnY/s400/10505213_358202641051359_1790324465580157788_o.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Steilacoom's first 7-inch single, <i>Sister/White Dog</i>, is a flirtation of "happy/sad" Britpop/post-punk guitar with deathrock bass that spoons naturally with fuzzed-over vocals that don't shy away from a sense of longing and desire. Reminiscent of The Chameleons, A Place to Bury Strangers, Soror Dolorosa, and She Past Away, it captivates with its meshing of early '80s post-punk and a darkwave-nouveau sound. "Sister'' is a perfect example of this, engaging us right away with its come-hither bass and a sensual hypnosis in its upbeat, echoing guitar riffs. With "White Dog," I caught myself thinking, "Wow, this could have been on the <i>Killed by Deathrock</i> comp" as the opening of the song presents more prominent vocals, hints of flanged bass, and subtle effects surrounding the chorus (think Joy Division/Death in June). With its ability to make your body involuntarily groove in the most desirable way, I can envision this track on the dance floor at any goth night in the near future. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Steilacoom at The Stork Club -Oakland</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Steilacoom is already garnering attention — <i>Sister/White Dog</i> was selected by <i>Performer</i> magazine as "Best Vinyl of the Month" in January of this year — and they have all the components of keeping you actively listening yet on the brink of losing yourself off a cliff of emotion. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Check out Steilacoom for show dates here (if you go to their show, maybe they will tell you what their band name means — is it about the town in Washington?) and listen and buy their stuff on the links at the bottom!!!!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Steilacoom at the Neck of the Woods -SF</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/steilacoommusic"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/Steilacoommusic</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://steilacoomsf.bandcamp.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://steilacoomsf.bandcamp.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://issuu.com/performermagazine/docs/january_february_2017"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://issuu.com/performermagazine/docs/january_february_2017</span></a></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>AWWWW YEAH!</i></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-4689239247367661772017-03-09T09:20:00.002-08:002017-03-09T09:27:40.271-08:00Group Rhoda// Cost/Worth// Terror Apart// Ssleeping DesiresS--3/14 at the Elbo Room<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by John Graham</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This week brings a three-city showcase of sonic oddities to the </span><span style="color: #a64d79; letter-spacing: 0px;">Elbo Room</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> on Tuesday, March 14, with two Bay Area bands bookending a pair of Portland acts. Representing SF (though originally from PDX) is</span><span style="color: #c27ba0; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SleepingDesires/"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Ssleeping DesiresS</span></a>,</b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> the extra sibiliance in whose name gives a clue to the serpentine nature of their post-punk songwriting, with Gabriel Ramos' baritone moans slithering between retro drum machine beats, gothy guitars, and synthesizers that mix equal parts Soft Kill and Soft Moon with a dollop of Drab Majesty. </span><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Terror-Apart-222780464440380/"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Terror Apart</span></a></b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> is the solo act of Portland's Anna Leja, whose mesmerizing minimal synth treatments are punctuated by sharp percussive thumps and ghostly vocals. </span><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Cost/Worth</span></b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> — a collaboration of Portland projects Cost and Tetrad Veil — plumb the night's deepest abysses with their explorations of cavernous dirges, ominous drones, and dark ambient/industrial noise; if you've got a murderous itch, this should satisfy your cravings for Lustmord. And finally there's</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GroupRhoda/" style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> <b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Group Rhoda</span></b></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> (a.k.a. Oakland's Mara Barenbaum), who lightens up the proceedings with electronics that are tropical and trippy — albeit more bouncy than brooding — with Barenbaum's vocals giving the whole affair the heady feel of Chris & Cosey's </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Techno Primitiv</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> entrancements.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://ssleepingdesiress.bandcamp.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://ssleepingdesiress.bandcamp.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://terrorapart.bandcamp.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://terrorapart.bandcamp.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/cost-worth"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://soundcloud.com/cost-worth</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/group_rhoda"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">https://soundcloud.com/group_rhoda</span></a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-387939422221094822017-02-14T11:21:00.001-08:002017-03-16T02:39:17.933-07:00V.E.X// Night Work// Stacian// The Creatrix upcoming SF show!<div style="font-family: helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For those living in S.F. who cringe at the thought of trying to make the last BART at midnight, here is a night when Oakland comes to you. On Tuesday, February 21, the Elbo Room features an "evening of avant-garde industrial, space synth, and minimalistic cold wave" among other "delights" featuring V.E.X., Night Work, Stacian, and The Creatrix, with DJ sets by Nihar Bhatt (Left Hand Path/Surface Tension) and Demian Glas (Milwaukee).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/oE5FNoXe90c">V.E.X</a> is a meritage blend of no-wave, queercore, and slime punk (you may have heard of their previous, more rock-focused band Moira Scar). Roxy Monoxide and LuLu GammaRay play dual synths, both do vocals, and they sometimes even add sax for an improv jazz element. They came out with two albums last year, <i>Codex Hex </i>( Cool World/ Fantasy 1 Records) <i> </i>and <i>Insectsex </i>(the latter on Oakland's own <a href="http://www.ratskin.org/">Ratskin Records</a>), and are currently working on new material. Lyrically focused on pro-community, anti-fascist, and anti-racist messages, they take another step in removing any ego-driven barriers by performing in bizarre and bejeweled masks made by LuLu. V.E.X. will steal your little mutant heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/nightwork_inc">Night Work</a> is an experimental industrial pair formed by Henry Larsen (vocals) and Jamile Jackson (drum machine/noise). In their live show, they might make you feel uncomfortable at times, but that's the point. Slamming drum machine work, jarring beats, and vocals that blend screaming and spoken monologues create a performance that is captivating and unnerving — think of splicing Swans' <i>Filth</i> with a Boyd Rice album. "Night Work is a reaction to the evils of our society," explains Henry Larsen. "It is a survival mechanism for our spirit amongst the cancer of capitalism." You won't want to look away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With two analog keyboards, a sequencer, and a drum machine, Milwaukee-born solo act <a href="https://stacian.bandcamp.com/">Stacian</a> fuses minimal/cold wave sounds with darkwave female vocals spiked with nostalgic moments of '90s techno. Inspired by Kraftwerk and Doris Norton, what you get is moody, haunting club bangers to sway and dance to. Also make sure to check out her most recent album, the ambient collection <i>Drones for Everyday Use.</i> Swoon!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">More approachable in delivery, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/fanciullagentile">The Creatrix</a> is all electronic melodies and cosmic-wave/techno meditations, sonically plush yet cool in tone, and erring on the side of hypnotically upbeat grooves. No vocals here, but who needs that when you're going down the rabbit hole of rave cave soundscapes? "<a href="https://soundcloud.com/fanciullagentile/the-creatrix-breach-in-the-hull">Breach in the Hull</a>l"<i> </i>is a fine example of this mind/body journey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Facebook event: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/244398036010417">https://www.facebook.com/events/244398036010417</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">V.E.X.: <a href="https://xanaxax.bandcamp.com/">https://xanaxax.bandcamp.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Night Work: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/nightwork_inc">https://soundcloud.com/nightwork_inc</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Stacian: <a href="https://stacian.bandcamp.com/">https://stacian.bandcamp.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Creatrix: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/fanciullagentile">https://soundcloud.com/fanciullagentile</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-20366238615497006172017-02-04T11:57:00.000-08:002017-02-04T12:28:26.593-08:00To Feel it One More Time: Disorder bids us Farewell<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Named after a Joy Division song, Disorder was created seven years ago to showcase current basement-born darkwave/post-punk fusions, including bands like High Functioning Flesh, Black Marble, and Void Vision; even the font of the Disorder fliers, with 3-D effects and primary colors, has all the cool elements of some New Order album art. But now Nickie Tilsner, Disorder's founder and resident DJ, is leaving S.F. for more northern territories. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To say goodbye to Disorder, there is a final show at the Night Light on Friday, February 10, featuring guest DJs Zlaya (Body Rapture/Wire Trap) and Hether Fortune (Wax Idols) with Nickie downstairs. Upstairs features live performances by All Your Sisters, Russell E.L. Butler, Zanna Nera, and Lyfers, with DJ sets from Zer0w0lf.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Before Nickie makes the move to Portland in June, I had to find out more about the history of Disorder and how it all came together. The Upper Haight was eerily empty that early afternoon. I found myself missing the bundles of crusty punks eating pizza and asking for change alongside their hankerchiefed hobo dogs. No one asked if I wanted to buy any weed, let alone did I smell any of its fragrance wafting along the air as I walked to the cafe. There were no wanderers, no listless beatniks, no overjoyous hippies, no studious anarchists. But discussing San Francisco's artistic erosion and dissipation of diversity is no new topic of rage and anger. At this point it's rather a burned-out topic, a disillusionment and a disappointment. So it comes as no surprise when S.F. loses another artistic inspiration in search of greener (and hopefully cheaper) pastures. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sitting in the window seat at a cafe on Haight and Masonic, and over the loud whir of a juicer, Nickie and I discussed the beginnings, the tribulations, the music, and our badass little community by the bay. </span></div>
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<b style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">So February 10th is the last one. What are your feelings on all this?</span></b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh god, it's so weird, I have so many. It's funny, the way this show came about. I wasn't going to do a farewell show. I had been done with Disorder for awhile. School got kind of crazy, so I just put it on hold. But after Ghost Ship I was reaching out to a lot of people and I ran into Jon Lady (Third Shadow/Lyfers) and he and I have always wanted to collaborate together. So after running into him a few weeks after the fire, we decided that we had to do something creative and positive. 'So let's put together a show,' we decided. There are so many different facets to what this show is about. It's about the end of 2016 and what a shit show that was. It's the weekend of Valentine's Day and I'm leaving, so we are celebrating our love of Oakland. It's heavy, but it's really positive, too. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">It's going to be a very energetically charged night. So many great players! So, for the record, when did you start Disorder?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It actually started in 2010, the last weekend of September, at Bar 355 in Oakland and I started it with no experience. I didn't know how to DJ, I didn't know how to promote. I didn't know how to book. I just knew I loved music and I had a good record collection and there were no goth nights in Oakland. So, I just did it, having never DJ'd before. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">That seems intimidating! Did you only play vinyl?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At first! I would go to Shutter all the time, which was kind of like my favorite night ever, even though I would have to leave before midnight because of BART. So I thought I would start something for all the goth kids in Oakland. So I brought out all my records and played them and It was super fun. I started out doing traditional goth and post-punk and darkwave, and then it kind of became a little more electronic over time. Doing Disorder at 355 didn't last long because I didn't know how to promote and then one night after the show all of my records were stolen. Some of these LP's were things that I have had since I was 13. Like I had a Pink Turns Blue album that was stolen… <i>ahhhhhh</i> [sigh of disdain]. It was pretty heartbreaking, so I stopped for awhile. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Oh no! Did you cry?!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh … I BROKE shit. Then I cried. Then I broke shit. It was awful. So then I started working from the laptop, learned some tricks, moved to the city and realized I loved the Knockout (S.F. bar/venue) and I thought, 'I wonder if they'll let us do something there!' So I wrote them and they said yes and they gave me a monthly. This is kind of how I've done this thing from the start. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Putting it out there and waiting to see what catches on.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes! Being a real-ass person! Being genuine! And people seem to respond really well to that. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">That seems like an ideal way of getting things done! So what were you spinning in the early days?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pink Turns Blue, The Sound, Joy Division, New Order. Kind of the basic stuff that people like to dance to. Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie. As I continued doing monthlies and gaining more musical knowledge about what was going on out here in S.F. and out there (East Bay), styles changed, skills changed, and that's where I am at now. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">It was kind of perfect timing then when bands like All Your Sisters started coming up. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes, perfect timing. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">How long were you at the Knockout for? Did you do guest appearances at other venues?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was at the Knockout for a few years. They had this clause that if I had a monthly night there, I would have to book bands, and I had never booked bands. So I started doing that there. I started reaching out to people that I thought were awesome and asked them to play and 9/10 they would normally say yes! Then I started nursing school and realized, 'Oh, I can't be up late at night any more. I've got to put a hold on this.' So I would do one here and there. I tried to do the Night Light monthly there, but with school I just realized I didn't even have the time for that. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">It sounds like it can be time consuming — the promoting, the energy that it takes to prepare.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Making sure that everything goes right and that everyone gets paid well and all of those things. So, yeah, had to put a hold to it and now it's just this big last thing to kind of feel it once again. I really want to before I go. The one thing I am going to miss about the Bay Area is the music scene.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">So when you were at the Knockout you had to book bands. All Your Sisters, Drab Majesty, RedRedRed … who else did you have perform?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh, man, there were so many! High Functioning Flesh, Eleven Pond, Void Vision, Black Marble, Soft Kill. Everyone that I can think of from Oakland ... like, Pssngrs played a couple times, Wax Idols. Any band that I thought ripped, I called them up and asked if they would play and they would!</span><span style="font-family: "times"; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: normal;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Drab Majesty</span></i></td></tr>
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<b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">You brought all the goods! Speaking of that, when you were doing Disorder at the Knockout, you put out a split with Eleven Pond and Drab Majesty. Was that the first record you put out? How did you go about doing that?</span></b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh, yes! That was the first and only record I put out! Basically, Disorder was named after a Joy Division song and I wanted to do something that Factory Records did: put on a few shows and then release singles of the bands that played. And then I released a single of bands that played and realized how much financial backing you need to run a label. It costs a lot of money to put out a record. But it was super fun and I am glad I did it! I just asked Eleven Pond and they said yes and I was like [pause for excitement] "OH … MY … GOD." Then Drab is on there and everything he does is like gold. So they both sent me tracks and I went to Pirates Press here in S.F. It's a very DIY punk place. Did all the visuals, designs, sent it out, they pressed it and I put it out. Still haven't made my money back, but it's great to have a piece of media in my hands that I helped produce. The weird thing is that I see them being sold on Discogs for like 60 Euros and I still have fucking boxes in my closet of them! It was only one pressing, but there's still some left!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">You better get to sellin'!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I'm going to bring some to the show!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">I couldn't tell you how many times I listened to that split right after you released it. It was raining that whole month of December and I was listening to it everyday and the person whom I was living with would come home and it would be on and they would be like, "Oh, man, you're listening to that again!?" It was a great time!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh, that's awesome! I also have these little mix tapes I used to make for Disorder. I might redo some of those and bring them out. I'm not sure yet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">You should for your last hurrah! Speaking of that, you're </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">moving to Portland. Have you had a chance to dabble with the music scene up there? It's more "metal" up there, right?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Yeah! It's (more focused on) metal and punk. My roots are in punk. I was a punk kid most of my life, so it feels good to go and hear them play punk music, like at Star Bar. There's a place called The Lovecraft bar and every night is a night there: goth, industrial, synth, etc. I have yet to set foot in there, but I hear it's really awesome. I'll be up there soon to check it out. I also have a friend who has a monthly spot that I could guest DJ at, so maybe once I'm up there I can try it out. So, there's a little bit of darkness up there, there's a little bit of a scene.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Maybe you can infiltrate it! The name for Disorder came from a Joy Division song. Tell me more about this, because I am sure there's a story!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ha! Funny story. So it was my night at 355 and I was still really green and my library wasn't as deep as it is now, so Joy Division was everything to me at that time. So I was thinking, ‘I want to name it after a Joy Division song!.' I was going to call the night Shadow Play, but that was already taken, so I called up my best friend Amy and was like, ‘Look, I need to find a song to name this night so people know what this is about!' and she responded with "DUDE! Disorder!" and that was it. The name just rolled right off the tongue. Plus I study psychiatric pathology, so everything is a Disorder to me, so it works, it's me. It's perfect! Hahaha. Amy is to thank for that!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Were there any specific songs or albums you would always play on your nights? </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I would ALWAYS play Cold Cave, Linea Aspera (they're fucking great, plus all of their song lyrics use medical terminology!). My favorite thing to actually do is, towards the end of the night when I'm kind of tipsy and I'll play something totally off, like, I'll drop Gaga or something and people will get really excited.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Yeah! It's surprising and unexpected!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It's kind of my favorite thing to do!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>You were saying that when you first started DJing you didn't have any experience, but you just wanted to open up the goth scene in the Oakland area. How was it first learning to DJ? Awkward? Scary? Did it come pretty natural? Were there any moments of "Oh, I fucked up"?</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh, yes, so many times have I fucked up! But I just had to not have an ego about it. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">So, what is a "fuck up" in this situation?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> A "fuck up" is when a record is on 45 and it's supposed to be on 33, or when you hit the stop button instead of the go button, or you had too many Old Fashioneds and you just don't start the next record. In the beginning — which I'm sure for those who have been going to Disorder from the beginning can confirm — there were many "moments." But the funny thing is that we all just laughed about it and kept dancing. That's the thing about Disorder that I really liked and that I am proud of: that it's not about ego, it's about the music. So, fuck it if I screw up. That's how you learn. Over time I've gotten better, learned programs, beat matching, and I think it's super fun, but it wasn't necessarily my goal. It just happened over time. I feel pretty comfortable now. I used to get sooooo nervous, but I'm not nervous anymore! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">You've worked alongside many rad people doing Disorder. Any specific DJs that you worked with that you have a fondness for?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Favorites, of course, are Omar and Nako. They did Shutter back in the day. Omar is an encyclopedia with any genre. You throw something at him and he will knock it out of the park, he's amazing. Marco Misfailed is another favorite. He and I have collaborated on a lot of things and he's really great. Kevin, who does Dark Room, he's one of my favorite loves and has really been supportive of me and Disorder and has helped me out a lot and collaborated with me. I love Aja Vision, she's awesome, love her. Otherwise, other people who I look up to and haven't really worked with are Marco De La Vega (everything he does is awesome), Sky Madden, and that whole crew (they do really great shit, too). I never really got a chance to play with them, but I went to all their stuff as often as I could.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">At this point how do you feel about leaving the city, since you've been here since you grew up here and you're so involved in the music scene here?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It's loaded, man. I grew up in the Mission District, with a goth mom in alternative underground warehouse spaces and venues. She was a bartender. Music and art everywhere. We are the only ones still living in the city out of that group from my childhood. I used to have this perception that you would have to pull this city from my cold dead hands. I'm going to stay forever, this is it. My roots. Then one day recently, when my boyfriend was looking for a place down here and it was just not really working out, the blinders sort of came off. I started looking around and began to realize why was I staying here? For what? I don't recognize my city anymore. At all. It's a struggle to stay here. For instance, I make really good money with the business I run, but I have nothing in savings and I don't want to live like that anymore. It's time and it's sad. There was this last little vestige of hope that I had, that S.F. would be a "thing" again and it's not. Oakland is still badass, I love it there, but in Portland I'll be closer to my partner and tuition for school is cheaper. My kid can have a yard and a dog and it's creative. It's not as diverse — and I will lament that loss for sure. Otherwise, fuck, you know, I'm alright with it. I'm definitely going to come back down and do some "one-offs" here and there. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">So what is your advice for someone who wants to start a night or wants to start to DJ?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First of all, the most important thing is to be a fucking human being. Honestly, don't fall into that trap of thinking that being a DJ makes you the coolest person on Earth and that you are actually "running" something. This is actually all about the artist that actually makes music. You are just playing THEIR music for other people to listen to it. So don't get some attitude about it. As long as you are sincere and you know what you want and you have a clear vision, just tell people what it is and they will be receptive to it. If you come up all being "puffed up" and "oh I'm the shit," it's not going to work very well for you. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Oh, gross!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is! Unfortunately, a lot of people fall into that trap. Luckily in S.F. it's not really like that. If you want to book bands, just get a hold of them, and if you really want to do well, make sure everyone gets paid well. I never paid myself for Disorder actually. I just gave it all to the artists. You have to have a passion for what you do and you have to practice. For vinyl, it's a skill and it takes time. Get a mixer and put it in your bedroom and practice before you play out. I wish I would have done that! But, really, just be a good person. Be honest. Let go of your ego. Life goes really well that way. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Any last thoughts for us?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This [interview] has made me think a lot about my life and music and what has transpired in the last seven years. I just really wanted to say thank you to those who came out and played and became my friends. The friendships that I've made through Disorder and this scene are really amazing. It wouldn't have been easy for me if I wasn't in the Bay Area. But all the chips were right in front of me and all I had to do was put them together. As long as there are artists in Oakland, keep it up! Keep being freaky weirdos and loving each other. </span></div>
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If you want to keep up on Disorder you can do that follow on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Disorder-1748923751993400/"> Facebook!</a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-47143650902114138912016-12-31T17:36:00.000-08:002016-12-31T18:08:35.175-08:00The Mystere in Aggressive Aesthetics: a discussion with Heather Gabel of Chicago's HIDE <div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Chicago electronic/industrial duo HIDE shatters the air like glass. In their live shows, with freeze-frame strobe lights shuttering the stage and obscuring your view, Heather Gabel stands tall and shrouded with layers of snug-fitting black clothing, with her gritty lower-tone vocals </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">alongside Seth Sher, who dominates his synths and drum machines performing </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">clandestinely in the stage fog. Like a dangerous liaison, we want to participate — with anticipation and a little bit of fear. This is her first </span>personal<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span>musical<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> manifestation as she is </span>known for her graphic designs for bands such as Rancid and Joan Jett. She also was married to Laura Jane Grace- formerly known as Tom Gabel, of the punk rock outfit Against ME!. So she's not exactly new to the scene, just with this project. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">1-2-3-4 Go! Records show 2015 photo courtesy Ben Sizemore</span></i></td></tr>
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The pair has only played in the Bay Area a handful of times thus far: Two years ago at Slim's and at at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records in Oakland and earlier in 2016 with the local ethereal noir duo Silence in the Snow at the Elbo Room followed by a second appearance in the east bay. Micah Danemeyer, one of our community's beloved mutants who was lost in the Ghost Ship fire, described them to me as "hard as nails" and said that their live show was "something to aspire to" when we were discussing <a href="https://hide3.bandcamp.com/">HIDE</a> at one of his own curated experimental dungeon raves, Obscura Machina. I interviewed Heather Gabel over the phone </span>early<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> this fall of 2016 while I was house sitting in Oakland. I sat in the living room with walls decorated with hand painted portraits of zombies and shelves full of horror films. Gabel had just </span>returned<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> to Chicago from tour a few days before our phone call that afternoon. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">So you got a chance to perform at the Cold Waves festival [in Chicago] this year alongside Front 242 and Meat Beat Manifesto. That seems like an incredible fest to be at, let alone perform at. </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was great! We played first … there were no other girls on the bill, which I thought was weird.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>There</b> <b>rarely is.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a good time. I felt like I was in rare form. I was glad to be representing females, but also it was kind of annoying. [Cold Waves] do a good job of mixing new bands with old bands and they're picky, in a good way, about the curation of the sounds. So I get that if something doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. I don't know why I even noticed! Chicago has a rich history of industrial and there is always cool new shit going on. It never went away. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">I can see that. In the industrial realm, it's often a boys' club. </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I feel like in the underground there's a pretty strong queer presence, but I guess it's not like that everywhere. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It seems like in the Bay Area there is definitely a resurgence of the darkwave/industrial genre. For a few years it was on a sort of garage, lo-fi, indie kick, and then this undertow of post-punk started taking hold. Needless to say, I was pleased about that!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yeah! I used to live in Oakland and I would go to Dark Sparkle, but that place is gone now! I don't remember what venue it was at [Ed. Note: It was at Cafe du Nord], but it was great: you would go downstairs and it was like you were going into this French living room. I grew up in Detroit mostly and moved to Chicago to finish art school and then I moved to Oakland in 2003. Then I ended back up in Chicago about three years ago, just when the band started. </span></span></div>
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How did HIDE start?</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Originally it was three people: myself, my current bandmate Seth, and Brett Naucke. Brett is an electronic musician who was doing modular synth stuff and he was rad. Seth originally was a drummer, so this is his first band not doing drums. Seth wanted to do something different. He had just moved back here from Providence. Brett wanted to do a project and I wanted to do a project. I had never been in a band before. I'm a visual artist mostly, but I wanted to sing in a band, so I started singing in a band with them! Hahaha! Didn't know what the fuck I was doing! It was hard for all of us to get together to practice, though. Brett was getting really busy and it was easier for me and Seth to make the time, even though I had a daughter on top of that. The scheduling got kind of hairy, trying to get three people together. Brett had an album coming out that he was focusing on, so we sort of parted ways with him, and then Seth and I put out three singles and just started practicing and playing way more. A year later we did our full U.S. tour. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo courtesy by Carm from HIDE's Facebook page</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So the Elbo Room was a part of this tour?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yep, that was the last part of the tour. We had our EP come out. That was released in April. We toured a little bit in the East Coast. Then took a little break because I have a daughter. Then we went out again for the West Coast part. That tour was to support the EP called <i><a href="https://hide3.bandcamp.com/">Flesh for the Living</a> </i>on the label Midwich. Jim Magas put it out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I really loved your show at the Elbo Room. It was really interesting because when you came out and did your first set, I thought about what my friend Micah (Obscura Machina) had said about you guys: "Hard as nails!" Your vocal style is kind of androgynous and your presence had this whole mystery. You were visually and emotionally captivating.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you! It's pretty common for people to not know my gender when I'm performing. It's not something that I set out to do consciously, but a lot of what I am writing about and a lot of my inspiration comes from my own relationship with equal rights and gender identity and the way that those two things define who you are in society, the ideas that people have about you based on your gender. I'm pretty tall and I do have a deeper voice. I'm pretty into it. I think it's pretty interesting that people can't gender me. Not that I am interested in people trying to, but I do think it's cool that they can't right away, because it really doesn't matter if I'm male or female. I feel some sort of success in myself that my energy is not specifically female or male, because that isn't exactly how I feel — either female or male. I think that what a lot of people are responding to is the aggressive nature of the performance is maybe not energy that would readily equate with a woman. There are tons of powerful frontwomen, but I think maybe (the performance) is the throw off. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">People are left in this suspended state of judgement … you came out with this sort of shroud, this veil over your face, and you're very tall and I couldn't tell if you were a she or a he but then I thought, "Oh, right, who cares? Why am I even wondering?" Maybe I was thinking it because you had such a mysterious persona.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> We're defininelty playing with (that concept) with the band name, the veil, the strobe lights; giving you "snips" of what's going on. Definitely trying to put the viewer in a place that is a little bit disorienting. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes! Exactly. It's very cinematic. When did the strobe lights come into play? Have they always been there?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's always been there! I'm kind of an insane person when it comes to the aesthetic because I am a visual artist and that's what I do. From the get-go I had this "black and white" vision, this stripped down thing that leaves more up to the viewer. Seth is a fog freak. I saw him play before and him using so much fog that I couldn't even tell that he was in the band. He over-fogs! But sometimes it works!<br />
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From the beginning — and knowing what we were and what we wanted people to get out of the live show — this is what we came up with: very minimal and something that we can easily control and it doesn't take up a lot of space and we don't need someone else to do it for us. We tour in my car and the light fits in the car and it's all good! We opened for Marilyn Manson for a couple weeks on our first tour [in 2014]. It was cool because we were playing really big places and [could] totally control the space and draw it down. In a basement or in a huge theatre, we can still sort of take people out of the space with the space that we are creating. </span></span></div>
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Plus, you don't have to get anxiety about some guy trying to pull off this "look" for you and then you're getting distracted and all of that dumb avoidable stuff!</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our second or third show someone put a spotlight on me and I was so horrified! All the lights were up and the strobe was on, too, and I just turned around. I didn't know what to do. I had my eyes closed most of the time anyway, but I could definitely still tell the light was on me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What were some of your musical influences for HIDE? Were you listening to something that sparked this? Have you always been into the industrial/darkwave scene?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> A lot of it has to do with it being Seth's first electronic project. First it was really about the drum programming, and I don't really like melody, so it became really stripped down. We figured out some sort of formula that works for us. Our first song we wrote and we really loved we realized, "Oh, shit, this is a CURE song already!" So we scrapped it and made something different. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We have a lot of the same influences, Seth and I, but he's also really into high production and perfect sound and I like stuff that sounds like garbage. So we sort of have to come to our sound by accommodating and controlling (</span>each others passions so to speak)<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. He listens to everything! Metal, techno, all sorts of shit. He doesn't really like the stuff that I grew up with, the more traditional goth-industrial stuff. I mean, he does, but it's not what he grew up with. The common thread between what he likes and I like is aggression. There's some sample Seth wants to use and it's a Pantera riff, and then there's a Sisters of Mercy kick drum that I really like and we've sampled from. So we're coming from all different places. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, it seems like coming from two opposite spectrums might make for something really interesting. Rather than just putting out another Ministry ripoff or Siouxsie ripoff. We want something new, but still in the same vein. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Same spirit, but it's not "throw back-y" … that's just what we do and we play with all sorts of bands: punk, noise, whatever!</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">So I picked up your EP last time. Do you have other recordings in the mix? </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yeah, we have a full length that was recorded in L.A. in February and we just finished the art for that LP. I'm pretty excited about it. I mean, this is my first band, so everything is pretty exciting for me!</span></span></div>
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I figured you were seasoned musicians!</span></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Seth has been in bands for a long, long time, and I worked for touring bands for a long time. So we both have experience in that world, but it's new for both of us in a lot of ways. We don't really have expectations. We just say, "Let's make this song, let's play this show." And plus we do other creative things on the side. </span></span></div>
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It's like a labor of love rather than banking on it as a sort of "career move" or putting these super high expectations on what should become of this project. If something happens, great! If not, well, at least it's something you enjoy doing. </span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, yes, exactly. Honestly, I love touring and I would love to go to Europe and I want to keep touring in the States. If this was my full time job ... I'm just not sure if I am interested in that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">It seems a little gnarly.</span> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yeah, it can fuck everything up, I'm sure. I did it throughout my twenties, touring nine or ten months out of the year. It was rad, but it is also a fake world, a non-reality. You can't really integrate healthy relationships into it. When you are touring, (your tour mates) </span><span style="color: #ff2500; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">become your family. I don't feel that that life is rewarding for me, also that was me working for somebody else. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If it was my band then I might feel differently about it, but I know how it can fuck with your head. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Random people everywhere, no showers, sleep deprivation. Who knows! </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I do love the part about planning a few days off in-between shows </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">to for some crazy hike</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> or just go and do what we want to do. It is really enjoyable. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">There's lots of symbolism in the band's logo. Tell me about it!</span></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is the eye of Horus, this ancient Egyptian evil eye sort of concept. I incorporated it into the letters of our band. If it you look at it closely, it spells out "HIDE"! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So you're looking for a label to put out your full length, when is the next time you're coming to see us in the Bay? </span></b></span></div>
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We're going to be back sometime in the summer, regardless if the record is out by then or not.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Keep on top of their tour dates for 2017 via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hidefromhide/">Facebook!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's their <a href="https://hide3.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a> and their label <a href="http://www.midwich.net/">Midwich</a> for more info, music and merch!</span></blockquote>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-25251826451245814032016-12-20T21:19:00.000-08:002016-12-20T21:21:41.876-08:00Leave the Drums, Add the Violin: Emilio Zef China and his tour life with Peter Murphy<div style="line-height: normal;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I always go to see Peter Murphy. No matter what. It has become a kind of tradition for me — to bask in the ephemera of Bauhaus past and the more mystical, melodic routes that Murphy's solo career has taken. I love Peter Murphy and I love all the other projects that have stemmed from the Bauhaus collaboration sans Peter (i.e., Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets). Of course, it was fun to see Daniel Ash wail on the sax alongside Peter in Bauhaus back in the day. But it's also cathartic and exhilarative to see Murphy and his current lineup today with its variance in delivery. <br />
<br /> Peter, Emilio Zef China (violin and bass), and John Andrews (guitar) performed their last West Coast show of the semi-acoustic "Stripped" tour at the Chapel in San Francisco on December 5, 2016. There were many eras to sample from as the mirror ball created a sparkly sky on the vaulted wooden ceiling of the Chapel. Prominent songs included "A Strange Kind of Love" (off 1989 album <i>Deep</i>) as well as the bass-driven "Indigo Eyes" from <i>Love Hysteria </i> Revisiting some coveted Bauhaus moments with the stark and haunting "Bela Lugosi's Dead," the underdog single "King Volcano" from <i>Burning from the Inside,</i> and a rhythmic seduction of "Silent Hedges" from the 1982 album <i>The Sky's Gone Out,</i> he also ventured into some of this later works off the 2011 album <i>Ninth</i>, such as the heartfelt "Never Fall Out." </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /> Emilio Zef China has been touring with Murphy as his accompanist on violin and bass for his solo work and his "Mr. Moonlight" tour since 2011. As if Peter didn't already conjure feelings of nostalgia, pained romance, and darkness, Emilio adds to the emotional complexity with his instrumental mastery. Emilio and I got a chance to talk about his extensive musical past, his other collaborations — including his time with Genesis P-Orridge & Psychic TV — and what it's like to work with a man who, according to publications and fans alike, has been called the "Godfather of Goth." </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="color: #a64d79; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">You've been touring for a while now with Peter Murphy. How does the "Stripped" tour compare for you to the "regular" tours? </b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've been doing this all year, so this would actually be the third or fourth leg of "Stripped." We recorded the New York shows this past April. Peter mixed the tracks in Turkey this fall, and from there will be releasing a live album of "Stripped" with John Andrews and myself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">[The "Stripped" tour] is an opportunity to take the songs, old and new, and re-interpret them as a trio with acoustic and electronic elements. As there is not a percussionist, the drum role is often provided by acoustic guitar and other percussive elements in the music. It can be deep ambient and even symphonic, but it still rocks out when the song calls for it. For me, it is a lot more "viol-heavy." I use extended range violins with electronic treatments to create space in the songs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How did this opportunity with Peter become available to you?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After working on Peter's album <i>Ninth</i>, a dear friend and producer/engineer, John Siket, called me up for a session in Woodstock with Peter, [The Dresden Dolls’] Brian Viglione, and John Andrews. I jumped at the chance. That was at the end of 2011 and at that time I was on the road with Nicki Minaj as a production manager.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few months later I played acoustic guitar and violin with Peter on some radio shows in New York and an underground club show at the Delancey. Soon after that I was to join them for a tour when the bass player had to leave unexpectedly. I learned all the bass parts in three days and flew to London and joined the band. That was five years ago. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On top of working with the legendary Bauhaus figure, you also worked with Psychic TV. How did you get in touch with that project?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Psychic TV is through magikal connections. Always has been intentional. There are no accidents. Alice Genese [bass player of PTV] grew up around the corner from me in Hoboken and she is one of my best friends. The drummer, Edley ODowd, is also an old friend from the New York scene and his band Toilet Boys. Many roads have led me to Genesis. I'm on the album <i>Hell Is Invisible... Heaven Is Her/e</i>. I've toured with them on and off for a couple of years and nowadays I get to make appearances when possible. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Did you grow up listening to Bauhaus?</span> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I grew up listening to lots of music. I didn't fit into any particular group stylistically, [I was] kind of all over the map. I remember hearing "Bela Lugosi's Dead" for the first time and really listening to it. I was stuck in traffic in a car and my mind was blown … [and then] of course, at 14 years old, one of the girls in our freaky high school crew rented <i>The Hunger</i> and that was the big event.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we did the "Mr. Moonlight" tour in 2013, I had to learn most of the Bauhaus catalog. This had me basically studying their music, and David J in particular, for about a month. I studied and learned everything I could about his particular bass style, sound, and nuance. There is a particular psychic space and emotional charge to that music that is more than simply playing the parts. It is a bit like method acting, You need to find that place deep inside of you and use it, or what you're doing on stage is insincere. </span></span></div>
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<b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You have been playing the violin since you were a wee lad,right? First time I saw you perform with Peter I was blown away! You really bring such an emotive edge through this medium. I think I probably watched you more than Mr. Murphy that night myself!</span></b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started violin when I was 6. It was all I wanted to do at that age. Picked up a guitar by age 12 and I wanted to play rock 'n' roll. Fortunately at that time in my life my mother, who was a visual artist, had a lot of jazz musician friends and had parties at the house that included jam sessions. Meeting some of those guys helped me to realize that I could play the violin in a cool way as well as playing a guitar whatever way I was interested in doing. I just happened to be in a place where there were some great great improvisers and artists around. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My oldest friend and partner, Mike Ill Kilmer, and I grew up together in Hoboken and I think we started a band at age 13. His mom was a piano teacher, so I think we first played music together at around 8 years old. We always wrote songs. Like everything else, stylistically it was all over the map. It was the '80s. We were listening to a lot of hip-hop (which was brand new at the time), Talking Heads, Blondie, Kraftwerk, reggae, classic rock, punk, R&B, and jazz. We got into recording, synthesizers, and technology early. We used play in the street in Times Square. I was doing violin through effects pedals and Mike was on synths. We were 15 or 16 years old, wearing ripped army jackets and we painted ourselves. [We were] playing improv/noisey/soundscape music. I met Grand Mixer DXT (Herbie Hancock's DJ from "Rockit") when I was playing on the street and went in the studio with him. I also played in the NYC kids’ jazz ensemble and at 16 got to perform with Herbie Hancock and Philip Glass, and I met Keith Haring, who painted my violin case. It was an amazing time to grow up in NY. We were exposed to so much emerging music and art (and everything else!).</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We played every single instrument we could get our hands on. I'm better at some than others, but I like to think I can get some type of music out of whatever materials are available. I dropped out of high school at 16 and managed to go to Juilliard for a year and then the New England Conservatory for almost three, basically until we had a band (Sweet Lizard Illtet) and a record deal and we started really working. I was sharing a rehearsal space with Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, and Dinosaur Jr. Sonic Youth was always a major inspiration.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What locations have been the highlights for you this tour? Any favorite cities for you?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So many great cities and I get to return to some of them quite often. We played Tel Aviv recently and spent a day exploring the ancient city of Jerusalem. That had to be the highlight of this tour for me, historically and geographically.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How do you deal with the touring schedule? Seems intense! I know you've mentioned before you don't have a "normal" schedule</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't know what the fuck "normal" is. There is no normal, is there? Is weird the new normal? Tour life causes one to feel lonely, homeless at times, or just without foundation. It can drive you mad. Your tour colleagues become your family, with all that that entails. May be cliché to say, but it's really not as glamorous as it looks. Exhaustion, monotonous toil, day after day, all for that 90 minutes or so where we have the privilege to do what we love. The rewards are worth it, it's pure communication and light. It takes discipline to do this for a long time. It can be very taxing on all other aspects of your life. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The last studio recording for Peter Murphy was <i>Lion</i>, right? Any other plans for future recordings? </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course. If you look at his career, he is very prolific and constantly doing new and beautiful things. I was fortunate to work on <i>Lion</i> with Peter and with Killing Joke's Youth. You can definitely look forward to the next chapter coming soon!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OK, so I must ask you what is "The Boss" like to work with? (You know we are all wondering!)</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He's funny, spontaneous, quick-witted, and also quite refined, a mercurial being. We joke around a lot and have fun. We're a family and have seen each other through various highs and lows. He was there for me at the hardest time in my life when my mom passed away suddenly and we were deep into a European tour, loving like an older brother or a father even. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One funny story I recall was when we did a show with Public Enemy in Mexico. Peter didn't really know them. Chuck D and Flavor Flav came in the dressing room, turns out they are huge fans. Flavor was very engaged with Peter, totally in character, clock around his neck and all! I couldn't stop laughing. They are heroes of mine. After they left, Peter turned and asked, "Is that Public Image? I thought John Lydon was in that band."</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What an image! I noticed at past shows sometimes when that you don't always play "Cuts You Up" and showgoers are always sort of grumbly about this. Is there a reason why you don't always play this song? Burned out? Holding out? What are some of your favorites to perform? </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to say, there are so many great songs and "Cuts You Up" is among them. He often decides in the moment what to do and what not to. A master of the stage. We do play it fairly often. I suppose it keeps you guessing, keeps you in suspense, and keeps you coming back.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Some of my favorites are) "Strange Kind of Love," all the Bauhaus stuff, "Lion," "Your Face." I still get chills every time we play "Bela Lugosi's Dead." I have a blast playing all of it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Outside of Peter Murphy, what do you enjoy doing in your off time? I know you also have many other music projects past and present you're working on. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I live in NYC and in Los Angeles part time. I write and produce my own work as Zef Noise. My girlfriend and I bought an old dilapidated Victorian mansion in the forest about an hour outside of NYC ... it's a huge project and right now that's what I am most excited to do on my so-called downtime. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other bands and recordings include Sweet Lizard Illtet, Illness, Firewater, Moe, Backworld, Mad Happy, Psychic TV, Voltaire, Spy, J. Ralph, FAFU, Karsh Kale, Haunted Echo, Resident 51. Also, I just finished a yoga/electro drone/gypsy Kirtan record called <i>Bhujanga Sangha, </i>which should be out soon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For more info on Emilio's sounds check out his sound cloud <a href="https://soundcloud.com/zefnoise">here!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">For more Info about Peter Murphy check it out </span><a href="http://www.petermurphy.info/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">here!</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Count! photo courtesy Todd Billeci</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The top photo of Peter is also Todd Billeci of <a href="http://www.noiseart.org/">Noise Art</a>. He takes beautiful photos and the caption on that one was so distracting. Check out his site! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again thanks to John Graham, Master Editor. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-5365580363036028742016-12-10T18:28:00.000-08:002016-12-10T19:35:21.767-08:00The Star that is just out of Range: an Interview with Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> You are in a club — in an altered state of consciousness. Suddenly, a recognizable dance single penetrates the blur and haze. Colors vibrate as vintage synthesizers pulse. Overtaken by movement, for seven minutes you are lost. The song is from 1989 — a subversive cry against Thatcher’s England — and while you’re listening to “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wlw8pz49-g&feature=youtu.be">Blacklist</a>,” you may not necessarily know that that is The Legendary Pink Dots, depending on which of their many albums you have been introduced to. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Their name is derived from the pink dots on one of the band’s keyboards and their stylistic range is beyond broad. Starting out in 1980, their albums experiment with everything from demented English acoustic guitar storytelling and gothy neo-psychedelia to abrasive industrial montages and avant-garde museum-core, with their early output tinged in post-punk essence. Sometimes this variance in genre can happen all on one album. The latest addition to their 40-record-plus discography, <a href="https://metropolisrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pages-of-aquarius">The Pages of Aquarius</a><i>,</i> was released earlier this year on Metropolis Records and induces more hypnotic and bizarre states of consciousness. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As you can see, the muse of singer, chief lyric writer, and keyboardist Edward Ka-Spel is never exhausted. In addition to LPD, he recently completed an album with Amanda Palmer, and in the past he has also collaborated with cEvin Key from Skinny Puppy (for their mid-’90s side project The Tear Garden) and many others. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Edward Ka-Spel at the LPD show 10/15/16 at Thee Parkside (SF). Photo courtesy <a href="http://www.noiseart.org/">Todd Billeci</a></b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We interviewed Edward as he traveled through an unknown California desert during the western portion of the Legendary Pink Dots’ U.S. tour. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So you’re touring for your new album. What’s going on with that and how did <i>The Pages of Aquarius</i> come about?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The album we just put out, <i>The Pages of Aquarius</i>, actually began about two years ago, when we started working on it. It was a whole process. That’s actually how long it took for us to finally decide earlier this year that it is finally there. Some songs are re-recorded. This is not one of those [projects] where we were extremely perfectionist about it dotting all the i’s and making sure it’s totally right. What do we get right after 35 years???! [Laughs.] But the theme is change, transformation. It’s starting in one place, a very earthly place, someone looking in the mirror and not liking what he sees and in the end basically ascending to nirvana. It’s very loosely combined but makes sense as a whole.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">"Mirror Mirror" from </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">The Pages of Aquarius</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I understand the perfectionism side to creating your projects, but has this method (of not dotting all the i’s) been a new route for you?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can’t hardly explain why it felt so important to us to go this way. I think we were all pretty excited about the advance in technology, the palette of sound that we can have access to. We can access difference shades that we never had at our disposal. Its kind of like going in to an ice cream shop and you want to taste it all. That’s basically what it felt like. We felt like we wanted to give it all because we felt like we never had such a choice. What is important to me, as the Pink Dots evolves, since we have been around for as long as we have, we never could stand to put out something that was merely “O.K.” — it would have to go a step further than the one before and of course the one before that would be our ultimate goal. You're always aiming higher. You always have to be that star that is just out of range. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I heard that you did move from the U.K. because of all the political ugliness. I heard you live in Holland now? Society does look pretty ugly right now. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes! It does look ugly. No, I moved back to the U.K. in 2011. I’m sad to say that the U.K. is in an uglier state than the U.S. right now. At least the monster that you have in the U.S. has to go at some point, but the monster that we have here we’re stuck with! It’s a very xenophobic, very harsh society and it’s promoted by the government. They’re borderline Nazis. [This] world is changing drastically, on an incredible level at an incredible rate. If you look at the big picture, it’s not in a good way, either. But I’m also an optimist at heart, though. I believe the world is still beautiful and it will always be beautiful — at least until I depart the planet, which hopefully won’t be too soon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OK, so you're back in the U.K. for now. However, you have been touring extensively forever. Do you ever get a break from that?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To be honest, it has slowed down in the recent years. For example, last year we only did a handful of European shows. Not so much, maybe twenty or something. It’s a choice. We wanted to step back and do some actual recording. There’s a lot of projects going on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You have created a vast library of sounds with LPD: psych-rock, acoustic, minimal electronic, darkwave dance. Is this all based on your moods? Feelings of the day? Year?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, that’s the Pink Dot world. It is all of those things you just mentioned. and it’s a very tasty cocktail that just might blow your mind. I think it’s about presenting all the shades and all the moods you might have. It’s about looking deep into yourself to see just how much there is there. It’s not so much the mind as it is the soul. There’s a lot of humor in there, a lot of sadness in there, and a lot of joy. I suppose it’s all nuances, all shades and all the questions. It’s always about questioning. It’s always about exploring in one’s self. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">More Edward at the LPD show 10/15/16 at Thee Parkside (SF). Photo courtesy Todd Billeci</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You cater to the dimensions of the spirit. That’s probably why you’re so prolific — because you have that range of emotion.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For instance, this set that we’re playing right now is probably the most confrontational set we have ever played. It’s quite extreme. Basically we start off with getting people in a nice mood and then we [chuckles] go off in a very interesting direction. But we have been getting good reactions! It seems to have been getting people talking. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How is the U.S. portion of the tour going for you?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would say it’s been the best part of the tour of the year, really. More people are showing up, they're enjoying it, they're taking it well. A lot of good feedback. The plan for the rest of the tour is to finish up the U.S. and then I’m going back to the U.K. and the rest of the guys are going back to Holland. I’ll take a rest for a little while. I still need to have time with my wife and my little girl. We have a few European Dots shows, then doing a few shows with Amanda Palmer. We will probably play in San Francisco for that show next year. It’s probably the most exciting place for us to play on the whole American tour besides Portland!</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">For more info on The Legendary Pink Dots you can go <a href="http://legendarypinkdots.org/">here</a> to their official website for the latest updates. Here's their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/legendarypinkdots/">Facebook</a> page too!</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Photo Courtesy Todd Billeci LPD 10/15/16 at Thee Parkside</b></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big thanks to Todd Billeci of </span><a href="http://www.noiseart.org/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Noise Art</a><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> for his revisions and photo contributions as well as John Graham for his editing skills. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-29147705792978893732016-12-10T16:21:00.001-08:002016-12-10T17:11:51.617-08:00A Message to you, Greenday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Hey Dudes. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I started listening to you when I was fifteen when Dookie came out in the 90’s and you blew up. You became a household name practically overnight. You were an anomaly that developed out of the small warehouses and dejected, lovely little punk community venues. You started out in DIY spots in the East Bay. I’m sure places like the Ghost ship. So I think at this time you should use your resources just like what we have been doing to help our subculture scene that is so vital to making the bay area such a desired place to live and thrive. Just the other night I attended a benefit dinner in which they raised </span>nearly<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> 10,000$ that night. That was just from us banding together no matter how broke we were and doing </span>something<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> about this </span>whole<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> tragedy. Use your resources that you have TODAY that was born from the nooks, basements, attics, warehouses of yesterday BECAUSE the bay allowed you to be who you wanted to be. Go get yourself in a big ass arena and sell all the tickets and take ALL of that money and donate it to helping us keep these sacred spaces of music and art forums safe places for us to find friends and inspiration and outlets. Play the fuck out of your music and take all of that money and help get our places up to code so none of these fuckers from the city can shut us down. Leave them with no excuses for giving us the boot. Take all that money and throw some sprinkler systems in one of our warehouse sanctuaries. Because it’s no sweat off your back right? You love playing music. You've been doing it all your life, beginning here in the bay. The absurd rents are already oppressing the creatives in this community, leaving them working two jobs and living in some renovated garage just so they can REMAIN in this community. Because where are we to go?? Greenday, get your ass to the closest coliseum and sell the shit out of it and give it back to us, your people, so you when you get older you can look around and see why you were so inspired when you first started playing music here to begin with. It doesn’t have to fade away. Stick to your fucking roots! </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-7279462135837019212016-10-25T17:22:00.001-07:002016-10-26T13:40:44.880-07:00Look How Beautiful They Are: Remembering In Letter Form<div style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Peter Dosanjh parks his car on the north side of the lake. “This seems like the right place,” he muses. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We walk to a weathered green bench. We have cashews and a bottle of Rioja. To our missing friend, we cheers with our red cups. The sky is gray, the humidity weighs upon us, the wind sweeps in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In shock over the sudden loss of In Letter Form lead singer and friend Eric Miranda, we sit and look over Oakland’s serene yet choppy Lake Merritt, trying to find the right words. So sudden and inconceivable that this is actually real.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For bassist Dosanjh and the rest of In Letter Form — including guitarist James Levis and drummer Andres Lopez — the San Francisco post-punk band has been shown nothing but support through hugs and heartfelt messages. But as one of our friends, brothers, lovers, conduits, and healers, Eric Miranda cannot be reached at this time. His absence is felt throughout the community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> In homage to Eric, In Letter Form is hosting a collaborative tribute this Friday, Oct. 28, at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. The band will perform chosen songs with the vocals presented by varying artists from the Bay Area, including Charlemagne Charmaine (Drifting House/Catharsis for Cathedral) Don Bellinger (Tremor Low), Davey Bones (The Ink Bats), Dean Tomihira (Tomihira), Gabriel Maciel (The Trims), Stephen Salit and Scott A Campbell (Thrill of the Pull) Daniel Knopf and Casey Castille (Roadside Memorial) and the original drummer of In Letter From, Marlowe Kent. San Francisco’s Roadside Memorial and Night Nail from Los Angeles provide support in the opening slots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> “After [Eric’s death], we cancelled all our shows,” Peter says. “But this one we thought, ‘This is one of Eric’s favorite holidays. It would be a shame to not do it.’ So we decided we would do the show with people who were connected with the band. These people would come in and sing his songs. Even though he’s not there, they can bring his songs alive by singing them. This is more for us (as a band) to let it go. I hope there’s a lot of tears that night. It’s going to be totally emotional and I want everyone to have some sort of closure with it and something to remember him by.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> In Letter Form started six years ago in the small bars and clubs of San Francisco, where initially “no one wanted them.” On remembering their first encounters, Peter says fondly, “It was thick, heavy, and completely beautiful. Inviting. Invigorating. It had all the markings of what a genuine experience is all about.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"> </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Before they knew it, more people were showing up to their gigs. The band, in turn, rose up to support established post-punk acts like The March Violets, Modern English, Clan of Xymox, and Peter Murphy. They were getting ready to go on a tour through Germany (after discovering their popularity in western Europe via </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Rolling Stone</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">) and had signed on to release their second album with influential goth-industrial label Metropolis Records. So why does something so fortuitous just end like this? How does it? How does one deal?</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> “We’re trying to find ourselves in the darkness, looking for light, to get to where we need to go,” says Peter. “You must live every day like it is a gift. When something resonates with you, you keep a piece of it with you. You go back and you look at it.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He gazes upon Lake Merritt’s white skeletal trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Look how beautiful they are.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>In Letter Form performs with guest vocalists on Friday, Oct. 28, at Bottom of the Hill (1233 17th Street, San Francisco), with support from Night Nail, Roadside Memorial, and DJ Adrienne Scissorhands. Doors 8:30 p.m., music at 9:30 p.m., $10 advance, $12 at the door. 21+.</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-83085934056592030382016-08-25T14:00:00.001-07:002016-08-26T21:47:20.765-07:00The River runs Deep: An interview with Michael Gira<h3>
<a href="http://www.axs.com/events/307814/swans-tickets?skin=regency&src=AEGLIVE_WREGYSFO030115VEN001"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Swans plays at the </i>Regency Ballroom<i> in SF on 9/3/2016</i></span></a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Swans are looking to see where the river takes them. This year’s LP release, </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Glowing Man</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, was the third and final epoch of an ever-evolving, coincidental trilogy summoning cathartic revelations: visions of illuminated brutalities felt from enigmatic vibrations; elevations in instrumentation between worlds above, and worlds below. It's sonically pummeling and soothing, like bitter medicine. This manifestation of Swans—at the moment Norman Westberg, Kristof Hahn, Phil Puleo, Christopher Pravdica, Thor Harris and Michael Gira—invokes images of the languid finger of man trapped in his corporeal self, lifting up and over to a god eager for connection.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Swans’ main conduit, M. Gira, has written: "I chose the five people with whom to work that I believe would most ably provide a sense of surprise, and even uncertainty, while simultaneously embodying the strength and confidence to ride the river of intention that flows from the heart of the sound wherever it would lead us—and what's the intention? LOVE." [1] Where does this river flow? Gira doesn't know where it will go, and isn't worried about it, and that's part of the point. On a Friday morning, we rang him up and spoke to him over Earl Gray tea. We were hoping he was wearing his cowboy hat, but we didn't ask.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: You just finished the East coast and South American portions of your tour. How were those tours different for you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Well, typically, after we start touring— after not having toured for awhile, I guess for a year (maybe under a year)— it’s very tentative, at first. It seems to go over okay. It’s just for the first couple of weeks—it’s just panic—and trying to find the way into the thing, and how to make it breathe and live. So, the first couple of weeks of the U.S. tour were like that, and gradually it kind of reached its strength. Then, we went to South America and we played, and we were in fairly good form, and the audiences were spectacular. They went wild. The response was really ideal.They received the music in an unfiltered and uncynical way. It was a true experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: Maybe there are more inhibitions in U.S. Audiences?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: In the U.S. and Europe they are more saturated with the media, I think. Probably. The whole thing about the internet, and everything, is about ersatz experience. Fake, unreal. It’s like, “second hand.” I’ve been obsessed with that subject. I was in art school in about 1978 and noticed the bane of modern existence is media. I’m sucked into it just like everyone else. It’s just trying to find out what is actually real, and what has been sort of implanted in your mind</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: It’s almost comparable to Plato’s </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Allegory of the Cave</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: believing the shadows, or not.</span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-90a46026-ca0d-05ec-aa03-5def88a60cc4"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Oh yeah, that’s a whole other philosophical question. In Zen Buddhism, you look at your mind as if it’s this screen, as opposed to the actual core of your consciousness, or your essential being — the mind being the shadows. It’s kind of an interesting schism as to how you view your own existence. </span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-90a46026-ca0d-05ec-aa03-5def88a60cc4"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: You mention buddhism; it almost reflects in your music: you are sort of in-between on this yin and yang—between divinity and this sack of meat that we humans are encased in. </span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-90a46026-ca0d-05ec-aa03-5def88a60cc4"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Hahaha! Thats kind of a high falutin’ statement!</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-90a46026-ca0d-05ec-aa03-5def88a60cc4"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: So how did you round up your current collection of artists you're working with now? How did you get this band together?</span></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-90a46026-ca0d-05ec-aa03-5def88a60cc4"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: When I decided to reconvene Swans, I wrote a long list of people whom thought I could work with, and crossed off many, for no other reason than maybe the gestalt wouldn't be correct, and ended up with a list of the five other gentlemen besides myself. We went into the studio without having rehearsed at all. I had a bunch of songs, and we started playing in the studio for 12 hours for each song. Gradually they transformed into something Swans-like in many cases, and at the end of the day, we would record. That’s how we got the basic performances for those songs. I view that first record, </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be Kind</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, as a transitional record from what I was doing with </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Angels of Light</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. That’s how I ended up with these guys—felicitous that it worked out at all. I’ve worked with all of them in the past at some point before in some capacity, but as a group; it did not exist before.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: Were you thinking at the time that there was some sort of "current" taking you in this direction? What was that experience like?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: At first it was just sort of the anxiety–ridden environment of the studio. There is always the “time is money” thing, and you got to get things done. Once we started touring, we played songs that were pretty much finished, and some old songs. We were playing that for about six months or so. It just seemed false, and then we started exploding things, tearing them apart, and tried to make things happen in the moment. That is when this group sort of “came into being”—when we realized we were kind of one body that moved with the sound as a whole—and we didn't have to constrict ourselves to specific scriptures. It’s kind of difficult to describe how it works. That’s when I realized this was a really great group, as opposed to six musicians trying to play or recite songs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: You've created this wall of sound and vibration that is incomparable to anyone else. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Glowing Man</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> seems to be garnering these feelings of catharsis—an unnerving feeling—yet hypnotic. When I first listened, it reminded me of when I was swimming in the ocean, and I was taken under by a pretty strong undertow. I was starting to panic underwater, and I was thrashing and fighting with this force. But then, all of a sudden, this total calmness and peace came over me, and I thought: “well, if I’m going to die here and now, this will be just fine.” Have you noticed other listeners almost resisting at first, only to completely succumb, and be released into some sort of heightened state?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: That should be in a movie! That’s how we feel, too, actually, when we perform. That’s great. When the music works best, it becomes an act of letting go, rather than control. That state of mind you talk about is actually the ideal state of mind to employ in your daily life. But, it’s a tougher course. Unless you’re a spiritual master, it’s impossible to do. I think that awareness of the proximity—the gnawing proximity of death—is really a very healthy thing. It puts things in a very urgent perspective. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: Has that been a theme in your music over the years?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: No, not really. There are many subjects I’ve touched upon over the years. I’m just talking about death in a personal way. If you keep in mind I—or we, or any of us—could have a heart attack right now, and could be brain dead for life. It actually happened to a friend of mine. He’s not brain dead, but his mind has been completely altered. I was just talking to him the day before it happened, and now he is in an institution for the rest of his life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: The turn of events that can happen...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Yes things just go [snaps fingers] like that so if you keep that in mind it keeps things in focus a little better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: Living life more authentically, more presently. Speaking about that, how do you prepare for these shows? You're channeling such immense energy. What is going through your mind?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Well, I'm certainly not reading the Kabbalah before! No, but really, it’s just a routine. You wake up in the tour bus, you do whatever, you try to find some coffee, maybe find a place to shower, then you load in the gear, sound check, then you hang out and twitch for a couple of hours, and then you walk on stage and you play the show, and you pack out the gear, and you collapse, and you do it all over again. You just get into this flow of it. The moment is when you are on stage, and it’s a kind of crucible, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but you just put everything you have into it. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: I'm wondering, for you, if there is anxiety building before, or is it calm before the storm?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2d4-d502-c4c1-71edd67edb59"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">MG: No, I don't ever feel calm. I don't ever try to think about it. I just do it. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: You created the album art for </span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Glowing Man</span><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. To me it has this sort of Rune-like symbolism to it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2d4-d502-c4c1-71edd67edb59"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">MG: I've had this notion of using characters from other languages as icons on each panel on the LP and digi-pack CD version, and each character from each language would be on each panel. It was going to be “glowing man” or "world" in Japanese, Sanskrit, Hebrew, a few other things, and I just started to look at it and saw how "New–Agey" it looked. It looked like Orientalism or something, and I was appalled—and I said, “fuck it,” and threw it out. There was a deadline. So, instead, I just drew these characters myself. I realized later it sort of looks like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.phaidon.com/resource/ins-goya-disasters-of-war-1.jpg">The Disasters of War</a></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Goya a little bit—body parts hanging from the trees. I also saw a parallel afterwards to Bruce Nauman, who’s a great conceptual artist and sculptor, who made this piece called</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://dg19s6hp6ufoh.cloudfront.net/pictures/612858642/large/4c89dc0169a0a472f0207b17ebc34c30.jpeg?1449713318">From Hand to Mouth</a></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">. It's a sculpture of a cast of a mouth, leading down to an arm. It’s just that—not the rest of his body. It’s kind of a wonderful piece. The cover art is up for interpretation. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2d4-d502-c4c1-71edd67edb59"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Glowing Man</i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2d4-d502-c4c1-71edd67edb59"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: Swans are sometimes associated with the no-wave scene that was going on in the 1980's. Can you tell me a little more about what was going on for you then?</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2d4-d502-c4c1-71edd67edb59"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span></span><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">MG: We came at the tail-end of it. We jettisoned onto the tail-end of punk and no- wave. Oh, that’s only a minor historical point; the groups that were associated with no wave (if I can fucking remember them right now) are Mars, Teenage Jesus, The Contortions, Theoretical Girls. Oh god, they were pretty much all disbanded by the time both I and my friends from Sonic Youth got to New York or formed a band. We kind of came out of </span></span><span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">that period. Certainly both of us informed on the aesthetic of no wave. I didn't want to sound like someone else. I just was emboldened by the idea of not really playing your instrument in any conventional sense—I certainly couldn't at the time—but still forging something. I was more inclined towards very regimented rhythms, like most of the no -wave stuff would have been, with the exception of The Contortions. It was a gate that opened up just to move forward. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dc-c940-b919-78e9710cb4a2"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Yeah, punk at that time, by 1980, was just a total cliché already. The attitude of punk, the emotion—violent emotion—was really attractive to me. But the idea of playing the chord progressions was just kind of stupid to me, so I never did that. Punk had a uniform and hardcore was even worse. It was like a bunch of high school jocks that found their soundtrack, you know? To me, it was not very interesting. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dc-c940-b919-78e9710cb4a2"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Well, we got tired of people fleeing [laughs]. People hadn't heard anything like it before, so it was definitely a sort of undeniable presence in the room. So, I guess, a couple times we locked the doors and we turned off the lights, so it was completely dark (laughing again). Listening to Swans is a commitment. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">That wasn't a habitual thing. The A/C just really has to do with my voice. When the A/C fans are blowing on the stage, your vocal chords instantly freeze up. Plus, I also feel like I'm in a bank or something. I was heartened to read that Aretha Franklin has the same requirement—she needed to turn off the A/C on stage. Not that I’m Aretha Franklin; although I wish I was. Yeah, </span><span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don't mind the heat. It can be very extreme at times, where you almost pass out, but it kind of adds to the whole feel of what’s going on I guess. It's not supposed to be nefarious or about some sadistic attitude towards the crowd. It’s simply just a by product of wanting my voice to work. I quite enjoy the sweating and the expulsion.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: I can’t wait to see the San Francisco show- for me, I would imagine it would be like this sweat lodge, being ritually cleansed, or exorcised. Maybe that's what you're doing to the audience. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Yes, I feel like it is. But, it’s also happening to us, too. Yeah, maybe I think all those kinds of descriptions are somewhat accurate, but they're a bit romantic. It’s just a job really. HAHAHAH! [totally cracks up]. It’s like working in construction. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: I know in your musical career, you have had hard times. Have you felt like, "Fuck music! Fuck being an artist! I'm just going to be a fucking banker, or a real estate agent?"</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: Ha! I guess I would have been a lawyer. No, I don’t even have a choice. This is who I am, this is what I do. This is what I have known. I'm an artist—and it's not with a capital “A”—it’s just what I have to do. It's through digital means, it's through writing. It’s through music that I feel like, “I have to do that,” or I feel like I’m not actually existing. Finding your calling is a primary realization. So, that’s just how it is. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD: Especially the stuff you're putting out. It can't be avoided. It’s almost at this point borderline mysticism—spiritual in a sense.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: There’s a lot of spiritual aspirations involved, but again, I wouldn't want to overemphasize that. It’s rock music, for god’s sake! I would suggest people should experience it, and if they like it, “fine,” and if they don’t, “bye.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SD:Take it or leave it; this is what I do?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">MG: There’s always been that attitude. There was a time in the late 80s that the lure of success—so-called success—put us on a major label and I made some compromises which I thoroughly regret. But in my defense, I did it out of an intense fear of continuing to work construction for the rest of my life. It’s just a trade-off. I mean, there are great commercial bands (i.e., The Beatles, The Rolling Stones). I realized, after that experience—“that’s not me, I can’t do it”—and I went back to following imagination and intuition, and let the consequences fall where they may.~~</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Swans plan to tour for at least another year and half with this crew. Where will they go after this? Gira speculates " this band as we know it now will not continue to exist. After this tour it will be a revolving cast of contributors. Some of them will be the same. Some of them will won't be. We can't have a set band. Not logistically, financially, emotionally. I will not go back to that mode. It is necessary to change it up".~ </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> If you want to continue on this ride with Swans and their organic un-foldings follow them </span><a href="http://younggodrecords.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Also check out there show on 9/3 at the <a href="http://www.axs.com/events/307814/swans-tickets?skin=regency&src=AEGLIVE_WREGYSFO030115VEN001">The Regency Ballroom</a> with Baby Dee. Get sonically pummeled. Let it take you there. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af14bb3c-c2dd-482f-2c0a-6bab9cb0fc77"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Special thanks to Todd Billeci over at <a href="http://www.noiseart.org/">noiseart.org</a> and Jeanne Billeci and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/charlemagne.charmaine?fref=ts">Charlemagne Charmaine</a>. For your selfless support, spirit, connections and passions. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-42465743778845581652016-08-14T13:22:00.007-07:002016-08-14T14:04:23.457-07:00Drab Majesty and Metaphysics: The Lost Interview<div style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 11px;"> </span>A cosmic black metal harlequin arrived on the LA scene a few years ago. Coming from a far off planet made of ether and vapor, he brought us a message of affectional poetries swathed in 80's style synth/goth-pop, vibrant drum machine beats and swaying, harmonic guitar work . Drab Majesty has come a long way not only in planetary distance but also in composition. Now over a year being signed to Dais Records (Youth Code, Them are Us Too) he is sold out of his third pressing of his “Careless” LP. There is also the "Completely Careless" CD, an 18-track compilation of all of his work including two tracks you can't find anywhere else on this mortal plane. He has done a European and U.S. tour and has shared the stage with Psychic TV, King Dude and soon enough with Televison in the Desert Daze festival (Joshua Tree, CA) this fall. If you're the type who likes to wander around quiet streets alone, past the still-lit neon lights of closed liquor stores in the middle of a misty night with a fractured heart, or maybe someone who needs a night of dancing alone to further lose yourself in your internal velveteen oblivion, you may want to have this as your accompaniment. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;"> When this interview was taken Deb Demure had only been signed to Dais for a few months and was celebrating his latest release “Unknown to the I”, a trio of previously unreleased singles. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;">He was an artist that inspired me to do the blog “Strange and Delicious” as I was so moved by his unique quality and genuine sound that he manifested. Life got in my way as I was pursuing this blog in many forms. Shortly after I recorded this interview the device that held the recording was destroyed. I was really upset and defeated as the content of his interview was very compelling and honest and could never be rebuilt. However, it materialized in another realm in the digital world and I was pleased to say the least. So here is a “vintage” Drab Majesty interview, when he was just beginning his earthly tour. It was taken over the phone on a perfectly sunny thursday at 3pm as I was living in Lake Merritt (Oakland) and he was living in LA and cat-sitting on that particular day. The bullet holes in my bay window and in my wall from a drive-by were brand new. The summer sun and breeze were invigorating at that hour in the early afternoon. * * *</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- I was looking at your other band “Marriages". You're a drummer in that and it’s more alternative. What made you want to do something in the more electronic/synthy/moody vein?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- As a drummer you can have only so much to say in the context of a band. I had no interest in just starting a project to break away from the band. The material just sort of happened upon it. I don’t know any other way to put it. I know I kinda knew how to play guitar and fuck around. It was very simple. I just wanted to make songs and that’s what came out. It’s so basic. I listen to all the bands you listen to but I didn’t set out to make “goth” music. It just came out and it started to take shape that way and I kind of just rode the line. But if you listen to the record i like to jump around a lot but kind of try to keep it all in the same family of sound palette. It’s a very ADD project. I find that I am constantly jumping around in one world. I didn’t set out to do anything in particluar. It’s all about channeling. it’s what “ “they’ want me to do” kind of thing. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Yeah absolutely, but really you’re not too ADD. Yes, sometimes it’s more guitar focused and sometimes it’s more synth focused but it’s always “you”.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- It’s like you could draw a bunch of landscapes- you could use oil, crayon, pastel, marker OR you can ONLY use crayon but draw a bunch of different landscapes and objects. I would use crayon and draw a bunch of different shit. Does that make any sense?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Yes, certainly! So when this was coming to fruition, were you at home saying “Holy shit, I’ve got something here?” Where were you creating all this?</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">DM- Oh, it’s very much a bed room, on the floor, in the bed sort of project. Various places where I could set up a mic. Super fuckin’ DIY. As lo-fi, low budget as I could get and then maximize the results through a more hi-fi mixing process. I wrote all the music with the most primitive instruments and then took everything I did in those spaces and put it through various processing gear to make it sound some what believable as a studio record. But it is very much a bedroom project. It has to be that way though. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- That’s probably why it is so emotive. It comes from a very primitive place and in the end it sounds very polished. A perfect blend of both worlds. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- Exactly. It’s got to be that way. I would never want to go into some sterile, high-end studio to make a record. It’s not my space. I don’t sleep there. To have actual emotion translate in a foreign space doesn’t seem right to me. I’ve always felt that about studios I’ve recorded in for demos and other bands that it feels so “under the microscope” and you’re in this space and you’re paying money for all this pressure to not go over time. That’s no situation to create emotion in. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Yes! it seems clinical.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- Clinical! It’s like a sports event. Trying to make the last shot in the final minutes of the game. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> Drab Majesty- The Hemlock SF 5/15/16</i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- So tell me about your recent singles ( on the Disorder split). They’re crushing my heart! I was going through some stuff last year and it was all dealing with this sort of impermanence and the Disorder split that I picked up at the first show I saw you perform at (The Knockout, SF) was really speaking to me. Were you going through some shit when you did these songs? (“<a href="https://drabmajesty.bandcamp.com/track/entrance-and-exits">Entrances and Exits</a>” and “ <a href="https://drabmajesty.bandcamp.com/track/foreign-eye">Foreign Eye</a>”)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- Oh, interesting- for sure! Yes, most of the lyrics are “diary” based. “Entrances and Exits” was based on a pretty horrible burglary. It was my partner and I at the time trying to start a life together and our house was completely detroyed. I had lost all of my instruments and it was really bad. It was a local gang in the neighborhood. They plugged our sinks and flooded the place. It was really sad and it really fucked up our whole relationship. Everything sort of spiraled out from there while I was writing this record. “<a href="https://drabmajesty.bandcamp.com/track/entrance-and-exits">Entrances and Exits</a>” is an analog to beginnings and endings. It’s very simple themes but I try to obscure it by some kind of poetic license. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Entrances and Exits” is also like “one door closes, another one opens” kind of thing but it might not be the “pleasant” door that opens. The ending of something bad may not necessarily be the beginning of something good. Sometimes it’s just another labyrinth of hell that opens up, There is nothing guaranteed that with every action there is an equal action, there of, that unfolds. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">(The second song on the Disorder split) “Foreign Eye” is my observation on a very pedophilic relationship. Like a much older man with a much younger woman. I was observing and charting their dynamic. Like watching some 45 year old man in disparity and then writing about them. I’m interested in writing stuff that I don’t know about. It’s important to be relatable through your material.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Well, I think the audience definitely relates to it. I feel like when I hear “<a href="https://drabmajesty.bandcamp.com/track/foreign-eye">Foreign Eye</a>” you’re looking into someone’s eyes and you’re not knowing what you’re seeing. Not understanding their essence.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- Precisely. A communication gap. A rift in age. A rift in social dynamic, The subject is specific yet the message is broad. All the songs I relate to historically have been like that.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- What I love about this is you can grasp the feeling at any sort of emotional stage you're at. It can grab you on the highs and the lows. You talk about how your songs are almost “channeled” to you- is the “look” that you have come from there as well? Everytime I see you I think you are sent from some Zoroastrian leader! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Drab Majesty-The Hemlock (SF)- photo courtesy Sean Paul Duke 5/15/16</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">DM- YES. That’s where I get my music from. At least that’s how it looks in my minds' eye. The person I’m receiving these ideas and material from are from that species. That’s why I’m interested in the non-human. Beyond normal human relationships. The person who I am when I perform is a way of staying true to the muse, to the other entity. The compendiums of my subconscious. The “look” come from everything in my subconscious and beyond it. It’s all factored in and it has to be that way. It’s what the music deserves, simply. The music doesn't deserve to be made by my “normal-daily-errands” me. It needs to be ritualistic. Paying tribute is the best way to put it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- That makes perfect sense. It comes off as symbolic. metaphysical. inter-planetary. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- It’s symbolic for sure. It has to be a departure from my normative thing. Some people ask “Are you going to be in costume when I interview you??” No because you’re interviewing me at a bar. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Yeah, because you're objectively telling someone about Drab Majesty. You're not just doing this to dress up in drag. It’s ritual versus vanity. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">DM- Exactly. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drab Majesty-The Hemlock (SF)</i></td></tr>
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If you've never seen Drab Majesty on his orbit I would highly recommend it. Keep track of his tour dates and all that here on his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/drabmajesty">Facebook</a> or listen in on <a href="https://drabmajesty.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a> !!! Here's the latest<span style="text-align: center;"> from Drab Majesty! ~</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We love his traveling partner, Apollo, too.</i></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-5475287107323730142016-07-28T13:33:00.002-07:002016-07-29T11:10:49.324-07:00Summer Goth Jamboree: Representing Oakland! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> When you get invited to a "Mysterious Mansion of Enchantment" in which "..every shade of dungeon dweller will be present. From sparkle goths, to gutter goths and everything in between. Lots of bands, lots of art, lots of crafts, zines and books for sale.." you'll probably want to go. C</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">reated by Sasha Ravitch and her event organizing project "Strange Bird Spectacles," I graciously accepted the invitation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As I walked to the Enchanted Mansion I was wondering how I was going to tell which house it was yet when I saw the mannequin heads on stakes poking up over the fence and above the neighboring rose garden I </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">figured I had found the location. I smirked at how apropos of the weather for the clouds to roll in on what would have been a usually warm Oakland Sunday. I walked up past the open gate into the front yard that was full of head stones, inverted crosses and a sign welcoming you to the "Summer Goth Jamboree". It was an excellent excuse to bring the goth punks, friendly demons, lunar goddesses and dark wave queers out in the open during the light of day. Walking in to the backyard, DJ Benzowave was already playing some of the all familiar and unfamiliar slithery techno tracks</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Spankings!! --photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <i>Regretamine playing the dark tunes- photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was a "face transformation booth" just in case you didn't powder your nose or get a chance to apply some black metal eyeliner before you arrived. Next to that was a leather vault and a vintage coat rack holding a red leather jacket and a cat o' nines for a spanking station suggesting "5$" or until it hurts" by Domina Cielo.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stick n' Poke!--photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A tarot booth by Alese Osborn </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">under a canope was set with a formation of crystals on the table. A stick n' poke table offering all the alchemical symbols for your flesh was next door to the stand to buy gin infused cocktails. There was also a table of books for sale ranging from vintage sci-fi, wiccan ritual work and some of the classics. I decided to throw a bottle of Cabernet Franc in my bag to sip on for the event, figuring it was BYOB and I wanted to drink something sexy in homage to what I would imagine would be a most memorable occasion.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baphomet!! and Henry from Night Work--Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A baphomet mural painted by Creighton Geigle set at the furthest end of the yard over looked the Luciferian Soiree. There was art for sale by many, including Becasmisssteak featuring BDSM inspired mask portraits and even a Divine art poster done in ink on paper and a little booth set up with stones and crystals for the conjuring. It was startling and revealing to experience this scene in literally "another light" as it normally lives in the bottom of a basement nocturnally. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp9UGQPoK517RujQ2t0uvZtA-15iFPqVSCX4WfFucmdxpm7TObkeLM5p2hngicvhRag8w0W5ykSXloi5FGPdAGIro9Hl5qXm1O0g5AOXNBE_d2oXNrtrjv_2d7bNPqrhMkwkfAMjn7qE/s1600/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp9UGQPoK517RujQ2t0uvZtA-15iFPqVSCX4WfFucmdxpm7TObkeLM5p2hngicvhRag8w0W5ykSXloi5FGPdAGIro9Hl5qXm1O0g5AOXNBE_d2oXNrtrjv_2d7bNPqrhMkwkfAMjn7qE/s200/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_033.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Parasol Party! </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bands were to go on just past 5pm </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">inside the Mansion. The small living room was papered in plastic starry night sky sheaths complete with disco ball and a cartoon Dracula figure blocking the window. Some of the bands of note that night, all hailing from Oakland were: Decanter with his eight noise boxes of sonic manipulations taking you through space after you just took a touch of acid ( just a touch though). Regretamine, often a regular at the secretive Obscura Machina night, brought more hard hitting,aggressive techno industrial via synth and banging beats. Paralycyst zoning into his noisey, stoic brand of dungeon acid (he also curates the Obscura Machina night). Zanna Nera (solo project of Beca Irizary from Crimson Scarlet) in all her domina reigning over the keys and throwing down some deep mood and edge, at one point going into the crowd and certainly with out getting moshed over. The duo Night Work appealing at times to those who like some of NON's work and more performance art in an industrial setting, bringing in some serious depth and darkness with Henry laying on the floor screaming and Jamile on the drum machine/synth/percussion lifting up a cymbal with theatrical rage, threatening to throw it in to the audience. At one point a character, shirtless, yet in a cropped jacket walks on stage almost setting up a more macabre sketch from Kids in the Hall regarding a the oppressive nature of the business world. ( "You're not filling out your forms correctly, your overtime hours are being moved to next week, do not work those hours again" ..etc).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Forbidden colors, another </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">local</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> resident of the mutoid community, deploys his arsenal of "power electronics" vacillating between robotic soundscapes and jarring, beating head banging moments. Headlining that night was Red Sails. This quartet features more of the sounds of post punk sensibilities a la Love and Rockets and Bauhaus but with a hint more garage influence in the vocals. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPO-33r31OyCZg6pMFDOVxeVy0oSi_Yu0pyCnabF-QbBy_s632yRvdfmmF4rOFc20XnzRG0OeCL_i8PAq21Mphn1E-CYoQ3c7wDd6j-7umxzCmCE3qEKhOrQiQT-1I3-Zr35t-m2W3zA/s1600/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPO-33r31OyCZg6pMFDOVxeVy0oSi_Yu0pyCnabF-QbBy_s632yRvdfmmF4rOFc20XnzRG0OeCL_i8PAq21Mphn1E-CYoQ3c7wDd6j-7umxzCmCE3qEKhOrQiQT-1I3-Zr35t-m2W3zA/s320/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_061.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> An after party moved on with Dirty Coyote spinning all of the devilish electro jams. For me it was time to go since I had been there from the beginning of the Jamboree. However, I imbibed in a musical night cap, some decompression. It was nearing the last set at the Golden Bull and I had to catch the ending of DJ Demise's session at "An Aural history of Femme Punk Vol 3", in which Blatz, Vice Squad, Bikini Kill and Siouxsie were revered over vinyl. I sat smiling as I heard the familiar voice of Beki Bondage screaming through the bar hall. What a treasure. Catch that on the next. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 arial\\22 " , "\\22 helvetica\\22 " , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you put your ear to the ground in Oakland long enough you can be sure to find many a sparkley-darkley productions going on. Curated by the passionate freaks for the passionate freaks. The bay area offers some specific, tightly- knit groups to participate in and it's not to be taken for granted. Support your local freaks. We need </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">each other!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If SGJ sounds like a good time to you check out the next show Sasha Ravitch is putting out -<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1186442424720629/">Anarcho PUNK show at the ABCO</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ALSO-- Here's some more goodies from Summer Goth Jamboree--a huge thanks to our photographic contributor <a href="http://www.lherr.com/">L. Herrada Rios!!!!</a>!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5IiaKl4awNTWiyFSeoRI4i9jx4fO8nIgzxBP6azfjjTeYQabnha5eDR5UXgCzVxfMixQahhDkP_M6LUJuCUiXWM1nd7nYLXOwwBNZtLwKczBjVQlI0ObNpp1imK6lNoBP-r-CyaaBrE/s1600/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5IiaKl4awNTWiyFSeoRI4i9jx4fO8nIgzxBP6azfjjTeYQabnha5eDR5UXgCzVxfMixQahhDkP_M6LUJuCUiXWM1nd7nYLXOwwBNZtLwKczBjVQlI0ObNpp1imK6lNoBP-r-CyaaBrE/s320/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_068.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jamboreers -photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Demons a doodlin' -photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Book Lady! </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_69XuMCOv3c2OtvlvBLtt3of7n6mRx2FyQGTfTHK-Xq_DpXsBf_12bMznHXgT5T0EuFuUlwQfV26KhKKg0OJi55jziUQrGxZptx302NC-NcdjW6i5WjRzlCujwqYRPRWXzDgg8H9OUs/s1600/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_69XuMCOv3c2OtvlvBLtt3of7n6mRx2FyQGTfTHK-Xq_DpXsBf_12bMznHXgT5T0EuFuUlwQfV26KhKKg0OJi55jziUQrGxZptx302NC-NcdjW6i5WjRzlCujwqYRPRWXzDgg8H9OUs/s320/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_018.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Merch table full of crafty gems- photo courtesy L Herrada Rios</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjtTVzDkAAgG5PVmUMuGZyb1cW87U5Awef2ubmjOAXOeLU3sgJkqBGg9CzKXIXJgIYcUsYlqjQfHmHeYXw3NrP7BhhllMXZOZ72bW7C8zM6li_IAypODUsaEx_asBNTsn-d_KnmErDbM/s1600/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjtTVzDkAAgG5PVmUMuGZyb1cW87U5Awef2ubmjOAXOeLU3sgJkqBGg9CzKXIXJgIYcUsYlqjQfHmHeYXw3NrP7BhhllMXZOZ72bW7C8zM6li_IAypODUsaEx_asBNTsn-d_KnmErDbM/s320/SummerGothJamboree_071816_LHerradaRios_ForWeb_026.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Photo courtesy of L. Herrada Rios</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Black metal makeup party and a table full of dark unicorns</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Hurry baaaaaccckk--make sure to bring your re-birth certificate!</i></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-26708644453167709782016-07-12T03:19:00.005-07:002016-07-13T13:18:04.952-07:00//// On Death Rock and other Dimensions: An Interview with Skot Brown<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Skot Brown stopped by my place last week, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the night<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> before 4th of July. The </span>firecrackers<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> were already blowing up my neighborhood creating a back drop </span>like<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> that of a mini war zone. I lit the living room up with ritual candles and </span>burned<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> some nag </span>champa to add to the ambience of early dusk. With his recent (and rare) show of his solo, sinister, spacey experimental studio project Decanter and with<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> albums being released from all three of his bands: the </span>noise-based "sexstep" party collaboration of Jeweled Snakes, the mystical and otherworldly assemblage of Malditos and the necromantic and unabashedly original death rock outfit Altar De Fey, there were plenty of subjects to be touched upon that evening. ~ </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SD- You must have kept Decanter a secret all these years! Unfortunately for me I </span>had not known it existed until recently. W<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">hen I was listening to it I was thinking that this needs to be played in some sort of Stanley Kubrick/Space Odyssey experimental lounge. I noticed the descriptors on your bandcamp page — post punk, experimental and SPACE.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">That definitely makes sense. When did you start this?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- The first thing I released under Decanter was in 2004 or so and yes there is something I did about 4 or 5 years ago and I called it “The Soundtrack to Space”- it was all instrumental which I normally don’t do that often. No drum beats, just more floaty atmospheric stuff. I was definitely getting into my space zone there. It was a nice departure. I went downstairs to the studio and locked myself in there for a few days and really focused on that and got into this zone. Decanter is very much a studio project.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeNNWlR_m2ZyShYHP2ftuvMO5YRBAZwwgBs4vOeWRXlVfe1Mg9U5jSOIJOqUHwKxylzcxRH69SH3o2QY84OReCZ7LQFxl-RcJjjYbOfo4a-E5DoQppicis7S6YS31KzBHVhvzuAO-o5I/s1600/13422339_10153743335737643_6050372094445795546_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeNNWlR_m2ZyShYHP2ftuvMO5YRBAZwwgBs4vOeWRXlVfe1Mg9U5jSOIJOqUHwKxylzcxRH69SH3o2QY84OReCZ7LQFxl-RcJjjYbOfo4a-E5DoQppicis7S6YS31KzBHVhvzuAO-o5I/s320/13422339_10153743335737643_6050372094445795546_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Decanter at LCM--photo courtesy of Cyn Malditos</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">SD- It’s like this extraterrestrial meditation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">SB- Yeah, it pretty much is a meditation.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SD- I know just very recently you did a Decanter set for the International Noise Conference in Oakland at LCM. What sparked you to do that live? When was the last time you did a set prior?</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Yeah, that was fun! It was two nights and everyone did 10-15 minute sets so there was ten or more acts each night. That was the third time I had performed live- it’s a studio project. It's not meant to be live. So each time I’ve played (as Decanter) it’s actually been at LCM with about two or so years in between. So basically I say “Yeah, I’ll play a show!”. So then I come up with something just for that show and it's created specifically to be played at a live show.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD - Your stuff is very textural and technical. I can see how that would be difficult to do live.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- No, I couldn't do that. I would need four people to pull that off and I don’t use a lap top or anything. I just play everything live. When I do a live show i think how many things can I set up that can sort of “play” on their own with out having to rely on pre-recorded material. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Speaking of live shows, what’s going on with you and your project with Sharkiface in Jeweled Snakes? How did you and her start that collaboration? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Sharkiface- yeah, I’m actually wondering what she is going to call herself on our record!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD— Oh good you have one coming out!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Yes! the artwork is done- so just doing the final touches on that now. I’m hoping it will be out by the end of the year. Things are always slow these days, for pressing vinyl at least.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- So how did you and Sharkiface get together to start this- it's just you and her on synth and effects and you both doing vocals, right?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Yep- synth, samplers, drum machine and little noise boxes, or whatever hahaha. Before we started Jeweled Snakes we did a few shows together that was mostly jamming with noise- so then we decided to make more actual songs rather than just a noise jam, which anyone can do. Just get up and twist knobs and see what happens. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- So then you and her started on something more focused.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtrk7_8jPapj2iaxQ3i4rO0kTWUuLi4B3ugPNB-0w6ss1Qhc2m43AYrqqCASLp_GoYFidOQjaiGm66W-qgu9OPMobyjHbROCXKX2zZesmwUErVU6V1GFxuzA234W-8zoS71CQZUCAu2I/s1600/12496181_1273701512646880_6488531620567966749_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtrk7_8jPapj2iaxQ3i4rO0kTWUuLi4B3ugPNB-0w6ss1Qhc2m43AYrqqCASLp_GoYFidOQjaiGm66W-qgu9OPMobyjHbROCXKX2zZesmwUErVU6V1GFxuzA234W-8zoS71CQZUCAu2I/s320/12496181_1273701512646880_6488531620567966749_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jeweled Snakes --photo courtesy of Kevin Brown</i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- We started writing actual songs that have a lot of noise IN them but they're song based with lyrics and some changes.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- There are some pretty sexy themes going on lyrically!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- There are a lot of sexual themes going on. Most of the songs are probably about somebody! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Ha! In a bad way? In a good way?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Both. Sometimes Crystal Nails will say something like “ You know who this is about!” and someone in the audience will know (and think) “ohhhhh this one is about me!”. Or there’s this other song called “Moon Madness” that was inspired by this girl I knew who would get hyper energized by the full moon, being sexually turned on by a full moon. Getting all your senses tingling by this madness. So, a lot of the songs are about that. Some other song titles are “Hypersexual” or “Cocktapuss”— it’s a party band. It’s ridiculous and were trying to have fun with it. We just want to make more of a party atmosphere with it</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- So it seems that Malditos is a more serious, as in tone, project for you?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Yeah, Malditos you could say is more serious- it’s not goofy, well, not that Jeweled Snakes is goofy but you know what I mean. Malditos is a more personal project for me because I bought this Indian drum machine that is tabla rhythm. It’s traditional beats so the timing is really weird. They're not just four count beats. They're 5,6,7,11 beats. So, it was really interesting to come up with guitar lines for those rhythms. I wanted something more challenging. I wouldn’t come up with those beats on my own. It’s a different style. It’s a learned style. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- When I listen to Malditos I think it's perfect music to go do some white magic rituals in a forest during a new moon. It’s really hypnotic and there’s definitely those Eastern elements to it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Hash induced music. :)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Definitely. So there’s two people on synth in Malditos? I thought that was interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Yes, Oliver Patches does mostly the bass lines on the synth and then Andy does the more floaty, ethereal sounds. I do guitar and Cynthia sings and does some percussion: tambourine, maracas. We have a new album for that too were just looking for a label. We self released the first one and we don’t really want to do that again. Were all horrible at promoting and all that business portion. Time has proven that we are all horrible at it so I would really like us to be on a label so they can take care of all that crap.</span></div>
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SD- When did you start working on Malditos?</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Actually Malditos, Jeweled Snakes and Altar De Fey all started within a few months of each other in 2012, so four years ago. I didn't have a band for about a year and a half. I always have something going on. So instead of starting one band three started at once. I didn't expect them to go this long but they're still going! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Well, it’s probably because all your projects are all really fucking good! I remember when I saw Malditos for the first time at the Legionnaire in Oakland I thought your guitar style was really noticeable— is it more stream of consciousness for you or how do you go about it?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9KOwE5f6rWxz3-XNJQpUKdL-Z82lH-w9St5UWkBHGRFrcaDdjwep9xYlDAN95PdQAFdWTSFg-1OYEvA_jx8LEDEVqJC1vJjEtkUtK3ahMBt1Jp6__sKTd_vEaOFAjsnRQ-A2kSuZbss/s1600/13567475_10154973058840968_6595357768560120549_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9KOwE5f6rWxz3-XNJQpUKdL-Z82lH-w9St5UWkBHGRFrcaDdjwep9xYlDAN95PdQAFdWTSFg-1OYEvA_jx8LEDEVqJC1vJjEtkUtK3ahMBt1Jp6__sKTd_vEaOFAjsnRQ-A2kSuZbss/s320/13567475_10154973058840968_6595357768560120549_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Skot on guitar with Malditos</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Basically I’ll find a beat on that drum machine and try to work it out that way or even through humming I try to find some guitar lines. Because I’m not the most proficient guitar player I’ll hum it out in my head and record that then go back to the guitar and figure it out that way. If I sit there and try to fuck around with the notes I’ll lose it entirely and then something totally different comes up. I try to lose myself in a smoky haze in my basement and come up with stuff like that. Then I present it to the band, with Malditios we pretty much come up with the guitar first and the rest follow suit. So thats why Malditos and Decanter are my most personal. I'm most invested in it, personally. The ADF/JS are more of a joint effort.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Yes, speaking of ADF you just released the LP “Echoes in the Corridor” from Mass Media (LA) is that all old material? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- No, it's half and half. There’s three, maybe four new songs on there. “Wraith”, “1975” and “Snitch” are the new songs on there. “Death to my Enemies” is half old, half new. We wrote a new change for it. We have been going through all the old practice tapes and we wanted to expand on some of those ideas. We have been down in the archives. I think we have exhausted the old material. There are no more “old songs” to bring up. We just finished recording a second album- again half old, half new material. Each album is like that. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- You have sifted through all the crypts!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I think the half new/half old material for each album is actually more appealing in some ways.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- It's more fun for us I think. There’s something fresh instead of songs that are thirty years old to Kent Cates (guitar) and Aleph Kali (drums). Kent started ADF in 1983 and Aleph joined on in 1985. It was back in the old days in San Francisco. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Every time I see you guys play I just notice that what you do is in such a small niche, this very specific death rock/ goth punk genre. The window is so small that I don’t think many people can qualify for that. Stuff that is in the realm of Christian Death- specifically “Only theatre of Pain”-that sort of fascination. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- It’s basically music that stemmed more from punk. I always think of goth as coming from more classical sounding stuff. It’s more dramatic and maybe a little slower, a little heavier. More theatrical.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Glossier…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Yes! and Death rock has an edge. Quicker songs, more driving, the vocals are more aggressive —instead of doing the Dracula thing (mimics typical sounding goth vocals). </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- I personally love death rock because it sort of brings a romance to punk rock. Two of my favorite things!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SD- Every time I hear ADF I feel like I could be walking down Melrose in LA when it was actually good, smoking some cigarettes—</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SB- Smoking some cloves!</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SD- Yes, cloves! smoking come cloves and walking by Retail Slut or Vinyl Fetish records. It really brings me back to this small moment in time.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBLkci5I0tps5-E0wjRupS5pH13Ekf_Zu5Rtdx1GpejRVzxHrAT-RKKAmYoYnDrQhZQMbdZQw_nUW1aXxk7k2__tKZjJM85BIfFoj7tOjiCzf0QjSkxZNI3ZJTCQN04XbdZGgyUONViU/s1600/IMG_3746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBLkci5I0tps5-E0wjRupS5pH13Ekf_Zu5Rtdx1GpejRVzxHrAT-RKKAmYoYnDrQhZQMbdZQw_nUW1aXxk7k2__tKZjJM85BIfFoj7tOjiCzf0QjSkxZNI3ZJTCQN04XbdZGgyUONViU/s320/IMG_3746.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Altar De Fey set at The Oakland Metro</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">SB- </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">It’s a pretty southern California thing, death rock. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">That was a good time.That was</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">when I learned how to play bass was in the early 80’s. I was in a band called “Crisis of Faith” which was similar to ADF. When Kent asked me if I wanted to be in ADF i was like “ Yeah, lets check it out!” and I was listening to this song and reminded me of Crisis of Faith. The bass was really similar so I said “ Well, I already play like that, so this will be a no brainer!”</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- It comes naturally to you.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- My natural style is hard to avoid.. (hahahaah)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Since you started playing in the 80’s, what was the influence that drew you into playing music yourself?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Well, my first band in high school was Anal Kitties. It was pretty industrial influenced, early Skinny Puppy stuff. It was just a two piece. We were getting into stuff like Bauhaus, Christian Death and all of that. There was a band that influenced us a lot called “No Trend”, which they're a lot noisier and spastic and they had this song called “Your Love” and it had this more gothic sound and it was really fucking heavy on the bass. Super flanged out, heavy bass. It was the sound that was so cool and totally inspiring.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- There is something so provocative about that style of bass. In ADF the bass is the same way, in the foreground for sure. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- In a lot of death rock, the bass is more prominent than in most styles of music. Like Joy Division style of bass lines, more driving. Playing a lead melody instead of just following the drums. Which is how a lot of bass playing is and isn't as noticeable. It is the background- it’s the root notes and thats it. I like to play it more as if it was a guitar. But then I play guitar as if it was a bass. I don’t play guitar as if it was a guitar. I usually stick to single notes on a guitar. I don’t do a lot of chord playing, rarely ever. It’s a combination of the two. A meeting in the middle. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SD- Kent and Aleph are the O.G. members of ADF- I know it dissolved after 1985. Was there bad communication in the band or why did that happen?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- I think drugs and deaths.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Sadly, I guess that was a popular trend then.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- I'm the third bass player because the other two have died. So I hope I don’t self implode on stage or burn in flames. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- No, you won’t go down in flames you guys burn too much frankincense on stage— you are protected! </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sounds like drugs and death were the spirit of the times. But then it was resurrected because of a festival.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Some bands that Aleph and Kent played with back in the day were setting up this reunion show at the Red Devil lounge (used to be on Polk st. in San Francisco) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Oh yeah, now it’s some shitty yuppie whiskey mixology bar- JUST what the city needed. Another 15$ Manhattan place!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SB- Polk st. is a whole different world now. It’s gross. So they got asked to play that and they said “ Sure, yeah let’s do it! let’s play a few of the songs”. So Aleph programmed a drum machine and he was singing and Kent played guitar and they had bass on a backing track on the drum machine and so they did that for one night and were like “ Oh, wait that was fun, we should do that again!” and so that’s when they asked me to join and we eventually got Jake Hout in the band. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">SD- Did you guys know of Jake prior to adding him to do vocals for ADF?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">SB</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">- Jake and I had been talking for years before that we wanted to a band together. I pretty much met him when I was in “Phantom Limbs” and he would come to those shows. Years and years go by then all of a sudden when I joined ADF I thought “ I know someone who could sing!” He was in a band called “Everything must Go” which they played for years and years. So I’ve seen him on stage and he has such a great presence. He was so into it when we asked him. He was really excited about it and that kept the momentum going. I didn't know if it was going to keep going or what. It was a slow start when we tried resurrecting it. But it all came together and now it’s been four years that Jake has been in the band. Time flies. Albums are coming out. It’s all coming together. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Whatever your mood may be, Skot has something for you and your </span>dark endeavors... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-------Check out Altar De Fey on July 15th 2016 at the Church of the Buzzard in Oakland! It's their record release party for their LP "Echoes in the Corridor" ( I heard it's on BLOOD red vinyl!)--- and their live shows include plenty of frankincense and candelabras lit with black candles ... :D <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/983117728450235/">https://www.facebook.com/events/983117728450235/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hear all of Skot Brown's dimensions here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Decanter: <a href="https://decanter1.bandcamp.com/album/decanter">https://decanter1.bandcamp.com/album/decanter</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jeweled Snakes: <a href="https://jeweledsnakes.bandcamp.com/">https://jeweledsnakes.bandcamp.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Malditos: <a href="https://malditos.bandcamp.com/">https://malditos.bandcamp.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Altar De Fey: <a href="http://altar-de-fey.bandcamp.com/">http://altar-de-fey.bandcamp.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and for fun here is No Trend "Your Love" (one of his early influences!) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYlsd3Nd5V8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYlsd3Nd5V8</a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-54745236013560271052016-06-21T14:56:00.002-07:002016-06-28T12:56:07.374-07:00Chasms /// Pale Dian at the Elbo Room 6/13<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> There were two acts at the Elbo room show Monday night and it was a well thought out pairing. Kerri Lebon (Discipline) was spinning dark acid techno in between Pale Dian of Austin, TX and our treasured local symbiosis, Chasms. The streets were unoccupied </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in SF’s mission district as the night seemed very dark with this persistent, icy wind. However, this weather just </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">spurred more intrigue. There were only a handful of people that showed but the ones who did were dedicated supporters of both acts. Everyone who couldn't go missed out on what seems like the viewing of some clandestine gems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Pale Dian was here showcasing their first album- “Narrow Birth” that was just released a mere two weeks ago, with a successful release party in LA the night before. The dream gaze trio Ruth Ellen on vox/synth, Derek Kutter on guitar and Nick Volpe on the bass.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span>They<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> opened the night</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> up with the glimmery and ethereal slow instrumentation of</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“The Avenue” and they immediately drew you in by your heart strings. They moved onto many depths and terrains.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“Evan Evan” is a perfect example of that, graduating to more intensity- back lit with a swarm of buzzing hums, painted by melodic, fluid guitar swaths and well crafted bass cameos.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“Diana” showcases Ruth Ellen’s angelic range and Volpe’s memorable bass lines that ring true to beloved BBC sessions of the post-punk era. I got the shivers listening to this track. “Truth or Consequences” takes you down a road, possibly leading you to a scene from “Mulholland Dr.”</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Kutter agrees as he is often inspired by Lynch's "Twin Peaks" series. "I'm just here to add texture, not to be the 'stand out' part" he explains</span> on<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> his role with the guitar. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Their set finished with their first single, “In a Day”, which will make you feel like you're in a summer afternoon under a cold pale sun.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>photo courtesy of Geoff Smith</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i> </i></span> Kerri LeBon came back in between sets to fill the sonic space with more alien dance beats.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Jess Labrador on vox/guitar and Sky on bass are the SF gloom gaze pair Chasms. </span></span><span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif; text-align: center;">Newly signed to Felte records, they will be delivering us with all new material, tours and a video by Kristin Cofer coming this fall.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Framed with the two golden dragons that live on the Elbo Room’s stage, they started up with the low tempo mode of “More Love to be Found’. Shrouding the stage in a veil of fog and illuminated by a yellow globe light in the between them, they </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">wandered through their paths. We encountered more subtle intensities with “Beyond Flesh” and “Black Ice”, also peppered with minimal drum machine. Sky coincides with Labrador using bold open notes creating depth to Labrador’s whispering vocal style and noisy distortion guitar themes. Their energy crescendoed into a meddling of manipulated reverbed bass while Labrador went off in a gritty and emotionally felt solo with “Come to Harm”, crushing the night. It’s for those who are drawn to the noise/shoe-gaze/drone genre but maybe would like a more feminine quality to it. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">It isn't as focused on devoted melodic concepts but it’s not all out experimental. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">When you're in the mood to get into that cavernous realm, you do this. You go here. You go into Chasms. (PS- if you are in LA June 26 you can see them with Oil Thief at Non Plus Ultra)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> “It will be sad to leave the west coast. It’s always the best” Kutter, said smiling upon his departure as he thought about the twenty plus shows left in their tour. It was a very special Monday night, indeed. Bon Voyage, PD! and looking forward to new that new Chasms album! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> Chasms set 6/13</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out Chasms music! <a href="http://chasmssf.bandcamp.com/">http://chasmssf.bandcamp.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out Pale Dian! <a href="http://paledian.bandcamp.com/album/narrow-birth-2">http://paledian.bandcamp.com/album/narrow-birth-2</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">——You will never run out of the Strange and Delicious——</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390447314328796054.post-67656430239210561692016-06-12T13:12:00.000-07:002016-06-15T14:08:53.505-07:00Pale Dian returns to SF ! Your Summer of Goth has just begun. Returning for their second-ever show in SF, Pale Dian brings you the beginnings of their west coast tour of swirling, dreamy, synth-gaze. Their first album dropped on Manifesto records titled "Narrow Birth" on 6/3 and with an eponymous tour to celebrate at that. Just a few months back, they debuted at SF's Hemlock, with their single "In a Day". Essentially a new band at that point as they formed in October 2015, it seems they already got their shit together. They formed in Austin, TX combining from the closures of previous projects to hone in on their sound. Front lady on the vox and synth, Ruth Ellen comments "(this project) was about finding out what we were good at. Honestly, we cut the bullshit out. We looked at what worked and at what didn't work. We decided to cut out a lot of people". <br />
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Their first single, "In a Day" features their sound of shimmery atmospheres with cohesion and precision. Echoing accents of pained ethereal acts like early Cocteau Twins, Pale Dian brings a languid hypnosis of all their own. Tracks like "Evan Evan" give off starry moments in existential crisis and "Pas De Deux" catches you with more light hearted, curious and romantic beats. "Lonesome Waste" brings you back to hints of garage, with bass lead intros and lyrics of fear and vulnerability. Pale Dian performs along with the well respected female duo "Chasms" at the Elbo Room on 6/13. Do yourself a favor and go. You'll want to roll around in a field of flowers and cry and laugh and make out while your listening to them.<br />
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Here's their music!<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #007542; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">paledian.bandcamp.com</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07433962737916174264noreply@blogger.com0