Catch the Man! Richard 23 on Front 242, Revolting Cocks and life in the Wax Trax!

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. 

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. 

Richard 23 performing in Front 242

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? 

 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. 

(sound check goes off with drum tests in the background)

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. 

What was the concept that was behind Front 242? I know in another interview you mentioned that you wanted to convey an “intensity”. 

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. 

That makes sense, thinking back to the "Headhunter" video produce by Anton Corbijn. Bringing the cinema to cinematic music.

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. 

It’s cool since you mentioned some of your inspirations was architecture, and he definitely uses architectural lanscapes in that video. 

Yes! That was all shot in Brussels. 

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?

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. 

What a turn of events! 

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. 

Incredible! 

We were one of the first bands who started using samples in that way. 

It creates a musical collage.

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  Jean would come up with interesting lyrics but like "Operating Tracks" is a good example of that. The lyrics mean nothing but it brings an imagery. 

More rhythm focused rather than poetically focused.

I always wondered about the lyrcis. They always sounded somewhat political to me.

Did these songs mean to have a political edge to them on your end?

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. 

A Historical reflection.

Yes, but no position taken. “Welcome to Paradise” 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. 

Front 242

Oh yes, high drama!

For us we were thinking “Whoa! What IS this?!”

It's still really weird!

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.

Yes, you use their emotional intensity to heighten the musical intensity that you're creating.

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. 

“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.

You're being observational and with that you "assault" people sonically with it.

Going on this tour what songs do you look forward to performing now?

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. 

Is there any other songs that you notice the audience really enjoy, that they get wild about?

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.

Oh yeah they love that over there!

"Im Rhythmus Bleiben" is very popoluar in Germany. It's German and it’s tough!

What was the initial idea with your outfits?

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. 

 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.

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!!

I was going to ask you about him! He’s my favorite bassist!

Yes! Basically the idea is to get together and have fun! And people are asking for more..so....

The energy is so infectious!

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?

NOPE! 

HAHAHA! no surprise there!

None of us. None of us do. It’s even worse for Paul and Chris. Paul went through with suing him and stuff. 

Oh jeez too messy!

Oh yeah, it's messy. 

So! Wax Trax! documentray! What was it like being involved in some of the filming of that?

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! 

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that "Front By Front" was Wax Trax! biggest selling album!

Yeah! plus the fact that “Head Hunter” was on there as well as “Welcome to Paradise”. Yep, it was their best selling album.

Wow, how amazing to be apart of something so iconic. 

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.

Not meant to be financiers.

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”. 

Right, it’s not personal, you've just hit a ceiling.

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. 

Well, I guess we will find out more in the documentary!

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”

It sounds like it will be full of rich history! 

Get tickets to see The Revolting Cocks here!!!!!

Here's a good song to listen to! 

Give the Noise a Beat! Machina #2 is here!

   Devyn Saturnus of Esomoprhic records rematerializes this friday 6/16 with his curated  Machina night “a multi-sensory night of esotronic//dungeon acid//industrial tech//modular synth and evilutionary visuals”.  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 teaser track while you read!

********* 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  before reading*******

So Machina #2 is underway! Tell me more about musicalfungus as he is on your label Esomorphic records.  

I met Chris (musicalfungus) 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 .

You've also got some guys from 5lowershop and Katabatik that night as well.

Yes, not to be missed is Hakuin, 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. 

Hakuin

And if this doesn’t already sound like the show of the summer, we have Scarford. 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.

Scarford

I love the "dark disco" notes that Scarford is doing, plus I haven't seen any 5lowershop sets in awhile so this should be pretty interesting. 

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.

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. 

   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.

Red Cellar

I think that is all we can do at this point. 

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! ...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. 

You've got the drive and the spirit. So this is your first self promoted show as Red Cellar. Are you still doing Regretamine?

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!

There’s definitely a place for it!

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.

How Does Red Cellar compare to Regretamine? 

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.......

The Original Red Cellar Line up- Devyn Saturnus and Micah Danemeyer

Transport yourself over to Machina this Friday 6/16 !!!!
The Night Light at 311 Broadway St. in Oakland

Dj Sailor Saturn will be spinning in between sets too!

Visuals by Sinest

The Star that is just out of Range: an Interview with Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots

         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 “Blacklist,” you may not necessarily know that that is The Legendary Pink Dots, depending on which of their many albums you have been introduced to. 

      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, The Pages of Aquarius, was released earlier this year on Metropolis Records and induces more hypnotic and bizarre states of consciousness. 

    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. 

Edward Ka-Spel at the LPD show 10/15/16 at Thee Parkside (SF). Photo courtesy Todd Billeci

We interviewed Edward as he traveled through an unknown California desert during the western portion of the Legendary Pink Dots’ U.S. tour. 

So you’re touring for your new album. What’s going on with that and how did The Pages of Aquarius come about?

The album we just put out, The Pages of Aquarius, 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.

                                               "Mirror Mirror" from The Pages of Aquarius 

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?

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. 

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. 

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. 

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?

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.

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?

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. 

More Edward at the LPD show 10/15/16 at Thee Parkside (SF). Photo courtesy Todd Billeci

You cater to the dimensions of the spirit. That’s probably why you’re so prolific — because you have that range of emotion.

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. 

How is the U.S. portion of the tour going for you?

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!

For more info on The Legendary Pink Dots you can go here to their official website for the latest updates. Here's their Facebook page too!

Photo Courtesy Todd Billeci LPD 10/15/16 at Thee Parkside

A big thanks to Todd Billeci of Noise Art for his revisions and photo contributions as well as John Graham for his editing skills. 

Summer Goth Jamboree: Representing Oakland!

   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. Created by Sasha Ravitch and her event organizing project "Strange Bird Spectacles," I graciously accepted the invitation. 

     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 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.

Spankings!! --photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

 Regretamine playing the dark tunes- photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

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.

Stick n' Poke!--photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

 A tarot booth by Alese Osborn 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.

Baphomet!! and Henry from Night Work--Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

       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.                                      
                                                                     

Parasol Party! Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

     The bands were to go on just past 5pm 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).
      
      Forbidden colors, another local 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.  

Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

      
     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. 

       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 each other!

If SGJ sounds like a good time to you check out the next show Sasha Ravitch is putting out  -Anarcho PUNK show at the ABCO

ALSO-- Here's some more goodies from Summer Goth Jamboree--a huge thanks to our photographic contributor L. Herrada Rios!!!!!

Jamboreers -photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

Demons a doodlin' -photo courtesy  L. Herrada Rios

The Book Lady! 

Merch table full of crafty gems- photo courtesy L Herrada Rios

Photo courtesy of L. Herrada Rios

Photo courtesy L. Herrada Rios

Black metal makeup party and a table full of dark unicorns

Hurry baaaaaccckk--make sure to bring your re-birth certificate!