Forever Alien with Sleepyard - An Interview

A Noruega impressiona, veja, Serena Maanesh e Maribel são dois grandes exemplos mas ambos de certa forma concebem uma sonoridade acessível e ouvível, o que não acontece com o Sleepyard, um duo que busca inspiracão nas viagens e colagens do kraut mais tortuoso e principalmente na obra de John Cage e também Peter Kember aka Sonic Boom, aliás o mestre já trabalhou com o Sleepyard, mas eles pegam um pouco no Spacemen 3 mas muito, muito mesmo no E.A.R., o que certamente muitos podem não apreciar, mas o fato é que a sonoridade é tortuosa, oras extremamente delirante oras mais doce, não há simplesmente limites para a criacão das obras do Sleepyard.

Na bagagem 3 albuns, eps e singles em diferentes gravadoras, nada especifico nada feito para ser acessível, o lance do Sleepyard é não haver formulas básicas para criar.

Obras como essa sao apreciadas somente por poucos, e o TBTCI facilita um pouco a todos expondo através de um dos mentores do Sleepyard, Oliver Kersbergen  a história e as curiosidades do Sleepyard.

***** Interview with Sleepyard *****

Q. When did Sleepyard starts, tell us about the history...
A: I started Sleepyard in 1994 as an outlet for my experimental pop leanings, to play around in the studio. At the time i was playing in a punk band, but that started to become a bit boring. My brother joined me in Sleepyard the following year and we became a band.

We released our first EP in 1999 and have released three albums an EP and one single after that on various labels.

Q: Who are your influences?
A: Beach Boys, Neu!, John Cage, Miles Davis, Fleetwood Mac, Spacemen 3 Walt Whitman, Edvard Munch, Stanley Kubrick

Q. Made a list of 5 albuns of all time…
A:
1: Friends - The Beach Boys
2: Basement Tapes - Bob Dylan & The Band
3: Discreet Music - Brian Eno
4: Music from the Penguin Cafe - Penguin Cafe Orchestra
5: Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac

Q. How do you feel playing alive?
A: Very strange. Sometimes it is enormously cathartic other times it can be a bit weird if things go a bit cliche. I`m not one who loves smoke machines and stuff, haha. Still it is a great experience to be able to entertain people.. It really is an honor.

Q. How do you describe Sleepyard sounds?
A: Psychedelic and Calm

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
A: I usually start recording my songs at home. Often starting with a simple drone or a beat and do progress to what sounds natural. Sometimes i might send it to a guest musician who can add things i am not able to play. They send the files over to me and i then try to mix it together. On this new album i am working with Mike Garson and Judy Dyble a lot. They both have added so much to the music and that in turn inspires me. It`s all a big circle these days.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
A: Universal Ornament, F-Sky, Barnaby Bennett

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
A: We used to play 2000 Light Years From Home by The Rolling Stones. Now, i would like to cover "Simon Says" by 1910 Fruitgum Co. and one poem of Steve Kalinich. He is a great poet and have written lots of great lyrics for The Beach Boys.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
A: I`m finishing our new album Black Sails. It will be released in the US this year and also in Europe.
I`m also going to do a tribute to Karlheinz Stockhausen hopefully with a proper orchestra.
I hope to work more with US band Fuxa also in the future. I`m on their album "frequencies for physical, mental and spiritual healing" and will be contributing to their next album "Dirty D".

Q: Any parting words?
A: Keep cool, Be still, Peace out! Love.
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Thanks Oliver

http://www.sleepyard.com
http://sleepyard.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sleepyard/62995480672

Methodrone with Spacegazer - An Interview

Peter Kember, Jason Pierce, Anton Newcombe, Kevin Shields, os irmãos Reid, ou seja todos os mestres evocados certamente devem estar com sorriso de ponta a ponta, é só colocar qualquer música do viciante Spacegazer, nome sugestivo e já indica ao que veio, viagem com wall of sound, psicodelismo e muitas guitarras.

Paris esta queimando definitivamente, Vincent Vaillant tem parte de culpa nisso, simplesmente o TBTCI aguarda ansiosamente o album cheio, e você deveria também, mas tudo bem, se ainda não se curvou perante o Spacegazer, escute Gone e leia quem é Vincent Vaillant e o já grandioso Spacegazer.

***** Interview with Spacegazer *****

Q. When did Spacegazer starts, tell us about the history...
Spacegazer is a project I wanted to do since a lot of time. I was wasting my time in ridiculous rock bands and really wanted to enter in a more personal thing and genre. The problem is that I'm really shy and spent to much time smoking and drinking haha. (I still do of course!) I had to move my ass and do something. So I made a little studio in the corner of my girlfriends apartment and started recording some ideas!

Q: Who are your influences?
I'm really into psychedelic and shoegaze music. Also, slowcore and drone. I can say that my principal influences are The Velvet Underground, The Warlocks, BJM, and Spacemen 3 for the classics. Others are True Widow, Joy division, Wooden Shjips/Moon Duo for the heavy and deep sounds. Spectrum and La Monte Young for the drone. So much band are influences for me man... I can spend days talking music!

Q. Made a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Really hard question... Depends on my everyday feelings. I can try to make a list (no order):
- Brian Jonestown Massacre "Give It Back"
- Spacemen 3 "Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To"
- My Bloody Valentine "Loveless"
- Dead Rabbits "I Love You" EP
- Pink Floyd "Live At Pompei"
- The Velvet Underground and Nico
I know there are 6 albums but I can't remove one!

Q. How do you fell playing alive?
Playing live would be great for Spacegazer. But I just started recording stuff by myself and I don't have any members, except my best friend but he just started learning bass haha! I really want to play live in the style of the KVB you know? I like the Spacemen 3 thing "minimum is maximum". I like difficulty, playing guitar with keyboard drones and drum machines in the same time... fighting for the music!

Q. How do you describe Spacegazer sounds?
Spacegazer sound is heavy and slow. Trippy and deep. It's music to get high. There is something beautiful in noise. I have acouphens since I'm a child so I learned to live and appreciate the noise. Looks like a shoegaze definition isn't it?
I want to put my feelings in music and be disconnected from other bands to make something new, not revisited... Music is life.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
For recording my songs, I use an external sound card for the vocals, guitars and bass and a midi keyboard/MPC for the drums and keys. All of this with Ableton Live. I have a shit load of pedals and guitars too... But as I said, I'm on my own for everything in the process of making music and I don't have much money. But fuck money... I also work as a part time video editor so I make all the videos too. Here's a picture i took some weeks ago to give you an idea of my conditions of work! Cheap and messy!

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
There's a new era in underground music. The good music have a new future. I really enjoy The Blue Angel Lounge, Tales Of Murder And Dust, Dead Rabbits, The Laurels, Dead Skeletons, The Soft Moon, The Oscillation, Ringo Deathstarr etc... and also The Black Market Karma with my long time friend Louisa. So much bands man...

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
I want to make a special cover for The Blog That Celebrates Itself. Something original, like The Horrors did with a shitty Beyonce song, but something more constructive of course. I'm hesitating... I was thinking about "Janitor Of Lunacy" by Nico or turning "The Blame" by Gonjasufi into a deep psych song. I don't know yet! You'll have the surprise!

Q: What´s the plans for future....
Playing gigs would be great. I also want to make an EP and share it to the world... Other tunes are coming and I want to focus more on my recordings and take the time work them more. I'm never satisfied in what I do, i'm a perfectionist but I'm always pressed to share my work...

Q: Any parting words?
I want more people to know my music. It's complicated to find people who likes underground music... even in Paris man! I make music for people, not for money. Everybody is free to download my songs for free or to make a donation, but the best is to share and like my facebook page or send me messages because it gives me courage to keep on making music by knowing that some people likes my band! I love everybody. Take care of you. Thanks to The Blog That Celebrates Itself for talking about me, you guys are awesome. I can't even realize you interviewed me! LOVE.
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Thanks Vincent

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spacegazer/341127475999527?fref=ts
http://spacegazer.bandcamp.com/track/the-pain-you-did-to-me-part-i

Wrote for Luck with The Phoenix Experiment - An Interview

Psicodelia alucinogena e altamente dancante, isso te lembra algo!?!?!Ah sim, o segundo verão do amor, ou Madchester para os chegados, pegue o 808 State e o Happy Mondays e cruze-os, provavelmente um dos rebentos seria o The Phoenix Experiment, música pra caras como meu camarada Fabio Bridges, e para o TBTCI é claro.

Fica evidente a modernidade no som do Phoenix Experiment, mas o apelo retrô é descaradamente sedutor.

O novo Ep Black Knight Satellite é um convite a pista e a uma noite sem fim, e os caras deixaram gratuito pra facilitar a sua viagem,  e o TBTCI dá mais uma mãozinha e mostra qual é a do Phoenix Movement.

Altamente recomendado.

***** Interview with The Phoenix Experiment *****

Q. When did The Phoenix Experiment start, tell us about the history...
The Phoenix Experiment evolved from our previous band ‘the 66’, in 2011. We quickly released a track called ‘Cut you Down’ via a now defunct label. It did very well and introduced a lot of people to us.
Following the demise of the label, we dismantled the band down to me (Mike) and Craig and became a studio project.

We spent a year or so working on ideas, honing our vision. We’ve now evolved into a full-band again, recruiting our former band-mate Paul Glover on guitar and keys, and Gaz Bennett on drums and percussion.
It’s the best band any of us have ever been involved with, and we’ve been involved in some great things. I wouldn’t even class us as aband; it’s something else, something more to us. We’re a ‘Phoenix Rising from the Ashes’, the ashes of many things.

Q: Who are your influences?
Personally; the light, the dark, life, death, leaving this reality behind, and the good people I surround myself with.

Q. Made a list of 5 albums of all time…
Damn, it always changes, but some albums are always going to feature.
At the moment I’d say:
The Doors – The Doors,
Death in Vegas –Trans-Love-Energies,
Ian Brown – Solarized,
Led Zep 3, and...
Pink Floyd – Dark side of the Moon

Q. How do you fell playing alive?
WE FEEL ALIVE!

Live is where we are naturally at. Between us we’ve done thousands and thousands of gigs, I think this comes across in the live performances as we can pretty much improvise with complete freedom and
take our set in whatever direction we’re feeling at that particular moment.

You’ll never hear the same show twice at a Phoenix Experiment Gig. It’s an adventure for us and an adventure for the audience, a joint creation between both of us.

Q. How do you describe Phoenix Experiment sounds?
I’ve heard all sorts; Industrial Pink Floyd, The Verve, Prog Rock without the pretentiousness. There is a definite sound... initially crafted by myself and Craig. The addition of the full-band just amplified that initial vibe massively and added a whole lot more, than we could ever do alone, into the mix. To us, the sound is the 4 of us in a room and what we collectively create.

We prefer to assimilate various sounds, ideas into our collective. Personally, I use colours and pictures to build an overall vision how a song will sound and make people feel. That’s the important thing.

We’re pretty much the Borg of the Psychedelic World, but with emotions!

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the new ep?
I wrote the initial Living like Dogs on Holiday in 2011, also the same holiday I formed the idea of The Phoenix Experiment. I was sat next to the pool with an Apple Mac, that’s where it came about. Sounds
dark for a holiday creation doesn’t it? Dark shit happens. Chaos was written by all of us in rehearsal and is often a set-opener. I knew I wanted to call the EP Black Knight Satellite, so I then sat down and wrote the title track afterwards. I often work in a non-linear or reverse fashion. Times irrelevant, it all comes together at some point!

The tracks were recorded in various studio set-ups over the past 7months and moulded together by myself using a hammer, some glue and a sonic screwdriver.

The vision was the story of humanity and technology and a tipping point. I used these themes to try and create the image of a clash between the two while producing it. You’ll often hear the electronic elements of the track try to overwhelm the natural, which was part of my thinking – that’s what is happening.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
I’m very slow when it comes to new bands, or new anything really. Off the top of my head, bands I would recommend checking out are: Dead Skeletons (most psych music from Iceland). A great band from Scotland
called ‘Helicon’, and a track called Grim Reaper Blues by a band called Entrance. I live in a very secluded small world, but I love the music they spin on DEADTV.

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
Probably something by DJ Shadow or Robert Johnson! Maybe a mash-up.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
We’re in a great position now where we’re self-sufficient. We can write; record and release material all by ourselves. The studio is currently undergoing a major upgrade so that will only improve our releases and make us more efficient.

We do it for the love of doing it; someone else would also have to have that love if they wanted to get nvolved.

What we would like to do is to get our music out to as many people as possible, be it via releases or gigs. Fame or egotistical reasons do not interest us. Our message is strong, and musically, we have something different to offer the psychedelic community. Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to create music full-time? We’ll dowhat we can to make that come true, with minimal selling of the soul to achieve it.

Q: Any parting words?
Grab our EP for free or donate at http://thephoenixexperiment.bandcamp.com spread the good word. Most
of all – have faith in the realness of The Phoenix Experiment and Love One Another. We’ll need it.
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Thanks Mike

https://www.facebook.com/TPEONLINE?fref=ts
http://thephoenixexperiment.bandcamp.com/album/black-knight-satellite-ep-2

Nine While Nine with Sleepmask - An Interview

Em tempos de DªRK and CºLD Sounds of TBTCI nada melhor do que falarmos sobre uma das mais bacanas bandas da nova geracão da darkwave, o Sleepmask.

No currículo os caras já tocaram com Chameleons, David J. Veil Veil Vanish e por ai vai, alguns eps, e sempre, sempre mesclando sentimentos shoegazers com doses pesadas de Sisters of Mercy e a darkwave em geral, sim, porque o Sleepmask foge por completo do esteriótipo gotico. Aqui parece que Dkr. Avalanche resolveu dar as caras novamente e Ming guitarrista, vocalista e mentor do Sleepmask nos transporta diretamente para 1984/85 e em tons cinzas, negros e um branco vazio do tamanho do universo, faz da linda e dolorosa música do Sleepmask um convite a auto analise.

Cuidado com seu estado de espírito ao ouvir a música do Sleepmask, pois os efeitos são proporcionais ao que você esta sentindo.

Em estúdio, gravando e mixando Into a Radiant Abyss o album que vira ao mundo brevemente, Ming caminha conforme seus dogmas levando a música do Sleepmask a maiores e mais visiveis esferas, aqui o TBTCI presta reverência a ele.

***** Interview with Sleepmask *****

When did Sleepmask starts, tell us about the history...
mv: i began writing many of the songs that were to become the first sleepmask songs back in 2005, while i was playing guitars in one of the many bands i've been in over the years, faculty x. faculty x was and is a band with a great aggressive and edgy deathrock sound, and as much as i enjoy playing with aggression, alot of the sounds i hear in my head are more aetherial and melodic. so, sleepmask was born from my need to manifest the more beautiful and delicate sounds i wanted to convey.

I moved to nyc in 2007 for a year and when i moved back to l.a. in 2008 i immediately assembled a group of musician friends and began teaching them the material i'd written from 2005 to 2008.

I've had multiple different lineups over the years and have played alot of great shows, headlining most of them in clubs here in los angeles, and opening for some amazing groups like the chameleons, brmc, and david j of bauhaus/love and rockets fame.

I've put out 3 ep's on itunes to date and i'm currently mixing my first full length lp to be released sometime in the next few months, hopefully in tandem with a film coming out soon that i scored with my partner, producer nick launay (p.i.l., nick cave and the bad seeds, the yeah yeah yeahs et al.)

Q: Who are your influences?
mv: i really love and am inspired by my favorite influential guitarists, kevin shields of my bloody valentine, daniel ash of bauhaus, robin guthrie of the cocteau twins.. i love the sisters of mercy and siouxsie and the banshees, slowdive, and any number of 80's deathrock, gothic, shoegaze and post-punk groups beyond number..

I'm also heavily influenced by literature, sci fi and fantasy writers like frank herbert, tolkien, philip dick, william gibson, philosophers like marcuse, derridas, nietszche, poets like rimbaud, blake, baudelaire, keats..
and film, german expressionists, kubrick, ridley scott, and my favorite giallo film makers dario argento and mario bava..

Q. Made a list of 5 albuns of all time…
mv: oh, tough one. hmm.. in no particular order, the Sisters of Mercy: first last and always, my bloody valentine: isn't anything, bauhaus: mask, chris and cosey: techno primitiv, the cocteau twins: garlands... but really this is an impossible task, there are thousands upon thousands of records i needed to absorb to grow.. i really find myself happier reading than listening to music these days..

Q. How do you fell playing alive?
mv: there's really no feeling to replace playing live in front of an audience. the studio is the most rewarding experience, your work is preserved for eternity and can be shared by millions once committed to tape.. however, that interaction with fellow musicians and a crowd, is an orgy of sex and sound that can be so euphoric..

Q. How do you describe Sleepmask sounds?
mv: my friend guitarist andru aesthetik said it best i think, that "Sleepmask is a distinctive blend of jagged post-punk, ethereal textures and romantic sensibilities that represents an escape into the exotic realm of the senses." i couldn't have explained it any better... thanks andru!

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
mv: i hear melodies in my head all the time.. once the muse starts to whisper, i'll sit down at my protools rig at home and start with a tempo, get a good sounding drum loop going.. i always lay down the bass line first, i play all the instruments myself on nearly all the recordings released to date.. i'll play the bass line, then continue with guitars, in layers, with whatever textures i feel apply.. then i'll ad synths and go back to adding drum and percussive accents. once the music is finished, only then do i begin hearing vocal melodies and working on the lyrics. singing is the last element.

Then it's on to the mixing process, i usually take my home sessions and bring them to more advanced studios for mixing through expensive outboard gear.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
mv: i'm sorry to say i really am out of the loop, i am pretty unaware of what's happening outside my own internal world. i am certain there are alot of fantastic contemporary peers making beautiful music, but i find i'm better off listening to the music i hear floating in space, those are the songs i reel in and record, they become sleepmask songs.

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
mv: truth be told, i'm really against the concept of the cover song. most likely they are perfect as they are, and it's criminal to re-record them, unless the artist has a completely interesting and unique departure from the original. that said though, i have covered a few in my time, but more because i wanted to feel the feelings that the artist felt when they wrote the song, to relate to those emotions, for personal reasons, over thinking i have a version that's better than the original. i've covered the sister's of mercy, 'nine while nine', love and rockets, 'no big deal', which i did for a compilation record that ended up not being on that release, and, most meaningful for me, roy orbison's 'only the lonely', which i gave a decidedly shoegaze feel.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
mv: i'm currently on hiatus from live performance, i'm playing with my one of my other bands faculty x for the time being, but i'm currently mixing my first full length sleepmask LP, to be entitled "Into a Radiant Abyss.' it will have 10 to 15 new songs. i hope to release it in tandem with a film i recently scored with producer nick launay, it will be called PLUSH, directed by catherine hardwicke (13, twilight, lords of doggtown, red riding hood.) and starring emily browning and xavier samuel.

I know i'll assemble a new lineup for sleepmask later this year and hope to perform in nyc and select cities in europe, i'm much better received outside of los angeles it seems. i'd love to play in brazil and so many other countries, but europe seems to make the best sense for now, until i can get financial backing to support widespread travel.

Q: Any parting words?
mv: i'm just supremely grateful that this music has reached any kind of audience at all, it seems a miracle to me, as it's been strictly diy the whole way and has spread word of mouth over the years. the internet is such a marvelous thing, without it no one could ever have discovered my little universe of sound. thank you so very much for taking the time to listen, to care.
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Thanks so much Ming.

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_5136163
https://www.facebook.com/sleepmask

Young Team with Sounds of Sputnik - An Interview

Roma Kalitkin é o homem-banda por trás do Sound of Sputnik, meio 1/3 de post rock, 1/3 de dreampop, 1/3 de shoegazer e 1/3 de Cocteau Twins.

Em colaboracão com o duo Ummagma, em breve saira a ep de estréia do projeto, que no minimo desperta interesse enorme no shoegazers e dreampoppers de plantão nos quatro cantos do mundo.

Outro ponto altamente interessante é a presenca do SoS no projeto Foud for Danny, sim o amigo que se foi Danny Lackey.

A música do SoS é altamente sonhadora, muitas vezes lembrando o grande Rumskib porém instrumental.

O TBTCI recomenda e apresenta Roma em entrevista, que certamente você só vai ver por aqui.

***** Interview with Sounds of Sputnik *****

Q. When did Sounds of Sputnik start, tell us about the history...
 

First off, my name is Roma Kalitkin. I began SOS in 2010 at a time when I refused to take part in several other musical projects I used to be involved in, such as Berlin-Bombay, Pustosh, etc. I was getting really tired of the endless chain of rehearsals, not to mention the amount of precious time I felt like I was losing by being involved in those projects. At some point I realized that the music I was most interested in making was actually something that I would likely only be able to do by myself, and preferably in the comfort of my own home instead of collectively in some rehearsal space. I had 25 years of experience performing in various bands, which meant that I didn’t have to invite other musicians to perform this or that part, including for drums, in order to realize my vision. I abandoned the "collective intelligence" that comes with being in a group, and finally felt like I had complete creative freedom, of course, within the scope of what is a post-rock or shoegaze culture.


Q: Who are your influences?

I was really influenced by Joy Division, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, The Wedding Present and The Smiths, among others. These groups formed an entire generation of musicians and gave birth to the indie scene, so I'm grateful to them for all they have done. But unfortunately, this kind of music has never gotten anywhere in Russia, while probably made it twice as attractive for me personally.

Q. Make a list of your favorite 5 albums of all time…

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Sonic Youth - Goo
The Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Mogwai - Rock Action.

Q. What feeling do you get when playing alive? How does that compare to working in the studio?
Of course working in the studio is not as bright and emotional experience as being on stage, but I find this is the best way for me to achieve genuine depth and insight in terms of the music I’m creating. It used to be that the recording of an album entailed some kind of advertising for concert, but now it seems to me that things are in the process of changing 180 degrees. For a long time already, we have been sitting and staring at our computer screens, just watching whatever we feel like, and it’s also the case that the sound experienced at concerts leaves much to be desired. Now people are able to get an endorphin rush in a variety of other ways. Having said that, of course I’d still be among the first in line to buy MBV tickets should they ever decide to come play in Moscow.

Q. How do you describe Sounds of Sputnik’s music?

I think it’s difficult for any band to objectively assess its own music, but everyone I’ve come into contact with to date tell me that I am definitely on the right track. Moreover, the collaborative work we’ve been doing with Ummagma has given me a strong dose of healthy optimism with respect to our music, not to mention hope that we will be making a real musical breakthrough this part of the solar system. I know you know all about Ummagma because they’ve been mentioned in this blog before and because they are collaborating with your artist Robsongs – well they began in Moscow and I knew them when they got together. I was writing music with Shauna, the singer, even before she met Alexx and I can tell you that the stuff we were writing back then had a totally different sound than now. They were both kind of shocked upon hearing what I’d produced after a gap of about 6 years of no contact with one another. Then all of a sudden I learned about their new music and they learned about mine. Shauna seems to think that my music has echoes of the past, similar to bands that you have heard before (like Mogwai, Sputniks Down or Airiel), and even stronger echoes of the future. I also agree with that assessment. I hope that answers your question.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording your debut album?
I won’t go into detail about the process entailed in writing this debut album – that would really take a lot of time and there’s a lot of technical stuff there that wouldn’t interest most readers. What I can say is that it has been a labor of love and that we’ve made significant headway even terms of what we’re doing.

There’s also something else that’s really worth mentioning here and that is the main underpinning for this process – we have been able to throw around tracks via the Internet, passing them back and forth and developing them further. More and more, musicians from various parts of the world are becoming united (at least the opportunity to do so is there), and the brilliance in this is that the potential results are often something that is unexpected and they can even be astonishing. That is what we are aiming for and, by the sounds of what we’ve put together so far, that is what we will deliver.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?

These days, I am very happy to listen to Airiel, Astrobrite, Echo Lake, Lovesliescrushing, Highspire, Jesu, Air Formation, Hammock, Magnetic Mornings, Fleeting Joys, and many other groups that are sent to me by such avid shoegaze audiophiles like Vladimir (Vova) Karpov. He’s in the band Aerofall, which I also highly recommend to anybody who hasn’t heard their music. I also obviously recommend Ummagma or I wouldn’t have pursued any joint work with them.

Q: Which bands’ music would you love to make a cover version of?

I think I’d have to say I’d love to do a cover version of a Jesus And Mary Chain song. That would be completely interesting because of their incredible energy and their seemingly simplistic performance. I would love to record a song of their as a tribute to them.

Q: What are your plans for the future....
The main thing for now in gearing up for our joint release with Ummagma – it will be Sounds of Sputnik’s debut album – and we are aiming for early summer for that release. Although I previously composed and played on one track with them earlier (“Live and Let Die”), this will also be our debut release as a joint project. In terms of what the future bears, I can honestly say that I’m in no rush to get there – one day at a time. What I can say is that, once this album is released, it will likely feel like I am starting from scratch once again. Quite recently, I often dream up a very beautiful melody during my sleep, which I sometimes manage to record early in the morning before it fades away, so I’m hoping that all of these will also soon end up being useful for me.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yeah, I want to thank your blog for supporting such musical projects like this one. The way you write about the bands you cover is akin to us playing our instruments. And thanks to your readers – hopefully they’ll also have a listen (to the music).
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Thanks

www.facebook.com/soundsofsputnik
www.soundcloud.com/soundsofsputnik

For the Fund for Danny Lackey:
http://fundfordannylackey.bandcamp.com/track/shades-of-the-cosmos-2
http://fundfordannylackey.bandcamp.com/track/visualization

Pink Noise Test with Crystal Shipsss - An Interview

Uma conjuncão em Alemana e Dinarmarca e eis que a chama noise brotou novamente, Crystal Shipsss é o nome um esporro pop com um wall of sound absurdo que me remeteu diretamente a Scott Cortez e seu Astrobrite, aquele noisy pop encharcado de wall of sound, é isso, a formula magica da musica do Crystal Shipss pega essa vertente, claro que modernamente, um Q de garage rock lofi tipo Guided by Voices ou Pavement vem na receita também.

Os caras vem com um cassete limitado a 100 cópias e preparam seu segundo album, pois é, tem estrada, não é de hoje que Jacob Faurholt esta na estrada, e para o deleite do TBTCI o contato foi feito e a ausência do Crystal Shipsss nas páginas do TBTCI não mais existe, porque se liga na entrevista.

E bom noisypopcolouredwallofsound pra você.

***** Interview with Crystal Shipsss *****

Q. When did Crystal Shipsss start, tell us about the history?
When I first moved to Berlin back in 2010 I read Patti Smith’s novel “Just Kids”. It was very inspiring, and in it she referred to a song by The Doors called “Crystal Ship”. So that was were I got the project name, not knowing that it was a Doors reference (not that it matters!), and that was when CS started. At first the idea was to write, record, and mix one song at a time, and then put it online immediately. I also had this “rule” that I would only sing with a high voice, very different from my “normal” voice, which is kind of deep. After a while doing this I decided to make an album. I therefore went back and remixed the songs already online, and recorded some more, which ended up being CS’ debut album “Yay”.

Q: Who are your influences?
I listen to a lot of music, and I am always looking for new and (new) old bands to listen to. The music I listen to inspires me, so my influences change along the way. But bands like Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Galaxie 500, Guided By Voices, No Age, and Nadja have all been influences making CS’s debut album and the new EP.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time.
Smashing Pumpkins – “Siamese Dream”
Dinosaur Jr. – “You’re Living All Over Me”
The God Machine – “Scenes From A Second Storey”
Guided By Voices – “Alien Lanes”
Sparklehorse – “Vivadixiesubmarineplot”

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Right now I feel great playing live, as I am very happy with the band I have. We are a three piece, we have a great chemistry, and our shows are loud and noisy. So it’s a lot of fun.

Q. How do you describe Crystal Shipsss’ sound?
Live as in the previous question. The recordings have been described as psych – pop, melodic, noisy lo–fi with references to the 90’es. All that is true I guess.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the new EP?
I recorded a couple of songs with a friend back in 2009, which I ended up not using at the time. Later in 2011 I was in Reykjavik, Iceland, and I started remixing the recordings, and thought the result was pretty cool. So I decided to record some more songs, and make an EP out of it. Normally when I write songs, I write for a specific album project. The songs on the EP though, are a collection of songs that I for some reason, did not use on any albums. Not to be considered as b-sides though.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
Youth Lagoon, DIIV, Campfires, Man Meets Bear, Amen Dunes, TEEN

Q: Which bands would you love to cover?
Maybe Sparklehorse, Mark Linkous’ music is very special to me.

Q: What are the plans for the future?
Music wise it is to release the new EP on May 6 (May 7 in the US). Then I have the next Crystal Shipsss full-length album coming out in September. Hopefully I will also get to play some more shows with the band.

Q: Any parting words?
I would like to mention that the new EP is coming out on a limited cassette (100 copies) via Mouca (Europe) and Three Ring Records (US). Other than that I would just like to thank you for the interview!
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https://www.facebook.com/crystalshipsss
http://crystalshipsss.bandcamp.com/

The Devil May Care with The Durty Wurks - An Interview

E lá vamos nós para mais um capítulo da nossa viagem psicodélica ao redor do mundo, dessa vez, apresentados ao TBTCI pelo amigo Col Mcgregor do grande e predileto FRANTIC CHANT, chegou a vez dos também escoceses de Edinburgh, o The Durty Wurks é foi paixão a primeira audicão, quando Col me mostrou a compilacão de sua gravadora a Dogs Got a Bone, o baque foi na hora, também pudera, o Durty Wurks pega a fase Stones do BJM e vai mais fundo ainda, aí meu caro é covardia.

Não teve outra, contato automático com os caras e é claro, entrevista pra gritar ao mundo o quanto o Durty Wurks é foda.

Quem venha o album urgentemente!!!

***** Interview with The Durty Wurks *****

Q. When did Durty Wurks start, tell us about the history...
We originated as 5 mates throwing a band together just for the fun of it really. None of us really played much apart from the drummer and our lead guitarist at the time, Gav and I knew next to nothing of music and production. We knew a lot of people who were in bands around Edinburgh, so getting a gig was quite easy and we just jumped in at the deep end I guess. To this day have probably had more gigs than practices.

Q: Who are your influences?
The Rolling Stones are a big influence on the band, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Velvet Underground also, especially on myself. I would have to say Neil Young as well, as me and Gav hit “Neil Young – Rust Never Sleeps” hard whilst we were recording the album and our bass player Euan would kill me if I didn’t mention Fleetwood Mac.

Q. Made a list of 5 albums of all time…
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – B.R.M.C,
Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street,
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Bravery, Repetition and Noise,
Neil Young – Rust Never Sleeps,
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I love it, there is no better feeling in the world than taking the sound you made during the recording process and replicating it live. We always try to make our gigs, at the very least eventful. I suppose that’s what makes a good band and that’s what you hope for when playing live.

Q. How do you describe Durty Wurks sound?
Looking as an insider and reflecting on our influences, I realise that we are just one big concoction of all the above-mentioned bands. I don’t think we sound like a particular one of the said bands but if you were able to mash them all up together, I reckon you would get very close to our sound. Its just good old fashioned rock and roll with a modern twist, whether it’s a ballad a lullaby it will kick you in the face and leave you with a recognisable sound.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
I tend to sit and play my guitar, usually acoustic. I stick to about 2 chords and hum out a melody. If needed I’ll think of a change or a chorus then add that in. Once I have the tune and the vocal melody in my head, I’ll get down to writing words on a subject personal to me at the time. Once that’s done I’ll hook up the laptop and start to record the guitar and vocals immediately to try and keep in the mind-frame of the song and hopefully capture the mood that made me write it. Then it’s just a case of getting the lads over to figure their parts out. Some songs come quicker than others and some are easier to record but recording this way has had a detrimental affect on the sound of the songs.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
I would have to recommend a band I believe you know well already, The Valkarys. The Valkarys gave me my first shot at playing in a band a good few years ago now and if it wasn’t for them I probably wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now. Also The Jackals, another Edinburgh band we have had the pleasure of playing with; these guys along with Frantic Chant probably sparked my interest in the local music scene we are just merely trying to keep it going.

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
We love to do our cover of Hey Hey, My My, the Neil Young classic and we’ve been known to murder a few Verve songs.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
We really just want to develop our following a bit further, We have the tunes down and free to download and were currently making a few more recruitments to obtain the optimum live sound, so I guess the next step is to take it on the road and hope for the best!

Q: Any parting words?
Support independent music!
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Thanks Ian

http://thedurtywurks.bandcamp.com/track/dream
https://www.facebook.com/TheDurtyWurks

Thanks God For Mental Illness with This Other Kingdom - An Interview

Diretamente de Dublin, Irlanda, o ensurdecedor This Other Kingdom vem fazer parte do exército que vem se formando e tornando-se maior e mais poderoso ao redor do mundo, a cena Psych moderna vem rapidamente tornando-se extremamente poderosa, e recheando o cardápio mundial dos Festivais, Japão Psych Festival, Glasgow Psych, Liverpool Psych e por ai vai, todos vem se juntamente ao maior de todos o Austin Psych Festivall, um sinal fortíssimo e que esta meio que sendo evitado pela critica especializa, mas o TBTCI avisa, já já isso vai explodir de tal forma que não mais podera ser evitado.

O This Other Kingdom jogara no mercado amanhã, 16/04 seu Ep de estréia o tortuoso e atormentado Sunlight, escute Vacate The Horror e veja o tamanho do estrago.

Lógico que o TBTCI esta acompanhando de perto, porque é somente o comeco do que o This Other Kingdom vai fazer, por essas vamos com a entrevista, mas antes, só um adendo, o que esta sendo colocado foi precipitado no minimo há uns 3 anos aqui nestas páginas.

Peace, love and pych

***** Interview with This Other Kingdom *****

Q. When did This Other Kingdom starts, tell us about the history...
A: This Other Kingdom was put together in 2011 but only lasted a few months. We then took a break away to write some new songs and create a sound that would make This Other Kingdom different from the pack. We regrouped the end of 2012 with a new line up and a hunger to push the band as far as it can go.

Q: Who are your influences?
The bands influences vary but we do all like similar bands. I'd say my influences would be John Lennon, The Doors, Joy Division, The Cure, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, The Black Angels, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Fleetwood Mac etc...

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
John Lennon - Imagine
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
The Doors - LA Woman
The Cure - Disintegration

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I love playing live. I love the buzz of playing to a crowd. It's very satisfying to release all the hard work that would have been done in the rehearsal studio, especially if you have a loving audience.

Q. How do you describe This Other Kingdom sounds?
I'd describe our sound as Fuzzy Psychedelic Rock. The walls of sound are the emotion that portray the lyrics.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the Sunlight ep?
I had worked with the engineer before with a previous band so we decided to get him and book a studio. It was just a matter of picking four of our best songs and making an EP that we would all be happy to release, which I feel we have accomplished.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
I listen to a lot of music, all kinds too. I go through phases, like I'm sure a lot of people do. My favourite bands at the moment though would be, The Blue Angel Lounge, The Black Angels, Temples and Jagwar Ma. They all offer different sounds but all still carry a lovely psychedelic vibe.

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
Well, we have been working on doing a cover of Rodriguez - Only Good For Conversation. It has that lovely fuzzy riff in it that I think would fit in our sets and it's a fantastic song from an amazing song writer.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
We just really want to get our music out to as many people as possible. We would love to travel the world with our music and experience other countries and their love for music.

Q: Any parting words?
Thank you for showing an interest our band and helping us spread our music. We very much appreciate it.
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Other-Kingdom/123658440997718?fref=ts
http://thisotherkingdom.bandcamp.com/

(When you wake) You're Still in a Dream with Star Horse - An Interview

Shoegazer e Class of 86 em conjunto é basicamente jogo ganho certo? Lógico que sim.....

Daí fica fácil escrever sobre o Star Horse, diretamente de Stockholm o grupo já tem no currículo dois EP´s Crush do final do ano passado e Lust lancado mês passado, digamos assim, o Star Horse é o RDS da Europa, vocais menino/menina pegajosos e guitarras estridentes e sonhadoras, ah sim a formula não é nova, óbvio, escola MBV, mas é uma delicia quando a reverência é verdadeira e sem embromacões, é curto e direto, e dai o TBTCI vai e sonha em conjunto com o Star Horse.

Como de praxe, entrevista exclusiva a nós, sonhadores de plantão.

***** Interview with Star Horse *****

Q. When did Star Horse starts, tell us about the history...
Maja and Andreas met in Tokyo where they first talked about starting a band. Back in Stockholm they started playing in the beginning of 2011. We played with some friends that quit later on, but it feels like it really became a band when finally Samuel joined later that year. When Joel (who sings on Home) quit in 2012, Kristian started playing bass with us instead. Some might think that’s where the funky started.

Q: Who are your influences?
MBV, Ringo DeathStarr, Mono, VU, Pastels, Pixies, Citrus, Radiohead, Twin Peaks

Q. Made a list of 5 albums of all time…
It’s really hard to make a top five list because we have quite different tastes in music but....

Andreas Libertines - Up the Bracket
Maja Pastels/Tenniscoats - Two Sunsets
Kristian Radiohead - Hail to the thief
Samuel Bloc Party - Silent alarm
Star Horse Twin Peaks OST

Q. How do you feel playing live?
We love it. But maybe we don’t show it. We probably just look nervous or shy. Or perhaps shoegaze.

Q. How do you describe Star Horse’s sound?
Some part of the music have a shoegaze vibe and some of it represent something else. Like a mix of our influences. Like a band with multiple personality disorder.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the eps?
Last spring, we had a bunch of songs and decided to record 17 of them. We recorded the drums in a “real” studio and engineered the rest of the recording by ourselves in our rehearsal place. Almost all the guitars are recorded with both a condenser mic and one dynamic mic, where the bad placement resulted in some minor phasing problems, hehe. We didn’t have any real bass amp at the moment so we just recorded it line-in. The whole process of recording by ourselves was quite hard since no one of us has a lot of experience doing it, but it was really fun and learningful.

15 of the songs have or will be released. One song just didn’t make it because we couldn’t find a place for it on one of the EPs and the other one was badly recorded so we wanted to re-record it at some other time.

The first EP, Crush, was mixed by the band together with our friend Martin Löwdin and Lust was mixed by Tom Ekander.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
Shiny Darkly, Gum

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
Lately we’ve been toying around with “I Will Wait For You” from the musical “Les Parapluis de Cherbourg”!

Q: What´s the plans for future....
We have some gigs booked and then there’s one EP left to release from the recording session last year that hopefully will see the light of day in May! After that we hope to get back in the studio some time in the summer to start working on something new, maybe an album, maybe an EP. We would love to put something out on vinyl. We have some really nice new tunes. The sound of the new songs are more dynamic, mixing distortion with clean guitar a lot more. We maybe put in some more synthezisers as well. More dreamy.

Q: Any parting words?
Bye!
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Thanks Andreas

http://starhorse.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/starhorsemusic

Ladies and Gentleman, Let´s Floating in Space Again with KR-3 - An Interview

A melhor surpresa da semana para o TBTCI foi a introducão a psicodelia Peace, Love and Psych do KR-3, estadunidenses de West Virginia, a banda literalmente flutua em jams psicodelicas pincelando tons coloridos por todas suas músicas, um caleidoscópio multifacetado que viaja desde o flower power até o novo psych atual, mas sempre com um leveza cristalina, uma suavidade, uma candura que acalenta os males.

A música do KR-3 é feita pra males da alma. 

Muito em breve a banda nos presentara com seu novíssimo Fractures and Sparks que só pela faixa titulo é pura inspiracão seja o video aliás o soberbo video da cancão homonima. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWyXR-g_WLc

Enquanto aguardamos a obra prima, vamos adentrar ao mundo mágico e cheio de cores do KR-3.

***** Interview with KR-3 *****

Q: When did KR-3 starts, tell us about the history...
A: "KR-3 began in 2003 and was the name chosen as an ego-less way of  releasing an album cut mostly on 4 track tape. The album known as the Blue LP was inspired by psychedelic experiences and the name KR-3 was taken from the novel "Flow My Tears The Policeman Said" by the author Philip K. Dick. In 2004 the band was formed as a studio project. The musicians in the band rarely performed live over the course of 8 years but released 2 full length albums, a double album and 2 EPs."

Q: Who are your influences?
A: "Our influences come from a myriad of sources, from the sounds of free jazz albums such as Coltrane and Miles Davis, the psychedelic albums of the 1960's such as the Jefferson Airplane, the classic rock albums of the 70's such as the Rolling Stones, blues such as Buddy Guy and the bluegrass and Americana albums of Bill Monroe and the Osbourne Brothers."

Q: Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
A: "This is a very difficult question to answer.
1. The Rolling Stones - 'Exile on Main Street'
2. The Velvet Underground and Nico
3. Jefferson Airplane - 'Surrealistic Pillow'
4. Spiritualized - 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'
5. Pink Floyd - 'Animals'"

Q: How do you feel playing live?
A: "The live experience for us is much different than either the studio experience or rehearsals as we are an improvisational band. This means we take big risks and use the live show as an experiment. It can be both
very rewarding and somewhat scary. Playing live is like a musical conversation between the members of the band and the audience and every show is completely different."

Q: How do you describe KR-3 sounds?
A: "We're sort of like the sound of ocean waves lapping a coastline, cyclic yet not repetitive. Our live shows are punctuated by cacophonous buildups using tension and release or tonal convergences of sound. We
have a somewhat classic sound in that we use vintage equipment but we have abandoned the classic approach to songwriting and opted for a more psychedelic or esoteric type of experiment."

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the album?
A: "We could probably write a 500 page book on this topic so it's challenging to keep it short. Songs are written, presented to the band and then they undergo a series of revisions both in the rehearsal space
and on the stage. Once they are refined to the point where we can all agree that should be recorded we collect them, book time in a recording studio (usually 3 weeks to a month) and spend 12 hours a day recording the songs live then sitting down and discussing how best to embellish the live sounds with subtle overdubs."

Q: Which new bands do you recommended?
A: "We have Tame Impala's new album on repeat in our tour van."

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
A: "We don't often cover other bands, but we'd love to work up "Peace Frog" by the Doors."

Q: What´s the plans for future....
A: "Our plans are usually based on what we can immediately accomplish using the tools that are in our possession. We try not to look too far into the future as that tends to complicate the 'now' but we are looking
forward to continuing to tour in support of our new album Fractures and Sparks as well as heading back into the studio sometime in the very near future to record some new material."

Q: Any parting words?
A. "We thank you for taking the time to interview the band and to the readers, be good to one another. Love, KR-3."

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Thanks Shane

http://www.kr-3.net/
https://www.facebook.com/KR3Band

In The Flat Field with Jane Woodman - An Interview

Dark girl por excelência, Jane Woodman, sua música esta envolta a tons cinzentos como deve ser, apocalíptica, densa, claustrofóbica e doentia, Miss Woodman prepara seu album Teenage Red que tende a ser um daqueles sopros de criatividade dentre da normalidade dos ditos goticos de hoje em dia, que na verdade não passam de pastiche, porque a grande e dolorosa verdade é que não se fazem mais Ian Curtis´ , Peter Murphy´s ou Robert Smith´s como antigamente, mas o frescor frio de Jane Woodman com dolorosas músicas como Crashing, Vapour e Poéme Èlectronique demonstram que temos uma nova musa.

O TBTCI obviamente aproveita o pré lancamento do album para explicitar quem é Jane Woodman, e avisa, cuidado com a garota....

***** Interview with Jane Woodman *****

Q. When did you starts to involve with music, tell us about the history...My mother taught me some piano at 5. i taught myself guitar at 8. my first band at 14. i was pretty much hooked from day one.

Q: Who are your influences?
PJ harvey, trent reznor, the soft moon, cocteau twins

Q. Made a list of 5 albuns of all time…
my bloody valentine - loveless
the cure - disintegration
deftones - white pony
kate bush - hounds of love
cocteau twins - garlands

not necessarily in that order.

Q. How do you fell playing alive?
When i'm getting ready for a show, i feel euphoric - when i'm on stage, i feel like i'm under a spell.

Q. How do you describe Jane Woodman´s sounds?
Transcendent.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
I don't really have a formula, and i don't really know where any of this comes from. i just know i have to get it out. sometimes i start with lyrics, guitar, or vocals, and the song evolves from there. there are times when i wish it were more calculated.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
I've been listening to a lot of post punk SF bands like Wax Idols, bears!bears!bears!, and i still listen to the Soft Moon and Tamaryn quite often.

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
i made a cover of the psychedelic furs' 'sister europe' with zoe keating, but i would really like to do 'in our angelhood' by the cocteau twins.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
I plan on finishing my new album 'teenage red' this week, and i'm actually about half way through the next album...i would like to tour europe this year...

Q: Any parting words?
Support your DIY artists!!

thanks! jane
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Thanking you Jane

https://www.facebook.com/janewoodmanxo
http://www.janewoodman.com/

Halleluhwah with Electric Eye - An Interview

É com imenso orgulho que o TBTCI vem à apresentar os noruegueses do Electric Eye.

Motivos não faltam, a comecar pelo ep Tangerine que recém saiu pelo Fuzz Club, que dispensa maiores comentários, segundo pela parceira entre Fuzz e TBTCI e a premiere do album Pick-up, Lift-off, Space, Time, que desde já é fortissímo candidato a um dos melhores deste grandioso 2013.

Doses altíssimas de psych rock e kraut rock, dão a tona da alucinacão da música do Electric Eye, Tangerine, Morning Light a poderosa 6a.m. são algumas das piracões desta obra.

E vamos a entrevista com Øystein Braut, para que o teor alucinógeno do Electric Eye seja melhor explicado.

***** Interview with Electric Eye *****

Q. When did Electric Eye start? Tell us about the history...

We grew up together in a small town on the west coast of Norway, called Haugesund. We've been playing togheter and making music together for a long time in Bergen, Norway. We started Electric Eye about a year ago.

Q: Who are your influences?
Really a lot of different bands and genres. Blues, Indian classical music, kraut, space etc. Pink Floyd in Pompeii, Bo Diddley, BRMC, Wooden Shjips. The list goes on forever...

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Pink Floyd - The Piper at The Gates of Dawn
Can - Tago Mago
Beatles - Revolver
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - B.R.M.C
Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Awesome! Live is where our songs get their true shape. Most of our songs were written to be played live. We always try to incorporate some improvisation in our set to keep it exciting for us too..

Q. How do you describe Electric Eye's sounds?
True Norwegian space-psych-drone-rock!

Q: Tell us about the process of recording your debut album, Pick-up, Lift-off, Space, Time.
We recorded it on our own during the summer and fall of 2012 in our rehearsal space in Bergen, Norway. Our organ-player, Anders, works in a studio, so he mixed it in a small studio called Tinnitus recordings.
Doing it by ourselves gave us time to really experiment with a lot of cool intruments and weird sounds. We're really happy with how it turned out, and can't wait to share it with the world!

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Really liked the latest UFO-Club record. Goat from Sweden are pretty awesome. You spaceheads out there should also check out some pretty cool Norwegian bands: The Low Frequency in Stereo, Serena Maneesh and The Megaphonic Thrift. Loads of great bands over here!

Q: Which bands you love to make a cover version?
Something by JJ. Cale could be cool.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
Our album is out April 5th worldwide through Klangkollektivet (Norway) / Fuzz Club Records (Worldwide). After that we're going on tour in Scandinavia and Europe the rest of 2013. Plus we're going to make another album soon..

Q: Any parting words?
Keep up the good work and keep spreading great music around the globe!
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Thanks Øystein Braut

https://www.facebook.com/electriceyeband
http://electriceye.bandcamp.com/track/tangerine

Mirror Movies with The Luck of Eden Hall - An Interview

Extremamente desconhecidos, escrevo isso de forma triste, porque o The Luck of Eden Hall deveria ser e estar entre os maiores nomes do underground, isso se o underground hoje em dia fosse como na época do Psychedelic Furs, XTC, ou seja o pos punk onde o rótulo "indie" era verdadeiro e estava ligado diretamente a gravadoras independentes e não há modismos bestas e sem conteúdo.

Com um apelo pop sensacional, uma concepcão grandiosa de criacão, tipo não a toa os caras citam XTC como influência, porque pra quem esta interado com o grande XTC sabe que os caras eram geniais, e meu amigo Gregory Curvey pega essa vertente pop psicodélica e cria suas obras, uma a uma grandiosas e eloquentes, além de um que de Roxy Music, leia-se Brian Eno fortissimo.

Glam Psych Pop?? Pode ser tudo isso e muito mais, depende do seu ponto de vista, o ponto é que o The Luck of Eden Hall vai cair nas gracas de muita gente, e eu aposto que minha amiga Roxy Perrota sera uma destas pessoas que se maravilharão com os caras.

Mais do que merecido, é só escutar a obra prima Alligators Eat Gumdrops do ano passado, simplesmente genial.

E enquanto aguardamos o novo album, vamos de entrevista.

***** Interview with The Luck of Eden Hall *****

Q. When did The Luck of Eden Hall start, tell us about the history...
A: I was asked to move to Chicago (from Kalamazoo) to play drums in my friend Doug Chamberlin’s band Scarlet Architect, which was a three piece all keyboard outfit opening for bands like Snake Finger, Lena Lovich and Human League, and at the time I was truly excited. Unfortunately the band split up upon my arrival, but I started working on songs with Doug, and formed another band playing some of those songs he and I had written together. That band included Wayne Wells, who currently fronts Static X. I left those fellows and put together a traditional three piece, plus cello, with my friend Mark Lofgren, whom I’d always wanted to work with, and The Luck of Eden Hall officially formed in 1989, releasing a full-length album on cassette called Corner Of The Sky. In 1990 we were picked up by Limited Potential records and released the single Hook, Line and Sinker (Limp007. Smashing Pumpkins first single was Limp006). We recorded and created artwork for an album to be called Victoria Moon for Limited Potential that was never released. Those studio tracks were all trashed, though some of the songs have been rerecorded. (Darling Dear made it on to Belladonna Marmalade, Silly Girl on Butterfly Revolutions Vol.2.) A video was filmed for one of the tracks, Man On The Moon, which was used in the New Line Cinema film The Day My Parents Ran Away and after that Limited Potential dropped us, so we started our own label, Walrus Records, releasing three projects (Belladonna Marmalade, Under The Sea, Sunny Girlfriend). Under The Sea made the cover of CMJ, but it was during that time our cellist ran off to play with Smashing Pumpkins and we became a three piece. In 1997 I recorded a solo project that became Par Crone, featuring my newly acquired Arp Synthesizer (circa 1972), and traveled to India. While on my travels I had an enlightening moment, which prompted me to sell a lot of my gear when I returned, and I stopped playing music for a while. It seemed to me at the time that I was swimming against the current and needed to change directions, so I focused on my painting abilities and built up Gregorian Designs, which is my business for murals, detailed stenciling and illustrations. In 2000 Mark and I started to lay down tracks again, and some of those songs (Babymoon, Device) became the foundation for Subterrene, which we released in 2006. That was the first time I had full control of production and I really learned a lot recording Subterrene. In 2008 we recorded When The Clock Starts To Wake Up We Go To Sleep and decided it was time to get the band back together and roll. That was the first album I was really proud of and it’s the one I’ve held as the standard to all of our recent works (Butterfly Revolutions Vol. 1 & 2 in 2011 and Alligators eat Gumdrops in 2012).

Q: Who are your influences?
A: Rolling Stones’ early stuff, XTC, Pink Floyd’s early stuff,Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper’s early stuff, Bowie, King Crimson’s early stuff, Love, Queen, The Electric Prunes, Roxy Music, but please keep in mind these are merely shavings off my influential block!

Q: Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
A: The White Album by the Beatles, Zen Arcade by Husker Du, Blood Sweat and Tears by Blood Sweat and Tears, The Psychedelic Furs by the Psychedelic Furs, 25 O’clock by The Dukes of Stratosphere. These are just a few that have touched my soul and I really should continue…Machine Gun Etiquette by The Damned, Foxtrot & Nursery Crime by Genesis, Quadrophenia by The Who, Roxy and Elsewhere by Frank Zappa, Super Unknown by Soundgarden….

Q. How do you feel playing alive?
A: I have grown to love playing live. Nerves used to get in the way in the early days, but now I really have a great time. The spontaneity of a live performance, especially when we play A Drop In The Ocean or She’s Using All The Colors, is always a gas. I am very fortunate to have such a fantastic band. Carlos Mendoza is one of the best drummers in town and Jim Licka keeps all of us in the proper psych mood!

Q. How do you describe The Luck of Eden Hall sounds?
A: Popped psychedelic rock & rollisms. Always based on a melody to be sure!

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
A: Rabbithole Studio is my home recording outfit. It has allowed me to hide in the basement and throw down ideas (some bad, some very, very bad, and occasionally a real shinning keeper). I also hum ideas into my cell phone. Melodies are very ethereal and just when you think you’ve got it, and couldn’t possibly ever forget it because it’s been looping in your head for an hour or so, shazaam! It’s gone. So, that is where I start. The melody. I may come up with a lyric to fit the hook at the same time, but usually write all of the lyrics after the song’s been finished. When recording demos I’ll lay down a scratch guitar track and some verbal nonsense to follow. Sometimes the verbal nonsense makes it into the final version (Listen to the background voice in She’s Using All The Colors). Many times the first guitar solo is the keeper, though sometimes I’ll learn it and double it. My production ideal is for a song to feel a little raw and not too over thought and drums must make the listener feel like beating on the table!

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
A: The Red Plastic Buddha, Sendelica, Strychnine, I Lost Control, Permanent Clear Light.

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version?
A: Fruits de Mer records have given me more opportunity than I ever dreamed to record cover songs. The Luck of Eden Hall rarely ever plays cover songs. The only one I remember is Day After Day by Badfinger, and that was years ago. I generally don’t think about covering songs, only getting songs out of my head and into the studio. So much to do…so little time…

Q: What are the plans for the future....
A: We’ve just released a video for Sassafras Overcoat, which is to be included on our next album. Mark Lofgren edits and produces all our videos and we plan on releasing a few more before the album drops. I kept all the artwork I had created for the unreleased Victoria Moon I mentioned earlier, and we’re going to use it for this Summer’s release. It’s actually inspired some new songs (Madelaine’s 2nd Voyage, Underneath Another Parasol) and being that the art was originally pre-Belladonna Marmalade (this year is the 20th anniversary) it makes this project a little time trip. An historical peek into the future. I’m really excited about the new material!

Q: Any parting words?
A: Remember to do what you love and love what you do, because there is no payoff in the end. And don’t dwell on your mistakes or the next punch may just knock you out! Cheers!
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Thanks Curvey

http://theluckofedenhall.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theluckofedenhall
http://theluckofedenhall.bandcamp.com/album/alligators-eat-gumdrops

Morningrise with Blacanova - An Interview

Iniciando o mês de abril no TBTCI, uma preciosidade diretamente de Sevilla, Espanha, o cultuadíssimo Blacanova.

Darkgazer seria o mais fácil para chegar sonoridade dos espanhóis, mas seria somente um mix entre Slowdive e The Cure? Acho pouco, pois a eloquência que o Blacanova nos traz desde o debute datado em 2007 com o ep Monja passando por diversos outros eps e singles até o último registro, no caso o segundo album "¿Como ve el mundo un caballo?", aliás um album que passou completamente despercebido da grande maioria, incluindo os iniciados, o que é uma grandiosa pena e perda, mas o TBTCI vem resgatar essa falha cometida, e mais, vem a enaltecer o que o Blacanova tem a nos ofertar, um espectro de sentimentos frenéticos e obtusos, por vezes tenros por outras frios e desoladores, depende do seu estado de espírito, assim a música do Blacanova atinge seu principal objetivo, provocar emocões.

Além do que foi colocado, sugiro a leitura atenta do que os amigos de Sevilla tem a nos dizer, Srs. fiquem com Blacanova.

***** Interview with Blacanova *****

Q. When did Blacanova starts, tell us about the history...
A: Blacanova starts as a band in 2006. The band is named after Olga Baclanova, the leading actress in Tod Browning’s cult film Freaks, though her surname has been changed slightly for phonetic reasons. Even if we started with a strong influence from classic shoegazing and Dark Wave sounds, we developed our own identity apart from clichés quite soon.

Q: Who are your influences?
A. We love a lot of bands: from Slowdive or to The Sisters of Mercy via The Cure or The Jesus and Mary Chain. So many influences to tell, we have been music listeners and buyers for many years. It’s probably a matter of an inevitable collage of influences, mixed up with our own evolution as musicians and songwriters. Each book, record, film, even every feeling ends up giving shape, in one way or another, in our music. We are 6 in the band, with different influences, but we all share a passion for noise and dark.

Q. Made a list of 5 albums of all time…
A: We have more than five, but to say some of them:
Have a nice life: “Deathconciousness”.
Flying Saucer Attack: “Further”.
The Cure: “Disintegration”.
Slowdive: “Souvlaki”
Bauhaus: "In the Flat Field”

Q. How do you feel playing alive?
A. We take everything to put in place Blacanova´s sound when we play live. We really enjoy playing loud and fluctuating between the slow and melodic and outbreaks of intensity. Dynamics is really important in our music. We love to use projections in our concerts: from Coney Island vintage photos to films by Dreyer.

Q. How do you describe Blacanova sounds?
A. We feel close to classic and new shoegaze bands, but we also have a lot of pop, rock and noise influences. Our songs have high and low moments, ambient and clean textures, narrative storytelling and noise overleaping.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the new album?
A. Someone brings a roughly drawn sketch, and the rest of the band participates giving shape to new songs. Sometimes, you never know how the final result is going to be, it’s like to work instinctively. Lyrics are different; all in the new record are written by Armando and Inés.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
A. Well, even when we can’t call it a new band, we have spent the last two weeks passionately listening to the new MBV album.

Q: Which bands you love to make a cover version?
A: The Sisters of Mercy, Twisted Sister, Klaus Nomi, Black Sabbath and Virgin Prunes.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
For now, our immediate plan is to tour, showing our new record. We have also plans of distribution in other countries, to reach more people. A video from one of the songs have just released, belonging to our latest album (“La migala”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81uZnjXO3I0) and we are going to release other ones quite soon.

We are looking forward to take a new single in the next few weeks, with a new song and remixes as B-sides. It’s in our minds to record some new songs through 2013, but we have to decide the format, maybe a new EP is coming next.

Q: Any parting words?
A: Thank you for giving us the chance to show or music to TBTCI readers! Hope you all enjoy it.
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Thanks Friends....

https://www.facebook.com/blacanova
http://blacanova.bandcamp.com/