Heaven Sent An Angel with Deep Cut - An Interview

Inicio dos 90´s e uma das bandas mais amadas da classica era do shoegazer sem duvida foi o Revolver do grande Mat Flint, Mollases, Heaven Send An Angel, Crimson, Venice são classicos, depois do fim do Revolver em 1994, Mat aventurou-se no Death in Vegas tocando baixo, e historias a parte o fato é que agora Mat voltou as origens guitarras a mão reuniu-se junto a seu irmão Simon Flint no baixo, Ian Button na bateria, Ped Bailey guitarra e Emma Bailey nos vocais e formaram o delicioso Deeo Cut, prediletissimo deste que vos escreve e inumeros outros aficcionados no noisepop shoegazer que Mat & Cia promovem. Depois do debut My Thoughts Light Fires chegou a vez do novíssimo Disorientation que chega para alçar o Deep Cut a brigar pelos melhores albuns do ano se o debut tinha Time to Kill o novo album tem Something´s Got to Give, impossível a canção não grudar em sua mente, e o TBTCI através do amigo Robin Allport do grande selo Club AC30 gravadora do Deep Cut, descolou uma daquelas que tornam-se desde já clássicas entrevistas aqui no TBTCI, afinal não é todo dia que Mat Flint da as caras por terras brasilis, então chega né, vamos lá, Mr. Mat Flint e seu delicioso Deep Cut:

***** Interview with Mat Flint - Deep Cut/Revolver/Death in Vegas *****

Q. When did Deep Cut starts, tell us about the history...
A. I was playing bass for Death In Vegas, and when they stopped touring in 2005 I really fancied having a go at doing some of my own songs again, although I didn't want to be the singer. I had been the singer/songwriter in Revolver before DIV, but now I just wanted to play guitar and write songs. So I started doing some demos at home with my brother, and when we'd got some tracks nearly finished, we started looking for a singer. We couldn't find anyone that worked, and one day Emma - my girlfriend - said that she wanted to have a go. It worked out really well, and we made 3 demos which we put up on Myspace. Robin from AC30 heard the tracks and said that we should come down and play at one of his club nights - so we had to get a band together, which we did. Ian, who was also in the Death in Vegas live band on guitar, joined us on drums, and Emma's brother Pad came in on guitar. We played some gigs, then recorded a single that Tim Holmes from DIV engineered, which AC30 put out, and it went on from there really - although we completely engineer and produce ourselves now.

Q: Who are your influences?
A. Suicide, Neu, Harmonia, Beatles, Velvets, 90s hip hop, MBV, Sonic Youth, Marychain, Primal Scream, Smiths, Stooges, MC5, Syd Barrett, Pistols, PIL, acid house and techno, dub reggae, the Byrds , Big Star, Flying Burrito Brothers. I could go on forever!

Q. Made a list of 5 albuns of all time…

"Illmatic"- Nas
"The Notorious Byrd Brothers" - The Byrds
"Forever Changes" - Love
"Pet Sounds" - The Beach Boys
"Psychocandy" - the Jesus and Mary Chain

Q. How do you feel playing live?
A. We love it, although we don't get to do as many gigs as we would like to. Some of us have children, we all have full-time jobs, we don't all live near each other. So it's difficult to do long tours or anything like that. But we try to play as often as we can, and we get a really good buzz from it. We were rehearsing last night, actually, for our next gig on Wednesday. It's our album launch party.

Q. How do you describe Deep Cut´s sounds?
A. 21st century psychedelic pop music; alternative guitar music with a twist.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the new album?
A. Me and Si (my brother) did the demos for it at my house, with Emma adding vocals whenever each track was finished. Then, when we had enough tracks for the album, we went into our rehearsal studio and recording the backing tracks - drums, bass and guide guitars, over 3 separate sessions. We then did all the overdubs either in our rehearsal studio, or in my living room, over a few months. We are lucky that our drummer, Ian, is a recording wizard - he's a genius engineer who knows Logic inside out, and knows how to mike things up properly to get the best sounds, and so on. So we did most of the overdubs and the mixing in my living room, we didn't need to go into the studio.

Q. What´s represents the shoegazer classic era to the band?
A. It depends how you're defining "shoegazer" - and it's not a term I use myself. But if I go with what I think you mean, it would be the period in late 1988-early 1989 when My Bloody Valentine went from being a really good indie band, to an absolutely fucking phenomenal group, the best band on the planet. The "You Made Me Realise" and "Feed Me With Your Kiss" EPs, and then the "Isn't Anything" album. I was lucky enough to see them loads of times through this period, it was extraordinary - and had a massive influence on everything I did afterwards.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
A. Our best friends are in a band called the Real Sound, they will blow you away, if they ever get round to releasing anything! they've got songs that will blow your mind.

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?

Bands covering us? I only think you should cover something if you think can do a radicallly different interpretation of it. I can't see the point A. of doing a similar version, which will never be as good. So I don't know, really. I always wanted to hear some cheesy pop singer to cover "Heaven Sent An Angel" by Revolver, and make me loads of money by having a massive hit!

Q: What´s the plans for future....
A. Well, our new album "Disorientation" is out next week. More gigs, then me and Si are doing some remixes, maybe some producing/mixing, then might do another single - an EP or something. Then start writing the next album. I might also play on a few people's records.

Q: Any parting words?
A. Check us out if you haven't heard us. You'll like it.
*
*
*

Thanks Mat, thanks Robin!!!

http://www.clubac30.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedeepcut
http://www.facebook.com/deepcutband

Hey Alchemist / Neuralgia by One Unique Signal - Guest Nick Keech

É fato que o TBTCI é fã incondicional da desconstrução sonora movida a wall of sound em decibeis altissimos que o One Unique Signal pratica, veja algumas passagens do OUS por aqui 1, 2, 3 e a entrevista, e chegou a hora do retorno do eletrochoque dos ingleses que pegam NEU!, PIL, Loop, Telescopes e adicionam querosene em estado bruto, o novissimo single Hey Alchemist / Neuralgia é puro incêndio em altas dimensões, wall of sound a niveis que poucas vezes foi-se notado e para melhor ilustrar o single, Nick Keech do OUS faz a vez no TBTCI:

Hey Alchemist / Neuralgia

Recording process:
We worked with the same people who have recorded all but one of our releases, our friends Dan Horn and Wayne Pennell. They run a superb recording space in Isleworth, west London called the Sound Bunker. It's always our first choice of studio as we have people there who understand our sound and have been with us as our music has evolved. There is an argument for seeing what kind of record we would get by using someone else. The work we did recently at Anton's (BJM) place in Berlin and with Richard Formby on the new Telescopes material offered us an insight into the way other studios work which was really interesting. The effect it had on me was to focus less on a live sounding recording and move more into a layered studio sound. It therefore seemed to make sense to stick with the people we are comfortable with and focus on taking a more active role in producing a massive sounding recording. Whilst there is a lot to be said for capturing the band live on a recording, I'm currently more into the idea of treating it as another aspect of the band. OUS don't offer any political messages, nor do we expect to change anyone's life with our lyrics and so the way I see it there are three main areas left for us to get our vibe across: Live sound, recorded sound and our artwork. Previously we have tried to make our recordings sound similar to our live performances but it struck me as a wasted opportunity. It's a real chance to build a beast and enjoy a creative experience that isn't doable in a live setup. The two tracks on the new record, Neuralgia especially, have plenty going on in there. It's great headphone music! We have only scratched the surface and I'm really looking forward to getting better at constructing our sound in the studio.

The influence:
This record is just two songs, side A 'Alchemist' that came out of a demo written by Byron and side B 'Neuralgia' from a demo of mine. I can't speak for Byron's initial influence when writing but it's fair to say that a large part of it came out of a mutual love of minimal chord progressions and repetition. The whole band sing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to sound, and any one of us bringing a demo into the practice room can be sure that the band will evolve it in a way that compliments the initial idea. My track Neuralgia was born out of an ongoing desire to take the repetition gospel and run with it. It's pretty obvious where my influences come from and all I'm trying to do is express my interpretation of the music I love. I'm at home immersed in volume coupled with a riff that is repeatedly droning on, suspending you in it's vibration. Two minutes of the same riff is boring...Five minutes and it starts to come alive...seven minutes plus and it begins to become your world! At this point you can drop in a single note through a wah pedal and it turns the music on it's head. The simplest addition can be epic.

New album:
We actually recorded four songs when doing this single. The remaining two will be held back for possible inclusion in the new album but this is a way off at the moment. Maybe if the single does well enough we'll have a good argument to take to the label and ask for another release We have an idea (in the very early stages at the moment) to self record and release a collection of mellow stuff. Dan, Jim and Mess are especially good at this sort of stuff and have a large collection of songs already waiting in the wings. Byron and me also have a bunch of ideas and so it seems like a possibility. There is also a new Telescopes record due in the not too distant future which is Stephen Lawrie and us.
*
*
*
Thanks Nick

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/hey-alchemist!-neuralgia-single/id462795740

Victorialand with Spell 336 - An Interview

Paul Lopez e Martin Huerta são os responsáveis pela ternura magica contida sob a alcunha de Spell 336, que conta em seu currículo com o magistral debut homonimo e o ep Reverse, ambos, recheados de trejeitos shoegazer clássicos, texturas absurdamente dreampop com um apelo denso e soturno, tudo equalizado de forma atual e altamente instigante.

Convidei Paul Lopez para conceder uma entrevista ao TBTCI o que de fato acontece e ilustra bem o quão necessário se faz a qualquer amante de Cocteau Twins e shoegazer a audição para enfim tornar-se o mais novo refém desde mundo pessoal do Spell 336.

***** An Interview with Paul Lopez from Spell 336 *****

Q. When did Spell 336 starts, tell us about the history...

Spell 336 began in 1991. Myself and my band mate Martin Huerta became friends in high school right around 1984. At that time we formed our first band. Martin had just started to play the guitar and I was the drummer. I started playing the drums when I was 10. This was in 1979. When me and Martin started to play music he was not singing at the time. A couple of years later I quit the group and it was then when Martin began to sing vocals and his musicianship on the guitar started to flow. After we graduated from high school in 1986 and 1987 respectively I lost contact with Martin. He had moved to Los Angeles and I stayed in our hometown. During this period I became close friends with Martin's younger brother. This was around late 1990. Martin was coming for a family visit and came by my home and we re-established our friendship. Martin was working in Los Angeles at the old Tower Records store. During his visit he brought some promotional CD's of Lush, Cocteau Twins, Tones On Tail to give to me. We had been fans of 4ad and of the various bands on their roster for quite some time. Martin stated that he was still playing the guitar and I had just started to play the guitar as well in addition to the drums and I had began to write lyrics. I remember telling Martin that I had some lyrics in a notebook that I kept with me. Martin had some songs as well and it was then that we decided to take this seriously and do something with what we had. I have old practice cassettes of our first rehearsals and I was amazed how easy it was to play with Martin. During those rehearsals I wrote 'Silence.'

Q: Who are your influences?

That really is a tough question. I really like all forms of music. Pop, Soul, Jazz. The list goes on. Martin's influences are all over the place as well. If it is a piece of music that I like no matter what the genre is that can be an influence for me. I think my band mate shares the same thoughts. Earlier I was listening to some 10cc, The Cars, and some Astrud Gilbreto. See what I mean??

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

These choices will not be in any particular order. So here goes...

1. What's Going On-Marvin Gaye
2. Pink Moon-Nick Drake
3. #1 Record-Big Star
4. Kind Of Blue-Miles Davis
5. White Album-The Beatles
All of these albums are on my all time list. But on any given day I may change my mind. Every one of those records deals with loss,protest, isolation,etc..These are things that everyone at some time has experienced. But the main thing is the music and these recordings are pure art!


Q. How do you fell playing live?

In a live situation I always get nervous. A little stage fright but it disappears the moment that we play. Over the years I am not quite as bad as I used to be. I consider that a personal best for me. As a band we really enjoy our shows. The songs that we have recorded in the past always takes on a different feel live. We always try to duplicate the studio in a live setting. But the majority of the time we do the opposite and we have always felt that we sounded better. We have shows coming very soon and I get excited at the fact that most of our new material has not been performed before an audience. We may improvise to some extent but to finally hear those songs in a live show is something that we look forward to.

Q. How do you describe Spell 336 sounds?

Someone once told us that we sounded 'Atmospheric.' I guess that can be up for interpretation? Our sound ranges from Shoegaze to Dreampop. We tend to use every available gadget when it comes to the sounds that we create. We try not to use so much but it can't be helped. Most of the time we come up with the sounds that are constantly in our brains and we have been very successful in translating that either in a live setting or recording. Maybe 'Atmospheric' is a good term for us after all?

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the new album?

We are always writing lyrics and music and everything that we bring to the table is never discarded. We use everything. The last couple of songs that we have put out in the past few weeks shows what we are doing now but we still enjoy the Shoegaze sound. There really is a fair amount of recordings in the can. The cool thing is that these tracks sound as if it was recorded yesterday. But the truth is that we have come back to these songs to add new parts, lyrics, etc...Our process is somewhat simple. I come up with lyrics and music and Martin does the same thing. Then we work on it non-stop and if it feels good we record. One thing that we are proud of is we have a lot of material to play with and it gives us a fair amount of comfort knowing that we always upgrade and improve on what we have. When we record we always do it late at night. I always feel that our best work is recorded in the dead of night. 'Silence' was one of those tracks that we recorded late at night. I think when you hear 'Silence' you will feel the same vibe that we had when it was being recorded. I used to keep a notebook near me when I slept so I could write things down that could be used for a song. But the last few years when I write it feels like Automatic Writing. I can't force anything to come out. I could be anywhere and a lyric or a riff will pop in my head and I scramble to write it down before it disappears. It is all collected then put together and recorded.


Q. What´s represents the Shoegazer classic era to the band?

Classic Shoegaze era? I would have to go with the Cocteau Twins. Their music is so important to me and during that specific time frame is when I began to take my music to a different place. 'Victorialand' by the Cocteau Twins was a record that I was always listening to and it helped me when I needed it the most in terms of my songwriting. 'Silence' was written during that time frame. You can always list MBV, Slowdive, etc.. But the Cocteau Twins defined that era for me and gave me the inspiration that I needed. I hope I was successful??


Q. Which new bands do you recommended?

There are so many bands out there. But on a personal level I really love, Bliss City East, Drowner, Morpheme, Spc Eco, Data Unit, Music For Headphones,Stellarscope, Folie Adieu, Lightfoils, Deepfieldview, Brief Candles, Arafura, Ghost Box Orchestra, The Thief and The Architect, Her Vanished Grace, Starfire Connective Sound, Herod Layne. The list could go on forever!! Check back soon for a new update.

Q: Which bands you love to make a cover version?

I am lost on that one? We did a cover of 'Hypnotized' by Fleetwood Mac recently. But I am sure down the road we may do another. But we are very picky about who to cover next. But I am sure it will happen in the future.

Q: What´s the plans for future....

We just want to get our music out there and we will continue to record and write. We also plan to start playing live very soon. Hopefully before the end of the new year we will start doing some shows in California. But we plan to do this as long as we can. We enjoy what we do and as long as the inspiration is there we will never stop.

Q: Any parting words?

A big thank you to everyone who has supported Spell 336. The list of names are endless but you all know who you are. Thanks for taking the time to listen to us and it is always appreciated and never forgotten. Cheers!!!!!!!!
*
*
*
Thanks Paul!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SPELL-336/188201040964
http://www.myspace.com/spell336