Color Me with The Pleasure Holes - An Interview

Mr Kevin Shields continua e certamente continuara a fazer escola mundo afora, e que assim seja.

Hora e vez aqui nas páginas do TBTCI do novíssimo, barulhento e sonhador The Pleasure Holes. 

Holes of Pleasure foi o debute deles lançado no final do ano passado e ontem um novo single veio ao mundo, Color Me. A união entre ambos é recheada de reverb, loops, camadas e mais camadas de distorção como prega a cartilha gazer.

Para ouvir alto e "alto".

***** Interview with The Pleasure Holes *****

Q. When did The Pleasure Holes start? Tell us about the history…
The Pleasure Holes started about two weeks ago as a project, but I have made music consistently through my life… mostly heavy metals. I harass my friend Nick that, probably only out of friendship, bothers to listen to what I do. I would use email to send mp3’s, but that become cumbersome in comparison to the Bandcamp process. Fortunately for me a random guy emailed me and bought a track which floored me. This motivated me to really clean up the songs and make them something more palatable. Thank you Henry! As far as the name the last couple of months I had been kicking around a band name called “the pleasure holes” and imagined a new genre of music called guilt rock. This was to be some form of Type O Negative music that was awkwardly dark and sexual, however it morphed into shoe gazer/rock format it is now because I am a dad, husband, and a neckbeard. I don’t have the gravitas to make music as awesome as I imagined guilt rock to be.

Q: Who are your influences?
Oh geez… my influences are SWANS, Soundgarden, Mac Demarco, Ariel Pink, David Bowie, MBV, NIN, October Project, Smashing Pumpkins, Type O… the list could go on!

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Mac Demarco - 2: This album change my ideas about song formats and tone. He has mastered the format of pop without really trying, and he still writes some incredibly complicated riffs that are pleasing to my ears. I listen to it at least once a week.

SWANS - Soundtracks for the Blind: What is there to say? It is hard to pick a particular album from SWANS because they are all really good, including The Burning World that M. Gira supposedly detests. This album opened the door for sounds and drama in my brain. It was very disorientating and strange.

Meshuggah - Catch 33: What an album! Really showed the possibilities of what could be done with programming drums, and thematically I love the album. These guys are without equal in terms of raw technical ability, and the ability to make me feel something.

Castevet - Mounds of Ash: I am a metal guy at the end of the day through and through. It is a real shame these guys broke up because they took the format of black metal into something very transcendental and smart. The wall of sound guitars are pretty incredible, the songs themselves are tight, and the chord progression are totally unique.

David Bowie - Station to Station: I can’t elaborate with anymore quality than what has already been written about this album. There was a period of my life where D.B was the only thing I cared about or listened. This album stood out as the first real departure to some really ground breaking stuff that people still haven’t figured out how to make palatable the way Bowie did.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
So far this hasn’t left the guest bedroom in my house, so I imagine I would be nervous! Hopefully, I would be cool and be this awesome frontman that people would want to see, but I’ll just have to stick with playing to my daughter against her will.

Q. How do you describe The Pleasure Holes sounds?
The Pleasure Holes sound is hopefully pleasing! I guess it is a cross between MBV, Smashing Pumpkins, with some Robin Guthrie maybe sprinkled in? I really hate to be presumptuous and compare myself to great musicians like them. Definitely falls into the rock/shoegaze format. I would really like to see what direction it goes in… Tame Impala has done an incredible thing with their last album, that is in my opinion, to meld the guitar with dance in a pretty unique way. Maybe there is some room for a gazeyer sound?

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
The songs usually come together pretty quickly. With the exception of “indivisible colors” and “pleasurelands” the other songs were written in the last two weeks. I usually come up with a riff, and try to play something that slots in nicely for a second guitar. The other thing I attempt to do instrument wise is what I call “walking baselines”. Now, I don’t know anything about music theory so I am talking out of one of my pleasure holes, but often I hear bands where the bass just follows the root note and it doesn’t do anything interesting. This is fine for anchoring a song a lot of the time, but I think you miss a lot of real estate sonically potentially. Very much depends on the song because in “speckled warblers” it wouldn’t be a good fit since the focus is the warbling guitar. In my opinion, if you listen to a band like Stone Temple Pilots the reason the songs were so good was the baselines De Leo played. He played some complicated stuff that made the song without being conspicuous about it. Imagine an STP song where the bass just followed the root note the whole time: that would be pretty lame! However, I never noticed that until I had a friend pointed it out to me. That observation changed a of things for me. As far as recording, the signal chain is an RME Fireface 800 I bought a long time ago and an ART MPA II preamp. I always record directly to the computer, and the drums have all been Logic 8 loops because I have yet to buy some drum software. I hope to upgrade things in the future. For the guitar I use a Dean Dimebag ML. I know, no Jazzmaster or Jaguar! I plan on getting one in the future, but for now I make due with the Flame-o-matic. The nice thing about the Dimebag is Floyd Rose tremolo. I can rest my hand right on the bridge to bend the strings which I keep a little bit out of tune. I don’t use too many effects other than the presets in the software, and try to get the sounds from the tremolo and the position of the strum. In “pleasurelands” the flanging/phasing sound is actually strum from the neck down to the bridge which cause the tone shift.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Cherry Coals. Cherry Coals. Cherry Coals. What a brilliant songwriter and guitarist! It is like Johnny Marr and Real Estate had a child. I can’t wait to hear some more stuff from him. He plays very unique lines with some dissonance that is right up my alley. Another brand worth checking out, I have been told that they are coming out with a new record this year, is Thantifaxath. They are a Canadian black metal band that do some pretty incredible stuff. Their Sacred White Noise is an album that needs to be heard.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
I have been kicking around doing a cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “These Walls”. The jazz phrasings are incredible difficult, but sound so pleasing to the ear. It is probably beyond my technical ability, but if you add enough delay anything can be played! I have also made a ten song dedication album to Mac Demarco. That isn’t a cover, but I love his music so much!

Q: What are your plans for the future?
I hope to start working on the follow up to Holes of Pleasure this year. I have one more semester left of school, and a move back up north in my future, but I’ll have a solid month or so of time to work on it. I plan to make a full 10 song album, so hopefully it won’t suck! I think too I might outsource the mixing and mastering to make it a proper record because I think it might be a disservice to people’s ear to be subjected to my poor sonic chops.

Q: Any parting words?
I am incredibly grateful for the interview, and I hope everyone that reads this has a great day!
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Thanks

https://thepleasureholes.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/tphband/

Newhouse with Blue Unit - An Interview

Gosta de Brief Candles? Sim, o Brief Candles, banda adorada e querida de 11 entre 10 iniciados ao submundo dos bons sons. Claro, é lógico, mas o que tem a ver o Brief Candles com o Blue Unit?

Basicamente tudo. O Blue Unit é o Brief Candles só que de forma diferente. São eles em instrumentos diferentes, para matar o tempo durante a ausência do baterista original do Brief Candles que mudo de cidade. É isso!!

Drop é a música, diga-se de passagem belíssima, que ainda esta em formato não masterizado, e já dá pra sentir que a aura mágica do Brief Candles esta completamente inserida no Blue Unit.

Falar o que mais? Desnecessário, aperte o play e boa viagem com o Blue Unit.

Ah, depois é claro, vá ouvir o maravilhoso Brief Candles!!!!

***** Interview with Blue Unit *****

Q. When did blue unit start? Tell us about the history...
Blue Unit started in the spring of 2014. Kevin, Jen, and myself were trying to find ways to stay musically active since the drummer for Brief Candles had recently moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado, and it was keeping us from being able to play local shows on short notice and help out touring bands that wanted to play in Milwaukee. Blue Unit became a way for us to all force ourselves to grow as musicians by playing other instruments and taking different roles in the band. After a couple months of song writing, we asked our friend Brock Gourlie, to play drums for us. We were already friends and fans of his other bands, so it was a natural fit.

Since then, we have played a handful of shows with bands like Be Forest , Shana Falana, and Ringo Deathstarr. Some people were expecting Brief Candles, but overall the reaction has been very positive.

Q: Who are your influences?
Our influences are varied pretty widely. Kevin and I played in punk and indie bands when we were in our 20's, Brock and I both love old industrial stuff. Jen loves the Sundays, Smiths and Kate Bush....we all have different tastes, but we all have several touchstones between us all, and we all respect each other's taste.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Five albums of all time....speaking mostly for myself on this one. Talking Heads - Remain in Light, Starflyer 59 - silver, The Cure - pornography, Roxy Music - s/t, Psychedelic Furs - s/t

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Playing live is lots of fun, but also a big challenge for me personally. I have been playing bass for so many years with Brief Candles, so it's was much different switching back to guitar and playing leads/solos....I have always considered myself as more of a rhythm guitarist. I'm too worried about being tasteful to be much of a shredder. I know the others initially felt some anxiety over stepping out of their comfort zones and playing a new instrument in front of a crowd, but we're definitely more comfortable now, and we're looking forward to getting more live gigs under our belts.

Q. How do you describe blue unit sounds?
Describing our sound is tough.....I think all of our interests show through.....definitely some post punk, new wave, shoegaze, dream pop and maybe even some goth rock.

Fortunately Kevin and Jen have a studio in their home, so we have the luxury of recording ourselves, but it's not always easy. Home recording takes away some of the urgency that exists when you book and pay for studio time and a recording engineer, so sometimes it becomes too easy to put a project on the back burner. It's also difficult to make headway when we're trying to work on Brief Candles and Blue Unit songs at the same time. But having total control is a huge advantage, so that's the price we pay.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
As far as writing the songs goes, just like with Brief Candles, we are very democratic. It's the only way we know how to be. Usually one of us will come up with a part and the rest of us will write to it and try to give it direction. It can be a slow process sometimes, but I think it's worth it because everyone is invested in the music. Nobody is a dictator, coming in with finished songs and telling other people what to play.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
New bands....hmm....Jen is really digging Protomartyr right now. There are some really good new groups coming out of the Chicago area right now like Dim, Carbonleak and Star Tropics.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
One band that I would like Blue Unit to cover would be Black Tambourine. We occasionally play a cover of "Night shift" by The Names.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Our plans for the future are pretty loose at the moment as we focus on finishing up the next Brief Candles record, but we're really hoping to get a Blue Unit release out in the near future too. We have most of our songs recorded already, but they need finishing touches. I would really like to play out a lot more in 2016 and really fine tune our live set.

Q: Any parting words?
Thanks for the interview! Hopefully we will be able to tour Brazil some day!
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/blue.unit.mke
https://briefcandlesus.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Brief-Candles-124942650115

Glue with Elections In The Deaftown - An Interview

Pós punk, indie rock, chame como quiser, na realidade o rótulo aqui cabe apenas como um norte para situar os eslovacos do Elections In The Deaftown, mesmo porque durante a audição do belíssimo Glue, álbum de estreia deles lançado no final do ano passado, fará deste exercício de rotulação ao meramente ilustrativo.

Obviamente que as referências e conexões sonoras estão espalhadas pelas doze canções de Glue, porém o que se conclui é que o Elections In The Deaftown muito poderia estar tocando facilmente em qualquer FM voltada para música de qualidade. Se for melhor a ilustração sonora, coloquemos como uma eloquente simbiose entre The Cure e The Horrors.

O ponto é que o coquetel sonoro do Elections In The Deaftown vai bem além de simples categorização.

Para trabalhos como Glue existe uma palavra que resume tudo, magia.

***** Interview with Elections In The Deaftown *****

Q:When did Elections In The Deaftown start? Tell us about the history...
We all were good friends who grew up in a small town in Slovakia and who wanted to start a band. It was around 8 years ago. The thing was that we didn't know to play any instruments. So in the beginning we played mostly cover versions of songs from our favorite bands. Maybe 3 or 4 year ago we’ve decided to focus on making of our own music.

Q:Who are your influences?
I’d say the biggest influences are bands like Deerhunter, Slowdive, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, DIIV, Beach Fossils, Merchandise, Dinosaur Jr., The Horrors or Grizzly Bear. We also listen a lot of post-rock, dream-pop, krautrock, psychedelic and of course electronic music.

Q:Make a list of 5 albums of all time
If I have to choose it would be most likely these:
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds,
Radiohead - OK Computer,
Duster - Stratosphere,
The Cure - Disintegration,
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House

Q:How do you feel playing live?
We really love playing live. Even if we most of the time look probably shy and without any self confidence, the truth is that we are totally concentrated on our performance or sometimes we are just drunk. It depends on the situation.

Q:How do you describe Elections in the Deaftown sounds?
“They create melancholic and dreamy melodies based on atmospheric sounds that consist of layered guitars, shimmering synths and echoing vocals.” This is how our booking agency describes our sound. And we trust our booking agency, there’s no doubt about it.

Q:Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
We recorded every song in our rehearsal room, because we need privacy and freedom. You can spend hours finding the right sound of guitar, keys or whatever and nobody’s watching you.

Q:Which new bands do you recommended?
This may not be very new for you but my latest discovers are Car Seat Headrest, Vaadat Charigim, Yumi Zouma or Clarence Clarity.

Q:Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
The first band which came to mind is Tame Impala.

Q:What are your plans for the future?
We would like to spend more time making music and also play as many shows as possible.

Q:Any parting words?
Thank you very much for the interview!
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Thanks

https://electionsinthedeaftown.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Elections-In-The-Deaftown-205466219532271/

Teen Acne with Movienite - An Interview

Guitar bands!!! Sim as guitar bands, tão idolatradas e adoradas nos 90´s, que não há como não dizer, ah eu amo isso.

E daí em pleno 2016 aparece algo vindo diretamente da Suécia, com aquelas guitarras, aquele ar noventista, arrastado, encantador e divertido, sim estamos em 2016 e é da Suécia que vem o grudento Movienite.

College radio sounds com class of 86, tudo fluindo em nome dos bons sons.

Pode aumentar.

***** Interview with Movienite *****

Q. When did Movienite start? tell us about the history...
A. Movienite started about two years ago, but we'd all played together in other bands before. Some of us have been friends for a long time.

Q: Who are your influences?
A. Mostly British and American indie from the 80's and 90's, but also some of the new music we're listening to nowadays, I guess.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time...
A. DFL – Proud to be / Smudge – This Smudge is now / Wipers – Youth of America / The Charlottes – Things come apart / James Brown- James Brown's funky christmas

Q. How do you feel playing live?
A. Some of us are nervous wrecks but Erik is always cool having a bath in his bath tube.

Q. How do you describe Movienite sounds?
A. It pretty much sounds like what it is, a three piece rock band, bass, guitar and slow drums playing like they are under water.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
A. We mail our producer Pelle Nyhage and at it's best he's answering our mail a month later. We pick a date and he fixes with all the engeneering stuff. We know how to play, and how we want it to sound. He is very good at capturing that sound. He's got a great old analoge studio out in the country side.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
A. Communions, a Copenhagen based band that we just discovered. They are great. Moon City Boys from Stockholm, they are also cool. Wrestling, another band from Gothenburg, and at last, Härda Ut, a new great punk band from our city.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
A. Britney Spears (is she a band?) song: Everytime. We have actually plans of making it soon, it's a great song.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A. We're releasing our first single: Teen Acne / Circle Jerk in the beginning of 2016 on vinyl, it's already out on digital formats.

Q: Any parting words?
Be nice to your parents, they feed you.
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Thanks

https://soundcloud.com/movieniteband
https://www.facebook.com/movieniteband

Hollow Day with Night Nail - An Interview

Brandon Robert, James Hendrix, Bryan Panzeri, Justin Phi e Michael Carpinter formam o comboio pós punk Night Nail. Diretamente da efervescente cena de de Los Angeles, o Night Nail solto mais um belo exemplo de seu poderio no final do ano passado, o single Hollow Day que vem reforçar a ótima impressão causada no ep de estreia.

A verve fincada no pós punk mais melódico e na new era inglesa do inicio dos 80´s é explicita na sonoridade dos caras.

Perfeito para dançar e ouvir alto em inferninhos escuros e esfumaçados.

***** Interview with Night Nail *****

1.) When did Night Nail start? Tell us about the history...
Night Nail began sometime in 2011 as a response to a murderously, mundane music scene in LA in order to strike at the heart of alternative-indie rock that was firmly set on killing itself with the archaic, psychedelic sound. From the neo, post-punk aesthetic, we came together in revolt. We were not afraid of loud guitars nor experimental keyboards, when we first began fashioning this crudely, punk sound combined with a classic, songwriting approach.

2.) Who are your influences?
All we think about is Night Nail, Night Nail, Night Nail! But, when we do listen to music in the tour van, it is the likes of artists such as HTRK, Sad Lovers and Giants, And Also the Trees, Roxy Music, She Past Away, Kate Bush, Johhny Marr, Crass, Rites of Spring, Siouxsie, Skinny Puppy, Be Forest, Christian Death, Blonde Redhead, Tones on Tail..

3.) Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
The Cure – Pornography
Crass – Stations of the Crass
Suicide – A Way of Life
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew
Comsat Angels - Fiction

4.) How do you feel playing live?
Better than LSD laced with dilaudid, playing live is the capital expression of autonomy, revolt, and class struggle. A good live band will break walls of egos, pretentions, cliques, and barriers to reduce a crowd to equal beings, comrades, and brothers and sisters.

5.) How do you describe Night Nail sounds?
Anxious, brazen, cold, experimental, and self-effacing.

6.) Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
Brandon will come up with guitar parts and some vocals. Then, we try to piece it together live in the studio. Parts sometimes go missing, mysteriously. Other times, we get lucky and the song is just really good!

7.) Which new bands do you recommend?
Prayers, VOWWS, Charlatan, Loto Ball, Native Fauna, Egrets on Ergot, The Present Moment, VV & The Void, Sashcloth & Axes, L.A.Drones, NAPS, Vertighost, The Common Men, Tomihira, and In Letter Form.

8.) Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
We don’t do covers. We have too many ideas and songs our own.

9.) What are your plans for the future?
We are beginning to record the new album titled, “Hide Nothing.” We’ll be recording for the next couple months in two different studios in Berlin, Germany and in Los Angeles, California. We have two new songs being released later this year on two separate compilations; Cleopatra Records (LA) and Lovecraft Records (Portland). We will be playing a few shows in LA this summer as well as touring the US/Europe in the fall.

10.) Any parting words?
It all starts your own heart.
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Thanks

https://nightnail.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/nightnailmusic/

June with Film School - An Interview

Depois de um hiato que perdurou desde 2010, ano do lançamento de Fission, último álbum do cultuado e querido Film School, eis que City Lights, novíssima deles é lançada para delírio de muitos e me incluo neste séquito.

Desde Brilliant Career de 2001, passando pelo espetacular homônimo de 2005 até o ápice para muitos em Hideout em 2007, o Film School permaneceu com sua obra intacta, e principalmente cultuada entre os iniciados no submundo dos bons sons.

A notícia é das melhores, novo Ep, novo álbum, tudo possivelmente este ano, ou seja, altas e carregadas doses do que foi feito de melhor em décadas de música, sendo revisitada pelo Film School.

Para bandas como eles, a expressão a ser usada é apenas uma, ACIMA.

***** Interview with Film School

Q. When did Film School start? Tell us about the history...
It’s long journey, you ready? Film School officially started in 1998 as a two piece - I played guitar/keys/sang and Paige Weber played drums and sang. We put out a 7” on MeToo Records called “I’m Not Working,” which is nowhere to be found these days. Paige and I parted ways and shortly thereafter current members Nyles Lannon on guitar and Jason Ruck on keys joined me. With some others, including Scott Kannberg from Pavement and Kyle Statham from Fuck, we recorded material for the 2001 release “Brilliant Career”, which is also nowhere to be found these days. Current bassist Justin Labo joined the band on bass and with Ben Montesano on drums we recorded songs that made it to the EP “alwaysnever,” which was released in 2003 on Amazing Grease records (Scott Kannberg’s label). Current drummer Donny Newenhouse joined the band a couple years later on drums and we released our first album for Beggars Banquet records in 2006, the Self-Titled record. We toured a bunch, we got our gear stolen and in general had a really tough year - the band split up under not so great circumstances. Jason and I moved to Los Angeles, wrote Hideout (2007, Beggars Banquet) and added Lorelei Plotczyk on bass, James Smith on drums and Dave Dupuis on guitar. We toured on that for a while, then wrote and recorded the songs as a band for the album Fission (2010, Hi-Speed Soul). In 2011 the band stopped touring and, frankly, I was done. But in October 2015 the original Beggars lineup (Nyles, Jason, Justin, Donny and I) played a reunion show in SF for Donny’s birthday and had a great time. We decided to write some new material together. This month (January 2016) we will be releasing an EP called “June”, 10 years to the month of our first album for Beggars Banquet.

Q: Who are your influences?
Anything with heart, and that constantly updates. As a kid I really connected with Depeche Mode, New Order, and Pink Floyd.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Impossible task!

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Conflicted. Usually I feel pretty nervous, and there’s an internal struggle for weeks leading up to a show or tour as to why I even do this. But when the band gels together on stage and connects with an audience it’s magic. There’s no feeling like that.

Q. How do you describe Film School sounds?
I usually use adjectives like “layered” and “sonic” to describe it superficially, but really I think of it more in terms of the feelings that the sounds evoke. A lot of the music I liked as a kid had a personal, introspective, longing quality, even if it was loud. Strangely, the music that was a little melancholic actually made me feel better. I think if I can write music that connects with other people in deeper way then I’ve written a good song.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Depends on the lineup. A lot of the music we’re writing now begins with the five of us jamming in the room together. It’s very organic, songs are carved out of those jams and it can take a while. “City Lights”, the first release from the June EP, was our first jam back together after 8 years. But I wrote mostly all of Hideout alone in my studio in a few months.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
I really like vibe of Tame Impala. Beach House is pretty great too.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Hunky Dory by David Bowie would be fun.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
The EP should be out shortly, then I’m not sure. We’re working on an album, I’m hoping we finish that this year.

Q: Any parting words
Thanks for your support!
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Thanks

http://www.filmschoolmusic.com/
https://soundcloud.com/film-school
https://www.facebook.com/filmschoolmusic/

Sense of Time with Life As Art 1927 - An Interview

Tonalidades gélidas, soturnas e melancólicas permeiam a sonoridade do trio alemão Life As Art 1927.

Shoegaze dolorosamente praticado de forma fria com fortes doses de pós punk e uma vocalização de entorpecer a mente, o Life As Art 1927 em seu último EP Sense of Time exprime e exala os ares berlinenses  durante a execução das quatro canções que podem servir de trilha sonora para momentos de isolamento completo.

Um aviso, cuidado ao ouvir em momentos de depressão aguda.

***** Interview with Life As Art 1927 *****

Q. When did Life As Art 1927 start? Tell us about the history...
We (Almar and Marc) are originally from The Netherlands and have been creating music together in other bands. For a project, we wrote and recorded an EP to coincide with an art-exhibition of Marc. This became 'The Black Opaque EP' and was released on a limited edition vinyl with another special edition of 100 with handmade silkscreens. After this, Almar began to work on songs that were a bit more melodic and dreamy and needed female vocals. Based in Berlin we found Ariana to join the band and we recorded our second EP 'Around and Away'. Marc shot a sweet video for the title track: a catchy summer tune with loads of guitars... That video got many positive reviews. Now there is the new EP 'Sense of Time', which we just released on bandcamp, https://lifeasart1927.bandcamp.com/

And there's also a new video for the track 'Black Day'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibruFn_G08M It has become somewhat more gloomy actually.

Q: Who are your influences?
There are many artists that inspire us such as Killing Joke, Levitation, Lush.

Guitarnoise pop. But we are also influenced by the city of Berlin where we live now and the rural places where we came from originally. Influenced by urban life, technology and nature. Also (old) movies, soundtracks and visual culture inspires us.

So life and art basically!

On a more philosophical level: our own tiny existence with a consciousness in an endless galaxy. Culture and its paradox. The millions of humans in the metropole cities with the sun and the moon, alone in the distance, watching over the planet... something like this.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Ariana: What a relentless task! To set limits, I concentrated on newer albums:
Lana Del Rey - Paradise,
Other Lives - Tamer Animals,
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha,
My Brightest Diamond - All Things Will Unwind,
Warpaint - The Fool.

Almar's top 5 would be
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love,
Fields of the Nephilim - Elizium,
Queen - Queen II,
The Cult - Love,
Levitation - Meanwhile Gardens

Marc:
Fairport Convention - Liege und Lief,
Stone Roses - Stone Roses,
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation,
Moby -Destroyed,
New Model Army - Thunder and Consolation

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Feels good! We did a few shows in support of our first EP. After that we needed time to write more songs with Ariana. We are very much looking forward to playing these songs live and loud anytime soon.

Q. How do you describe Life As Art 1927 sounds?
Like Phil Spector's wall of guitar-sounds in a dark and twisted David Lynch movie at a 3D Cinema on the moon.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Recording the songs is easy as we have our own Dark Stream Studio at our disposal whenever we want to. Because we do it ourselves, we feel no pressure from engineers or producers that want to mold our music into something that wouldn't satisfy us. We like raw and honest recordings that offer new layers every time you play the song. Sometimes we use help of other musicians like on the new 'Sense of Time EP'.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
We like The Chromatics and The Raveonettes, but they've been around for a couple of years. Also the last album from No Joy was quite good. Ariana listens a lot to female singer-songwriters such as FKA twigs or BANKS.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Well, there are some that would come to mind. 'Where the wild roses grow' from Cave and Minogue for example. But it is always difficult to make a song of somebody else sound like your own. On our 'Around and Away EP', we did a cover version of 'For Her Light' by Fields of the Nephilim and we also shot a video for it. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYUbCBQ0SI0)

That somehow worked pretty good.

If we do a cover ever again we rather do something off-the-beaten-track like Dusty Springfield or Dinah Washington.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
We will release a full album on vinyl, shoot new videos, have fun and play live! Hopefully on a tour in South America :-)

Q: Any parting words?
Thank you very much for the interview. Check out our EP's on lifeasart1927.bandcamp.com visit our Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/lifeasart1927 and follow us on Instagram.
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Big Sounds from the Big City with The Great Artiste - An Interview

Deliciosa mistura de psicodelismo, shoegaze, noisepop e barulhinhos diversos é o que nos brinda o já predileto da casa, sim os franceses viciantes do The Great Artiste.

O último lançado em Dezembro do ano passado, Big Sounds from The Big City Vol. II dá sequência ao volume 1 da série que data de 2014, mas com o The Great Artiste não há como errar, pode dar play em qualquer um dos volumes ou se preferir vá um pouco mais adentro da discografia deles e saboreie At The Bridge Dawn ou Before The End of World o resultado vai ser certeiro de qualquer maneira.

Escuta em volume máximo.

***** Interview with The Great Artiste *****

Q. When did The Great Artiste start? Tell us about the history...
A. The Great Artiste is born when Benoit and I (Etienne) first met, a few years ago. That night, we talked about music for hours. We loved the same bands, from Pink Floyd to Eels, and we were both playing guitar. Soon, we started to write and record songs. It wasn’t very good, but the urge of hearing something new and loud in France was already there. We were angry against the musical scene of our country, which is principally a middle of the road music. Our generation’s influences are mostly British and American. We are now five musicians, with Aurélie on the bass guitar, Hadrien on the additional guitar and synth, and Clément on the drums.

Q. Who are your influences?
A. The most obvious are Ride, Adorable, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Warlocks and Spiritualized. These bands have written some of the better sensitive songs I know, and managed to sound heavy at the same time. The less obvious are R.E.M., The Cure and The Beatles, for the really powerful melodies. And of course, the father of all these bands: The Velvet Underground.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
A. That’s a tricky one! Well, I will start with the 1989 album of The Stone Roses. It’s number one because it’s perfect: all songs are pure pop songs, but there’s nothing naïve about it, and it’s always fresh. My personal progressive rock album is 666, by Aphrodite's Child. I love Vangelis vision of psychedelic music; it’s really deep. Of course, I must name Methodrone, by The Brian Jonestown Massacre, because it’s a brilliant shoegazing album. Anton Newcombe has seized the essence of it. It’s simply beautiful. At this point, it’s impossible for me not to talk about Psychocandy, by The Jesus & Mary Chain. This record was fundamental in my desire to play music, and The Great Artiste wouldn’t exist otherwise. This album is really insane: the amount of saturation, mixed with perfect pop melodies inspired by the Beach Boys gives something truly unique. My vision of Music has never been the same since. And, well, the best of all: The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
A. That’s what we live for! We love to compose music, and it’s very exciting to work on new songs, but the thrill to be on stage, to share our music live is the accomplishment of all the work we do beside. We never let people indifferent at our gigs, and that’s very rewarding!

Q. How do you describe The Great Artiste sounds?
A. When we choose the band’s name, we came across this plane, The Great Artiste, which was part of the bombing missions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The sound analogy of the B-29 propellers and the massive sound effects produced by the bombings was obvious. Our bombs would be sonic.

Q. Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
A. As I was saying earlier: it’s always exciting to work on new material. Because, when we’re in the process of writing a song, we don’t know what it has to tell us in the first place. It comes from nothing, and with some work and a bit of magic; it becomes great. The process of recording went more precise with the time. For our first record, we came with the songs in our heads, and played them instrument-by-instrument. From now on, we’re doing a considerable work upstream: we write down all instruments on a partition, and then record it as a demo, before we can record it properly. This way, we leave very few things to chance. But sometimes, chance plays its part as well! I remember when we were recording Heroin Love: I was originally doing a solo on this one, but our drummer forgot about it, and the first version recorded was too short for the solo. We give up on it, and it became the sweet pop Krautrock thing we know.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
A. Lemonday! A band from Russia, lead by two crazy girls. It’s very garage, with a guitar, a keyboard, and minimalist drums. I love their old lives; you can find them on YouTube. I also recommend a band from Santiago called Maff, They have released an EP, Echoes and Dust, and it’s incredibly cool.

Q. Which band would you love to make a cover version of?
A. We’re actually working on our version of Mercy Seat by Ultra Vivid Scene. I also want to make a cover of Dear Prudence by The Beatles, because there are great shoegazing elements in that song: the repetitive melody, the bass part... And I secretly dream to do a cover of You’re the One that I Want, from the Grease score.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A. We plan to tour for a while, and we’re currently working on an album. I can’t say yet how it will be released, maybe one song at a time. We have a bunch of projects for 2016: the first in line is to play a new song with two drums, two bass, and four guitars. It’s going to be massive!

Q: Any parting words?
A. Thanks a lot The Blog That Celebrate Itself! Keep spreading the good word around the world!
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https://thegreatartiste.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/The-Great-Artiste-241591479235156/

In Time I Am with CItrus Clouds - An Interview

De Phoenix, Arizona vem as guitarras hipnóticas, cintilantes e sonhadoras do Citrus Clouds que debutaram recentemente com seu In Time I Am. Um exercício cativante de como seduzir o ouvinte desde os primeiros acordes de Anymore, mas no decorrer dessa viagem ainda existem preciosidades como Dreamer e principalmente a faixa título In Time I Am.

Um estreia de gente grande, não deixa de se apaixonar de imediato.

***** Interview with Citrus Clouds *****

Q. When did Citrus Clouds start? Tell us about the history...
1. Citrus Clouds was started in early August of 2014 by a boyfriend, girlfriend duo and a close friend. The goal was to create a very simple, minimalist shoegaze sound.

Q: Who are your influences?
2. Our influences tend to be all over the place. The obvious would be Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Pixies, Joy Division, Blouse. The not so obvious would be Joao Gilberto, Beach Boys, Gang Starr, Air, Walter Wanderley, Fela Kuti, Los 3 Ases, the Mars Volta, Stolen Identity, Don Costa and his Orchestra.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
3. Hmm, top 5 albums? In no particular order:
Beach Boys- Pet Sounds,
Pixies- Doolittle,
Cafe Tacuba- El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco,
Air- Talkie Walkie,
Joao Gilberto/Stan Getz- Getz/Gilberto

Q. How do you feel playing live?
4. It's new to 2 of us. Erick has been playing for 13 years but we're still babies. Growing stronger every show. Drinks help!

Q. How do you describe Citrus Clouds sounds?
5. The Citrus Clouds sound is very timeless. It's minimalist, melodic, spacey, ethereal. It gets stuck in your head.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
6. In Time I Am was recorded live in one day at Audioconfusion studios in Mesa, Arizona. We recorded the music first, then we overdubbed a few parts and finally the vocals.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
7. Some new bands we like are: Cheatahs, Warpaint, Blouse, Diiv, Sunflower Beam, No Joy.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
8. It would be really cool if we could be an early Santana cover band. His first band lineup was amazing and it would be fun playing with all that rhythm and percussion. Also, AFROS..

Q: What are your plans for the future?
9. We've already began writing a full length record with the hope of releasing it this year. We want to be able to play cool shows in different countries.

Q: Any parting words?
10. "I don't really mind if it's over your head 'cause the job of ressurectors is to wake up the dead." - Q-tip (A Tribe Called Quest)
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https://citrusclouds.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/citrusclouds/

Beneath Her Way with Blume - An Interview

Arthur Bennell é a persona por trás do Blume.

Pós punk, psicodelia, repetições, melancolia latente é o que transpira do EP de estreia homônimo lançado no final do ano passado.

Algo como um KVB mais droneado e menos eletrônico, ou algo assim.

Puco importa definições, o Blume é audição obrigatória na nascente safra de novas bandas canadenses e vem material novo em breve via a já predileta da casa Custom Made Music.

É só aguardar.

***** Interview with Blume *****

Q. When did Blume start? Tell us about the history...
Blume is a project I have just recently started a few months before the release of the first E.P. I had started it to give me some extra music to work on when I am unable to jam with the other groups I play with. The first song I wrote for this project was Beneath Her Ways, and after realizing I could create and perform the song entirely solo I decided to write some more songs which became the four songs on the self titled E.P.

Q: Who are your influences?
I draw from many different musical influences from a variety of genres. I really enjoy minimalist and repetitive songs that have a very simple structure. Bands like Spacemen 3, DIIV, Wooden Shjips, and The KVB are often what I am listening too. A huge influence for me is The Velvet Underground, I love how they can take two chords and create meaningful moving music with just that. Another big influence on me is Joy Division. I always find myself coming back to their robotic tight drum sounds and the bass driven post punk sound. Something about the simplicity of the music draws me in.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
This changes all the time but right now I would say...
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
The Kills- Keep on Your Mean Side
Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription
The Velvet Underground- The Velvet Underground & Nico
Joy Division- Unknown Pleasures

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I have actually never performed live with Blume all though the plan is to set up some shows in the very near future. Performing the E.P live will be quite different from the original recordings, because I play with a drum machine and loops the songs will have to build as I loop the different parts of the songs and once the structure is down there will be a lot more improvisation not heard in the recordings.

Q. How do you describe Blume sounds?
I would describe Blume's music as mellow melancholy dream-pop. It is very minimalist in structure and relies heavily on soft melodies, repetitive drums, and unique tones to give the songs a more fluid feel.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
All of the recordings have been done at home on a digital Tascam multi-track recorder. All tracks are done in a continuous take and aren't edited besides some equalization so what you hear is whats being played. I first start off with programming and recording the drum machine. Once I have that recorded I will go ahead and record the guitar parts, generally I do a few overdubs of the guitar parts to give them a more full sound and it gives me the ability to shape the tone a bit more. I then record the bass and synths and add any background effects or noises. The last part of the process is the vocals, which I throw a bunch of reverb and go from there, normally the vocals will have a few tracks quieter in the background with one track being predominant, this is to make them a bit more warm and full.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
There are so many great local bands in my area that I highly recommend. Most have been around for sometime now but definitely deserve some more attention. Power-Buddies would be at the top of my list, they are a garage rock trio that are so raw and so catchy, once you hear them you wont get them outta your head. They are also some of the nicest people I know and always working hard at their craft. I'd also recommend Pyramid // Indigo, an experimental ambient band also from Edmonton. They have been together for about a year now and make absolutely sublime soundscapes that you just get lost in. You have to check them out.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
If I had to pick one specific band I would choose The Rolling Stones. I love all of there albums and how versatile they are. They can make dirty blues, raw rock n roll, catchy garage rock, psychedelic trips, and even pop songs. I could never get bored playing their music.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Currently I am working on releasing the E.P on cassette, this will just be a short run of around 50 copies and will be released on Custom Made Music. I am also hard at work putting songs together for the follow up release. It is still in the early writing stages but I am hoping to have a release sometime in spring 2016 if everything stays on track.

Q: Any parting words?
Support Local Music! Thanks
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https://blumeband.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/Blume-581864445295476

The Mind´s Eye with Soñder - An Interview

Um verdadeiro caldeirão sonoro repleto de referências de décadas de boa música é facilmente notado durante a audição de The Mind´s Eye primeiro álbum dos estadunidenses do Soñder.

Por vezes exalando um perfume sonoro que remete ao 80´s com melodias e aquele climão característico da época já em outras fincado definitivamente em algo como uma sequência clara do que o mestre Lou Barlow fazia no seu Folk Implosion.

Para ouvir inúmeras e inúmeras vezes e ainda sim pegar mais e mais detalhes. 

Riquezas musicais é o que poderíamos sintetizar a música do Soñder.

***** Interview witn Soñder *****

Q. When did Soñder start, tell us about the history...
Soñder was born from an idea of finally completing an ever long quest for that “album in my head” while i was stranded back in my hometown of EastEnd, Maryland on a domestik vacateSean from Hollywood, Florida in the Winter of 2013. Everything in my soul at this point in tyme told me to do this idea/project not just for me or the doubters but for my beautiful daughter, Neo. So, in tyme, she would hear my story and know to always follow your dreams no matter what this crazy mixed up world throws at ya. Soñder , meaning the RealizateSean that others have lives different than yours, is pretty much me/myself & i (aka Sean f. Schultz on legal documents) with the varied and wonderful help of my super Talented Musician Friends bringing my song ideas to light. The Core of “the band” goes beyond family- Danny Campbell on Bass & Dreams, James Patchett attempts to play Lead Geetar, Juan de Chile on Beats, Keys and Star Signs and Roger Lewis Drummer Extraordinaire. The first album Soñder- The Mind's Eye was Recorded/Produced by Pete Hanlon out of Woodstock, NY, 13 Local EastEnd musicians contributing their art and my internet Voice of Gemini Reason, Juan Francisco Guzmán Sibilla, contributing beats, keys and cover work via Santiago, Chile. The Mind’s Eye was completed in the Spring of 2014 and completely exceeded my every intentSean. Three locations were used to track 12 originals and 1 Lou Barlow cover. The 1921 Avalon Theatre, Sean Pietras's Musik Store and 100 Acre Woods Studios. I can now leave this world knowing i have achieved my childhood dream and to me- wtf else really matters. Soñder- the name, the idea and still one of the fricken hardest lessons in life to follow, at least for me?- is-> it’s not all about you SinYour Schultz- “turn to the right!”

Q: Who are your influences?
Influences vary from Joy division/New Order, Cure, Zeppelin, Bowie, Eels and Lou Barlow/Sebadoh to Prince, Rupert Holmes, Hum and Coleman Hawkins. These are the sounds that move me but i rarely find it coming out in my musik, oh how i wish but this Ride isn’t over yet.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
I will list what i consider masterpieces in my mind. The ones that song for song either push me to strive and be true to myself or make me never ever wanna write or play again.
1. Tones on Tail- Night Music
2. Eels - Electro Shock Blues
3. Folk Implosion - One Part Lullaby
4. Third Eye Blind - Semi Charmed Life
5. Crack the Sky - Self Titled.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Playing live is and has always been a high within itself. I truly love those moments where you feel like your looking down from above at yourself completely in the zone where the thoughts of what your playing totally disappear. I dig distorted/effected electric with a bad ass backing band at full volume but my favorite live experience has to be just me going solo acoustic. Although I kinda suck and no effects can hide the mistakes, I truly believe this is the true way to experience any artist. Stripped down to the core. You, them and the musik.

Q. How do you describe Soñder Sounds?
This is a hard question for me. I know what i've been compared to- Velvet Underground/Lou Reed, Bowie, Floyd, Roxy Music and the latest one was The Cars... Lmao! All those references i take as a compliment but i don't get it but i'll take it, i love them all. But i will try to describe “the Sound of Soñder” Sometymes mellow guitars meshed with harmonik overtones and lyrikal rhymes vs straight forward distorted torment of the ugly but simple bitter truth? It's either that or- Pussy pop love songs about drugs and destructSean.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the album?
The Mind's Eye came together so easily it was amazing. Pete captured everything raw and true in less than two weeks tyme. These were songs i have played in my head for years, most came from 1998/99 demos although complete mierda, i heard the possibilities forever driving myself mad on repeat in my head. We started with a drum loop click track, recorded two rhythm guitar tracks by me and added vox. Then i would call on certain musicians which i felt would complete the tune and gave them pretty much free range. From piano and horns to backing vox, lead guitars and even a didgeridoo. I am forever grateful to everyone who was involved in the Mind’s Eye Sessions, especially Ms. Leah Kenninglark. The new album i am doing "The Booby Hatch aka Slow Songs for the Mentally ill" is being recorded by Roger Lewis who owns Monkey Boy Studios in EastEnd, Maryland. I recorded my first band album Narkissos- Something in the Water in 1997? and mastered my first solo 4trek album "Free Tyme" in 99ish with Roger. Although these new songs will still be personal with directSean, I have no set way they have to be. So, basically i am super happy to be able to experiment and let the songs dictate what they need. At this tyme i have almost completed 5 of the tunes which i’ve posted those “works in progress” to Soñder’s Soundcloud site. Soundcloud.com/SonderSounds.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
Nothing out of Philly. Their last year’s first album release "Guilty of Everything" is fricken beyond sick and i am impatiently awaiting for this new album by them to see/hear how the F#! they are gonna follow that up. Also, from Philly- Beach Slang’s 'The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us' is a rocker and they are about to prove this on their first European Tour (don’t forget my t-shirt!!) A new find for me that i truly love is Postcard for Jeff’s album “Modern Language.” It’s very well done and has lately been my valium.

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
I have always wanted to do Ceremony by Joy Division/New Order but after Chromatics purrfect version a lil while back that messed that idea up completely. I covered my favorite artist Lou Barlow's Brand New Love on the Mind's Eye and plan on doing Truly Great Thing by him as well on this album. But, i would love to attempt Buzzcocks - Why Can't i Touch it, that is my goal one day. And i must add- we just did Echo and Bunnymen’s tune “Rescue” for this beyond cool Blog Hears latest Compilation- “Gods will be Gods”!!! I think it came out quite well, my producer calls it- 60’s opium den musik, lol… i call it a complete mind f$k homage to one of the great bands of my childhood.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
The immediate goal is to nail “The Booby Hatch aka Slow Songs for the Mentally ill” album sometime by the end of this century and hopefully it will travel around the World and be appreciated by various music lovers alike and if all goes to plan- Soñder will sell at least 1 copy and make a fricken dollar and then finally I will be able to say i have a real job...My long term goal is to live in Spain and raise my Neo in a beautiful culture where people work to live not live to work and leave this crazy world knowing “whoever dies with the most stories = wins!” and i have some good ones. Spain is my Cielo.

Q: Any parting words?
My favorite quote and truly the words to live bye: "Follow what you feel, you alone decide what's real" Lou Barlow
Links:
The Mind’s Eye - https://sondersounds.bandcamp.com/album/the-minds-eye-16-track-album
Works in Progress- https://soundcloud.com/sondersounds
Social Media- https://www.facebook.com/sondersounds, https://twitter.com/SonderUSA
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The Circle Effect with Isles of Kin - An Interview

Kyle Thomas é o responsável pela beleza sonora do Isles of Kin.

Pense em A.R. Kane, Cocteau Twins, envolto a ambientações sonhadoras, paredes sonoras hipnóticas e uma vocalização apaixonante.

The Circle Effect é uma verdadeira preciosidade escondida no submundo dos bons sons, é ouvir uma vez e viciar para sempre.

Que venha urgentemente mais material do Isles of Kin, nós agradecemos.

***** Interview with Isles of Kin *****

Q. When did Isles of Kin start? Tell us about the history...
A: I began recording as a solo artist in the late 90's. Before that, I enjoyed playing with various bands for years. The group that got the most traction was called "Dream 26". That was a very fun, and educational time, as I learned much from playing live, songwriting and collaborating with others, and musicianship. But like most bands, Dream 26 and all the other prior bands disbanded for a myriad of reasons. In 1998, I began to experiment with recording as a solo artist. It was an adjustment compared to being part of a band, but I didn't have to worry about the stresses of depending on others. I didn't go under the moniker "Isles of Kin" until about 2001.

Q: Who are your influences?
A: I have many influences, and some change from time to time. But there are some that are always there, and some of them are Cocteau Twins, Mbv, A.R.Kane, Consolation Project, Arctic Flow, Slowdive, and Spiritualized (laser guided melodies). I'm also influenced by many artists not within the shoegaze genre, including 10,000 Maniacs, Ennio M., George Gainsbrough, old-school R&B, 80's new wave, Beethoven and some opera.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
A: Five albums of all time... This is open to change too, depending on mood, but my choices today would be:
Cocteau Twins Treasure,
The Smith's singles,
Mbv's Loveless,
10,000 Maniacs Wishing Chair,
and This Mortal Coil it'll end in tears.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
A: I've always enjoyed playing live and connecting with an audience. It's always been a surreal and intoxicating experience that demands one's best.

Q. How do you describe isles of Kin sounds?
A:Isles of Kin's sound... It always reminded me of a mix of my two favorite bands, Cocteau Twins and MBV, with a hint of A.R.Kane and Spiritualized vocals. Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Ethereal, Noisey, melodic, and blissed-out are some descriptions and adjectives that fit the music. When writing and recording, I almost always start with a simple drum track as a foundation. This evolves, or disappears as needed. Secondly, I usually create the main melody on guitar or bass. From there, I'll record any other melodies/sounds and record the vocal arrangement. I use this "scratch" recording as a reference, and then completely record the song again in its polished, final form. Throughout the entire process, sounds and nuances are added or omitted.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
A: Lately, I've been enjoying the newest Mimi Page album tilted 'Ethereal Blues'. Not shoegaze, but it has a very dark, romantic, floaty and dreamlike aesthetic to it, perfect for night time listening. My friend Ron, who also has his own solo project tilted 'Consolation Project' is always sharing his talents with me. Arctic Flow is another project run by my friend Brian. Both Consolation Project and Arctic Flow can be found on Band camp and Facebook, and are both highly recommend.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
A: I actually obtained permission from Robin Guthrie to record a Cocteau Twins cover song back in the early 2000's. I chose to record 'Oomingmak'. I haven't had it uploaded in years, but there could be a version floating around the Internet. Maybe I'll upload it again one day, or re-record a better version. I also recorded 'Ella Megalast Burls Forever' but it was never released. I love the Cocteau'x music, and enjoy covering their material. I'd like to cover either Lorelei, Aloysius, or Ella Megalast Burls Forever again.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: My plans for the future are to be musically more productive. Because of personal reasons, my last release was in 2011. I'll have new material here in 2016, and wish to continue to create at a quicker pace.

Q: Any parting words?
A: Parting words.... It's been a pleasure to be in this interview, and I appreciate the opportunity to discuss Isles of Kin.
Thank you, -Kyle
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https://islesofkin.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Isles-of-Kin-120321391368873

Something New with We.the Pigs - An Interview

A Suécia é sim um berço em se falando de dreampop, noisepop, shoegaze e twee, a quantidade de bons sons que saem de lá e não é de hoje é fantástica,

E agora é a chegada a vez do noisepop viciante do quarteto We.the Pig. O recém lançado ep de estreia é absolutamente grudento, remetendo a class of 86, shoegaze clássico, só que esqueça a faceta etérea, aqui estamos mais pra punk noise do que pra viagens, tudo é estridente, barulhento e deliciosamente pegajoso. 

Feliz 2016!!!!

***** Interview with We.the Pigs *****

Q. When did We.the Pigs start? Tell us about the history...
V: About five years ago? I found Martin on a community online (Helgon) for people who like alternative music. He had put up links to a couple of songs he’d recorded and asked if someone could sing on them. I listened to the songs and loved them and offered him my left arm to try. A few days later I sent him ”Fly”.

I think it got silent for almost a year after that until I got a message from him wondering if I was interested in playing live at a small indiepop festival (Cosy Den) in Stockholm since the promotor there (Mattias Jansson) had heard the song and liked it.…and to make things clear. Me and Martin had not even met face to face and lived far apart.
Anyway. We said yes to playing at the festival and decided to meet in my hometown Gnesta.
I can finish this ramble by telling that when we finally met, at my moms house and were supposed to rehearse, I was so shy I couldn´t sing a word. I even tried singing behind a door and under the kitchen sink but it was impossible.

M: I think you will find that I and Veronika will have a slightly different backstory. But for me it started with the need to play something more, hm, melodic might be the right word. I was playing in a band called Bombstrike (with our drummer Fredrik). But I missed playing something more popish so i just started to make some songs at home. They sounded very different from the stuff we do now (I even think there is a song on some compilation cd somewhere where I sing, but not quite sure if it made the cut in the end). I quickly realized that someone else needed to sing though...

Veronika came along by chance. We met at an online forum for people with alternative (life) styles (goth to indie to black metal and so on). I had found myself unemployed and to kill everyday boredom I decided to get up every morning and record a song in the vein of the band Broder Daniel (https://youtu.be/OVPDAkuoK8Q). I then asked on that forum if anyone wanted to sing. And there Veronika popped up Emoticon smile. I think the first song she recorded vocals for was Fly who is on the 7" released by Discos de Kirlian. Maybe Veronika remembers more about that than me.

Q: Who are your influences?
V: I guess from the beginning it was mostly Broder Daniel (a swedish band) and shoegaze in all its form. Recently its been more like ”can´t we just play krautrock for ten minutes”?

M: Apart from the obvious Broder Daniel influence on getting it started I would have to say that it's the usual bunch, TJMC, MBV, Sarah records and so on. Noisy and sweet at the same time. But I wouldn't say that we try to sound like this or that. Or what do you say?

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
V: Difficult but the ones I´ve played most in my life must be:
Electrelane – No Shouts, No Calls
Nirvana – Nevermind
MBV – Loveless
Ride – Nowhere
JAMC – Psychocandy

M: That’s impossible. But I can try to make it about some albums that have had a real impact on me in some way.
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks; when I was like 8-9 years old I got a bunch of records. It was mostly soft hard rock, you know Kiss, Deep Purple, Mötley Crüe and stuff like that. But when I put this on it just moved me in a way that no other music had. In hindsight I think that's when the seed to play music at all started. The first song I ever played in a band in middle school was God save the queen. But we quickly moved on to more brutal stuff after that. And now I can’t even remember the last time I listened to it.

Fields of the Nephilim - Elizium; this is the album I’ve listened to the most in my entire life. For a while in my teens I always fell asleep to it, just to press play the first thing I did when I woke up. All houseparties (under my or my friends control) ending with dim lights, this album and endless smoke and incense. I still return too it (and their other albums).

Dissection – The Somberlain; when we didn’t listen to Elizium we turned to this album. Some of us preferred Emperor – ItNE och Dark Funeral – SotBA, but this was my favourite. And still is. We kept the dim lights and endless smoking whichever album we chose though.

The Cure - Wish; not their best album but the one who lured me in. At first I didn't like Robert Smiths vocals (and I hated Friday I'm in love when it came on on MTV). It all changed though when I joined a crush to see them at a festival in -96. I had met her the day before and was head over heels in love. We sat quite far in the back making out in the and I was happier than ever before. Didn't get her number though...stupid me. When I came home I listened to the album at a friend’s house and was dead certain that we started making out to Apart (turned out later that they never played that song that night), so I would just listen to it over and over to try to catch that feeling again but no. (I actually did meet her at another festival a couple of months later. But I was too shy back then to make anything happen...). And now Cure is definitely one of my all-time favorite bands.

Dischange - Seeing Feeling Bleeding; the album that definitely got me into punk. I had listened to quite a lot before but when this came out everything fell in place. It also helped me go back and listen to earlier punk too appreciate it in another way. And nowadays the album that spawned this (Discharge – Hear nothing…) is definitely one of my favorites of all time.

I would also like to add that besides Sex Pistols I still listen to these albums without being nostalgic. There still are few albums in their genres that come close to these albums.

Some other album that might have made the top five list are:
Coil – Musick to Play in the Dark 1&2 / Astral Disaster, Current 93 – Soft Black Stars / All the Pretty Little Horses, Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas , Sisters of Mercy – Some Girls Wander By Mistake / Floodland, Cure – Disintegration, Discharge – Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing, Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing, Entombed – Left Hand Path, Slowdive – Just For a Day, Swans – White Light From the Mouth Of Infinity, Einstürzende Neubauten – Haus der Lüge / Tabula Rasa, No Security – When the Gist…, The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy.

But this can change from day to day, and pretty much from hour to hour. Whatever I want to hear next is the best album at that moment. But this list is representable of albums that I always come back too, and still love as much (if not more) as the first time I heard them.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
V: Terrified.
First time we played (actually in Tallinn) I had been scared for so long that I must have burned all my stress hormones. Finally, walking up on stage, I saw this huge spider crawling around on top of my microphone. Normally I would have freaked out since I´m afraid of them -but I just looked at it and thought ”oh that could become a problem”. Then I gently lifted it off the microphone and dropped it to the ground.

The gig itself was a disaster. Everything was delayed and we didn´t get to soundcheck. It was a nightmare and sounded horrible. When we finished our last song and were fleeing the stage, someone in the band asked the audience permission to play our first song AGAIN because of all the technical difficulties in the beginning. -I´ve never been closer to murder then at that particular moment in my life.

M: We haven't played live that much. And I think it's only one time with a full band. It would be fun to play more often though. But I don't think that we will sit down and organize a grand tour anytime soon. But if someone wants us to come play then we'd love to come!

Q. How do you describe We.the Pigs sounds?
V: Like regression to puberty. I guess that´s why my lyrics are so naive they make me cringe. And I always felt this ”teenage angst” in Martins songs.

M: I want it to be noisy, kind of aggressive (maybe intimidating is a better word) but at the same time filled with melodies and cuteness. But I'm not sure that's how we sound to others. Are we close?

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
V: Martin recorded the music at his home. From the beginning I think he gave himself a mission to record one song per day for a period of time being unemployed and these were the songs we started with.

He sent me songs online, I sang on them and sent them back…

When we recorded our debut ep I was in Malmö and the guys were in the studio in Stockholm streaming everything to me via Skype. It was sweet since I couldn´t be there in person and felt sad missing out on the experience.

M: The 7” is recorded in a studio with our friend Niklas (who also plays some stuff on the recording). But for songwriting and demos it’s mostly me at home. And then I send it to Veronika who adds vocals.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
V: I´m gonna reply with a beautiful song I really love: ”Out There” by” My Red Dress”.

M: I'll use a wide definition of new here; I hope that’s ok.

One that I don't think that anyone should miss is Molly Nilsson (http://darkskiesassociation.org/). Her latest album Zenith is nothing short of fabulous.

Another one of my favourites from last year is G.L.O.S.S.(https://girlslivingoutsidesocietysshit.bandcamp.com). Their demo Girls Living Outside Society's Shit is so filled with emotion that it's almost too much to take. But don't miss out if you're into punk or music of/for the outcasts in general.

There are of course many more but a short list on top of my head:
Agent Blå (soundcloud.com/agent-bla)
Tiny Fireflies (tinyfireflies.bandcamp.com) - The Space Between is awesome!
Rite (rite.bandcamp.com/)
The Royal Landscaping Society (therls.bandcamp.com/)
Westkust (https://westkust.bandcamp.com/)
Youth Code (youthcode.bandcamp.com/)
German Army (germanarmymusic.bandcamp.com/)
She Past Away (shepastawayofficial.bandcamp.com/)

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
V: Suicide

M: I don’t have a song or artist that I want to do. We have played Turn her down (in the vein of The Coupons) and Be my baby live. For our next show we plan on playing Territorial Pissings. None of these have been planned or anything. We like them, start playing them and that’s it. I know that Veronika wants play a Misfits song though Emoticon smile

Q: What are your plans for the future?
V: Play live a couple of times and prepare for that. A follow-up ep is somewhere there in the future too, Perhaps creating a video

M: I would like to play some shows. And then we have four songs left from the same recordings as the 7”. We have talked about releasing them on Discos de Kirlian after the summer but who knows what will happen ‘til then. If we don’t sell any of this 7” I guess he wouldn’t be interested in releasing one more.

It would also be fun to come in contact with labels for release outside of Europe. If anyone would be interested in that please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Q: Any parting words?
V: Never pass on an opportunity to have fun only because you´re scared.

M: Thanks for having us on your blog!
It would be fun if you listened to the ep (http://wethepigs.bandcamp.com), and support Diskos de Kirlian (http://discosdekirlian.tictail.com/product/dk31-we-the-pigs-ep-7) if you like it. And book us for shows, just do it.
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Thanks

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