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Interviews

Interview w/ Men’s Adventures [Plus ‘Solitary Trip’ EP Stream]

mens adventures

If you frequent b3sci, then it should come as no surprise that we’re excited about this advance stream of Solitary Trip, the debut EP from spaghetti western friendly, psychedelic-rockers, Men’s Adventures. In fact, we’re so excited that Brian Litwin from the team caught up with both Jimmy and Alfie from the band for a quick chat about the new EP, affinities for vintage comic books, time era rock and roll and more. Have a look at the interview as well as sample the forthcoming Solitary Trip EP below, officially available on June 25th via Dirty Bingo Records.

B3SCI: Your debut EP Solitary Trip is due out June 24th. Is there anything that you guys will take away from this release… that you can tell as of now?

Jimmy: Yeah all I’ve ever wanted to do is make records, and having something published has been an interesting experience, a good one too! I look forward to and will be taking everything I’ve learnt making this record and applying it to the next one.

B3SCI: Is there anything that you expect listeners to take away?


Jimmy: The band and the record is supposed to take you on a journey, what kind of a journey is obviously down to the listners interpretation. I would say that’s just one of the meanings behind the title Solitary Trip

B3SCI: We’ve read that you’ve explained your incredible single “Feeling Bad” as a song that forms into something which could be in a Tarantino movie. Must say, I totally agree. Are you fans of Quentin? Does he influence your work?

Alfie: I don’t think we ever actually said that, alot of people have said “Feeling Bad” especially could be heard in one of his films which I understand. But yea, big fan of his films and his soundtracks, I couldn’t say they’ve ever directly influenced our music but I would love to work on a soundtrack or score for one of his films someday.

Jimmy: The biggest influence someone like Quentin Tarantino has on our music is the fact that he is a genre director and we are essentially a genre band. At the moment we are heavilly shrowded by western comparisons, which is fine and we’ve kinda asked for it, but there is a lot more to us than that…

B3SCI: You site Ennio Morricone as an inspiration. Do you forsee large symphonic orchestration, and possibly film score focus, in the band’s future?

Jimmy: Well we have put some strings on “Welcome Home” and “B.B Vulture”, we worked with Dan Merrill on those, he was a pleasure to work with and I am still blown away with what we achieved there. I would love to work more on music for films. I hope some directors or film makers will read this and get in touch. In a band, you have to stagger releasing stuff and playing stuff live. With something like a film score, the inspiration is right in front of you, the director has provided that for you. You take that, write something, record it and leave it there. That’s really appealing to me!

Alfie: My dream is really for Men’s Adventures to keep getting bigger as a band and to start doing stuff like this live. As i previously said, all my words are with images in mind and that very much applies to films as well. A friend of mine at the BFI has been putting on musicians playing new original scores over classic films and that’s definitely something we plan to do when the time is right.

B3SCI: The whole brand that is Men’s Adventures is engulfed in 60’s and 70’s throwbacks. What are some your favorite aspects of that time period?

Alfie: I’d throw in a little of the 50’s and the 80’s too. I think the innocence and romance of alot of songs and films from the 50’s and 60’s, you dont get that anymore. I would’ve loved to have joined my parents and uncles and aunties at alot of the gigs they attended in the 70’s and 80’s. The clothes and the vinyl they have handed down to me from that period have been a huge influence. I have pink Cramps vinyl sleeves and posters on my bedroom walls that they gave to me, maybe thats why I chose pink for our EP cover.

B3SCI: Is there a tie-in with your passion for comic books? 
I don’t usually mention the album artwork but something about it caught my eye. Tell us the deeper meaning of this background and the woman raising her arm.
 


Alfie: It’s not so much comic books, originally we were inspired by men’s adventures magazines and the stories they would tell, always about a guy and a girl but always set somewhere far away and exotic or dangerous, they provided cheap thrills and to me they flowed like songs when reading them, so I wanted to do that with my lyrics. For me, when writing our songs I always have the illustrations from those original magazines in mind but we don’t want to use them in our artwork as hopefully the words help the audience to paint that picture themselves. This is very much the western adventures though. As for the woman, she’s there because the songs are all about women I guess, everything revolves around them. She was actually used on the cover of our first EP too so i guess she becoming a bit of a logo. The sun was inspired by the artwork for the film The Big Country.

B3SCI: Did you grow up listening to this era of music and at what point did this music become a major influence?

Jimmy: I grew up on a stable diet of Westerns, Marx Brothers and Laurel and Hardy films. They all had beautifully crafted songs and pieces of music to accompany them. When you really listen, you cannot help but be moved by that. I have never stopped loving those films I grew up on. We had a lot of time to think, write and record after the demise of both our previous bands and out of that time came Men’s Adventures.

Alfie: Yeah, I think after our last bands which were much more punk and rough around the edges with pretty pointless political or self indulgent words we had to think what we really wanted to do. My mum and my grandma would sit me down and watch Westerns with me constantly, my granddad did the same with Laurel and Hardy too actually haha. So I guess I grew up listening to this type of music in films and its just stuck, it naturally creeped out.

B3SCI: We’re giving you guys a free ride in our B3SCI time machine. Where and when are you going… and why?

Jimmy: To be honest if that were a genuine possibility, I think I’d just wig out and accidently pick somewhere really lame, then spend the rest of my life hating myself for the wasted opportunity OR just spend my entire trip worrying that I’m gonna fuck up in the future, and end up not really having a good time. It’s probably best I don’t get in…

Alfie: I’ll get a little high and get in. 1881, Tombstone Arizona at 2.45pm, to watch the gunfight at OK Corral and see what Wyatt Earp’s sayin. Or! in true Men’s Adventure fashion I would obviously take it back to before ‘she’ left me…

Interview By Brian Litwin

Men’s Adventures (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
06-19-13

Interview w/ Josef Salvat

Sam Hiscox - Josef Salvat - Beach

This week marks the release of “Hustler”, the new (and just) second single from internet and UK based pop sensation Josef Salvat. B3SCI writer Erin Feathers recently caught up with Salvat for a quick Q&A about his rise to notoriety, knack for brooding lyrics and other messy cerebral stuff. Have a peek at their conversation below.

B3SCI: You are quite the internet sensation this year. Congratulations. Do you find yourself constantly smiling or are you overwhelmed by all the attention?

Josef Salvat: I haven’t really had time to think about it all, which is probably a good thing! But when I do it’s a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B.

B3SCI: Earlier this year your beautifully understated ballad “This Life” premiered with a bang. Your catchy maudlin lyrics and vocal cadence have people comparing you to Lana del Rey. Do you feel like you can relate in any way? What sort of an opening statement is “This Life” for you as an artist?

Josef Salvat: The comparisons are really flattering, I think she’s excellent. I think “This Life” is probably more a part of an opening statement than ‘the’ opening statement and hopefully that will become clearer as I release more stuff.

B3SCI: While we are on the subject, what are you most grateful for in this life?

Josef Salvat: The people in it – my parents, my friends, people I’ve worked with – I’ve been amazingly lucky in that department.

B3SCI: How is it finding your sound and image as an artist in light of becoming such an ‘overnight’ success?

Josef Salvat: I think the term ‘overnight success’ might be a bit premature. But essentially I’m still just doing what I want, to my own standards, which is what I’ve always done. The one difference is, now that people are watching, I have to learn from my mistakes faster than I used to.

B3SCI: Can you picture yourself crossing over from Pop to another music genre? If so, what genre(s) entice(s) you?

Josef Salvat: ‘Pop’, as I conceive it, is a pretty broad genre and one that allows you to dip into a whole bunch of different styles at the same time – so whilst my influences might shift around I don’t think I’d stray so far as to leave it altogether. But you never know. At this point I’m not sure where I’d go.

B3SCI: Your latest track “Hustler” is an immense hit amongst the blogosphere. The video is beautiful as well. Can you tell us a little about the song and how the video concept relates with your vision?

Josef Salvat: I guess “Hustler” was me trying to voice the psychology behind certain self-destructive behaviours. I tried to reflect that in the video and draw that distinction between the process of thought and all the messy cerebral stuff that goes on inside.

B3SCI: We noticed you have a gift for brooding lyrics. Is it difficult ever to translate seemingly real life struggles into your music?

Josef Salvat: It’s not something I can consciously do very well – if lyrics come about something then they come. If I sit down and go ‘I’m going to write a song about this’ I’m rarely happy with the end product.

B3SCI: Now that you are based in London, have you taken into the live music scene?

Josef Salvat: Absolutely – there’s no place like it.

B3SCI: As an artist what basic message do you hope to convey for posterity?

Josef Salvat: I don’t really have a basic message – I think I’d find that kind of limiting. And if one appears, it probably won’t have been dictated by me but inferred by others, which I think is usually what happens.

Interview by Erin Feathers

Josef Salvat england (Facebook) (Purchase on iTunes)

reviewed by
06-13-13

Interview w/ Chapel Club

chapel club

We recently caught up with synths/guitarist Alex Perry from Chapel Club to chat about the band’s anticipated sophomore full length Good Together. It’s no secret that music critics and fans alike have always had much to say about this London quintet. In a sense, Chapel Club’s Good Together LP is a musical proliferation of boundaries. Our contention is the psychelic, time-warped and synth pop medley of Good Together is as honest a rock record we’ve heard in years. It’s a collection of songs that play distinctly as Chapel Club, while sonically swapping the band’s traditional instrumentation for mostly synths and electronics alongside the melodic register exploration of frontman Lewis Boman’s voice. You can sample the album below and have a look at our brief conversation together here:

B3SCI: What makes for a great pop melody?

Perry: Woah, cool question, but there really isn’t any answer I don’t think, its just about finding the right combination of parts. A melody isn’t really a melody to me unless it has the right chords and rhythm and stuff to sit under it.

B3SCI: Are there trends in music right now that you find boring or tired? Has nu-garage begun to wear on you as much as it has on us?

Perry: I’m sure there are some whole groups of music that I wouldn’t like, if I sat and listened to a bunch, but I mainly just judge songs on their individual merit. It seems to me that music is mostly around 80% terrible, but a good song is just that for me, regardless of the frame its in.

B3SCI: How do you find the reporting in the press about the band’s stylistic evolution on Good Together? Do you find it hackneyed or annoying?

Perry: Yeah, a little, but that’s just journalism for the most part, so it doesn’t bother me too much. I’ve read that we’ve changed our direction and become a synth pop group, and I definitely don’t think that’s true, but they’ve got to write something!

B3SCI: Is there any about synth pop that appeals to Chapel Club and is there a certain era that’s most inspiring?

Perry: Synth music is really versatile and dynamic, and what we were trying to do with guitars, we eventually had to admit would be easier and more effective using synthesizers. I wouldn’t say the synth element of the record is limited to pop though, even though its a sort of pop album. Stuff from the late 70’s, songs like Walker Brothers’ “Nite Flights” and David Bowie’s “Art Decade” were some of the main influences musically.

B3SCI: Is there anything specific about Good Together that you guys find most cleansing as a band?

Perry: It feels great playing live now. There’s a lot more dynamic variation in our set than there was before, and it feels like all the shifts and changes add to the performance. Like when a new instrument or sound is introduced, its another lift, in addition to the structured parts of the song. Its exciting for us to do and I think (hope) audiences get it too.

B3SCI: Would yourselves consider Good Together a concept album?

Perry: Not really, we didn’t have anything in mind, and the songs don’t sound to us like they’re all clearly connected by anything. I’d be interested to know if anyone did hear some obvious linearity though! Having said that, I think recording in LA, and the artwork of the album, does tie in to the music inextricably, so I guess its conceptual in that sense.

B3SCI: Looking back at your lives during your debut album Palace, and all of the hype that surrounds such a release, what if any advice would you give to young bands and artists submersed in similar whirlwinds of ‘buzz’?

Perry: Consider your options, do as much as you possibly can on your own terms, and don’t rush anything (and don’t take too long over anything).

B3SCI: Chapel Club more than most bands strike us as having a bottomless catalog of influences. But still, we have to ask, do you guys have a go-to track for the Jukebox at the local pub?

Perry: Haha! I’m pretty much always in the mood for Roxy Music “Avalon” or Janet Jackson “Let’s Wait a While”, stuff like that, but I guess it depends what kind of night it is…I have my reasons for never making Jukebox selections.

B3SCI: Is there anything that makes for a classic song, in your opinion?

Perry: I would say a classic song should be pretty simple, so that its memorable and accessible. Having a message is usually quite important for me too. I don’t mean a political one or anything necessarily, it just helps when a song is about something, you know?

B3SCI: What music is inspiring you right now?

Perry: A lot of American rap at the moment, like Azealia Banks and Kendrick Lemar I’m digging a lot. Also this DJ/producer Morri$ has definitely sparked my interest, I’ve found out about a lot of music through him.

B3SCI: Can you feel a pull into any specific direction in the band’s current writing?

Perry: Currently we’re not writing anything as a band, but our listening is definitely headed in a similar direction. I think we just get into whatever’s most progressive, and that has some impact on what we do as a band. I imagine our next output would be an expansion on this album. More American soul, more samples and beats with a splash of psychadelia.

B3SCI: What forthcoming with the album release can fans look forward to, and will you be touring the states anytime soon?

Perry: I would really hope so, our manager is desperate to get us out there, and so are we, so we’ll see. Hopefully! They can look forward to hearing an album that hopefully means something to them, and will hopefully take a while to really get into and will them last forever. Its out now, go get it!

Chapel Club: england (Facebook)

reviewed by
06-08-13

Bruce Rave Interviews The Strypes

the strypes

I interviewed The Strypes at The Great Escape festival in Brighton, UK. This intense R&B/Garage band played that night and were astounding in an early Stones meets The Yardbirds kind of way. These kids might be in their mid-teens, but you’d never know it by listening to their music, feeling their live energy, or to speak with them. You can see why they are sweeping the UK. How cool that The Strypes are playing the kind of music I grew up with. By Bruce Rave

The Strypes ireland (Facebook)
The Great Escape england (Official)

* Links and playlists from Rave’s weekly new music show can be found on his blog and be sure follow Bruce on Twitter too!

reviewed by
06-02-13

Interview w/ Kyogi

kyogi

At only 15 years old, UK based producer Kyogi has a pulse on electro music which excels beyond many contemporaries. Resident b3scientist Brian Litwin recently had the chance to chat with the young producer for some insight on his evolution as a musician, forthcoming super secret projects, Usher and more. Check out their conversation below.

B3SCI: Had never heard of your hometown and so I had to look it up. What’s it like in Totnes, Devon, Britain and how is the music scene there?

KYOGI: It’s a pretty town, but a lot of people here have a pretty backward attitude to just about everything. It’s totally riddled with the sort of people who are too scared to admit that some aspects of politics might not actually be bad ideas for fear of it compromising their bohemian, carefree image. Luckily, the music scene here is amazing. My best mate Frank produces house and techno under the moniker Endlines. Obviously I recommend you check his stuff, but I’d honestly be recommending him even if he was some Austrian hermit whom I stumbled across on Soundcloud, his music’s fantastic. Totnes is also home to Alfie and Caleb, better known as Circula and Hanga. These guys have begun making some waves in the wider techno scene, which is well deserved as their tunes are just tooooo much. They’re also two of the core members of the Groundvibes Collective; a local soundsystem who’ve thrown some amazing free parties down here recently. Check it.

B3SCI: How did you get involved with music? Was there a specific path that lead you into the electronic ethos? What lead you to start producing?

KYOGI: I got into producing by complete coincidence really. There was a skating competition at my local skate park, so Frank and I thought we’d go and see what was happening. There were a couple of local guys DJing for the afternoon – Pat and Romek. I had no idea what they were playing at the time, but I remember being completely fascinated by what I was hearing. I now know it was drum n bass, and I suppose I’ve just been into electronic music since that day. I’ve always been musical, I’ve been drumming for years, so I guess learning to produce came naturally after listening to electronic music for a little while. I was making dnb and dubstep initially, and I’m just making what I am now after discovering new genres in Youtube’s ‘related videos’ section, stumbling upon people on Soundcloud, things like that.

B3SCI: Here is a fun fact, you were 3 years old when Usher’s “U Got It Bad” was first released. Your take on it is pretty awesome. Assuming Usher is an influence of yours, who else inspires you to write?

KYOGI: Haha, that song has aged so well! And thanks, I was never too sure about it but a few friends convinced me that putting it up would be a good idea, and sure enough, Fat! wanted to release it.

I’ve always been into the French label Ed Banger; home to Justice, Breakbot, Sebastian, formerly Daft Punk and the late DJ Mehdi. Also, French producer 123mrk is a big inspiration. Closer to home, I’m really enjoying tunes by Bondax, Maribou State and Werkha at the moment. There’s a mysterious American producer called Anthony Ellect whose music I love, and my friend Salute from Austria is putting out some stunning music, I think he’s one of the most consistent producers in the game. Lastly, our styles are very different but my mate Oli, known better as Network, is making the fatttttest house tunes I know of.

B3SCI: Google translate told me that Kyogi or 虚偽 means falsehood or lies. When choosing Kyogi as your name, is that what you were going for or something completely else? Does the name factor into a philosophy behind your music… or music in general?

KYOGI: That one’s actually quite simple, Burial’s Untrue album is one of my favourite records of all time, and Kyogi translates as untrue. It’s something of a homage to him, I guess. I kind of feel like everyone owes something to Burial, this scene wouldn’t have happened without him.

B3SCI: You are getting comparisons to some of the better hot dj/producers out there right now like Disclosure, Ryan Hemsworth and Flume to name a few. Do you see yourself in that same field of young flag bearers of the genre?

KYOGI: Disclosure and Flume are huge influences, Flume in particular, so that’s pretty insane. I guess I’m bound to be lumped into the same category as those guys regardless of my age, because a scene like this has never really happened before, so no one’s really sure what to make of it. Pretty amazing category to be lumped into though, right? I don’t really have much of a say in how people perceive me but I think that I’ve got the same mindset as those guys. Just a kid with too much spare time, making music for the love of music.

B3SCI: If you had a choice to collaborate with any artist out there right now, who would it be with and why?

KYOGI: Probably (would’ve been) Curtis Mayfield. I don’t really need to do much explaining, he just wrote amazing songs and had a brilliant voice. I’d also love to work with a proper UK Hip Hop MC, someone really pioneering and influential, maybe Jehst.

B3SCI: What does the future of electronic music sound like to you? What are you listening to right now and is there anything that we can anticipate inspiring you next?

KYOGI: So many directions it could go! I don’t know how long the current deep house revival will last, but after that, God knows. But, given how much influence Daft Punk have over just about everything, I don’t think a disco comeback is looking too unlikely since the release of Get Lucky. The embarrassing Dad in me would love to see that. I’ve begun working at slower tempos to try and separate myself from the house scene as there are so many mediocre producers trying it now, it’s getting a little difficult to stand out and be taken seriously. I can see a lot of other producers also dropping the bpm by 10 and getting a bit funkier. Take Armeria for instance, he’s started doing this low slung, dusty, 110bpm slo-mo underwater funk thing, and it’s insane. If every producer starts doing something a little different to the next man, then the future of British bass music is sounding very nice indeed.

B3SCI: Can you tell us about some upcoming projects or releases that fans can keep an eye out for?

KYOGI: DE$iGNATED’s Valentine E.P is out in about a month, featuring the remixes from myself, Applebottom, Carling Ruse and Knuckle. I’m getting an E.P together too, no idea what label will release it, but I know what one I want it to be released on. I’ve also got a super secret project with another producer underway now, but that’s the thing with super secret projects, they’ve got to remain super secret…

Kyogi (Facebook)

reviewed by
05-16-13

Interview w/ AVAN LAVA

Photo by Jena Cumbo

Photo by Jena Cumbo

We recently had the chance to catch up with one of NY’s finest electronic pop groups AVAN LAVA about their forthcoming debut album, a first national tour, connections to Jeff Buckley, Shakespeare and more! You can read our chat below. Also, you can catch AVAN LAVA perform live this coming Thursday, May 2 at the Echoplex in Los Angeles along with Little Boots and Feathers as part of the first annual BritWeek. Get more info and tix here.

B3SCI: To us, your music instantly evokes one particular thought – dance party. What element of message do you think excites AVAN LAVA most outside of that feel good and high energy vibe?

AVAN LAVA: Minimal sexiness. Excitement comes with confusion, and we’re very confused.

B3SCI: How does it feel to be on your first national tour as AVAN LAVA? Any surprises that fans can expect for this special occasion?

AVAN LAVA: It feels AMAZING!! We’ve played many parts of the world (South-Korea, Bali, Singapore), but have yet to tour the US. We’re excited to eat as much fast food as possible.

B3SCI: Given the band members various backgrounds and commitments in other projects, when your Vapors EP was release in 2009, had you ever thought/known that AVAN LAVA would continue to exist beyond that release?

AVAN LAVA: AVAN LAVA has always felt special, even from the first time me (TC) and Chev tracked our first vocals in the basement of a haunted church. It’s so fun to see it growing..

B3SCI: Was there anything vital or cleansing about Vapors which lead you to your current Flex Fantasy EP release? How will they culminate to your forthcoming debut album?

AVAN LAVA: We definitely got all of our angst and anxieties out in Vapors, and were ready to get more joyful for the second release… The last track in Vapors, “The Easy Way” was so well received in our live show that we felt we needed to head in a more exciting, pop direction.

B3SCI: Is there a particular track on the Flex Fantasy EP that you feel especially proud of as a band?

AVAN LAVA: “Feels Good”. It’s the track that everyone loves. We never thought it would be a single, but it really took on a life of its own.

B3SCI: There seems to be an element if irony oozing from your track “It’s Never Over”. It’s seductive vibe draws you in musically while it’s vocal only seems to call for distance. Do you think there can human elements of tug-of-war in music like there can be in a relationship?

AVAN LAVA: Totally. That’s why every love affair seems to have its own soundtrack.

B3SCI: The sound that comprises AVAN LAVA is an impressive melting pop. What are some contemporary or newest elements of sound that have been captivating and helping evolve the band’s music as of late?

AVAN LAVA: Big room house, trap music, analogue everything.

B3SCI: Lead vocalist TC was first spotted for the band during a reading for a Shakespeare x Jeff Buckley project. Have you ever felt there was an element of fate tying together these artists prolific works and that of AVAN LAVA?

AVAN LAVA: We TRY to hold ourselves to the presumably elevated standards of any great artist. We strive to make songs that sound as good on the thousandth listen as it did on the first. That’s when you know..

*AVAN LAVA’s core is the trio of TC (singer), Le Chev (producer, synths) and Ian Pai (producer, drums) and live they’re making the party complete with Andrew Schneider (percussion), Drew Citron (sing/dance) and Jo Lampert (sing/dance).

AVAN LAVA (Facebook) (Twitter)

reviewed by
04-27-13

Robert DeLong Performs “Happy” (Live Session)

Robert Delong kdc3

B3SCI stopped by Elias Studios in Santa Monica for an exclusive live session with electronic trigger maestro Robert DeLong. His set consisted of several songs from his debut full-length Just Movement, available now via Glassnote Records, including this stellar version of “Happy”. Following the performance was an interview with KCRW DJ and Elias Arts music supervisor Jason Kramer, which you can catch a snippet of at the beginning of the video.

Robert DeLong (Facebook)

reviewed by
04-25-13

Interview w/ Pixel Fix

pixel fix

Indulge in new band smell. Resident writers Brian Litwin and Erin Feathers recently caught up with hotly tipped Oxford, UK act Pixel Fix. They chatted about the band’s new self-titled EP, their unique sound, time travel and more. Check it out below:

Pixel Fix – Rosa

B3SCI: Can you tell us a little about Pixel Fix come to be?

PF: All of us had been in bands or had been involved in other musical activities in the past, so that’s how we all met and got to know each other… At the time, we (Clem and Marcus) were producing electronic music. We had been in guitar-based bands before, so this was just a little project we were working on, but as the electronic music we were making began to progress we thought, why not mix the two together? We were both really into electronic and guitar music, so it probably made sense for us to blend between the two… we spoke to the other guys and we all seemed to be on the same wavelength, so we thought we would give it a go.

B3SCI: With such an array of sounds in Pixel Fix, give us an idea of your live set up, both electronically and acoustically.

PF: It’s a pretty standard band set up, just with a load of synths and samplers that we play live, and about a thousand cables. We try and make our live shows as close to the recordings as possible. Although you can imagine we don’t have the most exciting time setting it all up.

B3SCI: Tell us what it was like to play with The 1975, Disclosure and Everything Everything, three of the hottest acts out right now?

PF: It was great thank you, although the Everything Everything show was a DJ set. We’re really grateful to have had the opportunity, and it was sick to share a stage with them and play to more people than we normally do.

B3SCI: Your sound seems experimental with unabashed guitar and impeccably polished electro. Do you consider your style of music experimental? How do you like to describe your style of music?

PF: Thank you, that’s very kind. Yeah we guess so; we don’t really think about it when we write though, we just make music that we would personally love to listen to in our own time…. We like to describe it as a load reverb, beats and guitars.

B3SCI: What electro are you currently listening to?

PF: We find our selves listening to Andrea, Luvian, Kadugodi and Stumbleine a lot at the moment.

B3SCI: What rock/pop are you listening to?

PF: Recently we’ve been listening to Tangled Hair, Coasts and Peace. We’re also really liking Frank Ocean’s stuff.

B3SCI: How does it feel to have a new EP being released?

PF: We’re feeling pretty excited. We’ve been sitting on these tracks for a while now, really since the band started, so we’re just eager to show people the music we love making. We’re a little apprehensive of how people will receive our music because we just hope people like it. We guess that’s pretty normal though.

B3SCI: The video for “Rosa” is a clever nod to 80’s SCI-FI flicks with subtle references to “E.T.”…

PF: ‘E.T’, it’s a classic.

B3SCI: We’re hooking you guys up with a ride on our B3SCI time machine. Where are you guys going?

PF: We’re gonna head back to one of the first Woodstocks to see what it’s all about. I bet it was mental.

Pixel Fix (Facebook)

reviewed by
04-14-13

Interview: The 1975 – The City

THECITYpromofront

Manchester’s The 1975 have been a topic in many new music conversations this past year. Now the band follow up their much lauded SXSW saga with a new and definitive take on “The City,” the lead track (and demo) from their debut Facedown EP release from summer 2012. We recently caught up with frontman Matt Healy to discuss the new recording from their upcoming (to be named) fourth EP which drops May 20th. We also discussed a bit about their debut album, affinity for vintage gear, their first SXSW experience and more. Sample “The City” and check out our conversation with the band below.

B3SCI: What was the band’s motivation behind creating this new and definitive version of your track, “The City”? How would you best describe this extension to the demo version that initially kicked off the Facedown EP?

The 1975: Well we recorded this version for our album shortly after we did the Sex EP. I supposed we just wanted it to be something we were a bit more proud of sonically – whilst maintaining the elements of the demo that made it special. We weren’t planning on releasing this version of “The City” before the album – but after “Chocolate” came out there was such an acceleration in our popularity and peoples awareness of our name. It kinda made us sit back and want to take our time a bit. We feel that “The City,” as a song, says a lot about who we are both musically, personally and sonically and we didn’t want to miss our opportunity to get that message out to as many people as possible. We want to people to hear it now, as apposed to later, it’s a very important track for us.

B3SCI: There seemed a strategic and thought-out nature to your trilogy of EP releases. If this version of “The City” was always brewing somewhere in the masterplan, what specific role will it play on the forthcoming May 20th EP release?

The 1975: We were always planning on putting out three EPs, but I never really thought of them as a trilogy – nothing is ever really set in stone in our ‘world’, so we kinda just let them evolve naturally. I don’t really know what role the next EP plays other than to give people another set of tracks that will help them understand a little more about who we are. We thought it would be interesting writing another record around “The City” seeing as that’s how we had approached the Facedown EP. A lot has happened in the 8 months since we released that EP, so I suppose it’s just a reflection of where we’re at now. Currently I am feeling calm and humble.

B3SCI: Is there a name for this new EP yet? We must say that the working title, EP 4 has something charming to it…

The 1975: There is no name as of yet. But it’s funny you should say that…

B3SCI: We caught at least 4 of your gigs during SXSW this past March. Like many in Austin… we couldnt get enough. How would you rate this, your initial experience in America, and given all the hype about performing in the States, how do you perceive the reaction/experience?

The 1975: Thank you very much. I think seeing that our music had transcended to somewhere so unfamiliar – that was the highlight for us. We genuinely didn’t expect to see that. Our shows sold out nearly every night – we couldn’t quite get our head around how that actually worked. It really makes you understand the power of the internet. We love America anyway. It was so surreal and rewarding every second. It made us realise how much everything has changed since last year. Our album is very inspired by American cinema and pop culture, so it felt right playing some of our new songs out there.

B3SCI: With all of your running about in Austin, did The 1975 get the chance to catch any artists that either impressed you, or surpassed your expectations?

The 1975: We only got to see Haerts and we totally loved them. SXSW was absolutely mental. We did 11 shows in 5 days. We didn’t even get time to sleep. It’s an interesting place at SXSW, Austin is a kind of liberal utopia in the middle of the desert.

B3SCI: Gotta compliment the band’s obvious appreciation for vintage gear. What year is your black Stratocaster, does it have a name or a story worth sharing? How about that Fender Mustang?

The 1975: Well my Strat is actually a reissue unfortunately and not that old. But my Mustang (my love) is 1965′. I love that guitar to bits. I picked it up in LA like 2 years ago. We all love classic vintage gear. When we recorded the album our snobbery was terrible. If anything looked remotely new or easy to decipher it was tossed aside. We like manipulating the best of both worlds – analogue vs digital. There was a nice, compromised balance of valve replacements and software updates.

B3SCI: The band’s live technique and guitar work alone surpassed anything we’ve seen from a new pop band in years. How vital are the intricate countermelodies and parts that comprise The 1975? Tell us a little about rehearsal, what level of experimentation is involved, and at what point does a part in a song ‘just feel right’?

The 1975: Well I don’t really talk about the writing process very much, not to be perceived as enigmatic or cool, it’s simply one of the only things we have left that’s just for us. But our music is built up of syncopated loops and hooks, both vocally and musically. Rhythm is paramount – and everything is treated the same way. Rhythm and flow precedes all melody; from the vocals, to the guitars, everything. I think that’s because that’s what gets us exited the most. Groove, that’s what it’s all about for us. It doesn’t necessarily have to be clever or ‘bangin’ to get us excited, I think it’s just that our history of consuming music is so embedded in American black music. We take a lot of influence from house music also. It’s playing with the ideas of ‘lifts’ and ‘drops’. Minimal house for example exploits repetition in order to create a rewarding sense of pay-off. You can just as easily create a lift by taking something away or simply repeating it; we like that idea, it’s something we like to play with.

B3SCI: Is there a debut album still on the horizon for The 1975 in 2013?

The 1975: Yes there is, it is coming out at the end of the summer.

The 1975 england (Official)(Facebook)

Rating 8.7

brown8

reviewed by
04-08-13

Interview w/ JMSN

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Resident B3 scientist Erin Feathers recently connected with rising indie R&B producer, and all around creative-type (best watch out for those), JMSN for a brief one-on-one about the musician’s story, music, and what the future holds. Take a look at their conversation below.

B3SCI: A little background on yourself for our readers, after several attempts to be happy making music on major labels, you fashioned your own label for the release of your 2012 album †Priscilla†. Can you tell us more about your label White Room Records and how it has affected you most as an artist?

JMSN: I think that its affected me in the fact that I finally have artistic freedom. No politics. No bullshit. Just Music. Thats what it’s all about. White Room is my canvas.

B3SCI: †Priscilla† attracted a good deal of attention this past year and helped spur on a few big-name collaborations. You sang accompanying vocals for Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid M.A.A.D City, which was one of the best albums of 2012. Has working with other artists tempered any of your darker perspectives and musical intuitions?

JMSN: Not at all. I think that life decides where I go with my music. Sure these experiences are a part of my life, but more emotional situations decide the shape my music takes from here.

B3SCI: We’re fans of your videos from †Priscilla†. Is there a particular director or film maker who inspires you most? How important are visual cues to you and your music?

JMSN: I wouldn’t say I look at particular film makers as much as I look at particular films. I love when film makers can make things move like a song. Flowing with the energy of the shots is important. It takes different approaching to think of video in a different way then just watching it.

B3SCI: Unit 6 is your latest collaboration with Ab-Soul. The lead single “You’re Gone” is a catchy club stinger with racy lyrics and a playful swagger. Did cough syrup have anything to do with it? Kind of joking, but seriously.. was there something behind the vibe on this track?

JMSN: I don’t know, honestly. This was originally gonna be a JMSN song, but the verses we’re too hip hop. So I actually had the chorus on there before Ab got on it. I was kind of making a post †Priscilla† song about closer. Ab came in and flipped it to how he saw fit him.

B3SCI: If you were ever given the choice do a project with Usher, would you be on your best soft-and-sensual-R&B-behavior, or would you try to talk him into going all out with a dark and more experimental style?

JMSN: If we’re talking about me as a producer, I cater to the artist. I would see where his minds at. Where he wants to take things. I would help him do that to the best of my ability. I mean don’t get me wrong, you’re gonna hear JMSN influences in my production no matter what, but I will never tell an artist what to write about or what kind of song to make. That’s just not something I would want to hear Usher release if it’s not him you know.

B3SCI: What was your first impression of Los Angeles after growing up in Detroit?

JMSN: Hahaha. Great question. I hated it at first. The whole “Hollywood” bullshit. I’ve found good people out here now though. When you can separate yourself from that, you’re good. I also love the weather.

B3SCI: Name a proud moment in your life that is also embarrassing as hell.

JMSN: I have no idea how to answer that question. Ha.

B3SCI: What appeals to you most about producing your own music?

JMSN: You know exactly what you want and you make it happen. As well as learning on the way.

B3SCI: You recently collaborated with Tyga on his new LP Hotel California. Can you tell us something first-hand about the experience?

JMSN: Tyga is an awesome dude. It’s all about the music with him, so we got on good. It was great to collaborate with him. I’m very proud of the song too. Came out great.

B3SCI: Can you elaborate on your plans for a solo project?

JMSN: I’m working on it as we speak. Pretty far into it. The Blue album. Just making sure the story is right for this one. I wanna make sense of all the ideas and experiences I’ve had in this amount of time, to make a good body of work. I can’t wait for people to hear the evolution of JMSN.

Ab-Soul & JMSN – You’re Gone

JMSN (Facebook)

Rating 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
03-10-13

Review: Gold Fields @ The Troubadour in LA on February 28, 2013

Photo via Debi Del Grande

Photo By Debi Del Grande
Review By Bruce Rave

Over the past year, Australia’s Gold Fields have proven themselves to be one of the most compelling new bands on the touring circuit. On Thursday, February 28th, the night following their TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel, and a new album release for Black Sun, The Troubadour in West Hollywood was sold out for a blazing set from the band.

The performance that night was solid. Lead singer Mark Robert Fuller and his bandmates blended hooky melodies and instrumental parts with their rather unique percussive style. Gold Fields’ playing was airtight as they moved in two gears. There were mid-tempo songs such as the successful single “Dark Again”, and all bets were off when Gold Field’s turned things up and keyboardist Rob Clifton joined drummer Ryan D’Sylva on percussion. Their perfect set closer was the blistering “Moves”, which was one of the most effective finales in my recent memory (the track was also the Jimmy Kimmel bonus track, check it out below). Other highlights that night included the softer, pretty “Happy Boy” and the band’s powerful cover of Underworld’s “Born Slippy” from the Trainspotting soundtrack. Somewhat surprising, given the dynamics of their music, Gold Fields have an unassuming way to their performing. With a certain confidence, the band and their fans let the music speak for itself.

Earlier in the night, I hung out with Mark and Ryan of Gold Fields backstage at The Troubadour for an in-depth chat. We talked about their music, touring, Jimmy Kimmel telling them “don’t fuck this up” just before the band went on the air, and of course their upcoming appearance at the B3SCI Presents Day Party during SXSW. You can check out that interview below.

Gold Fields australia (Facebook)

* Links and playlists from Rave’s weekly new music show can be found on his blog and be sure follow Bruce on Twitter too!

reviewed by
03-08-13

Interview w/ Misty Miller

misty-miller-girlfriend-ep

B3SCI fam Erin Feathers recently caught up with hotly-tipped British singer-songwriter Misty Miller. Having just released her Girlfriend EP last week, Miller has made her track “Little Drummer” available as a free download (grab it below) ahead of UK tour dates this March supporting both Jake Bugg and Tom Odell (on different stints). Check out what Misty Miller had to say about musical influences both past and present, her various side projects, and a blossoming career…

B3SCI: You list your key musical influences as Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Irma Thomas, The Sonics, and The Gories. Surprise us with a couple random artists who color your musical outlook in a significant way…
Misty: Depends what you mean by surprise. A band called The Fat Whites who my drummer plays in. Blondie, maybe thats a surprise? Listen to “One Way Or Another” .. or “Dreaming”. She was so cool.

B3SCI: We’ve heard you mention that your musical palette varies from listening to performance. Do you think something like rap music could ever permeate your writing and performance?
Misty: Not in a really obvious way. If I saw someone do it and do it really well it would inspire me to perform with the same passion (or whatever it was about their performance that i liked).

B3SCI: Do you have a songwriting process and does your ukelele always play a role?
Misty: I havn’t written a song on my ukulele for about 2 years now. When I finished that album I was already starting to write songs on the guitar and have ever since. I don’t have process as such. It depends on the song and time.

B3SCI: Is there an instrument that you hope to learn someday?
Misty: I just wanna get better at guitar, really. Maybe play a few solos one day..

B3SCI: What has most influenced your musical evolution an vision as an artist?
Misty: The music scene I got involved with. I left college and started playing shows and meeting people around South London. The bands and people that I met influenced me a lot.

B3SCI: Tell us something quirky about Misty Miller…
Misty: Quirky eh?! I don’t like having clean hair. Or, I like to book bind.

B3SCI: What is your favorite place to jam and play music, aside from your gigs?
Misty: I have started rehearsing with my band at a mate of mine’s studio in peckham. It’s a small room but we work way better in there than in some fancy rehearsal studio. Or i just like play on my own if there is a guitar lying about in someones house or something.

B3SCI: If you could live somewhere other than London where would it be?
Misty: I don’t really have an answer to that as of yet. I would love to travel around America soon. Maybe after touring I’ll fall in love with a particular place.

B3SCI: What do fans need to know about Slit Lizard?
Misty: It’s a band I started with my friend Olivia. I couldn’t really play the guitar and she couldn’t really play the drums but I hadnt enjoyed playing and writing music so much until Slit Lizard. Heavily inspired by our friends band, The Midnight Barbers. A few of the songs off the EP were origonally Slit Lizard songs. “You Know What I Mean” and “Little Drummer”. My label weren’t too keen on the whole thing but without Slit Lizard (and Olivia) I wouldn’t have gotten away from playing music I wasn’t actually that happy with.

B3SCI: Tell us about the Girlfriend EP and where it leading Misty Miller…
Misty: I can’t tell you how good it feels to finally have this music out there and to be playing it in front people that actually want to listen now! It took a while to get my label to ‘get it’ and I’m so glad I didnt give up and decide to do something that I wasn’t really passionate about. Hopefully the next EP will sound as good and lead on to a killer album. I am not a natural in the studio yet but my band help me a lot.

B3SCI: How has your history growing up in an artistic family affected your experience as an artist?
Misty: Having music around me from a young age, being in the studio and backstage as a kid. All things those sorts of things. Making music my natural habitat.

B3SCI: It sounds like you dabble a bit with inking your own tattoos. What tattoo is next on your list?
Misty: Yeah i have about 6 or so now, all pretty shit, and all hand done. I have no idea what the next one will be.

B3SCI: We’re hooking you up with a ride in the B3SCI time machine. Where are you going?
Misty: Stonehenge “where the demons dwell!” But if i can’t come back to now then i aint goin’ anywhere.

Misty Miller (Facebook)

reviewed by
03-07-13