Monday, September 30, 2013

REVIEW: Le Carousel - s/t

8.25 out of 10
Find it here. 

Le Carousel was a random chance find on the internet for me one day.. (although Phil Kieran actually leads a pretty prolific career I am new to his sound) This was a good day, as Le Carousel's debut s/t album is a pitch perfect Synth-Kraut-Gaze Pop masterpiece, and that was precisely Phil's goal with this release, his "opus" if you will.

From the get-go this album will most likely have you tapping something. The beats are smooth and seductive meets slowed down Disco meets Dub-like bass sounds. The guitar layers are really nice too, somewhat of a Krautrock vibe meets New Order meets (MBV) Shoegaze style. The vocals are pretty impressive too, in a way that they can seduce as well as inspire and move you. Every track on this release has an epic feel to it, the tracks builds from something pretty and mysterious and blossoms into a colorful audible heaven (the kind you don't want to leave). I guarantee there is at least one to three (if not more preferably..) tracks on this release that you will dig, trust me. Get-ta listenin'..

One of this year's best.. it'd be a shame if you missed this boat-Highly Recommend.

Standout Tracks: Good Times, Carousel, Lost Years, Stick Together, Broken, Forget Me Not,

EIC's 10Q's w/ Le Carousel

"..pitch perfect Synth-Kraut-Gaze Pop.." 


Le Carousel
Vast Expansive Sonancy

Le Carousel Bio:
There comes a time in any self-respecting musician’s life when they need to produce their masterpiece — the album that defines them, the body of work that really demonstrates what their soul feels like. This is what Irishman Phil Kieran has done with his new band project – Le Carousel.  A metaphor for the rotations constantly occurring in everyday life, Le Carousel finds Phil assembling some of Ireland’s finest musicians to realize his new album project. A symbol of a more innocent age, a woozy look back into childhood, it’s a blissed out album of reflective songcraft, tinged with time-lapse psychedelia and shot through with hazy fairground ephemera... ~words by Carl Loben 2012


Hello Le Carousel, how are you?
I think that's the first time I've been called "le carousel" as if its my name, but hey I'm happy enough with that, I usually get called Phil.

What are you currently listening to?
Today I've just been working on my own music, but if you're asking me what sort of music have I been listening to recently, I just got around to listening to the Asphodells album (in full) a few days ago and I really liked it.

Is there a story behind the name?
Yeah it stems from the lead track "Carousel", I loved the idea of using a carousel to explain the rotations of life, each turn being one day in your life and all of us as humans or animals being taken on this ride spinning on planet earth, some people enjoying it and others not so much, but its all the same carousel we are on together.

What or whom inspired you the most to begin this project?
Life inspires me, I just tried to tune into my emotions and make them into melodies.

Care to shed some light on your debut s/t LP; theme, favorite track(s), etc?
The theme of the album is all very personal, I guess it was done over a rough time I was having in my life and I was lucky enough to translate some of it into music..

Will you be touring extensively for said release?
We have just finished a tour all over the summer, we did a lot of festivals, I'm just going to DJ for a while now..

Got any other projects we should know about?
I do all my other techno stuff just under my own name,"Phil Kieran".

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
No idea..

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless'.

Are you living your dream? 
I guess in some ways I technically am, though it never feels like it day to day as I seem to get stressed very easily.

Thanx Phil and Ludovica!

Le Carousel recently released a remix companion that I highly recommend you check into (especially if you likes this.)

Sunday, September 29, 2013

EICV7" No. 52 - Polytope


"I'm the know-nothing. I'm curious, I try to be entertaining, I try to translate the techno jargon, but in the end I'm the audience's representative." ~David Pogue

Next release comes out October 13th.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Friday, September 27, 2013

Good (FREE) music laying around the interwebs.. Pt. 1

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Good (FREE) music laying around the interwebs.. Pt. 2


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Monday, September 23, 2013

EIC's 10Q's w/ Youth Code

"..an even more menacing atmosphere.." 


Youth Code
Deconstructing Destruction

Youth Code Bio:
Los Angeles Duo Youth Code are raw, punishing, industrious electronics built from the seeds of hardcore and early Wax Trax. Ryan William George and Sara Taylor blend chaos with catchy dance undertones to create a sonic fury paralleled to none. Formed in 2012, Using all hardware to perform, Youth Code have already proven their path with being the first band outside of Psychic TV to be put out by PTV’s own label ” Angry Love Productions ” as well as a full length LP on the flawless Dais Records roster due out this summer.


Hello, how are you?
S: I'm doing pretty good. Getting ready to go to work and drinking my billionth cup of coffee.

What are you currently listening to?
S: My musical taste is all over the place, but lately I've had a steady diet of classic Sara Jams (Cro Mags, Pantera, Skinny Puppy, Pulp) as well as being really into things like Forces (from Australia) God Module and some newer Hardcore/ Metal stuff like Nomads and Alpha & Omega.

Is there a story behind the band name?
S: We were out hanging with our friend Greh Holger (Hive Mind, Chondritic Sound) and starting joke bands, pulling words out of the air and looking at household items - we came up with ours  (Youth Code) and he was going to do a band called Flat Andre. When we actually wanted to do a serious musical endeavour together Youth Code just seemed like the perfect fit. It had a sound of militance - almost reminiscent of old Hardcore, and also strict like old Industrial and EBM. We didn't think the band would do as well as it did after one show, but since there was an overwhelming amount of support- we couldn't just change the name of the band So it just stuck.

Care to shed some light on your latest LP; theme, favorite track(s), etc?
S: We're definitely growing as songwriters the longer we do a project together, but our progression is still in tact with the style that we enjoy. Harsh yet danceable. My personal faves on the record are "No Animal Escapes" ( an eerie yet disciplined type beat) and.... fuck... all of it really. It really forced us to put our heads together with staying within our area, yet branching out effectively. To me, creating with the person you love can be some of the most brutal yet amazing energy- so harnessing it effectively is a definite trick.

Will you be touring extensively for said release?
S: Hopefully! The goal is to try to play wherever anyone wants us to be. We've played with Punk bands, Hardcore bands, Noise bands, Minimal Synth- whatever. And we aim to be able to keep that up for as long as we can do it.

What is your opinion on the current/general state of Industrial music today?
S: it seems to be opening back up. People are starting to cite Industrial as an influence right now and that is exciting to me. You see kids at Hardcore shows wearing Front 242 shirts, Grimes talking about Skinny Puppy- all kinds of stuff. I might be alone in my tastes but I liked things from all realms of Industrial.... from early Wax Trax, to Noisier experimental stuff, to the Clubby-Goth type of jams to even the metal influenced more guitar and live drums type stuff.... the fact that it's something that has elements for anyone makes it amazing, and the more people that vibe on it the more it can evolve.

Got any other projects we should know about?
S: I've been talking with some friends about starting an all girl tribute to the Cro-Mags called Ho-Mags and maybe turning it into a babe Hardcore band, toying around with ideas about solo ventures, but for the time being - all of my attention goes to this band so that it can grow and flourish and get the work it needs to thrive.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
S: I'm gonna say probably anything by Jodorowsy because of how fucked and amazing his visions are.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
S: I totally can't do this question.

Are you living your dream?
S: Absolutely. It's a lot of hard work- I have 2 jobs and then dedicate every piece of free time to the band, but it is an absolute dream to be able to do something creative, much less with the guy I wanna spend the rest of my life with and have it bear awesome results.

Thanx YC!

Youth Code recently released their debut LP, I STRONGLY recommend you get that now...

REVIEW: Youth Code - s/t

8.25 out of 10
Find it here. 

Youth Code first came across my radar with their (I believe) debut EP 'Demonstrational Cassette', it was love at first sound. The album (an early Lo-Fi basement Industrial tape) reminded me of Skinny Puppy's earlier noise oriented years mixed with Numb's overly aggressive-agro side (these are two of my favorite Industrial bands of all time), needless to say I was (still am) pretty excited for the evolution of this band. And in less than a year they have surpassed all my expectations, (almost) completely blowing away the debut that got me hooked in the first place. This time however with a much stronger production as well as what seems like an even more menacing atmosphere. Youth Code's s/t debut LP is exactly what I needed for this season.

If you're a dinosaur like me you might remember the days of going to a hole-in-the-wall club that was way too tiny, in a questionable area of town, and most likely ran by a bunch of kids who didn't know what they were doing (and probably ran it to the ground). I miss places like these. Bands like Youth Code would fill an entire room with drowned out synthesizer sounds bouncing from wall to wall between loud screaming vocals and trash can banging beats that just keep the whole mood moving forward (Oh! And there was probably a fog machine there too). These were good times. To hear sounds like the ones present on Youth Code's debut LP is to witness the most raw form of organized noise possible. I can't understand a person that wouldn't love music like this.

Industrial music fans this is a no-brainer, you need this. Fans of darker, more aggressive sounds? Give it a go. Highly Recommended.

Standout Tracks: Let The Sky Burn, Rest In Piss (this reminds me of Flux Information Sciences), No Animal Escapes

Sunday, September 22, 2013

EICV7" No. 52 - Polytope ..coming soon!

EverythingIsChemical Virtual 7" No. 52 - Polytope comes out September 29th!
  
"I like things that sound like maybe they shouldn't belong." ~Mary Timony

(hopefully you checked out the last v7"?)

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Cool Video Funtime #401 - The Wisdom Of Stones (Do You Believe In..?)


[[EIC Mixtape: № 17 - October '13]]


[[EIC Mixtape: № 17 - October '13]] 
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1. Hang Tight - My Atlantis 
FIND IT HERE.
2. Skymning - Untitled [Bonus Track]
3. Spark Master Tape - Coke & Coco Pops [Produced by Paper Platoon]
4. Th.e n.d - In Times Of Fading
5. Ręg łífē - Cruisin' 'Round Th' Coochie
6. Tommy Kruise - War Hammers
7. Raindeer - Tattoo II
8. Gr8 Skin - Now Loading
9. Rhxanders - Infiniteclimb
10. AFX - PWSteal.Ldpinch.D (GLASS TEETH Edit)
11. Booty Fade - T.Y.B. Ft. Yung Nation
12. Chuzausen - The Walker
13. Arca - Anaesthetic
14. Saint Pizza - Pac Man (Feat. Leisure Exclusive)
15. Fifty Grand - Scary All Over
FIND IT HERE. 
16. L∆V∆ - Ghostmodern
17. Kigo - Some Other Place
18. Similarobjects - Infantil
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Thanx for listenin';]

Friday, September 20, 2013

Good (FREE) music laying around the interwebs.. Pt. 1

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Good (FREE) music laying around the interwebs.. Pt. 2


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Good (FREE) music laying around the interwebs.. Pt. 3


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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Check into Yöri..


Here's what I know; Yöri is from Iceland (LA based I believe), that and I-am-obsessed. I don't even know where to begin on comparisons.. Bjork does Witch House maybe? Who cares? This is absolutely perfect between my headphones. Please keep it up Yöri (I will forever be grateful;).

Cool Video Funtime #400 - 400 & 57


Monday, September 16, 2013

REVIEW: Black Jeans - Black Tourmaline

8 out of 10

I feel it's not often enough I get to talk Industrial. For as much as I still love it's rich past as well how it shaped my overall taste in music today, I need to talk about it more. There aren't (unfortunately) too many bands these days that are "wowing" me in said category (there are a few though, definitely).. One new comer that recently peaked my interest in said sound is Black Jeans.

Russell Butler's (Black Jeans) version of androgynous old school Industiral/EBM may be one of the freshest devotions I've heard in a while. I don't want to make any comparisons, but I do promise for fans of early Dark Synth Pop (EBM) you will love this release. I believe the entire album was written with analog instruments which is always more respectable, as well as leading to a much richer sound-scape pay off especially in the case of 'Black Tourmaline'. The entire albums is a solid homage to classic dark electronics that I can just never get enough of. (I'm still waiting for the boom in this genre -- more bands need to create sounds like these).

Highly Recommended..sadly though, I believe this is the last Black Jeans release:( But there is more on the way from Russell, hopefully in way of another EBM masterpiece;]

Standout Tracks: No Safety, Cruelty, Lover,

EIC's 10Q's w/ Black Jeans

"..leading to a much richer sound-scape pay off.."


Black Jeans
Cultivating Factory Sonances

Black Jeans Bio:
Black Jeans began as a solo recording project during a winter holiday in Bermuda and has developed into a visceral exploration of the chaotic nature of life. Russell Butler uses analog, modular synthesizers, and vintage drum machines to approach the subjects of fear, loss, and self doubt while his swirling, deep vocals communicate the desire to overcome. Black Jeans’ debut cassette (now sold out) was released on local cult label Tundra Dubs and his vinyl debut will appear on AMDiscs.


Hello, how are you?
Feeling pretty relieved. I got married to my partner of 3 and a half years on August 1st, we are pretty settled in our new place in Oakland, finally got some work in in my new studio spot in Oakland, and filed my green card petition today. It has been a hectic 3 months, but I'm excited to move forward.

What are you currently listening to?
A lot of stuff. My friends in Chasms just put out their 'Riser' EP which is phenomenal, they'll be on tour with Sisu and Dirty Beaches in September. I am also listening to a gang of bay area artists (Worker/Parasite, Brandon Nickell, Time Release, Believe, Inhalt, Austen Cesear, Vereker, Antwon) and friends around the world (Richard McMaster of Golden Teacher and Tropics Of Capricorn, Youth Code, Aaron David Ross, Streetwalker). Just heard about Bishop Nehru, who is a 16 year old rapper from I don't know where. Can't get enough of anything on L.I.E.S Records, especially my homie Vereker's eps, that Mutant Beat Dance 12", and the 4 club use only 12" by Delroy Edwards. I'm just waiting for someone to drop "Bells" at a party so that I can lose my shit. That new Ciara album, just cuz "Body Party" is an homage to my wife and I's favorite song, "My Boo" by Ghosttown DJs. Just heard about this awesome contemporary New Beat group called Supermad, from Mexico, and I'm making my way through what they have on the internet. I'm also a sucker for fuzzed out, stoned alt rock, so right now I'm obsessed with Pity Sex's new album 'Feast Of Love' and I'm really excited for the new album, "Deserve", by a band called Weed from Vancouver, BC. Trying to cut myself short right now because I could dominate this interview with how much awesome music I've been exposed to recently. As you can tell, I'm a music lover, haha.

Is there a story behind the name?
 Back in 2008, I started making solo black metal under the name Spirit Sword. This was primarily a performance project, that I used to satisfy my urge to scream without a microphone, shred guitar over double kick drums, and do infinite hair whips. I moved to the bay area in 2009 and wasn't really sure where to find people making the music that I wanted to make, so I retreated within, and created Black Jeans while at home in Bermuda for the holidays. I came up with the name as a kind of compliment to the rougher Spirit Sword project; similar aesthetic and conceptual aims, but different guises. One day the phrase "Black Jeans, Black Spirit" popped into my head and it seemed perfect. It coupled a dark, surface, aesthetic, with a deeper, pensive conceptual foundation. I decided to create a split CD-R and cassette release that would feature the two projects. One project went into an unending dreamless sleep, the other perseveres today.

What or whom inspired you the most to begin this project?
Post-college-no money-bad job bummer life and a desire to make weird pop music. My racial and cultural identity as a black, queer, Bermudian immigrant also inspires the project. Andrew Eldritch and his Sisters Of Mercy project, as well as the more obvious and most compared to, Joy Division gave me a sound and feeling to draw from. While Wu-Tang Clan gave me some serious lessons in how to manifest strife and hardship in sound.

Care to shed some light on your recent LP 'Black Tourmaline'; theme, favorite track, etc?
The theme of the record is chaos and how it is not an individual agent, but a structural element of our universe. This subject had perpleced me since I saw Jessica Rylan (a wonderful noise musician, synthesizer designer, and scientist) give a lecture on the subject at MIT in 2007. I was reminded of these concepts and her lecture during the Mercury Retrograde astrological event, which I named the instrumental "Mercury is Retrograde" after. During this event, shit happens and you need to go with the flow. This particular time, a good friend from high school died suddenly and I was offered a deal with a somewhat reputable indie label, within days of each other. I was reminded of my own corporeality through this chaotic time; learning that its not a matter of life being fair or unfair, its more that life simply is, and shit happens, for better or worse. I titled the record "Black Tourmaline" because a Black Tourmaline is a stone that converts negative energy into positive energy (if you believe in crystal magic, like I do). This stone helped me a great deal, whilst playing the record out, recording it, and pushing it. It helped me through the chaos of daily life, by balancing the scales a bit more in my favor. I recorded this record using 2 modular synthesizers, a vintage synth, and a couple of vintage drum machines. I then composed the sequences and played them live, recording them to 4 tracks straight into Logic, usually only doing 3 or 4 takes. The only overdubs are a couple of synth solos on the first and last tracks and the vocals. I am not an analog purist, but I wanted to create a structure in which failure was valued, analog synthesizers and control voltage are wonderful tools to this end. I think that "Lover" is my favorite track. I love sensual music, in a sexual, as well as, a purely sensory way. It really holds you and kind of strokes your ears, whilst also having a fierce and steady pulse from the kick drum. It was also the most fun to play live, the easiest to record, and as one could have guessed, about my wife.

Is there a specific reason the LP was released via two different labels?
This is a common misconception. I believe that it was written on a blog or on Facebook that Tundra Dubs and AMdiscs released the record, though there is only a sliver of truth there. AMdiscs is responsible for the digital and impending vinyl release, whilst Ben Versluis (who released my first official tape on Tundra) mixed the record.

Got any other projects we should know about?
Very soon, I will no longer be performing as Black Jeans. I do not intend to retire the project entirely, but I am ready to (and am already making) other forms of music. I will be playing my last show as Black Jeans (for a while) on October 4th in San Francisco. I will be taking some time off to regroup and work on new material under my own name, Russell EL Butler. I currently work at an interactive kids museum in SF and recently finished some sound design for an exhibit that Adobe (yep the folks that make Photoshop) designed. Its an 8 foot by 14 foot LED wall with touch capabilities and a pressure sensitive floor. I am hoping to launch my career in sound design once I leave my job at the end of September. I will also start making art objects again and start a punk band that I can't really talk about yet.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
It depends on which body of work. Some might like it set to Altered States, others might like it set to an infinite loop of the rave scene towards the end of Hackers.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' by the Smashing Pumpkins. That record is perfect (well most of it).

Are you living your dream?
In some ways for sure. 13 year old me would freak out that I am living in one of the greatest areas in the world, surrounded by open, endearing, and supportive friends and colleagues. Whilst also being married to a woman that I love and that loves me and lifts me up unconditionally. I still have plenty of ambitions and aspirations though, so I'm still having plenty of dreams. However, 13 year old me wouldn't be so stoked that I gave up skateboarding in a skateboard mecca....

Thanx Russell!

Black Jeans is currently over:(?) but Russell El Butler lives on, look for new/different music soon..