EIC's 10Q's w/ Mr.Kitty

"..a more ominous presence.."

Mr.Kitty

Raving Apostle

Mr.Kitty Bio:

Mr.Kitty, who has specialized in everything from Dark Electronic music to Breakcore, has shared the stage with Crystal Castles and had his music featured in the Dallas Observer. The solo artist writes dark yet catchy originals and remixes popular songs.

 Hello, how are you? 

I'm half asleep and burnt out from the night before. Overall, I'm okay.

What are you currently listening to? 

Vaporwave

Is there a story behind the name? 

I saw a picture of a cat wearing a bow tie and a top hat on the Internet. I thought it looked sophisticated, thus came "Mr.Kitty".

Do you consider Crystal Castles to be a pretty big influence on your sound?

They are an influence on my entire life.

Speaking of your sound, care to shed some light on your recent LP 'Life'; theme, favorite track, etc? 

The theme deals with subjects that I have dealt with in my personal life. It's a soft, romanticized record for the most part. My favorite track from this release is "Unstable" because it gives listeners an insight of what I have to deal with emotionally on a daily basis.

Will you be touring for said release and have you considered doing so with Miss Kittin;]?

I wish that I could tour for this release, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. I don't listen to Miss Kittin, so no.

Got any other projects we should know about?

I had a side-project called "Echo Strobes" but I don't do anything with it anymore.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?

Spirited Away

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?

Depeche Mode's 'Violator'

Are you living your dream?

Yes, but I feel like I'm living in a dream at the same time.

Thanx Forrest!

Mr.Kitty recently released his latest LP 'Life', which can be found HERE...

EIC's 10Q's w/ André Obin

"..perfect for midnight driving to nowhere.." 

André Obin

Approaching Ominous Thrill

André Obin Bio:

An object in motion will remain in motion, and for André Obin, no force has been able to stop him from careening through the different lanes of an endless musical highway. Genre-bending and shape-shifting are standard fare; taking risks is part of the fun. As a musician, singer and producer, André draws inspiration for his songs from a deep emotional well. The music unfolds simultaneously with life itself. The results can be as dark as a forest under a new moon or as bright as a summer sun reflecting off the skyscrapers of a bustling city.

 Hello, how are you?
I'm ok... Getting to the point in the tour (especially after six shows at SXSW) that I'm a bit wary. Missing my girlfriend and my cat. Playing Baton Rouge, LA tonight.*
*at that current time.

What are you currently listening to?
The band that has my attention right now is Factory Floor from London. I'd love to play some shows with them. I love the amalgamation of electronic hardware, organic instrumentation and eerie vocals.

When did you begin writing music? Whom or what were your biggest influences?
I started writing music in my teens. I started releasing under my own name in 2008. I like lots of Post-Punk, Shoegaze, Kraut Rock, Techno, Pop and Ambient music. Two of my favorite groups are Depeche Mode and Joy Division.

Care to tell us a little bit about 'The Arsonist'; theme(s), favorite track(s), etc.?
Each song is about a different scenario. "Golden Hair" is based on the poem by James Joyce. Syd Barrett later wrote a tune to accompany it. Slowdive covered it and performed it in a John Peel session - that's where I first heard it. My version is an adaptation which tries to pay homage to that lineage and bring it to a new place sonically. "Enjoy" is a song about not wanting to rush the musical process. The lyrics are "wait, we want to go slow, enjoy."

Will you be touring pretty extensively for said release?
I've been on a US tour for a couple weeks and have another week to go. I hope to tour Europe again this year.  Holland is one of my favorite places to play. And I still haven't played the West Coast of the US. I love to perform but I'm also trying to keep a roof over my head.

Got any other projects we should know about?
André Obin is my sole focus. I spent over a decade juggling 2-3 different bands at a time. Most recently I fronted the indie rock band Endless Wave. I'm still proud of a lot of music in my past. I'm just in a period where collaborating does not make sense because of time constraints and increased demand. I'm helping some friends with their productions but choose to remain in the shadows there. Generally, if I'm not writing it, I don't want my name on it.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
I've used scenes from The Soloist and 2001 in my live visuals. Blade Runner might work.  I remember when Jeff Mills wrote a record to accompany Fritz Lang's Metropolis. That was amazing. I much rather score a film and have the scenes syncopated instead of images and sounds clashing randomly. Images should come first for a film.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless'. Although Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works Volume 2' has been just as important and steady for me.

Are you living your dream?
Getting pretty damn close to it. Had the first encore of my life at SXSW.

Thanx Anton & André!

André Obin is currently touring (non-stop pretty much), try to catch one of his live shows if you can...

EIC's 10Q's w/ Gliss

".."cinematic ominous" with "subconscious alter-reality".."

Gliss

Disconsolated Empryrean Elation

Gliss Bio:

Danish/American band Gliss makes a huge departure from their old sound on the new record Langsom Dans which is gathering comparisons to Beach House, Crystal Castles and Lower Dens. The LA based trio, consisting of Victoria Cecilia, Martin Klingman and David Reiss, pour their collective musical imaginations into recording timeless art pop with a precise Scandinavian texture that steps away from their previous work. The 12-track LP features heavy synths and electronic beats with Danish expatriate, Victoria Cecilia, stepping into the role as lead singer. The passionate vocal harmonies dictate the recordings with stories of coming out of the darkness into a new life, bringing to mind The XX, Portishead and Depeche Mode.

Hello, how are you?

Hello! I am feeling pretty good today. Made a huge vegetable juice about an hour ago. That stuff wakes me up!

What are you currently listening to?

Diamond Rings, Bat for Lashes, Twin Shadow, and no matter what Howlin’ Wolf is always there.

Why the name "Gliss", and do you still feel that this title/name is as relevant now as it may have been in the beginning?

It had to be called something, Gliss still fits the vibe.

Care to tell us a little bit about your latest release 'Langsom Dans'; theme, favorite track(s), snags in recording, etc.?

'Langsom Dan's is a huge departure from our old sound, so it took us a couple of years weeding through tracks, and settle on the direction we wanted to take. In the past the 3 of us would write the songs at the rehearsal space, jamming. But this time around it was so un-inspiring. Nothing interesting or new happened that way. So Martin and I (Victoria) started writing individually, and then meeting up and working on those songs. We would record a basic demo, and then experiment with different chord changes, and different instruments on the track. We spent a lot of time on the drums. We would program a beat, and then try every single effect on it. We would isolate the snare and find an effect we liked, then only keep the echo of the effected snare, and completely delete the snare hit. ..Things like that…Days..months..of finding sounds we liked. Another big change is that I took on the role as lead-singer. Martin is still singing a couple of songs, but most of them I sing now.That was all Martin’s idea. I think he enjoys being a drummer again. Lucky us, ‘cos he is great! We got some good advice from Gareth Jones, who mixed our 2nd album. We used to always switch instruments, and he suggested we each just stick to what we do best. So now Martin plays drums-and sings, David plays guitar, and I sing and play keys.

Will you extensively touring the US for said release?

We are leaving on Wednesday actually for some US dates*, and then we will continue to Europe from there.

*band has returned from the US, and is now onto Europe. 

Speaking of touring, in a dream world whom would you choose to tour with if you could pick anybody (dead or alive)?

Depeche Mode, Bat for Lashes, The Knife, Bjork, Ramones, The Birthday Party

Got any other projects we should know about?

Martin has his own solo project,it’s just called “Martin Klingman”. It’s very beautiful acoustic songs. I have a project as well called Night Belles. Very dark stuff. I have put out a couple of tracks here and there, mainly for movies, but will make an album available some time this year. David’s thing is photography, he has this sick camera he brings with him everywhere.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?

Any David Lynch movie.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?

"Best Of Billie Holiday"

Are you living your dream?

I always want more. But I am pretty satisfied at the moment. I spend as much time as I can doing things that are exciting to me. Obviously music takes up most of my time, but I also take acting classes, which I love. I have always loved the theater. And living in Los Angeles you have access to some great teachers.

Thanx Gliss!

Gliss are currently touring Europe, and then (hopefully) revisiting the US shortly after...

EIC'S10Q'S w/Geneva Jacuzzi

"..head first into a bath of Post("Pre" maybe?)-Electro Pop sounds infused with what sounds like/can only be described as Tropicana Goth music.."


Geneva Jacuzzi
Caliginous Electro Art

Geneva Jacuzzi Bio:
Geneva Garvin (aka Geneva Jacuzzi) is a songwriter, visual and recording artist from Los Angeles, California. In her music she has honed a blithe and cryptic wit filled with sultry puns, double entendres, and irreverent references to mysticism and the occult. From 2004 to 2007 she fronted the tongue-in-cheek goth band Bubonic Plague, an influential cult favorite in the burgeoning scene in LA’s Echo Park district.

Her music has used styles that range from Darkwave, Goth, Lounge and Tropicalia. She recreates these sounds in painstaking detail on a portable 8-track cassette recorder.

Her recent recordings have zeroed in on a discarded period in electronic funk and dance music associated with groups like Morris Day and The Time, El DeBarge and Zapp & Roger. She infuses these styles with elaborate instrumentation and harmonically complex textures that are technically difficult to achieve using her recording equipment. These distilled instrumental pieces often last under 30 seconds.

She has also developed a collage-art style that she uses to package her own music and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti albums. Like her music, her album covers consist of other album covers, intricately re-worked and shuffled so as to give the impression of a sensuous time in contemporary music, while avoiding specific references or quotation.


Hello, how are you?
I'm as well as can be expected.

What are you currently listening to?
The sweet song of "My Cockatiel" (Norman). His melodies are quite unique. Tonight, he seems to be venturing off into a rather strange style of music. It sounds almost like a classic Zarzuela sprinkled with a hint of Mariachi. It's actually kinda good.

What's the story behind the band name?
Well, Geneva is my real first name and Jacuzzi is my fake rock and roll last name.

Which artist(s) influenced you the most when it came to creating your signature sound?
Oh how I wish I knew what my signature sound was!! Anyway, this is hard so I'll just list whatever pops into my head. Devo, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Human League, Sparks, Abba, Fad Gadget, Chrome, Prince, MJ, The Cure, Ministry, The Associates... this could go on forever and I know I'm forgetting all the Good ones.

Who is your favorite artist from the Los Angeles area?
Uh, Christian Death, Duh!

What's your least favorite genre of music?
GENRE MUSIC

Is there a tentative title/theme/release date for your next album?
What? Who said anything about a next album.

Will you be touring for said release?
Oh definitely!

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
There are a lot of good albums out there. HA! but none that good

Are you living your dream?
No, My dream is to become a Jedi Knight and live out the rest of my days levitating in the magical ice caves of Hoth.

Thanx Geneva!

Geneva Jacuzzi is currently working on a follow up to "Lamaze"...maybe.

Depeche Mode to be remixed by Sigur Ros frontman..

Sometime soon (in 2009) Depeche Mode will be releasing the next single, "Peace", off of their newest album "Sounds Of The Universe". It will onyl be in 7" format. One of the remixes will be done by Jonsi (lead singer of Sigur Ros). One can only wonder how these two artists will blend ther sounds together..

Tracklisting:

1 - Peace (Single Version)
2 - Come Back (Jonsi Remix)

There will also be a different version of this release (also only on 7") that has a remix by MGMT.

Tracklisting:

1 - Peace (Single Version)
2 - Fragile Tension (MGMT Remix)

That could be cool too..

Yippee!