EIC's 10Q's w/ Afraid

"..there are two rules to having a good time.."

 

(Photo credit: Ryan Eyestone)

Afraid

Nebulous Drift Drag

Afraid Bio:

Portland, ME-based smoky bedroom sounds. Gravebaby shiv. Est. May 2011.

Go HERE to download everything ever for free....

Hello, how are you?

Doing much better than I have been in the past six months. Coming out of a bad spell, y'all.

What are you currently listening to?

Tricky's 'Pre-Millenium Tension' album. This Mortal Coil's 'It'll End In Tears.' Also, lots of old soul. Garnet Mimms, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson, Ben E. King. Other than that, I've been listening to Grouper for a couple hours here and there laying in bed, looking out the window.

Whats with the band name, is there something specific you fear?

I once recorded a version of Nico's "Afraid'" with a very certain girl in my life. We were going to be Afraid together. The girl left, but the name stayed. It still feels appropriate. 'Desertshore' is one of my secret favorite records of all time, and I think it shows through in places in my music if you know where to look. I'm just waiting out here on the Desertshore to meet up with Nico one of these days…

When did this project come about?

May of 2011. I recorded "Tearing The Tongue" and sent it to some close friends. It was over a year until anything was released though (EMF, 9.10.12.) I had to take some serious time to figure out what the fuck I wanted to be doing. Lots of fiddling with knobs and tuning ladies' voices down in audacity.

Care to tell us a little bit about the album you did with Jared Fairfield titled 'EMF', theme/meaning of acronym, how it came up/how you know Jared, etc.?

We sort of promised not to give the meaning away ever. But, you can see on the cover of the album that Jared has an 'EMF' tattoo. We spent a lot of time in that very same room on the cover, doing just what you see there, fucking off and drinking profusely and tattooing each other and our friends occasionally. We watched a lot of Rihanna videos on local access music video television and decided to make a split record, since we were both making electronic music for the first time. The title and the image just came to me. There are maybe three or four different meanings, but a couple hold sway over the others. One day we might share. In the meantime, we both need to cracking on EMF II, as we plan to do a whole string of these things.

Any plans to tour for said release?

No plans to tour at the moment. One of the only things I know for sure that I want to do in life is to tour with Afraid. I just haven't finished putting my live crew together yet. I need friends, people who are on the same wavelength. I can't use any old dummy. No hired hands. No local goons. Big purple lights and lots of strobes, fog machines, many many speakers. All of this needs to come together first.

Got any other projects we should know about?

At the moment, no. I'm married to Afraid.

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

Boogie Nights. I actually put this on mute while I was messing around with my MicroKorg the first time I got it. So yes, Boogie Nights. "I'm a star, I'm a star, I'm a big big star." Put on "All Fucked Up (Forever)" from EMF and watch the cocaine dealer scene, I think that would work nicely.

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

Spacemen 3's 'Forged Prescriptions.' If I can only have one record for the rest of my life, I'm going to take the one that sends me floating off to heaven every time. Thank you Spaceman. Thank you Pete.

Are you living your dream?

No. If one day I wake up and I can miraculously make music all day, and play shows and record all morning and night, then I will be living my dream. I have never been able to tell if this dream is ludicrous or worth chasing, so instead I have learned to focus solely on the work at hand, and to live inside of it. This is all I ever want to do, anyways.

Thanx Jakob!

Afraid recently released the 'French Braids/Dead Friends' single, check that out NOW. He's also currently working on his upcoming "debut" LP, look for that sometime soon (as well as one other surprise;])..

EIC'S10Q'S w/Rotten Tropics

"..reminiscent of a garage band with focused energy on Gothic tones melded with Post Modern soundscapes. There is also a bit of Industrial sludge there, as well as a throwback to the early days of simple/elegant Post Punk music.."

Rotten Tropics
Opaque Derelict Methodologies

Rotten Tropics Bio:
Rotten Tropics is a hybrid of Dark/Grimey Post Punk Shoegaze music formed from the afterbirth Lo-Fi Industrial tones. Rotten Tropics is also Jakub Tywoniuk. So far RT has released "Bukowski" (single), and "Corrose Tropes EP", both of which are FREE on his bandcamp site. This is only the beginning of this young artists career, but a bright start with a promising future none-the-less.


Hello, how are you?
Hey, I am fine at the moment.

What are you currently listening to?
My next-door neighbour likes to blast Hip Hop very early in the morning. Lately I have been battling him with some Spiritualized, Spacemen 3, Aphex Twin, and Swans.

Where does the name Rotten Tropics come from?
I would like to keep that one vague. It is not an interesting story. Just a good strong mental image.

Can you please explain your sound in five words or less?
Dread Fog Panic Shoegaze Kafka

What is the overall theme/feel you were going for with your "Corrosive Tropes" EP?
Its about those unpleasant feelings of sublime awe, ominous anxiety, the ambiguity of communication, self loathing. I have no idea if using music as a means of catharsis helps the mental state of the artist at all. I might just be digging a deeper grave for myself. Each song has to send shivers down my spine. That way I know it is saying something.

Is there a title/tentative release date for your debut LP?
I think I will keep doing EP's. The length of an album seems kind of arbitrary and CD's are dead. Composing five decent songs took me about a year to do. Less is more!

Are you guys officially signed to any label yet?
No, It seems pretty damn unlikely to me. Maybe even pointless.

Can you please name a few current bands that should be bigger by now?
Hmmm... Hildur Gudnadóttir from Iceland, Xinlisupreme from Japan. As for local bands in Toronto... Actual Water and Noble Savage.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Uhh, something without vocals. It changes every five minutes, man. Maybe "Amber" by Autechre.

Are you living your dream?
No. I am a mess. That makes for good tunes, though. All I want is to write interesting songs and occasionally shout them to a room full of people.

Thanx Jakub!

Rotten Tropics is currently working on his next EP, look for that in the near future... What's that? Can't wait?

Here's a FREE track ("The Stranger") from the upcoming album (so far unnamed--as far as I know) for your listening pleasure...

EIC'S10Q'S w/Serena-Maneesh

"..A true delight for fans of Psych Rock/Shoegaze music or even Smashing Pumpkins, had SP focused more on loud noise and a little less on pop.."

(Photo Credit: Kjetil Tangen)

Serena-Maneesh
Psychotomimetic Obstreperous Concept

Serena-Maneesh Bio:
The team of musicians who each contribute to the band's sound is organized around its main protagonist and songwriter Emil Nikolaisen. Emil has previously appeared as a guitarist and songwriter in the indie band Royal, played the drums in Norwegian punk rock band Silver as well as in the retro-pop orchestra The Loch Ness Mouse. He even has a past as guitarist in the metal band Extol.

Important sources of musical inspiration are The Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine, Amon Düül, The Stooges, Swans, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, Stereolab, Royal Trux, Neu!, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. In late 2005, the band toured Europe in support of The Dandy Warhols. In early 2006, Serena-Maneesh landed the opening gig for British band Oasis during its UK tour. They supported Nine Inch Nails on the Australia/Japan leg of their 2007 world tour.

The highly acclaimed self-titled debut album was released on the Norwegian record-label HoneyMilk in the autumn of 2005. In December of the same year, the Norwegian vinyl label Hype City released an LP print featuring two exclusive tracks, and the Spanish indie distributor Touchme Records published the CD. In March 2006, the band announced its transfer to the Playlouder-branch of the Beggars Group established in Europe (UK, Germany and Italy), North America (United States and Canada) and Oceania (Australia). In June 2006, the band released an international edition of its self-titled album (both CD and LP) through the international label Playlouder.

The long-awaited second album Serena Maneesh 2: Abyss in B Minor was released in March 2010 on the renowned British independent label 4AD. According to Nikolaisen, it sounds like a "rock'n'roll chamber of magic."


Hello, how are you?
Great! floating far above the skies in an aeroplane through the waves of my dreams!

What are you currently listening to?
Jobim. Everywhere. All the time. His great relatives Brazilian duo Joyce, Gal Costa, Menescal.. Jimmy Webb... RTX.. Stooges..

Where does the name Serena Maneesh come from?
Somewhere in the native deserts of my West Coast Norwegian sour breeze of the mind

What’s the music scene like in your hometown?
Some good bands, lots of incredibly nice people, sometimes a little too nice, sometimes just good nice and great music comes out of it! But yes some good and quite diverse acts, some gifted people. People trying to contribute for a better music world.

It seems like it's been a while since you last released a new album, care to explain what you've been up to?
Restoration sleep, mind on other things, laboring time, recording and playing around with things for a couple of years

What is the theme behind your new album?
Underlying streams of melodic consciousness.. Heavy silk. Perfume from ancient times. Many ways to drape a melody. A whole story that needs to be listened to! Not just for the chosen few though. It should be for everyone! Give it time and it will embrace you.. heeeeee

Are you more proud of the music you make now or the music made back in the day?
Heading forwards, man! The future!! Grasping for everything that lies ahead.. New ideas to find, new stories to be told.. Right now this record has been with me so strongly for so long that I still sense the smoke in the air from it..

Is there a full US tour in the works?
Yes! Starting NOW* the 17th at SXSW in Texas, coming through the West Coast, up to Canada and some back and forth before starting heading down/aiming for New York as final destination. Really looking forward to sharing some music again!
*EDITORS NOTE: Interview done at the beginning of February.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
It' s not the news bomb and it could never be: VU' s "banana record".

Are you living your dream?
I' m alive and still dreaming! Does that count? The journey is, you know the good old roller coaster, of sorrow and joy.. but if you' re not holding your dreams high and act upon them.. what' s left in such a dark hole?

Thanx SM!

Serena-Maneesh just wrapped up their US tour and are currently bouncing around different European venues...