EIC's 10Q's w/ Tone Of Arc

"..cherish & appreciate a good foot-stomper.."

Tone Of Arc

Erratic Dance Operation

Tone Of Arc Bio:

San Francisco producer Derrick Boyd aka Dead Seal, now Tone OF Arc a duo/band production with partner/vocalist Zoe Presnick have been making music for most of their lives, two of those special individuals possessed with a wide range of musical expression. Tone Of Arc brings a glimpse of real musicality to the underground tech house and indie house scene, something rarely experienced on the dance floor. In the studio they have carved an austere path of "Nuclear Winter" atonality and Skinny Puppy theatrics to create, what could be best described as, "other worldly". They also sing, play guitar, bass, and keys and it's this vast sea of musical expression that creates a sense of a Grand-Guignol cabaret for rivet heads. This sense of bravado and daring blurs the line between traditional live performance and the microprocessor obsessed futurism. Tone Of Arc's powerful stage presense drawn from old school cats like Iggy Pop, The Clash, and Bowie helps to partially define the originality of his music. Boyd himself describes these new directions in sound as discovering the infinite within the mortal remains and posits that this is the dichotomy of existence. Even the alias Dead Seal is part of his philosophy acting as "a symbol of my past, present, and future lives- reminding me that I am more than just a man." Tone Of Arc, in short means for the sound of the laws of creation, a name born from the wonder of the sound that holds all things in the universe together.  Boyd and Presnick have been recording junkies since their teens. Boyd has created a volume of more than a two hundred songs and tracks which he jokingly refers to as his "Dead Seal Scrolls" . In the midst of all their activity, a debut full length album on the ever expanding inspirational house record label No.19 owned by Nitin and Jonny White of Art Department is due at the end of summer in 2012 with 3 Ep's to be released before so marking a long and anticipated wait of 2 years dedication to execute a perfect album release. Come short they have not and their live set completes the experience %110.  So Why has so little been released as Dead Seal and why the change of name to Tone Of Arc? Boyd responds in his own inimitable style, "There is always room for improvement and I am really hard on myself and demand a lot of myself before I die. I have kept my music a secret for so long that it was too early for me to have any real accomplishments till recently. But I assure everyone that the best has yet to come, I'm just getting warmed up with a name change to match the level of achievement. 'Bout time after 200 hundred songs and twenty six years of hoarding bombs. "Music takes a lifetime, you can never stop once you have chosen to inspire those around you I just never got around to selling myself cause I wanted the music to bring me to the right people. I have always trusted in the light and it's family of open hearted genius to bring me home".

Hello, how are you?
I'm great. Very tired and working hard, but great.

What are you currently listening to?
Nothing. I have been on tour for the past couple months so the silence is bliss. I stopped buying music and listening to music because I don't have time for it at the moment. I miss my studio so much that when I get home for a couple days at a time about once a month I lock the door to my studio and disappear. I don't come out until I have more songs for the live show.

When did this band come about and did you have a planned sound you were going for?
The band came about when I fell in love with a closet singer named Zoe Presnick. We joined forces and evened each other out. The sound just evolved from there to be more well rounded and lighter on the soul without being too cliche or cheap.

Care to shed some light on your latest release 'The Time Was Right'; theme, favorite track, etc?
Favorite song on the album would be "The Time Was Right". Its my most musical and thought out peace. I don't even remember making it though. It just was there one day and a force to be matched. I wrote it making a vow to make purposeful, meaningful songs. The rest of the album came one at a time after in a period of five years with a couple hundred songs in between.

Will you be touring extensively for said release?
Yeah, I'm booked through the end of October four days to four weeks at a time on the road all around the world. It's a trip to be home with no job and making music to escape the rat trap and then watch your escape become the cheese in the trap. What sets you free is being positive and not letting the road break you. At insanities limit I always say to myself "this is what I always wanted and came here to do so do it or abuse your spirit with a 9-5".

If you could pick 3 artists (dead or alive) to remix your work whom would you pick?
Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, and David Bowie. But I think they would make remixes like I do and just make a completely different song. Some people hate that. I like it.

Got any other projects we should know about?
A second album, and hand modeling.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
'Silence Of The Lambs' of course. :)

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Pink Floyd's 'The Dark Side Of The Moon'. Hands down.

Are you living your dream?
I am, but I've seen the future so there is more to this dream. Life is changing rapidly and we cant get stuck on one idea or way of being for too long or it or will haunt your subconscious and leave you stagnant and spiritually constipated. I have huge plans and I know I will get there. More work, more dues, more airplanes, meditating, breathing and repeat until my vision has been met then make new visions and manifestations.

Thanx TofA and Matthew!

Tone Of Arc are currently touring, make sure you go to a show if you can...

EIC's 10Q's w/ Castratii

"..bleed heart and knowledge.."

Castratii

Dark Tales From Down Under

Castratii Bio:

Wind. Rain. Mist. Whispers. Secrets written in blood. Sliding doors in parallel universes. Castratii are a paradox, a wonderful vision of a life that might have been, and still could be. Enveloping shrouds of ambient musical strands, woven together into a swinging bridge that hangs over a chasm of endless possibility.

    Hello, how are you?
Great, how are you?
EIC: Fine, just fine, thanks for asking!;]

What are you currently listening to?
Over the last couple of months we've been listening to a lot of music. Here's some that have been on high rotation; Coil 'Horse Rotorvator', Silent Servant 'Negative Fascination', Dead Can Dance 'Anastasis', Peter Murphy 'Deep', Tricky 'Pre Millennium Tension', Morricone 'The Mission', Goreck's 'Symphony No 3.', Bowie 'Outside', Talk Talk 'The Colour Of Spring', Xasthur 'Portal Of Sorrow', Vatican Shadow 'Kneel Before Religious Icons' and more.. Recently we picked up the latest Andy Stott record, which we love.

Whats with the band name?
We take our name from 16 century soprano males, the Castrato or "Castrati" as they were known. Basically it's a male that has been castrated before puberty to retain a pure soprano voice. The horror of such an act, purely for music is insane and pretty special at the same time.

When did this project come about?
We have been writing and producing music and art for a long time. We self-released some early material in 2009, 'The Music of Chance EP'. Following this releases we spent a solid 2 or so years writing and recording 'Eora'. We wrote about 25 tracks for the album but felt that the 7 that make the album best represented what we set out to do which was capture our ideals of the Australian landscape, it's history and the vast expanse we call home... most of the time.

Care to tell us a little bit about 'Eora', themes/personal favorite track(s)?
The idea was to create a record that reflected our country, the landscape and the history. Not so much a concept record but an album that felt like the soundtrack to a place. We don't want to single out tracks as we hope the album works as a whole but there are certain parts that we like best, the ending of "Monolith", the middle 8 in "The Hanging", the guitar break in the title track. Liela's voice is also a part of the record that we love.

Any plans to tour for said release?
We are currently recording a follow up release in LA, probably an EP. We will then hopefully begin playing live in the later part of 2013. We're talking about it now. It should be good but we will work on some lighting and additional things to make it worthwhile.

Got any other projects we should know about?
We worked on this great TV show called 'Watch With Mother'. We did the soundtrack with our good friend Jack Ladder. Check it out here: http://www.watchwithmother.tv  We also contributed some beats and drones to an Australian Contemporary Opera called 'Confined'. Our friend Barton Staggs, who is this fantastic Australian composer asked for some abrasive beats and guitar drones so we happily obliged. Check it out here: http://confinedopera.com  There is also something that we'll be working on next year that is going to be strange and extreme. It is a subliminal art project, working in socially disaffected areas of Australia. We're working again with Jack Ladder but that's about as much as we can say about that at this point.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
We tend to work as though we're making the soundtrack to an imaginary film. There are very distinct images that we try to write against, but seeing as that film only exists in our heads we'll say 'Wake In Fright'. It's an Australian film from 1971 that shines an unfavourable light on rural Australia.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
That is a tough question but we'll say 'The Downward Spiral'. That album continually offers new ideas and sonic landscapes that no one has really come close to touching.

Are you living your dream?
Not so much living our dream, maybe just living in a dream. We sleep very little so most of our day to day is pretty surreal. It's been a great year and we're completely filled with gratitude that our music means something to people. It's beautiful and inspiring. Thanks for taking the time to listen.

Thanx Tim & Castratii!

Castratii are currently laying low/working on a follow up EP/possible tour, til' then...

EIC's 10Q's w/ Moons

"..part Neon/Glam Synth Pop meets exploratory Dark Dream/Space Pop.."

Moons

Dark Neon Illusions

Moons Bio:

Moons is Atlanta-based Patrick Canaday. So far a 7" as well as a couple mixtapes have been released, but if these songs are any indication of this artist's capabilities be prepared for a headphone takeover..

Hello, how are you?

Doing well.

What are you currently listening to?

A LOT of Sci Fi soundtracks, a lot of vintage Indian Pop, Philip Glass' 'North Star', Solid Space, Lower Dens, CH-BB, Eno’s 'Another Green World', Hooray For Earth's 'True Loves', Cocteau Twins 'Bluebell Knoll', Junip, Fleetwood Mac’s 'Mystery To Me' and 'Tango In The Night', Clams Casino, Niki And The Dove is pretty cool (especially the mixes), Berlin, Kym Amps, Eurythmics..

What's with the name, is there a story behind it?

The human experience is nothing but fanned out phases of consciousness. The moons of heavenly bodies mimic the phases we experience on a visual level, an archetypal level, and a magnetic level. Moons is Pop music at its simplest, but the grander picture is intended to be an exploration of the fluidity and chaos of the experiences we have in this universe. I started toying with this name after my mother showed me the classic ‘Paper Moon’ several years ago.

Is there a release date/debut album title yet?

Not just yet.

Will you be touring for said release?

Shows in Atlanta and NYC late Summer/Fall/Winter. Touring in 2013.

In a dream world whom would you like to tour with the most?

Hard question. Lets say…….Bowie on his "Let’s Dance" tour.

Got any other projects we should know about?

I produce and mix other projects on the side. Look out for new music from Atlanta bands Moodrings, Promise Keeper, and Dog Bite in 2013, all projects that I have worked on.

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

Lawrence Of Arabia or anything Andreas Nilsson makes..

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

The Knife’s 'Silent Shout: An Audio/Visual Experience'

Are you living your dream?

No, I’m quite awake.

Thanks Patrick!

Moons is currently working on his debut full length, (if I had to guess) look for that sometime in 2013...

EIC'S10Q'S w/Monster Movie

"..I read a review online somewhere that referred to this album as a mix between My Bloody Valentine and Grandaddy, I couldn't agree more.. Mellow guitars (both rock and reverberated), gallant synths (both air-y and pulsating/dancey), uncomplicated drums (both electronic and standard), and pleasing vocals make this album a nice addition to anybody in need of a "new" pop sound.."

Monster Movie
Amicable Reverie Pop

Monster Movie Bio:
Christian Savill and Sean Hewson, a London-based indie rock duo, have been playing together under various names since 1989, including a brief stint as the Eternal, a band that released one single on the Sarah label. Savill, who was also in Slowdive, decided to start playing again with Hewson in 2000 as Monster Movie, most likely naming themselves after the Can album of the same name. Since debuting in 2001 with a five-track EP on Clairecords, they've released a handful of EPs and albums, including Last Night Something Happened (2001), a split EP with Dreamend (2002), Transistor (2004), To the Moon (2004), All Lost (2006), and Everyone Is A Ghost (2010). Their recordings have drifted between neo-shoegaze, straight-up indie pop, and synth-driven material inspired by the Factory label's dance-oriented sect (Section 25, New Order).


Hello, how are you?
Sean: Tense, as always.
Christian: Covered in paint.

What are you currently listening to?
Sean: Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Built To Spill, Crocodiles, Wavves, Sebadoh, Pavement. At the moment, if it’s from the US and has messed-up guitars on it, I’ll listen to it.
Christian: I like 'Teen Dream' by Beach House, but aside from that I enjoyed the 'Homecoming' tune by The Teenagers, lots of Kraftwerk and I'm revisiting dear old Syd Barrett again, Sparks 'Number one song in heaven', Gorillaz 'Rhinestone eyes', 'Take it in' By Hot Chip, Dreamend 'Pink cloud in the woods' is an amazing song, and tragically no one will recognise this. Maybe I'm biased, but Ryan Graveface is amazing.

Your latest album “Everyone Is A Ghost” is pretty good, did you find the recording process for that to go pretty smoothly or..?
Sean: There’s no room for hyperbole here, right? Recording always goes smoothly for us because we enjoy it. Things can get a bit tense when we do the vocals because we’re not really vocalists but, as we’ve got older, we’ve become a bit less emotional about it.
Christian: Despite living about 3000 miles apart the album progressed quite nicely. I guess the only issue was that I had to fly to England in February and we didn't give ourselves enough time. It actually worked out better because when I came back in September we had some great contributions from Ryan and Rachel and a couple of new songs.

What exactly do you mean by “Everyone Is A Ghost”?
Sean: We didn’t discuss it but I think we were after something that was quite desolate. We also feel separate from the people we see in the streets. Not better - probably worse; but kind of uninvolved in what is important to them. The title was kind of a steal from the film/comic Ghost World. Just as it’s partner song, How The Dead Live, was nicked from a Derek Raymond book. I can’t remember the lyrics but the song (Everyone Is A Ghost) is about a loved one dying. We’re a good-time band.
Christian: I moved from England to US as we started the album. I felt really weird and disconnected all of a sudden. I really didn't expect it, but it had a big impact on me. I felt no association with anyone.

Visually how do you think the cover of the album explains the themes within?
Sean: We asked Will Schaff to do something desolate. I think Christian may have sent him a few examples. He came back with the front cover. I like that there is also some warmth in the picture. We sometimes forget to inject warmth.
Christian: I was after a bleak landscape. It's a recurring theme for us. We had something similar on our first album 'Last night something happened' with a desolate road. Like loads of people we spend so much of our lives driving places like zombies, going through the motions. This time I was after something more abstract. I found some Yugoslavian animation from the seventies and Will Schaff looked at a couple of stills and made his own interpretations.

Out of all the songs you guys have written together which one are you most proud of?
Sean: I’m pretty pleased with everything on our last two albums. Some songs could have been better if we’d had more time but that’s unimportant now. From our first album I’m proud of Shortwave (Christian will correct me if I’ve got the wrong song) which was a great song that Christian had and I added a little piano to it and it came out really well and made me think that we might actually be able to be good at something. I also really like Driving Through The Red Lights which has a brilliant and unexpected chorus and Bored Beyond Oblivion, great title, great song.
Christian: Not sure really. I'd love to make an album which I wouldn't mind hearing in the presence of other people. I've no idea how bands endure record launch parties. The idea of having to listen to my music with other people fills me with total dread. That's not to say we haven't done songs I like.

If you could tour with anyone (dead of alive) whom would it be with?
Sean: We’d probably need someone who had some kind of experience in psychiatric care to help us get on stage. It’s just not something we feel comfortable doing. Maybe a day festival where we can come on at the beginning before any turns up and then we can hang around backstage posing for the rest of the day. I always get incredibly bored when people start doing dream lists of festival line-ups and it’s all dead people like Lennon and Hendrix. People I would actively walk away from if I saw them. It’s like they’re making a dream band in heaven (let’s ignore the fact that Sonic Youth did this on Tunic). I think that kind of simplistic view of a heaven is damaging for young people. You die and you’re gone, they need to realise that. Having said that: I would have loved to see Rowland S Howard, preferably when he wasn’t so sick that he was coughing up blood on stage.
Christian: The Monkees. They looked like they were having fun?

I gotta ask, will Slowdive ever see the light of day again?
Christian: Not in the foreseeable future. Rachel is having a baby this summer. We've all got kids and stuff. Maybe our kids could form Slowdive Jr.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life..which album would it be?
Sean: I like a good combination of noise and melody so probably The Velvet Underground & Nico or Psychocandy.
Christian: Maybe 'Low' by David Bowie.

Are you living your dream?
Sean: I like having a wife. I like being in a band. I like playing football. Everything else is a humiliating kick in the crotch, to quote Sting.
Christian: No. But it's not a total nightmare.

Thanx MM & Jacob!

Monster Movie are currently working on a follow up to "Everyone Is A Ghost"...

REVIEW: Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back

7 out of 10
Find it here.

After almost a decade in the shadows, Peter Gabriel wanted to do something different for his fourteenth album. "Scratch My Back" is a dual cover album concept reinventing songs from some of Gabriel's most favorite artists that rides parallel to those artists in turn reinventing Gabriel's own songs for the album "I'll Scratch Yours". Beginning on March 2nd, both albums have begun and will continue to simultaneously release singles for both albums on consecutive full moons.

With the help of The London Scratch Orchestra, "Scratch My Back" is pleasingly stripped of all progressive showmanship that Gabriel has displayed throughout his career. No guitar, no bass, no theatrics. Just pure orchestra. Piano and various strings and woodwinds is all that is used to accompany his voice in this hauntingly vivid opus. It begins with a heart wrenching rendition of Bowie/Eno's "Heroes". Gabriel holds nothing back on this track with moments of increasingly swelling strings and cello plucks infused with his lightly quivering vocals sound as if he is two seconds away from completely breaking down and molding the track into the proverbial fish hook that sells you instantly. However, I feel he bit off a bit more than he could chew on his spin on Arcade Fire's "My Body Is A Cage". The epic, organ based original was about as mighty as they come. Therefore Gabriel's effort falls a little short. In addition to tackling those monsters, he also takes a crack at Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", Regina Spektor's "Après Moi", and The Magnetic Fields' "The Book Of Love" featuring backing vocals by daughter Melanie Gabriel. The album is beautifully rounded out with other songs by Paul Simon, Bon Iver, Talking Heads, Elbow, Lou Reed, Randy Newman, and Neil Young.

Overall, "Scratch My Back" has proved to be a permanent fixture in my current music rotation. Evoking atmospheric chasms and honest emotions, these are the types of albums that make me wonder why it wasn't done years ago.

Standout Tracks: Heroes, Mirrorball, Flume, I Think It's Going To Rain Today