OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE

V O LU M E O N E

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE

MAY XIONG _______________ TOKYO POLICE CLUB ALEJANDRA LINARES ____________ ANDREW WILSON KEN MODE

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OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE VOLUME ONE - QUARTER ONE

FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMPELLED TO WEAR THEMSELVES DOWN TO THE FLESH & BONE IN ORDER TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS HEART.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brandynn L Pope DESIGN Brandynn L Pope ASSOCIATE DESIGNER Abi Scott-Reid WRITERS James Liam Ward PHOTOGRAPHERS Ashley Altus Brandynn L Pope

WWW.COMPULSIVEMAGAZINE.COM THANK YOU TO Our loyal readers who have been here for each change and evolution as a publication. We are so thankful to have you all invest your time into the arts and forever appreciate you.

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fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com @obsessivecompulsive

AU R AL V ISUA L 06 MILHOUSE 16 KEN MODE

WRIT BRANDYNN L POPE PHTG BRANDYNN L POPE

28 TOKYO POLICE CLUB WRIT BRANDYNN L POPE

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46 ALBUMS IN REVIEW WRIT JAMES LIAM WARD

10 ALEJANDRA LINARES 22 ANDREW WILSON WRIT BRANDYNN L POPE PHTG BRANDYNN L POPE

34 MAY XIONG

UP-INCOMING ARTIST

MILHOUSE Located in Southern Ontario, comes the pairing of Milhouse. Comprised of a single drummer and a single guitar player, Mike and Byron work together to create a large accumulation of sound as well as an energetic performance. In the year and a half that they have been writing together they have put out two EP’s, The Greatest Hits as well as The Greatest Hits II, set off on tour and are ready to take the next steps in their musical venture. We were fortunate enough to catch up with them and see what to expect from them in the near future as well as discuss their sound and all of the gear that goes into their performances.

With there only being two people on stage, there’s a lot of sonic space that they need to fill up and this is exactly the sort of thing that they are happy with doing.

Both Mike and Byron thrive in being able to create all the sounds that they feel are fitting and they have a bunch of flexibility to do it all, “I don’t really have to worry about playing in key with someone else,” Byron notes his ability to work as the lone guitar player, “I can switch it up and do whatever I want. Mike’s pretty much the same way.”

It was then which Mike chimed in to say, “Less cooks in the kitchen. We like to be really busy when we play. I’ve played in other bands before and when there’s other people in the band we have to done [that] down. Since there’s less of us it keeps us a lot more entertained. It makes us enjoy playing a lot more on stage.” Regardless of how many people there actually are on the stage, these two members of Milhouse have often had comments thrown at them about how large their sound is. What they lack in band members they make up for in sound ... And gear.

Between the pedals, guitars, the drum kit and the synth, there’s a good amount of

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gear that Milhouse has to bring into each venue that they perform at. By now, they have it down to a science, save for the few smaller venues where they have to rework some things, “My battle station takes a lot of space,” Mike comments on his drums, “Sometimes I feel like a T-Rex playing [those] things.” As for Byron, he goes deep into a lot of his gear, excited about all of the different things he can get his pedals to do and we indulged his love for the materials that go into their work, “The one I always get asked about is, I have this little Digitech Digidelay. It’s this $40 pedal and was actually the first pedal I ever got.

It had this weird setting where it has a looping option, [which is] pretty crappy, but I found that if you just slap it real quick it makes these really quick stutters. It kind of sounds like dial-up,” He started imitating old dial-up routers, “I use that almost too much throughout the set. I also got my Line 6 DL4 –It’s definitely my main looper.

I don’t think I could play without it.” That was when Mike jumped in to comment on how most people have probably seen it on essentially every guitar player’s board.

Noting that it’s the big green pedal, very

hard to miss. Byron quickly jumps back into it, though, excited talk a little bit more about gear, “I don’t use it as a looping. It basically holds Milhouse on it’s shoulders.

If I didn’t have that I don’t think we could play. I [also] have a MXR-AE Y splitter. It has one input, two outputs and my one output goes into my guitar pedal but my guitar amp. And the other channel goes into the sub-optic pedal into a bass amp.

That gives us a lot of traction when we play too because I can loop my guitar part and then go over and play bass lines on top of it without actually playing the bass.

That’s a lot of fun too. Definitely my top three.” There we silence for a moment before Mike sighed, “And I play the drums,” before laughing a bit and being reminded that he still had his synth, “Yeah, I used an MS 20. It’s cool.”

For both Byron and Mike, they draw inspiration from Foals, a band that is full of fun and dance-ability. They are, “at least he ones we most rip off,” according to Byron. With that aside, guitar players such as Nick Reinhart and Russian Circles are two other key inspirations. It’s easy to hear on both The Greatest Hits as well as the Greatest Hits II. When we dove in to talk about the most recent EP we found out that three of the songs off of it previously had been cut from the first EP. The intention was to drop the songs completely, but then as Byron and Mike continued to play shows they still used

those songs and eventually decided to use them to make a part two of the Greatest Hits. The songs had changed a lot since they first came to life and now are evolved in a way that Milhouse felt confident and interested in playing. As for recording they did not have a lot of time to get everything all aligned. Mike noted how expensive studio time could be and that they had, “Bubbled down over 15 hour days for those three days, finished it all, and out poor friend, Connor Young, took on the task of mixing it. There’s a lot of tracks on every song. He had a lot on his plate. He does a lot of live stuff in the city and he tried out some studio work with us.

I think after us he was like, ‘I don’t want to do this,’” he chuckled to himself.

Being an instrumental band, themes of songs have little to do with a specific subject matter being written out or sung. The songs end up being inspired by what they are doing that week or when they were writing it.

For them, this means that the different songs end up having something more like inside jokes attached to them. “Simpsons?” Mike stretched the name, “A long, long inside joke.” After all, the two had spent a lot of time watching the Simpsons before being in a band together. While they currently do not have any vocals, it is something that they have discussed for the future. Featuring their friend, Sage, on a track and video with them showed how that may look with a lot of distortion on her voice, fitting perfectly into

UP-INCOMING ARTIST

the Milhouse sound. When bringing up the song Mike went on to explain that when they were, “finished writing the song there was a lot of space for something like vocals over top. I gave [Sage] a message and an hour later she sent it back with a track. It fits really well ... We ran her vocals through a bunch of pedals and modulated her voice, doing all of this creative stuff.” In the past they had played on the same stage with Sage so it was an easy connection. Now, Milhouse intends on coming out with songs that have vocalists from several of their favourite bands in Ontario just to do something new whether it works out or not.

While their themes and motifs don’t necessarily come out lyrically, there are a lot of plays on visuals. Being a two-piece band, the first thing that comes to mind for them is yin-and-yang. With lighting that happens in music videos they often show off their goofy side but in a darker, serious or dramatic light.

It’s a way of making both interact in harmony.

Even in their live apartment video there’s a haze of light with fun attributes to the room, a crack of beer in the foreground. There’s ambiance but there is also a lot of fun amidst the ambiance, “That video we have a people tell us it’s cool because we put a lot of work into it,” Byron comments, “And that’s basically what every rehearsal is like but with better light. If it was up to me, I would do [a video like this] instead of a music video.

I always like watching the live stuff, of the

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floor, versus the music video.” Mike chimes in, “Because we’re nerds!” The laugh to themselves a little bit and start talking some more about being curious on what other bands have for gear, and what they have as a set up.

The day prior to talking with the guys of Milhouse had been the last day of their tour in Hamilton. Now that they have some time off they intend on buckling down, and going on a writing spree, after all, that’s the whole reason why they play music, is to hang out and write more music. There are already some shows set up for them leading into the last bit of 2018 and they intend on doing some even bigger shows this new year with a brand new setlist full of new music.

ALEJANDRA LINARES I love chaos and organization, and I get back and forth in between them.

Although my subject is always changing, I always look for geometrical shapes and lines to define them. Its like getting to the core of the subject, simplifying it so much that there is almost nothing there. Then I start adding new parts to them - and that’s where the chaos comes in - to create something new. There’s something that’s really attractive about minimalism but there’s equal beauty to the complex.

What are some of the most important tools that you keep in order to create your work?

Acrylic markers. I’ve been loving them for a while as I use them to create perfect and crisp lines in my paintings.

Do you have a specific routine set out for when you are creating a new piece of work? How long does it normally take for you to come up with an idea and then to have it full realized and come to life?

Yes, I do! I normally put a song on repeat before starting to work on a painting, is that weird? It gives me a specific mood.

Most of my paintings remind me of a specific song and how they made me feel.

Before starting my paintings, lately, I’ve been sketching on my iPad. It has been such a useful tool to plan how the painting is going to look and play with color combinations before placing it on a canvas. And the best part is that it keeps everything in one place.

Tell us a little bit about the actual process of your work?

There isn’t much of a process. I’m always changing and getting inspired from different things, so I change my process constantly. Lately, it has been really planned but in other occasions its really messy, quick and spontaneous.

How do you feel that working in Miami has affected the work that you have created?

It has affected my work a lot - in the best way possible! Being constantly surrounded by amazing and emerging art inspires me everyday.

In what ways did going to a postsecondary institute help with your work and in what ways did it feel particularly underwhelming for you?

My background is in graphic design, and it definitely has shaped my art in some ways. Shapes, repetition and lines are really prominent in my fine art artwork and illustrations.

What sort of subject matter are you most interested in abstracting and creating something from? Do you follow any set themes with your work or do you feel that the subject is the most important part of your creation?

It varies, there was a time when I was obsessed with painting animals - specifically birds and horses. As for now, my latest subject is women.

Definitely the subject is the most important part.

As I mentioned before, I’m constantly changing and experimenting with techniques and different subject matters.

When it comes to client work versus the stuff that you create on your own time, how do you feel that the processes change?

How would you like to see your work being used and pushed forward in the future?

I actually really enjoy doing both! When I get client work, I like the challenge of a different subject matter or a client’s specific idea.

I’d like to do more exhibitions for sure, not only in the US but in other countries as well. Also, I would love to make murals and collaborate with some of the many artists I admire.

What is it about that really clean pallet that you are most attracted to with your art work?

What should people be looking out for with your art work in the coming future?

I’ve been really inspired by just colors, and I’m trying to make it part of the new collection I’m working on now.

People should definitely look forward to seeing more, more art, more illustrations and overall more experimentation from my end. I’m definitely looking forward to create more and innovate more in my field and with my process. In the coming future I think people will see more of who I am, how I think and what makes me feel. Art is always changing!

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KEN Mode Right down in the middle of Canada and in the city of Winnipeg hails KEN Mode, a band of no real genre, but a passion for noise.

For years they have been touring and creating musical art and more recently have been slowing down from the larger tours.

Fortunately for us, we were able to connect with them on one of their runs through the west and talk about their most recent and wonderfully haunting release, LOVED. We gathered around a table in the basement of the venue for the night and let another sound check take place in the background.

It was the perfect setting for them as they joked around with one another both about life in general and the different things that surrounded us in the Palomino. Shane (drums) and Scott (bass) introduced themselves first, and Jesse took note that he was the least funny of them all so he was meant to go last, “This is a comedy magazine, right? This is for MADD?” I pointed down to a sticker that was stuck to the table with the classic redheaded logo, “It does appear to be doesn’t it?” We all chuckled at the serendipitous moment before jumping right into business: everything that comprised the haunting record of LOVED.

Since early 2016 the members of KEN Mode have been playing around with different ideas that would eventually become LOVED. To them, it hadn’t been that long since they had started, especially when they considered how the final product of the songs really did not come together until 2017. Scott started by saying, “A lot of the early work is a lot of Jesse and I banging our heads against a wall, making a bunch of racket,” before Jesse added in,”A lot of Scott making racket and me going, ‘I’m not really sure what the aesthetic of what I’m going for in my head is, I just want to feel it out until I feel something.’” They laughed in acknowledgement, noting how they came to find what they were looking for with this record a lot quicker than they previously had with their album, Success. Over all, they learned into a lot of “anti-social noise.”

Looking back at the moment that it all started, Jesse tells a story of writing and coming up with a riff that would become the track “The Illusion of Dignity,” noting that Shane did not even intend on playing drums at the time, “That riff was so coo that Shane came down and turned on his electronic kit to start playing drums to it.”

Shane chimed in, “Brought me down from whatever YouTube video I was watching and just got the juices flowing.” Note: They are fairly certain that Shane was watching videos of moose getting hit by traffic.

From there, they did not get a bunch more work done on it until some time in 2017. That was when they leaned into it all, knowing that it was only a matter of time before they needed to get out some of the noises that were wrapped around inside of their heads. “I think that was when the aesthetic of the record started coming out too,” Scott looks back at it all, “We started seeing the common thread of the record come out. The discussions about what it was were were doing [sounded] like a lot of grey and red ... A lot of non-music reference points.” This

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was when everything started making more sense to the group as well as the year that their friend, Randy Oritz, would create an image that would become the album art of LOVED. “That steered things a little too,” Jesse notes when bringing up Oritz’s art work, “He made stickers of this thing and he was handing them out and gave some of them to us. I’ve looked into the eyes of that thing every day since then and we kind of, from the moment he put that out there, I wanted to use it as our album cover. It conveyed the feeling that we were trying to get out there and put these songs together. We had to make songs that also lived up to the picture.” With an image as sinister or ominous as that which Oritz created it makes sense as to why the drawing became personified.

The negative space that emphasizes the expression of the eyes and the face, Oritiz created something that truly does show off a visual representation of what is covered on LOVED. Scott started talking about how they were throwing around an expression once they asked to use the image as art as “‘Pleasing the smile,’ because if we were running something and it didn’t seem to live up to [it], that was when it was like, ‘Okay, it’s not good enough, that bit we are working on isn’t dark enough.’ The smile lets you know that it’s not enough, and it [was] often not enough.” Shane couldn’t help but chime in to jokingly mention how he had not been around for any of that.

While still all isolated in central Canada, Scott is actually just a little more west of Winnipeg, and in the city of Saskatoon.

When they were writing out everything, a lot of the reasons why their sessions

were not as concentrated as they might have wanted them to be was because of this separation. Instead, they had a friend by the name of Drew Johnson to start writing material together. In many ways, Drew rewarded them the ability to work as a three piece until Scott was available again. LOVED could have taken significantly longer to write had it not been for him. “We were lucky he wasn’t in any bands and we were having fun playing music with our friends,” Jesse starts laughing at his own comment, noting the irony of it when contrasted with the darkness of the record, “There’s kind of a split personality to it, where half of it is this sinister personality and the other half is we

just want to hang out with our friends and do the thing that we care about.” It did not take long for Scott to add in how helpful that it was that all of their friends happened to be evil, if not sociopathic but still good friends.

LOVED as a record is a good example of what ended up pleasing the smile, but once asked what they found tended to please the smile most consistently Jesse broke out into a sort of demonic squeal as a response. Once could say, this ended up being a theme of the whole record and how this group of people was reflecting on the world –a demonic screech. The table grew serious for a moment as Jesse spoke up with a new tone in his voice,

“... It’s a normalization of that constant aggression and tension that feels alright when it’s happening and it’s completely unnatural ”

“Keep this all in context, around the time we started getting, well, started, and Randy had made the piece was when Trump got elected. It seems that social media got a lot more toxic over the years, and we hadn’t been touring. You kind of go through these major life shifts where you are able to pay attention to all the horrible negativity and when your brain conjures up all of that on it’s own you don’t really need to hear it from the rest of the world. So, this record was a lot of us responding to all of that.” The three of them started working off of one another as they discussed how a lot of the toxicity came from the online world, how often they had seen people live tweeting their nervous breakdowns, how they still are seeing it more and more often, “It makes you realize things aren’t okay,” Jesse waved his hand up in internal frustration at it all before Scott continued for him, “It’s a normalization of that constant aggression and tension that feels alright when it’s happening and it’s completely unnatural.” It’s because of this tension that they felt and witnessed that they realized that LOVED is and was the most tense piece of music that they have created.

Even though they weren’t necessarily trying to mirror the world they were being

influenced by, it did end up causing a lot of the tension play on the record.

Several times now there have been different people who have come up to the ground to let them know that the new record made them feel uncomfortable. “I like that,” Jesse smiles, noting how any art that makes people feel anything is good, even if it’s something that happened to feel uncomfortable. Even before the record was brought to completion, that was the word they sought after to describe it. Thinking about the amount of people who felt the uncomfortable feeling Shane went on to say, “I feel really bad about it too. We connected to it but a part of you wants your music to be a thing that people connect to ... But then you feel bad that there are others who connect to it and feel that way as well.” In many ways LOVED is incidentally empathetic. While they created it for themselves they understand how it may reflect on those listening to it, but at the same time they know that it is not on them as people for how a listener feels based on their own personal experiences.

“There’s a line in the first song that says this is for us,” Jesse notes and how no matter what, at the end of the day, that was what they were doing –creating something for themselves.

Being from central Canada, KEN Mode has a unique experience to the world of music expression. Often music scenes are most concentrated on coastal parts of North America, whether it be the East or the West. Much like those coastal regions Central Canada has it’s own sort of unique sound to it, and the members of KEN Mode believe that the isolated nature of their existence is a lot of the reason as to why that exists. Jesse starts reflecting on the different bands that are local to their cities and how historically they are very strange and very diverse. Scott also brought up the dramatic shifts of the seasons, “In the dead of winter you get the senses where you are only entertainig yourselves. There’s a good chance that if you are going to play your show [will be] in a giant snow storm, and there’s a good chance that no one is going to come and see your show so you better like the songs when you might not expose it to anyone else.” This is when they also were able to turn the toxicity of the internet and social media on its head, because without it there would not be as easily made connections outside of the isolated state. They are well aware that some of their closest friends they talk to regularly are from all over, New York, Toronto, Chicago, all several hours of driving away from where they are at but now they are able to send off and share the music that they create, or even just socialize with a plethora of people that they could not have over a decade ago.

With us all closing up the conversation, we started discussing highlight that came out of LOVED, the moments that everyone was particularly proud of. As stated earlier, “The Illusion of Dignity” had a pull on Shane to start playing drums, but for Jesse it is truly the stand out. Most specifically the sax breakdown is the stand out. “That was the song that we had kind of an aesthetic down when we started it. When we demoed it in May of 2017 it

was quite different hearing it or we from the way it landed and we’ve done quite a lot of edits to the son that I think changed it in such a perfect way,” Jesse thinks that it is one of the best songs that they have ever done. Scott spoke up for his own, “A big one for me is one of the last songs we finished gathering all of the pieces for, [and it is] called, “Learning To Be Too Cold.” It was kind of making the final decision of what all was to be included, and it was on a particularly tense day for me and that song,” He pauses for a moment, “I have a lot of attachment to the individual components of that song. The way it turned out ... I get tense immediately upon hearing it or when we start playing it. My body language changes entirely. It’s very powerful to me.” Although Shane did not have too much to add onto it, other than his love of drumming the song, he had to agree that it is a highlight for him as well.

The year coming to a close, everyone in KEN Mode recognizes that after almost 20 years of touring they don’t need to do too much except some smaller runs. While they are excited about the runs that they have done and the music that they have created they are well aware that they still need to balance their home life, day-jobs, and sanity before committing to anything too huge. “I want to make it matter,” Jesse makes a final statement in terms of the different tours that they would and have gone on, “We want to do interesting shorter things. If we are going to go out we are going to enjoy ourselves.” While both him and Shane are of this mindset Scott still notes that he will continue making music, doing his thing whether it be in KEN Mode or with other projects he plays in, “I’m not qualified for the real world,” They all laugh at the joke but know that ultimately, they are creating music and touring on it on their own their own terms.

ANDREW WILSON TATTOO ARTIST OF NEWMARKET, ONTARIO

It’s easy to spot out your work with the bold, deep, blacks. How did you come to establish that this was a style that you wanted to pursue?

Thank you! I started to just tattoo in more of a stylized realism just using head tones of black for a couple of years. I was learning more and more about using my iPad as a tool and learning how to do more graphic types of designs. To be honest, the iPad really helped me evolve to this style because of how clean I could make my designs.

What first drew you into working as a tattoo artist versus using your artistic skills strictly as an illustrator?

I have been getting tattooed for a long time and I was also making art for a long time, ever since I can remember. All my friends when I was younger would ask me to draw on them for fun at parties and I thought, hey this is pretty fun and I think I would actually like to learn how to tattoo.

“... I WANT TO BE TrUE TO MY ART & WHAT I LIKE TO DO ”

Did you take any formal courses for art, or was it something that you ended up pursuing on your own?

I took art throughout high school and did some life drawing classes on the side but never any post secondary education regarding art.

Of course, you are able to build your own flash work, but is there something specific that you always like when clients commission something from you?

I do like it when someone has an idea that maybe they got from seeing one of my flash pieces and they kind of change it to make it their own. Sometimes they’ll bring an idea to me and I’ll wonder why I never thought of that myself! Those are the ones that tend to be the most fun.

What is it about creating human figures in your work that you are most attracted to? Is there anything that you feel particularly uncomfortable tattooing onto someone?

I like to use faces because I can portray the exact emotion that I am wanting to get across. Everyone feels something or some kind of emotion so there’s always something in my book for everyone!

I am fairly comfortable with tattooing anything subject wise (excluding gang, racist, or extremely offensive material) as long as its my realm of capabilities. If not I will always recommend someone that could more than likely do a better job at what the client is looking for. I’m not here to take money and tattoo whatever makes me money. I want to be true to my art and what I like to do and that’s how I feel someone will get the best work from me.

How often do you find that you are able to travel as an artist versus the time that you spend in your home shop?

Right now I spend a decent amount of time at the shop because its something my friends and I build almost 2 years ago and I love it there. I travel about 4 months out of the year but id definitely like to do a lot more traveling next year.

What are some of the more challenging things that come along being a tattoo artist, for yourself?

Definitely spending time at home. Its hard when you’re working all day all night and traveling so much. I wouldn’t change it for the world but its hard for some people in my life that probably wish I was around a little more.

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Your work will eventually be integrated into clothing, via I’m Sad. Is this a medium that you have always wanted your work to venture in? What else are you hoping to establish as an artist in the coming years?

I’ve always wanted to have a cool clothing line of limited edition clothing and goodies.

Might not be clothing all the time but I would like to pressure other accessories with I’m Sad as well! Im also hoping to make more time for painting like I was in the previous years. Id like to get more prints going and start that up again.

Where else should people be expecting to see you, or what else should people be looking out for when it comes to your work?

I would like to try and do all of the conventions this year in Canada. I will also be tattooing in some cities in the US and some in Europe (TBA) in 2019.

Everyone can be sure to find a lot of progression and change in my work the next few months ahead!

I’m so appreciative that so many people follow what I do and I just want to show everyone some cool drawings and tattoos!

TOKYO POLICE CLUB This alternative-rock Canadian sensation has been crafting music and touring for over a decade. To this day, this band of friends work together to create music that they love and travel the world together in association of their tunes. Now, with their new record, also hailing then name TPC, they are back on the road to share the new songs and we were able to take a moment to talk with them about their evolution to what they are now.

With your most recent record, TPC, you have mentioned that the experience of writing was pure bliss. Did you go about writing these songs in that specific way in order to influence what would come out off it all? Because of this experience, what sort of themes did you find yourself sticking to more than anything else?

I think we wanted to make the record easy for us to love. Every record since A Lesson in Crime has been a struggle in some way or another. You stress about having enough songs. You stress about having the right songs. The arrangements. The recordings. Everything was meticulously considered. This record we came in wanting it to be approachable to us. The goal was to play the songs - not overplay them. Not overthink them. We wanted to meet them where they came to us and let them be what it felt like they should be. If you stress over a piece of music, I think that stress gets imbued into it. On the other hand, if you can capture that first spark of inspiration and then just let it be - the song gets fused with that. So these songs still feel like the first time we played them to me.

What are some of your favourite moments that came from the record?

Daisy Chain wasn’t a song we were planning on recording for this album. Dave had written it back in 2015 and it lived as only a demo for a couple years. On the last day of recording this album, we started jamming through it and it just felt right. The band was in the right place for the song. I’m really happy that it’s out now.

I loved that demo and I love the song.

What made you decide to return to Rob Schnapf for recording and production?

Is there any particular reason that you felt that this record best suited being a self-titled?

It takes time to build trust in the studio, especially with a producer. You’re letting someone in on your art. You want someone who can navigate you and your music - meaning they know how to push you in the right ways to make the music better but they also know how to make you get out of your own way when you’re about to potentially ruin it. Rob gets us. He knows how we work. He’s been through it with us before and since this record was about capturing moments for us, we wanted someone who we didn’t have to take a lot of time building a workflow with. We could just go in and start and we knew he was already where we needed him to be and he could meet us there.

Hm … I wouldn’t call it a “self-titled” album.

I’d call it a more of a self-reflection. We’ve been making music together since highschool and putting out records for over a decade, and every one of those past albums felt like they were building upon something that we created way back then.

A certain sound and framework for who we were. This record was the first time I think we really started to question what that was and felt the freedom to make music that might not be at all based on that old framework. Not that this music is completely different, or new, or better or anything compared to our old material… but it does feel separate from it. And calling the album TPC punctuates that separation for me.

In general, how do you feel that being from Eastern Canada has influenced the work that you have created since you first started writing together around 2006?

I don’t think I can call Toronto “Eastern Canada”, especially now that I live in Charlottetown, PEI. I think growing up in a Toronto suburb definitely gave us access to live music in a way that we wouldn’t have had living in, or near, most other Canadian cities. Bands come to Toronto - they don’t necessarily come to the rest of the country. We got to go to concerts for most of the bands that influenced, or inspired us, us early on - Radiohead, the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Vines, Broken Social Scene … They all came through Toronto and seeing them live is the best kind of inspiration when you’re a teenager. You get to see it in action and you get to experience it together and marvel in it and dissect it afterwards and then try to recreate it yourself the next day loudly, (and poorly) in your parents’ basement.

With the obvious being noted, how do you find the consumption of music and the general music industry have changed and evolved since you first started playing?

I like that vinyl records are back as a legit way of releasing music. They’re not just a specialty item for a few collectors now.

And what I like about them isn’t a sound quality thing… digital sounds better to me.

It’s about permanence.

In the last couple decades every other form of putting out music has been impermanent. No one has iTunes collections anymore. CDs have no use.

Streaming is just music floating by you … Vinyl stays around though. It’s the only only real record of music having existed.

It’s cool to know your music actually exists somewhere. And vinyl stays around. When someone’s done with it it doesn’t just disappear or get deleted or go to a landfill.

It circulates. There’s a chance of it getting to someone else. That’s exciting. It makes it all feel real.

With all of you remaining together with no real member rotation, what do you feel can attributed to this fact?

We started as friends and we’ve stayed friends. Even if the band ended tomorrow, I’d still want to be around these people.

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What are some specific accomplishments that you have made that have been particularly exciting for you?

I’m about to be a dad for the first time.

I’m excited about that [smiles].

Now with the record released what should people be expecting next from you?

Come see us at a show. The music feels great to play and we’re all really excited and energized by it. We’re stoked to still be a band. We’re stoked to be playing music together. And we love that we get to do it every night. Right now it feels really great to be who we are, doing what we’re doing!

“... EVEN IF THE BAND ENDED TOMORROW, I’D STILL WANT TO BE AROUND THESE PEOPLE”

CINEMATIC PORTRAITURE FROM

MAY XIONG May Xiong is a cinematic-style photographer from Seattle, WA. Heavily inspired by films and music, her work explores the intangible fragments of a narrative and mood in a single instant: whether it through light, a palette, a gaze, or the fine details that surround a subject. These fragments are glimpses into moments that are often looked past. Her photographs are a way of engaging the viewers to stop and look a little closer into these defining slivers of truth that perhaps reside in a place and or person. She continues to focus on creating narrative story-telling & cinematic portraiture in hopes to expand her unspoken truth, creativity and move towards cinematography in the film industry.

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When it comes to the specific theme and idea of your images, what do you find to be the starting point before you draw up the whole image?

My starting point always stems from location and the environment around it. I believe it’s crucial to have a good foundation/base of your image, so when it comes down to piecing it together with your subject matter and constructing the details of the image, the process of a theme and concept behind your image becomes clearer.

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With your post-secondary education in art, what were you able to take away from the experience? What were some things that you found really underwhelming with your education?

The main thing I took away from my education, was the reality of the audience one’s work. No matter what you create, people are always going to find ways to pick apart your work – either people love it or hate it. It was something I had to get used to and try to understand from an outside perspective. The lack of feedback and critiques was another huge thing that affected me and my work. I felt unsure of where I stood in my photography path because I didn’t get the support I felt I needed.

How much time do you spend in post-processing with your images?

Also, in comparison, how much time do you spend pre-processing, and finally taking the images?

The amount of time spending in postprocessing varies with every image I take.

It really depends on the complexity of the image and or if I’m limited to certain props and having to add them in later, or changing the atmosphere completely if I decide to change my mind halfway through editing. I tend to experiment with my editing too so that plays another role into how long it usually takes. As far as pre-processing, if I have all that I need in regards to props and being at location, it usually doesn’t take long to set up the frames/shots I need unless the weather is cooperating with me and making sure the model is comfortable. I try to come prepared as much as possible prior getting to the location to shoot so the process is faster and I have more time to shoot rather than focusing on only prepping for it.

Working in Seattle, in what ways do you feel that this environment has lead into inspiring you or lends a hand to your work?

The environment here in Seattle has been amazing to work in. The weather tends to be a little more on the gloomy side, which most people don’t like, however, I shoot in natural light so having it overcast is great to help diffuse any harsh lighting that I’m not particularly looking for. There are days that will be mixed, partially cloudy to sunny and during those times, I tend to shoot more at dusk, being able to capture that golden hour light and utilize it to the best that I can. Aside from the lighting/weather, being able to have options such as forests/wood areas to beaches, cityscapes and islands all within a good radius to travel to, you’re always finding unique places to add to your locations.

Do you have passions outside of photography? How often are you able to venture into those avenues and do you find that there is cross over with your photographic work?

I do Illustration work on the side (it’s been quite a bit) and a bit of Interior Design.

I’ve been doing illustration work majority of my life but didn’t dive into it more seriously until a few years ago when I started getting commissioned work. And for Interior Design, it recently became something I found myself interested in.

There’s enjoyment and this thrill I get when I’m able to bring life to a room/space. I’ve only done my own home and have helped with suggestive ideas for friends but not professionally. As far as it being a crossover with my photographic work, I’ve never thought about mixing the two, but I can see it playing a role of design into how I construct my images and or props when framing my shots.

How do you find the cinematic approach lends into showing off the ideas that you want to create?

Being heavily inspired by films, I feel that the cinematic approach is the best way to help bring my narrative-storytelling to life. When you watch a film, everything is intentional, constructed and sometimes consists of happy accidents that shapes the story and the overall feel of the production of the film. With keeping the 16:9 and 2.39:1 ratios in mind, I feel that it is a step closer in having my audience see it from a “film” or “cinematic” perspective right off the bat, as if it were part of still images.

What are some of your favourite themes that you tend to venture into? Is there one that you are currently hashing out?

In the past, I got sucked into the 1920s-1940s time period and I felt like that’s all I wanted to be doing because I was so inspired by WWII artifacts (still am) and that era. But with time, I’ve learned to appreciate to expand outside of my comfort zone, at least that’s what I’m trying to aim for. I don’t know if they’re particularly themes, but I do have ideas in mind.

You’ve commented on wanting to work in the film industry. Would this be pulling stills from film or actually being a part of the photo-direction?

With my direction leaning towards the film industry, I really want to be able to direct and stage the atmosphere of the location of the film. Being the cinematographer/ DOP of a film set is something I’d love to take on since I already have a bit of that construct with my own images. I work based on location and build around that in creating character build up - it helps the process become visually whole.

So far, what do you feel has been an important turning point for your artwork?

The biggest turning point for me was when supporters of my work started to comment in saying that my work looked like “film stills that were just grabbed from a film” and the fact that they carried this very “cinematic” feel to them. That to me was my turning point in terms of knowing that I was heading in the right direction of perhaps getting my foot into the film industry. The fact that I have that sense of direction is very important to me. I was no longer just doing strictly “photography” work but photography work that was slowly becoming a glimpse of what it is like to create imagery that can easily be mistaken for film stills.

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by the amount that you work on art? Is there any way that you have found best combats that and continues to make the artistic adventure a good experience?

I believe that there is a sense of being overwhelmed with no matter what you put your heart and soul into, so yes, I’d say so. It’s so important to know how to balance your photo shoots by preparing and managing your time that best fits your schedule. Having all of these things in mind will allow you to have breathing room to do your photo shoot efficiently and have better results.

What should people be expecting out of your work in the near future?

This is always a tricky question because I think we as people are always inspired by so many things and are constantly shifting our goals when it comes up to creating work. However, the core of who we are and what we want to show through our work is always the same. I believe that we are always trying to find ways to tell the same story in different ways all the time.

Having said that, I hope to move more into bigger projects, working with bigger casting of models (a variety of different age groups and including more POC.) and dive into the world of filming and connect with other incredible creatives/ talent along the way.

ALBUM REVIEWS REVIEWED BY JAMES LIAM WARD

BROCKHAMPTON

7.9

21.09.18

Iridescence RCA

International boy band Brockhampton is following up their now legendary Saturation trilogy with their new album Iridescence after a major label deal and controversial line-up changes. The album opens with “New Orleans” a bombastic introduction that after repeated listens, has still failed to leave a lasting impression on me. Even with the speedy hook and effortless transition into the glistening R&B interlude “Thug Life”, I found this track to be Brockhampton’s most forgettable introduction to an album.

“Berlin” kicks things up a notch with noisy bass kicks and revving car samples laced throughout the beat. Bearface delivers a standout hook on this track, and I found his overall presence on this album to be very beneficial to Brockhampton’s new sound – his trippy vocal effects and refreshing accent add a necessarily different voice to the mix. I find the endearing “Something about Him” to be rather nonessential as well, and does little for Iridescence other than slow the album’s momentum after an already shaky start. The offthe-wall banger “Where the Cash At” picks things up with its bass-heavy, futuristic sound; The track is dominated almost entirely by Merlyn Wood, whose performance on this song and many others absolutely make him one of the standout members of Brockhampton on Iridescence.

“Weight” feels like the first seriously important song on the album, kicking off with Kevin Abstract’s fantastically nostalgic verse before exploding into a melodic break beat and subsequent breakdown.

Joba and Dom McLennan’s contributions to the track are equally as essential, leading to the first truly amazing and conceptually realized song on Iridescence.

quality delivered by the other members. Matt Champion for example feels almost non-existent on this record; even though he starts at least three songs on Iridescence I found all of his verses to be forgettable or overly relaxed. Kevin Abstract, with the exclusion of a few great verses, feels fairly incognito as well. This could very well be due to the lack of strong hooks on Iridescence; while I appreciate the experimental direction Brockhampton took with this album, as they could have just as easily gone in the complete other direction, it definitely resulted in a noticeable absence of Kevin’s great hook writing and as a result a lack of catchiness and memorability with these songs. I like the incorporation of lush, layered string sections on many of the instrumentals on Iridescence, adding a dramatic and urgent tone to songs such as “Tape” and the previously mentioned “Weight”. Towards the end of the album, Brockhampton serves up two back-to-back ballads; “San Marcos” and “Tonya”, the latter of which greatly outshines the former.

“San Marcos” feels like a meandering, radio-ready single compared to the emotionally potent and progressive piano-ballad that follows. Thanks to Kevin Abstract finally indulging in the catchiness of Brockhampton’s previous work, “Fabric” concludes the album on a fantastically bombastic and memorable note.

Considering the massive amount of hype and controversy behind this album, I think Brockhampton did a great job with what they had to work with; giving more air-time to Bearface was an excellent choice, as he is consistently a standout member on a number of the tracks on Iridescence. Now the band must focus on letting all of their members shine or deliver at least the “District” is the clear banger of the album, featuring same level of consistency so that Brockhampton can serve up great tracks that are enjoyable every member of the band over an incredibly throughout their runtimes, instead of bits and aggressive beat. I love how the song transitions pieces. It felt like the boy band did not put much into a more melodic passage to close out, giving thought regarding going into these tracks with a Bearface yet another chance to shine on this record. It is at this point where I must address the particular idea or focus, leaving this album feeling inconsistency amongst Brockhampton’s members somewhat messy and disjointed albeit enjoyable. on Iridescence, and how this inconsistency brings down a number of tracks on the album.

BEST TRACK: “Tonya” Merlyn and Joba stand out fantastically on the WORST TRACK: “San Marcos” booming lead single “J’ouvert”, but their great performances do not make up for the lack of

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JOJI

6.7

10.26.18 BALLADS 1 88 Rising

Ballads 1 is the debut studio album from American R&B singer George Miller, under his new moniker Joji. I was first drawn to this new album by the fantastic singles leading up to the release of Ballads 1, the standout being “Slow Dancing in the Dark”. I was utterly floored by this song; the blissful, watery synthesizer arpeggios, explosive chorus as well as the lovesick melodies and lyrics quickly made it one of my favorite songs of the year. This immaculately crafted ballad, as well as the gentle and melodic “Test Drive” quickly made this album one of my highest anticipated of the year, however now that I am hearing these songs in context, it is clear there is an inconsistency in Joji’s song writing and performances.

“No Fun” is another undeniably fun and bouncy track, and despite the redundant hook I enjoy Joji’s juxtaposing, lonely lyrics and pre-chorus.

I was undeniably surprised by the power and rawness of Trippie Redd’s appearance on “R.I.P.”, whom I was expecting to dislike completely. The feature is actually so good that Trippie Redd’s performance completely outshines Joji’s presence on the track. I think Ballads 1 closes out fairly solid, although I have my issues with the closer “I’ll See You in 40”; this song has an excellent middle section, with some of Joji’s best melodies on the record, but it is sandwiched between a painfully uneventful introduction and outro that take away more than add to the quality of the song. Overall I think this is a solid record, but I cannot deny that I was disappointed with the quality of the album as a whole, compared to how well-written and catchy the singles were leading up to the release of this project.

“Attention” opens with an endearing piano melody and distant beat, which quickly becomes incredibly distorted once the sub bass is added to the mix, suffocating almost all other sounds within the song including Joji’s vocals. It is an interesting creative choice to welcome the listener, and opens the floodgates to more experimentation BEST TRACK: “Slow Dancing in the Dark” throughout Ballads 1. “Why Am I Still In LA” is WORST TRACK: “Wanted U” another example of bold experimentation on Ballads 1, as layers of guitar distortion and noise propel the track forward before quickly transitioning back into the gentle, glockenspiel layered verse. “Wanted U” feels like the first clear misstep on the album, as the beat does not present a strong groove and Joji’s background vocals sound off-key at a number of points. While I enjoy the lo-fi guitar line that leads the track, its arrangement seems incoherent when placed shoulder-to-shoulder some of the strongest written tunes on the album. “Can’t Get Over You” was another single released in promotion for Ballads 1, and although the brief track didn’t leave much of an impression on me at first, it grew on me immensely after repeated listens. Despite its less than two minute runtime, I find the song to be very focused and Clams Casino’s charmingly minimal production complements Joji’s falsetto performance perfectly.

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE

2.5

16.11.18

Broken Rise

Memphis May Fire is an American metalcore band who has been around for over a decade now.

Their latest album kicks off with some traditionally heavy-ish sounding riffs on “The Old Me”, vocalist Matty Mullins carries the track suitably while keeping the screaming to a minimum. There aren’t any melodies on this song or many others that really stick out to me, but he never pulls out anything truly awful – it’s more the lyrics I have an issue with. “Watch Out” is a bouncier track featuring more of Memphis May Fire’s typical electronic production. What kills this track for me is the gang-vocal “3-2-1” countdown in the prechorus that takes away any impact the chorus has because I am laughing too hard while listening.

pop-punk tinged instrumental and vocal patterns are fairly catchy. “Mark My Words” somewhat revives the old southern vibes of Memphis May Fire while featuring some interesting production on the verses, but at this point in the record Matty’s terribly generic choruses just start bringing down these songs too much. Broken has absolutely zero dynamics, as every song follows essentially the same structure, which makes even the first listen painfully predictable. “You and Me” is the token ballad on the album that mercifully bores the listener into a coma so that they don’t have to make it through the final track. In conclusion, Memphis May Fire sounds bored on this record; there is no fire in the instrumentals, no interesting melodic riffs or grooves, and everything is devoid of energy or unique qualities. There is no arc or resolution to the story on this album, and regardless of the consistent lyrical concept of Broken there is no hiding that the band wrote the same song ten times to fill out one of the dullest half hours of rock music I’ve heard this year.

The curiously titled “Sell My Soul” starts off with a programmed drum loop with a slightly southern swagger, but what ruins this track are the verses, which feature the classically grating lo-fi vocal effect that every hard rock vocalist unfortunately can’t get enough of. “Who I Am” is the closest thing to a highlight for me because of the more aggressive tempo and energy, and although the chorus has a good bounce, Matty Mullins’ BEST TRACK: “Over It” performance on this song, and most others just WORST TRACK: “You And Me” sounds so phoned in. What really bothers me about this album is that it feels so lifeless and lazy, as though the band doesn’t care at all about the music they’re playing – from an arrangement standpoint the band has essentially written the same song ten times over. “Broken” seems to revolve around identity, which is ironic considering the album has no identity; it is essentially lowest common denominator metalcore in which every single lyric sounds cheesy or clichéd in some way.

“Heavy is the Weight” plays on the loud/soft dynamic decently, but the unexpected rap verse is just too much for me. No shade on the vocal feature, as I actually think Andy Mineo’s verse is decent, it just simply does not fit with the aesthetic or tone of this album at all. At this point on Broken, I have come to terms with the fact that every song is going to be cheesy as Hell, Therefore I judge these songs on the quality of the instrumentals and the catchiness of Matty’s hooks and verses; although “Over It” describes my exact feelings on this record past the halfway point, I can’t deny the

METRO BOOMIN

6.9

11.02.18

Not All Heroes Wear Capes Boominati / Republic Records

Not All Heroes Wear Capes is the debut studio album from American record producer Metro Boomin. The album showcases Metro’s signature groove-driven and immaculately assembled production underneath a slew of high profile guest features. Gucci Mane lands on the opening cut, and although the production is both moody and urgent, I found this song weak in comparison to the material the duo presented on last year’s collaborative album DropTopWop. The second half of the introductory track “Save the World” really steals the show here; a stunning and soulful outro that makes me wish this was the opening to the album instead of Gucci Mane’s introduction.

me cringe. Young Thug’s perfectly laid-back performance on “Up To Something” results in my favorite track on Not All Heroes Wear Capes. I love the vocal effect that is layered into the hook but I wish the song was longer so Travis Scott could have a complete verse since he sounds so fantastic on the hook with Young Thug. Offset does the best he can over the beat on “Only You”; a Caribbean flavored instrumental that does not suit the rapper’s style much at all, even though he easily outshines the two guests the track was really meant for. Not only is Wizkid’s trashy hook the worst on the record, “Only You” does not fit well between the consistently dark and moody songs this album delivers. “No Complaints” is the Metro’s sampling on the previously mentioned first single released from this project and works track and the vocal arpeggios on “Overdue” with as a solid closer, and it is nice to hear Offset on a Travis Scott shows not only an incredible step track more suited to him, but the song does little up in the producer’s craft, but a clear influence to add to the track listing overall. As a result of his from artists such as Kanye West. I love how this immaculate production, Metro Boomin’s debut song slowly transitions into the following track with album is a solid listen, but as usual his choice in 21 Savage, who can be heard adlibbing behind vocal guests does bring down the quality of a lot Travis Scott before the track effortlessly transitions, of these songs. giving the album a more unified flow and feel. I was very surprised by the quality of 21 Savage’s BEST TRACK: “Up To Something” performance on Not All Heroes Wear Capes; he WORST TRACK: “Only You” is far and away the most consistent MC on the album, and his whispering breakdown on “Don’t Come Out The House” as well as his auto-tuned singing on “No More” prove that he can be diverse when he wants to be. “Dream catcher” slows things down with a mellow, watery beat and Swae Lee’s gentle falsetto singing - Travis Scott elevates the track as well with his tight flows and consistently intoxicating vibe.

I find some of this album’s missteps stem from who Metro decides to put on his tracks. For example, Gunna’s performances are decent but he is absolutely outshined by Metro Boomin’s exemplary production on tracks such as “Space Cadet” and “Lesbian”. To put the spotlight back on 21 Savage, “10 Freaky Girls” is an absolute highlight. This duo seems to become more complementary the more they collaborate; the horn samples as well as the blissfully cheesy intro and outro add a ton of character to the track, not to mention 21 Savage’s great hook and solid flows, although that Harriet Tubman line still makes

VINCE STAPLES

8.2

11.02.18

FM! Def Jam

FM! is the latest conceptual album from California rapper Vince Staples. The record plays out as though the listener is tuning into a radio show, complete with advertisements, commentary, and sneak peeks of new music from artists associated with Vince Staples. The album opens with a run of four skeletal, bass-heavy rap bangers that flow into one another almost effortlessly. Vince Staples’ smooth flow on the opener “Feels like Summer” is complemented well by Ty Dolla Sign’s sung hook.

This song glides directly into the bouncy “Outside” whose rolling sub bass and fantastic hook made it an instant favorite for me. Jay Rock’s hook on the following “Don’t Get Chipped” goes over great as well; I found Vince’s hooks to be lacking on his previous material so it is refreshing to hear plenty of sticky choruses all over FM! “Relay” has the best beat on the album, with glitchy layers of percussion and nimble sub-bass underneath eerie synthesizer melodies and a cold-blooded performance from Vince.

The brief yet intriguing interludes are a unique and enjoyable motif on FM!, featuring quick and catchy beats that serve as segues between the more substantial tracks on the album. I definitely prefer Earl’s interlude performance over Tyga’s but the latter’s interlude is still surprisingly tolerable.

“Fun!” has a wonderfully vibrant and colourful beat, and while Vince Staples is on his A-Game here, I found E-40’s performance to be somewhat underwhelming considering how fun and bouncy the instrumental is. “Run The Bands” suffers from what a majority of Vince Staples previous material suffered from, which is a hook that is just too simple or repetitive to be that interesting, “No Bleedin’” also does little to stand out amongst the track listing. After a brief skit that ties well into the radio concept of this album, “Tweakin’” closes out FM! perfectly and brings some much needed emotion to the album, particularly from Kehlani’s sung hook. Overall I thought this was a very good albeit brief project from Vince Staples, but in a

track listing this tight the material really needs to be all killer no filler, and there were unfortunately a couple songs on FM! that seriously pale in comparison to others.

BEST TRACK: “Outside” WORST TRACK: “Run The Bands”

THE STORY SO FAR

7.2

21.09.18

Proper Dose Pure Noise Records

Proper Dose is the latest LP from California pop-punk act The Story So Far, who has shown both lyrical and instrumental maturation since the release of their self titled album. The album opens very strong with the groovy title track, followed by a batch of songs that consistently bring great energy and sticky choruses. Lead singer Parker Cannon’s vocal melodies have not evolved much since the band’s 2011 debut, but his flow and phrasing over these new songs is much more eloquent. The lyrical content of this album differs greatly from the rest of The Story So Far’s discography, revolving around Parker Cannon’s struggle with opioid abuse rather than his struggle with romantic relationships. Considering how laid-back many of the singles to this album were, I was surprised how energetic the beginning of Proper Dose was; it’s nice to see The Story So Far sticking to their high energy pop-punk roots while still leaving room to experiment.

impeccably catchy phrasing and melodies on “If I Fall” make the song a standout for me, as well as the little descending guitar solo in the track’s bridge. Songs such as “Need to Know” keep the energy of the album up, but it feels like The Story So Far is indulging in a bit too much fan-service instead of experimenting or trying something new – these tracks are solid but are clearly a safe move for the band. “Line” is a blissful psychedelic interlude, whose distant vocals and driving yet gentle drum groove remind me particularly of Turnover’s most recent output. “Growing on You” is perhaps the most redundant song on the album, as the instrumental doesn’t really reach any sort of climax or conclusion, but unlike the similarly structured “Take Me As You Please”, this hook isn’t nearly as catchy. The final song is decent, but doesn’t nearly have the energy and stickiness of previous songs on Proper Dose, making it feel like a relatively nonessential track. Overall I appreciate the direction The Story So Far took Proper Dose; an instrumental and lyrical change up was necessary to keep the band’s sound from wearing out, and I hope The Story So Far continues to make room to experiment while still delivering plenty of catchy, high energy pop punk tunes

“Out of It” sounds straight out of the band’s debut record, particularly with the slinky lead guitar lines, but the lyrics on the chorus clearly separate these albums. “Take Me as You Please” is the first instrumental detour of the album, favouring reverb soaked acoustic guitars and a slight tinge of auto tune on the vocals instead of the more BEST TRACK: “If I Fall” aggressive pop punk sound displayed so far. It WORST TRACK: “Growing On You” is an endearing hook, reminiscent of the material on the last few Turnover records, but not nearly as mystical and blissful. I enjoy the track quite a bit, but I can’t help but feel that an acoustic ballad like this should have been saved for later in the album in order to keep the momentum up in the first half. “Let It Go” is once again driven by acoustic guitars, but the track quickly brings the energy up by layering in a punchy drum groove and additional guitars. I enjoy the little psychedelic detours and endings that the songs such as “Let It Go” and the title track indulge in to add more flavor to these instrumentals.

I love the hook on the single “Upside Down” as well as the gentle keyboards layered throughout the track; I respect the band for choosing to change up the instrumental palate of some of these songs to bring more dynamics to the record. The infectious energy and Parker’s

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TILLIAN

4.2

28.09.18

The Skeptic Rise

Tilian is the clean vocalist from American PostHardcore outfit Dance Gavin Dance, a band whose terrible screamer and obtusely flashy playing has never won me over, but curiosity and relentless optimism convinced me to give his debut solo album The Skeptic a shot. The record has a somewhat vintage feel with punchy drum, bass and guitar performances laced throughout with plenty of electronic production to fill these instrumentals out and give them a more mainstream appeal. “Made of Plastic” starts the project off shaky, as I found Tilian’s vocal performance to be very unfitting over the laidback retro instrumental. It sounds almost as if Tilian forgot that he wasn’t singing over a posthardcore song at certain points, and his vocals come off unnecessarily aggressive. The singer sounds much more at home on the infectious “Cocky”, where he flows smoothly over the groovy, guitar-driven instrumental with undeniably catchy melodies. Although this track had somewhat won me over, Tilian ironically turned me back into a skeptic with his ridiculous performance on “Gone”, in which he belts out the name of the song in a needlessly over-the-top chorus that sounds more like a studio joke than a professionally recorded song.

The tastefully impressive and groovy guitar work on “Handsome Garbage” sound great, as do Tilian’s layered harmonies on the pre-chorus and the groovy instrumental shift towards the track’s conclusion, but the unnecessary wailing on the hook really sours the track for me. It feels as though Tilian is overwhelmed with the need to flex his vocal range where it is incredibly uncalled for and tasteless to do so – there is a time and place to flex and this was not it. “Blame It on Rock and Roll” is an endearing upbeat track that sounds almost like an indie-pop tune; Tilian’s performance on this track suits the instrumental well, and the bridge brings a solid amount of dynamics to the song. “Let Her Go” is one of the more electronic sounding tracks that drops into groovy pockets laced with punchy guitar and bass lines. I think “Drunken Conversations” pushes too far in this electronic direction however, particularly with the vocal manipulations which result in a robotic anthem reaching almost dubstep levels of obnoxiousness.

I really enjoy the hypnotic synthesizer melodies on the verses of “Right Side”, but once again Tilian absolutely ruins the track by reaching far too high into his vocal register, resulting in a chorus that is far too over the top to be enjoyable, and while “Ghost Town” returns to the more traditionally retro sound of “The Skeptic’s” first half, it does little to wrap up the album in any meaningful way.

I honestly don’t understand why Rise Records and other labels believe that some of these metalcore clean vocalists have the talent, dexterity or relevance to carry an entire album’s worth of material; none of these clear cash grabs have resulted in the launching of anyone’s solo careers, and as a result albums such as “The Skeptic” feel like an inconsequential, inconsistent experiment.

BEST TRACK: “Blame It On Rock And Roll” WORST TRACK: “Drunk Conversations”

TYLER THE CREATOR

7.5

16.11.18

Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch COLUMBIA

To coincide with the release of the new film, Tyler the Creator has released a companion EP to complement his work on “The Grinch”. I was far from impressed by Tyler’s two songs on the movie’s soundtrack, although I believe the terribly mixed children’s choir vocals have more to do with my dislike of the tracks than Tyler himself.

The EP opens with the piano driven instrumental “Whoville”, which slowly blossoms with layers of strings, bells and a squelching synthesizer. This introduction as well as the rest of the project is reminiscent of the instrumental palate of Tyler’s last record Flower Boy, but with a few more jingling bells this time around to give the EP a wintery, holiday feel.

Santigold’s performance on the synth and snare heavy “Lights On” has an amateurish charm, but as soon as Ryan Beatty hops on the track the former is instantly outshined, making Santigold’s re-entry into the track sound fairly awkward by comparison. Tyler’s contribution on this track breaks up the singing nicely, and his verse on “Hot Chocolate” is literally all about his preferences on the holiday beverage, making the track an instant novelty. What is so hilarious about this song is that it doesn’t feel like a total joke because the singing and production is so elegantly arranged. The sub bass and heavy production on “Big Bag” makes it the closest thing on this record to a straight up hip-hop song; Tyler’s Grinch themed lyrics remind me a lot of his older work, and it’s interesting to consider how similar the artist’s jaded and devious persona aligns with the themes of the hairy green Who. I like the harpsichord melodies and blissful harmonies from Ryan Beatty on “When The Glove Comes Off”, but the track’s progressive nature makes it feel more like an incoherent jam rather than an actual song – nothing in the instrumental really sticks around long enough to leave an impression before a few piano chords simply close the song out. “Cindy Lou’s Wish” is an apt instrumental layered with some colourful synthesizers and jingle bells to close out this tight and solid conceptual EP. BEST TRACK: “Big Bag” WORST TRACK: “When The Gloves Come Off”

WE ALL HAVE THIS OBSESSIVE

COMPULSION TO CREATE