FINDING COMFORT IN THE UNCOMFORTABLE The album artwork, a stunning painting by French artist Sonia Merah, also helps to pull things together. It is, in and of itself, a work of art, but when paired with the sounds of The Vanishing, it becomes a truly haunting and mesmerizing vision of some terribly twisted, alternate reality.
INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST DANA SCHECHTER BY MARIKA ZORZI
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usic just always mirrors what is happening in my life,� says Dana Schechter. “I feel that life has become more and more chaotic. Everywhere, in the world and in personal life as well, and so the need to strip things down to their basic essence is something that has brought me a lot of calmness, which is really crucial for staying alive.�
Since the conception of Insect Ark, founder and multi-instrumentalist Schechter has been crafting uncomfortable soundscapes that feel both intimate and ice-cold. Terrifying, horror film-like visions, outer space travel, and realistic, noir textures were explored on Portal / Well (2015) and Marrow Hymns (2018). In 2020, Schechter is back with a new band member and a new album, The Vanishing, out February 28, 2020, via Profound Lore Records. “The album’s title refers to a recurring daydream,� Schechter explains. “It’s something that I’ve seen in my head, specifically about the ocean and the expansiveness of it. It doesn’t get any clearer, or more empty, than that—the horizon and water, being in a small boat, and never coming back. It has to do with the impermanence of life. That
we’re just here for a minute, and then we fade off. I want to not forget that life can be over so quickly and not to take it for granted because, at any point, we can just fail to exist. We’re not immortal, and we tend to forget that.�
“I think that it totally fits with the title of the album,â€? Schechter says. “Just so mysterious, kind of scary, and really dark. It’s human but not. I see all different kinds of things in it. For me, it’s somewhere between DalĂ and Francis Bacon who are two of my favorite painters.â€? “I used to be a painter, actually,â€? she con-
These feelings are well-represented in The Vanishing. It’s heavier, darker, and denser than anything Insect Ark have ever done without losing any of the writing characteristics that have become synonymous with the band’s personality. Known for her collaborations with Swans (she is now part of the touring lineup), Angels Of Light, Gnaw, Zeal & Ardor, Wrekmeister Harmonies, and Ă…rabrot, Schechter is now joined by former SubRosa drummer Andy Patterson, also known for his bands DĂ˜NE, the Otolith, INVADRS, and as owner/ operator of Salt Lake City recording studio The Boar’s Nest. This partnership appears to have completed the true essence of Insect Ark. “This [album] in particular was pretty chaotic initially,â€? Schechter says. "I really had to crank through some of the creative ideas in a way that was not very relaxing, but Andy was great, and he totally pulled a lot of shit together.â€?
PHOTO BY CHRIS CARLONE
M INTERVIEW WITH MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST MADELINE JOHNSTON BY CHRISTOPHER J. HARRINGTON
idwife’s newest record Forever, out April 10 via The Flenser, constructs itself as an earth-worn time capsule. The simplicity is shattering. Its songs weigh heavily in your heart. The sparse loops and gentle directness sit still in the air of eternity. This is a eulogy of much force, a “letter� to Madeline Johnston’s close friend Colin Ward, who passed away unexpectedly in 2018. Johnston is able to break away momentarily. She is able to connect the greater notion of loss, and in doing so, honors not only her friend but also the experience of life itself.
“It hit me like a bomb. Imprinted itself on me,� Johnston says of the tragedy. “There isn’t a way to recover from grief. It doesn’t go away—it just changes. Colin was the most prolific artist and musician I’ve ever known. So it really made sense to turn towards art to work through it and try to understand it.� Throughout the six-song record, Johnston creates a landscape of emotional and metaphysical terror but ultimately transforms it into a love song, with the closer “S.W.I.M� stretching out like a rainbow in the desert: an eternal light for all to bear. “It’s probably my favorite song on the record,� Johnston remarks. “It’s an anthem for those who are struggling. I wrote it for Colin, and for Jonathan Bitz, and for Andrew Boeglin. It was written for everyone who is having a hard time. When I’ve been playing it live lately, people keep saying it’s a positive song—which
20 NEW NOISE
tinues. “But I stopped because I decided that music would be my focus. I have tried to not do music before, and it didn’t work. It’s a little bit like not eating, and when you suddenly realize that, you feel horrible. And you realize that you’re completely depleted, and that there is something missing that you didn’t realize. Words have never been my best vehicle for expression. They just never have been. So, this is one of the reasons that I don’t really worry about having vocals in this project. Making music is very important to me. When I go too long without it, I feel like I’ve been really neglecting something important inside of myself.â€? đ&#x;’Ł
I think is really funny because to me, it’s completely devastating. I think shedding light on dark themes can be a positive action, to really be able to see them.â€? Forever is visual in the sense that you can “seeâ€? the connection, the relationship between Johnston and Ward. You can embody the astral projection their energy created. You can hear the stars that flashed, the moons that sparkled, the love that fused as a knot in the twisted journey of life. Johnston is able to paint the picture and to escape by encompassing it. “The process of writing the album was certainly painful, but it was also cathartic for me,â€? she says. “It brought up a lot of memories. I liked having somewhere to place them. It felt good to express certain things that were just trapped in my head with nowhere to go. When I listen to it now, I feel proud I was able to finish it. I don’t feel better about this loss; I don’t miss Colin less, but I do feel a little bit closer to him, and in some ways, I think he can hear it, too.â€? Johnston’s guitar flutters, bends, and echoes like metal through the sky. Her voice dances lightly around the tones, transforming the sound into print. She hangs her “letterâ€? onto the stars as they burn thousands and thousands of light years from now. “I will never forget you,â€? she sings in “Language,â€? welcoming the vast emptiness that is life. đ&#x;’Ł
