Revista The 13th 66 - Interviews

AÑO: 7 | NÚMERO 66

THE 13th UN A REV I S TA I M A GI N A RI A

INTERVIEWS: THE WOLFHOUNDS - THE ASTEROID N°4 A SHORELINE DREAM - SIMON RAYMONDE BEAUTY IN CHAOS - HELL BOULEVARD TOPOGRAPHIES - SEASURFER - THE WAKE KNIGHTRESSM1 INDIE SOUNDSCAPES - ESPACIO BOOMBOX

ÍNDICE THE ASTEROID N°4 THE WOLFHOUNDS A SHORELINE DREAM

INDIE SOUNDSCAPES WINTER RESPLANDOR JULIPER SKY GRIMES

SIMON RAYMONDE BEAUTY IN CHAOS HELL BOULEVARD

ESPACIO BOMBOOX DYLAN LANA VAN KLEEMEN

TOPOGRAPHIES SEASURFER KNIGHTRESSM1 THE WAKE

FIVE QUESTIONS

04 14 22 32

33 38 45 50

58 68 78 86

87 90

92 100 108 118 124

Pueden revivirlo en: www.youtube.com/c/NoMeEscuchoRecords

[ Interview with Eric Harms from The Asteroid Nยบ4 by Diego Centuriรณn.

Photoghaps: Kari Devereaux. ]

OUT OF THIS WORLD: THE ASTEROID NO.4 ON THEIR NEW LP

The name of the band seems stellar to me, and if we listen to their music, the sensation of floating in psychedelic universes increases and that invitation to expand our senses becomes more real. With more than two decades of experience, they have just released their tenth album called "Northern Songs" and we will talk about this and the band.

From California I present to you The Asteroid N° 4. .

Hi Eric, thanks for agreeing to do this interview.

And to start I would like to know how they cope with this pandemic that has changed the course of this 2020?

Well it’s been difficult to say the least, but we’re taking this opportunity to focus on writing and recording, we only have time on our side at the moment.

With no means of performing live for the foreseeable future, we feel the best thing we can do is put out as much music as possible, and if / when the time comes that we can perform again, we can look forward to having a great amount of new songs that we’ll be able to share with our audiences.

Tell us about the name of the band that relates you to astronomy.

We named the group way back in the mid-90’s after one of our biggest influences, Spacemen 3. Our music comes from an ethereal place, and Vesta, the brightest star in the universe, is a good home.

But for the last 4 albums I think we’re in a place that we can call our own, where we’re not trying to be someone else, we are using our influences as colors in the final picture. When we first started, Pink Floyd was our main road map. Introducing… was the result. Then, after gaining some notoriety in the neo-psych/ shoegaze scene, where you are supposed to make a great followup, we made a failed right turn trying to do a Kinks-inspired thing, then another one after that into country music. Those two are not good and you should ignore them and they should go away. Needless to say, things fell apart after that, and we took a bit of a hiatus. Picking up the pieces some time later, we found a space in an old abandoned brewery in Philadelphia where we ended up recording An Amazing Dream. From that point on our journey’s purpose was to try and be more true to who we are, and not try to be something we are not. Our trajectory since An Amazing has been a pretty straight path to realizing to what you hear on Northern Songs.

And thinking about Vesta and space, I think his music has a lot of this, space psychedelia. How much do you think your music has You started this project more than two decades ago, what is it like to changed in these years?

We’ve changed so much over the have a project for so long? Although 20+ years we’ve been doing this. it is true that many musicians have

5

passed through these years, they have maintained a structure.

We’ve had so many ups and downs over the years, so many band members that have come and gone. We’ve gone through many trying times creatively, personally and band/touring related, and I can’t say we’ve all not said “I’m fucking done I quit” more than a handful of times. But we’d step back, take a break, and soon enough we’d be back at it - because this is a passion for us, and when things are good, it’s really fun, and that’s what’s kept us going. If it’s not fun, then we don’t want to be doing it. Performing is like a drug, you’re always looking for the next high, and connecting with an audience is one of the best feelings in the world. We really miss playing live and touring, and we miss the connection with the audience.

It's what it’s all about.

In 1998 they released their first album… What do you think has changed in the band in so many years of recordings?

Change has been a constant theme in the band’s history, and I think it’s been healthy. We’ve lost count as to how many members have passed through the lineup, and stylistically, we’ve tried many different things. But ultimately, as we’ve come to realize who we are, we’ve stuck to it, and we’ll always pick from a variety of influences on every album. The Bryds, Ride, Slowdive, Spacemen 3, Beatles, Floyd and Kinks will always be part of who we are. But we don’t want to imitate them, because what fun is that? Doing cover songs is

7

great, there’s a lot to learn and we do it often. But there are so many “psych” bands out today that only have so many levels of influence they can turn to, and it all just sounds the same. There’s no longevity in that.

His career is so extensive that it is difficult to cover it in a single interview, but if you had to guide readers who still do not know The Asteroid N ° 4, why album should they begin to know them?

An Amazing Dream or These Flowers are a good start to know who we are today. Amazing Dream sounds like “us”. Introducing… is still us, but we’ve learned so much since that album I feel it’s not really representative of who we are, today. We still play a number of songs from that album, as well as some singles from that era like “90

Colors” that came out as a 7” before Introducing… was released. Collide was a good progression but I think with Northern Songs we’ve really hit our stride.

How does it feel to make a new album release now in this strange moment?

It’s absolutely strange, and it’s unfortunate that we can’t tour to support the album. But I think you have to look at it as just another weird era in music history and accept and challenges. Like when there was no internet and we had to do our PR by fax machine, and you had to actually make phone calls to get radio people to play your songs. It’s not going to be this way forever; we will get out of this at some point. We just need to make due with what we have – which is mostly time - and the opportunities

we’re given and creating, to adjust.

I am thinking about these difficult times that we have to live in and although the virtual world is moving, much of the real world seems to have stopped. How do you carry out a plan to disseminate your new work without concerts and tours?

During this time our goal is to rehearse, record and release as much music as possible. We have a studio here in San Rafael, and we’ve outfitted it with a mounted video camera in plans to do some virtual concerts. Releasing new music will be absolutely necessary to stay afloat. We understand we’re not going to sell a crazy amount of albums up front, but once it’s out in the wild, it’s there forever. People will find it as they are introduced to us via another artist, friends, internet radio, YouTube, etc.

It’s hard enough to be relevant because the internet is just full of so much noise, but I feel continuity and persistence is the key to wading the waters of this storm, and staying in contact with our current and potential audiences.

U87 clones I built, 11 API 312 mic pre clones that I built, our 1” 16 track tape machine and ProTools with some nice plugins, but no outboard gear. What I lacked in gear, I could try and match sonically because of the experience we had in that studio with Collide. We also did everything for Northern Songs in our studio, which gave us the time we needed to work, versus paying for studio time on the studio’s schedule.

In our studio we can have a weekly schedule, so we can continue an idea that’s fresh in our heads. With Collide, we were only able to work on it maybe 2-4 days a month, with what we could afford. So even though coming back with fresh ears can be beneficial, losing that vibe you might have had the last time is a drag.

Song-wise, they are pretty similar; we see them as a “collection” of songs, an approach we’ve been keyed into since 2014. Our lead singer and fellow founding A4 member Scott (I am the other founding member still in the group) says they could have together been one long double LP. But they do sound pretty different, at least to us. We had a fifth member with us for Collide as well, so that had an effect on the writing process. Northern Songs is more in line of our genetic make-up, and focuses in on more of the UK shoegaze and dream pop of the late 80’s / early 90’s stuff we grew up on when we were in our late teens and early 20s. We feel it’s the best representation thus far on who we are as musicians.

What differences do you find between the previous album "Collide" (2018) and "Northern Songs" (2020)?

Collide we recorded in a studio that should be a museum of recording equipment. The place had every Fender amp you could imagine, an amazing Calrec console, every old vintage compressor, EQ, mic pre, microphone, effects, keyboards, you could think of.

It was a little overwhelming, as we’ve And speaking of the album, how never worked with a lot of that equipment was the writing and recording before, hands on. I recorded, mixed process for this new album? and mastered Northern Songs, and It was enjoyable, as we all brought the extent of my gear was 2 Neumann songs to the table, and we all have

our different processes. In having 3 songwriters in the group, Scott, our bass player Matty and myself, there are always different ways things come to light.

Just as with any band, something will come together in rehearsal. “Paint it Green” was brought in by Matty, it was a guitar line that he was playing in rehearsal and we made it into a song. He has a solo record with another version of the song that is completely different.

Myself, I’ll usually record everything at home, guitar, bass, keys along with a simple drum machine loop. I’ll do all the arrangement, and bring it if for everyone to hear, and for Scott to have something to inspire him for lyrics and melody. The songs usually change once every else brings their ideas in, which is awesome. My idea gets transformed into something I would have never thought of doing. Scott’s approach, he’ll come up with an acoustic idea

with a melody, bring it in and we’ll jam on it and build the structure. Once we have a structure we’ll then start with a demo recording so we can iron things out, fix the arrangements, pull things out, make space, add harmonies and other instrumentation. Once we feel we’re ready we’ll hit record for real. But sometimes the demos work!

"Northern Songs" has been released by Little Cloud Records / Cardinal Fuzz, tell us what is it like to work with these record companies?

It’s been one of the best experiences, I feel, as I’m usually the one that communicates with the label we’re working with. Working in a partnership between these guys I feel is the best way to release an album, as Little Cloud is in the US and Cardinal Fuzz is in the UK. Just having the two locations for shipping records to fans is a bonus,

9

because shipping an LP from San Francisco to the UK can be astronomically expensive. Northern Songs is $25US, and to ship it to the UK is $26, plus any UK import taxes they might have to pay to receive merchandise. These guys are also splitting costs, so that makes it easier to make decisions, and to make a more quality product.

But just having a team behind you that are truly into what you are doing makes is SO much easier for us to do what we need to do. We all have to make sacrifices, and if one part of the puzzle isn’t cooperating, then it really brings down moral. It has to be all systems go, move forward, especially with how difficult it is to release and promote music these days. Mike (LC) and Dave (CF) couldn’t be two nicer people to work with either. It’s very refreshing to

be working with enthusiastic, honest, organized and motivated individuals.

How does the plan continue in the remainder of this strange 2020?

As I’ve said in the continuing theme of this interview, our goal is to do as much writing, recording and rehearsing as much as possible. We’re trying to keep a positive outlook on things, but with the situation in our country, it’s pretty difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, especially with the people driving the train here. Hopefully things change for the better come November 3, I’m sure there won’t be a solution to the Covid crisis, but I’m hoping to see a change in the guard that will help bring us back together, set a better example for everyone around the world watching, and help lead us to a solution for getting us out of quarantine.

11

In closing and thanking you for this opportunity to ask you these questions ... Do you want to say something that I did not ask you?

We just hope that everyone enjoys Northern Songs as much as we did making it. We hope to someday after all this Covid mess is cleaned up we can come down and perform for you guys in South America! Thanks for giving us the opportunity to chat with you!

Thanks Eric!

Cheers! A4

13

LONDON’S WOLFHOUNDS RESURFACES WITH STELLAR ALBUM: A CANDID CHAT

[ Interview with David Callahan from The Wolfhounds by Dave Franklin.

Photographs: Helen Golding and David Janes. ]

15

The Wolfhounds have gone against the F. Scott Fitzgerald adage of there being no second act. What is different about being a band and making music in 21st century to your 80’s experience of the same?

We’re ‘Band Interrupted’, really – we never ran out of ideas first time around, just time and money. There are many ways in which making music is much easier in the 21st century. Decent guitars are cheaper (though vintage ones are outrageously expensive, of course), there is an unlimited range of weird instruments available on eBay, you can do all your preliminary recording and arranging on your laptop and overdub online. We still use an expensive studio to mix, but even that isn’t entirely necessary. Tours can also be organised simply by messaging and venues often have their own backline and, as we often enjoy playing somewhat ad hoc, this means we’ve become a lean and mean, compact outfit able to perform almost anywhere. On the downside, we can’t lounge around on the dole dreaming of strategies. The internet has increased accessibility tenfold, though.

The band seems to have come back more fired up than ever. Does this say more about you as people or more about the world in which you now find yourselves?

We’re always the sum total of what the world is throwing at us and, being powerless little people, can only defend ourselves with our melodic and noisy opinions. I’d love to write anthems that sent people to the barricades but, at best, we’re likely to allow people to let off steam and carry on.

However, the best thing people across the world can do is relate to each other and there’s few better ways to get that across than the heightened emotions of music.

Music has always fired my synapses with ideas, usually creating ‘what if?’ scenarios in my mind rather than direct influences and so it would be impossible to continue any creative endeavor without being ‘fired up’. But, yes – the world as it is certainly demands a fierce and active musical response. We’re so close to having the ability to solve many of the world’s problems and so far away as animals from actually doing it.

You have never been shy of expressing your opinions. How hard is it to be a politically motivated band in a very entrenched and divided world. Does this add fuel to the fire or make you more cautious about your approach?

Well, that doesn’t mean I stand by all of my previous opinions – I’ve made youthful bloopers as much as anyone else. You feel how you feel on the day. I wouldn’t actually say that we’re politically motivated but, today, the sheer cynical and venal stupidity and spite of many people with influence and platforms is enervating and worrying in equal measures. I believe in free speech wholeheartedly but I’m aware of how cynical and partisan the majority of people who call themselves ‘libertarians’ are. So, I use what I hope is ‘intelligent caution’. There’s some boundary testing tucked away in some of the songs (e.g. The Comedians and Across The River Of Death on the last LP) but I’m hoping that our audience is clever enough to see what we’re getting

at. I don’t believe in the ‘objectivity of art’ which seems, to me, a lazy and cowardly way of not having a moral standpoint and avoiding compassion – like the awkward, inappropriate uncle who makes offensive comments and then says “just joking”. However, some of the interest comes from being able to speak with other people’s voices whose opinions you may not agree with and not your own, which is fun. Problem is, people always think you’re expressing your own viewpoints – in reality, singing and writing are acting rather than unnuanced self-expression.

You can tell a lot about people by the company they keep and the fact that Stewart Lee wrote your sleeve notes and asked you to play when he curated All Tomorrow’s Parties speaks volumes. What does it mean to have someone like him in your corner?

Stewart’s been listening (and being turned away from our gigs for being too

young) to us almost since we started. It would be a shame if he weren’t much good but some of the shows I’ve seen him perform in recent years have been some of the most original and best comedy shows I’ve ever seen (and I saw Bill Hicks on his first UK visit). So, our music is for everyone, even if they don’t get it, but it’s always great when someone whose work you enjoy, also likes yours. Stew’s a bit like me in a way, as he’s a cultural word-spreader, too – I’m always recommending new music (and books) around online to others, and I’m sure a lot of them don’t necessarily like what we do, but I love getting the news of good stuff out, whatever. Particularly nowadays where you’re swamped with new music and information and I figure if someone likes what we do, there’s a chance they’ll probably like what I’m listening to.

ATP was great – we got to play with Roky Erikson ferrchrissakes! – but we still haven’t been paid (though that’s

it will always sound like us. As far as influences go – we’re a bit like a river: And sonically speaking there is a factories and farms come and go on the tougher sound at the heart of your bank, adding all sorts of pollution, but music these days, is that just natural we keep on flowing whatever happens. evolution or more of a conscious And where next for The decision?

We’ve always been fans of the rawer Wolfhounds? and harsher end of music as well as a Well, covid has put paid to our plans good tune, and we try to blend the two – it for a proper British tour in October, even works occasionally! But part of the though we’re trying to reschedule for advantageofbeingforeverunderground spring next year. However, lockdown means that we can experiment more has meant that there’s been a little than if we were, say, some American less pressure to earn a living for a Apparel-approved major indie-pop while and I’ve been preparing lots of band. If we want a bassoon on a song demos and other recordings – some or to forge an imaginary Central Asian/ for Wolfhounds, some for my solo LP English musical hybrid, then we’ll do (I’m just booking the string quartet in it. It helps being able to record well a studio at last, having planned it for a lot more quickly and cheaply – this years) and even some Moonshakemeans we have the option of having style electronics which should surface a song recorded on an iPhone next to at some point. I’m sure Andy, our one with a big digital production – or guitarist, will also bring some good both in the same song. We’re confident stuff to the table. It’ll be good to get the enough in our own abilities to know that masks off and rehearse at some point! not Stew’s fault).

17

19

www.mutanteradio.com

21

www.indiego.com.ar

[ Interview with Ryan Policky from A Shoreline Dream by Diego Centuriรณn. ]

A SHORELINE DREAM: THE CONSTRAST BETWEEN DREAN AND WAKEN

23

It is not the first time that we have connected with the band from Denver, Colorado, to know their news. In 2016 we had our first interview and from there we have been attentive to the news of A Shoreline Dream. The excuse is the release of a new album called "Melting" under their own Latenight Weeknight Records label in August, and this is the excuse we have to contact you again to find out what's on your new album.

Links to previous interviews: https://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/n26-th13th https://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/the_13th_n-30

Hello (Ryan)!

Thank you for agreeing to carry out this interview and to begin with, we cannot help but wonder how this pandemic is transiting that has stopped the real world, since the virtual one continues to move?

This has been one of the most isolating and confusing times since I was in the womb.

Seriously! Not only have I lost my mind on numerous occasions, but I have also found many of my friends moving away, conflicts of all types somehow popping up left and right, and zero work/life balance. I always thought a pandemic was something from the 1800’s… and I’m sure a ton of people would say the same, but wow it came as quite the shock to actually have to live through one in present technological times. I can’t say much other than it sucks. It’s destroyed entertainment, and entertainment is what I am all about. I’m still adjusting and trying to figure out what could possibly come next… especially with how absolutely awful the social and political world is here in the states. But hey, at least it gave us time to finally finish our album!

You have released a new album, what is it like to release a new work in the middle of this strange world, where you cannot support it with live shows?

It’s beyond risky in my opinion, but we just did it anyways. With all attention turned towards old billionaire dictators, nonstop news and confusion from the virus, alongside a general lack of understanding how to promote anything, it’s been quite the challenge. More than ever there is literally no way to sustain any sort of income in this world as a performer, unless you’ve already made it. I used to think it was so easy back in the mid 2000’s, when we somehow landed in every dream publication and social space we could think of, but now… wow. People don’t even buy music. They don’t even want to stream your music unless you are Taylor Swift. I don’t know, I’m kinda being a pessimist, but we strive to still spread the music we love making regardless, even if it just breaks the bank…. which it did many years ago.

Since the EP “Waitout” in 2018 we haven't had much news from the band, yes from side projects, can you tell us about what you've been up to?

It’s been interesting. At that time we were a three piece, but now we’re back to two, so that has been another difficult wave to crash through. However, when Erik and myself sit down and write it always turns into magic… at least to our ears. We started tinkering with

some ideas in late 2019, but once again, as soon as this evil monster landed, we just started smashing down those previous barriers which prevented us from finishing an album, and wrote the whole damn thing in a few months, and recorded it on the fly, just like how we love doing it.

What virtues do you find in "Melting" that there are not in your previous works?

Consistency from start to finish. I would say we had that with Avoiding the Consequences and Recollections of Memory, but I would personally say this one has that cohesion in tone and vibe that just gels. It’s storytelling through music, much like Avoiding was…

I have read that the album has been and I find myself pleased with those results. written quite quickly. How long did it take It was truly raw and every moment matches to compose it and how was the time of the time period we are in. At times I feel we recording? were almost foretelling the future in a few of Haha, I keep getting ahead of your the songs. questions. As I mentioned, it was super fast.

We wrote it and recorded it as we wrote it I particularly love the treatment they give from November-April. I know we always to the sound of guitars, has it taken you promised to string together singles that we time to get those layers in the studio? had released, but it just didn’t feel right and I am so beyond a perfectionist when it comes we wanted it to organically happen, rather to tone, and guitar is our tone. It takes some than trying to match up a bunch of different kicking your own butt to make things sound production styles. I’m super happy we went right. This time we sat out with an intention that route and I know Erik would say the same. in mind as far as the sound and space of how the album would play out. Before we

25

started writing/recording we fine tuned our environment, the tools we were using to capture it, and the amps used to make it all feel right. It’s not perfect, as nothing ever is, but we sure are into the spacial qualities resonating throughout “Melting”.

I usually close myself off to other music while recording as I just don’t have the time to take my focus off of the task in front of me, but I do indeed always have influences from the past that are just engrained in the electricity in my brain. Dead Can Dance, Tears for Fears and surprisingly The Smashing Pumpkins as There are many influences that many of late have really pushed me. have always attributed to the band, but particularly in this work I have heard a What can you tell us about your feelings strong vocal accent a la Daniel Ash. I about this album? What impressions can don't want to ask about your influences, you tell us that “Melting” has left you? but what did you hear while writing the My feelings for this one are all over the album? place, kind of like my overall emotional state

27

right now. This album needed to happen to keep myself sane and moving forward. It’s been a very rough life the past few years, and this was the breath of fresh air I needed to clear out the nightmares endured.

With this pandemic, what has changed in the promotional plans for your album?

Everything. Other than trying to get radio support and online support we are still searching for the answer. We thought it was trying to get streaming services to take notice, but that wasn’t true. Then we tried making it a focus on social media, and that place is beyond cluttered, so we are trying different approaches, such as doing a bunch of videos for the majority of the songs, debuting them at some of our favorite places such as DKFM, which we traditionally wouldn’t have done before. An online station to debut a music video?! Weird, but we said, why not try it. It’s a difficult landscape out there, and to not be able to share any of the music live is beyond devastating. We’ll keep looking for opportunities, but we have no real gameplan other than making more videos and possibly more music again soon.

What are the plans, if any, for the remainder of 2020?

29

Music Videos, trying to stay afloat financially as my normal day job of video production has also taken a big hit, and trying to stay sane and as stress free as possible. These waves can be paddled through, but it’s gonna take a pretty big paddle for it to actually happen.

To finish and thank you once again for the possibility of asking you these questions.

Do you want to say something to our readers?

You are beyond amazing and it’s been a pleasure doing an interview! As far as the readers go, we hope you give us a listen. We don’t care if it’s spotify or itunes or even possibly the vinyl version we are hoping will pre-sale enough to make possible. Visit ashorelinedream.com and we thank you so much for your support!

Thank you Ryan!

[ By Fernando Rivera Rodríguez ]

INDIE SOUNDSCAPES PART I: WINTER RESPLANDOR

33

The Evolution and Revolution of Dream-Pop Review “Winter - Endless Space (Between You & I)”

Some new artists or bands, within the Indie Scene, are making a great career to be recognized to a major audience after releasing many albums and EPs with a variety of styles finding their own identity and seal. The sounds and melodies are more sophisticated than previous efforts incorporating many details and effects on the Music because they wanna offer their best approaching the new technologies.

Suddenly, after some years of making Music, as EPs and LPs, and putting all their experience and knowledge they create a mature work that could mean a natural progression or evolution. Since here they can call the attention of a great producer and the media going from a small label to a bigger one that can make them very-well known as a good choice to listen and buy their records all over the world. That´s a dream came true for any artist.

A great example of this process is the band WINTER which I had the pleasure to discover through their third and brand new album entitled "Endless Space (Between You & I) (2020 - BAR NONE RECORDS).

They offer incredible Dream-Pop and ethereal songs with an outstanding production and a remarkable elaboration including detailed sonic

effects, Ambient, Experimental Music, Shoegaze and Psychedelia... ¡so amazing!

Listeningtheirpreviousdiscography "Endless Space (Between You & I)" (2020) is their best album to date taking the Dream-Pop style to a higher level of authenticity and great form fussioning it with many surprises. The frontwoman behind WINTER´s project is the charismatic and talented singer/songwriter SAMIRA WINTER born in Brazil and established in Los Angeles, USA. She has a prolific career of many albums and EPs and maybe now it´s the time that she will be better known because of her new and radiant Dream-Pop LP that it´s a must-have!. I love itand recommend it so much. WINTER, as a band, started to perform Music in 2012 with "Daydreaming", a great Indie and Dream-Pop EP followed by the "Summer Singles" EP (2013) and their great and debut LP "Supreme Blue Dream" (2015).

After many singles and EPs, Winter released "Ethereality" (2018), their second album with favorable reviews. Finally appeared the EPs "Infinite Summer" and "Hazy" from 2019 as a fantastic prelude to the incredible and masterpiece album

"Endless Space (Between You & I)" (2020) full of evocative and brilliant Dream-Pop songs. The song I have chosen to be part of this article it´s the same one that gives the title to the last record.

Now I will describe each of the themes that make up this wonderful album: SIDE A: 1. "Between You & I" is a fabulous intro to the best song of the album with many tapes reverse effects and many Noise-Rock. Here are influences of MY BLOODY VALENTINE and their timeless "Tremolo" (1991) EP where they created links between each song... ¡amazing!

2. "Endless Space (Between You & I)" is the main piece of the album where we can feel the potential and talent of WINTER at its best with many details and textures. The melodies, sounds and Samira´s angelical vocals create a stunning atmosphere and let us immerse in a surreal world of beauty and joy. Like a puzzle they have put every piece in the correct place and they have made a pleasant theme that for sure it will be part of the best songs of the 2000s.

COCTEAU TWINS and SWALLOW are great influences but also MY BLOODY VALENTINE, BROADCAST, MELODY´s ECHO CHAMBER, STILL CORNERS and many other awesome bands.

WINTER have being very wise and visionary to reinterpret these bands with their own essence giving a contemporary feeling and creating a shiny aura of pure Dream-Pop perfection... ¡a mind-blowing triumph!

3. Very provocative and catchy is the optimistic and joyful tune "Here I Am Existing". They show us another path of their lovely Music with a more Psychedelic and peaceful sound... ¡simply brilliant!

4. "Healing" goes in the same way of the previous song but it´s more short, melodic and Pop. Definitely COCTEAU TWINS is a deep influence sonically and vocally and we can discover many tunes in a bliss world.

5. The Minimalist and Experimental "In The Z Plane" acts as an interlude for the later song. The vocals are layered to feel a different effect and is a soft ballad with a Bossa Nova air... ¡lovely!

6. "Say" is one of my favorite songs of WINTER´s brand new album. It starts with a Spacey and Ambient tune and then it explodes into Electronica and Avant-Garde territory giving many character to the song in an awesome way. We can feel the Lounge style of STEREOLAB, one of my fav bands... ¡incredible!

SIDE B: 1. We begin Side B with "Bem No Fundo", another of my beautiful and selected tracks. This time Samira sings in Portuguese and her voice blends perfectly with the vocal collaboration of DINHO ALMEIDA. Together they create a pleasant and Psychedelic tune with many light.

2. Again we can enjoy the great voice of Samira in the excellent "Constellation". A cheerful and smooth tune full of funny and random effects that appear throughout the song. Also a shimmering and fuzzy guitar means a clever addition at the end.

3. "Memória Colorida" is a romantic

35

and superb love theme sung in Portuguese once more. At the middle part it transforms in a Shoegaze song cleverly. Immediately comes to my mind the big influence of SWALLOW and the attractive voice of Louise Trehy, the frontwoman... ¡two thumbs up!

4. "Wherever You Are" is really stunning and another of my best choices. I can define it as a charming voyage to a new dimension with outstanding Space-Rock and Experimental elements.

Let´s appreciate the intense and Dark guitar solo with a thrilling vibe...

DAVID BOWIE or BRIAN ENO meets COCTEAU TWINS... ¡extraordinary!

5. We reach the end of this record with an otherwordly tune entitled

"Pure Magician". A fascinating, Dreamy, Noisy,Experimental and Psychedelic closer of this magnificent album. Samira´s voice is very spiritual influenced by BILINDA BUTCHER from MY BLOODY VALENTINE... like the title says: ¡it´s pure magic!

Listen the incredible album "Endless Space (Between You & I)" (2020) by WINTER and if you have the chance buy the record. It´s a Dream-Pop masterpiece and you will enjoy the dazzling songs forever!.

Many thanks for reading, listening and watching the impressive video.

A strong hug and stay safe my friends, ¡¡¡thanks so much!!!

37

Amazing Shoegaze Textures And Incredible Soundscapes From Lima, Perú.

Review “Resplandor - Pleamar" (2020)” SAINT MARIE RECORDS, double vinyl reissue) (2019 - AUTOMATIC ENTERTAINMENT)

39

The Shoegaze revival has become a true phenomenon worldwide these days with wonderful groups reinterpreting the Shoegaze and Noise-Rock sound in such varied and complex ways and contributing with its own and unique vision. At the end of the 90s and beginning the new millennium there has been a progression of bands that have given continuity to these great styles and every day we can see how the Indie scene is reinvigorated and strengthened.

I´m so excited and proud to present an awesome band, being one of the pioneers, in spreading their love and passion of the Shoegaze genre. They are the impressive RESPLANDOR band, very well-known around the world, and I feel even more proud that they are from Lima, Perú, my beloved country. The main style they cultivate is Shoegaze but they also show their affinity towards DreamPop, Indie-Pop, Ambient and Electronica.

RESPLANDOR was founded in 1996 by the great MusicianANTONIO ZELADA and they performed live at the iconic BAUHAUS Club in 1997 located in Miraflores, Lima-Perú with a big success and, unfortunately, today no longer exists.

The resident DJ, at that time, was Eduardo Lenti, excellent Indie Music writer and a cool friend. He is now a DJ of the renowned NEBULA CLUB MIRAFLORES, Lima-Peru again and very close to my home.

The first self-released EP from the band was "Sol De Hiel" ("Gall Sun") in 1998. Then, in 2000, they recorded the lovely debut album "Elipse" ("Ellipse") and many of the songs were included in several label

compilations like the amazing single "En Tus Alas" ("In Your Wings") included in the "Picnic Basket" collection for Shelflife Records.

The new songs started to gain attention in Europe and the German ALISON RECORDS label signed them to record "Ámbar" ("Amber") (2002), their second outstanding album with favorable reviews. A year later they were on tour in USA presenting the new album...awesome !!!. The band´s influences are many and the most representative are: SLOWDIVE, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, COCTEAU TWINS, CHAPTERHOUSE, LILYS, SEEFEEL, WINDY & CARL, SWALLOW, PALE SAINTS, LUSH, etc.

In 2005 they released a cover of "The Killing Moon" from ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN appeared on the tribute album "Play The Game", for the label LUNAR DISCOS from Spain and the same year they reissued "Elipse" with two bonus tracks and videos distributed by toneVENDOR. The next big step on their career was the release of their last album "Pleamar" (2008 - AUTOMATIC ENTERTAINMENT) produced and mixed by ROBIN GUTHRIE, the mythical guitarist from the extraordinary and legendary band COCTEAU TWINS, a big honor !!!. Robin listened the band and he loved it very much so he decided to work with them.

The result was a brilliant album with Robin´s ethereal and Shoegaze trademark becoming their best album to date with a more polished and refined sound than never before.

Thanks to this RESPLANDOR is recognized as a great band

worldwide. I will talk soon about the album, with more detail, and the new reissue of "Pleamar" on double vinyl and CD. The actual members of Resplandor are the frontman Antonio Zelada on vocals, guitars and programming, TATIANA BALABURKINA on keyboards and backing vocals (coming from Russia), JOERI GYDÉ on bass from Belgium and member of Colour Kane. Currently the band it´s established in the Netherlands.

When they play live in Lima they have the collaborations of Darko Saric on keyboards (also he has a solid career as a composer/producer of the wonderful Peruvian band Indigo), Henry Gates on Electric Bass and CHRISTOPHER FARFÁN (Christopher FW) on drums.

Ex-members of RESPLANDOR were Luis Rodriguez on guitars and E-bow, Wilmer Ruiz Perea on keyboards, Aracelli Fernandez on voices, Bettine Solf on voices

and Electric Bass, Rocco Flores, assistant engineer and keyboards, Lucia Vivanco (Yushimi), on violin and bass and CARLOS MARIÑO on drums.

Returning to the excellent "Pleamar" ("High Tide") album (2008) there were many guest Musicians like ANDREW PRINZ and ANA BRETON from MAHOGANY. Andrew is the frontman and Ana is no longer there.

She was member of DEAD LEAF ECHO too. Also SCOTT CORTEZ from LOVESLIESCRUSHING. Today RESPLANDOR is part of the SAINT MARIE RECORDS label next to bands like MAHOGANY, Piano Magic, Whimsical, Down, Jeff Runnings, ELIKA, Scarlet Youth, etc.

The album opens with "Solar", an exquisite melancholic intro with volatile voices and Ambient textures. The triumphant "Downfall" comes next and it´s my choice as the main piece for this article that I will describe later. A more cheerful Photograph: Tomás Tyburec

41

theme is "Raindrops" with agile guitars to make way for "Breathe", one of my favorite tracks with faster guitar layers and an impressive energy. Then it´s the turn of "Oeste" ("West") that goes in the same way.

"Boreal" ("Borealis") is completely different because it´s more Experimental and Minimalist ...Music to feel !!!. We continue with "Pleamar", the song that gives name the album, with a Neo-Progressive and Post-Rock vibe where the drums create an stunning aura. The tenderness, beauty and romanticism of "Whisper" captivates us in a surprising way, a number I love so much. We go deeper to enter the nostalgic, abstract and introspective "Twilight" where we can appreciate the magic and charm of the superb production of Robin Guthrie.

Great news are that SAINT MARIE RECORDS have reissued and remastered "Pleamar" (2020) including four exclusive remixes: "Breathe" and "Twilight", remixed by IAN CATT, producer of THE FIELD MICE, TREMBLING BLUE STARS,

Saint Etienne, etc. and "Bocanada (Faraway Whispers From The Sea)" and "Pleamar (Wherever You Are)" remixed by DARKO SARIC. Now the reissue is sold out but if you want a repress you can sign in a link I will post later in the comments.

Now is time to give you my thoughts of the bonus tracks for this deluxe vinyl version. The remixes of "Breathe" and "Twilight" by IAN CATT are radiant with a strong Electronic base and a more accessible sound, simply amazing !!!. DARKO SARIC show us a different concept with a more Experimental and Avant-Garde feeling in their fantastic remixes "Bocanada (Faraway Whispers From The Sea)" and "Pleamar (Wherever You Are)".

On the other side AUTOMATIC ENTERTAINMENT has reissued the CD version including the bonus track "Pleamar (Wherever You Are)" remixed by DARKO SARIC. This is a limited version of 200 copies only and comes with a new Artwork.

You can buy it in RESPLANDOR´s Bandcamp.

Photograph: Heinz Brossolat

Definitely "Downfall" is a majestic songandthehighlightofthe"Pleamar" album. It´s a true contemporary and innovative Shoegaze piece that represents how far RESPLANDOR can go showing all their potential and artistic vision to create a masterpiece ahead its time. It´s one of the best songs of the 2000s giving a new approach to the Shoegaze style with many guitar layers, sound effects and a spectacular melody blended with the lovely and ethereal voice of ANTONIO ZELADA. From the first notes, this glorious theme is an immersive experience that leads us to an ethereal world of pleasant and nostalgic soundscapes that grows more and more as the song continues to the end with fabulous chorus that give it a special touch.

It´s a luxury that guest artists

such as Andrew Prinz, leader of Mahogany, Ana Breton who was part of MAHOGANY and Dead Leaf Echo and finally Scott Cortez, leader of lovesliescrushing, have participated in the chorus. This way "Downfall" is much more special...a real delight !!!.

The video of the song is outstanding and is directed by the Peruvian Percy Céspedez, nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2010.

It´s very significant to mention the great Peruvian independent producer and label AUTOMATIC ENTERTAINMENT, owned by ANTONIO ZELADA and currently based in The Netherlands, for their big enthusiasm and free spirit making the Indie Music scene grow much more in Lima with the arrival of new bands and legendary groups worldwide.

AUTOMATIC ENTERTAINMENT

has brought to Lima great artists like THE OCEAN BLUE, ROBIN GUTHRIE, THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN, THE HOUSE OF LOVE, THE RADIO DEPT., MAHOGANY, Asobi Seksu, Airiel, Elika, ANDREW FLETCHER (DEPECHE MODE), PETER HOOK (NEW ORDER), ANDY ROURKE (THE SMITHS), Warren Defever(HIS NAME IS ALIVE), Mark Gardener (RIDE), ULRICH SCHNAUSS, LOVESLIESCRUSHING, MEN WITHOUT HATS, etc.

Amazing that RESPLANDOR shared the stage with all of them and they also were the supporting band for other iconic artists of different labels like THE CURE and SLOWDIVE. Don´t forget to buy your tickets for the Automatic Noise Fest II on April 10, 2020 in Rotterdam, NL. where excellent bands will perform live like BLANKENBERGE (Russia), PUMUKY (SPAIN), DEATH BY AUDIO (The Netherlands) and RESPLANDOR (Perú).

Many thanks to ANTONIO ZELADA and all the crew of Automatic Entertainment like Guillermo Melgarejo for giving me the chance to write about "Pleamar", one of my favorite albums from RESPLANDOR. Don´tforget to listen the lovely song "Downfall" and subscribe to the Saint Marie Records label if you wish a reissue of the beautiful double vinyl of "Pleamar" with four bonus tracks. If you want a copy of the new reissue on CD you can buy it on RESPLANDOR´s Bandcamp.

My best regards and a lot of thanks to my dear friends and all the people and collectors who are committed to the fascinating Indie Music. Let´s listen and read the article...cheers !!!... ...

43

[ Por Fernando Rivera Rodríguez ]

INDIE SOUNDSCAPES PART II: JULIPER SKY GRIMES

Shoegaze épico y triunfante desde Manchester, UK. Reseña de “Juliper Sky - Infinite Jets"

Es genial saber que el Revival del Shoegaze de hoy nos siga sorprendiendo con su expansión por todo el mundo como nunca antes lo habíamos visto gracias al nacimiento de nuevos y fascinantes artistas solistas y bandas. Ellos están manteniendo la verdadera esencia y el alma de este maravilloso estilo pero haciéndolo muy contemporáneo y fresco a través de su visión y gusto particular brillando con luz e identidad propia.

Profundizando aún más, los nuevos artistas han sido muy inteligentes para capturar la verdadera emoción y pasión que el Shoegaze genera. Para hacer que esto suceda ellos lo están fusionando y mezclando incorporando muchos géneros y estilos como la Psicodelia, Ambient, Dream-Pop, Synth-Pop, Krautrock, Post-Rock y cualquier otro que haya sido una gran influencia en ellos. ¡¡¡Esto es realmente asombroso porque las posibilidades son infinitas!!!

Una de estas bandas que está muy comprometida con el Revival del Shoegaze y lo toma como una gran influencia en su Música es JULIPER SKY ofreciendo himnos inmersivos, viajeros, memorables y muy bien elaborados. Ellos se han convertido en uno de los mejores y prometedores actos de esta década con muchas críticas positivas conquistando miles de fans en un corto período de tiempo gracias a sus geniales singles. Todo esto muestra un increíble futuro Musical para ellos.

Viniendo de la ciudad de Manchester, Reino Unido, JULIPER SKY es un quinteto conformado por JAMIE LAMBERT (voz, guitarra), DAN PARKER (guitarra), LIAM GRINDELL (guitarra, sintetizadores), ROGER DAMEN (bajo) y finalmente BEN PURSUEHOUSE en la batería. Puedo definir su Música como una brillante mezcla de muchos estilos como el Shoegaze, Dream-Pop, Psicodelia, Música Neo-Progresiva, Indie-Rock, Música Alternativa de los 90, Experimental, Música Ambient, etc. con su punto de vista único.

JULIPER SKY ha comenzado muy temprano, en Julio del 2019, ganando mucha atención con "Heaven", su excelente single debut seguido de muchos otros grandes singles como "Magnetise", "Waves" y "Reflections Of The Winter Sun". Todos ellos aparecieron en su primer EP titulado "Visions Of A New Age" (2020). Su siguiente increíble aventura fue el lanzamiento de "Infinite Jets" (2020), una de las canciones que más me gusta de toda su discografía la cual describiré más tarde.

Recientemente han lanzado un par de nuevas canciones manteniendo su hermoso e innovador estilo fusionado con la increíble voz de JAMIE LAMBERT, el frontman, dando sentido a los paisajes sonoros, melodías y letras. "Afterglow" y "Into The Outer Light" son estas canciones que permiten su permanencia en el campo Musical. Es importante decir que ellos son muy prolíficos creando Música sin parar hasta el día de hoy.

Aunque todas sus canciones son verdaderas joyas, la que más destaca en su carrera y mi favorita es la notable e inolvidable melodía "Infinite Jets", mi mejor opción para ser parte de este artículo. Esta canción define claramente el signo de nuestros tiempos en donde podemos sentir el Revival del Shoegaze en toda su gloria viajando a través de épicas y triunfantes atmósferas llenas de esperanza, fe, nostalgia, alegría y felicidad.

"Infinite Jets" comienza con relucientes guitarras para explotar con intensos tambores y sintetizadores y luego podemos sentir la voz soñadora y alentadora de Jamie. Después de esto, las voces se mezclan con todos los instrumentos creando un aura alucinante. En medio de la canción podemos disfrutar de una Psicodélica y épica vibra con mucho Shoegaze recordándome los mejores momentos de PINKSHINYULTRABLAST y AIRIEL. Definitivamente una obra maestra y una gran aspirante a ser la mejor canción Shoegaze del año... ¡¡¡simplemente magnífica!!!

Sin duda "Infinite Jets" (2020) de JULIPER SKY llamará su atención con sus encantadores y fantásticos sonidos y detalles. Este tema tendrá un lugar en sus corazones y mentes para siempre así como toda su impresionante Música. ¡¡¡Muchas gracias mis amigos y cuídense mucho!!!

The Best Album Of The Year2020 GRIMES: "Miss Anthropocene" (2020 - 4AD RECORDS),

By Fernando Rivera RodrĂ­guez.

After the worldwide acclaimed albums "Visions" (2012) and "Art Angels" (2015) for the legendary 4AD RECORDS label the Canadian super artist CLAIRE BOUCHER a.k.a. GRIMES continues exploring new and risky ideas on "Miss Anthropocene"(2020), her fifth album and triumphant return. Now the sounds are more polished and refined, like never before, on this great adventure and the last one for the 4AD label that could be part of an interesting trilogy.

If "Visions" demonstrated how far she went after "Geidi Primes"(2010) and "Halfaxa"(2011), her first Experimental efforts under the ARBUTUS RECORDS label, the debut album for a great label meant a big evolution in her career. This incredible album put her on the map as a great and talented composer of Pop tunes mixed with Ambient, Krautrock, Electronica, Avant-Garde, etc.

As a result "Visions" is now considered a new masterpiece and one of the best albums of the past decade according to favorable reviews from specialized magazines and a big fan base. It was her debut album for 4AD RECORDS fulfilling all the expectations of the Music label. Also it has more merit because GRIMES conceived it as a DIY (Do It Yourself) album getting involved in the whole process...incredible!!!.

The next step was the kaleidoscopic, collaborative and more accessible "Art Angels" (2015). Another glorious album proving her ability to create clever Pop and danceable songs without falling into the easiness of the mainstream. It´s really a fantastic adventure where all the songs are true winners with their own style that only Grimes can offer. It also was a DIY (Do It Yourself) record with a remarkable production making her much better known as a successful artist.

Finally, after a long wait of five years and many expectations, GRIMES surprises us one more time with the release of a totally different and triumphant album ingeniously titled "Miss Anthropocene" (2020) a word game of "Anthropocene" and "Misanthrope" about the climate change and created all by herself again!!!.

Listening and discovering almost every sound detail and song of this magnificent record I can say we have entered a brand new, ambitious and bigger territory than its predecessors.

"Miss Anthropocene" (2020 - 4AD RECORDS) it´s a more Darker, Industrial and Experimental album but keeping the original essence of GRIMES. It´s so enjoyable and full of haunting and Ethereal atmospheres that will keep satisfied old and new fans with a lot of Music details and effects. Be prepared to listen many times the brand new and delightful proposal of GRIMES and her gift to create a genuine masterpiece and the BEST ALBUM OF THIS YEAR SO FAR!!!.

Now it´s time to describe the ten amazing songs included in this LP: SIDE A: 1. The album opens extraordinarily with the brilliant and smashing theme "So Heavy I Fell Through The Earth", one of the best intros I have heard in a long time and one of the best songs GRIMES has ever recorded. This is an intense Musical mantra of beautiful, hypnotic and relaxing sounds that gives a lot of sense to the Ethereal and Ambient style. It takes us to a big level of peace surrounded by angelic voices and a deep bass...pure bliss and perfection!!!.

2. "Darkside" (with PAN): we continue to navigate deeper entering to a more mystical, somber and dark tune full of ancient tribal chants so beautifully crafted.

This is the second collaboration with the excellent Chinese rapper PAN (previously named ARISTOPHANES on the "Scream" single from the "Art Angels" GRIMES album). PAN´s Mandarin rap mixed with GRIMES vocals turn the song into a powerful, cohesive and otherwordly track...simply impressive!!!.

3. It was a little difficult to choose only one song to be part of this article because all are really outstanding on their own. After this I picked up the incredible theme "Delete Forever", the fifth and last single from "Miss Anthropocene" that reveals a totally new sonic twist and one of the best compositions GRIMES has ever released in her whole career. This song is one of my favorites because is intensely emotional and passionate with a huge sense of Art and creativity.

GRIMES proves that she is a talented composer using an acoustic guitar, a banjo and few effects to highlight her amazing voice in all its glory like never before without reverberation and the Ethereal vibe. We have never listened a song this way and means a new turn in her style with Britpop and 60s Music influences like the American singer PATSY CLINE with a contemporary touch...a magistral tune!!!.

4. "Violence" (with i_o) is another of the magnificent singles of the album.

Very catchy and immersive with a big dosis of Electro-Pop and Dance Music returning to the "Art Angels" phase but more sophisticated. It reminds me the lovely "Reality" single but it goes beyond with a Dark and a more Ethereal touch.

She collaborates next to the American DJ i_o with great results...the video is wonderful too and GRIMES, in some way, anticipated the pandemic using masks in the coreography...once again a Musical triumph!!!.

5. We end SIDE A with "4ÆM", a fabulous track divided in many parts. The operatic intro evocates tribal and hindu chants where GRIMES shines with her wonderful voice. Then it turns into a faster and powerful Electronic and futuristic theme to reach a higher level introducing chorus influenced by Bollywood Music.

It´s an explosion or multicolored burst giving way to a great party of groovy atmospheres...welcome to dance this exceptional song!!!.

SIDE B: 6. Let´s start listening SIDE B with the amazing cut "New Gods" that should have been a new single. A totally different ballad after "Delete Forever" showing GRIMES soprano and clean voice in a new and much more Ethereal dimension.

So beautiful, reflexive and melancholic as a lament influenced by a mix of AvantGarde Chamber Music and Spacey sounds that awake our senses and our souls...definitely a masterpiece!!!.

7. In "My Name Is Dark" GRIMES offers a new Musical direction and many surprises. This is a great Noise-Rock, Post-Punk and Industrial athem incorporating spooky guitar riffs and many layered screams. We feel that we are in a Post-Apocalyptic world surrounded by somber and obscure melodies with influences of her first albums and the iconic band CRANES lightened with a Pop aura...stunning and surreal!!!.

8. We continue in this marvellous "Miss Anthropocene" journey with "Don´t Miss Me When I´m Not Around". This is GRIMES in it´s purest Pop form and the more catchy and cotton-candy-like song of the entire album with funny and enjoyable rhythms. It reminds me the "Art Angels" era with reachable sounds and to be more specific the style of the "Phone Sex" (2012 - 4AD RECORDS) EP by BLOOD DIAMONDS in collaboration with GRIMES...a super cool and radio-friendly song!!!.

9. "Before The Fever" it´s simply monumental and awesome. It goes in the same vein of "New Gods" but embracing stratospheric levels of peace and relaxation in an Alien, Space-Rock and Experimental mood. It acts also as a prelude to the last song or can be an interlude of the whole record. GRIMES sings "this is the sound of the end of the world" and perfectly matches the world we're living today...so gorgeous and contemporary!!!.

10. The theme that gives an end to this spectacular album is the magical, joyful and radiant "IDORU". The title can mean many things as a Japanese term, a science-fiction novel or simply "I Adore You". We can find here exciting atmospheres of hope and optimism with Neo-Psychedelic and pulsating rhythms.

It´s like a lullaby and it has reminiscences of the "Butterfly" single included on the "Art Angels" album but in a totally new and introspective context...so brilliantly authentic!!!.

Very happy and grateful to share with all of you my thoughts and opinions about this new and incredible GRIMES album, which I consider the best album of the year for its genius in each of the songs that make it up. Hope my friends and all the people related to the wonderful Indie scene can love and enjoy it as much as I do. Stay safe everyone and thanks again for listening and reading!!!... ...

El Programa de la Revista The 13th

www.facebook.com/tranmisionesoceanicas/ www.instagram.com/transmisionesoceanicas/

Transmisiones Oceรกnicas se transmite:

Todos los Lunes y Viernes a las 21 hs. por IndieGo Radio www.indiego.com.ar

Sรกbados a las 12 hs. por RadioRueda www.radiorueda.weebly.com/

Domingos a las 13 hs. por MutanteRadio. https://www.mutanteradio.com/

[ Entrevista a Simon Raymonde por Diego Centuriรณn. ]

SIMON RAYMONDE: TODAVร A SUENA FRESCO

Una vez más tenemos la posibilidad de hablar con Simon Raymonde, quien aparte de llevar adelante el sello Bella Union y de tener varios proyectos musicales muy interesantes, de los cuales hablaremos en esta entrevista. Pero sin lugar a dudas el gran psado de Simon es lo que llevará la mayoría de las preguntas, los 30 años del sexto álbum de Cocteau Twins.

Link a las anteriores entrevistas: https://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/the13th_numero_9_/29 https://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/the13th_n_42

Hacer música es una de las formas más maravillosas de ser creativo y dentro de ella una miríada de formas de darte opciones; para distraerse de sus problemas, pero irónicamente también A TRAVÉS de su música, arroje luz sobre esos temas también.

Puede usarlo en parte como terapia, en parte como confesionario o puede usarlo como una herramienta para esconderse detrás de cualquier cosa con la que no quisiera tener que lidiar.

Creo que en este álbum, todas estas cosas sucedieron, espontáneamente y simplemente como mecanismos de afrontamiento. Cuando escribes y grabas música improvisada, viene de lo más profundo, del alma, del corazón, Es cierto que “Heaven Or Las de las tripas, tiene menos de tu cerebro Vegas” fue el álbum muy luminoso analítico y más de tu cerebro intuitivo. pero a la vez personalmente la banda estaba pasando por momentos Es increíble que después de haber muy diferentes, el nacimiento de pasado 30 años “Heaven or Las Lucy Belle (hija de Liz y Robin), Vegas” siga sonando tan actual, y Robin pasando por su calvario con el revival del dreampop desde ya de adicciones y a ti te golpeó el hace varios años, el sonido de este fallecimiento de tu padre. ¿Cómo disco es tan emulado por muchas fue trabajar mentalmente en ese bandas. ¿Tú cómo piensas que el ambiente tan difícil y cómo fue tiempo ha tratado al álbum? escribir las canciones del álbum?

Siempre quisimos hacer álbumes Gracias Simon por aceptar realizar esta entrevista.

La mitad de las preguntas estarán relacionadas con los 30 años de “Heaven Or Las Vegas”.

Paraempezarmegustaríapreguntarte ¿qué es lo que te pasa por la mente cuando lees 30 años de “Heaven Or Las Vegas”?

Pienso en mi papá, en mi boda, en el nacimiento de mi primer hijo, en todos los problemas con las drogas, y luego pienso en todos los momentos increíbles que pasamos en el estudio y la química que habíamos estado desarrollando ahora estaba dando frutos.

que “sonaran” atemporales, de modo que si se escuchaban en el futuro, nunca se pudiera saber cuándo o dónde se hicieron. Hablamos mucho de eso y, por supuesto, trabajar con cajas de ritmos y tecnología de los 80 EN los 80 algunos de nuestros discos se sienten anticuados por los sonidos de las máquinas. Una vez que llegas a Heaven Or Las Vegas, y en 1990, ambas tecnologías habían avanzado lo

suficienteynuestrashabilidadeshabían crecido donde sabíamos mejor lo que estábamos haciendo. Escuchándolo ahora, creo que en su mayor parte deberíamos estar orgullosos de lo que logramos. Amo el álbum y siempre me ha encantado. ¡Todavía suena fresco y eso no es algo que se pueda decir de muchos discos de la época!

Hoy a “Heaven Or Las Vegas” se

lo puede analizar desde lo temporal (el cambio de década) pero también desde lo estrictamente sonoro, pero a mí me gusta que tú me puedas contar lo que significa en toda tu carrera este disco.

Si crees que has hecho el álbum perfecto, ¿por qué seguirías haciendo música? No fue perfecto y nuestra ambición después de su lanzamiento no era "¿cómo diablos podemos seguir ESO?" en lo más mínimo, nos permitió algo de espacio y tiempo para tratar de resolver el "elefante en la habitación", que fue una tarea tan probada como cualquier otra que encontráramos en la banda.

Podemos pensar en el disco más exitoso de 4AD, de hecho Ivo WattsRussell lo ha expresado en alguna entrevista, pero musicalmente para Cocteau Twins ¿fue un álbum perfecto, como lo percibimos nosotros los escuchas? ¿O crees que podría haber sido mejor?

Todo siempre puede ser mejor. Nunca sientes que has terminado. La mayoría de nosotros podría seguir mezclando un álbum durante muchos más años de los que lo hacemos, pero cuando estás en una banda con compromisos y responsabilidades, es como un organismo que deja de respirar y necesitas alimentarte con conciertos y videos y estar vivo y compartiendo eso.

Si te sientas en el estudio buscando siempre la perfección, puede ser increíblemente divertido (¡realmente lo es!) ¡Probablemente estés haciendo (los mismos) cambios que hiciste hace un año! Déjate llevar y acepta que la perfección es inalcanzable. ¡Pasa al siguiente!

que te viene a la mente?

Respondí un poco a esta antes.Apesar de todas las historias aparentemente interminables de tristeza y tragedia, el proceso de grabación fue alegre y enormemente divertido, y supongo que se sintió como si estuviéramos al borde de un precipicio pero sin miedo a caer o fallar.

He leído que para el Coachella 2006 estuvieron a punto de regresar y sé que has dicho y a nosotros también, que nunca volverá Cocteau Twins, pero cuéntanos acerca de aquel casi retorno.

Todos nos reunimos para discutirlo, nuestra primera reunión desde 1997 y se sintió bien durante un tiempo que la comunicación estaba mejorando un poco, pero después de la reunión sucedieron algunas cosas a medida que nos acercábamos a hacer ensayos juntos e inevitablemente se acordó que estábamos juntos, no vamos a poder cumplir con nuestras obligaciones y mejor renunciemos ahora antes de que terminemos una semana de gira y lo cancelemos todo. No podíamos hacerle eso a nuestros fans ni a nosotros mismos. Pareció sorprendentemente posible por un breve momento, pero en retrospectiva nunca iba a suceder.

Se va a editar una remasterizada del “Heaven Or Las Vegas” en estos días. Cuéntanos sobre esto.

Creo que eso pasó hace un tiempo.

Si no, ¡no lo sé!

Se viene “In Quiet Moments”, el segundo álbum de Lost Horizons.

En marzo he estado en Buenos Aires con Richie Thomas, y aquí lo ha atrapado la pandemia y en ese Al mencionar “Heaven or Las momento tú estabas mezclando el Vegas”, ¿Cuáles son los recuerdos álbum. ¿Ahora en qué parte del

proceso está? ¿La pandemia ha retrasado los tiempos del álbum? ¡No, usé la pandemia para terminar y mezclar el álbum en casa! Saldrá en febrero de 2021.

Según los adelantos, “Cordelia” y “I Woke Up With An Open Heart” ¿se espera un álbum con sonoridades más amplias?

Posiblemente sí, creo que es un sonido más profundo y conmovedor, pero también con un toque más duro a veces. ¡Es bastante triste porque no puedo NO escribir música triste!

y para cerrar este círculo, que en cierta forma nace en “Heaven Or Las Vegas”, ¿es una manera de rendirle un homenaje? ¡Sí, Mucho! el sello me permite cierto margen para ser tan autocomplaciente como quiera, pero este era un proyecto que el mundo necesitaba escuchar, fue un marcador importante para mí decir, este hombre no era solo uno.

-es un gran compositor, era un adicto al trabajo con más de 3000 créditos a su nombre. ¡El trabajo que creó me mantendrá ocupado por el resto de mi vida!

Simon, esperamos Para terminar y agradeciéndote Gracias el tiempo que me has brindado, la ansiosos tu nuevas músicas y última pregunta tiene que ver con esperemos hablar cuando el álbum Bella Union. Te has dado el gusto esté publicado. de publicar material de tu padre, ¡Gracias a ti!

Igor Raymonde

http://madwaspradio.com/

http://www.6towns.co.uk/ https://dimitriberzerk.bandcamp.com/releases

[ Interview with Michael Ciravolo from Beauty In Chaos by Diego Centuriรณn.

Photographs: Anabel DFlux. ]

BEAUTY IN CHAOS BRINGS THE NOISE WITH 'OUT OF CHAOS COMES' LP

Again we contacted Michael to find out the details of his latest releases, on the one hand, as a participant in TOS2020 and his new remix work with Beauty In Chaos, “Out of Chaos Comes”.

It is a pleasure to update us on what Ciravolo and company are doing ...

Links to previous interviews: https://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/the13th_n_50 https://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/the13th_n_63

Hi Michael!

We communicate with you again since Beauty In Chaos does not stop producing things, and it makes us very happy to have new material to take advantage of talking to you.

Thank you very much, as you and Revista The 13th have always been very supportive of Beauty In Chaos, which is a wonderful thing that I do not take for granted.

In these times we cannot not ask how you are with this madness that the world is experiencing in this 2020.

‘Madness’ is a good way to put it. As bad as Covid-19 and the lockdowns are, with people losing not only their jobs, but some people have lost their lives…. I had hoped people would have found a silver lining. And my meaning is for more family time and time to live a life, even if it is differently. Political turmoil has my country divided, which is really hard to watch. As far as me personally, I cherish the extra time with my wife and daughters along with continuing to put out BEAUTY IN CHAOS music and videos!

Before getting into the new job "Out of Chaos Comes ..." I would like to ask you about ReMission International which I know you were very involved with. Tell us, how did the idea of that work with Wayne come about and how did the selection of participating musicians come together?

First, it is really a surreal thing to be involved with not only one of my favorite Mission songs, but also with this amazing group of artists, many who’s bands make up a big part of my record collection. As for how it came about, I approached Wayne about the idea of re-recording BIC’s ‘Storm’. I thought Ashton’s lyrics ‘there is always a light’ painted a positive picture in a dark time. He had also been told that “Tower Of Strength’ was beginning to be used as a sort of rally/anthem by the UK’s NHS. We also kicked around a few other song ideas with one idea being Bowie’s “Heroes”, as Wayne was really apprehensive about our idea to do something for charity as ‘selfserving’. He had other friends telling him that ‘Tower’ would be perfect, and I did, too. Finally, we convinced him on using the song. We both dug into our little black books for artists

… his being bigger than mine  I did manage to deliver Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus) and Michael Aston (Gene Loves Jezebel).

When Wayne convinced Jay Aston to come on board, we pulled off a miracle since it is the first time these two estranged twins had been on a record together since 1987!

The Banshees, The Cult, The Cure, NIN, Gary Numan, Slowdive and more … and with the original MTV, I think this track would have been huge. Sort of a ‘goth/post-punk’ Band Aid! Nevertheless, I think it has raised much needed income for some great charities … all selected by the artists involved. I am honored and blessed to be a small part of it.

And how have the sales of the I also urge people to still support it, single "TOS 2020" turned out? as this virus is far from over.

In today’s world I think it has done fairly well. With streaming, etc... today, I sadly think it is harder to get The Covid does not give us truce people to purchase physical music. and with winter it has returned And this project was done for all the again. Has it occurred to you to right reasons. If this would have do something similar? been the late ‘80s or mid-90s … I honestly don’t think it would have and you had a song with members a similar impact as what we did with of Bauhaus, The Mission, Depeche ReMission International.

Mode. Ultravox, GLJ, Siouxie And

And to finish with "TOS 2020".

How was the assembly work of all the participants?

Wayne recorded his guide vocal, his 12-string guitar part along with a basic drum loop and sent it out to everyone that hinted they would like to be involved. Everyone recorded their parts on their own WITHOUT hearing what anyone else did.

Wayne then painstakingly went through all of the tracks, which I am going to guestimate was close to 100 to extract the best parts and to make them roughly fit. The amazing Tim Palmer then picked up the torch and polished it into a masterpiece that is today.

you released the album "The Storm Before The Calm", did you already have a remix album in mind?

Basically, yes. I really enjoyed not only the outcome but also the process of the creation behind ‘Beauty ReEnvisioned’, so I figured why not do it again!

How long did it take you to think about the people who could remix and how long did they take to deliver?

To me, there were so many great and diverse remixes on ‘Beauty ReEnvisioned’, that I reached out to those artists first. Tim Palmer and MGT were probably the first emails, then I just went down my ‘list’. I am Now let's start with the excellent blessed to call a lot of very talented remix work that he has released, people friends. It wasn’t a real long "Out of Chaos Comes ..." When process to think about who … but it

takes time to get the mixes in. With Covid, I think more people are home and honestly ‘looking for things to do’. Two wonderful, but usually very busy friends .. Tyler Bates and The Cure’s Roger O’Donnell, under normal times probably would not have had the time to do a remix.

There are several new ‘contributors’ also on ‘Out Of Chaos Comes…’

Bentley Jones, Luxury Noise, DJ Mac Stewart, Phoenix Supernova, and Holy Wars’ Nick Perez, that in my opinion delivered world-class remixes. An 11th hour add to the digital version was by Julian ShahTayler. I did not know him personally but I had read and heard a few remixes he did for some mutual friends. I sent him a message on Instagram and sort of forgot about it.

A few weeks later he responded and delivered one of my favorite remixes; a gorgeous version of ‘The Delicate Balance Of All Things’.

You have surpassed the capacity of wonder of the "Beauty ReEnvisioned", I think that the versions of this album are more extreme, more varied. What do you think?

With my experience of compiling ‘Beauty Re-Envisioned’ behind me, I really pressed the point on this one to ‘dismantle’ the original version even more. Diving into many of these remixes, you’ll find little or none of the song’s original tracks used in the remix. I really enjoy that. To me, a few of my favorite moments on ‘Beauty Re-Envisioned’ is where we did the complete ‘re-recording’ of the songs like with ‘The Long Goodbye (Au Revior), ‘I Will Follow Your (Cotton Socks Mix), and of course the stunning acoustic version of ‘Storm’.

I am thrilled to have two of those moments on ‘Out Of Chaos Comes’ with Ashton’s acoustic version of ‘The Outside’ and a jump back to our debut record with Johnny Indovina’s new version of ‘Memory Of Love’.

This selection of musicians is truly amazing, but before I start talking about them. Have you invited someone and they couldn't be present?

There are artists that I have asked to co-write with that, for one reason or another couldn’t do it, but thankfully on this remix record, most artists I invited said yes. Only one artist couldn’t. I had really hoped to have Seibold (who did cowrite and sing ‘Almost Pure’) since I love his Hate Dept. remixes but unfortunately his studio was dismantled as he was moving his residence to another state.

The list is perfect, Tim Palmer, John Fryer, Tyler Bates, Roger O'Donnell, Bentley Jones, Paul Wiley, Cinthya Hussey, Simon Hinkler, Richard Fortus, Nick Johnston, among others, and the renowned Wayne Hussey, Mark Gemini Thwaite, Ashton Nyte.

Tell us, how was the moment to listen to their reinterpretations of your songs?

Honestly, it is like opening a present on Christmas morning! Most of the time I have no idea what to expect when I get the final mix in my inbox.

It is always a pleasant surprise. One in particular that absolutely floored me was when Wayne sent me his rough mix of our new version of ‘The Delicate Balance Of All Things’.

Michael Rozon and I had the idea of a ‘stripped down’ version, basically

replacing the music around Wayne’s original vocal. I had heard his wife Cinthya’s version of the Smith’s ‘Every Day is Like Sunday’ and I thought she had a beautiful voice.

I suggested he have her add some harmonies, but when I got his idea back… WOW, she had sung the lead vocal and so much more! At least right now, this is my favorite track on the album!

Tell us about the formats in which "Out Of Chaos Comes ..." will be released.

I am very fortunate that the small, but mighty 33.3 Music Collective label continue to offer our releases in physical format … Vinyl and CDs! In today’s digital streaming world this is sadly becoming very rare and honestly, if people don’t support purchasing these products for any artist they enjoy, soon it will only be digital. That will be a tragic day, in my opinion.

This year you have chosen two important dates for your releases.

Strategy or chance?

We had planned for ‘The Storm Before The Calm’ to come out in early February, but we had a massive ProTools- computer crash as we started mixing, forcing us to delay the release about 6-weeks. I picked March 22nd as the earliest day I thought we would be able to finish the mix. When I posted that date, our publicist, Shauna said .. ‘Oh cool … that’s World Goth Day!’ So that was 100% coincidence. When it came time for ‘Out Of Chaos Comes’ I thought it would be cool and a bit humorous to sort of double-down on the dark wave, so I thought … what’s better than Halloween!

The last question has to do with the future. Are you working or have something new in mind?

I fully look at these remix records as sort of a ‘break’ for me, since I turn the keys over to other artists… but in all actuality there is so much to do on this. That being said, I do have a plan for what our ‘what’s next’ is. Later this month, I will head back into our studio to start formulating songs from ideas I have been kicking around on the guitar. I can say the next record will feature all female vocalists. I think all of the talented ladies that are already part of our BIC Family will return, and I have also started conversations with several others that are excited to be part of BIC. I am really looking forward to where this eventually grows. Also, there will still be two, if not more videos to come from ‘Out Of Chaos Comes…’ !

Toendthisinterviewandthanking you for this new possibility of being able to ask you questions, and thanking Shauna and Shameless Promotion for always offering us great artists like you.

THANK YOU! Do you want to say something to our readers?

BEAUTY IN CHAOS is truly a family.

All of these amazingly talented artists give their time and talents to this, with NO expectation of financial gain. Art for the sake of making art which in itself is a thing of beauty. I sincerely ask that everyone please take a look into each of these individual artist’s body of work. I promise you will not be disappointed!

[ Interview with Matteo VDiva Fabbiani from Hell Boulevard by Diego Centuriรณn Photographs: Chiara Cerami _ VDPictures. ]

HELL BOULLEVARD: PAVES THE WAY TO DARK DELIGHT ON 'NOT SORRY' LP

Hell Boulevard return with a new job, the Goth'n'Roll band, a sound characterized by that mix performed by bands like The 69 Eyes, Lord of the Lost or the Type O Negative.

In September they released their new and third album “Not Sorry”, the Swiss band formed in 2014 by the vocalist Matteo VDiva Fabbiani, Von Marengo (guitars and vocals), Jan Hangman on drums and Raul Sanchez on bass. And in their new album they redefine the sound that grew in their previous works, making “Not Sorry” their best work.

We have the opportunity to speak with them and get to know them and, therefore, introduce them to you in this interview.

Hi! Thank you for agreeing to answer these questions.

I honestly did not know the band and I was pleasantly surprised with “Not Sorry” and I wanted to have them present in the pages of our magazine.

Thanks a lot Diego for taking the time to interview us, glad you found us eventually!

To start this interview we go to the beginning, six years is not that long, but if we think about the pandemic and how active they have been in these years, we can say that it has been a lifetime since that initial 2014. Tell us how far away do you feel that beginning and what do you remember from those early days?

Indeed it almost feels like a different life, especially considering the situation as it is today. Music wise we’ve come a long way, half of the lineup is different from the first one since a few years now and our sound has evolved quite a bit since our very first “Hangover from Hell”.

Today we are in a moment of little concert activity, but you are

a band that usually perform many shows, tell us how do you cope with this new reality? Do they use social networks to have contact with their fans?

Coping is a bit of a stretch, let’s just say we had to learn to live with it and accept it, after all health comes first, both for us and our fans but we’re eagerly waiting to resume touring as soon as it’s safe again. We’re not that much into streaming concerts as it does really feel just like some sort of “foreplay only” option, a bit like having a taste of something awesome but not being allowed to get the whole thing... However we think we all need entertainment now more than ever so we have recently started streaming on Twitch and turned it onto a twice a week regular appointment (every Wednesday and Saturday). The full band is present and we basically do what we feel like doing, with no rules or planning: sometimes we make music together, other times we just chitchat or play games. These streaming appointments serve multiple purposes: they help us to maintain a steady connection to our fanbase whilst providing some sort of well needed entertainment so it’s

a win-win situation.

In these pandemic months, one tries to think about many things, from the future to reviewing the past. Have you thought about something from the band's past that you don't want to repeat?

Honestly I’ve never been much of a past person, I only ever think about the present and future. Now that the present is not really worth thinking about I’m focusing mainly on the future for both myself and the band.

I have great plans for Hell Boulevard, we’re already writing new music so we will be absolutely ready when all of this finally blows over!

After I finish working on an album I go to my detox phase where I don’t listen to it for months and generally when I finally get back to it I’m almost surprised of how good it sounds.

Sometimes that also happens when I do listen to our past records after years, which to be honest doesn’t happen too often as I’m not much of a “past” person. But when it does there’s some things I re-discover I’m very proud of... might be specific songs, just parts or arrangements or even mere sounds. After all that’s the main goal to me: making music I can be proud of even after years and I gotta say I feel like I’m pretty much on the right track with Hell Boulevard... still don’t know where this journey will take me but it’s hell of a good ride.

Are you listening to your previous works? And if you do, what have you rediscovered in previous What differences do you find work? between "Not Sorry" and the

previous works "Inferno" (2016) and "In Black We Trust" (2018)?

Mhh, I honestly see a constant evolution: it’s most definitely still the same sport but we’re growing in terms of league. We’re still making the music we’ve always wanted to do but we’re digging a little deeper with every new record: whether that means adding more layers in terms of composition or getting into different subjects with the lyrics. But in the end the soul remains the same, we want Hell Boulevard to be a feelgood band with just the right amount of seriousness and still preserving its rock’ n’roll attitude.

or do you pay close attention to today?

Both things really, my focus switches a lot but I’ve gotta say there’s not much I find interesting in 2020, I used to follow the rap/hip hop scene because it was super vibrant and interesting (also in terms of videography), then the mainstream scene switched more into trap music and I’m afraid I just don’t get the hype. That’s why I’m currently rediscovering mainly stuff from the past but I’m sure hoping one of these days something new will catch my attention, I don’t wanna end up being one of these permanently nostalgic musicians and I love discovering I read in an interview that they and falling in love with new things talked about their influences, they and music. mentioned Michael Jackson, HIM, the soundtracks of John Williams Theworkofthevideosisexcellent, and the Beach Boys, so it leads but I am aware of VDPICTURES, me to ask... Are you looking and was this one of the doors that discovering music from the past opened the possibilities for you

to meet other bands and grow as a band?

Both VDPICTURES and Hell Boulevard are dated 2014, they run on mostly parallel tracks that somehow intertwines. There have been times where the company led people to the band and vice-versa so these two sides of my life are separate yet very much connected.

There’s still a lot of people who know me as a videographer and don’t know about Hell Boulevard and there’s others who know vDiva and the band but they have no clue I make music videos for a living.

All in all I’m just lucky I get to make and/or work with music 100% of my time, my job is my passion and my passion is my job.

We are at a strange point in the pandemic, when in Europe it was thought that everything had improved, again we began to learn that restrictive measures are returning. This could change the pieces of the game we are in again, they have already delayed the release of “Not Sorry”, they have postponed the tour to support the album for 2021. Are you ready as a band to record a new album on this situation?

We’re currently entering lockdown 2.0 and honestly it was not unexpected. It’s unfortunate but we’re willing to do whatever sacrifice it takes to make sure things can go back to normal as soon as possible.

Yes, the “Not Sorry” release was

postponed, our tour got postponed to January 2021 and it’s most likely gonna be postponed once again given the current situation... so what’s left to do? New music it is.

We already started working on it, I also have a whole lot of new ideas so we’re definitely more than ready to lock ourselves up in the studio if needed and work on a new chapter, for now we just gotta wait and see what happens but we’re most definitely well prepared.

Today thinking about new plans becomes somewhat uncertain, but if one does not have close plans, everything becomes a nightmare.

What have you planned with the band for these months of 2020?

Safe to say we won’t have many chances of doing anything of what we planned in the real world but we ain’t giving up on 2020 just yet! We will still keep on promoting the new album by releasing another single and video before the year’s off and we hope in a constant growing of our followers through our music and the streamings, so we will be very active and present online until we’re allowed to get back on the road where we belong.

Thank you for letting me ask you these questions, I ask that you tell our readers what you want.

I want everyone to be careful and safe so we can all return to a normal lifestyle and resume our lives ...and touring! See you on the road!

Thank you.

[ By Flavio Gabriel Aza. ]

ESPACIO

Dylan Lana

Dylan Lana presents “Dos Metros” his third album

Dylan Lana is a singer and songwriter from Cordoba who during 2019 and 2020 met with different musicians to shape the new release “Dos Metros”, soon to be released in November.

As for the recent history of the artist, we can see two albums (released on CD and vinyl) and an EP. Each of these pieces is essential when it comes to appreciating the musical identity of this promising singer-songwriter.

The hype raised from the announcement of his forthcoming album has been arriving from different latitudes, since Dylan Lana has toured and visited the stages of places such Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, San Luis, San Juan, Mendoza, La Pampa, Rio Negro and Neuquén. Leaving the domestic sphere, we can mention his two European tours in Germany, Austria, Holland, the Czech Republic and Spain.

From Boombox we have had the opportunity to listen to some songs that will be part of this album. It is about "Driving for Pellegrini", "I was born to not believe" and "The last winter sun". In each one of them you can identify clear influences of punk rock, alternative rock and even glimpses of Brit Pop environments. Pieces that more than promise, fulfill their mission and leave us their melodies tattooed on the retina of memory by a long time.

Without a doubt, “Dos Metros” will mark a new musical moment for the artist, who consolidates his own style in each piece. The launch will be available from November 11 in all digital stores, not to be missed!

MARCELO CATALDO: A DIGITAL APPROACH TO SONGWRITTING

Rain, melting cassettes and cityscapes - some of the ingredients in this tasty release.

Marcelo Cataldo is an artist from La Plata, Buenos Aires. He turned the page to offer us a new work in which his sonic identity is closer to the song, although rooted in retrowave and related electronic styles. Without straying from the sound that characterizes it, this new offering offers us highly danceable songs, hypnotic beats, layers of well-crafted digital sounds and a remarkable lyrical aspect.

Of course, Cataldo's career doesn't start with this album. In his more than ten years of experience, he stands out for being the co-founder of the DecimuLabs studio, with which the author has made works, among which the soundtracks of The Kirlian Frequency (Netflix series), Turn Right (video game) and History stand out. de Lo Oculto (Film by Cristian Ponce).

The producer from La Plata does not stop and a week after the release of his album "Estados", he premieres the video clip of the broadcast cut of this album, "Nostalgia". Within audiovisual production, we can appreciate landscapes and situations that evoke the mood that triggers this composition.

“There is a place that is only in my dreams, nothing else is there but it is no longer what it was or will be. If I could ever go back there, to look at the evocation, it would flood my eyes with nostalgia” says the first verse

of this apt and accurate song that tries to externalize the subjectivity of the author. The sound environment is adequate to express such a punctual feeling and the fact that it is the track that closes “Estados” makes it the ideal hook to lead us to repeat the entire album.

As for the recent study plate, “Estados” takes place in six vibrant compositions, full of emotion and subjectivity, each one of these parts surgically put in place to give a very successful feeling of continuity. It was edited by the DecimuLabs studio, with which Marcelo Cataldo works on the music for various projects, including the Netflix series “La Frenntación Kirlian”. The aesthetic part was worked by Hernán Bengoa and represents an important visual support that ends up building the meaning of "States". In the year that the bodies moved away (necessarily), we have to reconnect with dance and our physical existence, and music is always a great companion.

If we have to imagine and propose new dance floors, why not give that task to new sounds?

That is probably where the promised study record comes in and where its importance lies.

"Estados" is found on all streaming platforms and we can only cross our fingers and hope that the situation allows us to appreciate a live set by this promising and prolific artist. www.marcelocataldo.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ2rvp4QGJe2-WtanZgX8Aw?view_as=subscriber www.instagram.com/marcelo.cataldo

[ Interview with Gray Tolhurst from Topographies by Diego Centuriรณn. ]

TOPOGRAPHIES: THEY WRITE THEIR OWN STORY

At the level of new bands that introduce sounds that mix post punk with dream pop and coldwave with darkwave in recent years, I've been following Topographies for a long time.

Although the band promises their debut album “Ideal Forms”, for this December 5, they already have some singles and EPs to their credit.

We were lucky enough to contact Gary Tolhurst and we were able to ask him these questions...

Hi Gary, thank you for agreeing to answer these questions.

And to begin with, I can't stop thinking about your parents. And although I have many questions in this regard, I will try to ask just a few because I am interested in Topographies and their current affairs.

First of all I would like you to tell us how are you, as a band, living this madness called Covid 19.

We’re dealing with Covid-19 as best we can with the conflicting narratives going on in the US. We live in San Francisco which locked down early and thoroughly and we’ve been lucky to have lower rates of cases and deaths. That being said, it has changed a lot.

Our spring tour this year was cancelled and we haven’t been able to play as a band since March. Early in the quarantine, we made an EP called Not My Loneliness, But Ours remotely by sending files back and forth and recording parts in our bedrooms and home studios. The EP itself was a meditation on the collective aloneness of humanity, how maybe our main unifying feature is this essential loneliness of being. Perhaps, this loneliness was revealed more starkly by the pandemic and ensuing isolation that many experienced.

We know that during your adolescence you have escaped into the shadow of your parents. I've read this and you've avoided The Cure. But I can't stop thinking about Lol, your father, and what I would like to know is if you have read "Cured" and if

you recognize your father in the chapters?

Yes, I avoided the influence of The Cure as best I could earlier in my life. That’s not to say I wasn’t aware of the band or the influence they had on others. I grew up with many of the stories in “Cured” being family stories and I read the book several times, from it’s incubation. I studied poetry and writing in college and edited literary magazines, so my father asked me to do an initial pass on his manuscript for “Cured”. My father is a very open, transparent man. Nothing was revealed in the book that he had not already told me though perhaps some emotions were revealed in more depth.

I was with the two of them in Buenos Aires on the book tour, and I shared a few minutes alone with the two of them at the hotel and we talked about Topographies, Cindy had been surprised to meet the band. What do you find in your way of composing that you think you have learned from them? I think mostly of Levinhurst.

Hmm, that’s a difficult question. I think that I have had to learn songwriting and composition more or less on my own but I did grow up with a love for new tools and the utilization of technology. I’m more of an antiquarian than my father, who is always looking for the newest synth or software. I think that may be a generational thing. I see a lot of value in tools that are older and idiosyncratic, even difficult or flawed. He taught me the inspiration that a new sound source can bring but also about

seriously delving in to learn how to use each tool. I think songwriting is more intuitive and probably like writing in general is difficult to teach.

this project was born?

Topographies was started in late 2017 in San Francisco. I met Jeremie Ruest through a band we were both playing in. I was asked to substitute on bass for a friend who couldn’t There is no doubt that the sound of make a short tour and we went out to Treefort Topographies is related to The Cure, I Music Festival in Boise, Idaho. We played would say that from the EPs "Difference our show and began comparing lists for what & Repetition" and "Not My Loneliness, bands we wanted to check out. Jeremie and But Ours" you can hear sounds of "Faith" I had pretty much the same list so we spent and I even find sounds from the Presence the festival together. I really loved his guitar project of your father. Obviously the playing and we made plans to make some sound flows naturally and I feel that sonic music when we returned. We said, “let’s do an connection with your dad. Do you think ambient noise guitar band” but of course after the same? about 20 minutes he asked if I had any songs.

Yes I think that some of the sounds and I showed him a demo of “Pink Thoughts” and moods are inspired by my rather late listening we were off. We recruited Justin and our former to the first four albums of The Cure. I listened drummer Lauren and began rehearsing and to them after we had started Topographies in planning for recordings. Our first show as a early 2018. Before that I had only heard what My Bloody Valentine tribute night in LA at the was played on the radio. I still have not heard Echoplex and it was just a better show than Presence. I was very inspired by the starkness I had ever really played. I knew it was going and coldness of Faith and the structure of to work. songs like “All Cats Are Grey” where there’s no chorus/verse thing going on, just a forward Going back to these two EPs from this linear movement. year, the sound of Topographies has become much more emotional and more Beyond the inheritance received, ethereal. Has this year of quarantine Topographies achieves its own identity. served to write a lot of material?

Do you think you have found the way to Quarantine initially prompted some material go with the band? because I was unemployed and looked on it as I think we have set some sort of course a sort of “artist’s residency “ ! As it continued, forward. I think there’s maybe a colloquial the emotions began to sort of dry up. Now understanding of bands as coming out fully I am going inward trying to envision a postformed but there’s a lot of things that have to pandemic world, what that might feel like. I’m happen to “arrive” at any cohesive aesthetic. looking towards what it means to be together, We definitely started off understanding to be a community. I’m done with loneliness we were inspired by post-punk, coldwave, as a subject for now. I guess the quarantine shoegaze, etc. but within even those fairly prompted a fair amount of introspection and limited genres are about a million directions I think that's been the most valuable work. you could go. I think that through playing Songs come from experience in the world and trying different sounds we have arrived split through the prism of the self. with Ideal Form at something that melds our influences and our experiences into a sound The first album "Ideal Forms" is coming. that is “ours”.

Tell us about the song writing process.

They will release the album under the label Speaking of Topographies. Tell us how "Funeral Party Records" (whimsically I make

another relationship with "Faith"). How is the album pre-sale turning out?

We wrote Ideal Form pre-pandemic in Summer 2019 and recorded in November 2019 finishing the album up just as quarantine kicked off. After our 2019 tour, our drummer Lauren Grubb left to move to New York and we debated finding a new drummer but none that we auditioned felt correct so we decided to move in a different direction with more drum machines and synths. It was a sort of electronic production crash course writing these songs! We put them together piece by piece in our home studio at my house at the time, which was a 24 member artist’s collective

housed in an old convent. So perhaps they’re imbued with that sort of somber, Catholic vibe a bit! I think the songs were a lot more fleshed out by the time we got to the studio than our other recordings which was helpful.

We just sort of took on the challenge of doing a record and followed it. I think the songs trace a lot of the process of growth that I felt in 2019 thats continued into 2020. A reaching for a meaningful life. They’re born out of an uncertainty, a questioning if there’s an ideal way to live one’s life. Working with Funeral Party is great, we had wanted to work with them from almost the very beginning of the band. Pre-orders are great, Brian Cole (of

Funeral Party) really hustles and promotes his releases. We’re very excited.

How was the recording? And the Covid has delayed any process of the album?

Recording was great, we worked with Chris King (of LA band Cold Showers) and the process was very smooth and creative. He’s a great engineer/producer and just very intuitive and dedicated. So far, Covid has not caused any disruptions to the album, besides of course that we can’t really tour to support it but alas.

The band is new, what is it like for a new band to work in this pandemic? Do you work hard so that the material is disseminated in different media? Did this time of confinement help you in any way to work harder to become a press?

I think we’ve gotten better at using the internet to promote our music especially without shows. I still have only a tangential understanding of instagram haha! But it has allowed us to tap into a worldwide community of bands and fans interested in the type of music we make which has been amazing. It’s all so geographically disparate that it was already kind of a remote community.

To finish this interview and waiting for the album in December, they have released two songs as a preview, "Rose of Sharon" and "See You As You Fall", tell us about these songs and if we will soon hear other songs before the departure from “Ideal Forms”.

Yes, we have one more single coming just before the record is released December 4th. I’ll keep that one under wraps for now! “Rose of Sharon” was written last. We have this tendency to switch up one song at the last minute for any recording project we do. The “rose of Sharon” is a biblical flower, a flower that blooms on the desert. The phrase just popped in my head, I had to research it to see what it meant. I write lyrics intuitively with snippets I collect over time in notebooks. To me the image of the rose of Sharon is one of goodness appearing in a time or place of ethical bankruptcy. Of living, despite.

“See You As You Fall” was written by our guitarist Jeremie Ruest and just sounded like, in the words of our inimitable label head Brian Cole, a “bop”. The lyrics ponder the difficulty of knowing another while being in a continuous process of becoming oneself. That's perhaps an extension of the thoughts of our EP. I hope these songs will make sense in the context of the full LP. I’m really engaged in the idea of the album as a complete form. But the sounds/themes contained in these two tracks, of spiritual yearning and growth, are present throughout the entirety of Ideal Form. I hope the album functions as music/art has functioned for me as not an escape but a further grounding in the world, a coloring of the mundane that illuminates hidden truths.

Now, thanking you for the time you have taken to answer these questions and waiting for the album, in which we will surely communicate with you again, you close the interview by saying something to our readers.

Thank you to everyone who’s listened or will listen to our music, it is made real by your engagement with it and I hope it provides some joy or beauty to your world.

You can preorder the record from Funeral Party here: https://www.thefuneralparty.com/new-products/topographies-ideal-form-lp Hope that works! Let me know if you need anything else.

Thank You Gray!

Thanks, Gray

[ Interview with Dirk Knight from Seasurfer by Diego Centuriรณn. ]

SEASURFER: YOU HAVE TO TRY TO BREAK AWAY FROM WHAT OTHERS SAY YOU SHOULD DO.

There are certain bands that arouse a fascination when listening to a certain style of music, either because of its history or because of its compositional quality. Seasurfer belongs to the latter group of bands. In our networks we have been very attentive to what was happening within the band, new updates or new releases.

And our first contact with the person behind this project, Dirk Knight, was two years ago when they released the EP “Vampires”. Today they bring us their third album "Zombies", which is not a common album but brings us a double album, something very rare for these times, the first album called "Zombies" with 16 songs and another album called "The Dreampop Days ( feat. Elena Alice Fossi)” with 8 more songs. A rarity for these times, but that clarifies the sound flow that Dirk has in his head and that manages to transform it into songs.

Link to previous interview: https://issuu.com/revistathe13th/docs/the13th_n_49

Hi Dirk!

Thank you for agreeing to conduct this interview. We close the year, this strange 2020, and that has left us so many reasons for reflection. Although the future is unknown, when we found out about the release of this new album, we wanted them to be present in this latest issue of 2020.

Tell us how you have gone through this 2020, a year of confinement and apparently very productive for you, in terms of music.

If we talk about strange situations in this particular year, everything would seem that it was activated musically for Seasurfer, nowadays it could be said that it is risky to edit a disc with 16 tracks, and if we add the second disc, I would say that it is even more risky. I enjoy the records from beginning to end, and with “Zombies” I have done it with pleasure. How do you see releasing a double album today, that is, a long album in current times where it is said that there is no time to listen to a complete album?

First of all, thank you very much for dealing so deeply with us, that too is rather rare these days. Even longer texts are definitely a risk today...

I worked on this album for more than two years and gathered lots and lots of ideas.

Two years is a long time and a lot comes together. I paid less and less attention to what people are doing today and what others are doing, I also didn't listen to much other music during this time. It was like painting a big picture, with warping, overpainting and then finally putting everything together into a complete work. And for me it was really cool that very different musical approaches could be brought together into a big whole.

Ultimately, you have to try to break away from what others are doing or what others say you should do. That also applies to the length of an album, haha. There are already far too many standardizations and synchronization today.

We can talk about two very different parts between one album and the other.

In addition to the notorious difference between Apolonia and Elena Alice Fossi.

The sound of each album is different. Tell us how the global idea of "Zombies" came about as two albums. Was the double disc plan born as an idea before or during the recording?

The songs with Elena Alice as the singer were done before the songs with my regular singer.

A very good friend is a big Kirlian Camera fan and he kept asking me to do something with Elena. That worked out quickly. The final mixes for the Zombies album came after that, and they were ready in spring of this year. The inner life of the soul was completely different ... and then the music sounds different too.

had guests in the recording process?

For the first time I recorded and mixed everything by myself. And sometimes even sung, although I actually can't do that. Those were actually just demo ideas for the singer.

That certainly made sure that I could sink into it much deeper. I have a small studio in an old brick building, right next to my house. With a bed in it. Sometimes I lived dot and just made music.

Although we have had previews of both albums in 2019 and in 2020. How was the work of recording both albums? Did you do it separately or did you do it at the same time?

Yes. You can almost say, the album with Elena is pre-Covid-19, it's called "the dreampop days". The Zombies album is the Tell us about the recording of “Zombies�, darker version and was finished in spring. A have you recorded it yourself or have you lot came together ... more reflection, more

Trump, a global pandemic ... and then of course the rather forgotten climate crisis. I have a 15 year old daughter and I regularly wonder what future we give her. Not easy to deal with ... you can probably hear the latent gloom in the songs.

End of the year, December, is a time of year when not many launches are usually made. I think a bit of this whole release, the duration, two albums, releasing in the month of December, I feel it as something provocative, like shaking that silly idea that there are times to release jobs. Have

you thought of this as a way to transgress the established for decades?

Honestly, i haven't thought about it strategically. The album just had to go out this year, it's an album of the year 2020 and preserves our feeling of this year. It just felt right to do it that way.

How long have you worked on this "Zombies"?

I think more than two years. There were some disruptions, we left our former US label Saint Marie and had to look for a new one.

Former fellow musicians have left. And then

the search for the sound of an entire album. That is not easy. There are bad days when you think you will never finish it all. Musicians aren't machines.

The name I suppose has something to do with the state of the people in pandemic, or is it just because of the song?

Yep. As I said earlier, many things came together in spring. And in addition, I watched the whole GoT seasons again during the breaks, with the final big battle. All in all we felt somehow unreal and in fact a little like externally controlled zombies. Your own universe in these times is special, I know. In the songs you often hear about dying and the dead ... haha.

What do you find different about "Zombies" from all of the above from Seasurfer?

I think the new album is darker and more experimental. Much more electronic too. I've been listening to electronic stuff like Crystal Castles or those witch house guys from Salem for years. But I also come from the guitar world. These are all things that flow in subconsciously.

Then you just do what you are.

Thinking about this 2020, what do you feel as positive, besides the album?

I live in Germany in a privileged world. I live in a democratic country with social security for everyone. I think that's positive and an example that living together can work. And it brought back a certain humility. Confirmation that mass consumption is not everything. I could let myself fall much deeper into the music. However, knowing about the many people who are faring badly leaves a bitter aftertaste. And then there is also the notion that if we asked the world, it would see us humans as its greatest enemy and destroyer.

And already at the gates of 2021 ... the plans are still difficult ... but are you planning something for the first months of next year?

I can`t say a lot about the future. Too much is open. Of course we would like to play live again next year, visit concerts, travel and meet all friends again. But I also hope that we will not only think about our own satisfaction again, but develop a feeling for the future and more harmony with the earth. I sound a little like a hippie, I know ...

If you had to define this 2020, how would you do it?

Insane. Dark. Sad. Intensive. Counter-fighting.

To close this interview and thanking you for the possibility of conducting it, and wishing Seasurfer a successful 2021.

What do you want to say to our readers who still do not know Seasurfer and who are with a double album, so that they are encouraged to listen and enjoy it?

No matter what music or art it is about, please take a little more time and don't just click and go.

Thanks Dirk for answering our questions.

[ Interview with Emily Palen by Mike Dimitriou.

Photographs: Nick Bellarosa, Alex Shonkoff and Shena van Spronsen ]

EMILY PALEN (A.K.A. KNIGHTRESSM1)

Special thanks to whitelight-whiteheat.com/ and Mike Dimitriou for allowing us to use this interview.

Hello Emily! Earlier on September 25, we saw the release of the debut album ‘Dreams and Devastation’ by KnightressM1. The band consists of you, Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, Kristin Hersh), and Uriah Duffy (Whitesnake).

What is the story behind this whole team and how was your path to create this album shaped?

Hi Mike! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do this interview with you and also for your incredible support for the release of ‘Dreams and Devastation’.

I started KnightressM1 back in 2011 as a way to reframe my own career and essentially put own my voice and violin front and center. I have been a sideperson for many many bands over the years and it came time for me to form my own project, to create my own sound. I started playing with Rob Ahlers pretty early on with KM1, an incredible drummer who I met when we both played with Bonfire Madigan. He really understood what I was going for so we started to play shows and explore the sound of the band. We played with a few bassists over the years and by the time we were ready to go into the studio to actually record the album we enlisted Uriah Duffy to come in and lay down the tracks with us. Once we were rehearsed and set, we headed down to Studio 606 and they nailed their tracks down to tape within just a few days. They’re both incredible players and

they brought an irreplaceable essential foundation to this album. Then I worked with the engineer and co-producer for the album, John ‘Lou’ Lousteau to layer in all the violin tracks, keys, vocals. Working with Lou was a complete privilege. He helped me to bring this album into a form way past what I could’ve imagined and for that I am so grateful. He’s a master behind the board and in the studio.

My vision for this album was a concept of awakening, reckoning, coming to…. I designed it to be multi-dimensional both in consciousness and sound. The songs are statements about my own personal growth through pain, trauma and healing but moreover about humans collectively as a species, our need to step into our power in order to survive this moment in and evolve beyond it. We are inside the eye of the needle right now, will we choose to set ourselves free or will we ask for our own captivity? That is the question.

That is the emotional material I worked with for this album. In order to keep the potency of my vision I was careful to keep every step in integrity from who I worked with in the studio to who did the art to who has done PR. Every step of the way I’ve learned something, I’ve gained friends and colleagues and ultimately was able to create an album, art and videos that far exceeded what I dreamed of.

First, we were presented the official video for ‘Polarity Integrate’, then came the video of ‘Lock & Key’. Here we also now have an amazing new one for ‘Butterfly’. I’d like to ask about the messages in these songs, and about that special note at the end of ‘Butterfly’ video…

Polarity Integrate is a song about privilege. I wrote it as a way to confront this horrendous idea that if you struggle in life there’s something wrong with you. I’ve experienced many many years of both financial hardship, emotional struggle, abusive relationships, therapy, healing, confronting my own darkness and also speaking frankly and honestly about the darkness in this world. Some people who come from a more privileged upbringing clearly have not experienced enough hardship to humble them to be compassionate and they swing more towards judgement. This really gets to me not just personally in regards to myself but culturally. Our system is essentially an exploitive abusive culture in which humans are used up, manipulated, gaslit and suppressed and then shamed if we speak out about it. It’s just relentless. I really had to break down a lot of myths within myself to see that just because you go through hardship in whatever form, it is not a reflection of your worth. It is also not something you manifested or created, brought on yourself. This is such a toxic line of thought and one that I believed for many years. I wrote Polarity as a way to say fuck off to that message and to anyone who has a hard time witnessing the pain that this world inflicts. Another way to frame it is living as a polarity integrator.

One who experiences a lot of dark to heal it and bring the experience back to neutral, to find another way out, to dismantle the illusion.

Lock and Key is another song about becoming free from systemic oppression.

“Hush now child there is no other way”.

We are lulled to sleep with the message that we have no other choice but to accept a subpar life. An existence of broken dreams and struggle. That life just isn’t fair and there’s nothing you can do about it. We can do something about it. We can create a world where everyone is taken care of and gets their needs met.

Food, clean water, shelter, kindness and respect. The ability to live in your purpose, to do what you are most passionate about.

Think about how powerful and peaceful our communities could be, the world could be. But we have to really face the state we’re in and the level of corruption we are operating under. There’s no other way to liberate ourselves from tyranny but to stand up and be loud about it. “I found my lock and key and I won’t go out silently”.

Don’t hide the truth. The note at the end of Lock and Key dedicating that video to survivors of domestic violence is a very important piece of this whole journey.

During the time of me recording this album I was in a very abusive relationship and it was actually recording the album that gave me the strength and fire to get out of the relationship. When I was in the studio recording, I was away from it, down in LA, just in my music completely and then I would come home to this absolute mess of a situation. It was brutal and lethal. I got to experience first-hand through that relationship how exceedingly difficult it is to escape domestic violence and how easily misunderstood that situation is. So often people always respond with the typical perspective to blame the victim. Why didn’t you leave, why were you with him in the first place, couldn’t you see it coming?

No. This is not giving the situation justice.

The personality type that abuses is very cunning. It’s pre-meditated manipulation

that was so deceitful it blew my mind. I was so thoroughly exhausted, traumatized and so deeply sad. To leave to every ounce of strength I had and was the most difficult thing I’ve had to do. In the end it became clear that if I stayed with this person, I would lose my life to him and he was not worth that. This album has saved my life in a very real way, it gave me something to live for, and something to fight for. I am so grateful now to have peace of mind and to know I don’t owe anyone anything. I want to use my experience to help those who are still stuck in this situation or healing from it. It’s a pervasive and very serious issue all around the world and we do need to pay attention to it. It happens behind closed doors, and people lose their lives to it all the time. It’s a terrifying thing to go through and if I can help one person become free or give one person hope, it will be worth it to me.

Butterfly is a song about me reckoning with my own power, and not hiding who I am anymore. Often times, we all deal with people who want to take from us. Use up our light and our magic and leave us for dead. To stop this in my life I first had to see that I had something special, maybe, just possibly, that I was worthy, and that people found me useful to make themselves feel better. Yet they gave nothing in return.

Energy vampires, narcissists, whatever you want to call them. Abusers, what have you. When I saw I had worth, power, light, then I had to see that some folks around me didn’t have my best interest at heart. Next step was to believe in my ability to stand on my own, to be free from that pain and own why I feel I am on this planet along with millions of other bright bright souls. Butterflies, come to restore this world. Perhaps we are bright in order to illuminate the dark, to remind each

other we are not alone, that the spark in our chest is for a reason. That what we imagine can be possible is not so far away after all.

As much as these songs were written to deal with emotional pain, they are in the end about coming into our own, healing up and becoming free of it. Each song was a way for me to change something I needed to change. Alchemy.

You have been a violinist from the age of four - incredible actually. I read that you are a classically-trained virtuoso, who has mastered violin, piano, singing and composition. How did you initially start with music and what is the private strength and the inspiration that drives and guides you in this amazing exploration of music?

I grew up in a musical household. My mother is a cellist so in the womb I was feeling the vibrations of that. My sister is a violinist and my mother taught music in the house. Every day I was hearing this amazing violin literature and I fell in love with it. My mother had a tiny violin in this armoire in their bedroom and I kept getting it out begging her to teach me.

Finally, when I turned 4, she said, ok ~ you can play now you’re old enough. Then I started this journey. I was following in my sister’s footsteps quite a bit and by the time I was through two years of music school in college I was really pulled to come to California. I broke from my classical path and started exploring rock and metal. I’ve always loved heavy music and I have this intensity within that I have to express. Now fronting my own band is so liberating. It’s pure creative freedom and that is actually something that is daunting for me to deal with sometimes. I have the ability to actually be exactly who I want to be musically. Will I do that? Will I be that brave? So I always seek to push my own boundaries and now

that’s really heading into a heavier but more expanded direction that fuses this drive to push my own expression and also to allow all of the variation to exist, not to push it just into one corner but to allow all the music I create be there organically.

I also have a firm grounding in classical harmony traditions and rhythmic variation but always to serve the music, not to just flash technique. I love being able to create with this instrument, the violin, that is my first language. To be able to embody that in a way that is emotionally so real to me, to do something new. That’s what inspires me. I have always been in love with music though, from the start. I can’t live without it, there is nothing else I want to do. I don’t want to live a life if it’s without music. It is my reason. It was, from a young age, a way for me to share who I was without words. To be honest in my expression without having to put it into words. It’s a power, a way to deal with the most difficult times in life, and a way to share love that is beyond words. It is the only way I have been able to put consciousness into something experiential in this world.

I assume the name KnightressM1 perhaps refers to a ‘code’ or a ‘quest’.

Can you tell us all about how you decided on your band name?

Yes, the name! This was such a trip to land on this name. I was trying to come up with names that somehow communicated something about the essence of light, power….transmutation. Everyone had taken the names I was thinking of and they were a bit obvious as well. So this name came to me. I don’t know where it came from but it struck me. Knightress…. female knight….M1 is her galactic code. M ~ for Em, my nickname. 1 for unity. Over the years people have mispronounced it, gotten it confused with nitrous oxide, said it’s too complicated, or that I need to make it easier somehow for people to

comprehend but….do you know how many metal bands have names that nobody can read? Or how many band names make absolutely no sense? We can go on and on. KnightressM1 is a character, she is my avatar, there is a reason for every piece of that name. You are exactly right, it is code and if I were to listen to the peanut gallery and dumb it down it would lose its power.

This is her name. There is no other.

I also found this special note by you on the ‘Dreams and Devastation’ LP – “This album is dedicated to humanity flipping the script on centuries of unnecessary suffering and building a world which takes care of the many instead of the few”-. What is the ideal world you envision?

Yes, this is putting the vision of this album and its intention in as succinct a statement as I can manage. I do believe we are in a time right now where the illusions of this world are being revealed. We are seeing who is running the show behind the scenes.

People are coming to realize the hidden hands that move all the chess pieces and we are not going to stand for it any longer.

We realize as a species that we not only have the capability of creating a world that is kind and just but that it is our duty now.

We have lived long enough serving the whims of these false masters. The elite of this world who make their money off of the backs of their workers now telling us where we can go and what we can do?

Not allowing a livable wage, rigging every election, lying to everyone about these tragedies that befall us by supposed mysterious and natural means? No. This suffering is created by them to keep us afraid, easily manipulated. We are not so weak and stupid to allow this unnecessary suffering any longer. There are more of us than there are them and all we need to do is no longer play their game. We don’t even need to fight them. They are not a

worthy opponent. Once we realize our true power as humans anchored in natural and honest ways, we just create a world built upon truth. All we need is right here.

All will be revealed.

This ideal world is one where the quality of your character is more important than your wealth and power. If you operate out of deception, greed, cruelty ~ you are disempowered in this world. Kindness and compassion are guiding principles.

Everyone is taken care of their basic needs met as well as the opportunity to live in their passion and purpose. We live in a highly deceptive world now. We have no idea the level of deception there is, it’s obscene. We are getting glimpses now into the depravity of the elite but still, I believe we are only scratching the surface.

The world we could have if we have the courage to claim it is one of true freedom, equanimity, respect, human dignity. This is the bare minimum of what we deserve.

The album swings between all alternative heavy metal signs and spots and the whole gothic idiom, and it also grooves on pure r’n’r rails too.

If I asked you to give us your top-5 inspiring album of all time, which ones would you choose and why?

Top 5 inspiring albums… this is difficult.

Architects - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us: This album completely changed my life. Architects as a band is absolutely inspiring not only what they accomplish musically but what they have persevered through and what principles they align themselves to. I have the utmost of respect for them as a band and they absolutely destroy every show they play.

You can’t get heavier than them.

BMTH - amo: This album was an unexpected favorite of mine. I love how this

band allows themselves to evolve beyond all limits, even risking their fanbase to be true to the moment. I find this album to be a sonic work of art. It’s a very personal experiential album to me, the perfect music at the perfect time.

Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork: This album is the depth of QOTSA emotionally. I really felt them push out the bounds of time, space, grief, the void. I loved it and it has some existential moments on it. As a complete album as well, it holds true to its emotional statement of time beautifully.

expressed how I felt perfectly. It was the first time I had heard that level of visceral emotion in music and set the bar on how authentic music could be from then on for me. Show me how you really feel, make me feel something. That is what that album does every time. Nothing less.

Massive Attack / Mad Professor - No Protection:This album is just pure depth. A moment in time and also a quintessentially beautiful, timeless album.

‌and your current top-5 at home or on the highway?

Top 5 now: Tool - Opiate: I listened to this album Architects : Holy Hell obsessively when I was young. It Architects : Lost Forever / Lost Together

Architects : ANIMALS (from : For Those Who Wish To Exist : to be released Feb 2021) Gojira : Another World (another single from hopefully what will be an album released soon) BMTH : Post Human : Survival Horror What was your first solo violin improv album ‘Glass ~ Live at Grace Cathedral’ back in 2012?

Glass was an improv album I recorded inside Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. I wasdoingmainlyimprovviolinperformance during this time, busking downtown SF and I met Gregory James who produced this album on his label Valence Records.

Cookie Marenco of Blue Coast Records who has a tremendous career working with hifi recordings engineered the album. They had the idea to put me in Grace Cathedral to record this incredibly hi-fidelity album using equipment that Gus Skinas made which gets into technical aspects far beyond my ability to comprehend. Basically, it is higher quality audio than analog, but its digital. Grace Cathedral has a 7 second natural delay as well so the acoustics are just stunning.

We rented out the cathedral for two days and I improved for hours and hours both days. We then chose the best parts and made the record. Each song is completely improvised on the spot, uncut, as it was played, no edits except for where it starts and where it ends. We did a second record the same way called Creation. We are planning a third improv record hopefully this year and I am planning to do a remix album including some tracks from Glass and Creation.

the studio to record the next album as soon as we are able. The songs are written and I can’t wait to get back in there and record them. I was hoping to tour Europe and am looking actually to relocate to Paris to dive into the European music scene. Their deep love of metal and goth and lack of shyness around intensity and darkness really speaks to me. I feel like this band could really shine over there. However, it’s really all about being nimble right now with the global landscape. My goal is just to keep writing, keep making videos, keep evolving and to push this band into a new level musically with the next album.

If I told you that the Earth is flat and that Covid-19 doesn’t really exist, what kind of a doctor would you recommend me to visit?

I would not send you to a doctor at all and this is such a great question. When people start to unplug from the matrix if you will you can come up with some pretty interesting theories as to the true nature of our reality. I would encourage everyone to always ask questions, always think for themselves, never let anyone shame you into obedience. We need to ask some hard questions right now about what is really going on and that requires bravery, a nuanced look at our reality and high levels of discernment. Keep searching for the truth. Don’t let anyone stop you.

Emily Palen, Thank You for this interview, the last words are on you!

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on the album and for your thoughtful questions. Music is such an interesting path right now given the situation we are all in. Music has always been what people Any further plans with KM1 (near call a hard business and now we can’t play future, long term)? shows or tour or even travel. We can still Yes, my plans for KM1 are to get back into connect though through music. We can

still create. We can still be incredibly powerful within our own lives and we will pave a way forward in which, I feel, real authentic music that is not fueled by big money and vapid narcissism will be valued. Humans are craving something real right now. This moment is a huge opportunity to connect into that. What is music for if not to change the world?

[ Interview with Troy Payne from The Wake by Diego Centuriรณn.

Photographs: BlayloxArts ]

THE WAKE: POST-PUNK PIONEERS LOUDLY RE-EMERGE AFTER LENGTHY HIATUS

Yeah, The Wake, that band from the second generation of Gothic Rock, the creators of "Harlot", "Locomotive Age", "Christine" "Control", among many Gothic Rock jewels from the 90's ... are back.

They have just released their new album called "Perfumes & Fripperies" and in these crazy months, it becomes great news for lovers of classic Gothic Rock.

We have the opportunity to speak with Troy Payne and ask him these questions...

Hi Troy, thanks for allowing us to ask you these questions...

To start and put us in the world today, how are you living this madness called Covid-19?

Hello, I’m glad to have the opportunity to speak to you and your readers.

Yes, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down and inside out. We are living day by day and trying to remain hopeful as well as being realistic about the challenges that still lie ahead. As with many musicians the pandemic has, and continues to, prevent us from working. We are unable to rehearse - unable to tour. Fortunately we had just finished mixing Perfumes and Fripperies right before the lockdowns began - so 2020 was not a complete loss. Of course it is hard to complain about not being able to rehearse or tour when so many have lost so much. We’ve been hit hard here in the US with more than 9.5 million infected and 234,000 having died as of this writing. We can only hope for better days ahead.

Covering the history of the band in a few questions is a difficult task, but we can try a review of those years when everything flowed naturally and many bands were born within the Gothic Rock scene. What do you remember from those 80's and 90's in the gothic rock scene?

There really wasn't a goth rock scene here in Columbus, Ohio USA in the ‘80s. It was not a popular genre here. The Wake was the only

band in the area playing music that you could consider goth. This trend continued into the early ‘90s. For a short time after that, there was a single goth club in the city that would host goth bands and DJs but it only lasted a few years and by then we had stopped playing live in Columbus - our last show having been played here in 1991. Elsewhere, of course, the scene was alive and prosperous. We traveled to other major cities often to play in crowded clubs for several years. Chicago, NYC, LA, and Mexico City all had particularly vibrant goth scenes at this time. The scene was driven largely by the influx of new music and bands of the “Second Wave” era. A lot of those bands (including The Wake) found a home on Cleopatra Records. Being signed to a record label meant something back then. It gave legitimacy to the bands, music, and scene as a whole. Today labels are less important due to the ease and low cost of digital recording and the ability to self distribute and promote via the internet.

Thinking back to those years when there were no internet possibilities that there are today, and talking about assumptions would be useless, but do you think the band would have had much more diffusion?

Would the band have had more worldwide exposure in the early days if the internet would have existed as it does today? Yes, no doubt.

It is difficult to guess however, how it would have affected the trajectory of our career. Like most things, the internet is both good and

bad. It allows for a little known band’s music to be shared around the world in an instant which can be a wonderful thing. But that same ability also creates such a glut of content that it works to devalue music as a whole.

Today the classic Gothic Rock scene has had a new wave of bands that commune with the sound of that second wave of the 80's or 90's. How do you see the scene today?

It may seem strange, but as far as new music goes, I listen mostly to what I consider “goth adjacent” bands as well as completely out of genre stuff these days. I have a wide variety of tastes in music, but almost all of it has a dark theme or edge to it. Starbenders and Bones UK are two of my current favorite “new” bands.

CD for both, which was also fun and a first.

As I said before, we had been wanting to make a new album for a very long time things just finally came together in the way of schedules and finances that made it possible.

There was also the motivation of finishing the record and getting it released before our European tour dates. This was to avoid the feeling of being a “nostalgia tour” - there would be new songs to play and be excited about .

Listening to the new album, the classic Gothic Rock returns to the sources with much more raw post-punk. What do you think of the sound of the new album?

I have heard the sound described several different ways now since the release. I can tell you that from my perspective - it just sounds like The Wake. We play, and this is the sound that comes out. I do think we now have a In the early years of the past decade better idea of how to get what we want soundthe band has had some activity with the wise, and we are just a little better at doing singles, "Emily Closer" and "Rusted", what we do as writers, musicians, and DIY which are both included on this new sound engineers. So maybe - hopefully this album , but then there was nothing else. is reflected in our work.

Why haven't you recorded anything until Matt Hagburg, our mix engineer at VMS 2020? and Emily Lazar, mastering engineer at The “Emily Closer” was released in 2010, and Lodge NYC undoubtedly also contributed to “Rusted” was released in 2014. The versions the overall sound and quality of this record. included on the new record are different from the singles however. There were certainly To talk about going back to the roots, they gaps in our production over the six years have as a guest David “Wolfie” from Red in between the singles and the album. We Lorry Yellow Lorry and from what I have encountered many road blocks and obstacles read “Everything” had been discarded along the way, but, we did write a lot of and then taken up again. What did you see material (an additional album worth). With in the song for “Wolfie” to participate? that stockpile of songs - hopefully the interval Yes “Everything” began as an entirely between Perfumes and Fripperies and the different song. It had potential but we couldn't next album will be much shorter. seem to move it along until Rich came up with a new guitar line that sent the song in a new And since last year you have reissued direction. With the new guitar part sounding your two previous albums and you somewhat reminiscent of the Lorries, and promise the new album, “Perfumes and Rich being a big fan - he got the idea to ask Fripperies”, what was it that made you Wolfie to add another guitar layer to the track. record a new album?

The result is what we have today. Their guitar Yes both Masked and Nine Ways have been parts compliment each other in a wonderful reissued via Cleopatra Records. Vinyl and way.

And it is a very personal song that talks about your father, I have read that it is a cathartic letter. I have also read that when you heard the instrumental, the song closed. In these times of pandemic, did this song take on another intensity?

I have described the lyrics as a kind of cathartic letter to my father who died some time ago. Further, as a way to say and ask things that live in the heart but were never said or asked aloud. Yes, when I heard the

instrumental of “Everything� after Rich and Wolfie had recorded their new parts - I knew just what I wanted to do for my part.

As for the last part of your question - I’m not sure, but I can imagine how it definitely could.

I have read that the album has been recorded in various studios and under different circumstances. Tell us, how was the recording process?

Most of the instruments and all of the vocals

were recorded at our home studios. The drums were recorded at three different studios.

Typically, either Rich or I recorded a demo version of a song which was then sent to the rest of the band or players. They each recorded their raw parts and returned those tracks to me where I assembled and produced a rough mix. I then sent the rough mixes and all of the stems to Matt at VMS. Matt would work up a rough mix of his own, then Rich and I would come in for the final mix session on each track. This was the process for all of the songs with the exception being “Rusted (Hz Healer Mix feat. Caroline Blind )” where I’m responsible for the final mix.

The result is something that lovers of old school gothic rock and post punk should not miss, "Perfumes and Fripperies" is a dark and deep journey, where the years show what they do best, demonstrate their nobility as one of the legendary bands of glorious years of the dark scene.

Thank you.

In closing and thanking you for the time you have dedicated to me, what message would you like to leave to our readers?

The response to the album has been outstanding. Thank you to everyone for that. We can't wait to make another.

Hope we can rock out live together some day. If not, we are with you in the headphones.

Thanks Troy!

Cheers!

FIVE QUESTIONS

INDEX PAUL MALONE (CANDY OPERA) 126 DAVEY WOODWARD 128 ETHAN GOLD 130 LOUD APARTMENT 132 NERO KANE 134 OF1000FACES 138 OUTWAVE 140 PHILIP PARFITT 144 THE PERSIAN LEAPS 146 THE ROOGS 150 THRILLSVILLE 152

PAUL MALONE (CANDY OPERA)

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

We wanted to show that we were still relevant today. We didn’t want to just be a band that sold it’s back catalogue. We believe we should always look forward and not backwards... and as for any message to the world, that’s too big a question for anyone to answer. We just want to make music that we love.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

For us, it hasn’t stopped any flow of creativity. Playing live has obviously been a problem and we remain positive that things will change. Being creative has always been at the heart of what we do whether it be together or separate, we will always try to find an outlet. I suppose we’ll have to relearn our instruments, not having struck a chord in anger for a while!

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

Playing live was always something that we valued and we miss. We were just getting started again when all this shit happened. Getting back together as a band and seeing each other on a personal level as well as a creative one is something that we look forward to... just the sheer enjoyment of playing in front of a crowd and sharing our new material with them.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

We’re hoping that our ideas for this album come across well and that it achieves its potential for success. Now our mojo’s up, we’re also looking forward to writing more new music and exploring other avenues in our direction.

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

Mac DeMarco, DMA’s, Jalen N’Gon, Davey Woodward & The Winter Orphans, The Wolfhounds, The Room in The Wood, Philip Parfitt, Easy, Paul Den Heyer

DAVEY WOODWARD

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

I just wanted to make an album that might engage the listener on an emotional level. Even a personal level. There are no conscious messages to the listener but the album is called ‘ Love and Optimism’ Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

I absorbed myself in story writing. Home schooled my youngest son. We drew lots of pictures and told his mum we were doing maths. Cleaned my bicycle. I expect at some point these experiences will become songs!

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

I miss the joy of playing music with friends. Being able to do that again will be great. A gig even better.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

Gosh I’m bad at planning. New single off the album, play some gigs, rehearse and record new songs. Reach a wider audience.

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

Black Country New Roads Squid Norma Tanega ( old but deserves a new audience) Vintage Crop Jane Weaver

ETHAN GOLD

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

My multi-part album ‘Earth City’ will be coming out in the spring. This is about the life of cities, and our disconnection from each other, and from the natural world.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

I was very resistant to live-streaming, but jumped into it with both (bare) feet.... Or feet in socks. Somehow got used to this strange, casual, intimate way of doing shows. I let them be basically 100% on request, so I got to learn a lot of obscure things from my catalog. I do film scores sometimes as well so it was challenging to call up all kinds of old work in order to play what my listeners wanted every week.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

I loved the life of clubs and look forward to that all coming back.

Everybody's hopes and dreams bashing into each other night after night. The chaos of it is really beautiful, in retrospect.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

The ‘Earth City’ album release, and a lot of videos.

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays The Size Queens. Me. John Grant. My Bus. Miranda Lee Richards.

Some of these are more emerging than others.

NEVARIS A.C. (LOUD APARTMENT)

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

System Breakdown was written in response to what we saw happening around us. Basic systems falling apart. Transit. Healthcare. Housing. And the current administration (soon gone) provided this daily nightmare of ignorance and hatred that I couldn't process without putting it to music.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

It's been very productive in terms of writing. The summer gave us a respite where we felt safe to get back in the studio, but at present the pandemic is really holding us back from that. The solo activities (writing and practicing) have been very productive. I'm doing a lot of listening and practicing and it’s been good in that regard. Trying to be patient with regards to getting back in the studio. It's possible to work with masks and such but we're going to hold of on tht for a while.

I'm happy we were able to finish recording System Breakdown over the summer.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

I remember the last indoor gig I played before the pandemic took hold which was in a packed club in the West Village. It was a very dangerous thing to do in hindsight but none of us realized it yet. I look forward to being able to do such things without fear. I also have become more conscious of time during the pandemic because I travel so much less. I think I will be more conscious of not wasting time in the future.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

I plan on getting back into the studio with the same musicians from system breakdown and working on more music. It was such a pleasure to work with this particular group of musicians. As soon as it is safe. I also look forward to playing in front of humans again at some point.

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

Garrison Hawk Maya Azucena Ugly Braine Angel Ruben Rodriguez Abrazos Orchestra The Fates Matt Dickey Soul Inscribed Imany Mladao

NERO KANE

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

My new album “Tales of Faith and Launacy”, released at the end of October, is a visionary story with a cinematic flavor, a timeless journey in the American desert landscape, conceived in a personal vision of faith between spirituality and passion, which flows in every song and unfolds with the various protagonists.

It could be seen as a sort of concept album about life and death, darkness and light, faith and desperate search for love in a world that is condemned and abandoned. These are the topics of my songwriting. The album was acclaimed as a new psychedelic folk masterpiece, definition that it’s not my call to say if it’s true, but which gave me a lot of satisfaction. Also, it is achieving many amazing reviews both in Italy (it was listed among the best 2020 Italian releases) and abroad. The album was released with three labels and three physical supports, Nasoni Records (vinyl, Germany), BloodRock Records (CD, Italy), Anacortes Records (cassette tape, Italy), and was produced and recorded in Italy by Matt Bordin, who collaborated with many italian and international artists, with guest violin by Nicola Manzan (Bologna Violenta) and the collaboration with my partner Samantha Stella (vocals, electric piano/organ). This is my second album as Nero Kane after the release in 2018 of my debut album “Love In A Dying World” produced and recorded in Los Angeles by Joe Cardamone, formerly of the band The Icarus Line, who is now collaborating with Mark Lanegan.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

Honestly for me it has been a productive year. I have been concentrated on the release of the album and, before the worldwide lockdown, on my first UK tour last February. During the lockdown I simply went on with my routine and continued to work on my music and write new stuff. I also worked with Samantha (who, since 2017, follows me in the live shows as singer and organ/piano player, sang and wrote three lyrics of the new album and is the director of all my videos), on the short film to launch the leading track “Lord Won’t Come”. I played a lot my guitar and worked on my type of sound testing new effects and on the new live set that I hope to perform soon in 2021. Obvioulsy it has been also a though year for many reasons. Regarding music, first of all for the general cancellation and postponing of concerts and tours.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

Freedom. As a person and as an artist which to me is quite the same thing. The freedom to live your life, in a full and complete way, without fear and restrictions, in order to have the possibility to follow your aspirations. Of whatever kind these may be. I’m really looking forward to have it back because without freedom we are nothing.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

As I said before, to come back to play my music in front of real people and on a proper stage. I don’t like the new streaming fruition that could be good for a film, but not so much for live music. I’m planning to go back in studio and record a new album and hopefully to continue to push my creative world as far as I can.

Last but not least, maybe starting to play piano.

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays. (a simple list will do) In the italian panorama I have recently discovered these two emerging artists, Julinko and Annie Barbazza, two interesting female voices and songwriters.

Among international artists I would like to recommend these musicians (don’t know if they can still be considered as emerging): Jaye Jayle, Holy Motors and Lingua Ignota.

Thank you for your time and happy holidays to you...

Thanks to you for your interest in my music, happy holidays and fingers crossed for this 2021.

MATT WALKER (OF1000FACES)

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

My newest release is The Infinity Line, which is the second act of what I’m calling the Monomyyth Trilogy. It’s an instrumental album that encompasses ambient, electro-acoustic and minimalism contemporary classical. It sets a contemplative mood but is not as stagnant as most ambient oriented music. As a record listened to from top to bottom it plays very like a soundtrack, where each piece is very much it’s own scene.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

It’s been a very productive time for me. And I have taken to learning more more about analog synthesis, which inevitably leads to creating new music.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

Without question that would be touring and playing live. But I also really miss going to my public library!

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

In February I’ll release the final act of the Monomyyth Trilogy, Nadir. After that I’ll focus on finishing and releasing a rather ambitious art-pop album that features an incredible cast of guest singers.

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

Marika Hackman Anna Calvi Matthew Dear Son Lux Zola Blood Young Fathers Moses Sumney Big Black Delta Friko Chris Zabriskie

OUTWAVE

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music? “The Storm� was officially released in September 2020, in both digital and CD format. The album follows the story of a boy who, through a seriesofvicissitudesmetaphoricallyassociatedwithnaturalphenomena and picturesque settings, will experience a profound change. Each song tells about different emotional moment that the protagonist is facing: step by step through the unpredictability of life. The Storm as chaos, as a whirlwind of violent emotions, is definitely the focal point.

A phenomenon, that in real life, shakes the normal course of events.

The protagonist, after facing the tangle, frees himself from the chains that bound him and runs towards a new beginning.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

Fortunately we managed to continue playing and producing new music, by adapting to the situation. It was important for us musicians to practice with our musical instruments and not be disheartened by the pandemic. Thanks also to our record label (Seahorse recording) we made also our first streaming concert.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

As a band we can't wait to get back to experience the same emotions we used to feel before the pandemic. Especially we are missing the warmth of the audience felt during the concerts. We want to meet them face to face again and have fun together! We love watching people dancing, going wild and creating a deep connection with their emotions, without any fear of being too close.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

First of all, we would like to promote our new album and play it live.

Unfortunately the Covid-19 epidemic represents a real obstacle for us and for the entire show business right now, but we are confident to come back soon! We are going to realise a new music video and to release an EP, since we are working on some new songs

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

PERPETUAL FATE (Melodic Metal) FRANK - Mattia Orlandini (Pop) E-KREEP (Electronic) SPARKLY PLANES (Hard and Pop Rock) THE WANKRESS (Post Rock)

PHILIP PARFITT

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

It ( the album) is about people, relationships, finding out who we are what we are doing here, on a wave of consciousness navigating through darkness .. searching for meaning and a little love.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

I’m always writing, recording, painting, generally being creative etc. ... probably did more this year in terms of finishing work because I had a lot of time to focus ... still lots to do though .. I’m happy like that.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

Moving around a bit more to see all my friends in the countries I love and discovering new Artists to collaborate with. Artists from all over the place is what I love and miss the most... my family, my people some I haven’t seen for 10 months who live in other parts of Europe In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

Well the follow up to ‘Mental Home Recordings’ is well underway and I’ve several other Art projects on the go too... I’m currently working on a collaboration with a lovely Japanese conceptual artist combining my poetry and music with her paintings into 3 books and an exhibition... we hope to finish that by autumn next year .. so yeah if I/ we can finish those things it will be cool... my usual team of very gifted musicians are going to be busy too .. that is enough Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

I don’t do lists but one thing I would recommend is that people search for themselves find what they love and support those artists in anyway they can ..

Arts and culture have been really hit badly in the last year... as have many other things that we so easily take for granted... but try if you can to imagine a world without music? The heartbeat of our existence!!

DREW FORSBERG (THE PERSIAN LEAPS)

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

We released a 7-song EP called Smiling Lessons EP this fall. It’s our 8th release overall. The EP title comes from a joke with my wife; I’m so bad at smiling on command for photos that I need “smiling lessons.” But the phrase has come to mean more to me. If people are supposed to smile in the face of adversity, then all the hardships life throws our way are smiling lessons. You could say that 2020--with its global pandemic, racial injustice, and murder hornets--has been one massive, never-ending smiling lesson. I don’t know that distortion-laden power pop is a solution to any of those problems but honestly, can it hurt?

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

So far, this year has been about as productive as any in terms of writing new songs. I tend not to write obviously topical songs, so I won’t have any ballads about how we’re stronger together, even when we’re apart. The major challenge so far has been that because of Covid and some friends with higher risk factors, I’m not able to work with my normal collaborators. This fall’s EP was largely done

by March, so it wasn’t affected that much. But for the next batch of songs that I’ll release in 2021, I’m having to change my process quite a bit, recording at a new studio, working with new people, and so on. It’s disruptive, but so far, it’s going well and is a positive experience.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

We retired as a live band back in 2017 after playing way too many shows in the Twin Cities over the preceding 5 years. During that period, I was going out to see tons of live music even when The Persian Leaps weren’t playing. I completely overdid it, to the point where I’ve barely seen one show per year since then. I loved seeing live music but had to take a break. Once Covid is behind us, I’d like to get back out there and see more live music. The challenge, of course, is that many of our local venues are in serious financial trouble right now. That’s true everywhere, I’m sure, but in the Twin Cities, a number of them were damaged or completely gutted by fires lit by looters and vandals after the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police. Our latest music video for “Your Loss” shows many of those venues--or their charred ruins.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

I hope that our next batch of songs is well-served by the changes in process and collaboration forced by Covid that I mentioned earlier. We’ve released an EP or LP every year since 2013. I intend to keep doing that as long as I have good material. It would be crushing to have to postpone the EP I’ve already started for release in 2021. So far, things are going well, despite the unusual circumstances, so I’m hopeful that everything will turn out well, despite a year overflowing with “smiling lessons.”

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

Lost Ships (https://lostships.bandcamp.com/) Deleter (https://deleter.bandcamp.com/) Ahem (https://helloahem.bandcamp.com/) Big Bliss (https://bigblissesr.bandcamp.com/) Herzog (https://herzog-cleveland.bandcamp.com/)

STEVE AND COURTNEY (THE ROOGS)

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

We wanted to create a group of songs that are centered around the individual human experience, rather than the noisy and all - encompassing political world we find ourselves in currently. With so much media intrusion it becomes difficult to remain focused on the things that are important, and to not become distracted by the bad news and turmoil that is out of control of the individual person. We feel that it’s important to speak to other people at their level, and as honestly as possible. Our similarities far outnumber our differences.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

We are very active working on new music, and already have more than an album’s worth of new songs – which we are in various stages of production… of course some of these will be discarded, and probably replaced by songs not yet written!

Steve is working on improving some neglected software skills (Reason, Bitwig, Izotope, etc.) and spending more time with guitar. Courtney continues to work on vocals, lyrics, guitar and flute but is also focusing on keyboards.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

We miss seeing live music – big bands in big arenas and small bands in smaller venues.

We were very disappointed to miss Underworld and Rammstein when their shows were cancelled due to COVID. We are greatly looking forward to seeing live music again.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

The plan is to release a new record around mid 2021, and perhaps a couple singles as well, and maybe a cover song or two. We might even look to performing live, something that excites and terrifies us!

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

Tombstones In Their Eyes The Sea At Midnight Modem The Band Ghum Black Needle Noise Scenic

RANI SHARONE (THRILLSVILLE)

Tell us a bit about your latest release and the overall message(s) you wanted to share with the world through this music?

My latest release, Say Goodbye to the Light (ep), features five songs that provided a welcome distraction and creative outlet for me during this challenging time. Immersing myself in producing music has always been an escape from reality and my hope is others can get something out of my tunes as well.

Many artists have found 2020 to be productive in terms of creating and releasing new music (or even learning a new instrument, programs) - how has this year been for you in that respect?

I started the year off with a video for my song “So Close” and an optimism that quickly became derailed but it did lead to interesting artistic choices. I released a song and video for my song “Lockdown” inspired by the unrelenting restlessness of being stuck in quarantine which helped me vent feelings myself and I’m sure many others are experiencing.

Tell us one thing that you really loved, as an artist, about the pre-Covid period, and one thing you are looking forward to once it dissipates?

Playing live. I was starting to book shows and get submitted for tours just as the pandemic hit so that was a major bummer. I’m especially looking forward to performing once things get back up and running.

In terms of your own music, what are your plans and hopes for 2021?

Releasing more music/videos and performing.

Please recommend us 5-15 emerging artists you think our readers should explore over the holidays.

Stolen Babies Precious Child Vowws Free Salamander Exhibit Ridiculon

The13th

U N A R E V I S TA I M A G I N A R I A