Tag: Alternative Rock

MISSIO – Interview & Album Review: “I AM CINCO”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews20 Comments

This is a very long post, so grab your favorite adult beverage, get comfortable and enjoy!

As a blogger who writes primarily about current music, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know quite a few musicians and bands, at least online. Needless to say, it’s especially gratifying when a more widely-known act acknowledges me by liking or commenting on some of my social media posts, or even going so far as to follow me! One that ranks pretty high is Austin, Texas-based MISSIO, who’ve been one of my favorite acts for more than six years.

The exceptionally talented and absurdly creative duo consists of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and musician David Butler, as well as their silent third partner, producer and frequent collaborator Dwight Baker and their drummer Jaydon Bean. Not only do I love their great songwriting, uniquely original and edgy sound that’s an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes, and Matthew’s distinctive tenor vocals, I also have mad respect for them. Exuding a genuine coolness, yet unafraid to share their anxieties and vulnerabilities in their music and social media posts, they’ve earned a legion of loyal fans they’ve affectionately dubbed the ‘MISSIO Mafia’ (of which I proudly consider myself a member),

Photo of David Butler and Matthew Brue by Ima Leupp

Starting with their brilliant debut album Loner in 2017, MISSIO has consistently released an exceptional catalog of music,. They followed with three more studio albums, the magnificent The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 3,300 views, making it my most-viewed album review ever), Can You Feel The Sun in 2020, and VILLAIN in September 2022 (which I also reviewed), as well as numerous singles and “Skeleton” EPs, consisting of stripped-down versions of some of their songs. In 2020, they also dropped a gorgeous soundtrack album for their film Love Me Whole. Several of their songs have charted on my Weekly Top 30, four of which – “I See You”, “Underground”, “Can You Feel the Sun” and “Time”– have reached #1. 

In February 2023, they began releasing a series of EPs and singles that would continue over the next 14 months for what would ultimately become their fifth studio album I Am Cinco, a monumental work consisting of 26 songs that dropped May 3rd. The album is divided into five EPs or chapters, each containing between four and six tracks focusing on a different human emotion: I Am Sad, I Am High, I Am Awesome, I Am Angry and I Am Crazy.  

To gain a bit more insight into the album and their creative approach, I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing Matthew and David via Zoom. Idiot that I am, I neglected to hit the ‘record’ button at the beginning of our conversation, so have no record of what we talked about for the first five minutes or so, which was essentially about how they met and began working together as MISSIO. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of discussion.

EML: One of the things I really love about your music, and I think you do it better than almost any act I know of, is how you draw from so many different genres and styles of music to create your own sound. You have beautiful, heartbreaking songs like “Time” and “I See You”, which you know I love, to raucous, hard-driving songs like “Fuck It”, and everything in between. No two songs of yours ever sound the same, which I think is awesome. What are some of the bands or artists you guys loved growing up or love now, who influence your sound?

David: It’s interesting, because so much of it has to do with a couple of random things that just are who we are. First of all, I don’t think either of us identify as, like, “I’m a guitar player, or I’m a bass player, or I’m anything other than a songwriter”. We still like to rock, and both grew up on very heavy music, and for me a lot more punk rock. We both loved Korn growing up, though I grew up idolizing older stuff like Led Zeppelin, which is the reason I started bands to write songs.

Matthew: To me, it’s a yin and yang, where David brings a lot of the technical side of the older music that I didn’t really listen to. I’ve always been more into the exploratory side of what’s next or what’s coming, and I think the meshing of the two comes together in a really cool way where we bring old school and new school, and create this thing in the middle. Bands like Korn, System of a Down, Missy Elliott, Gorillaz, Cage the Elephant… we listen to so many different things, and I don’t think we’ve ever gone ‘hey, let’s try and write this type of song that sounds like this type of band’.  I think it’s more us not being afraid to fail.

David: Unless you’re pretty sophisticated musically, you probably wouldn’t get that Matthew comes from classical music; he grew up in choirs from an early age, and is an incredibly gifted classical piano player. And so you hear voicings and harmonies in the chord progressions you don’t typically hear in rock music, because there’s a level of sophistication that Matthew has in his ear that’s pretty incredible. And then you combine that with me, who likes to fuck shit up – and he does too – and I think that’s what he likes about me. So I bring this punk rock spirit to the engineering; I hate electronic music that sounds like it was made with a lab coat on. This does not move me as a human, so I’m trying to distort, to move it off the grid, to make it human.

Matthew: I’ll be honest, it doesn’t work for everybody, which is the cool thing. Our fans who get it, fucking get it. And that’s what I love, as we have die-hard fans who love what we do. But we will frequently hear, ‘dude, I don’t know what the fuck you guys are doing over there’.

EML: What you were just describing is perfectly encapsulated in your song “Underground”, which I love so much. It’s got such hard driving beats and synths, and yet there are moments of incredible beauty, especially in the way your voice rises and falls. It’s just a fantastic song. That contrast that makes for such an exciting song. Same thing with “New Gold” from Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown. What a great mix of artists; you’ve got the rapping, a beautiful melody…

Matthew: I wish more artists knew this, but you can do anything you want in this day and age, but I think people are afraid of failing. Just try some shit and see what happens.

EML: You’ve touched on how you guys collaborate, but do you generally collaborate on all of your songs, or in some cases one of you come up with a concept or a melody or beat, and go from there?

David: It varies quite a bit. We both will start ideas on our own, then come together and do a show and tell. There will be a group of songs where we’re both, ‘that’s cool, this is the best of this bunch’, then we’ll finish them together. We sort of fall into roles we’re comfortable with; Matthew will take a bunch of the lyric and melody writing that’s left, because he’s the singer and that’s also one of his incredible gifts. I’m doing a lot of the arrangement and piecing of songs together. Matthew being the keyboard player that he is, is seated in front of the midi controller, and I am either controlling the synth or pulling up sounds, and he’s finding things as the sound is changing. There’s also a third process where we start from scratch, with either just us or us and a third person or even fourth person, and those are always wild and fun, because you never know what’s gonna come of it.

Matthew: And actually a fourth. A lot of times, I may pull up the bass and play some part that’s super non-sensical and that works, or sometimes David will hop on the keys and play some part that maybe I wouldn’t play, and that’s cool. Sometimes we’ll both get on the drums and do some weird shit. There’s a really fun element of that too, where you never know who’s gonna play what.

EML: I would guess that not sticking to certain defined roles gives you more artistic freedom to try new stuff.

Matthew: There’s a reason why I chose to be an artist and musician, and it was to get away from the monotony of corporate bullshit. What the fuck are we doing if we’re not having a good time? And part of having a good time is getting weird and exploring and being a fucking artist and getting messy with it.

EML: That’s a great segue into your latest work ‘I Am Cinco’. I think it’s brilliant how you guys have approached it, and decided to release it in chapters or installments. Partly because it’s so monumental, and rather than just wait until releasing a 26-track album, you’re giving your fans snippets every few weeks or months, which whets our appetite and keeps us drawn in for what’s coming next. It’s an interesting concept how you’ve also chosen to focus on different human emotions in each chapter. You’ve guys have always been very open about your interest in emotional well-being, and have shared your own frustrations and issues, and also your artistic honesty and how that plays into your music. What actually inspired you to create this work?

David: Part of art for me, is there’s an inspiration, and in the process something comes out and it’s like ‘whoa’, and I assign some meaning to it. The inspiration for this was, eight to ten songs in, recorded toward this unknown fifth album that we’d done randomly over time, plus 20-30 demos that we had piled up, we wondered ‘what are we going to do with this fifth album?’ There began to be a natural grouping, where it was like, ‘hey, these songs feel like they go together.’ I would say that was the inspiration moment, where we thought, what if we do five EPs, each with its own specific emotional theme and genre? We’re going to showcase one of the things that we love and are proud of with this band, that we’re prolific songwriters. We wanted to do a major fifth album that’s a statement.

Matthew: One of our collective gifts is doing the business side as well, and in this day and age, it’s incredibly important as artists to be involved. We want our music to be heard, and what is the strategy behind this?  If you’re a MISSIO fan, and you really want to be on this journey,  what would you want to see, hear, feel? And to your point Jeff, rather than waiting to drop some giant album, we also realized that attention spans now are so short, and it’s really hard to get someone to sit down for almost two hours and listen to this whole thing. So let’s do an EP, EP, EP, and drop some singles to give it to people in chunks, because we want every song to be heard.

David: Music is therapy. I want the world to rediscover the power of music, and not just by listening to MISSIO songs, but music in general. We’ve minimized its role in our lives to just a playlist in the background while you’re doing the dishes. That’s why we broke this up. This is also a medicinal thing that you can say, ‘I can connect in this emotional state and address some emotional shit’, with music as your friend. That’s what I’ve been doing since I was an angsty teenager.

EML: That’s what I think makes people relate to your music so deeply, and why your fans are so loyal and fervent in their love for you guys, because your music really does touch us. I have a question about the whole nature of needing to be so present on social media, and how exhausting and frustrating that must be, as it’s a necessary evil. I’ve heard a lot of artists that I follow complain about how much time they must spend on social media, when they’d rather be creating music. What are your thoughts about this and how do you keep it from driving yourselves crazy?

Matthew: There are two schools of thought about this. One is, it’s the best time to be alive in regards to getting your music heard, because you can share it with anybody in one click of a button. Which is different from the 80s and 90s where you had these gatekeepers who ran a few magazines or MTV, and it was virtually impossible to get your music heard.  But now the overwhelming thing I hear is that there’s too much, so it’s hard to actually poke through. But I’d rather be on this side where you at least have a chance. But also, people need to learn self-discipline, and if you start to notice that social media is having an effect on your mental health, have the discipline to put it down for a second. Your fans will be OK if you don’t post for a week. I’d rather focus on the art and music itself and make sure it’s the best it can be, and post however and whenever we can, and take care of our mental health and have a good time.

David: You need to basically have a plan and be able to live with the results. I find beauty in that. We’re not going to win at this because we’re great influencers. That’s not our gift, our gifts are in music, in songwriting and performance. Social media is an agreement we have to make and have to use. Matthew and I are both willing to be vulnerable and share as much as we can about our personal lives that help to point people back to the music. My goals are never gonna be ‘we got to do our Instagram to this number or nothing’.

Matthew: We even had somebody comment the other day ‘Do you even care about what your fans have to say, comments-wise?’ The harsh reality is ‘no’. We hardly read the comments, and I’m honestly learning to tune some of that shit out. We do what we do, we love what we love, we’re gonna write music because we love it.

David: It inspires me greatly seeing so many people resonating positively with our music. It encourages me as an artist who got into the business for the reason I was on the other side of that. I am still many times the fan in the crowd that gets blown away. Frankly, all the bands I like would be saying the same shit we’re saying. You can’t create from a space of wanting to be a Walmart band, the most generic version that you could sell to the most people with the least amount of jagged edges. That’s just not fun for us.

EML: Your first two albums ‘Loner’ and ‘The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man’ were released through RCA, but then you left. Are you now you’re independently releasing your music?

David: We did the third album on BMG, then released independently, and now recently, we’re on a label named Nettwerk for this album. We’re always learning more about the business, and ultimately, we’ve taken back massive creative control. With RCA we had creative control, but it was hard to accomplish the business goals through their machine. There’s so many layers, nothing happens fast, and we’re DIY, entrepreneurial spirits. We don’t like having guys telling us what to do. So far so good with Nettwerk, and we’re really enjoying working with them.

EML:  That’s pretty much all I had, and don’t want to take too much more of your time. I really appreciate you guys talking with me, and it’s an honor again to interface with you and talk about stuff. I do plan to review the album when it comes out.

Matthew:  Thanks so much man. I know for a fact that you’re one of the people that will sit down front to back and listen to ‘I Am Cinco’, which is awesome. I’m really excited to hear what you have to say; you’re always an elegant writer.

OK, let’s get to I Am Cinco, shall we! Given the album’s enormous number of tracks, I won’t be discussing them all, but will touch on all five distinct EPs that comprise I Am Cinco, highlighting my favorite songs from each one. The EPs are arranged chronologically in the order they were released beginning with I Am Sad, which was released on Valentines Day 2023 and features six tracks exploring various aspects of anxiety, sadness and depression. When they dropped the EP, they remarked on Facebook “If you’re a little extra lonely because Valentine’s Day is a hard day for you, then this E.P. is for you. If you’re struggling, depressed, experiencing loss, or honestly feeling fucking nothing at all, this E.P. is also for you. It’s helped us personally heal by being able to write out some of our own sad feelings & we hope those same feelings resonate with y’all.”

The first track, “I’m Sad and I Can’t Speak“, encapsulates this overall theme of how when you’re in the throes of depression, you feel nothing but emptiness and desolation, emotions I’ve experienced myself, unfortunately. The song is melancholy, yet strangely beautiful, with unsettling woozy synths accompanied by some lovely piano keys. Matthew’s vocals sound especially vulnerable and fragile as he somberly laments “I’m sad and I can’t speak. I’m scared and I can’t think. When I can’t speak I write out the things that mean a lot to me. At times I feel nothing.”

Though I love all six tracks on I Am Sad, I think my favorite is “Read Your Mind“, another hauntingly beautiful, downtempo song that’s also incredibly melodic. Here, the lyrics are directed toward another person who’s hurting: “I don’t need to read your mind now, I can see the pain in your eyes.” The surreal video, which has a pretty spooky vibe, was directed by Matthew and filmed in his house and edited by the band’s frequent photographer Ima Leupp of Seamless Loop Productions. They used six cakes in the production of the video, which they smashed into their faces to symbolize the foolish or irrational behavior people sometimes engage in to draw attention to their pain. The guys were cleaning cake residue out of their beards, hair and ears for days.

The saddest song of this group is “What Can You Say“, which was inspired by the suicides of both a friend of David’s and a friend of Dwight’s, who left a wife and two children behind. Matthew was overwhelmed with sadness that someone could feel so despondent and hopeless, they would take their own life and leave loved ones behind, expressed in these heart-wrenching lyrics: “What can you say to a man willing to throw his life away? What can you say when you can’t always come to save the day?” The acoustic guitars and piano are particularly beautiful, and Matthew’s vocals are steeped in sadness.

Well, I wasn’t going to talk about every track, but damn, they’re all so good I can’t help myself. “Ring Ting” is a cool trip hop song calling out those who become slaves to material possessions and money in an attempt to fulfill their definitions of success, losing their humanity in the process. The sixth track of this series, “Monsters (Inside of Us)“, is positively gorgeous, with a soaring orchestral soundscape forming a dramatic backdrop for Matthew’s plaintive vocals as he sings “You’re not a monster. I’m not a monster. But we have monsters inside of us.”

Opening the second chapter of EPs, a collection of six feel-good songs grouped under the appropriately-titled I Am High, is the delightfully celebratory “Good Vibrations“, which I reviewed last summer. With its powerful synth bass groove, heavy, pulsating beats and colorful spacey synths, it’s is one of my favorites of the entire album. Though Matthew had some initial misgivings about releasing “Good Vibrations”, given that it shares the same title as the iconic Beach Boys song, he thought that with all the bullshit and negativity bombarding us, we could use a little more love and positivity. The song spent several months on my Top 30 chart, peaking at #3. For the wonderful music video, they gathered a few skater friends together and shot the video at a skate park in San Marcos, Texas. The video features Matthew and David, along with skaters Kat Frances, Mason Lapena and Abel Rodriguez.

MISSIO let their freak flag fly high and proud on “Big Stacks“, a collaboration with British rapper Jelani Blackman. The song is a celebration of the joys of stoner culture, as well as an assessment of the challenges of living the good life and getting high: “Big stacks and big racks. If you got that shit you better light it up. It’s 4:20 and we ‘bout to take a puff. Wait, I think I’m out of options. I gotta’ solve this. Guess I gotta work hard, try to get these options.” With it’s heavy trip hop beats and rapping vocals, the song sounds about as different as could be from the songs on I Am Sad. The guys had a lot of fun making the trippy and hilarious video, and consider it their favorite of all the ones they’ve made.

Other standouts in this chapter are the mellow love song “Easy“, the Latin-flavored hip-hop romp “Thang Thang“, featuring L.A.-based artist DEADFOOT, and the lovely and mesmerizing “I’m Coming Home“.

The third chapter of songs, grouped under I Am Awesome, explore self-affirmation and healing from past traumas and abuse. Case in point is “Not My Fault“, an anthemic pop-rock song calling out someone who’s belittled and disrespected you: “I don’t like how you took my heart, and you burned it down on a funeral pyre. Where the ashes rise from the darkest days, this is not my fault. No it’s not my fault it’s you.” On the exuberant “Heart Made of Dynamite“, Matthew sings of breaking free from another’s control and negativity, and not keep your feelings bottled up inside: “I’m like a body with a heart made of dynamite. Won’t be long until it explodes.” And on the delightfully upbeat “Making Me Nervous“, he tells his love interest of the spellbinding effects she has on him.

My favorite track of this group is “Say Goodbye to the Old Me“, thanks to it’s wonderful melody, dramatic instrumentation and uplifting vibes. The lyrics speak to letting go of negative energy and stress that keep holding you back, and embracing a healthier, more positive outlook: “Say goodbye to the old me. The future is too bright. Just say goodbye, this time I’m gonna’ get it right.” The beautiful video, featuring dancers Kornelia Klys, Julia Trelka, and Agata Weirzcholowska, was filmed in Gdansk, Poland.

Next up are the I Am Angry songs, of which there are five. And as their titles would suggest, these are some of the heaviest, most aggressive songs on the album. “Fuck It” is a perfect song for when you just want to break some shit and sound off on an asshole who’s stepped on your very last nerve. MISSIO definitely tap into their darker side on this one, with a barrage of tortured industrial synths and pummeling trap beats, overlain with wailing sirens and grinding bass. Matthew sounds downright menacing as he snarls “You’re a fuckin’ problem, did you know? I don’t think you do. I think I can solve it, did you know? You don’t get to choose.” The video, filmed in black and white, is pretty dark too, and YouTube is making us do a bit of extra work to watch it.

The best track of this bunch, to my ears at least, is “Aztec Death Whistle“. The song hits hard in all my dark side feels, both sonically and lyrically, as I love that savage chugging beat, those gnarly instrumentals and Matthew’s dangerously seductive vocals as he rails about the reasons why his soul is so dark: “Cast out by sixteen when I was just looking for home. I felt fucked & abandoned. Gave up by twenty and thought God had saved my dark soul. Stop fuckin’ with my head.” Bordering on metal, the song has a bit of a Nine Inch Nails vibe, but sounds distinctly MISSIO.

“This World Is Better When It’s Sick” is a fine example of how MISSIO expertly mixes up different styles and sound textures in a song. The track is brutally aggressive and spooky for much of its three and a half minute run time, except for beautiful piano interlude lasting 20 seconds in the bridge that makes for a dramatic aural constrast. The fifth track “Go Fuck Yourself” is the ultimate kiss-off song to someone who’s treated you badly and spread lies about you. Against a harsh backdrop of grinding industrial synths and ominous vibes, Matthew’s vocals are dripping with venom as he practically spits the lyrics “You’re talking shit. Can’t let it go. You gotta’ know I can hear your filth. Can you hear your filth? Go fuck yourself. I’ll be fine.”

The fifth and final chapter is I Am Crazy, featuring four tracks touching on various aspects of mental health, more specifically, trying to keep one’s sanity amidst all the surrounding craziness. The punkish “Fall into a Blackhole” is a denunciation of someone who’s been gaslighting you, wishing they’d disappear by falling into a blackhole, while “Pulled Down Low” seems to describe a dysfunctional and toxic relationship: “You might be crazy, I know you are. That look you’re given’ me is sure bizarre. You stab with knives, I stab with my words. You’re so damn beautiful it fucking hurts.”

“The Higher You Climb” sort of continues on the theme introduced earlier by “Ring Ting”, namely that achieving the success and acclaim you crave may come with serious downsides you hadn’t anticipated: “They say on top is where you find the freedom that you’re looking for. The higher you climb the farther you fall. They say, you got what it takes but you gotta throw your friends away. They say, if you want to be rich then you gotta learn to play the game.” The aggressive stomping beat and blaring synths make for an exhilarating listen, and the video’s great as well.

Closing out the album is “Time“, my favorite track on I Am Cinco. With its achingly beautiful arrangement and Matthew’s powerful, heartfelt vocals, “Time” now ranks among my very favorite MISSIO songs, and currently sits at the top of my Weekly Top 30 chart. The simple but profound lyrics touch on anxieties the guys have experienced over some of the issues facing our current world and society. They explain: “We spend our lives chasing things in our futures that don’t even exist in reality yet. We all want to think and believe that everything we desire will eventually come to fruition, but sometimes it never does. Time goes wherever you are, now, in each moment. Live like it’s your last because you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow. No one is.” It’s a perfect and fitting end to a monumental, flawlessly crafted and supremely impactful tour de force.

Here’s the album on Spotify:

In June, MISSIO will embark on a nine-city European tour:

Follow MISSIO:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok
Find their music on  Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube / Amazon

ASGARD RAVEN – Single Review: “For Us All”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews18 Comments

The other day, while listening to the weekly Tweetcore Radio Hour music podcast, hosted by the inimitable Marc Schuster and available on the Audio Mirage Studios blog and elsewhere, one of the songs he played immediately jumped out at me. It’s not often I stand up and take notice when first hearing a song, but this one hit me right between the ears. At first, it sounded like it might be an old Oasis song I’d never heard, but I knew that couldn’t be right, as Marc plays only newer songs by lesser-known independent and unsigned artists. It turned out to be a song titled “For Us All“, by British artist Asgard Raven. With a name like that he sounded vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t quite remember where or when I’d learned of him. After doing a bit of digging, I found the interview Marc did with Asgard two years ago for his own blog Abominations, which I’d read. 

With a name inspired by Norse mythology, Asgard Raven is the musical moniker of Joe Bickerton, a singer-songwriter and musician based in the southwest London suburbs. Drawing from an array of influences, including punk, rock, blues, folk and indie, as well as the music of some of his favorite acts like Midnight Preachers, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Embrace, Puddle of Mudd and the aforementioned Oasis, he plays a “melodic-anthemic” style of alternative rock reminiscent of 90s brit pop and rock, or as he put it in his interview with Marc, “anything with guitars in it to be honest“.

According to his bio, Joe learned to play guitar in the 1990s while posted in Cyprus during his time in the army. Inspired by Oasis and motivated by his distaste for radio music, he took his guitar everywhere, covering 90s classics all over the world while on deployments. During the early days of Covid lockdowns when he had plenty of time on his hands, he picked up his guitar again after a long hiatus, and began writing and recording songs inspired by his life experiences, “reminiscing on memories that we can all relate to“.

Raven records his music at Sunrise Sound Studio in Hampshire, where it’s produced by his frequent collaborator Marc Burford, of British rock band Echotape, and mixed by Mat Leppanen at the Animal Farm studio in London. He’s also had support from legendary Oasis manager Alan McGee, mentoring him around the direction of the project. He released his outstanding debut single “Until Another Day” in September 2021, and has followed with three more singles, his latest of which is “For Us All”, which he released on March 22nd. (He’s also uploaded an extensive number of excellent demo tracks worth checking out on Soundcloud.)

Raven calls “For Us All” “an energetic rock’n’roll song highlighting the challenges, barriers and loneliness people can often face when trying to get on in the world, especially if they don’t conform to the ’norm’. It looks at how we can’t always see when people are struggling, and how by being there we can support those we care about.” The song opens with a wonderful stomping drumbeat, which is soon joined by melodic rhythms and vibrant, multi-layered guitar work by Raven and Burford, featuring a lush array of reverb-soaked jangly, grungy and acoustic textures, accompanied by a driving bassline and outstanding drumming by Nathan Read. And not only does the music seem to channel Oasis, Raven’s vocals even sound a bit like Liam Gallagher’s here, his strong British accent shining through as he offers support to a friend who’s struggling: “The world can be a lonely place sometimes. And no one can see the pain behind your smile. Come on my friend, lean on me. Take my hand, let it all be.“

I like pretty much everything I’ve heard by Asgard Raven, and I think “For Us All” is his best song yet. I’m confident we’ll be hearing lots more great music from this talented artist.

Asgard’s Socials: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / Threads

Find his music on: Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube / deezer / Soundcloud

pMad – Single Review: “Missing”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn ReviewsLeave a comment

pMad is the solo music project of Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer Paul Dillon, a lifelong lover of music who’s been involved in songwriting and performing for many years. Based in County Galway, Paul was previously a member of the bands Starve the Barber and The Suicidal Dufflecoats, and currently a member of The Greeting, as well as his project pMad. Heavily influenced by some of his favorite acts like The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, Sonic Youth, Suicidal Tendencies, The The, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Tom Waits, his dramatic sound is an arresting blend of darkwave, post-punk, alternative and goth rock, with even a touch of indie metal thrown into the mix for greater impact. He’s also a strong advocate for social justice, emotional well-being and the environment, which he freely expresses in many of his songs.

Since December 2021, he’s released an impressive amount of music, including numerous singles, two EPs and two albums, his latest of which, I in Power, drops today, along with one of the album’s tracks “Missing“, which I’ll be writing about. I’ve previously featured him twice on this blog when I reviewed two of his singles, “Broken” and “Sisters”, the latter of which spent three months in my Top 30 and ranks #73 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. 

On “Missing”, pMad explores the human tendency to sometimes take our relationships for granted and not fully value people while they’re with us, only to realize too late how much they meant to us after they’re gone from our lives. He elaborates “pMad is about embracing the imperfect nature of existence and delivering powerful messages through music. ‘Missing’ is a reflection on the importance of cherishing relationships before it’s too late.“

The song kicks off with a somber bass groove accompanied by a rapid thumping drumbeat, which are soon joined by a jagged guitar riff and pMad’s haunting vocals. Eventually, the music expands into an electrifying soundscape of beautiful swirling guitar notes and sparkling synths, that ever-present dark bassline and gnarly guitar keeping the song’s overall brooding feel fully intact. His vocals become more fervent in the choruses as he laments “Nobody’s out there, Nobody’s waiting. Times are tough. It’s not just a hole in the ground.” It’s another superb single by this creative and talented artist.

The artwork for the single features an original painting by Lasma Dublane-Dillon. 

And here’s the full album, featuring eight outstanding tracks, on Bandcamp. Besides “Missing”, other standout tracks for me are “Down” and “Opinion”.

Follow pMad: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube / Amazon

AMONGST LIARS – Single Review: “You Are Not a Slave”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews16 Comments

Since forming in 2019 after the breakup of their prior bands Saint Apache and Katalina Kicks, Amongst Liars have become one of the most exciting acts on the British rock music scene. Drawing from the best elements of alternative rock, grunge and punk, they play a melodic and fierce style of aggressive modern rock that’s earned them a loyal and passionate following, me included. Based in the Brighton/Eastbourne area on the South England coast, the band consists of Ian George (lead vocals, guitar), Leo Burdett (guitar, backing vocals), Ross Towner (bass, backing vocals), Adam Oarton (drums), and James Brumeo (keyboards and piano).

Photo by Vic Payne

I first learned about them in early 2020 and was intantly blown away by their explosive debut single “Over and Over”, which along with their third single “Burn the Vision”, ended up on my Top 100 Songs of 2020 list. Since then, they’ve dropped many more outstanding singles, several of which I’ve also reviewed on this blog (you can read some of them by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post). Their single “Black Days” earned a spot on my Top 100 Songs of 2021 list, and “The Shameful” did the same on my Top 100 Songs of 2023. In July 2022, they released their self-titled debut album Amongst Liars, an outstanding work featuring 11 tracks.

Last September (of 2023) Amongst Liars spent two weeks touring across the UK in support of Canadian hard rock band Theory of a Deadman. They then embarked on another tour last month, this time with American blues/grunge rock artist Ayron Jones (whose sound reminds me a bit of Lenny Kravitz) on his 15-day French tour. It was their second time touring with Jones, who they supported on his UK club tour in November 2022. Here’s a photo of the band at one of their French shows:

Photo by FloRiane F.

Now Amongst Liars are back with their latest single “You Are Not a Slave“, and once again, they’ve gifted us with a fearsome ripper of a tune. As with all their music, the song was produced and mixed by David Radahd-Jones at Red City Recordings in Manchester, and mastered by Grant Berry at Fader Mastering. While they don’t consider themselves a ‘political band’, they certainly don’t shy away from expressing their anxieties and opinions about personal challenges and world events. As band vocalist Ian George has stated in the past, “We’re not preaching at anyone or trying to change the world. We’re just saying these are the things that affect and concern us.”

About “You Are Not a Slave”, Ian explains it’s “all about personal metamorphosis; not conforming to unreasonable demands and not allowing yourself to be controlled or devalued by people who don’t have your best interests at heart. This song comes from recent lived experience where I was subjected to passive aggressive and toxic behaviour in a work environment, which really fucked with my psyche–but ultimately, I wasn’t prepared to accept it. I channeled this frustration into the song, which was actually the last song to be recorded for our second album, and I was really pissed off when I sang this in the studio, so I guess everything happens for a reason! It also relates to personal development in general, especially with the constraints being put on people. The message is: ‘Be yourself, break the mould and don’t be afraid to follow your dreams.’“

Amongst Liars are all great musicians, adept at pushing their respective instruments to the limit to create an explosive wall of sound. On “You Are Not a Slave”, they unleash their formidable arsenal of sonic weaponry, delivering a furious onslaught of raging sludgy guitars, pummeling bass and thunderous drums, laying waste to the airwaves like a rampaging velociraptor. Leo and Ian shred their guitars nearly to the breaking point, while Ross and Adam keep the hard-driving rhythms blasting forward with a breathtaking intensity. Ian has a powerful, commanding vocal style that turns downright fearsome when he needs to get his point across. Here he summons his inner beast, nearly spitting the lyrics as he rails against those who try to dictate how to live your life.

The track will be included on the band’s forthcoming second album Design, planned for release on July 4 via Earache Records.

The fantastic video features arresting footage shot by Duncan Tyler, Vic Payne and others at some of their performances on their recent French tour with Ayron Jones. The brilliant editing was done by JR Lewis of Mediabite Group.

Like for all their singles, the terrific surreal artwork for “You Are Not a Slave”, showing three large cocoons in a dark and dingy room, was created by the brilliant artist Pierre Engelbrecht. Pierre’s works are often bizarre and sometimes disturbing, but always amazing, and you can see more of them by checking out his Instagram account.

Connect with Amongst Liars:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram
Find their music on  Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Amazon

THE KID AND I – Single Review: “Good Times Go (Live at the Temple of Art and Music)”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Hailing from London, England is The Kid and I, an alternative indie rock band originally formed as a solo act in 2020 by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Powell, but later expanded to include Minky Très-vain (guitar, backing vocals), Daniel Malek (bass) and Elvis Quagliotto (drums). Très-vain is also front man of scratch rock band Brain Ape (who I’ve featured several times on this blog over the past six years), of which Powell was once a member. Influenced by an eclectic mix of acts ranging from Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters and Blink-182 to Tyler, the Creator, Sam Fender and Phoebe Bridgers, The Kid and I serve up a fresh blend of energetic rock and indie vibes, infused with heartfelt lyrics reflecting the struggles of modern life.

Starting off with the single “White Feather” in November 2020, they’ve now released a total of 10 songs, the latest of which is “Good Times Go”, a song Powell says is “an exploration of toxic masculinity, taking accountability for oneself and wondering what went wrong along the way.” The song is their first single to be released since signing with London-based independent label Scratch Rock Records on February 24. The song is a hard-driving garage rock banger, delivered by a full-frontal assault of super-gnarly guitars, powerful thumping bass and explosive drums. I love that aggressive stomping beat and those reverb-soaked wailing riffs, and both Powell’s fervent soaring vocals and the guys’ spirited backing harmonies are glorious. I think it’s their best song yet.

A live version of the song, recorded at a performance at London’s Temple of Art and Music, dials up the song’s already impressive energy levels to even greater heights, those stomping beats, furious guitars and Powell’s impassioned, almost feral vocals nearly breaking the speakers. It’s rock’n’roll the way it’s meant to be played – heavy, loud and in your face! The video nicely captures the guys’ unbridled passion and deft musicianship, though I wish it had been filmed in wide screen.

Here’s the video of original version of the song, which I find quite charming:

Connect with The Kid and I:  Facebook / Instagram / X (Twitter)

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

SNAP INFRACTION – Single Review: “Keeping Score”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Hailing from Philadelphia is Snap Infraction, a three-piece musical powerhouse comprised of Steve Karsch on vocals, guitar & percussion, Dave Kerr on bass and Tony Iannuzzi on drums. According to their bio, they “distill decades of rock n roll history into a modern sonic journey, crafting songs overflowing with hooks and dynamic instrumentation, echoing The Cars, Joe Jackson, early Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles, crafting a familiar, yet uniquely distinctive sound.” After listening to their considerable music catalog, I say that sounds about right!

From what I can tell, they’ve been around as a band for more than 15 years, and in 2009 released their first single “Try To See It My Way”, a pretty good rocker strongly influenced by the early Beatles sound. After a long hiatus, they released a five-track EP Chin Music in May 2017, then another three years would pass until their follow-up EP Stiff Arm, in May 2020. They were quite active in 2021, releasing several double singles throughout that year, followed by a very nice cover of the Beach Boys Christmas classic “Little Saint Nick” in December 2022, and their own original Christmas song “Christmas In The Islands” in December 2023. Now they return with “Keeping Score“, the lead single from their forthcoming full-length album Eephus, scheduled for release on May 3rd.

Written by Karsch, “Keeping Score” was recorded and engineered by Matt Weber at Gradwell House Studios, mixed by Mike Ian at Eyeball Studios (gotta love the names people come up with for their studios), and mastered by Tom Volpicelli at The Mastering House. The song was inspired by a conversation between Karsch and band drummer Ianuzzi, who yearned for a song channeling The Cars’ iconic sound. Karsch quickly got to work writing the song, placing special emphasis on drums to showcase Ianuzzi’s considerable prowess on his drumkit.

The result is a lively garage rock banger, opening with Ianuzzi’s impressive drumming front and center as he bangs out an aggressive thumping beat that gets our toes tapping and head bopping. He’s soon joined by Kerr’s wonderful buzzing bassline and Karsch’s earnest vocals that sound slightly reminiscent of Ric Ocasek here. As the song progresses, Ianuzzi injects flourishes of crashing cymbals with every chorus and sub-chorus, accompanied by Karsch’s spirited guitars that surprise at every turn while Kerr’s muscular bassline keeps the rhythm on solid footing.

The lyrics describe a man who recognizes his self-destructive ways and knows he needs to change, but just can’t seem to muster the fortitude to do what he must in order to become a better person: “I need to stop myself from becoming who I am./ I can’t help myself, you know I can’t believe my eyes./ What do they say about me? He lies, he cheats to get everything he needs, and maybe more. What will they say about me? I don’t need to know ’cause I’m not keeping score anymore.“

“Keeping Score” is terrific, and I think it’s one of Snap Infraction’s best songs yet. It’s a testament to their strong songwriting and musicianship, and a promising sign of what we can expect with their upcoming album.

Follow Snap Infraction:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 30 – Ben Gorb, Healer, Morning Fuzz, The Nanners

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews12 Comments

It’s been a long while since I last published one of my Fresh New Tracks posts (partly due to the fact I quit writing reviews the last three months of 2023), but with so much new music out, I feel it’s time for a new installment. Today, I’m thrilled to present four excellent recently released songs by, in alphabetic order, British singer-songwriter Ben Gorb, British indie rock band Healer, Long Island, New York alt-rock band Morning Fuzz, and Los Angeles psychedelic indie rock duo The Nanners. I’ve previously written about Healer and Morning Fuzz, whereas Ben Gorb and The Nanners are new to me.

BEN GORB – “Brand New Day”

Photo by Alistair Mac

Ben Gorb is an affable, talented, and very tall singer-songwriter from Manchester, England who, in his early teens, developed a passion for the classic rock of such artists as Jimi Hendrix, The Who and AC/DC that prompted him to take up the guitar. He’s been recording and releasing music since 2014 when he was in his early 20s, and his output since then includes numerous singles, EPs and two albums, Reflections in 2020 and Burning Light in 2021. I like his pleasing, high-energy rock sound, plus he’s also a cat lover, which warms my cat-loving heart! He’s earned quite a following by performing throughout the Northwest and Midlands regions of the UK, both as a solo artist and with his band consisting of Jake Preistley on rhythm guitar, Joseph Shaw on bass and Josh Savage on drums.

He recently reached out to me with his latest single “Brand New Day“, which was released February 20th. He wrote the song, sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar, backed by his aforementioned band members. It’s a rousing kiss-off song addressed to a romantic partner who he tells in no uncertain terms that he’s done with the fights and her putting him down, and that he’s freeing himself of their five-year-long relationship once and for all: “Here I go, I’m on the run. Like a fox from a gun I’ll be gone. I don’t care what you think, I don’t care you say. The future’s mine, it’s the start of a brand new day.” I love the superb guitar work that really channels AC/DC, the tight rhythms, and Ben’s colorful vocals, backed by the guys’ wonderful harmonies.

Follow Ben: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

HEALER – “Wake Me Up”

Photo by Misha Warren

HEALER is a five-piece alternative indie rock band based in Grimsby, England, comprised of Steve (lead vocals), Kirk (guitar), Dave (guitar), Tony (bass), and Jazz (drums). Formed in 2022, they’ve already built a strong following in the local music scene on the strength of their outstanding songs and riveting live performances, as well as garnering recognition and airplay on BBC Music Introducing and Amazing Radio UK/USA. Since the release of their debut single “Hurricane” in December 2022, the busy guys have followed with six more singles, one of which, “Bones“, I featured in a Fresh New Tracks post last May. The gorgeous song spent three months on my weekly top 30 and ranks #67 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.

Their latest single “Wake Me Up”, released on February 2nd, is an anthemic rock banger, fueled by roiling guitars and driving rhythms. I must say that I love Steve’s distinctive singing voice that make’s HEALER’s songs immediately identifiable as theirs and no one else’s. About the song, the band explains “’Wake Me Up’ is a song about growing up, it’s about realising how much time you have wasted and hoping it’s not too late to stop the free spirit lifestyle and finally wake up. It also references the noise of the internet, visual media and how life can become one big blur and we sometimes need to wake up and smell the roses.” The imaginative video, which was filmed and edited by Misha Warren, shows a young boy played by Cole Ellis, sitting transfixed as he watches a wall of TV and video screens while wearing a spacesuit, juxtaposed with scenes of HEALER performing the song in a garage amid a bunch of vintage portable TVs.

Follow HEALER: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

MORNING FUZZ – “New Moon”

Morning Fuzz is an exceptional band from Long Island, New York formed in 2009, and now comprised of singer/songwriter & guitarist Frank Fussa, bassist Chris Johanidesz, guitarist Michael Cullari and drummer Dan Leonardi. All are outstanding musicians, and together they make highly accessible rock they describe as “fun, bouncy guitar pop, happily shading in the intersections of the Venn diagram where mainstream pop and alternative music meet“, characterized by memorable melodies, ace instrumentation and intelligent lyrics delivered with Fussa’s commanding vocals. Though their musical output has sometimes been sporadic, over the past 15 years they’ve released two EPs, two albums, Chasing Ghosts in 2009 and Wherever We Go (which I reviewed) in 2023, and numerous singles, two of which, “Silent Sun” and “I’ll Be Around” I also reviewed. “Silent Sun” went on to rank #69 on my 100 Best Songs of 2017 list, while “I’ll Be Around” ranks #71 on my 100 Best Songs of 2019 list.

On February 23rd, Morning Fuzz dropped their latest single “New Moon“, the second of two B-Side tracks that didn’t make the final cut of Wherever We Go, but they still wanted to put out into the world. I’m glad they did, as it’s a great song, featuring the band’s signature electrifying guitar work, throbbing bass lines and thumping drumbeats we’ve come to love and expect. I also like that all four band members sing, with Chris, Michael and Dan’s backing harmonies beautifully complementing Frank’s raw, impassioned vocals. The lyrics, which feature quite a bit of earth and celestial metaphors, seem to address a troubled relationship where the singer has checked out emotionally, but chooses to hang on with a remaining thread of hope: “This is the part where I fall, but I just keep hanging on until I can’t feel anymore. I’ll hang around for a while. There’s not a bone to pick; I’ve already gone through the whole pile./ Everyone’s here for the good times, but I stick around for the bad times. Wherever there’s dusk, there’s a sunrise.”

Follow Morning Fuzz:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

THE NANNERS – “New Pony”

Last, but certainly not least, I bring you The Nanners, the wonderfully zany L.A.-based music project of Nicholas Ewing and Thomas Ferraiuolo. From what I can tell, they officially formed last fall (of 2023), and have this to say about themselves: “Welcome to Banana World, where love, curiosity, angst, and nebulous speculations are explored through the lens of two meek and socially awkward grown men in banana costumes.” And while at first glance they might appear to be some kind of weird novelty act, they are in fact fine musicians and songwriters who also happen to be both hilarious and charming. Their pleasing sound is a happy mix of indie rock, psychedelia and dream pop, and I love it.

The duo released their delightful debut single “Sweet Tooth” in December, for which they had their own signature soft drink created, describing it as “the result of 6 years of food science and rigorous flavor profile testing. The ingredients are rare, illegal, and hardly FDA approved. Because they’re so good!” On February 7th, they dropped their second single “New Pony“, an equally delightful song about relaxing at a magical airbnb in the Mojave Desert with unlimited towels. To a mellow groove overlain with gently strummed jangly guitars and delicate sparkling synths, the guys croon in their soothing harmonies: “We’ll bring you more towels and immortality. Check out when you want, it’s a loose policy. We can help you find anything you need in the folds of time, just like magic. I wanna get pampered with you. Bananas get pampered too.” The farcical but sweet video for the song, showing the guys enjoying life and letting loose, was filmed at an actual airbnb in Joshua Tree, about an hour from where I live in the Coachella Valley. You’re in for a treat!

Follow The Nanners: X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

DAVID OAKES – Album Review: “Prosthetic Soul”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

Hailing from the southwest coast of Wales, David Oakes is an imaginative and prolific musician and composer of electronic alternative rock music. Strongly influenced by his love of such acts as Dream Theater, Mastodon, Metallica, Therapy?, Green Day and Smashing Pumpkins, his musical output ranges from gentle synth-driven compositions to aggressive guitar-driven hard rock, though his last several works have trended toward the latter. I really like his music and have featured him on this blog many times over the past eight years (you can read some of those reviews by clicking on the links under “Related” at the end of this post).

David’s been actively involved in making music since his late teens, when he started playing in various bands. From 2001-06, he and his younger brother were members of the rock band KOTOW, for which he played drums. He went on to study guitar and music theory at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, England from 2009-12, after which he began composing music as a solo artist, all of which he records and produces himself in his little home studio setup. This drum kit is his pride and joy!

He released his first album The Juggernaut in 2014, and in the years since, has recorded and released an astonishing eleven more albums, the latest of which is Prosthetic Soul, which he released on Bandcamp on February 16th. His first new album in two years, Prosthetic Soul serves up 28 minutes of superb psychedelia-tinged melodic instrumental rock, featuring many of David’s signature electronic and guitar-heavy elements we’ve come to love and expect. But here he’s pushed himself even further, experimenting with new sounds and instrumental techniques, along with what seems to be an even greater emphasis on industrial elements employed by bands like Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Dream Theater and Depeche Mode.

Album opener “Minus One” starts off with distant sounds of super-gnarly guitars, which are soon joined by a mix of spooky industrial synths, heavy, razor-sharp percussion and jagged guitar notes layered over an ominous droning synth bass groove. The track immediately segues into “Super Zero”, and we’re off to the races. Though only 1:49 minutes long, the track packs a powerful punch, beginning as a mysterious soundscape of wobbly synths, then exploding into a furious maelstrom of raging grungy guitars and crushing drumbeats.

“The Future Has Begun” is a bit of a musical tour de force, beginning gently with eerie pulsating synths accompanied by a somber piano movement. Forty seconds in, the music abruptly transitions to a rapid barrage of raging guitars and thunderous percussion before calming back down at roughly two and a half minutes to a lovely introspective interlude. Seeming to end at around three minutes, those raging guitars suddenly come roaring back for the next 30 seconds before fading out.

With it’s glitchy sci-fi vibe, infused with both Western and Middle Eastern touches soaked in reverb, the appropriately titled “Dust” would be a perfect fit on the soundtrack for an installment of the Dune film franchise. And David’s skills on guitar and drums are on full display on the marvelous title track “Prosthetic Soul”, as he unleashes a furious onslaught of blistering riffs while beating the hell out of his drum kit. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album.

“The Dissociation Suite Parts I and II” are a rather intense but melodic couplet, with lots of great keyboards that work quite well with the twangy and grungy guitars that build to a wailing solo toward the end. Living up to its title, “The Reality Bomb” is a glorious little blast of atomic energy, with swirling distorted guitars layered over a grinding bassline, fortified with smashing drumbeats. Halfway into the song, the music calms down to a darkly beautiful interlude of haunting synths, harsh percussion and bewitching stummed guitar notes before exploding into a brief raging torrent in the finale.

“Dirt…” seems to pick back up where “Dust” left off, with more of those mysterious and glitchy sci-fi vibes, only this time accompanied by some really marvelous twangy guitars. The final track is the original version of “The Dissociation Suite Part II”, which David has designated a Bonus Track. To my untrained ear, it sounds fairly similar to the final version, except with a longer lead-in and not quite as many synth flourishes.

Prosthetic Soul is another stellar album by David that ranks among his finest works. It nicely showcases his continued growth as both a composer and musician.

Follow David on Instagram 

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

OLI BARTON – Single Review: “It’s Over Now”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews6 Comments
Photo by Alice Denny

Based in South London, England, Oli Barton is a wildly creative and exceptionally talented singer-songwriter, not to mention a dangerously charismatic charmer. Though I’m sorry to say I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing him perform live (him being in the UK and me 5,500 miles away in Southern California), he’s gained a reputation for his wild, uninhibited live shows that Reyt Good Magazine describes as “straight from indie heaven”. Barton has supported such acts as Kid Kapichi, Baxter Dury and Starsailor.

I’ve been following him for seven years, both as front man of his backing band the Movement, and now as a solo artist, and have featured him many times on this blog. (You can read some of those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) His eccentric yet sophisticated style of alternative rock is a colorful mix of post-punk and psychedelia, fortified with touches of funk, grunge and pop, and I can state without exaggeration that I’ve loved every single one of his songs. Five of them have appeared on my Weekly Top 30 charts – the provocative 2017 single “Kinky”, which went all the way to #1, as well as “44”, “Martyr”, “Just Like Always” and, most recently, “Paid Off”, all of which reached the top 5.

It’s always a good day when Barton releases new music, and I’m thrilled to present his latest single “It’s Over Now“, released today via Coke & Dagger Records. For the song’s recording, Barton was joined by Jamal Aggoun on guitar, Marco Fuzz Paone on bass and Josh Needham on drums. Produced by Alex O’ Donovan (Sea Girls) and mixed by Cenzo Townshend (Inhaler), the song is an exuberant piece of indie-pop ear candy, with a lively blend of crunchy and shimmery guitars, fortified by deep thumping bass and propulsive drumbeats layered over a rousing, infectious groove. Or, to put it more simply, this song fucking rocks!

I always love Barton’s distinctive, resonant singing voice and rich accent, which he uses to full effect here as he plaintively implores to a romantic partner, asking if what they once shared is truly over, or if there’s still any chance of reconciliation: “Would you say that it’s over now, or should I wait? Would you say that it’s over now, is it too late? Should I stay?”

About the song, Barton says, “it’s in the whole world of teenage heartbreak and social media; the way that jealousy gets inside us and really makes us into a whole different person and perhaps distorts the decisions we make“, which he nicely articulates in the lyrics “So now I’m spending night times tracking down precise times. I’m addicted to my screen. I see you follow him and you follow her, and it all just seems so clean. But then you drop a like, and well it don’t seem right, and I’ll just sit there green.” 

Single artwork by Sam Crowston.

Follow Oli Barton:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube

MACHINEKIT – Single Review: “Antipathy”

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Los Angeles-based alternative electro band MACHINEKIT play a dark and aggressive style of techno-punk music they aptly describe as “an agglomeration of chaos”. Kind of like Nine Inch Nails on steroids. Originally founded as Dharma in 2012 by John Rojas, Dave Cayetano and William Buege, as their sound evolved they changed their name to MACHINEKIT, and in 2017, released their self-produced debut album Dysappearencer. They followed up with two EPs and several singles, and in 2022, dropped their second album I AM JACK’S LONELY HEART CLUB BAND, a brutally dark yet strangely beautiful and sexy collection of songs Rojas wrote to help articulate his feelings of boredom, loneliness and coming to terms with inner demons that surfaced in response to the Covid lockdown (you can read my review here). After the album’s release, the band experienced a bit of tumult that resulted in some changes in personnel, and their lineup now consists of founding members Rojas and Buege, along with Ryan Janke on drums, Alexander Gillen on guitar and Jeremey Trujeque on bass. 

(Also in late 2022, Rojas, who in addition to being a singer-songwriter, is also a sound engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and writer, started recording music as a solo artist in order to further explore his love for electronics and composition. Thus far, he’s released instrumental-only music in the form of two EPs, IN THE THICK OF IT, followed by Amongst The Glass Trees, which I also reviewed, and a single “LUSTFUCKIN’BREEDERS”.)

Photo of band taken by Katy Viola at Cindy’s Diner in Eagle Rock, CA

Now MACHINEKIT returns with a new single “ANTIPATHY“, which actually consists of three different versions: an original raw demo written by Rojas and Ryan Janke, and engineered and produced by Rojas at his recording studio MachineHouse Audio, with bass played by Miko Miko; a remix by Matt Miller, which was mastered by Justin Weis at Trakwork Studio; and a final version co-written and mixed with producer Joseph Nova, with both the demo and final track mastered by Sam Berdah at The Wall Studio. Rojas states that this three-part single represents the evolution of the track from inception to final product. The single artwork was created by William and Jaydee Buege at Wire Mark Design, using a photo by 6ri Ramriez.

Band drummer Janke wrote a terrific description of the song for their press release, in greater detail and with more colorful language than I possibly could, so I’ll simply quote his words about “ANTIPATHY”: “Working alongside producer Joseph Nova, Machinekit recalibrates their aggressive electronic-punk sound with fucked-up mood swings and penetrative instrumentation. With the tempo lowered a few notches from the four-on-the-floor stomps or the driving noise-rock outbursts that the band often offers, the emphasis is on a chillingly tense electro groove that percolates through the delicate verses and explodes in the deafening choruses. The vocals croon, coax, swirl, and shout atop a head-nodding concoction of electronics, percussion (both computerized and analog), and a real earworm of a heavy main riff.“

Okay then, now I’ll attempt to describe what I hear with my own meager literary talents. “ANTIPATHY” starts off with heavy and glitchy pulsating industrial synths, creating an unsettling soundscape as Rojas’ sensual croons, tinged with a sinister undercurrent, enter the proceedings. The music gradually builds until, at the one-minute mark, the chorus arrives with a furious barrage of screaming distorted guitars, explosive percussion and tortured synths, Rojas’ vocals now rising to piercing, impassioned wails as he screams “I want you so bad!” From here on out, the song contracts and expands with each verse and chorus, punctuated with all sorts of ominous sounds and textures, resulting in an intensely powerful song filled with tension and unease.  

The provocative lyrics describe someone intensely besotted with another who treats him with cruel indifference and apathy – i.e. antipathy, rendering him feeling sexually frustrated and verging on madness. 

You think you know me well?
But well enough to keep it raw?
You put me through your hell as you're leaving me in awe

It's not enough to know what's left
You're just like Judas when he was breaking bread
But I still crave your fuckin' company
Regardless of the fact that you will feed on apathy

I want you so bad to be proud
I want you so bad when it's not allowed

I'm poisoned irony
Aren't you the god that asked the serpent to speak to Eve?
And acted so goddamned viciously
I guess it's OK cause you're in the sky and feeling "lonely"

I want you so bad to be proud
I want you so bad when it's not allowed

I can feel you in my head
You're living in my head
You're toying with my head
Goddamn drop dead instead
I can feel you in my fucking head

I want you so bad to be proud
I want you so bad when it's not allowed

Make your bed in my head

The original demo is slightly longer, and to my ears has a somewhat rawer sound, with stronger and more pronounced thumping drumbeats and more overdubbed vocals. Matt Miller’s remix is great, with a sharper, more industrial treatment, while still retaining the overall sinister vibe, thanks to an abundance of screaming distorted guitars and even greater use of Rojas’ fearsome wails. I really like all three versions.

Connect with MACHINEKIT: Facebook / Instagram

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube