Alright everyone things have been really crazy for me,but I finally put up the Nov/Dec issue of Cryptic Inscriptions.This will be the last issue that'll feature Ashley helping out on the interviews:I will be taking over and doing the zine on my own.Here's what's in store for this issue:
Interviews with:Motion Sickness of Time Travel and Animals Killing People
Reviews of: Motion Sickness of Time Travel "They Came Up From the Sound and Down From the Hills" Lp, P.L.F. "Pulverizing Lethal Force" LP,"Animals Killing People/Andromorphus Rexalia" split and Gored "Human" LP.
Also for anyone wondering the AKP/Andro review was written way before I joined the band just so no one thinks I'm being biased ;).Have ideas for the January issue minus the interview with Gored which will be in the January issue.I'll be concentrating on articles,short essays and reviews.I want to thank everyone for supporting CxIx.The apocalypse approaches 2012...
Joe/Panspermia/AKP/Cryptic Inscriptions.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Gored "Human" LP Review
Gored Human LP
The saying that less is better sometimes works out the best, and it definitely worked for Gored on their 2008 full length release Human. The band, which is comprised of drummer/vocalist Andreas Schwartz and bassist/vocalist Johannes Blatt, takes the bare bones approach to gore grind and added an experimental weird vibe to it creating the ultimate masterpiece. The band centers lyrically on the human body and its functions which differs from the usual gore and violence lyrical approach that most gore grind bands center on. The band opens with the song “Symptoms” which is a total marriage of fast and extreme riffing and drumming, sludgy doom laden parts and punk esque d-beat sections then followed by the tracks “Dysfunctions” and “The Healing” which are similar in style. The opening bass line of “Infectious Disease” is infectious in its own right. If you have patience and wait you’ll see that the band ends the album off with an ambient interlude that leaves a chilling end to a great gore grind album. The vocals on the album are fucking sick, but sound similar so it’s hard to distinguish that there are two vocalists on this album. I recommend this album for fans of Disgorged Foetus, Last Days of Humanity and early Carcass fans. A new album is in the works for a 2012 release, I can’t fucking wait!
Animals Killing People/Andromorphus Rexalia Split Review
Animals Killing People/ Andromorphus Rexalia split
The United States hasn’t really impressed me to much as far as underground bands are concerned, but I do have to say that New York does harbor a few decent bands. The bands that really grabbed my attention are: Copremesis, Humanity Falls and the two bands whose split I’m reviewing Animals Killing People and Andromorphus Rexalia. Now to start things off I’ve been a fan of both bands for a while, and when I heard they were both going to be on the same record I was pretty damn excited to hear it. Animals Killing People who formed in 2004 and released two prior records “Human Hunting Season” and Kentucky Fried Killing” start the split off. The band dismantles the listener with grinding fast blast beats, intensely fast and heavy guitar riffs, bone crushing bass fills, and a sleuth of guttural grunts courtesy of Estone Browne with occasional backup grunts by Ammo Diaz. The band opens with two new tunes “Mad Monkey Surgery” and “Repulsive Ecstasy through Atrocious Carnivorous Tendecies”, with the addition of an old tune “Human Hunting Season” and a cover of Massacres “Tiempos De Guerra”. The band definitely lives up the reputation of the name; when I listen to them I can imagine a bunch of humans being mercilessly slaughtered by the beasts that they mistreat. Now Andromorphus Rexalia who formed in 2007 and recently released their anticipated debut “Cosmic Collision into the Fifth Dimension” decimates, but awakens the listener to the truth that is in front of us, but ultimately ignored. Andro’s side has four new original pieces entitled “Cosmic Collision into the Fifth Dimension”, “Hidden Parallel Universe”, “Chemtrails” and “Chaosm”. Musically Andro describes their music as Cosmic Grinding Brutality which is ultimately the best description of the band as a whole. Their songs are laden with pulsating inhuman blast beats, technically fast electromagnetic string collisions, and an insanely demented vocal assault courtesy of Paulo P and Ammo Diaz. Paulo’s vocals range from high pitched screams, crazy guttural grunts and pig squeals complemented by Ammo’s guttural assault and cricket sounding inhales. I have to say Paulo and Ammo have some of the sickest vocals in the New York scene and to have both guys in the same band just adds to the sickness! The lyrical subjects of both bands are original as hell separating them from the usual gore or satanic garbage that seems to laden most underground bands lyrical content. AKP touches on the subjects of animal rights and animal liberation while Andro’s lyrics touch on the subjects of conspiracy theories and extraterrestrials. Another fun fact is that both bands sound completely different, but harbor the same members. Wilson plays drums in both bands, Joseph plays guitar and bass for Andro, but only plays bass in AKP, while Ammo does guitar/vocals in AKP but only does vocals in Andro. Now the recording which was recorded, mixed and mastered by Colin Masterson (Behold the Arctopus/Gorguts) definitely surpasses both bands previous releases. The only complaint I had was that some of the vocals on AKP’s side of the split seem a bit low and buried in the mix, but maybe it’s just me? Now to end things off I have to say both bands have surpassed their abilities and have made one killer recording that I recommend checking out! Maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel as far as the underground music scene is concerned?
P.L.F. "Pulverizing Lethal Force" LP
PLF Pulverizing Lethal Force LP
Texas thrash/grind duo Pretty Little Flower aka (PLF for short) has been dominating the underground scene since 1999. Along with a ton of split releases and tours under their belt the band decided to create its first full length in 2007. The opening guitar line to the title track followed by drum and bass accents add to a great start on this album. The album, which is laden with blast beats, d-beats, bass lines, and neck breaking guitar lines, is the perfect combination of thrash, punk and grindcore that brings back memories of old school bands like Napalm Death, Assuck, Nasum along with the thrash metal lines of bands like Kreator and Sodom. The vocal assault is a mix of angry hate filled grunts and piercing screams that add to the albums’ take no prisoner attitude. The album doesn’t drag on either every song gets the job done, and moves on to the next keeping the listener entertained. PLF has come out with some other great releases after this one, but in my opinion this album is still my favorite.
Motion Sickness of Time Travel "They Came Up From the Sound and Up From the Hills"LP
Motion Sickness of Time Travel- They Came up From the Sound and Up from the Hills LP
Psychedelic ambient band Motion Sickness of Time Travel takes you on a sonic journey saturated with esoteric trance esque beats and elegant soundscapes that takes the listener to a whole other realm. The band which is the solo project of Rachel Evans of Quiet Evenings captivates the listener with its ghostly whispers and minimalist drone approaches to the ambient genre. The album itself touches on the very soul searching that can be found in nature and away from society. When I listened to the album I got the vision of a man or woman wandering the forest in search of his/her very self in attempt to correct what was wrong. If your patient you can check out the secret collaboration track with Mitch Turner as well. Unlock the voices hidden within the subconscious.
Interview with Wilson of Animals Killing People
Animals Killing People Interview:
Ashley/Cryptic Inscriptions: Wilson I like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Give a brief history of AKP why did you choose the name and the theme of Animals Rights for the band?
Wilson/AKP:Thank you Ashley for the interview, I appreciate it. So the band started around 2004 as a two piece band, it was Manuel Quique on guitars and me on the bass we didn't have a drummer but Edwin Qiuiza had just left Internal Suffering so he decided to join us on the drums.So this way we started composing our first songs, shortly we realized that Edwin wasn't a good fit for what Manuel and I wanted to create with AKP so we decided he had to leave the band, so I started playing the drums while I would keep up with learning the bass lines for the songs. We didn't have a vocalist at the time but when we were done with our first songs we decided that we needed to record them. Alex from Copremesis decided to join for the recording, so we went into the studio and we recorded "HUMAN HUNTING SEASON" our first EP which did very good in the worldwide scene, there was a problem with Alex so we didn't use his vocals and Andres Usma from Pustulated recorded for the EP which came out under Goregiastic Records and was pressed twice by the label, the new one included a new track, after this we stayed as a two piece band and started working on new material and 3 years later we went into the studio again this time at Full Force Studio [Suffocation, Obituary, Criminal Element}, to record our first full length "KENTUCKY FRIED KILLING", this time Justin Boehm from the Canadian band Orchidectomy joined us to do the vocals for the CD, this one came out on Sevared Records around 2008,right after the CD comes out, Eston Browne joins the band on vocals and Joseph Luciano joins on bass, and we started playing shows all over, in many cities around the states, and went on tour in Colombia and Canada after this Manuel leaves the band and Ammo joins to play the guitars, we kept playing shows and after a while things didn't work out with Eston so he leaves the band, and Joe Soranaka joins on vocals to this way complete a solid line-up for AKP. The name just came up in a conversation with Manuel and I as a joke and then we decided that's it's perfect for what we believed in, animal rights is not something many Death Metal bands care about so we decided we needed to do it and that's how started.
Ashley: When did your fascination with animals first begin?
Wilson:Very early in my childhood I already had a big connection with animals and always wanted to save any animals I would see in pain or homeless and always knew they were very powerful beings who most of them were stuck in human's reality to this way suffer unnecessary deaths or diseases.
Ashley: Who handles the musical composition of the band? Do all the members have a part in it? Also who writes the lyrics and what do you hope to accomplish with them?
Wilson:Most of the musical composition is been done by Manuel and me so far, but recently with the addition of Ammo to the guitars, he's been adding to the composition of the new stuff we are working on.
Ashley: What’s your opinion on people being anti animal rights? Why do you think people continue to consume animals after all the info that’s been brought out about the atrocities that occur?
Wilson:Well what can I say about people being anti animals rights..? lol..It's very easy to be ignorant, but evolution could take some time to happen for some, people keep eating animals even though they know that is not good for them. The animals and the planet people just don't care about it and prefer to satisfy their disgusting cravings of eating animals. I'm sure everyone would give you a different reason of why they think they need to eat animals, but no matter what it’s usually a very vague and stupid answer, but it's mostly ignorance, people just follow what others do or have been doing for a long time, but fortunately I see things changing more and more every day, and more people are becoming vegan or vegetarian.
Ashley: Is it easier to be pro-animal rights in America or Colombia?
Wilson:I would say it's the same, there are many groups working to help animals in both countries, but I see more people becoming vegetarian in the U.S. probably because the quality of the animal industry in this country is worse than in South America where everything is in a more natural environment, but in the U.S there are way too many companies taking advantage of the animals and abusing their lives.
Ashley: How is the music scene different in Colombia? Was the reception with AKP better there than in the US?
Wilson:Yes, the metal scene is way better down there now than before I think, people go to shows and support the bands way more, plus the shows are always bigger than here and the bands are always getting better and better, even though the quality of bands are usually better here in the U.S.
Ashley: I know you recently parted ways with vocalist Eston Browne, after him being in the band for 3 years? Before him it seems you guys had a hard time finding a permanent vocalist? Why was that, and also what does the new vocalist Joe Soranaka(Panspermia) bring to the table that’s new?
Wilson:Before we found Eston we tried a few people and we never liked what they did. It wasn't what we wanted with AKP, we wanted to sound very similar to the music we had recorded on the cd's and nobody could really do what Andres Usma had done in the recording so we found Eston and he had something good to contribute to the band, now with Joe it seems like we click very well and his vocals are very deep and brutal, it's a very good addition to AKP, also his stage performance is very energetic and powerful and we like that.
Ashley: You’ve come a long way since the early days with Purulent and Copremesis. What’s been the biggest achievement as far as AKP is concerned?
Wilson:Well touring Canada and Colombia were very good achievements for AKP, also our full length put us in a very good spot in the worldwide metal scene.
Ashley: Who has been your biggest influence as far as drumming is concerned?
Wilson:I have many favorite drummers but I would say I was very influenced by Pete Sandoval and Gene Hoglan in the early days and more recently by Chad Walls from Brodequin / Pustulated and Terry Bozzio, and many more but overall even though these drummers influence me, I like to be original and try to play just what I feel without copying anybody.
Ashley: You have a split coming out between AKP and your other band Andromorphus Rexalia. Give some info about that, and also when do we expect another full length?
Wilson:The split is recorded and ready to be pressed, we are just waiting on the layout, it will probably be out in January 2012 or around then, it has 4 songs per band, 2 AKP songs are new, one is re-recorded from the EP plus a cover, and for Andromorphus they are all new and first time recorded in studio, the recording took place at the Thousand Caves with Engineer Colin Marston(Gorguts/Dysrhitmia) for now we have no plans for another full length for some time but we started working on new material already so we'll see what the future brings.
Ashley: You have some very interesting sound clips on both the Human Hunting Season and Kentucky Fried Killing CDs. Where do you get the sound clips from?
Wilson:Oh wow!! I forget but mostly horror movies that include animals doing some good harm to human’s hehe..!!
Ashley: Thank you once again for doing the interview Wilson anything else for the readers as far as releases, tours/shows etc?
Wilson:Thank you so much for the interview Ashley! Expect our split to be very powerful and to be some of the sickest compositions from both bands! Also look for the DVD compilation that SEVARED RECS, just released where we are featured from our last show at the Sevared Records Fest in Rochester, NY with our new vocalist Joe as well, here is the link to it: http://www.sevared.com/id16.htm
Ashley/Cryptic Inscriptions: Wilson I like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Give a brief history of AKP why did you choose the name and the theme of Animals Rights for the band?
Wilson/AKP:Thank you Ashley for the interview, I appreciate it. So the band started around 2004 as a two piece band, it was Manuel Quique on guitars and me on the bass we didn't have a drummer but Edwin Qiuiza had just left Internal Suffering so he decided to join us on the drums.So this way we started composing our first songs, shortly we realized that Edwin wasn't a good fit for what Manuel and I wanted to create with AKP so we decided he had to leave the band, so I started playing the drums while I would keep up with learning the bass lines for the songs. We didn't have a vocalist at the time but when we were done with our first songs we decided that we needed to record them. Alex from Copremesis decided to join for the recording, so we went into the studio and we recorded "HUMAN HUNTING SEASON" our first EP which did very good in the worldwide scene, there was a problem with Alex so we didn't use his vocals and Andres Usma from Pustulated recorded for the EP which came out under Goregiastic Records and was pressed twice by the label, the new one included a new track, after this we stayed as a two piece band and started working on new material and 3 years later we went into the studio again this time at Full Force Studio [Suffocation, Obituary, Criminal Element}, to record our first full length "KENTUCKY FRIED KILLING", this time Justin Boehm from the Canadian band Orchidectomy joined us to do the vocals for the CD, this one came out on Sevared Records around 2008,right after the CD comes out, Eston Browne joins the band on vocals and Joseph Luciano joins on bass, and we started playing shows all over, in many cities around the states, and went on tour in Colombia and Canada after this Manuel leaves the band and Ammo joins to play the guitars, we kept playing shows and after a while things didn't work out with Eston so he leaves the band, and Joe Soranaka joins on vocals to this way complete a solid line-up for AKP. The name just came up in a conversation with Manuel and I as a joke and then we decided that's it's perfect for what we believed in, animal rights is not something many Death Metal bands care about so we decided we needed to do it and that's how started.
Ashley: When did your fascination with animals first begin?
Wilson:Very early in my childhood I already had a big connection with animals and always wanted to save any animals I would see in pain or homeless and always knew they were very powerful beings who most of them were stuck in human's reality to this way suffer unnecessary deaths or diseases.
Ashley: Who handles the musical composition of the band? Do all the members have a part in it? Also who writes the lyrics and what do you hope to accomplish with them?
Wilson:Most of the musical composition is been done by Manuel and me so far, but recently with the addition of Ammo to the guitars, he's been adding to the composition of the new stuff we are working on.
Ashley: What’s your opinion on people being anti animal rights? Why do you think people continue to consume animals after all the info that’s been brought out about the atrocities that occur?
Wilson:Well what can I say about people being anti animals rights..? lol..It's very easy to be ignorant, but evolution could take some time to happen for some, people keep eating animals even though they know that is not good for them. The animals and the planet people just don't care about it and prefer to satisfy their disgusting cravings of eating animals. I'm sure everyone would give you a different reason of why they think they need to eat animals, but no matter what it’s usually a very vague and stupid answer, but it's mostly ignorance, people just follow what others do or have been doing for a long time, but fortunately I see things changing more and more every day, and more people are becoming vegan or vegetarian.
Ashley: Is it easier to be pro-animal rights in America or Colombia?
Wilson:I would say it's the same, there are many groups working to help animals in both countries, but I see more people becoming vegetarian in the U.S. probably because the quality of the animal industry in this country is worse than in South America where everything is in a more natural environment, but in the U.S there are way too many companies taking advantage of the animals and abusing their lives.
Ashley: How is the music scene different in Colombia? Was the reception with AKP better there than in the US?
Wilson:Yes, the metal scene is way better down there now than before I think, people go to shows and support the bands way more, plus the shows are always bigger than here and the bands are always getting better and better, even though the quality of bands are usually better here in the U.S.
Ashley: I know you recently parted ways with vocalist Eston Browne, after him being in the band for 3 years? Before him it seems you guys had a hard time finding a permanent vocalist? Why was that, and also what does the new vocalist Joe Soranaka(Panspermia) bring to the table that’s new?
Wilson:Before we found Eston we tried a few people and we never liked what they did. It wasn't what we wanted with AKP, we wanted to sound very similar to the music we had recorded on the cd's and nobody could really do what Andres Usma had done in the recording so we found Eston and he had something good to contribute to the band, now with Joe it seems like we click very well and his vocals are very deep and brutal, it's a very good addition to AKP, also his stage performance is very energetic and powerful and we like that.
Ashley: You’ve come a long way since the early days with Purulent and Copremesis. What’s been the biggest achievement as far as AKP is concerned?
Wilson:Well touring Canada and Colombia were very good achievements for AKP, also our full length put us in a very good spot in the worldwide metal scene.
Ashley: Who has been your biggest influence as far as drumming is concerned?
Wilson:I have many favorite drummers but I would say I was very influenced by Pete Sandoval and Gene Hoglan in the early days and more recently by Chad Walls from Brodequin / Pustulated and Terry Bozzio, and many more but overall even though these drummers influence me, I like to be original and try to play just what I feel without copying anybody.
Ashley: You have a split coming out between AKP and your other band Andromorphus Rexalia. Give some info about that, and also when do we expect another full length?
Wilson:The split is recorded and ready to be pressed, we are just waiting on the layout, it will probably be out in January 2012 or around then, it has 4 songs per band, 2 AKP songs are new, one is re-recorded from the EP plus a cover, and for Andromorphus they are all new and first time recorded in studio, the recording took place at the Thousand Caves with Engineer Colin Marston(Gorguts/Dysrhitmia) for now we have no plans for another full length for some time but we started working on new material already so we'll see what the future brings.
Ashley: You have some very interesting sound clips on both the Human Hunting Season and Kentucky Fried Killing CDs. Where do you get the sound clips from?
Wilson:Oh wow!! I forget but mostly horror movies that include animals doing some good harm to human’s hehe..!!
Ashley: Thank you once again for doing the interview Wilson anything else for the readers as far as releases, tours/shows etc?
Wilson:Thank you so much for the interview Ashley! Expect our split to be very powerful and to be some of the sickest compositions from both bands! Also look for the DVD compilation that SEVARED RECS, just released where we are featured from our last show at the Sevared Records Fest in Rochester, NY with our new vocalist Joe as well, here is the link to it: http://www.sevared.com/id16.htm
Interview with Rachel Evans of Motion Sickness of Time Travel
Motion Sickness of Time Travel Interview:
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions:I want to thank you Rachel for taking the time to do this interview, give a brief history of Motion Sickness of Time Travel and the origin of the name?
Rachel/Motion Sickness of Time Travel:Motion Sickness of Time Travel is the name I started recording under in winter 2008. The phrase is taken from Burroughs' "The Soft Machine". My husband Grant actually suggested the name to me. It seemed to be a perfect fit for what I wanted my music to sound and feel like, so I stuck with it. When I started MSOTT it was supposed to be an outlet for me to experiment more with music and get out of my comfort zone, which up to that point had been traditional instruments... acoustic guitar, piano, etc.
Joe:When you create your soundscapes what picture do you want to paint for the listener?
Rachel:I try to paint a picture of the world as I see it sometimes... as I wish it looked all the time. I guess it's the picture of imagining other dimensions or other states of consciousness. A lot of my recordings are inspired by weird hallucinations I've had, weird dreams I've had, or like trying to get the music to induce weird visuals like tracers or light spots. I also like to try and take you into a sleeping state. A lot of the time I'm meditating on the idea of sleep, and the differences or relationships between being asleep and awake. Dreaming has always been a weird thing for me. In some ways I try to recreate dreams in my recordings, and get the listener to dream while awake. I know that probably doesn't make much sense... it's hard to put into words.
Joe:Judging by the artwork it seems that you’re inspired by nature, winter, the night sky and I see a lot of weird surrealism in the art. Do you draw inspirations from just these subjects or from other experiences in your life or things that interest you? Also do you do the artwork or does someone else do it?
Rachel:I have done my own artwork in the past, and I do artwork for many of the tapes that come out on the label Grant and I run together (hooker vision). But for my recent solo LPs and tapes I've gotten others to do the artwork. I did the art for my "Seeping Through the Veil of the Unconscious" cassette, but asked Grant to do the artwork for that album's LP re-issue. For my recent tapes on Digitalis and Hobo Cult Records, as well as my last LP on Digitalis, "Luminaries & Synastry", my good friend Frank (who actually runs Hobo Cult Records) did that artwork. I really like his style, plus collaborating is always fun. For my newest LP, a split on Aguirre Records (a split with Grant's solo project, Nova Scotian Arms) Grant and I each did artwork for our sides. It may be my favorite of all the art I've ever done for one of my own releases. I am very much inspired by nature and the sky, the stars... the things in life that are super-real like that are always, strangely enough, some of the most surreal things in life too.
Joe:Has MSOTT always been a solo project or have you had help in the past or done collaborations with other artists in the ambient or experimental genres?
Rachel has always been a totally solo project. So far I haven't collaborated with anyone else under that moniker. However, I do have a split in the works with Lunar Miasma, a sound artist from Greece. We're working on pieces that we plan to swop with one another and add to each other's parts. But it's not a new project, just a different take on a split, making it more collaborative. I think it's going to turn out well. His synth recordings are pretty epic. Other collaborations I've done have been under other project names: Quiet Evenings is the duo project Grant and I record as; and Aerial Jungle is the name Brad Rose and I recorded as. Also, over the past year I've been collaborating with Finnish sound artist Olli Aarni and his project Ous Mal. I've done several vocals for a number of his tracks which will be included on some of his upcoming releases. That's been an especially interesting collaboration, one to look out for. I hear Anya, the voice of Russia's Love Cult, will be making an appearance on his album too!
Joe:Do you think of your music as an audio depiction of a dream or a strange vision quest?
Rachel:Yes! Definitely. As I said earlier, dreams have always been a weird thing for me, and just sleep in general. There are so many things in life that can make time seem to stretch out or shorten... and so many moments of de-ja-vu, or almost de-ja-vu. And so many things can alter our perception of the world, sometimes in bigger ways than others. It’s always been something that's too difficult to effectively express in words like this, but I think putting it together as a soundscape or song is the best way to communicate it.
Joe:What equipment do you utilize as far as MSOTT is concerned? Do you use the same set up live or do you use different set ups for recordings/live?
Rachel:When I record MSOTT I generally use every piece of gear I have at my disposal. In the early MSOTT days I used guitar, flutes, and my synth. All of my recent recordings have cut out the acoustic instruments and I use the two synths I have now. My favorite is my Dave Smith Mopho. I also use a mini Korg Kaossilator and my klunky Space Synth a lot too. I have a few pedals, a digi delay that I use more like a loop pedal, and a Holy Grail reverb. In recordings I use all of that, except for the pedals. I generally just use the pedals for live performances or when jamming or practicing. For live MSOTT shows, I've also recently been using 2 microphones instead of one. I'll run one through my pedals, using verb & delay/looping, and the other mic I'll run through my computer into a Logic reverb (in the past I've used Max/Msp for reverb and other effects too). The 2 mics I think is the best way for me to do vocals live and have it sound as close to my recordings as possible. It's still not quite enough though... I do so much layering with my vocals on record at times, and so much processing and effecting of them that it's difficult to re-create that part the same way live, since I don't have quite enough gear to pull it off perfectly.
Joe:I notice that you have a lot of releases with MSOTT do you have a lot of spare time to work on the material or do you set certain time aside to just concentrate on compositions?
Rachel:The number of releases I've racked up as MSOTT is mind-boggling to me... I always feel like I don't have enough time to record but when I look back I guess I have enough time. Recently I've been busier than I was last year. I'm working on my master in library science taking full time classes, so that takes up a lot of my time. I'm in my 2nd to last semester now, so once I'm done with that degree I hope to be able to dedicate more time to music. I also work at a library during the week so unless it's a holiday or in between semesters I never record for anything if the sun is still up, because of my busy schedule I do most of my recording in spurts, and generally record the majority (if not all) of an album in one sitting. It's really really hard to set time aside to just work on music during the regular semester. That's why I always get more music done in the summer and in December/January. I can really focus on music more during those times of the year.
Joe:I know you have another project with your husband called Quiet Evenings what elements in that project are different from the ones you use in MSOTT?
Rachel:Well I use all of the same gear, but with Quiet Evenings I really try to hold back on vocals. I use them very sparingly and never try to make them the focal point. With QE it's all about textures and exploring those. Generally with QE, Grant and I try to keep it slow. QE certainly influences MSOTT's sound, but not the other way around. I try to keep MSOTT's slight rhythmic and pop tendencies out of QE as much as possible. They are two totally separate projects entirely, with two very different philosophies. QE is much more abstract in both its sounds and approach.
Joe:I know you played live with MSSOTT how’s the response been to your live performances? Is it hard to replicate the material live?
Rachel:It's certainly hard to totally replicate my recordings, so I don't even try to aim for that. In recent live MSOTT shows I've done mostly improvised pieces, but I always try to do one piece live that I hope people will recognize. The past few show’s I've done "Synastry" from my recent Digitalis LP. It's a really simply orchestrated track that's pretty easy to re-create. For the improvised tracks I just imagine I'm recording at home and do whatever comes to me... it works pretty well since most of my recordings start out as improvisations, and I just keep building improvised layers on top of one another. In the live setting I use looping to simulate the thickness, and multi-tracking for my recordings.
Joe:Do you consider your soundscapes to being more surreal or more abstract?
Rachel:I'd say my MSOTT recordings are more surreal... sometimes they're on the verge of abstract, but the word "abstract" to me feels more high-brow than "surreal". Now Quiet Evenings, that's where I feel I'm the most abstract. Grant really helps me to break into that type of sound more, and away from surreal... surreal still has too much "real" in it which is why MSOTT fits that descriptor better. It's still grounded... QE is in another world altogether.
Joe:Thanks again for doing this interview Rachel. Anything else for the readers as far as new releases, shows or any other updates are concerned?
Rachel:No problem! Quiet Evenings has an upcoming tape on German label Sic Sic, and recently released two LPs on our own label, Hooker Vision, including a split with fellow southerners Seziki Tetrasheaf, and our first solo vinyl effort, Intrepid Trips.
As far as new and upcoming solo releases go, my next LP is out now, a split on Belguim imprint Aguirre Records with Grant's Nova Scotian Arms. My next cassette tape will be released in the coming month on Bathetic, a split with the UK's Listening Mirror, and my next big solo release is planned for February 2012 on Spectrum Spools. It's called "Gold Heat" and will be a double LP. I've worked closely with John Elliott of Emeralds on that album... needless to say I'm pretty excited about that one.
In the mean time, I've been doing some remixes. I just finished a remix for Sleep Over, Ous Mal, and Cedric Stevens.
Lastly, I don't think I mention it enough in interviews since there's never really a good point to, but I love cats!! I have three, and they are my constant inspiration, and thanks for asking me to do this interview!
-Rachel
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions:I want to thank you Rachel for taking the time to do this interview, give a brief history of Motion Sickness of Time Travel and the origin of the name?
Rachel/Motion Sickness of Time Travel:Motion Sickness of Time Travel is the name I started recording under in winter 2008. The phrase is taken from Burroughs' "The Soft Machine". My husband Grant actually suggested the name to me. It seemed to be a perfect fit for what I wanted my music to sound and feel like, so I stuck with it. When I started MSOTT it was supposed to be an outlet for me to experiment more with music and get out of my comfort zone, which up to that point had been traditional instruments... acoustic guitar, piano, etc.
Joe:When you create your soundscapes what picture do you want to paint for the listener?
Rachel:I try to paint a picture of the world as I see it sometimes... as I wish it looked all the time. I guess it's the picture of imagining other dimensions or other states of consciousness. A lot of my recordings are inspired by weird hallucinations I've had, weird dreams I've had, or like trying to get the music to induce weird visuals like tracers or light spots. I also like to try and take you into a sleeping state. A lot of the time I'm meditating on the idea of sleep, and the differences or relationships between being asleep and awake. Dreaming has always been a weird thing for me. In some ways I try to recreate dreams in my recordings, and get the listener to dream while awake. I know that probably doesn't make much sense... it's hard to put into words.
Joe:Judging by the artwork it seems that you’re inspired by nature, winter, the night sky and I see a lot of weird surrealism in the art. Do you draw inspirations from just these subjects or from other experiences in your life or things that interest you? Also do you do the artwork or does someone else do it?
Rachel:I have done my own artwork in the past, and I do artwork for many of the tapes that come out on the label Grant and I run together (hooker vision). But for my recent solo LPs and tapes I've gotten others to do the artwork. I did the art for my "Seeping Through the Veil of the Unconscious" cassette, but asked Grant to do the artwork for that album's LP re-issue. For my recent tapes on Digitalis and Hobo Cult Records, as well as my last LP on Digitalis, "Luminaries & Synastry", my good friend Frank (who actually runs Hobo Cult Records) did that artwork. I really like his style, plus collaborating is always fun. For my newest LP, a split on Aguirre Records (a split with Grant's solo project, Nova Scotian Arms) Grant and I each did artwork for our sides. It may be my favorite of all the art I've ever done for one of my own releases. I am very much inspired by nature and the sky, the stars... the things in life that are super-real like that are always, strangely enough, some of the most surreal things in life too.
Joe:Has MSOTT always been a solo project or have you had help in the past or done collaborations with other artists in the ambient or experimental genres?
Rachel has always been a totally solo project. So far I haven't collaborated with anyone else under that moniker. However, I do have a split in the works with Lunar Miasma, a sound artist from Greece. We're working on pieces that we plan to swop with one another and add to each other's parts. But it's not a new project, just a different take on a split, making it more collaborative. I think it's going to turn out well. His synth recordings are pretty epic. Other collaborations I've done have been under other project names: Quiet Evenings is the duo project Grant and I record as; and Aerial Jungle is the name Brad Rose and I recorded as. Also, over the past year I've been collaborating with Finnish sound artist Olli Aarni and his project Ous Mal. I've done several vocals for a number of his tracks which will be included on some of his upcoming releases. That's been an especially interesting collaboration, one to look out for. I hear Anya, the voice of Russia's Love Cult, will be making an appearance on his album too!
Joe:Do you think of your music as an audio depiction of a dream or a strange vision quest?
Rachel:Yes! Definitely. As I said earlier, dreams have always been a weird thing for me, and just sleep in general. There are so many things in life that can make time seem to stretch out or shorten... and so many moments of de-ja-vu, or almost de-ja-vu. And so many things can alter our perception of the world, sometimes in bigger ways than others. It’s always been something that's too difficult to effectively express in words like this, but I think putting it together as a soundscape or song is the best way to communicate it.
Joe:What equipment do you utilize as far as MSOTT is concerned? Do you use the same set up live or do you use different set ups for recordings/live?
Rachel:When I record MSOTT I generally use every piece of gear I have at my disposal. In the early MSOTT days I used guitar, flutes, and my synth. All of my recent recordings have cut out the acoustic instruments and I use the two synths I have now. My favorite is my Dave Smith Mopho. I also use a mini Korg Kaossilator and my klunky Space Synth a lot too. I have a few pedals, a digi delay that I use more like a loop pedal, and a Holy Grail reverb. In recordings I use all of that, except for the pedals. I generally just use the pedals for live performances or when jamming or practicing. For live MSOTT shows, I've also recently been using 2 microphones instead of one. I'll run one through my pedals, using verb & delay/looping, and the other mic I'll run through my computer into a Logic reverb (in the past I've used Max/Msp for reverb and other effects too). The 2 mics I think is the best way for me to do vocals live and have it sound as close to my recordings as possible. It's still not quite enough though... I do so much layering with my vocals on record at times, and so much processing and effecting of them that it's difficult to re-create that part the same way live, since I don't have quite enough gear to pull it off perfectly.
Joe:I notice that you have a lot of releases with MSOTT do you have a lot of spare time to work on the material or do you set certain time aside to just concentrate on compositions?
Rachel:The number of releases I've racked up as MSOTT is mind-boggling to me... I always feel like I don't have enough time to record but when I look back I guess I have enough time. Recently I've been busier than I was last year. I'm working on my master in library science taking full time classes, so that takes up a lot of my time. I'm in my 2nd to last semester now, so once I'm done with that degree I hope to be able to dedicate more time to music. I also work at a library during the week so unless it's a holiday or in between semesters I never record for anything if the sun is still up, because of my busy schedule I do most of my recording in spurts, and generally record the majority (if not all) of an album in one sitting. It's really really hard to set time aside to just work on music during the regular semester. That's why I always get more music done in the summer and in December/January. I can really focus on music more during those times of the year.
Joe:I know you have another project with your husband called Quiet Evenings what elements in that project are different from the ones you use in MSOTT?
Rachel:Well I use all of the same gear, but with Quiet Evenings I really try to hold back on vocals. I use them very sparingly and never try to make them the focal point. With QE it's all about textures and exploring those. Generally with QE, Grant and I try to keep it slow. QE certainly influences MSOTT's sound, but not the other way around. I try to keep MSOTT's slight rhythmic and pop tendencies out of QE as much as possible. They are two totally separate projects entirely, with two very different philosophies. QE is much more abstract in both its sounds and approach.
Joe:I know you played live with MSSOTT how’s the response been to your live performances? Is it hard to replicate the material live?
Rachel:It's certainly hard to totally replicate my recordings, so I don't even try to aim for that. In recent live MSOTT shows I've done mostly improvised pieces, but I always try to do one piece live that I hope people will recognize. The past few show’s I've done "Synastry" from my recent Digitalis LP. It's a really simply orchestrated track that's pretty easy to re-create. For the improvised tracks I just imagine I'm recording at home and do whatever comes to me... it works pretty well since most of my recordings start out as improvisations, and I just keep building improvised layers on top of one another. In the live setting I use looping to simulate the thickness, and multi-tracking for my recordings.
Joe:Do you consider your soundscapes to being more surreal or more abstract?
Rachel:I'd say my MSOTT recordings are more surreal... sometimes they're on the verge of abstract, but the word "abstract" to me feels more high-brow than "surreal". Now Quiet Evenings, that's where I feel I'm the most abstract. Grant really helps me to break into that type of sound more, and away from surreal... surreal still has too much "real" in it which is why MSOTT fits that descriptor better. It's still grounded... QE is in another world altogether.
Joe:Thanks again for doing this interview Rachel. Anything else for the readers as far as new releases, shows or any other updates are concerned?
Rachel:No problem! Quiet Evenings has an upcoming tape on German label Sic Sic, and recently released two LPs on our own label, Hooker Vision, including a split with fellow southerners Seziki Tetrasheaf, and our first solo vinyl effort, Intrepid Trips.
As far as new and upcoming solo releases go, my next LP is out now, a split on Belguim imprint Aguirre Records with Grant's Nova Scotian Arms. My next cassette tape will be released in the coming month on Bathetic, a split with the UK's Listening Mirror, and my next big solo release is planned for February 2012 on Spectrum Spools. It's called "Gold Heat" and will be a double LP. I've worked closely with John Elliott of Emeralds on that album... needless to say I'm pretty excited about that one.
In the mean time, I've been doing some remixes. I just finished a remix for Sleep Over, Ous Mal, and Cedric Stevens.
Lastly, I don't think I mention it enough in interviews since there's never really a good point to, but I love cats!! I have three, and they are my constant inspiration, and thanks for asking me to do this interview!
-Rachel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)