Dark Electronic Music: October 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009

DYM: Interview Part 1

I had the pleasure of interviewing Arc and E-n of DYM recently. They hail from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but are an international success. With a strong breakcore influenced sound, they are re-writing the way we think of Industrial music. Their latest release, "The Invilid," is an amazing album! I also got to see them play live at Kinetik 2.0 this past May, and thier performance was nothing short of amazing.

So, sit back an enjoy my interview with this dynamic duo.

Why did you start making music?

E-n: [I] think I started when I was around 18. I listened to ALOT of music I always had my Discman with me, a backpack full of AA batteries and a pile of CDs. I would even sleep with my headphones on most of time, and I guess after hearing something so much you just [want to] give it a try [you] know. It just grew from there really.

How long have you been making music?

E-n: [For] about 9 years now.

What is the significance of your lyrics? What message are you trying to send?

E-n: For me, the significance varies from song to song. Sometimes I’ll try to say a lot in a song with the words. Other times, I think the music brings out more meaning. It really depends on the track.

What kind of instruments/equipment/computer software do you use?

E-n: We have a bunch of hardware and software, and have pretty much a completely different set up for when we play live [versus] when we are recording. Some of our more important friends would be our Korg Triton LE, an old E-mu sampler, Cubase on my pc, some decent preamps, plus an endless ever growing sample library.

How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?

Arc: Hard crunchy glitched electronic dance music. Someone at a show who hadn't heard us before once said, “they sound like Nine Inch Nails on fast forward."

Who are your musical influences?

E-n: I’d say some of the bands that influenced me the most would have to be bands like Skinny Puppy, FLA [Front Line Assembly], Throbbing Gristle, and, [to a lesser degree], Download, VAC [Velvet Acid Christ], Wumpscut, Enduser, Haujobb, and Converter. [Basically], anything with a good beat!!

Arc: Skinny Puppy, Haujobb, Shape, Enduser, Velvet Acid Christ, and Rust. Our drums are influenced by breakcore, and our synths from ebm, [while our] general undertone [is] a spooky old school sound.

What’s on your IPOD right now?

E-n: besides listening to podcast of conspiracy radio shows I’ve been listening to Fractured, Famine, and Milianse.
Arc: Some new Fractured tracks, Enduser, and Trentemoller.

How did you come up with your band’s name?

E-n: “Death to your Modem” was a name that came to me [when] After a Friend came out with [the] great album called Death to the Processed, [which came out when] I was in high school. The ideology behind that statement really stuck to me and really was the root of DYM.

How long have you known each other?

E-n: I’ve know Arc since he was I’d say about 17-18 and I was like 15. We met through a mutual friend and we were into a lot of the same things (like being spooky), and just [kind of] always have been friends since. [Even] before the idea of us being in a band ever crossed our minds, we’ve been good friends, and after Tom left DYM it was just natural that Arc join the band.

What was your “big break”? Please explain.

E-n: I [don’t know] if we ever really had one. I think our rise to where we are now was never the result of a single event. Rather we just worked on our music constantly, played lots of shows and tried our best to get our name out there.

What’s the best part of being a musician? What’s the worst part?

E-n: I think the best thing about being a musician would be the free beer you get when you play a show! [Laughs] Actually, I’d have to say it’s a pretty rewarding pastime. When you play a show in front a big crowd and everyone’s into [your music], it’s the rush you get from that moment that I’d say is a pretty rocking part of being a musician. The worst part would be the [amount] time it uses up from your life. I’ve had many sleepless nights, and missed out on a lot of things because I’ve decided to work on music instead. I’ve had to say though, that’s it’s completely worth it!

Arc: Providing art to the rest of the world [by] representing Canada, and having a lot people appreciate it. [Also], meeting a lot of other great musicians and having the opportunity to share a stage or collaborate with [them]. Negative - maybe the amount of time it takes to do everything (but [it] also keeps us out of trouble).

Hope you enjoyed the first part of my interview with DYM. Stay tuned for the second part. It will be posted shortly.

You can check out thier music at:

http://www.enterdym.com/
http://www.last.fm/music/Dym
http://www.myspace.com/dym

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Kinetik Festival: North America’s largest and most exhilarating electronic music festival.

Kinetik Festival 3.0 :: May 12-16 2010 :: Montreal - Canada

Imagine yourself in a large, dark room with a concrete floor and an unfinished ceiling. Ahead of you is a stage, where a thrilling musical performance is going on. The pounding beat is so strong that you feel compelled to start dancing to the music. Around you are 900 other people who feel the same way. Together, you and the crowd move your bodies to the beat in a sort of synergy. Everyone is dancing. As one artist finishes, another begins. The music is so good that you don’t want the night to ever end.

Sounds like a great party doesn’t it? What I’ve just described is Montreal’s, Kinetik Festival. It is an annual event that started in 2008, following the success of 2007’s C.O.M.A.4. Kinetik is the largest electro/industrial/noise/EBM event in North America. With over 75 artists from all over the world, the event is a diversified collection of the some of the best music these genres have to offer.

Also at Kinetik are vendors selling anything from clothing, to cyberlox hair falls, to leather accessories are also present. Last year’s Kinetik saw more than 2800 attendees over the four night event. Just as the musicians come from all around the globe, so too do the people who attend the festival.

I have had the pleasure of attending the first two Kinetik festivals, and both were absolutely mind blowing. The music is some of the best electro/industrial/noise/EBM in the entire world. I could not stop dancing! But when I did take a moment to rest my feet, I mingled with the other attendees. I even got to meet my favourite EBM artist, Jennifer Parkin, of the band Ayria last year.

Next year’s Kinetik Festival will be the biggest one to date. With five nights of music, there will be something for everyone. And for someone like me, who likes it all, it will be the best Kinetik yet! If you like dark electronic music, this is an event you can’t afford to miss.

Some photos of me at Kinetik 2.0 this past May.

Yours truly.

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My boyrfiend, Alex (left), and me

Me (left) and Jennifer Parkin (right) of Ayria

The following photos were taken by Bernard Bastien, official Kinetik 2.0 photographer. See more of his work at http://neonyme.net/

Iszoloscope (Can you spot me in the crowd?)

Iszoloscope

Terrorfakt

Memmaker

Ayria

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Angelspit: Some of Australia's best industrial

Angelspit is an industrial/electro duo from Sydney, Australia. They were formed in 2004 by DestroyX and ZooG. Angelspit’s official website describes them as “[a] riot grrl with a vocoder and a cyberpunk with a distortion pedal. [Their sound is] thick and rich with burning analogue synths and contempt, driven by beats like shards of metal and glossy with pvc and sweat.” Their music is loud, crunchy, distorted, and makes you want to move to the beat.

In addition to their unique sound, Angelspit’s lyrics make this band one to listen to. They talk about “apathy and a society fixated with consumerism.” They talk about chaos and not conforming. Every single song they produce sends a message. And it’s a powerful one. In one of my favourite songs, DestroyX sings “televised mass poison/spitting at the screen/keep the masses deluded with fabricated dreams” That says a lot about how the band views mass media.

Their manifesto echoes their lyrics. They encourage everyone to CREATE, THINK, CHANGE.

Angelspit is by far one of my favourite bands. I recommend you check them out. You won’t be disappointed.

"Money comes and goes. Time just goes - Spend it wisely"
- Angelspit

Discography

Hideous and Perfect (2009)
Black Kingdom Red Kingdom (2009)
Blood Death Ivory (2008)
Krankhaus (2007)
Nurse Grenade (2004)

ANGELSPIT's "VENA CAVA" VIDEO
Directed and Edited by Drew Bowie and Brad Wylie

Thursday, October 8, 2009

The Underground’s Dark Alternative: Industrial

Dark electronic music encompasses many sub-genres. The largest, and most well known is industrial. It has evolved a lot since the term “industrial” was coined in the 1970’s. And for the sake of argument, the music I’m describing is the industrial of today. The Allmusic website describes industrial as “the most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music”. I couldn’t agree more. More and more industrial bands are veering away from heavy guitar riffs. They are instead utilizing pounding drum beats, and electronic sounds. Some bands use “real” instruments, such as drum kits and synthesizers; however, the use of sequencers and software such as Reason, Ableton, and Acid is becoming increasingly popular. Many industrial songs use sound clips, or samples, often from movies or television. For example: one of my favourite songs, “Exterminate, Annihilate, Destroy”, by Germany’s, Rotersand, uses samples of the Daleks from the original Dr. Who series. Most industrial songs have lyrics. Industrial’s sound is characterized by distorted, crunchy, mechanical sounds, laced with electronic dance beats.

One of the most important things about industrial music from its fans point of view is that it is underground. Were it to go mainstream, it would lose its credibility to many people. That being said, despite its underground status, industrial manages to have an impressive following. The largest industrial event in North America, Kinetik, held in Montreal, Canada, saw almost 900 people a night for four consecutive nights this past May.

So, are you itching to hear this hard-hitting, relentless, dark alternative?
Here are some of my favourite bands, to get you started:

Memmaker (Denmark):

Angelspit (Australia):

Combichrist (USA)

Grendel (Holland)

Unter Null (USA)

DYM (Canada)

Noisuf-X (Germany)

Terrorfakt (USA)

Rotersand (Germany)

SAM (Germany)

Zombie Girl (Canada)

Wumpscut (Germany)

S.I.T.D (Germany)

Dark Electronic Music