Distance H’s Waters of woe

 

Distance H, a  project by French producer Manu H, is creating Intimacy, a shadowy, melancholic EP featuring various female artists.  When talking about the new track on Intimacy titled “Waters of woe” Manu H explains

 

 “This track is part of the process of my EP Intimacy on which I invite female singers to express themselves by escaping into and from the vast distances of themselves and their experiences.”

 

 Once the instrumental part of the song “Waters of woe” was completed Manu H began looking for the singer who would best compliment the song.  He contacted Marita Volodina from Stridulum.

“the connection was fast between her universe, what she wanted to express and my own vibes. We quickly shared the same vision and I was very impressed by the way she appropriated the title, which also led to the desire to make a video to bring a visual dimension to what we could share with all our connections.” 

 

The song is a redemptive arc which starts with the way in which one must overcome pain and anguish, that are the result of broken promises made either by yourself or by others, making the Promised Land inaccessible.  Despair, resulting in anguish and abandonment leads eventually to the ability to distance oneself from the ghosts of the past and find solace in the present.  The song has a captivating melody, dark and enticing, which is entwined with provoking lyrics and the hauntingly beautiful vocals of Marita Volodina.  

 

A spectacularly intoxicating track “Waters of woe” is a fabulous addition to the Intimacy EP.

Links :

Bandcamp : https://distanceh.bandcamp.com/track/waters-of-woe-feat-marita-volodina

YouTube : https://youtu.be/k_fQuMEYL7Q

 

 

 

 

Peter Jennings Disciples Bad News EP

 

Having started on the songs for the Bad News EP even before the first Peter Jennings Disciples EP was complete, band founder and musician Reverend D.$ originally envisioned starting the project as a pair of Eps, however ” some of the songs went in a different direction while writing during the 2020 US Elections and the COVID Pandemic, unsurprisingly “L’Appel du Vide and “Echo Chamber” in particular were strongly influenced by what was happening around me at the time” he explains.  

 

When writing the first track on the Bad News EP,  Reverend D.$ started with the title “L’Appel du Vide” which literally translates from French into The Call of the Void. The song was written to capture the feelings and ideas the provocative title evokes.   An impending gothic melody accompanied by a rhythmic beat and distorted guitars, the song drags the listener into a foreboding industrial soundscape haunted by eerie vocals.  Written in response to the way that the context of political speech is dealt with on social media and the ensuing algorithm that results in the general populace receiving only contrived good news,  “Echo Chamber” has distorted bells and a captivating rhythm.  The song is punctuated by vibrating vocals and dark, dystopian lyrics.  “Darkest Dream” has echoing vocals reminiscent of a robotic sound with imploring dread filled lyrics that are accompanied by a serrated intense hot beat and melodic industrial distortion.  Directly inspired by Reverend D.$ wife, a surrealist painter and multimedia artist, “Wild Girl’ features guest guitars by musician Tonney Vecchio.  The song is punchy and has a delightfully disorientating rhythm that features growling, aggressive vocals and provocative, seductive lyrics.   “Not Enough Bridge” has an almost ethereal, swirling industrial sound with introspective and pessimistic lyrics and dark pleading vocals.

 

The album is a roiling soundscape full of ebbs and flows taking the listener on a dark, entincing journey. 

 

Links : 

Website : https://www.peterjenningsdisciples.com/

Bandcamp: https://peterjenningsdisciples.bandcamp.com/album/bad-news

Peter Jennings Disciples

 “Well despite the name being plural, there’s only one permanent member of Peter Jennings Disciples,” explains band founder and  musician Reverend D.$

 

The band name Peter Jennings Disciples serves as an homage to two people, the late Canadian-American news anchor Peter Jennings and Reverend D.$ old friend Mike Freding.  The band name was inspired by a conversation between Reverend D.$ and Freding.  

 

“Mike was an incredible musician in the style of Dave Grohl : drums, guitar, piano, vocals -Mike could it it all” Reverend D.$ says of his friend.  Joking around one day Freding described Peter Jennings as using the ABC news “as a cover for an international street gang.”  

 

This conversation with Freding stuck with Reverend D.$ and “when brainstorming names for my project, the idea morphed from gang to religious movement, with Peter Jennings as the messiah and other journalists and anchors as prophets and saints - except for Ted Koppel, who is anti Jennings”.

 

The subsequent death of Freding cemented Reverend D.$ decision to use the band as a way to honor his friend and inspired him to live up to the musicianship Freding embodied. “Peter Jennings Disciples is like Mike : a blend of silly and serious” according to Reverend D.$

 

Despite the band having only one actual member, Peter Jennings Disciples has welcomed collaborations with other musicians.  Toney Vecchio a multi-instrumentalist from Atlanta played guitars for the song “Wild Girl”.  “We met on Discord where I had shared a demo of the song.  Toney reached out to see if I’d like to have him record some guitars for it.  I loved what he came up with for the song, especially the guitar solo, and I hope we get to work together soon” says Reverend D.$.  

 

Reverend D.$ has also collaborated with Joe Whiteaker a musician with the band The Funeral March Of Marionettes, he worked in IT with.  “When I started producing my own music Joe offered to help.” He contributed lyrics and vocals to the song “Don’t Close The Window” on Peter’s Jennings Disciples first album Good News.  

 

With a dark undercurrent pervading the music of Peter Jennings Disciples, Reverend D.$ uses his music to process the world around him.  He describes it as  “like seeing and hearing something, taking it in, and examining how it makes me feel, makes me think.”  Being somewhat of a self described pessimist Reverend D.$ is not surprised that darkness is revealed in his music.  Though he acknowledges that there is no light without darkness he feels that the world needs a voice that “counter balances the saccharine, feel good messages we get from most pop culture”  and counters it with it being alright to say “ the world is fucked up and we are all damaged”.

 

“There have been times in my life when I’ve felt utterly alone and in darkness and pain” reveals Reverend D.$ and so through his music he hopes to reach people feeling like that and ensuring that through the music of Peter Jennings Disciples they do not feel alone in their sadness and darkness.  Reverend D.$ credits the Metallica song “Fade To Black” as one of those songs “its no exaggeration to say it saved my life”.  

 

“New songs for me often start with a beat” is how Reverend D.$ describes his creative process when writing new songs.  He uses his phone to beatbox random ideas into the voice notes app.  Using a drum machine to then programme the main beat of the song as well as variations to use for fills for different sections of the song, he puts that into the audio workstation and sketches out the skeleton of the song.  Being a self described “software junkie” Reverend D.$ then goes through his sample libraries and software synth to find the right sounds for the song.  

“After layering in various synths, drums and other elements, I get the lyrics written and lay down the vocals, if the song calls for it.” Reverend D.$ explains.

 

Having had the creative impulse for as long as he can remember Reverend D.$ has dabbled in a wide variety of creative pursuits including poetry, prose and music, sating his desire to manifest something into the world.   A few of his inspirations are people-watching, nature and other art.  “I can’t count the number of times I’ve been to a show and wanted to pull out the keyboard or strap on the bass after watching other people perform.”  Reverend D.$ also cites his wife, a surrealist painter and multi media artist, as another source of inspiration for him.  

 

Various musical sources have also served as inspiration for Reverend D.$ in particular 90s West Coast Gangster Rap as well as rock acts like Rush and Veruca Salt. One of the biggest influences however has been Nine Inch Nails.  “I didn’t like NIN at first.”  Reverend D.$ first exposure to Nine Inch Nails was “Closer” a song he didn’t feel spoke to him but when a friend exposed him to “Wish” he was hooked.  “It was the perfect entry point into Industrial for a kid who’s listened to a ton of Metallic and Megadeth before getting into grunge bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden.”  Reverend D.$ recalls “ Incidentally “Wish” was the first song I ever performed in front of an audience, at a house party in high school.  I ended up hanging upside down from the rafters, covered in electrical tape, doused in grape soda.“ 

 

When describing the genre of the music of Peter Jennings Disciples,  Reverend D.$ found it more helpful to actually coin his own terms to describe the bands music.  “ I came up with the “alternadustrial” genre tag because, honestly, I have no idea what sub genre my music really fits into.”  Having at times been described as having Rust Belt Roots Reverend D.$ explains that his hometown of Rockford , Illinois is a typical Midwest town where manufacturing dried up and after the city fell on hard times has been trying to reinvent itself.  He believes just like his hometown which is a post-industrial city he is making Post Industrial music.

 

Reverend D.$ believes that the micro-segmentation of music into genres and sub genres is about a digital algorithm that is “designed to keep people engaged with things that are comfortable and safe.” Reverend D.$ acknowledges the importance of listening to human curated playlists and being exposed to music you may not have heard by listening to DJs is a good way to combat this phenomenon.

 

In term of Peter Jennings Disciples general aesthetic Reverend D.$ describes himself as hands off and prefers to allow other creative people to help with this.  He cites the example of amazing Tattoo artist Shawn Gwaltney from Madison, Wisconsin who has designed  both EP covers for Peter Jennings Disciples.  After giving Gwaltney the vague description of “a mash-up of Ted Koppel and Darkness, Tim Curry’s character in Legend” he was able to create exactly what Reverend D.$ required.

 

Not having much experience beyond a few house parties and small shows prior to starting Peter Jennings Disciples, Reverend D.$ is grateful for Joe Whiteaker for inviting him to join the current lineup of The Funeral March Of The Marionettes allowing him to overcome stage fright and be more comfortable in front of a live audience.  The opportunity to be part of The Funeral March Of The Marionettes has also served as learning experience for Reverend D.$.

 

Reverend D.$ future hopes for Peter Jennings Disciples is that the band moves forward and allows him to discover new sounds, mixing techniques and new parts of his psyche.  He believes that the only way to learn and develop as a musician is to push forward.  Each new song serves as a snapshot of where Reverend D.$ is as a musician, songwriter, engineer and performer.  His goal is “to get better and closer to the sound I hear in my head with each release.” 

 

Peter Jennings Disciples has already started work on a third EP which includes “Desperation” a song that was suppose to be on the EP Bad News.  A set of remixes of songs on the Peter Jennings Disciples EP Bad News, featuring other talented musicians is set for release later in 2022.  Beyond this Reverend D.$ hopes to collaborate with more musicians and play more shows. 

 

When asked what might inspire a novice to the music of Peter Jennings Disciples to listen to it, Reverend D.$ says “if your musical taste leans toward the dark side you might find something resonates with you in Peter Jennings Disciples.  The beats are hard, the guitars are aggressive and the lyrics come from a place of honesty. “

He also adds “Oh if you are in a cult to a deceased news anchor, you should definitely give Peter Jennings Disciples a listen. “

Links 

 

Website : https://www.peterjenningsdisciples.com/

 

 

The Bleak Assembly’s EP We Become Strangers

  

“What if you met your younger self and your younger self didn’t recognize you? 

 

Such is the premise of the debut EP We Become Strangers by the Dark Wave project The Bleak Assembly,comprising of Kimberly Kornmeier from Bow Ever Down and Michael Smith from Fiction8.  

“I'm still not sure what the inspiration is.  When the world fell apart in 2020, this is the sound that came out” is what Smith says about the band’s new Post Punk Dark Wave EP, We Become Strangers. 

 After having worked on an album for the band Fiction8 for several years, the pandemic hit and Smith found himself playing guitar more and making electronic music less.  Struggling with writing lyrics for the music he was creating and not really having a clear idea about what to do with it he had heard that fellow musician Kornmeier enjoyed vocal collaborations.  Having been on the same label Smith knew her and sent some of the demos to get some feedback and see what she thought.

 

“I knew it wasn't her sound - it wasn't mine either - but I was blown away by what she sent back.  I knew pretty much immediately that I had to release this material.  It all came together very quickly.”

 The first song on the EP “Slow Down Time” immerses the listener into a nostalgic post punk landscape accentuated by beautifully wavering and distorted vocals and fascinating pop hooks.  With a soaring rhythm and a hypnotic beat “Wash It Away” is accentuated by the imploring and enticing lyrics vocalised brilliantly by Kornmeier.  “Fragile Like Glass” has sharp textures and takes a step into a more electronic environment with the concept of fragility poignantly presented through the lyrics and Kornmeier’s haunting vocals.  The final song on the EP  “Lost and Vacant” begins with syncopated staccato sussurations surrounding the questioning  lyrics and excellent vocals of Kornmeier.  

This EP submerges the listener into a soundscape of discovery and change and is well worth taking the plunge into.  

 

Links :

 

Bandcamp: https://thebleakassembly.bandcamp.com/album/we-become-strangers

 

 

Raven Said’s Album Chants To Dissolve

 

 

Goth Rock Revival duo Raven Said describes their new album Chants To Dissolve as

“ talking about those spiritual essence that represent a certain alchemical phase of Solve. From the invisible and inaudible flattering of a butterfly's wing to the deafening roar of the inescapable wave of the Coming Future.

 

Solve is a transitional process between the Nigredo and Albedo phases in basic Alchemy. Physically - an effort aimed at changing the composition, without an exact result (the transition to Albedo may not occur and the process will turn into Nigredo). In a philosophical context, this means that the future is not defined and there is only the possibility of one or another existence. A certain point of polyfurcation, a set of evolution.

 

Occultism, and in a wide sense - the desire to comprehend the secrets of human existence, to touch the forbidden, to go beyond the mind and feelings - are infinitely interesting things for reflection. I would say that we ourselves are melancholy-romantic persons, all this is close to us.  Our lyrics are more likely to have a special mysticism, expressing subtle metamorphoses of the human psyche, secret desires and passions filled with a sense of incomprehensibility and despair.”

 

 

Influenced by old-school Goth Rock the band describes their musical tastes and influences as retrospective with old-school Goth Rock and sprinkles of Glam Rock, guitar experiments of the 70s, Psychedelia of the 60s and Baroque music all serving as sources of inspiration.  The bands new album is awash in these very influences. 

 

“A Flowering and a Flattering”, the first track on Chants to Dissolve is an undulatory wave of haunting and strikingly retro sound taking the listener along a familiar yet excitingly new path.

The track “Transparent Sorrow” features guest vocalist Aeleth Kaven from La Scaltra whose vocals guide the listener through a thick and broody soundscape, fusing beautifully with the male vocals on the song.  “Except My Love For Her” is an old-school epic soundscape dragging the listener forward with entrancing vocals and haunting lyrics.  With a jarring, maniacal  sound “Sredni Vashtar” has exotic undertones and harsh imploring lyrics. “Immersive Waves” plunges the listener into a sea of whispered incantations with an undertow of hypnotic music.

 

Raven Said’s album Chants to Dissolve is a beautiful dark adventure riddled with little hidden secrets and gloomily enchanting discoveries. 

Links :

Bandcamp: https://ravensaid.bandcamp.com/album/chants-to-dissolve

Silence Embrace’s Meta Queer Dolis

  

 

“The album is a means of exploring places I’ve been mentally and as an artist in a format that’s meant to feel like a movie, it starts with a rough night intro and drops you in at the peak of intensity, adding climax and ending with a summation of the journey “ explains Silence Embrace about the new album Meta Queen Dolis.  

 

The title track of the album “Meta Queen Dolis”, a word play on Metal Gear Solid, provides a menacing and disorientating beginning to a journey where the listener is immersed in a grueling soundscape populated with the disparaging reminiscent sounds of obsolete electronic hardware.  

“Someone’s Dead” has an underlying ratcheting hiss coaxing and cajoling the listener through a disorientating landscape filled with taunting disembodied voices and daunting whispers.  The track “Jagged Edges” takes the listener to disconcerting and entrancing frontiers with its strobing dark industrial sounds and jagged lyrics.  Rhythmic and intrusive “The Mask” has dark and introspective lyrics littering the musical landscape.  A dark trance track, “The House Awaits” has a hypnotic, undulating sound that is accentuated by melodic haunting lyrics in a gloomy nebulous soundscape.  The final track of the album, “Pandemic”, feels like a whirling crescendo to the album with fluctuating rhythm and an inkling of something hidden beneath its dark witch house sounds.

 

Overall this album is a delightfully ominous, dark and surprising journey into hidden and secret places. It’s a journey well worth taking.

Links : 

Bandcamp : https://silenceembrace.bandcamp.com/album/meta-queer-dolis

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/SilenceEmbrace23