GenCAB’s Everything You See Is Mine

 

 

“The EP is really a collection of tracks that I had started while working on my last full length, Thoughts Beyond Words. It was basically all ideas that I thought wouldn’t fit with the general vibe of that but all collectively worked together. And thematically they’re all about guilt and self doubt in general” says David Dutton of Industrial Rock band genCAB’snew EP Everything You See Is Mine 

 

Harsh and transgressive with dizzying vocals that swirl and twist with serpentine menace through the dissonant industrial soundscape, “Soft” explores the idea of generational bullying and bigotry as older generations see the best years behind them but still criticize and judge the younger generation.   “Soft is more of a tongue in cheek outlier about forceful people who have passed their prime and how their ideas make the world a worse place” explains the Dutton.

 

“Cake” has a chaotic pulsing rhythm that undulates with intelligent lyrics and gritty vocals thrusting the listener into a surging anthemic musical experience.  According to Dutton the song “Cake” is “about seeing past propaganda and working together”. 

 

Using lots of field recordings blended with samples “Wasp” has provocative drops and pauses giving an almost menacing insectile darting feeling as the music buzzes and flits in a disturbing and disruptive manner.  Telling the story of “a person who recalls their guilt over something terrible they did long ago being whispered to them by an insect that they perceive to be an angel.” Dutton says “It doesn’t end well for the wasp, unfortunately.”

 

Pushing into the realm of Shoegaze “Only Skin” has intoxicating waves of distortion, and musical  layers entangled with flowing vocals that beautifully ebb and flow, taking the listener on a surreal and dreamy journey.  The song serves as what Dutton describes as “an anthem to imposter syndrome”.  He goes on to say “Only Skin though is a rework of a song I wrote for my old shoegaze/post rock project. I’m most proud of this one because it really feels uniquely mine and it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever done” 

 

Exploring the dichotomies of resignation and perseverance as well as strength and weakness the album Everything You See Is Mine  is a beautifully organic musical journey masterfully transcending genres.

Links :

Bandcamp : https://gencab.bandcamp.com/album/everything-you-see-is-mine

Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/5IN6zApha7pbFhLfAO8u14?si=EYZNwVZISoej4xxXLaF2mA

 

Neon Funeral’s “A Void”

  

With themes circling around fear, spirituality, strength, passion and rebirth New Jersey band and Hardcore Darkwave pioneers, Neon Funeral have released their new single “A Void”.  The song addresses the notion of taking control of your demons and addictions before it ends in tragedy.  

 

With a narrator that is the void the song explores the idea that“someone so stuck in their ways, who is unwilling to change and wont submit to societal pressures and goes against the grain of normality”, eventually ends up succumbing to their demons and “ultimately becomes the demon” according to the band.  

 

“A Void” plunges the listener into a hypnotic fugue like state of melancholic inner monologue vocals interspersed with transmuting bursts of growling, gritty, taunting vocals.  With a somniferous beat that builds to a cacophonous delectable crescendo ultimately plunging the listener into a rampant and impending void.  

 

The single has a metaphorically satisfying accompanying video that has the bands front man Randy hallucinating a dark cult figure whose cult he joins, with the video brazenly questioning the human mind, society and its ensuing pressures as well as the dark paths one may find themselves lost on.  The video explores the notion of one actually being responsible for darkening their own light in life.

 

Take a step towards “A Void” and you will be doused by its dark melancholy and its ultimate enlightenment.    

Links :

Bandcamp : https://neonfuneral.bandcamp.com/merch

YouTube : https://youtu.be/I8tw0JYNNVI

 

 

 

 

Sirens of Light’s Nullus Margis Gothica MMXXI

 

“The inspiration for the album in 2004 was this, there was a complete lack of any new traditional style, high end, song based Goth rock....the cult had disappeared, Sisters of Mercy and   not doing anything new, Goth had turned into Metal and most other bands in the genre split up or zero output...so we decided that there was a yawning void for a theatrical epic Goth Rock band, proceeded to write and record the album on location in a converted church in Suffolk (my family home) and, when it was finished, promptly got busy doing all sorts of other things and never really promoted or made anything of it....spent next 17 years saying to each other...'we should do something with the sirens stuff...it was great!...' and then finally got round to it by chance as I found the multitrack which I genuinely thought were long gone”.

 

From these auspicious beginnings came the new album Nullus Margis Gothica MMXXI by London based Goth Rock band Sirens of Light.  Inspiration for the album has come from archetypes including gothic, feminine and those of pop song writing including structures applied to musical and sonic ideas.  The band are also interested in the archetypes of  political, social and religious organizations and the ways they influence the human condition in general, 

 

“Genitors of Luminarium” starts the album off strong with a mimicking ecclesiastical sound threaded with whispered and menacing vocals that reverb and create an ominous ambience. With a steady beat, wild guitar riffs and an undulating sound scape “Succubus Requiem” has growly dark vocals that lead the listener through a dizzying gothic landscape.  “Justine” has an almost delightfully disorientating ricocheting sound with a scything guitar and haunting vocals.  Beginning with a maniacal beat and pervasive guitars “Flames of Kane” has a somber arrangement with provocative lyrics.  “Planes of Sorrow” has a hypnotic beat and a teasing almost seesawing sound that gives the listener the feeling there is something just enticingly beyond their reach.  The vocals and lyrics add to the feeling of chasing something or perhaps being pursued through a existential musical landscape.  With the minacious lyric “from the other side of the mirror” “Rearrange” uses an echoing vocal that lulls and teases the listener in an evocative music soundscape.  “Ultraviolet” has a forceful beat and a stuttering ratchet sound that enhance the rumbling and brooding vocals.  With an almost light and airy beginning “Sirens of Light” beautifully blends a mounting air of tension as pitchy and heavy guitars, a crazed drum beat and whispered slow deliberate vocals build to a beautiful crescendo.  “Maria” has a satisfying beat which quickly fugues with crunchy guitars and delirious drums twisted with pensive ethereal vocals. With a light start “The Prayer” provocatively builds in layers with a haunting piano and gloomy vocals and lyrics.  “Ezy Rider” has a fast pace almost indicative of speeding down a highway with grimy, howling vocals. 

 

 

In terms of how the band would like the audience to interact with this amazing album they say

 

“We want people to get what they get from it...as long as it's provocative in some sense...in real terms, as soon as you put the art out there, the consumer decides what you meant and, in my opinion, that's all that's important....for example...Maria...someone commented (a woman) that's it's about powerful women....and that's fine for me, what was it  written about?....I'm not sure I remember exactly but I'm not attached as a lyricist (or as anything else in fact) to being understood, so it doesn't really matter to me, what is important is that it resonates with someone else and in some way broadens their experience .... not that they get my point!......so the album works on several levels...as a 'pop' record but also it was always meant to have a depth in it if the listener wants to go down the rabbit hole they can makes for themselves with it....or you can dance to it.....or rock out”

Links : 

Webpage: http://sirensoflight.com/

YouTube : https://youtu.be/8xhs1nXVk2Y

The Alluring Dark Beauty of Lisa Hammers Music

 

                                                  Photo courtesy of LisaHammer.com

Growing up in a musical family, with a mother that had a beautiful voice and could play guitar, musician Lisa Hammer explains “The family would have “Hootenannies”/singalongs when we gathered.”  With this background Lisa went on to study Medieval/Early Music, baroque, Opera, Choral, Experimental, Rock, Pop, Folk and Indian Classical Music.  “I ate up discovering new types of music and researched any era/style I could get my hands on” Lisa admits.  During her school years she joined various bands and even opened for Ministry when she was a teen.  

 

Attending college in Boston Lisa joined Requiem In White.  “The 80s Boston music scene was incredible”.   From there she moved to NYC and when Requiem In White split in 1994 her now ex-husband, Doc Hammer and her started Mors Syphilitica and the NCS.  In 2004 when her husband and her split Lisa moved to Hollywood and met her current husband Levi Wilson, and she started composing for film and theater.  Lisa also started a side project with her half brother, director James Merendino who directed American comedy drama movie SLC Punk!.  The siblings side project was called the “Terror Twins”.  After moving back to NYC and hanging out with childhood friend Steven Deal, who had been in indie Pop-Mod bands Bleached Black, Chopper and Absolute Zeros they both expressed admiration for the others work.  They “wondered why we had never collaborated! The rest is history” according to Lisa. 

 

When it comes to her creative process Lisa explains “I hear songs in my head and sing them into my phone recorder.  I then open up Logic Pro and start tapping around on the keyboard.” Lisa writes the song on bass and then finds a tempo drum loop and replaces it later with a drummer.  Lisa works with collaborators from bands Wheatus and Late Cambrian, Paul Ash from Unto Ashes and also her husband Levi Wilson who plays many instruments.    

 

By exploring themes through her music that allow her to express herself as a woman with a disembodied soul searching for answers as well as someone that has been through traumatic experiences Lisa believes she is helped to process grief and anger.  “Many themes involve destruction and regeneration, loss, sadness, loneliness, the spirit world and most importantly love”. Lisa says.

 

Transcending traditional music genres Lisa describes her music as a mix of influences and a hybrid of Classical, olk, World Music, Experimental and Ambient Sounds.  She was influenced early on by 60s Pop to Classical and Punk and she learned to sing opera by initially imitating Klaus Nomi, Lene Lovich, Nina Hagen and opera singers like Marilyn Horne, Marian Anderson and Joan Sutherland. 

She explains “I think a lot of artists these days are experimenting by combining styles and I love it.”

 

Of her new album Lisa says “I was approached by The Circle Music, and they offered me color vinyl double albums, so how can I say no?” The new album was a difficult time inspired be deep emotions with Lisa loosing her beloved mother, Roberta Stockton and her guitarist and oldest friend, Steven Deal, a founding member of Radiana.  The album reflects what Lisa describes as “the deep well of unending grief and the feeling of being rudderless, like a ship with no direction.”

 

When considering the cover art for the album, with an adoration for Symbolist Art, Lisa chose a Jean Delville painting as well as a talented graphic designer at The Circle Music who transformed it into something more beautiful then she could have imagined.  

 

Although she used to love live performances Lisa’s film work has taken front seat to performing.  She also explains “The amount of work and expense to put a live show together is staggering.  I will however, most likely perform in Greece where my record label is.  Maybe from there it will reignite my flame.”

 

With her music heading in a darker direction Lisa attributes this transformation to “I feel like the losses just keep coming.  But suffering is the human condition and I am merely documenting it.  There is so much beauty in raw emotions, whether in grief or in joy.”

 

The Circle Music will be releasing a follow up to the album Dakini, which is almost completed.  They will also be releasing all of the Requiem in White on vinyl and perhaps Mors Syphilitica. Lisa is halfway done with a new Radiana album that she says “without Steven Deals Indie Pop sensibility, is going to be much darker and Post-Punk-Shoegazey then the bands debut album.” 

 

“If you want to just lie down in the dark and be transported to another time”or you would like a soundtrack for Dungeons and Dragons play, have a listen to Lisa Hammer’s music.  It’s a dark and transformative ambient musical journey with an otherworldly feel.

Links :

Webpage : https://www.lisahammer.com/

Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/4dQQTdGPkdHk16uLwJL5Fl?si=92CllLmWSo-TVxTaGh_Mqg

 

 

 

The Beautiful Sanctuary of HAEVN

 

                                                  Image Courtesy of Facebook

Indie Pop Ambient band HAEVN explain that their name is a combination of the word Heaven and Haven. “When we first started making music people said it sounded like heaven and like coming home.  So we combined the word heaven and haven where you feel like you come home after a long boat ride.” The Amsterdam based band was founded in 2015 by singer-songwriter Marijn Van der Meer and film soundtrack composer Jorrit Kleijnen.  

 

Marijn’s music journey started at the age of eighteen with a guitar.  Even a three year illness that kept him bedridden did not stop his passion for music and playing his guitar.  What he did develop during those challenging years was an appreciation and understanding of the healing power of music.  Jorrit’s grandfather gave him a piano and this gift had a huge impact on his life.  He had a passion for capturing emotions on the screen and translating what he saw and translating it into music. 

 

The two met when Jorrit was creating a piano piece for a movie.  Marijn was asked to sing over the piece  of music.  The alliance resulted in the songs “Where The Heart Is” and “Finding Out More” which went on to be used in a BMW commercial.  The soothing tones of Marijn’s voice combined magnificently with the instrumental soundscape created by Jorrit and so they began their collaboration, HAEVN.  The band also includes guitarist Bram Doreleijers (Ape Not Mice, Celine Cairo), bass player Mart Jeninga (Celine Cairo) and drummer David Broeders. 

 

Some sources of inspiration for the band are other music and film scores as well as singers and  songwriters like Hans Zimmer, Sting and Leonard Cohen.   “Life inspires us” the band admits. 

HAEVN is also very inspired by moving images which they enjoy working with when composing new music.   They explore themes such as found and lost love and hope.  

 

When creating new music the band says “we start with sound and the words and the melodies come from our subconscious.”

 

Involved in every aspect of the band they work with a talented group of people to create the artwork and the aesthetic for the band.  All of their efforts have resulted in the creation of their own musical world with specific melodies and lyrics and evocative soundscapes.  

 

Enjoying live performances very much  the band see them as “an adventure with a great group of people and we get to meet our fans after every concert which is also very nice.“ 

Having recently toured Germany and Switzerland they are looking forward to having a European Tour.  Initially they plan to play in twenty five theaters in the Nederlands before working on European dates.  

 

For new listeners to their music Haevn says “our music combines songs with filmic scores.  We heard it can give peace of mind, hope and uncover emotions.  This is for us a great compliment.”

As someone who has been lucky enough to attend a virtual concert held by HAEVN during lockdown, in the midst of the pandemic, I can personally attest to the evocative, transcendent beauty of their music and being allowed into that oasis of a soundscape carefully cultivated by the band. 

Links :

Webpage : https://www.haevnmusic.com/

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