Benjamin Bland (Features Ed): Under the name Postdrome, Charlie Floyd has created two of my favourite ambient/drone records of recent years. First came 'Never Without', in 2011, and earlier this year he released 'Where the King Will Land', which is equally joyous a listen. You can find both his records available for streaming and pay what you want download at his Bandcamp page. Prompting a new direction in the Music vs Noise column, Charlie has written a piece on how he goes about his work and what inspires him to create his fascinating music. So, without further ado...

Postdromewas a small project I started back in late 2010, since then I've released two solo albums and a joint album with Costa Rican musician EUSand French band Saåad. When I began this project I had no knowledge of musical creation whatsoever; I had absolutely no idea how to approach it. The only thing I did have was a vast library of music to influence me and a strong desire to make an album. I've been hugely into music for years and wanted to finally start making something myself.

I had no idea at that point what the first album would be, so honestly the sound of it was dictated mostly by cost. Rather than settle on a genre and work from there it became a challenge of what noises could I make with no money or instruments whatsoever. Because of this I started using samples, something I could play around with for free (so long as there were no rights issues). I'd pull apart songs that I loved and grab second long snippets to repeat, slow down or affect in any way I could until I had reached a sound similar to the one that I was after. The only prescript of this method was that the original sample had to be destroyed beyond recognition so that there were no copyright issues (something I really didn't want to have to face if it came to it). On top of these samples I added layers of distorted vocals, piano playing, field recordings, and anything else I could get my hands on for free.

A lot of the sourced samples came from old cassettes; I picked out unlabelled tapes purposefully and added a load of digital filters to them live before listening to anything (more recently a lot of the tapes are run through guitar pedals and other analogue effectors), and I still have no idea what a lot of the samples used are actually from. This method made a lot of the creation process down to chance, something I felt was an interesting way of working and one that was full of surprises. Unsurprisingly though the results were often unusable; the occasional time I did stumble across something that worked well easily made up for this. Hitting upon that random altered sample that sounds great instantly is so exciting and a sudden discovery like that can sound better than something you spend weeks perfecting.

I used these random samples as a starting point a lot of the time. Getting that beginning idea down is always the hardest part of creation and leaving it to chance seemed like a good way of cheating this problem. From that point building on top of these loops or clips became much easier. Most of my ideas come out in the development rather than having rigid plan for each track, and while a lot of songs do have some sort of initial plan to them, they're likely to change completely over the course of the creation process.

The other thing that obviously influenced the sound heavily was the music I was listening to at the time. My musical influences for Postdrome are pretty varied, but they all play a huge role in the development of the sound (I'll try to avoid just writing a six page list of musicians I love and was influenced by). Of course some of the nspiration comes from slightly similar drone/noise/ambient artists like Lustmord, Wolf Eyes, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Natural Snow Buildingsbut also from more popular artists such as Swans,Sonic Youth, and This Heat. While many different aspects of each of these artists music influenced me in different ways, their ability to build atmospheres and their use of texture plays a huge part in my music and is probably the thing that ties most of these influences together. A lot of other influences came from contemporary jazz and also the ideas of repetition found in minimalism. For me a large part of creating music is the research into sounds, and listening to music is always key to the creation process.

After finishing the first album I was contacted by Romain Barbot from the band Saåad and we starting working on a collaboration, working with EUS and Saåad was such a completely different experience. I couldn't spend months slowly building up tracks as I was doing before, but instead I had to have something fairly final created much faster. We would then e-mail these tracks around and each edit/layer the others work before sending it back in an entirely new form. Sending unfinished tracks between each other brought out a lot of new ideas and was a great way of doing things. Being able to just e-mail some track you've created and are happy with and have it return improved and added to in ways you would never have thought of was such a satisfying way of working.

Since the collaboration I've been trying out lots of new techniques and styles. Using Max (a visual programming language) has allowed me to create things I'd never considered before, and I recently worked on a program that takes a 1-3 second sample from a cassette every few seconds and then overlays them all in interesting ways instantly and almost automatically. These new methods have allowed me to explore further into music creation, and I've been using them along with granular synthesis and distorted guitar playing to further build textures. I think I've managed to pick up a fair amount over the last 3 years of working on music and I just going to keep blindly exploring until I hit something new, how the sound will develop or where it'll end up is a complete unknown.

As we at Echoes and Dust are proud to be bringing you coverage of this year's Liverpool Psych Festival, we thought it only fair to bring you a run down of what to expect at this most psychedelic of affairs. A preflyte if you like before the actual trip begins...and what a trip it will be, with psych threatening to break out from the underground once again and our beloved sub-culture being host to some phenomenal artists.

Taking place over two days, Liverpool Psych Fest has grown from its humble beginnings where it was like an extension of a Spacemen 3 convention. Straddling two venues and with an eclectic mix of artists, it's now threatening Austin Psych Fest for the title...and what a worthy winner it would be coming from the city which gave us Sgt Pepper and Julian Cope.

So what to expect amongst all the kaleidoscopic attractions and lysergic thrills? Musically, this year is bigger than ever with more than a few stand out acts. From Krautrock rhythms, space rock explosions and acid folk, it's all here. Here's a run down of some of the more enticing offering over the weekend.

• Moon Duo – Friday headliners and long time friends of E&D. If you haven't seen these live yet then you really are missing  out. Expect Krautrock and sand storms as they take you on a journey from new album Circles to their past. Visuals accompany creating a void of psych in which to lose yourself. Worthy headliners.
• Clinic – Saturday headliners and maybe the one's to watch. Surgical masks will be donned but other than that there is no saying what will be played. One gets the feeling that they may pull something special out the bag for this hometown gig. Bound to be scary and exciting in equal measure, this has the makings of a classic performance.
• Fuzz – if you haven't heard their debut album yet then you really are missing out. A prime slice of Classic Rock, this is Sabbath for the new-psych generation as Ty Segall and pals create a mind crushing sound. For this reporter, these are the most exciting prospect of the weekend.
• Hookworms – we're all familiar with these now, the band who have pushed psych into the mainstream. What will they bring to Liverpool Psych? Well, everything that made that debut album so special and more we hope.

Alongside this rather exciting foursome are a cavalcade of lysergic treats such as Peaking Lights Sound System bringing a world psych DJ set to Saturday evening, Jacco Gardner pushing time back to the heady days of Syd Barrett with his acid folk, Dead Meadow, The Wild Eyes and Mugstar fighting for loudest band, Klaus Johan Grobe bringing electronica and Charlie Boyer and the Voyeurs bringing back the 1960's. There really is too much to mention! And that is just the music, there is much more for your enjoyment.

So there you go...buy your ticket for what will be one of the events of the year. E&D will be bringing you a full report along with a Twitter feed (technology permitting) and plenty of photos too

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Youth Man and what are your musical backgrounds? 

We all started playing instruments in high school, shortly after we'd all met, but we didn't actually think about starting a band together until about a year ago. Before this band, Kaila played in an acoustic band, Adam played alone in his bedroom and Marcus played in wedding bands.

(((o))): How did the band come together?
Well we were all having mental breakdowns and decided to jam and soon after that, in the turbulence of emotional instability. Youth Man was born.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)

Our name is Youth Man

We like making lots of noise

And we all have eyes

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?

I guess it’s made us realise that we are pretty different but also given us a chance to test our integrity. Despite having a specific brand of music blowing up all around us, we’ve never questioned the music we want to be making. If anything having the whole B-town thing shoved in our faces has helped us stand out from the crowd.

(((o))): You had an EP come out last year. What can you tell us about that?

It sucks, don’t listen to it. No, seriously, it’s fine but we’ve grown so much over the last year and really matured as a band. Our sound has changed a bit (for the better, we think) and we no longer see ‘Youth’ as an accurate representation of us as a band anymore.

(((o))): Are there plans for a full-length in the near future?
If we told you, we’d have to kill you.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

I guess it’s the fact that everybody’s in a band these days. It’s hard to make anybody take notice when there’s such an abundance of absolute shite. It’s hard to get noticed unless you really stand out from a distance, unfortunately that usually means looking really cool rather than playing kickass music. We’re trying to do the latter.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Youth Man to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

I guess for me it would be being able to quit my job and just be a musician full-time. Simple as that.

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

Breeders

Deerhoof

The Flaming Lips

Shellac

Sebadoh

(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature?

Victor, Female Smell and Ultimate Grand Supreme.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

To work towards getting more out of town shows. We need to spread the Youth Man!

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Sectioned and what are your musical backgrounds?

Five guys who want to write music which doesn't already exist, for fun. This is the second actual band we've been in (for most of us) ignoring the wee cover bands we mostly were in at school.

(((o))): How did the band come together?
Slowly.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Death to false grind

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band? 
It has encouraged us to write heavier music.

(((o))): You’ve got a couple of EPs out thus far. What can you tell us about those?
The E.P’s are just like the starter dish for a meal (the meal being an album which we’re a fair bit through writing). We all have different views on them but we mostly needed them to get them out the way on our quest to write better music.

(((o))): Your sound is pretty complex and diverse. Is this simply the result of your influences or a conscious attempt to sound as different as possible?
We have a sense of what we want to sound like, and are lucky enough that how we naturally write and play gets us that sound. The only conscious effort we put into being diverse is distaste for being bored. Mother of invention and all that.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?
It depends on what your goal is. I think it’s difficult when the online portal of music is saturated it makes it more difficult for you to be heard, you sort of have to bank on virality there. We try not to depend too much on either online social media or word of mouth.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Sectioned to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?
In the short term – finish this album and release it. In the long term – to be at the level of the artists that inspire us

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?
Nine Inch Nails
Dillinger Escape Plan
Pantera with cyborg Dimebag
The Mars Volta
Prince

(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature in the near future?
Take a gander at our facebook likes! Any or all of them, haha!

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?
Finish our album and find out how we’re going to release it. Tour.

It wasn’t a surprise to see this year’s Mercury Music Prize shortlist. After all, every year the same selection of albums is produced near enough. There are a couple of genuinely interesting, vaguely experimental, indie records. There are a couple of very generic and boring indie records. There’s a token electronic record or two. Comeback albums are often fairly popular too, and the rest is usually made up by a few singer-songwriters or urban music artists, depending on what’s more in vogue at the moment. There’s never any metal, or hardcore for that matter.

This year, however, there seems to be an extra degree of furore around the selected shortlist, and not just become some the cretins in charge hate music enough to put Jake Bugg on it. Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine has expressed his discontent at the fact that the band’s comeback album m b v was ineligible for being entered for the prize on the basis that its “digital distribution” was handled entirely through the band’s own website. In essence the prize has discounted m b v on the basis that it has been released in a format that is too independent, which is a middle finger to all the hard-working independent musicians in the country today.

The fact that the Mercury Prize is actively biased against independent musical distribution methods in such a way is, of course, pathetic and hugely unfair. However it is hardly surprising. After all, this is an award that rarely features any independent bands on the basis that they have to pay a few hundred pounds (and provide a ton of CDs) in order to enter. If you’re a truly independent artist, or signed to an independent record label, then entering isn’t even a real possibility unless you have hit the jackpot big time with a recent record.

Among the acclaimed artists of the last twelve months not to have even bothered entering their record for the prize are Leeds psych tricksters Hookworms, whose record Pearl Mystic is certain to rank very highly in the AOTY list here at Echoes & Dust:

@seaninsound @MikeDiver re:Mercury, we didn't enter. On top of the entry fee it's thousands more in marketing fees if shortlisted.

— MJ (@hopeformen) August 29, 2013

It really does rather beg the question as to what the Mercury Prize is actually for if it is effectively impossible for independent, underground artists to apply. Being deadly serious, it doesn’t matter one way or the other whether My Bloody Valentine are eligible or not. They don’t need the publicity, and they certainly don’t need the money. What does matter is that the Mercury Prize has given itself an undeserved image of trying to support genuinely creative artists in the UK and Ireland. It’s a sham and a farce, and will only result in more casual music fans failing to discover music that is so much better than the crap on the cover of the NME.

So, whilst it’s a tired argument, it bears repeating that the Mercury Prize deserves critique. Without making the same old point year after year one senses that the system has even less chance of changing, and with bands already struggling big time in the current financial climate, the last thing independent artists need is continual kicks in the teeth from institutions meant to be on their side.

An alternative shortlist of Mercury Prize nominees

Altar of Plagues - Teethed in Glory and Injury

BATS - The Sleep of Reason

Boards of Canada - Tomorrow’s Harvest

Cathedral - The Last Spire

Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse

Gallops - Yours Sincerely, Dr. Hardcore

Grumbling Fur - Glynnaestra

Haxan Cloak - Excavation

Hookworms - Pearl Mystic

Humanfly - Awesome Science

Rolo Tomassi - Astraea

Tall Ships - Everything Touching 

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs and what are your musical backgrounds?

The Ox (bass), Turnpike Jones (Guitar), Judge (Guitar). Grandpa Maw Maw (Drums), Roger Diamond (Vocals).

We’re quite a mixed bag really. The Ox, Judge and I (Roger Diamond) all developed in the same womb. Our mother did a lot of swimming in the ocean when she was pregnant with us. We used to record the rumble of on-coming waves before they hit her bloated midriff. Turnpike Jones was in a prog rock band called Torches in the Puddle who toured the world but his band members used to bully him and talk about him behind his back. Grandpa Maw Maw used to produce and perform funky disco tracks in his native land. Like Turnpike Jones, he’s also been fortunate enough to tour the world with his music. I guess we’re all pretty experienced musicians in our own way. We certainly share similar philosophies on writing and performing music.

(((o))): How did the band come together?

I don’t want to talk about it as we’d get into big trouble. Basically, we’re all really bad at poker.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. If you do a seven x Pigs acrostic I will love you forever for your ambition.

Pigs x7 mantra

In riffs we trust

Gain knobs up

Sounds pretty loud

Purposefully raucous

In tune with Thor

Gurning like madmen

Steroid fuelled Can

Pulsating rhythms

Induces hip thrusts

Grappling with the Bakunawa

Sea serpents surrender to us

Peter Beardsley

Is a big fan

Gives glowing reviews

Slobbers all over us

Party bags of riffs

Is what we’re good at

Giving boogie to doom

Screaming at the Gods

Possibly space rock

Infused with kraut and noise

Getting sweaty whilst wearing multi-coloured

Slankets

Pink Fairies

Intertwined with a

Good amount of

Sabbath

(Ed: Bravo)

(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?

It hasn’t.

(((o))): You’ve put an EP out a couple of months back. What can you tell us about that?

It's one 20 odd minute track called 'The Wizard and the Seven Swines', it'll be seeing a physical release in the form of a split LP with our brothers The Cosmic Dead in early November on 'The Old Noise'

(((o))): Where do you see the band’s sound going on future releases?

It’s impossible to see sound but you can sure feel it, if it’s loud enough. I imagine at high volumes people should feel our future sound around their chests and nether regions.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

Sorting out the sycophants from the genuine.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for you guys to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

“Making it” is performing music from your heart and soul. It’s about making ineffable connections with other humans. If you can do that, you’ve made it. We’ve already made it.

(((o))): Why so many pigs?

Why not?

(Ed: The man has a point)

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

Hall & Oates

Ted Danson III (Spoken Word)

Mark Morrison

Twisted Sister

The Outhere Brothers

(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature in the near future?

I’m not sure any of these are upcoming but the following artists are all mind blowing - The Cosmic Dead, Richard Dawson, Divorce, Beauty Pageant, Queer’d Science, Basic House.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

We’re currently talking to Kanye West about producing our next record.

Thinking about which albums have had the biggest impact upon you over your lifetime is obviously an enormously tricky task. There are so many different angles one could take. Are records from your early musical years necessarily the most relevant? Is it better to choose something that speaks to you emotionally rather than something that has influenced your musical direction? Of course, in some cases there may be a record that fits all the possible criteria, and for me No-Man’s Together We’re Stranger does just that.

No-Man formed in 1987, when singer-songwriter Tim Bowness teamed up with a young multi-instrumentalist called Steven Wilson. Today Wilson is best known for his solo work and for his band Porcupine Tree, but No-Man still exist, sporadically reviving for new studio efforts. Their early material was touched largely by nineties electronic music, especially trip hop, and jazz, but Together We’re Stranger sees the duo take on a very different approach.

No doubt reflective of Wilson’s solo drone project Bass Communion, Together We’re Stranger is a largely beatless odyssey. The opening title track aches into being, with soft ambience melting into despairing organ tones before the agonised voice of Bowness enters. This track in particular, which also includes a beautiful textural guitar solo from Michael Bearpark, carries great personal significance for me. Something about the unified haunting atmosphere that applies to both music and lyrics speaks to me like little other music in existence. It prompted a dramatic re-evaluation of what I consider to be emotive (emotional) music, in the sense that the pain expressed by Bowness on this one track felt more real than anything that could be found in the angsty mid-2000s post-hardcore I was still listening to around a similar time. It’s been a huge comfort for me throughout periods of depression ever since I first heard it.

“We step outside, and face the poison weather

          You and I are something else together

                    Arm in arm, we’d waste our charms forever

                              Drifting off, despite the cost

                                               Afraid to ask for better

                                                             You and I are something else together”

As the album progresses it occasionally touches upon more traditional songcraft, especially on the acoustic guitar tinged ‘Back When You Were Beautiful’, but this predominantly remains an album of soundscaping. It’s desperately sad throughout, and demonstrates Wilson’s musical genius more adeptly than any of his more openly “progressive” material. Some of the most gorgeous music you could ever hear is contained on this record, even if it barely ever rises above a whisper. It was, in effect, the first record to ever make me truly aware of the possibilities of “drone music”, a style that has since gone on to direct both my own feeble attempts at musical creativity and my own listening tastes.

Fundamentally though, Together We’re Stranger remains so important to me because it is perhaps the most “human” sounding record I’ve ever listened to. It lives, breathes, and eventually dies, in the most heart-breakingly natural way of any record I’ve ever listened to. Whilst it has not garnished the universal acclaim of many records that have shaped my musical interests (admittedly partially because it was roundly ignored by much of the music press), to my ears it stands as a real landmark in the development of popular music in the early twenty-first century. At a time when experimentalism was becoming synonymous with cluttered arrangements, and when “pop music” was becoming increasingly defined by brazen, often pathetic, simplicity, Together We’re Stranger was pushing the possibilities of balladry into new territory. Simultaneously it also communicated emotional trauma far more efficiently.

It’s a rare genuine essential for any thinking record collection, and if you haven’t heard it then you’re seriously missing out.

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Emperor Yes and what are your musical backgrounds?

Emperor Yes are me (Ash Gardner, House of Strange Studios), Hugo Sheppard (ex-Summer Camp), and Adam Betts (Three Trapped Tigers). We all met in London where I run House of Strange Studios. I've been doing live sound for TTT for about 3 years now so I met Betts through that and have been making music with Hugo for a bunch of years now.

(((o))): How did the band first come together?

Hugo and I wrote the majority of the tunes when I was living in Tokyo and he was back in London. We had been jamming for a few weeks before I left trying to generate new ideas for a new project (which eventually turned into Emperor Yes). We met in Bali at the beginning of 2011 and started demoing 5 tunes. 2 of which ended up as ‘Wasps’ and ‘Fishes’.

All the drums on these demos were drum machines but we knew we wanted a live drummer, so when we were back in London we asked Betts whether he would record them. It was actually Betts who mentioned that we should play some live shows after we finished the recording. Completely surprised to have a beast of a drummer we took to the stage as soon as possible; I think that was in early 2012.

(((o))): Has your local scene had an impact upon you as a band?

Hell yeah! Even though our music is quite different we spend a lot of time with Summer Camp, Emmy the Great, Three Trapped Tigers, and Tall Ships to name a few. Every time we see any of these bands or hear any of their recorded material there is a lot to be learned.

(((o))): I believe you have an album in the works. What can you tell us about it at the moment?

We have finished recording twelve tracks at House of Strange Studios with Jeremy Warmsley from Summer Camp producing. It’s going to be mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer who mixed a lot of the last Neon Indian album and the latest Johnny Marr record. He works out of Atomic Studios in New York owned by Tim Wheeler from Ash. Wu-Tang's ‘36 Chambers’ was recorded and mixed in that studio! All the tunes are about space, and animals, with a bit of Ancient Egypt thrown in!

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

I think, as in all jobs, getting a foot hold is super difficult. If I can offer any advice it would be to connect with people and learn from people. Meet people who are in bands, hang out with them, and have fun with them, and everything will be awesome.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Emperor Yes to feel like you’d “made” it?

Being able to do a headline tour that had people at the shows would be amazing. To have enough of a fan base around the country that shows everywhere are fun

(((o))): What happens if you refuse the emperor’s demands? (Also, is Adam Betts the emperor of drums?)

Refusing the emperor's demands will only get you ignored. Yes, Betts is definitely the emperor of drums.

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

Boards of Canada; Tame Impala; Arthur Russell; CEEPHAX; The Flaming Lips.

(((o))): This is ostensibly a column for introducing new bands. Any suggestions as to who we ought to include in the near future?

We just spent the weekend at KneeDeep Festival where we opened the main stage. We saw The Wythces, who were fucking awesome. Also check out Crushed Beaks, PlayLounge, DeafKid, Toby Gale, The Graphite Set, and STATS. They are Ed Seed from The Mule's new band and they are really really good.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

Get this album out and keep playing shows. There will be a new video soon which will be like an American Pie style frat party with beer bongs, boobs, and the end of the world.

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who is Theo and what is your musical background?

Theo isn't a real person I'm afraid, although sometimes I feel as if I'm playing a character, or an extension of myself. Theo is what I call this solo project; one man, and a lot of equipment. I had a pretty standard musical upbringing really: learnt piano from an early age, got onto guitar pretty early, studied music at school/uni and always tried my hardest to contribute somehow to the various communities I have been a part of.

(((o))): How, and why, did you first start playing?

I started learning guitar, thanks to my Dad's love of Hank Marvin, at 7 years old; and then playing in bands when I was a bit older. Once I had started playing in bands, I soon had an overwhelming desire to learn to play drums too. I often get asked which I'm better at, or which I prefer, but I seem to be equally competent at both, and I appreciate them both just the same. Theo really started because I had begun to dictate too much during band practices, so I used it as an outlet for my bossy ways, which in turn helped me to be more of a team player with my band work.

(((o))): Has your local scene had much impact upon you as a musician?

I started going to gigs in my home town (Worcester) from an early age, and always wanted to perform, the difficulty was always trying to get good enough! Worcester has boasted some pretty amazing acts in the past, so I've always had the opportunity to see genuinely life changing performances. The gigs I went to back home tended to have a good mix of brilliant out of town bands, as well as equally good local bands, and Birmingham, Bristol, Oxford and London are all close enough, so really I was spoilt for choice. Having seen all this great music, I just wanted to try and contribute my own offering and stand next to those guys in some way.

(((o))): Your music is incredibly complex and expansive considering you’re just one man! How do you go about creating such a sound on your own?

I would say that my playing style, at least in terms of guitar work, is quite simple; and the looping style is very intuitive, so you just have to keep trying different combinations until it works. Normally I start with a core looped riff and work around it until I have several ideas, after that it's just a matter of arranging everything (in my head).

(((o))): How difficult is it then to recreate the sound live?

Playing live is the easy part, it's actually much harder for me to transpose those ideas onto a record that can go some way to matching the intensity of the live performances.

(((o))): We’re looking forward to seeing you at ArcTanGent Festival in August. Who else on the bill should we check out?

I saw Blacklisters in Birmingham this year, which was superb noisy hardcore. then obviously Among Brothers, Delta Sleep, The Pirate Ship Quintet and Howard James Kenny have all played shows with me in the past, and are all awesome and definitely worth watching; and then there's That Fucking Tank and Astrohenge who are brilliant!

(((o))): What are your plans for the near future?

Finally get my album pressed, play more shows, and then write another record!

Exhumed are a force to be reckoned with. Hailing from San Jose, California – they’ve been around since 1990 and despite many line-up changes have been delivering a steady flow of gore grind, death metal, and overall brutality since their birth. The band is currently comprised of members Matt Harvey (vocals, guitars), Rob Babcock (bass, backing vocals), Bud Burke (guitar, vocals), and Matt Hamilton (drums). They’ve toured everywhere you can imagine and just recently spent several months in Europe promoting their new album Necrocracy (reviewed here). They’re gearing up for a fall tour with Dying Fetus and Devourment, check them out if they’re coming to a city near you! 

Matt Harvey was nice enough to (virtually) sit down with Echoes and Dust for an interview covering topics ranging from musical influences, to long walks on the beach, to Mercyful Fate vs. King Diamond. Read on and get to know the man behind Exhumed.

(((o))): You spent a few months touring Europe with Exhumed, what were the best things about coming back home to America?

Matt: Europe is awesome, and the shows are usually really good, so it's the little things you end up missing the most. For me, it was all about food and convenience. As much as I hate big box chains in general and Guitar Center in particular, it's great knowing that every major city will have a giant store full of the picks and strings and shit that you need. In Europe, everything is independently owned and it's difficult to know in advance if they'll actually have the particular items you'll need. We spent over two hours in Spain going to different music stores until we found the gauge strings we use – and they only had two or three packs, when we could have used say, ten.

Certain places in Europe do have really good food, Spain especially, but there's not any real Mexican food over there. The closest I've found was in England of all places. Also, I like to cook a lot at home, and not being able to do that for four months was a bit of a bummer. Every day off, we were at the grocery store and BBQing. The other thing I really missed was American sports. Watching highlights on the web just isn't the same. I'm glad we got home in time for football season, even though as an Oakland Raiders fan, I may not have too much to look forward to this year. Of course you miss your friends and family and your own bed and stuff as well, haha!

(((o))): How was the touring over there this time around? Most memorable show? Do you have a favorite place to play over there?

Matt: We always do the best in Eastern Europe it seems like. We did three shows in Romania that were insane, Paris was awesome, Cork in Ireland was really fun, Malaga in Spain was great, Serbia was cool, and the fests that we did in Holland were both excellent, and Obscene Extreme Festival and the after-party were probably the highlights of the whole tour. My favorite places to hang out are the UK and Holland, simply because it's so much easier to get around and stuff in those countries, but I love the Czech Republic and Eastern Europe to play in. Every place seems to be getting a little bit better for us to play since last year though. Every place we returned to was better than the time before, which is a good sign, haha!

(((o))): Who are some of the bands and musicians that have influenced your playing and style over the years?

Matt: 
Man, there's all kinds of stuff. The main guitar players I've always looked up to are James Hetfield, Adrian Smith, Matt Olivo, Bill Steer, Buck Dharma, Eric Cutler, Chuck Schuldiner, Greg Ginn, Gary Moore, Scott Gorham, Uli Roth, Piggy, Tommy T. Baron, Kevin Shields, Thurston Moore, Gary Holt / Rick Hunolt, Jesse Pintado, way too many. As far as bands and shit... I mean in the beginning it was all about Napalm Death, Repulsion, Terrorizer, Carnage, Carcass, early Death, Possessed, early Obituary, Bolt Thrower, Autopsy, Siege, Extreme Noise Terror, S.O.B., Sore Throat, and bands like that. Then we kind of worked in more influences from the 80s like Slayer, Cryptic Slaughter, D.R.I., Kreator, Venom, Sodom, Metallica, Exciter, that kind of stuff. We also have a lot of influence from NWOBHM and traditional metal like Tygers Of Pan Tang, Tokyo Blade, Tank, Angel Witch, Armored Saint, Judas Priest, Maiden, etc. as well as powerviolence stuff like Infest, Crossed Out, Despise You, Assuck, etc. It's a pretty varied bag really, though, because we listen to all kinds of music from pop to country to shoegaze to hip-hop to psych and garage rock. All of those influence our songwriting and arrangement ideas in their own way.

(((o))): From reading many different reviews of the new record, it seems it has been extremely well received. What are your favorite aspects of this record as opposed to records you’ve put out in the past?

Matt: I think the songwriting is getting better, more focused and accessible. We really try to make things as poppy and hook-oriented as possible within our style. I know that kind of scares people when I say it, but the riffs and everything are still totally Exhumed, but the way we put our songs together has more in common with pop music than something Suffocation might do, where it's more through-composed. I'm just into big hooks, whether they're country or metal or pop or whatever.

(((o))): What are some of your other interests aside from music? What kinds of things do you get into when you’re not touring?

Matt: I like to read a lot, I read comics (and regular books), watch all the nerd-appropriate tv shows like Walking Dead, Game Of Thrones, etc. I love the Oakland Raiders and the SF Giants, I like cooking – long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, haha! Sorry this was starting to sound like a personal ad. I'm always working on different musical shit, putting together a traditional metal thing called Pounder slowly but surely, and a more shoegaze-type thing as well. Plus I've been working on a super-hero comic book script over the last few months, so trying to do something with that. I also collect records, comics, super-hero toys from the 70s and 80s... You know stuff that chicks really dig, haha!

(((o))): What’s in store for Exhumed in the next year or so? Ready to be back on the road with Dying Fetus

Matt: Almost! I'm glad we have a little more time off, the four month trek was pretty exhausting, but give me one more week of great sleep and daily showering and I'll be ready to go! The Dying Fetus / Exhumed / Devourment bill is gonna be pretty nuts, we're excited for it. We have two shows with Carcass in LA before that tour starts and we're going to Denmark for a one-off gig with Convulse, Entrails, Pentacle, and Death Strike next week, so it never really stops – just slows down for a minute or two, haha!

(((o))): Denver Black Sky looks like it’s going to be a killer event. Any bands on it you’re looking especially forward to performing with/partying with?

Matt: It's going to be a total blast. So many cool bands and people, we love the Speedwolf guys, and Exhumed / Ghoul together has been LOOOONG overdue. Iron Reagan is great, and I keep hearing really awesome things about Power Trip so looking forward to checking them out. Seeing Skinless together again is a really special treat, love those dudes. The real challenge will be just staying sober enough throughout the day to do a good set, because the line-up is so good and we're at a fucking brewery!

(((o))): If you could create a fantasy lineup of bands to play with (past or present bands), who would be on the bill?

Matt: Metallica circa 1986, Priest circa '78, Maiden circa '88, Celtic Frost circa '86... I think we've played with all my favorite DM / Grind bands at this point, haha! Except Infest somehow...

(((o))): Who are some of the newer bands out now that you suggest our readers check out? Seems like there have been a lot of new up and comers in the last few years.

Matt: The scene seems to be really healthy. We toured the UK with a great Death / Thrash band called Seprevation that I really like a lot. Kind of in the Sadus / Death / Kreator vein, just really fucking aggressive. We played with a couple good bands in Spain as well, Teething, who are more of a power violence / grind thing, and Maniac which is more of a black / thrash band, both ruled. I love some of the new trad metal, like Enforcer and In Solitude as well. Speedwolf from Denver is a great newer band, kind of Motorhead / Venom influenced.

(((o))): Last but not least…Mercyful Fate or King Diamond?

Matt: Love them both, but Mercyful Fate will always be #1 in my heart. Don't Break the Fucking Oath!!!

Photos by Val. Visit her NoCeiling Photography Facebook page here and give it a like while you at it!

One of the highlights of the FOCUS Wales festival this year was the no wave noise created by a pair of musicians who seemed to pin their badge to the noisy Black Flag stylings and chaotic sounds of an underground post-punk movement. Whatever their influences, the music speaks for itself with its energy capable of throwing you back against the venue wall and even clearing it of people who are not quite sure what is happening. It's time to meet Furrow and they deserve your attention.

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Furrow and what are your musical backgrounds?

Richard: We have no musical background at all. I only started playing the drums when we started Furrow. I’m still learning now how to play. We keep things very simple just drums and a bass guitar and see how far we can go with that.

An area that we are learning more in is self-recording. We got our hands on a few cheap four tracks when we started and worked out how to use them with our friend Ben Sawin from Mowbird. We record anywhere we can; namely in the caravan where we practice, the local village hall and more recently our kitchen. Times New Viking are a huge influence on us by the way they recorded just using four tracks and simply getting on with it without the use of a studio.

(((o))): How did the band come together?

Richard: both meet in college doing art before we went our separate ways to uni we would often create art for local exhibitions for our good friend Jamie Davis.Making and creating art is all we really wanted to do. Once we both finished art school we got stuck in shitty jobs and the creativity just died so we moved back home. My art has always been influenced by music and surrounding so we just brought a cheap drum kit and my old bass guitar that I got when I was 14 and thought lets work on another art project. We are not musician at all we learn by mistakes and add that into the creative process.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. 

Thom: This Question is pretty cool because we’ve been really into concrete poetry recently, it was a bit of a challenge though (our friend Jamie helped us out a bit).

(Ed’s note: This is the BEST ANSWER EVER)

(((o))): Do you think your local music scene has had any impact on Furrow as a band?

Richard: We seem to know more people that make art instead of music. Band wise Contact High and Wrexham’s Mowbird are great.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out today?

Thom: Balancing band and work is a pretty big one I guess, if you’re travelling to a lot of shows you need to work to fund it and if it’s a big distance sometimes it’s hard to get time off to make it, then there’s getting back at stupid o’clock and having to get up for work again a couple of hours later. It can be pretty wearing.

Richard: It’s up to you as a band I guess. Some bands want the fame and others just do it for the joy of it. We look at The Fall and think we hope to just keep on doing what they do. Just create and keep on creating. It’s like anything in life, you have to put the effort in to make it work you can’t expect people to do all the work for you.

(((o))): Every band has different aims, and sadly very few decent ones get proper fame and recognition. What would have to happen for you to feel like you have ‘made it’ as a band?

Richard: I feel just picking up instruments and actually playing shows of your own material; then I think you have ‘made it’ even if it’s playing to an empty room. When you actually write a song for the first time it’s quite an accomplishment. I remember we were amazed out how all the parts of the first song we wrote fitted and trying replicate that live and the way the song involves the more better you are at playing. For bands today they seem to focus attention on how many likes on Facebook or plays on Soundcloud they have, what label you’re on and if you have a booking agent. All that is irrelevant to us. We prefer to do just do everything ourselves and not force our music onto people some people will like and some wont. We just keep our heads down and work at it and if you like us then thank you.

(((o))): Where did the band name come from, it's almost classic in a sense, do you like to plough?

Thom: I suppose it depends what you’re ploughing. I thought Furrows to start with then we realised it was also the name of a car dealership where we live but our friend Wills dad said ‘just take the s off’, so I guess he should get the kudos really.

(((o))): We have another column called Echoes of the Past in which we get people to talk about albums that strongly influenced their musical outlook. If you had to pick a single album that strongly influenced your music then what would it be and why?

Richard: Two records that I admire are R.E.M’s Reckoning and Murmur. I have a really soft spot for 80’s R.E.M. Growing up in the country those records depict my youth. I would play them while waiting for the bus to go to college and sound tracking my journey on the long bus ride.

Thom: I don’t think there is a single band or albums sound that consciously affects everything we do. People hear things differently though, we get told a lot we remind people of The Cure but I can’t hear it and they’re definitely not a conscious influence, I can’t remember the last time I listened to them. When we started we were listening to a lot of stuff like Thee Oh Sees and No Age so I guess it would be something like ‘Help’ or ‘Nouns’, not so much sonically but their ethos is what made us start Furrow and being inspired to start something must be the strongest influence you can have.

(((o))): This is ostensibly a column for introducing new bands. Who do you think we ought to include in it in the near future?

Richard: Shopping from London. They’re an amazing band made up of Rachel from Trash Kit, Billie from Wetdog and Andrew from Goldbars selling post-punk hits for the consuming lost pop generation and it’s all buy one get one free.

Thom: Beta Blocker & the Body Clock, Playlounge, Mowbird, Fawn Spots,  there’s too many great bands to list really.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

Richard: Just record everything we have written throughout the summer and try and put it all out for people to hear. Make more art and finish my PGCE so I can teach art.

Having enjoyed their spiky alt-rock at 2000 Trees Festival earlier this summer, Benjamin Bland thought it was time to give Woahnows the Echoes of the Future grilling...

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Woahnows and what are your musical backgrounds?

Myself (Tim) and Wherly basically learnt to play together as kids in one punk band or another. We moved to different towns then I played in Crazy Arm for a few years while he concentrated more on jazz. Dan’s always in heavy bands with rad names like ‘Deathlehem’ or ‘Bear Fight!’

(((o))): How did the band come together?

Dan and myself just jammed for the fun of it one day with Simon the ex Crazy Arm drummer. Then we did it again with Wherly instead. This carried on very infrequently for quite a while before it started to feel anything like a band.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)

Little bit loud,

Little bit quiet,

Little bit sketchy,

Trying our hardest.

(((o))): How has your local music scene impacted upon Woahnows as a band?

Massively, most things I’ve learnt about music came from playing shows as a kid in Plymouth. We were lucky enough to have great local bands and the golden era of Household Name Records bands touring through all the time, with us blagging support slots.  Dan has put on shows for years and runs the White Rabbit which is the main venue in town, so the heart of our operations and the heart of the scene are pretty much one in the same.

(((o))): I believe you have an album coming out in the near future. Tell us a little bit about it...

It’s more like a new EP on 12” with the first EP as a B-side. It’s coming out on Big Scary Monsters, the perfect label for us. I’m a really big fan of so many bands on the label past and present so seeing our name with theirs is a real joy. It will be out on 2^nd September.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

Getting shows out of town. If you’re good, and you play, people will catch on, but unless someone thinks you can pull a crowd it can be really hard thing to do.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Woahnows to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

I always think this is a funny subject, so much so I seem to proclaim we’ve ‘made it’ all the time, like when we first got a rider, or sold a tape. Fame seems like a funny thing, something a lot of people chase but I can’t imagine it really changes all that much of the important stuff when it really comes down to it. I guess our main goal would be to play most places and have decent amount of people come to see us. That would be a great feeling.

(((o))): You’re given the opportunity to create your own All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. What would be the first five bands on your list?

It would be a weird one that’s for sure. They’re probably too big for it but Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse. Then I’d be asking The Sidekicks, Built to Spill and Fucked Up.

(((o))): This is ostensibly a column for introducing new bands. Any suggestions as to who we ought to include in the near future?

Axes, The PJP Band, Break-ups.

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?

The record comes out 2^nd September. We have some shows building up to that, then we tour Europe for a month straight in some really interesting places such as Greece and Serbia along with more of the more usual places. Then we get back and hit the UK during October. After that we’ll be looking to tour more and finish all these new songs!