I first encountered Your Neighbour the Liar playing with Lightguides at Sneaky Pete's in Edinburgh several years ago, and then encountered them again when browsing the Carefully Planned Festival line-up. Unfortunately, given the column title, it seems that their drummer Jamie is moving to Berlin next month, so if you like them you are advised to blockade the airport upon his attempted departure - Ben. 

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Your Neighbour the Liar and what are your musical backgrounds?

We are an indie-emo band based in Edinburgh. Jamie plays drums, Kyle plays guitar and sometimes sings and I (Andy) also play guitar and sing more. Kyle and I used to play in a pop rock band from when when were 15 and Jamie used to play in tech-metal band.

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

We came together in November 2009 after attending an Algernon Cadwallader gig at 13th Note in Glasgow and deciding then that we would go have a practice together. A friend of ours then offered to put us on at a gig she was putting on the next month so we quickly got a set together and went for it.

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

I have never been great at poems, but here we go…

We are sometimes loud, but sometimes sad,

Hopefully you think we aren't that bad.

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

Edinburgh has a few good wee venues, but there has never been a big scene here. Luckily we would get put on good bills through in Glasgow when we were starting out.

(((o))): What can you tell us about your recorded output to date?

We recorded our first EP a month after we played our first gig to try and get more gigs and our name out there a bit more. It got a bit more attention than we expected from various blogs, magazines and radio. We then recorded another EP about 6 months later which was also well received. An American label called Keep it Together put out those two EPs along with our song John Slow and a live set on a cassette. We then released a 7" during summer 2011 and a split 7" later that year with our friends in Human Hands. We recorded a song for a split 7" with Empire! Empire! (I was a lonely estate) and Smithsonian, as part of a series on German label Time as a Color, which is due out soon.

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

There's a lot of different ways for new bands to promote themselves and a lot of new bands, so I think the most difficult part is getting your music out there to the right people who will appreciate what you are doing. I guess research is the key, knowing the promoters, recording studios, etc. in your area.

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

We have never really set any aims at all in the band. I guess things just progressed nicely for us with regards to releasing music and playing tours. Travelling over to Europe to tour was a great moment for us.

(((o))): Are all neighbours intrinsically deceitful?

Not so much deceitful but my neighbour recently complained to the council about some stuff I had left in the landing, the fire brigade had to come move it as it was a 'fire hazard'. I was too ill to move the stuff myself which is why it was sitting there, don't know why she couldn't knock on my door or put a note through the door...?

(((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?

I’d like to see The Twilight Sad, Chrvches, Brand New, our friends in Penguins Kill Polar Bears and I’ll throw in Metallica too.

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

Human Hands have their LP coming out soon which is great and definitely worthy of your time. Carson Wells also have some new stuff coming out soon.

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

Jamie is moving to Berlin next month, so this is the beginning of the end for the band. We start recording our last EP this week and we’re playing at A Carefully Planned Festival on the 20th October. Hopefully we’ll manage to release the EP on vinyl and play a few final shows before the end of the year.

Your Neighbour the Liar play Manchester's Carefully Planned Festival on Sunday at 7pm. 

Tyrants Blood impressed Berns von Bernington with their recently released Into the Kingdom of Graves album, which is full of the band's own bland of extreme speed metal, hitting upon black/death thrash metal as well. It resulted in a very positive review by Berns and he therefore jumped on the opportunity to be able to ask guitarist Marco Banco some questions.

(((o))): Can you give us a bit of background on how Tyrants Blood came into this world?

Marco: Of course and thanks for taking interest in us, all power to Ech(((o)))es and Dust.

We came together in the summer of 2005. I had been asked by our original drummer and co-founder, Kevin Volatile, to come write with him. He pestered me incessantly for a good year until I finally agreed to it.

When we did finally got together, we wrote a song quickly after jamming some old songs, within a few weeks we had a good feeling about it, so we began to seek out other musicians that would suit what we were going for.

By January of 2006 we had our first lineup , began writing the rest of the debut album, recorded it and started to perform live.

(((o))): You guys play a very abrasive style of black/death thrash, which is absolutely fantastic, what are the influences at the core of Tyrants Blood?

Marco: Well, there is 4 decades of metal music that influences this band, from the old days of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, the early 80’s groups like Venom, Saxon, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Exciter, Cirith Ungol, Merciful Fate, onward into the mid eighties Possessed, Celtic Frost, through to the 90’s with groups like Deicide, Autopsy, Morbid Angel etc. etc. and on and on.

There is and have been many many groups that have influenced Tyrants Blood's style.

(((o))): What influences the lyrical themes of the songs and for that matter the Into the Kingdom of Graves record?

Marco: Heavy themes suit heavy music. So we follow this, and seek inspiration from all that is found sitting on the darker edge.

There is plenty to inspire that sort of thought process.

For Into the Kingdom of Graves, we followed suit, because the title would be best served that it holds passages to things that are within the realm of the name of the album.

(((o))): How did you guys end up on Ablaze Productions?

Marco: They asked us after we released the album independently, if we would like to have Ablaze make a version of the album also. We talked through a deal with them; it has not been finalized or released by them yet. So for now we are with Tridroid Records for the vinyl release which should be here within a few weeks, and of course we have the CD out independently for the time being also.

(((o))): What personal influences being the guitarist of an extreme metal outfit?

Marco: Some of my influences are Micheal Denner, Hank Shermann, Jake e Lee, Gary Moore and Alex Lifeson.

(((o))): In terms of writing material, you guys seem to have a good combination of guitar and bass sound, generally one doesn’t hear bass, but in this record both bass and guitar really lives as two very distinguishable entities, which is absolutely fantastic, is their any reason for that?

Marco: Vinnie [Borden] plays very upfront with his style, and always has. He is not in the background; we have always been this way. Since he is also a main writer for songs with me, he comes up with quite a large number of riffs on bass and I think because we are following one another this way, the bass almost takes a lead role in the verse riffs sometimes, this is our style.

(((o))): Being South African, I don’t get to see that many extreme metal bands from abroad unless I venture up to Europe. Do you guys plan on any big tours toward Europe with regards to festivals?

Marco: For sure, we are arranging our European/Scandinavian tour for 2014 in support of the album. I look forward to the campaign; it is the lifeblood of any band I believe.

(((o))): What are your favourite riffs and/or track off the Into the Kingdom of Graves record?

Marco: Personally I like Spiral Sea's main riff, and also the hook at the end. Also for me, Revelation in Damnation has a great riff that stays in the pocket, so I like to play this one too. Destroyer, and Into the kingdom of graves also flow excellent and smooth I find.

I would say that Revelation in Damnation and Spiral Sea are my 2 favorite tracks.

(((o))): Can you give us some insight into the writing process that went into the Into the Kingdom of Graves record?

Marco: With this album we let loose completely. Everything from everybody was thrown down, and from there we created this album. Whether I brought in a song, or Vince had part of a tune, Matt [Modder] wrote a song on drums, or Brian [Langley] had a riff, we took that, tore it apart and sewed it back up.

We wanted to make it more than what it was, it was a theme that just grew organically without question, so we just attacked every riff to make it faster and heavier.

(((o))): What’s the over all atmosphere in the band with regards to the new release and playing some new numbers live?

Marco: Excellent, we are familiar with each other and what’s expected from one another. Our live show is unified and aggressive. The new songs are great to perform, and I only look forward to creating more new material, crushing onward and moving forward.

(((o))): Thank you very much for this interview Marco!

Pre-orders for the Into the Kingdom of Graves vinyl are now available through Tridroid Records.

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

We're a three-piece band from Portsmouth/London (attempting) to play technical rock music, and probably alienating most listeners in the process, although that is honestly not our intention. We like to use weird time signatures and harmonised vocals as much as possible.

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

Dan had been kicking around with other musical projects that never really took off. The three of us knew each other through mutual friends, and we were interested in putting together a band for fun, so we had a writing session. At the time, Jamie and Toby were in another band, and after it broke up a few months later we got together in the practice space of our friends in Bear Cavalry and spent some time getting a short set together. The three of us were all good friends to start with anyway, so it was a pretty easy transition.

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

Haikus are always a good laugh. Here we go:

Complicated stuff.

We're often far, far too loud.

That's a good thing, right?

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

We're really fortunate to be part of a local scene in which the artists and promoters work really closely together – a friend of ours runs Beach Community, which has been instrumental in bringing us as bands and artists together, often for good and charitable causes. Being in a band and playing shows at home has ended up with us making a lot of contacts and genuinely good friends.

(((o))): What can you tell us about your recorded output to date?

Aside from our earliest demos, we recorded three tracks last year with our friend and released it as a short EP called Tethers. We pressed fifty handmade copies, each one having a unique photograph from the seventies on the front. We didn't repress as we didn't have many photos left, but we put together another handmade collection of work to date bundled with a zine, as well as making about ten or fifteen cassettes. We've recently released a new EP called Ages, which we're all pretty proud of. It's up for free download on our Bandcamp page.

(((o))): A lot of three-pieces have a really unique chemistry by virtue of the fact that they are unable to embellish their sound with lots of extra bits as easily as larger groups. Do you feel that’s important to the dynamic of Noyo Mathis as a band?

I think we all, as a band, like to listen to music sometimes that isn't completely drenched in fancy noises and weird, idiosyncratic instruments. Those embellishments can really work well sometimes, but for our material we like to put as much focus as possible on raw and stripped-back sounds, a kind of 'less is more' ethos. Being limited by what we can play simultaneously live lends a hand in focusing less on parts and more on the songs as a whole.

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

We've never really made it a goal to try to make much money, because though it can appear feasible, it's a false economy.  Bands need to be prepared to pretty much feel lucky to break even.

For us, the biggest stumbling block has not so much been getting gigs, but branching out beyond our own city limits. We were lucky enough to have had a lot of great opportunities early on in the band to get outside of Portsmouth, and although we love playing gigs at home, it's important to try and get the experience elsewhere playing to a room of people that have no idea who you are.

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

To be able to balance a life of work and to keep the band playing shows, getting out to Europe and touring as much as possible. That might be it – if we broke into Europe and found an audience there, we'd be living the dream. I mean, it's not international but it's a nice goal and we've heard the crowds are generally incredibly receptive and nice. Of course, we'd love to be able to play the States too, and Japan, ad infinitum. Anywhere you put your finger on an atlas – that's cool with us. Except possibly North Korea.

(((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?

Oh, now this is difficult. I guess we'd like to see The Band perform 'Music from Big Pink' in full, if they resurrected Rick Danko, Levon Helm and Richard Manuel. Alas, science has only come so far. They could do a 2Pac and just use holograms. Another essential we'd all pick is Godspeed You! Black Emperor, just because it has to be done.

For the other three: Dan would pick The Dismemberment Plan, they've written some of the finest songs of the past twenty years. Toby would pick Joanna Newsom, who could be considered a genius. Jamie's choice would be The National – they've been consistently good for their entire existence.

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

There are a few artists from within our own scene who really deserve recognition. Acres are a really talented bunch of guys and good friends. Matt Jarvis is an incredibly gifted songwriter and we're all pretty jealous of his effortless ability.  There's also a band called Jesse Wyldes & the Stallions – if you could imagine a guitarist with dirty surf sounds, growling vocals and a killer rock combo backing him up. And finally, Bellyeyesmile – they sound like Cardiacs with a bigger set of balls.

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

Just keep on truckin', really. Play shows, make friends and get ourselves over to the continent. Chase that goal.

Noyo Mathis play Manchester's A Carefully Planned Festival #3 on Sunday 20th October.

I met Ásgeir Trausti on a hot July afternoon, before his open air gig at the Somerset House, supporting Of Monsters and Men. The courtyard of Somerset House was still full of tourists, the crew was testing the lights and Ásgeir’s entourage was walking around. We were looking for the best place to sit down and conduct the interview, and we decided on some stairs on the side of the stage. He was wearing black jeans, a jumper and a hat and I remember wondering how on Earth he wasn’t melting when I could barely survive the heat in a summer dress. Just before we started, he caught a friend and got a cigarette off him. Before I started to ask my questions, we had a chat about Somerset House and how there are always places in your city you’ve never visited. When he spoke, he came across not as nervous, but definitely shy. He was picking his sentences very carefully and delivering them in a charming Icelandic accent. It certainly felt like I was interviewing one of the more frontmen in history.

(((o))): How and when did you start making music?

Ásgeir: I’ve just always been into music and music has always been around me and my family. My mother plays an organ in the church with choirs and my father plays the accordion and some piano and both my siblings play some instruments and sing and stuff. So it’s always been around me and I went to school to learn classical guitar when I was 6 years old and I finished that education when I was 19, which was 2 years ago. I’ve always been into that and I started to write my own music when I was only 10 years old, just playing guitar and putting some bands together in a garage and playing some crappy music, and it’s just so much fun so you just keep on trying to make some more music… and now we’re sitting here.

(((o))): How did it all happen because it seems like it happened very quickly for you?

Ásgeir: Well, I’ve always been writing music, but eighteen months or so ago I contacted a producer with some demos I’d recorded on my own, just at home. I just decided to do that one day, because one of my friends told me I had to do something about my music, and I was just like, well, why not? Why not just try it? The idea for me was just to go into a real studio for the first time and record something, like, really well, but just for me and my friends. Then we just… started recording an album, like just out of the blue. When we were done we sent some songs to a radio in Iceland and it just got bigger and bigger.

(((o))): So what’s the music scene in Iceland like right now? We seem to be getting a lot of new, exciting music coming from over there. Is it easy to break into the scene and get played in the radio?

Ásgeir: It’s much, much easier than everywhere else because it’s such a small community and if you get into the music scene and get recognised, you suddenly just in a few day know all the people in the music industry. From that you know people in the radio, you know people on the television. For me it was like - we just started recording some songs and my producer, he had been in the music scene for a while and he knew all the people, and he sent some songs to the radio and they got played. It doesn’t seem like it’s that easy outside of Iceland! [laughs] Because there are only about three radio stations in Iceland... it’s so small!

(((o))): Did you ever imagine your career in music and how whatever is happening to you right now compares to that original idea?

Ásgeir: No, I never imagined myself being a frontman, ever. I never even imagined myself making an album. All of this stuff just happened. I’m just that kind of guy - I don’t believe in myself that much, which is a good thing sometimes, but yeah, it just happened, I had never imagined anything like this.

(((o))): You went on tour with John Grant recently and he was helping you translate your lyrics. How did that relationship work out? Did you start writing in Icelandic and he translated you or did you start writing in English…?

Ásgeir: When I write my songs, when I’m recording at home some demos, I always make the songs first and make up some nonsense lyrics, words that don’t exist, to get the feel of the song, how it would sound with lyrics, you know? I just put down some bullshit in a few minutes to be able to sing and see how it would be with lyrics, because those nonsense lyrics are a little bit like English. When I showed those demos to my friends and family they actually thought that I was singing in English, but that they didn’t understand it. So then I sent the demos to my father, who writes most of my Icelandic lyrics for me, because he’s an Icelandic poet and he’s been writing poems for ages. He has been writing some for my brother and he’s just really good at what he does. It has become sort of like a family project by now, which is quite exciting. The idea from the beginning was always that we’re gonna record an Icelandic version and an English version. When we released the Icelandic version, a few weeks later we were thinking how we could translate the lyrics and wondering who could help us with it. And then my brother, I think, told me that John Grant was staying in Iceland at the time. I actually hadn’t heard about John Grant until then [laughs] and I looked him up and I just thought he was really, really good. So we called him and asked him if he would like to help us with the translation and he listened to the album and was really excited and wanted to help us. So we just started to translate the lyrics and he helped us with it. Now the English version is complete and it’s going to be released in October.

(((o))): The acoustic session that you recorded in London - was that a part of the same story, or was it a different project?

Ásgeir: Yeah, that’s just the same thing. It’s just a stripped down version of songs that are usually really big, electronic songs.

(((o))): How do you imagine your career going from now on? What are your aspirations?

Ásgeir: I try to think about it as little as I can, and just try to go with the flow. I trust the people I work with and we’re all working on the same project, we all just wanna have fun and make it happen.

(((o))): If you were not doing what you’re doing right now, what would you be doing instead?

Ásgeir: Probably learning some more classical guitar in school, maybe teaching music. I don’t know.

(((o))): You already played with John Grant, tonight you’re gonna be playing before Of Monsters and Men. Who is your dream person to play with once in your life?

Ásgeir: [long pause] I’m really into James Blake, that would be quite exciting, and Thom Yorke. I always wanted to… Yeah, I think those two.

(((o))): Looking at how your career is going right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened soon!

Ásgeir: [shy laugh] Thank you!

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Two Trick Horse and what are your musical backgrounds?
MC: I’m Marcus, I play bass, that’s about as far as it goes.

SC: I’m Sam and I play guitar and occasionally yelp out the vocal line. Dave is the drummer and hits the drums.

(((o))): How did the band come together?
MC: Sam and Steve started it. I joined. Steve left. Dave joined. Here we are.
(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form.
MC:

Fear of disappointment
Fuelling short deep breaths of despair
Sharpened by noise
Convoluted and coy
(((o))): How has your local scene impacted you as a band?
MC: Massively. There is something of an uncomfortable noise about Leeds which is so alluring at the same time. Things change very quickly with it being a student city you can never really settle down in a place like this and I think that’s reflected in the music. The instability provides a sort of cognitive dissonance which is beautifully represented by the noise rock bands here like Blacklisters, That Fucking Tank, Super Luxury, Bilge Pump etc. Pulled Apart by Horses proved that we didn’t just have the Kaiser Chiefs, the work that Brew records did really helped to put the city on the map and define a “Leeds sound” of sorts although I don’t really think there is a definitive “Leeds sound”. There are lots of micro-scenes that make up the Leeds music scene in general. Sometimes cross pollination happens, it’s a small enough place, everyone knows each other and helps each other out, it’s more of a community than a ‘scene’. Venues are cheap to hire out, rent is cheap so living costs are lower so you have more disposable income or don’t have to work as much as you would in London so you end up having more creative space. £600 pcm for a 4 bedroom house in Hyde Park, probably get a cardboard box for that in London. Lots of interesting DIY promoters are bringing in all sorts of bands from elsewhere which not only gets people watching live music but inspires creativity too. It’s like the earth being the perfect distance from the sun for life to evolve. Leeds allows creative people a lot.

SC: It’s massively inspirational as a musician as there is always loads going on and the quality is always quite high. The community aspect is also important as I gigged in London for seven years and although there were loads of great bands, the scene was quite disparate with pockets of great bands all over. I’ve only been living in Leeds for a few years and one of the first gigs I went to was Live at Leeds – I walked into the Cockpit and saw Kong and These Monsters back to back which was amazing. That in turn led me to Brew Records and beyond that, to the other promoters and labels working in the city and around which was actually how I met Marcus. As well as the noise rock element there is a fantastic heavy scene as well. I think everyone knows Humanfly and Black Moth but we’ve also got Envoys and Sunwolf. It’s pretty healthy at the moment.
(((o))): What can you tell us about your recorded output to date?
SC: Steve and I did the first recording up in Newcastle before we’d even gigged as we presumed we needed something for people to listen to in order to get gigs. As a result it sounds like a 2 piece trying to sound like they’ve more members (!) (for some reason we splattered bass and keyboards all over it….)
Both our last 2 recordings have been done at Ghosttown Studios in Leeds with Ross Halden who is brilliant for recording with and gets the sound exactly how we envisage it in our (collective) head i.e. 3 people playing dirty noise in a big room… I was obsessed with ape-ing the Kill Yourself guitar sound at the time of the 2nd recording although I don’t think I quite got there but that was the context for Ross to interpret. I can definitely see us doing some sort of long form record there in the future as it’s such a great environment.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?
MC: Well it depends how rich your parents are but class war gripes aside I think striking a balance between work, life and getting time to play, rehearse and write. Making sure you’re earning enough money to keep yourself and the band afloat without having a mental breakdown either because you’re working a really low paid part-time job to free yourself up for music or a full-time one grinding away at your soul day by day just to pay the bills. If you can master that balancing act then do everything yourself, why get someone else to book you shows if you’re perfectly capable? Why bother with a manager? Can you do your own artwork? Can you shoot your own video? Yeah, all these things take up a lot of time but so did learning your instrument so stop being lazy and get on with it. If you love playing in a band that much then make it fun, it’s your thing, do what you want to do.

SC: I would definitely agree with the balance aspect – it gets very hard to juggle everything if you’re working fulltime and if you work part-time and have more space for band activities then you probably aren’t making enough money to put into it and pay bills at the same time. You need to work really hard to not make being in a band a chore. Saying all that we’re creating something from nothing, just an idea of a drum sound or a riff, and there’s nothing more interesting or exciting than that.
(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Two Trick Horse to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?
MC: You never make it; you’re always ‘making it’ so to speak. I’m not sure what ‘it’ is but it seems pretty fun being part of the process. People are so obsessed with an end product, something presented to them in a finished form. People are scared of process because they don’t know where they stand, it’s a state of flux. If you stop to turn around and admire your footsteps in the snow you’re gonna get hit by snowball and you’re gonna go home crying to your mum and she's gonna call you a fool. That’s actually an old Jamaican proverb handed down from my Grandmother.

SC: I don’t really know what that means anymore and everyone seems to have their own definition anyway. For me I would by releasing an album and managing to sell it to an audience beyond our social circle combined with touring a few times a year. We’ve talked about going round Europe before so that would be something to tick off the list. I still want to see some vinyl with ‘Two Trick Horse’ on the label.
(((o))): What trick can horses do that one trick ponies cannot?
MC: They probably have bigger dicks. I haven’t seen substantial evidence to verify this but it’s an educated guess but I suppose having a bigger dick isn’t really a trick, it’s more nature’s way of saying “Hey mate, you’re much bigger than this other animal, why not have a bigger dick? Go on, have a bigger dick on me mate”. Luck of the draw I guess. But if I were to give a less phallic focussed answer I’d say badminton.

SC: Can’t say it better than 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?
MC: Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Pissed Jeans, Dope Body, Lightning Bolt.

SC: Hot Water Music, Converge, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Silent Front, That Fucking Tank.
(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?
MC: Godzilla Black, Stilts, Nately’s Whore’s Kid Sister, Girl Band, Alpha Male Tea Party, Bearfoot Beware, Super Luxury, The Engine, The Physics House Band, Ikestra, The Witch Hunt, USA Nails, Death Pedals.

SC: Ditto the above plus Torpor (fantastic sludge noise from London), Cleft, Nope, Cowtown, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster, Cattle, Envoys, Shield Your Eyes.

(Ed: We’re doing pretty well on that list!)

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?
MC: Keep writing songs. They’re pretty important.
Play more out of town shows and record some new material. We’re pretty economical when it comes to recording so we could probably knock an album out in a couple of days. Don’t hold us to that though.

SC: That sounds good to me.

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

Bearfoot Beware are Tom, Mike and Ric. Mike is the only member with a credible musical background having been in a number of bands previous and studying music at school and university. Tom and Ric are basically self-taught music fans that enjoy stumbling hap-hazardly upon combinations of guitar note thingys, singing different notes in several thingys and making them combine into some sort of thingy.


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

All objects exert a gravitational pull. When an object becomes as large as Ric and Tom’s egos the forces involved become so large things start to gravitate towards it. It was only a matter of time before a collision occurred. Poor Mike was just an innocent comet dragged into the terraform.

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

Listen intently,
A Three of Thrashing humans
It never quiet.

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

Leeds has an incredibly deep pool of musical talent and variety, not only in the rock scene, but in every available genre. We all try to get out to as many gigs as possible and it'd be silly to say that we weren't inspired by what we see. There are bands like Cowtown, That Fucking Tank and Bilge Pump that have been credible staples of the scene here for years and watching them do what they do well drives us to get better.

Saying that we also make sure that whatever we write is different, we're not interested in replicating what other musicians have done. We want to stand out on our own and build on it.

(((o))): Your third EP is just about to come out. What can you tell us about that?

I really feel like we're finding our feet now. The previous E.Ps have been us playing around, seeing what we want to sound like. We listen to all sorts with several influences shared, so it's nice to finally settle on a sound we're happy with.

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?
The beliefs that all new bands probably have, I know we did, the belief that all it takes is a lucky break and that lucky break will come. It takes all the money you have, all the time you have and all the social skills you have (or manage to fake).

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

Ric: It changes every time something happens. At first it was play Leeds festival.. but we did that.. so then it was tour Europe .. but now that’s booked for April of 2014. So I guess for now it’s going to be the Japan tour.

Tom: I'll feel like we've done it when we make and sell records for a good living. I've no interest in substantial amounts of money or popularity, just the ability to do this until I'm decrepid.


(((o))): What has prompted the need for the bearfoot to beware?

Google

(((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?

Clearly the best question we have been asked to date!

Tom: Red Fang, Devin Ocampo (Medications/Faraquet), Henry Rollins (stand-up or spoken word), Maps & Atlases and LITE. I'd also like to point out that it's pointless saying Shellac as they're the House band. They play anyway. In fact I'd have Steve Albini on a throne just behind the sound desk. If he doesn't like the band playing, he gets to press a button that activates a trap door underneath the stage.

Ric: Red Fang, Faraquet and LITE I agree whole heartedly. The rest I’d swap for a bit of Hot Water Music and ASIWYFA.


(((o))): Are there any upcoming bands you’d like us to feature soon?
Our good label friends - Bear Makes Ninja
Our good topless friends - Alpha Male Tea Party
Our goodest friends - Super Luxury

(((o))): What are the band’s plans for the near future?
The next 12 month is hopefully going to happen in the following order
E.P
UK tour
Europe tour
Album
Galactic Domination

Disarmingly human and emotionally charged noise/punk rock from the heart of Brooklyn, New York, EndAnd have been gaining feverish word-of-mouth since the Summer 2012 release of the uncompromising Adventures of Hi-Fi in Space. Now with their second album, Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-Running, EndAnd explores an even more visceral and aggressive sound. Grayson Hale had the opportunity to ask vocalist/guitarist Daniel Fern a few questions about the new record and what makes it so extremely personal.

(((o))): Hi Daniel! Firstly, please tell us a little bit about the history of EndAnd. How did the band form and what were your motivations for starting the group?

Daniel: Hey! EndAnd began after I recorded a demo back in 2005.

I moved to Brooklyn in 2007 and attempted to find a place closest resembling the free community spirit of the Desert Sessions. It took a while, and after a stint in a band called The Stoics, I found King Killer studios, around late 2010. I worked on my craft most seriously then, with a collective of musicians that later became Generator Ohm, The Stink, We Are Augustines, Scrapers, TinVulva, Morgans, Switchblade, Capita Clip. These are all residents of King Killer that I directly worked with in one way or another that contributed and formed EndAnd. Mostly it's Mike Morales and myself. We had Bill Fitzgerald as a bassist. Ernest D'Amaso and Sarah Soller Mihlek, not to mention that Dan Kramer played bass on Adventures of Hi-Fi in Space. I started this group with the idea that everyone plays everything. Everyone plays with as many musicians as possible. A complete and constant conduit of musical output. That was something always missing greatly from my life. Here there is such a versatile, powerful and inclusive niche that it's wonderful. It was very hard to find in such a big city. Ironically. Under this community EndAnd thrives no matter how few or many we are.

(((o))): Is there a meaning behind the name EndAnd? How does it reflect the philosophy of the group?

Daniel: The meaning is a simple one: that sometimes it is hard to differentiate between when something actually begins and defines something, to when it ends and essentially disappears. The idea of being and non-being and the idea of contradictions. It's not supposed to represent any philosophy that the band practices. We are not idealists, we just want to play music.

I wanted another name and couldn't shake EndAnd since it's been with me for a long while and I couldn't come up with anything. It seems any band's name is expected to define that band and that is so annoying to think about.

(((o))): Congratulations on your latest album, Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-Running, it’s a really great release. This was an immensely personal album for you, would you mind elaborating on why that is?

Daniel: Thank you!

Mechanics was written and recorded immediately after Adventures of Hi-Fi in Space during what would be a defining time in my life where many scenarios that had to be dealt with were being concluded. My illegal status as an immigrant, my chronic muscle tension and depression. My fathers passing. Just one of those times where a lot of things that were brewing for a while happened in a short period of time.

When I say concluded, I mean these are things that I think I finally managed to deal with. Life of course always keeps moving.

(((o))): What made you decide to touch on such personal themes?

Daniel: Just circumstances. I usually write about my life anyway. I was also getting real tired of not being acknowledged as a legal human being after being here for the majority of my life. I was hoping maybe to gain some acknowledgement to the tragedy that is the American congress and The Dream Act.

(((o))): There are some rather ‘poppy’ melodies in some of the tracks that seem to contradict the dark subject matter. Is there a reason behind this?

Daniel: Absolutely there is. I love noise, but melody is key. Bands like Polvo do it right. Without melody in my opinion there's only posturing. Music is evolving (or devolving) into "art" instead of music. Granted melody doesn't have to be pop, but it just seems appropriate in songs like 'I Love You Soon', to sing a poppy song that sounds like a love song, but really reads out an empty promise to love a person one is not yet ready to love. So these types of contradictions are on purpose. I think they get accentuated that way.

(((o))): Speaking of pop melodies, Mechanics... crosses quite a few different genres in its 20-minute runtime. Was this a conscious decision or did the music direct itself? What were some of the musical influences that shaped the album’s sound?

Daniel: To the most part nothing is premeditated. This point of my life naturally led me to write off shoots of hardcore punk. I was never a hardcore punk listener. Shortly after the album I discovered that I like Germs and Circle Jerks. Also, we were coming off of a significant momentum with Adventures and I felt that album didn't really define our sound. I was just in a state of ‘go go go’! As to the different genres. I'm happy that apparently I'm not as repetitive as I thought. I didn't go into this thinking, 'I'm going to give them metal, punk, rock, pop!'. I just wrote what I felt. We got some reaction with Adventures where some critics commented that it crosses many genres. Therefore we are still finding our sound. At the time of Mechanics I wasn't listening to much. Funny enough I listen to a ton of hardcore now.

(((o))): What is being represented in the album art and in the title?

Daniel: Uncertainty, and a bit of comedy?

The name emerged after some King Killer crew sat and discussed who would win. A running person on stilts vs a regular runner. We also found an article online. 'Mechanics and Energetics of Stilt-walking' so there you have it. As to the art itself. I told Steve Woodzel the title, themes and lyrics of the album and asked him to do whatever he felt. He is crazy talented. He's also the composer of the kick ass soundtrack to the hit iTunes game Color Zen and is a member of Generator Ohm. He also helps me with web pages. He rules!

(((o))): A question that I have been personally pondering over a lot recently is whether music based in negativity has an overall positive or negative effect on people. I realise it’s completely subjective, but I wanted to hear your opinion on the matter. Is it cathartic or is it destructive? Do you find Mechanics... to be an inherently negative or positive record?

Daniel: I think inherently this is a negative album such as it deals with negative subject matter. But negative and positive is subjective of course.

Emotions are basic and anger and sadness needs to be expressed just like happiness and joy. I try to put all my excess negativity in music so that I may not take it out in my everyday life when dealing with people. If you listen to non-stop hardcore punk, metal or whatever might happen to have negative subject matter, you will feel it for sure in your every day routine.

When I'm angry, it's comforting for me to listen to Pissed Jeans. When I'm melancholy, My Bloody Valentine. Sometimes it's a bit more complex than that and I'm not sure why I listen to what I do, when I do.

But you certainly won't find me listening to The Beach Boys when I'm pissed off. I think everything has its time and place. When I'm angry, I find myself playing better, but it doesn't mean I enjoy going to said shows angry. I feel like I'm ill prepared that way.

(((o))): What’s up with the album’s short length? It’s very effective, but is there a reason for keeping it so brief?

Daniel: I was a bit worried about the length. It wasn't on purpose, things were happening quickly, and I reacted to that. I felt like I had to close this chapter in my life immediately. Of course we just recently wrote a song that is not unlike 'Vessel', but I think a few more are coming that will hopefully exit that premise. I go with what I have. That being said, I'm happy you find it effective!

(((o))): What does the future have in store for EndAnd? Where would you like the project to go?

Daniel: We would love to finally tour. We were supposed to go last year, but circumstances left us immobile.

It'd be nice to finally give this our all and see how we do on a real long tour.

(((o))): Thanks for taking the time to speak with me! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Daniel: Thanks for your interest!

With the third edition of the Manchester festival just around the corner we spoke to Carefully Planned organiser Matthew Boycott-Garnett about what has quickly become one of the most appealing weekend events in the UK...

(((o))): So, to start with, can you just give us a brief overview of how the festival started?

I find it quite difficult to keep things brief. Basically though, the festival started on the back of the smaller events I'd been organising in Manchester and Huddersfield since 2007. The list of bands I wanted to put on was getting longer and longer and so I decided I needed more space and more time. Since I'd been hosting all-day events at The Castle in the Northern Quarter, which is full of decent events spaces, the decision to host a multi-venue event in the surrounding area was an easy one to make. It kind of happened naturally, to be honest. I've been seriously into festivals since I first went to Glastonbury in 1994, so I suppose it was kind of inevitable I'd end up involved in organising one. By 2011, I'd met and worked with Mike Glenister on a gig and finding someone I felt comfortable and excited working with was the final piece of the puzzle. There's never been a decision to make the festival an annual event, but whilst we're still enjoying it and whilst we still feel what were doing can be valuable for people, we'll keep going.

(((o))): What was your original goal when setting up Carefully Planned? Has that changed at all since then?
When I started organising live music events, I lived in Huddersfield and for a while, I ran a night called You Are Invited. The reason I started the night was very simple. A band called Marvins Revolt (from Denmark) were looking for people to organise gigs for their tour of the UK. They made an appeal for help via their myspace page and since some of my close friends had recently started running a night in Lancaster (Transition), I felt like I could potentially pull something off. Being in contact with the band opened my eyes to how straight forward being a promoter could be. Communicating openly, clearly, sensitively, responsibly and respectfully with bands and potential punters alike seemed to be the way forward for me and I feel I've done a decent job of sticking to that. Obviously, as the events have become more popular, it's been increasingly challenging to maintain that personal and intimate feel. It is still a priority though and I don't always get why, but it does seem to still be the case at Carefully Planned gigs. I sincerely believe there's something special about our gigs and I think that stems from aiming to keep things simple and decent.

(((o))): Would you say Manchester’s the perfect location for an event like this?

Manchester is the only location that Carefully Planned could be, because it's where I live and it's where I know. That is important. Anyone with a decent, thorough and sincere knowledge of and appreciation for their local and national music scenes could theoretically host an event like Carefully Planned, wherever in UK they might end up. It takes time and focus and perseverance, but if you keep doing something well for a long time, success will find you. Manchester is great though and as such, it attracts lots of great people – and I won't deny that helps things run smoothly. Perhaps it is the perfect location. I guess I just don't know.

(((o))): How important is the promotion of local acts to your festival ethos?

It is important to support the local scene, but I think the festival itself does that, regardless of the involvement of local acts. I would never prioritise booking a local act above an act based further afield without focusing primarily on the value that act contributes as a performing artist. There are certain acts and bands who have supported Carefully Planned in the past and being based in Manchester often means they're in a better position to be able to afford to do that. I am so grateful to those bands and those individuals and I'm sure they know who they are. I feel that promoters ought to be aware of their responsibility to ensure they are pushing acts of decent quality, rather than those who are nearest or those they are more loyal to for reasons beyond the music itself. Supporting bands regardless of locality is, of course, important to me and I want bands to get out of playing at Carefully Planned what they look to getting out of music in general. Facilitating them in doing that is something I'm proud to be able to do, but at the end of the day, it's the punters who are paying, and for that they deserve to be sure that we look to book top quality acts and not just what is convenient for us.

Crash of Rhinos play The Soup Kitchen on the Saturday at this year's Carefully Planned

(((o))): The line-up is very diverse this year, from black metal to folk pop. Do you simply just book any bands you like or do you try and structure your bookings around having a certain amount of various kinds of bands?

I just look to book bands I like. That's one of the main reasons I feel it ought to be me doing this and couldn't just be anybody. I'm pretty good at putting myself in other people's shoes. I feel like my own personal taste has developed in a way that recognises that personal quality. There are some aspects of my taste that are just for me and I know why I'm so super-keen on bands like The Dismemberment Plan and Loney Dear (my absolute favourites), but a lot of what I'm into is because of what I feel it can do for other people. I think a pie chart of what I listen to broken down by genre would be pretty similar to the same chart of bands playing at the festival this year. In fact, a quick look at my Last FM profile (MatthewJuly) would probably confirm that.

(((o))): What other festivals in the UK are you a fan of, and why?
I love festivals. As I mentioned earlier, the first one I went to was Glastonbury in 1994. I was 9. I went there a few times when I was older too but haven't been since 2005. The first festival I went to with a bunch of friends was Leeds in 2001. I've been at least once to most of the big ones at some point but my favourites are All Tomorrow's Parties and End Of The Road. My favourite festival ever was Connect Festival in 2007. Great times. I was a bit younger then though and prefer the smaller ones now. The ArcTanGent line-up looked great this year so I'm hoping that won't clash with End of The Road next time.
Urban-festivals-wise, I've always had fun at Sounds From The Other City and, I've never managed to get to any of them, but Tramlines, Long Division and SWN all look pretty great. I'd like to get to Truck Festival and 2000 Trees too. I've probably forgotten some others. I love festivals.

(((o))): Are there any festivals abroad that particularly resonate with you? For instance, I went to Incubate in Tilburg last week and that seems to have a similar idea behind it to Carefully Planned, although admittedly on a larger scale.
I've never heard of that one. I'm not that into festivals abroad. I'm sure it'd be great to go to something cool, but I like going on holiday and I like going to festivals and I wonder if I went to one abroad, it might be neither here nor there. But I've never been. So, I guess I just don't know. I'll look up this Incubate thing though. Sounds huge.

(((o))): It would seem that the summer festival market is massively over-saturated. Do you think there’s room for more festivals like yours that take place over weekends in other parts of the year?

I think if you're meant to put a festival on, you should do it. I think clashes are a shame but inevitable. SWN Festival in Cardiff is the same weekend as our event. That won't make either event any less good, but it is disappointing not to have the opportunity to go to both. There's always room for more good stuff though. People always say stuff like 'If it was Christmas every day, you'd get bored of it'. Nah, basically, every-day would just immediately be loads better. I love Christmas. Bottom line is that good festivals are good, whenever they are and whatever is happening at the same time.

(((o))): What would you say you find the biggest challenges behind organising Carefully Planned each year?

Giving myself time away from organising in the few weeks running up to the event is pretty much impossible. There's always something I could be doing to make sure everything goes as well as it possibly can and finding time to sleep and eat and be nice to people becomes increasingly problematic. I'm just glad it doesn't feel like this all year round. I reckon some people have things take over their life in the same way and eventually it's inescapable. For me, it's nice to know that things will get back to normal again a couple of weeks after the weekend itself. Generally, it's nice to know that the more stressed out I feel, the more of a relief it'll be once it's done!
Also, I don't like receiving impolite emails. I find that pretty challenging. People need to be less rude.

Richard Dawson plays the Bakerie Wine Store on the Saturday at this year's Carefully Planned 

(((o))): How do you see Carefully Planned developing over future events?
It's difficult, but I try not to imagine things too far into the future. I try and avoid committing to organising the festival every year before I feel confident we can provide an event of the same or higher standards. I think that before you can think about developing, you have to make sure you know yourself. Things progressed pretty quickly from 2011 to 2012 and I think we need to make sure we're not getting ahead of ourselves. Let's make sure we can consistently succeed at the level we've reached so far and when it's clear we know what we're doing, we can have a look at maybe growing or moving or whatever else makes sense.

(((o))): What’s your personal highlight of Carefully Planned over the years been thus far?

There have been many, many proud moments for me over the years. My favourite bands of the festivals #1 and #2 were The Middle Ones and Ajimal respectively. Prior to the festivals, Jonquil at Kro Bar and Epic45 at Saki Bar were big moments for Carefully Planned. Also, on the Saturday afternoon at the festival last year, Plank played at Soup Kitchen. Walking down the stairs to see the Carefully Planned team, my mum and a packed room at our biggest venue, at 4 in the afternoon was pretty great. The club-night on Saturday night at 2022NQ was pretty wonderful too... and the party at my house on the Sunday night. I can't choose one. No, way. I could go on for ages here... Her Parents in The Castle. So many great times...

(((o))): Finally, who are your top three tips for this year’s event when it happens next month?

Argh. That's a tough question. I already struggled to whittle it down to ten for a piece for our own website recently. Probably Screaming Maldini, Richard Dawson and Laura James & The Lyres. I strongly recommend checking them out. Check out the others I recommended for that piece on the festival website!

You can buy ludicrously cheap tickets for A Carefully Planned Festival #3 here.

Brighton based rapper Syred has claimed he makes music "about the people, for the people", with inspirations ranging from the likes of 50 Cent and Eminem to the politically conscious poet Adrian Mitchell. This mix intrigued Magda Wrzeszcz, who got the lowdown from the man himself...

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

I am unfortunately just a person. Beyond that I’m a rapper, poet, musician; whatever you want to call it. I’m just an observer of life, interested in people and the way things work. The band is formed of 4 musicians from Brighton, Frankie Harper (guitar & vox), Caitlin Stubbs (keys and vox), Roman Scott (beatbox) and I. I grew up listening to mainly rap and hip hop during the come up of the likes of Eminem and 50 Cent. I actually began writing as a bit of a joke, imitating the gangster illusion. It wasn't really until I started drawing influence from more folk based music and beat poetry that I began to discover my actual voice.

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

I wrote an electronically produced EP and decided that I wanted to preform it with them live. So it's me and three of my closest friends. We always knew that we should work together at some point but never had the time with so many other projects going on, it was never really planned just kind of happened. Three of us officially live together now and I can't seem to get rid of the other one so we're pretty much joined at the hip.

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

New found,

truth bound,

contemporary poetry

moves round

and flows between

Swing - folk and teams,

the Jazz, Dub, Hip-Hop

go between..  hmmm

(((o))): Has your local music scene had any impact on you as a band?

There's not been a great deal of impact from the local music scene to be honest. Instead we’ve been more informed by the experiences and styles of each individual artist in the band and what they have learnt elsewhere.

(((o))): Your EP La Vérité Rouge came out recently. Tell us a little bit about it…

La Vérité Rouge is more of a concept mix-tape really than an EP I guess. It translates as 'The Red Truth' which signifies the truth from my perspective. Lyrically, it focuses on finding the truth within yourself and how important it is in helping you to fulfil your purpose. The track 'RedSky at Night' also pays homage to the two figures that made it possible for me to get to where I am. My manager and brother, Jack Syred, and the late Adrian Mitchell, pacifist beat poet and Grandfather to Caitlin Stubbs.

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

Getting real music put in front of the manufactured shit that they love to pump out infecting the ears of the masses. It it slowly sneaking back though! All is not lost - just find yourself a strong manager / booking agent who has your best interest at heart. Keep your wits about you and keep on producing music with a purpose.

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

When the more time I spend making music = the less time I spend finding other ways of making money.

(((o))):  ‘What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ By what other name would Syred smell as sweet if he wasn’t Syred?

If not Syred then just call me Louie.  Syred means 'Victory Councillor' & Louie means 'Famous Warrior', both were names I was given at birth, both of which describe me pretty accurately, "don't cha think?!" Haha!

(((o))): We have another column called Echoes of the Past in which we get people to write about albums that have particularly influenced them. What would you choose to write about in that column?

Moving in the Dark by Dizraeli & the Small Gods and The Soundtrack to the Struggle by Lowkey. Check 'em out!

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

This is probably slightly bias but Half Crown are doing big things out of Brighton at the moment, so keep a close eye on them. Also check out Val Bloom; it's only a matter of time for these guys...

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

Just to keep on writing and playing really! It's in the very early stages at the moment. But I plan to start recording a new EP in October ready for release early next year.

So stay tuned! Peace x

(((o))): How long has ConSouling Sounds been around and when did it all start?

Miguel: ConSouling Sounds was launched in May 2008 with two CD-R releases: Exxasens’ Polaris and No One Wished to Settle Here’s Constant Slapstick and Traveling. Those releases did very well, and a few months later we were able to give Nadja’s The Bungled and the Botched a proper release.

Before the release of our first CD-Rs, Mike and I were talking for a few months about starting a label together. First and foremost we set out goals and our way of working, and we took it from there.

Mike: Indeed, we were ambitious from the very beginning. Because we had to start somewhere, we decided to start out as a DIY micro label. It was clear to us that this had to be our start-up phase, and we had to evolve to a more professional label as soon as possible. We carefully set our goals, and managed to switch to only factory pressed CDs in a relatively short time. In 2009 we were able to press our first vinyl record with N (5)’s Bergen: Skizzen + Notizen. On top of that, we decided very early on we would need a proper professional distribution network set up if we wanted to be able to grow. We worked hard to get where we are now, with a distribution that ranges from the US and Canada to Europe and Japan. Still now we’re ambitious to keep on growing and expanding the label.

(((o))): Can you tell us how many people are currently involved in running the label?

Miguel: On daily basis: two, being Mike and I. However Mike's wife, Nele, also takes care of a lot of tasks. Furthermore, since last year we have also worked with Sander, who helps us out with booking some tours for our bands.

(((o))): I am a big fan of the music that ConSouling Sounds releases. A lot of it is sludge-metal, but also some black metal, post-rock, drone etc. What is the label’s main musical focus?

Miguel: We don't try to limit ourselves musically, but rather prefer to focus on quality. This has resulted in the latest releases being a lot heavier than the ones in the early days, but for next year again some drone and ambient releases are scheduled.

We always try to avoid working with bands with a very typical genre-specific sound. We have nothing against good genre-bands, but it's not our main focus. We prefer to work with artists that have balls and dare to experiment or cross boundaries.

Mike: We try to keep an open mind about things that come our way. We don’t want to exclude any genres. If it’s a great addition to our roster, we’ll take on the project regardless of the genre. However, despite the fact we’re not exactly limiting ourselves when it comes to genres, I do believe all bands featured on our roster share a certain feel, a certain aesthetic. I like to think when you hear a new album released on ConSouling Sounds, you will think that it makes sense to have it released on our label. In that respect, I think ConSouling Sounds has set out a clear course. The listener can be surprised about the genre, but not about the atmosphere, the aesthetics and the quality.

The Black Heart Rebellion - Har Nevo (ConSouling Sounds, 2013)

(((o))): ConSouling Sounds is based in Belgium. Does that mean that the label is always on the lookout for Belgium bands/artists or do you focus on global artists?

Miguel: We don't really select bands by location. Of course it's nice to work with bands from your own country because you can easily meet up to talk things through, instead of communicating through e-mail. Having said that we have never signed a band solely because they are Belgian and neither have we turned down bands because they are not. For 2014, for instance, we have signed mostly foreign bands - a few exciting Belgian additions to the roster notwithstanding.

Mike: Our main goal is quality. Because of our location we get to know a lot of local acts. Some of these bands are really good, but lack proper support. In that case we’re always eager to help out where we can. But we won’t be releasing a Belgian band, just because it’s a Belgian band. A release always has to meet our high standards.

(((o))): Based on the previous question, how does ConSouling Sounds find the bands/artists? Does the label get a lot of demo CDs sent by unsigned bands in the hope they get signed and released, or does the label keep an eye open for upcoming bands?

Miguel: ConSouling Sounds has been focusing on promising and upcoming bands right from the very start. So we are 'constantly' looking for great bands and nice opportunities.
We receive a lot of promos and have a hard time listening to all of them as carefully as we should. When we hear it’s not something that fits our label, we sift through the tracks really fast.

We’ve contacted most of the bands on our label ourselves. Or, the releases are new projects from talented artists we already worked with. However, we have indeed signed bands based on a promo we received.

(((o))): How does a release come together? Does ConSouling Sounds finance the recording process as well, or will it only release and distribute the release?

Miguel: With a lot of musicians owning recording equipment/software themselves, we are not asked that much to fund recording costs. Most often we are offered albums that already have been recorded.

We are now working on launching our newest project: ConSouling Agency, where we try to help out bands with self-financed releases. We can help out in every step of the production process after the recording, and even to get the music effectively out there. We can tell bands what kind of budget they need to produce the album, with this or that kind of packaging. However we can also work the other way around, and tell bands what’s possible and realistic with the budget they have. We offer them all our experience and help out with logistics. We negotiate with pressing plants to get the best prices and best product. We place orders and follow up on the entire process. We can contact the right PR firm for their promotion, etc... For bands that fit the catalogue of our distributors, we can even help out with official distribution. We haven’t communicated about this yet, but have realized three albums thus far in order to test-drive this new project.

Mike: Releasing albums that have been recorded prior to our involvement also keeps things simple. We only release and distribute the album as agreed, and don’t claim ownership of the recordings whatsoever.

As far as the Agency goes, currently we don’t have the proper equipment or contacts to assist bands recording the album. As I said before though, we’re ambitious to keep on expanding our scope. In a previous life I was an audio engineer, so we have the expertise to either build a studio ourselves or collaborate with kindred partners. In time we will be able to guide bands from the very beginning of the recording process, all the way to production and promotion.

(((o))): What is ConSouling Sounds proudest moment so far?

Miguel: For me there have been plenty proud moments. But getting respect from the bands we work with, and seeing that nearly all like to continue working with us makes me feel very proud.

Mike: It has been a hell of a ride up till now, and I’m grateful for every band we’ve been able to work with. My proudest achievement is to still be around after 5 years, and to still have lots of plans for future projects.

(((o))): Obviously the success of Amenra has helped making ConSouling Sounds a bigger label. Has this been a noticeable help?

Miguel: Yes, of course. We have the highest respect for the guys in Amenra. It's hard to find other guys, with that talent, who are that dedicated to their music. We started working with Mathieu first, by releasing the debut album of his solo project Syndrome. A few months later we got the opportunity to release Mass II for the first time ever on vinyl. Since then we have been nearly constantly in contact with the guys of Amenra, talking about possible new releases etc. It certainly helped in getting ConSouling getting some more respect.

Mike: There’s no denying Amenra helped us to raise our profile indeed. But the match between Amenra/Church of Ra and ConSouling Sounds feels very natural. We’re all very dedicated to what we do and there’s a great sense of mutual respect. Our approach to music is more than a fun little past time. Our approach to music is a way of life.

(((o))): Do you prefer focus on a specific release type, such as CD only, or are you happy to release on multiple formats?

Miguel: We have albums on CD and/or vinyl and nearly all tiles are available digital as well.

Mike: We also consider the best medium for a specific release. Vinyl seems more popular than ever today, but not all releases are better off on vinyl. Or the other way around: we released, for example, the N (5) album only on vinyl because of the nature of the recordings. It’s whatever makes the most sense really, and in the case that the recordings benefit from a multiple format release, we’ll gladly do so.

(((o))): Does ConSouling Sounds collaborate with other labels with their releases?

Miguel: We have done this in the past with the vinyl releases of Syndrome’s Floating Veins and Alkerdeel’s Morinde. However e are not looking actively to do co-releases.

Mike: It’s been a great way to split costs and take on more projects than we could do on our own. Because of how we evolved, co-releases have become very difficult though. For the sake of distribution, we have to be able to control the sales of the albums in certain countries. It’s not fair to the other partners when they are prohibited to sell records in those countries. So it has become practically impossible to collaborate with other labels.

(((o))): ConSouling Sounds is pretty much a small underground label. Do you consider this yourself as well? Is this intentional or would you like to grow into a much bigger label in the future?

Miguel: I don’t like to think in terms of big and small. We have realized over 30 albums in a little over 5 years time, so based on quantity - and personally I think also based on quality - I don’t consider us being that small. We also have a widespread distribution network, so I have no idea when you become a big label. Seeing where we started in 2008 and where we stand now; having been able to work with such talented artists, we can all agree we have become a lot bigger. And we’re still ambitious: we have no plans on slowing down. So I’m guessing it truly is in the eye of the beholder. We worked very hard behind the scenes. We want the best for the artists and we put all effort in this. So this leaves us very little (or no) time to focus on promoting ourselves.

There’s also a disadvantage in being located in Belgium. The local scenes here are extremely small. On top of that, we’re no strangers to international initiatives, so it’s hard to stand out. Especially when you are not constantly shouting out who you are and what you’re doing. Being somewhat of an antisocial person myself also does not help.

Mike: Well, we focus on underground music, so I guess that will keep on defining us as an underground label. However, I’m quite proud of what we managed to accomplish in those 5 years, and we’re constantly expanding the label. So yes, we would like to grow into a much bigger label in the future, but I agree with Miguel; when exactly do you become a big label? In fact I wonder if it still is possible this day and age to become a “big” label. The labels that are universally recognized as the “big labels” started out in a different era in musical history. I don’t think becoming a “big” label necessarily to be our final goal. I do want to establish our label as a quality brand that’s available to everyone who’s interested.

In the past five years, as Miguel indicated, we put a lot of effort in our structure and promoting “our” bands. I think we have to put some more effort in promoting the label as well. But we’re working on that. You haven’t heard the last of us just yet.

Allkerdeel - Morinde (ConSouling Sounds, 2012)

(((o))): What releases should people who aren’t familiar with ConSouling Sounds check out first before diving into the rest of the back catalogue?

Miguel: It all depends on what you are looking for. We have cheap introduction packages available in our mail order, so one can check out those. Otherwise one of the more recent releases would also be a very good start.

Mike: Those label introduction packages are indeed a good start to get to know what we do. But otherwise, I’d say, just dive in head first. If you’re a fan of the genres we release, I’m confident you won’t be disappointed.

(((o))): Are there any plans to start a festival in Belgium organised by the label similar to the Roadburn Festival organised by Burning World Records in the Netherlands?

Miguel: No. Mike, Nele and I have full-time jobs and young families besides our label activities. We simply do not have the time to set up anything like that. Not that we haven't talked about this before, but our focus is on other things for the near future.

Mike: Indeed, a lack of time is holding us back. It’s not that we’re opposed to the idea, but organizing something that is worth the trouble takes up a lot of time and energy. For the time being our priorities lie elsewhere. But who knows what the future brings. If we meet some motivated people along the way who are willing to make it work with us, we might give it a shot.

(((o))): What releases can we expect in the near future?

Miguel: A lot of things are planned, including an Alkerdeel and Gnaw Their Tongues collaboration, a new Snailking record: the second collaboration between Syndrome and Thisquietarmy... There’s also a lot more stuff we haven’t announced yet, but will be revealed very soon.

Mike: 2014 will be a very busy year for us, so a lot of interesting things will happen. Do keep an eye on what we’ll be doing!

(((o))): Is there anything you would like to add?

Miguel: Thank you for the continuous support. Magazines like yours keep the ‘underground’ alive.

Mike: I’d also like to thank the readers and fans that are still genuinely interested in the scene. Without you all we wouldn’t have made our 5^th anniversary, let alone allow us to plan for the future.

Shields rocked hard when supporting Torche at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds last month, so it seemed prudent to get them in on the Echoes of the Future act. Jonty answered the questions, and Joe provided the haiku. The others were busy trying to think of new band names...

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Shields and what are your musical backgrounds?
Kris – Formally of alt metallers Nerve Engine
Jonty – Shotgun Democracy / Cock Fight
Paul – The Plight
Si – Tangaroa / Year of the Man
Joe – Shotgun Democracy / Seven Headed Cobra

(((o))): How did the band come together?
Well, it started with myself, Paul and a guy called Cheese! Then Cheese left, so we got Kev in as well as Owen. Then we also added Kris, but then Kev left, so then Dave joined. Soon after that Dave and Owen left, so Si joined, as did Martyn, but then Martyn left and thus Joe joined... and there you have it!

(((o))): Please describe your sound in poetic form. (Haiku, rhyming couplets, acrostic, etc - take your pick)
Guitars tuned to A
Extravagant song titles
Skull fucking rhythms

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

The Leeds scene is incredible… It’s an honour to have such talented friends like Pulled Apart by Horses, Black Moth, Hawk Eyes, Black Listers, Humanfly & That Fucking Tank to name but a few! Having the honour to grace the stage with such giants is awesome for us. Even if they do steal our kettle leads.

(((o))): You’ve got an EP and a single out. What can you tell us about those?

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.

The Cosmic Dead is one of the UK's best known psychedelic space rock bands at the moment. The four piece from Glasgow has been producing release after release and touring extensively, including a great show at the Roadburn festival. Richard Collins caught up with drummer Julian Dicken.

(((o))): How the hell did you guys meet?

Julian: A young conservative party rally. One of us had a naughty 'jazz cigarette', so we snuck round the back of the bike shed and smoked it. We then headed over to James' house and listened to a Hawkwind record for the first time. The doors of perception were further widened. Immediately we realized our lives had been a lie, abandoned our right wing allegiances and became radical leftist hippies,
living in a hot air balloon moored atop Ben Nevis for a year or so. It was during that time that we discovered the divine meaning of existence, and decided to form a band, spreading the message through secret audio code that only the subconscious mind can decipher.

(((o))): What made you decide you wanted to play mind bending psychedelic music?

Julian: A general boredom with modern culture. The internet age, the age of diminished attention spans, instant gratification and desire for fragmentary and ephemeral brain candy. The age that robs everything of meaning and context, and processes you, me, and our lives as nothing more than mere data. The desire for mantra and repetition and all the things that help inspire meditative states of mind, comes from a desire to remind people that they're human beings, and that they deserve to feel alive, and should perhaps take a look at the world around them a bit more intensely.

(((o))): Your music can be anywhere between a mad cosmic voyage to an ambient experimental endurance test. Where do these songs come from?

Julian: The songs come from whatever mood we happen to be in that day. Or whatever external or environmental influences have been at play with us in the run up to us coming together to make that particular piece of music. I think we're becoming more absorbent in that way, and that's a really good thing, being an artistic earthworm and all that shit. All pure art comes about in that way I think. Though obviously it’s easier to observe in artists who create individualistically. The artist processes the world around them, and somehow needs to make thought and emotion into tangible, psychical or audible things. In order to maybe better understand their world, make sense of it all maybe. You can see that in the prehistoric cave paintings. I also like those artists that poo in buckets and pour it over themselves. They're a hoot.

(((o))): Releases seem to come thick and fast from you chaps which is amazing, do you find the writing and recording process relatively easy?

Julian: It usually flows very naturally. We mostly just jam things out, record it, and then pick out the best bits later, maybe add a little bit of overdubbing, and then put together an album! It's the way we've always worked, though I'd like to see us experiment with more varied and different techniques in the future though. Maybe we can all spend a week in a floatation tank, and then see what kind of music flows out of us. Or maybe we'll make an album comprised of nothing but our pitch and speed altered flatulence. There's something wonderfully pure and human about that I think. Yes. Hmmmmmm.

(((o))): Glasgow seems to have quite a heritage of boundary pushing underground bands. Why do you think that is?

Julian: Buckfast. Buckfast and Irn Bru. Oh and deep-fried cheeseburgers. It’s all brain fuel that stuff y'know. We recently did a whole bunch of recording in a cottage in Lochalsh in the north of Scotland a couple of weeks ago there. All we consumed for sustenance was Buckfast and crisps. We pushed at least 18 or 19 boundaries out to Iceland, North Pole and Newfoundland at least. Maybe if I mention Buckfast one more time they'll sponsor us. Buckfast.

(((o))): You have a split coming up with Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, how do you know those chaps? How did the split come about?

Julian: We played with them in Preston earlier in the year, and they blew our heads off with their spasmodic psych rock ridiculousness. They got about half way through their one song set, and the drummer put his kick pedal right through the bass drum skin. With that, we were in love. The feeling was instantly reciprocated, and they proposed to us on one knee later that evening, a slab of vinyl sealing the deal, a ring of unity and red-hot sexual chemistry. The marriage has been fruitful and blissful so far. We might have a few kids next year if the weather looks up. Though I made sure we get the house and the 4x4 in the pre-nup. You've always gotta cover your arse in this world.

(((o))): You guys played Roadburn this year, which is obviously a massive deal. How was the gig itself?

Julian: The gig itself was crazy. Probably one of the craziest gigs we've ever played in terms of the reception from the audience and sheer number of people there. I almost missed our own show. I ventured out into Tilburg city center to try and find a shop so I could buy cigarette papers. I must've wondered about for at least 40 minutes, and found zilch, zero, nada. There are no shops in Tilburg! Just bars and clubs, nothing else! I did stumble across a really cool scooter gang of 15 year olds though. Anyway, I wondered back to the venue and found a couple of guys from Manchester, so borrowed a bunch of papers off them, and had a good old chinwag with them. After telling them I was playing in a bit, I looked at my watch and realised we were due on in about 10 minutes. After panicking and vomiting with nerves over some unfortunate locals, I sprinted over to the venue, finding Omar along the way (which was very lucky as I no fucking idea where I was going!) and we made our way to the stage we were playing on. Walking in the door, it was completely rammed and I was convinced we were in the wrong room, but alas, there was our Jamesey and Lewish up on the stage in the distance, setting up! Now, this stage doesn't have a back entrance, so we had to maneuver our way through the audience for about 5 minutes, in order to make our way to the stage. I literally had to shove a few folk out the way who refused to budge, screaming at them that they wouldn't even be able to watch the fucking band they're stood waiting to see unless they moved out my way and let me get on stage! I don't actually really remember much about the gig itself, other than the sweat dripping off the walls cause the place was so rammed and hot as all living hell. Oh and the crowd being nuts and dancing and moving about a lot. Not something we're used to! Oh and Dutch stoner guys, screaming out "COSMIC DEID!" in their best faux Scottish accents. That'll stick with me for a long time. Ha ha.

(((o))): Who is the best band you have ever shared the stage with?

Julian: That's a tough one as we've been lucky enough to play with quite a lot of great bands. I'd say playing with a band from Chicago called Cave back in the early days of the band was a real revelation though. They're incredible live, and their drummer especially blew my mind. The man is a total machine. They just really bring things up to extremes, then bring it back down again, and I remember finding their masterful control of those dynamics really inspiring, especially as back then we were much more of a kind of "Right, lets be loud as hell for the whole set!" kind of band. More recently though, we shared the stage with Bo Ningen at Doune The Rabbit Hole festival and they tore that festival a new one. Mental. I thought Acid Mothers Temple were mental live, but these guys make AMT look like Blur.

(((o))): Name 3 bands which the Cosmic Dead think fucking rock...

Julian: Bush - Because who doesn't love Bush? I ask of you. Michael Bolton - More riveting and heartbreaking ballads than you can shake a Michael Bolton endorsed dildo at. Hoobastank - A band that were really a milestone listening experience for us. Their criminally under-appreciated second album, Hoobastank Coming Back Atcha, was one of the things that really drew the 4 of us together as musicians and informs everything we've ever done creatively and artistically.

(((o))): You guys seem to have a level of interest state side, is there a chance of you touring there any time soon?

Julian: I really hope so! At the moment though, it’s looking very unrealistic, as it’s just too damn expensive to get visas! The way it's set up right now, makes for a really crappy and unfair deal for small and independent bands, so unless they change their laws, or we can do some major fundraising, we aren't gonna be able to legitimately tour Americaland anytime soon unfortunately. Either way, I think its something we wanna try and maybe aim for in 2014. Failing that, maybe Japan! Stay tuned!

(((o))): If The Cosmic Dead was an animal, what would it be?

Julian: One of those little fish that swims inside your willy if you try and have a wee in a river.

(((o))): What's next for The Cosmic Dead?

Julian: A dry martini please.

(((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!