Listen Live: Jesu's Justin Broadrick Interviewed Today on WFMU!

Interview: Justin Broadrick of Jesu / Godflesh / Napalm Death



Coming up on the Kamikaze Fun Machine from Noon to 3pm: Diane will air an interview with Justin Broadrick -- the human behind Godflesh, Jesu, Napalm Death, Grey Machine, etc. His body of work spans decades and is more varied than most artists' record collections! In the past year, Godflesh did a couple of reunion performances, and have another one scheduled for 2011! The program will also feature a lot of Broadrick's music, past and present! Tune in for an afternoon of hearing Justin, his machines and his music!!

(((Click to listen live or to download the archive here!)))

Stereogum Premieres New Music from Norway's Årabrot!

Haunting The Chapel:
Årabrot – “Interim Me”



I interviewed the main members of the Haugesund, Norway noise-rock group Årabrot a few years ago in Trondheim, during the same trip I met up with old Varg pal Snorre Ruch. We spoke in some kind of bright bar/coffee shop. I remember there were something interesting things said. I have no idea what happened to the tapes, unfortunately, but their new album reminds me why I tracked them down in the first place.

(((Read more here!)))

The Village Voice Premieres New Music from Wires Under Tension

Yes In My Backyard
Download: Wires Under Tension, "Mnemonics In Motion"



Bronx duo Wires Under Tension play a fluttering post-'90s post-rock churn without the introspection or meandering--in essence, they go in for the kill. Like Tortoise fueled by Hot 97, the cycling minimalist rhythms of violinist Christopher Tignor and drummer Theo Met (both of YIMBY vets Slow Six) are more a suckerpunch than a slow boil, aiming straight for the chiming, resonant and anthemic in five-minute bites. The songs on their debut album, Light Science (due February 8 on Western Vinyl), explode with multi-layered walls of strings, Eyvind Kang-informed horn lines, and all sorts of digital love--all held down by the roiling and naked drumming of Metz. First taste "Mnemonics In Motion" is more music than two men should reasonably be able to make at once, Tignor's violins going through a gauntlet of funhouse mirrors while Metz holds down a devilishly funky groove. - By Christopher Weingarten

(((Read the full article here!)))

The Forms Recruit Members of The National, Shudder To Think + More For "Derealization"

Download The Forms' "Steady Hand" (featuring Pattern Is Movement's Andrew Thiboldeaux) exclusively at Stereogum.com!

"I think musical ideas are almost alive in a way," says Alex Tween, keyboardist and lead singer of The Forms, the New York-based duo. "Some of them, especially the good ones, will simply not go away until they have been sufficiently expressed. They haunt you like ghosts and refuse to leave you alone until they've been fulfilled."

On Derealization, their new EP, The Forms have taken some of the most compelling ideas from their previous releases and completely recreated them, enlisting the help of some of their favorite musicians, from The National's Matt Berninger to Shudder To Think's Craig Wedren. The result is an astonishingly original new sound.

"It started as an accident," explains Matt Walsh, the multi-instrumentalist and producer who is the other half of The Forms. "We had just received the vinyl of our last record. I was so excited that I dropped the needle down without checking the speed on the turntable, which was set to 45 instead of 33. Immediately, we were blown away at how the songs took on a whole new character at that speed. We spent that afternoon listening to the record at different speeds and made the decision on the spot to do a 'remix album.'"

But Derealization turned into something much more ambitious: a
transformation of existing compositions into hybridized combinations of new and old. Melodies and lyrics from the bands' two previous records – Icarus and The Forms – provide the basis for the six tracks on Derealization. But the ideas have been pushed farther, distilled to their essence and then fleshed out and augmented with new arrangements, chord progressions and words. It was an intense process of deconstructing and recombining, all of which took place in a new studio in Ridgewood, Queens, which Walsh designed and built himself. The duo recorded Derealization there with producer Scott Solter (Superchunk, St. Vincent). "The sound on this record is much more aestheticized and more fully formed than on our first two records," says Walsh. "We have always been into mystery in music. We always wanted listeners to get into
the shape of the music, and let that shape speak to them. But this time, we set about creating a more specific, almost visual world within each song."

To help achieve that goal, Tween and Walsh called on a group of high-profile musicians to collaborate on particular tracks, including a string section that features Nat Baldwin of Dirty Projectors and Daniel Hart of St. Vincent. The most dramatic contributions are guest vocals by three singers who re-worked Tween's original vocal lines to fit their own distinctive styles.
Matt Berninger of The National sings the opening track, "Fire To The Ground," imbuing the existing melody with a richer, more sonorous tone. Andrew Thiboldeaux of Pattern Is Movement adds layer upon layer of harmony to his lead vocal on "Steady Hand," creating an almost dizzying gospel chorus effect. And "Finally"
features a virtuoso vocal performance by Craig Wedren of Shudder To Think, a band The Forms consider a source of musical inspiration. "I had been struggling with that song for months," said Tween. "Craig took it, and within two days he had added these heavenly vocal parts."

The Forms are planning a North American tour in support of the new EP, which will be released on February 15th, 2011. In the meantime, they are looking forward to introducing their new sound to long-time fans and new listeners, as well. "I think Derealization includes some of the best ideas that we've had over the years," says Tween. "In the case of pretty much every song, I think we
have finally been able to properly fulfill them."

* In support of the new release, the band will be offering a free alternate version of "Derealization" on or around the week of release...

more details forthcoming.



Derealization Track List
1. Fire to the Ground (feat. Matt Berninger)
2. Same Path Mantra
3. Steady Hand (feat. Andrew Thiboldeaux)
4. Alpha Wave
5. Finally (feat. Craig Wedren)
6. Derealization

The Forms Live!
Dec 23 2010 Cameo Gallery Brooklyn, NY
Dec 28 2010 TT The Bears Boston, MA

+ US Tour Dates Coming Soon!




For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/forms
www.threespheres.com
www.ernestjenning.com

Jesu Release "Heart Ache & Dethroned" This Week on Hydra Head!

Justin Broadrick is in it for the long haul -- he started with grindcore legends Napalm Death at age 15, spent decades making brilliant industrial sludge as Godflesh, and has created endless electronic projects. He's six years and counting into Jesu, blending ambient guitar buzz with hypnotic rock rumble. This set re-releases his 2004 debut EP, Heart Ache, two songs (at near 20 minutes each) halfway between Godflesh and shoegaze, plus the Dethroned EP, four old songs that lay unfinished until now. It's the sound of a man moving to his next stage, unsure how he should make his machines howl. Mournful or loud? Why not both? - Spin Magazine

The more metal, shoegaze, various “posts,” and electronics intersect, the more obvious it is ex-Napalm Death/Godflesh/Techno Animal Justin K Broadrick’s been at the forefront of something even before he started Jesu seven years ago. Of all his projects, though — the older Final, more recent Pale Sketcher included — Jesu crystallizes his personalized blend of drone, metal, industrial, electronics, shoegaze, ambient, noise, and disarmingly fragile melodies. This re-release of Broadrick’s first Jesu offering, the 2004 Heart Ache EP, proves the point in shimmering, crunchy spades. - Stereogum

There are few artists operative at the fringes of popular music today whose sound has not been in some way or another informed or shaped by the works of Justin K Broadrick. As a founding member or sole proprietor of seminal outfits such as Godflesh, Napalm Death, Techno Animal, and Final, Broadrick has managed to help change or even define the now widespread genres of industrial and death metal, abstracted hip hop and dub, grindcore, and ambient electronics. So is also the case with his work in Jesu, who in the course of a very productive seven year existence have taken the churning pummel of his former project Godflesh, augmented it with the textural melody of 90s shoegaze rock and spawned a new sub-genre and the inevitable legions of imitators. And while imitators may abound, as the originator of this relatively newfound musical territory Jesu is still the clearly visible leader.

For those who may only be vaguely familiar with the history and subsequent
trajectory of Jesu the re-release of the debut EP, Heart Ache, may function as the most suitable starting place for the process of initial immersion and discovery. Over the span of two towering 20 minute tracks one can hear not only the smoldering remnants of Godflesh embedded in the aural tapestry, but also the foundational elements that would define the future of the Jesu lexicon - extended and hypnotic structures, overlapping multi-layered melodies, alternately harsh/beautiful sonic embellishments and a palpable sense of the human capacity to express feeling through the mode of song craft. While Heart Ache itself may be reason enough to warrant investigation by the uninitiated, the inclusion of the recently completed Dethroned EP as a part of this release gives further reason for new listeners and long time devotees to discover (or remember) why so many accolades lay heaped at the altar of Jesu. The 4 tracks from Dethroned were originally conceived and
partially finished in 2004, but were only finally completed in 2010. Perhaps due to the length of time over which these tracks were created the full evolution of Jesu is apparent within their structures, fluctuating from suffocatingly heavy to delicately sparse and covering an emotional spectrum of considerable depth. While "full circle" might not be quite the appropriate term to describe the content of Dethroned there is a completeness to its statement, recalling the monuments of Jesu past while simultaneously pointing towards the ever widening path of its future.

* Order "Heart Ache & Dethroned" here!



Track Listing

DISC ONE: heart ache
01 heart ache [19:42]
02 ruined [20:14]

DISC TWO: dethroned
01 dethroned [07:12]
02 annul [07:16]
03 aureated skin [06:46]
04 i can only disappoint you [07:09]



For more information, visit:
www.hydrahead.com

Lavinia Release Debut Album, "There Is Like Between Us" On The Mylene Sheath

Vocalist/guitarist Nate Shumaker croons in a hoarse near-whisper as the band’s music surges majestically around him, like deep green Atlantic Ocean waves threatening to swallow and drown the listener. The addition of slide guitar (and occasional banjo) makes the band’s tribal/post-rock throb that much more cosmic/atmospheric, and hints at prog-rock without going all the way out. - Alternative Press 4/5

In a sense this band is as much an outlet for its members as a project in its own right, an opportunity to let loose the darker dreams lurking within. - Rock-A-Rolla

Lavinia offset any navel-gazing tendencies with muscular post-rock dynamics that ultimately makes ‘There Is Light Between Us’ such a captivatingly beautiful listen. - Rock Sound 8/10

In Roman mythology, Lavinia was the daughter of Latinus and Amata. She was the lone child of the king and was eventually courted by many men in Ausonia who hoped to become the next king of Latium. Turnus, ruler of the Rutuli, was promised Lavinia, having the favor of Queen Amata. However, King Latinus is later warned by the oracle Faunus that his daughter is not to marry a Latin, and eventually Lavinia weds Aeneas, son of Aphrodite and progenitor of the Romans. In Book 7 of the Aeneid, during the sacrifice at the altars of the gods, Lavinia's hair catches on fire, an omen promising glorious days to come for Lavinia and war for all Latins.

It is within the shroud of this same mythological fire that Lavinia, a new band hailing from Boston, MA, introduces their debut EP "There Is Light Between Us." The band consists of current & former members of indie rock heavyweights such as Caspian, Eksi Ekso, The Burning Paris, On Fire, and the Fatal Flaw, but should never be confused as some sort of "side project." Bleak, dark, and unforgiving - Lavinia trudge through terrain that is much different than any of the members other projects. And while there is an underlying hope in each song - the album dwells in an unshakable depression. A feeling of isolation and loneliness further exposed by the heart-on-the-sleeve vocals of guitarist/vocalist Nate Shumaker (ex-Eksi Ekso, On Fire, The Burning Paris, Everdown), that brings to mind a combination of Red House Painter's Mark Kozelek and The Cure's Robert Smith. Pair that up with the commanding bass wielding of Philip Jaimeson (main axe man of Caspian), the towering drum fills of Alex Mihm (Eksi Ekso), and the slide guitar & banjo atmospherics of Josh Megyesy (ex-On Fire, The Burning Paris, The Fatal Flaw), and you've got the makings of a band who's sound shares more in common with roman mythology, than it does their own contemporaries and peers.

Recorded in multiple locations throughout 2010, including New Alliance with Ethan Dussault and Verse Media with John Helmig, mastered by Jason Martin (Starflyer 59) at Jason Martin Recording in Riverside, CA, the album captures the sound of a band discovering new and exciting sonic territory with no rules in place. A band creating music that they want to create, for the sake of creating it to exist. Doesn't sound like a novel idea to you? Well, unfortunately it is in today's music industry and it's incredibly refreshing to hear how easily this sound of creative freedom can come across when a band effortlessly executes without paying mind to outside pressures or expectations. The band takes us through five tracks in just under 28 minutes which brings to mind the moodiness of bands such as Red House Painters, Mogwai, The Cure, early Crooked Fingers, Starflyer 59, and Scott Walker while incorporating the heaviness of behemoths such as Black Sabbath, My Bloody Valentine, Isis, Jesu, and The Twilight Sad. The combination of these elements seamlessly meld together to create a document of visionary proportions.

Much like Turnus declaring war on Aeneas after losing the mythological Lavinia to him, our Lavinia comes forward with all the emotional intensity of such a war. Turnus was ultimately destroyed and his people captured by Aeneas, though Lavinia's father, Latinus, died in the war, teaching us progress cannot be made without sacrifice. The sound of Lavinia's debut EP "There Is Light Between Us" embodies this philosophy to it's very definition.



There Is Light Between Us Track List
1. Destroy Yourself
2. A Damning Confession
3. Fires
4. Windmills
5. Bone & Arrow

Live Dates Coming Soon!



For more information, visit:
www.laviniamusic.com
www.myspace.com/laviniaus
Lavinia on Facebook
www.mylenesheath.com

Nightmares For A Week Premiere Video for New Song "Veins" at AltPress.com!

Watch the video for Nightmares For A Week's new song "Veins" here!