Mankind is Obsolete

Where do I begin discussing MKIO?  I can not say I am a long time fan, but I am a HUGE fan now.  I discovered them roughly a year and a half ago.  It was one of those nights where I sat on my couch watching YouTube video after video, trying to discover new music and bands.  I came across the video for “Still Right Here,” and instantly loved it.  The song had an amazing eerie feel, coupled with stifled rage, and outward animosity.  I downloaded the song to my phone and proceeded to listen to it frequently for the next several months.  Oddly, and I’m not sure why, my curiosity about MKIO ceased with the simple pleasure of finding that new song I have never heard before.  My guess is I was distracted by something else at the time, but can’t quite remember what.  Probably writing.  Usually I’m more obsessive about new artists I discover.  It would take another six months for my real love affair with Mankind is Obsolete to begin.  First, let me post the video that put MKIO on my radar.

Fast forward those six months, and you will find me on my couch once again, watching video after video once again.  Maybe it was some divine power that forced my fingers to type Mankind is Obsolete into the search bar, but I did.  The result was I watched the video “The Rapture.”  Honestly, I couldn’t believe I was listening to the same band that recorded “Still Right Here.”  This new song to my ears, was so completely different.  It sounded more like Unter Null than what I expected MKIO to sound like…based on that one song I had previously purchased.  I loved it, downloaded it, and proceeded to listen to the “The Rapture” over and over again for roughly a week.  After that week, I delved into their entire discography and downloaded everything they have ever recorded.  The diversity of the music they put out amazed me.  I would spend the next several months listening to almost nothing but Mankind is Obsolete.

So what moves me so much about MKIO?  What makes them so different in my mind?  I can’t put my finger on it, but their music moves me.  They are one of the greatest bands I have ever heard at putting together a depressing and melancholy slow song.  There is just so much feeling in the lyrics and vocals.  Tash Cox is just incredible.  The band can also deliver a pounding metal-esque song, or something that falls closer to Goth-Pop.  They are extremely diverse.  MKIO’s latest release, “Mobius Loop” is my favorite CD of their’s to date.  I’ve listened to it ad-nauseam.

There are so many songs I want to share of their’s, but I’ll only post one more.  I’ll actually use a video I created to their song “Prayer.”  I made it to accompany a chapter of a short story I have written.  The context was a young vampire mourning the death of her sire, and her trying to remember everything her sire had taught her.  “Prayer” is just one of the many truly great slow songs MKIO has in their discography.  I will interview this band at some point for Carpe Nocturne, but the timing hasn’t worked out for me just yet.  I’m thinking Fall.  In the meantime, I will certainly review “Mobius Loop” for our Spring Issue.

Stained — Android Lust

There comes that moment, when I open my email, and there is the list of assignments from my publisher for the next issue. I scan the list, hoping there is at least one band I love. Then I see it….I respond, hoping that another writer was not quicker than me. For the winter issue, no one was. I will be doing a feature on Android Lust. I couldn’t be more excited. I’m also gonna pitch the Santa Hates You feature as well. I will write more about these artists in the coming weeks, but for now, a video, as I prepare for a well needed night out with my wife.

Nothing’s Gonna Be Alright — Santa Hates You

This has been a crazy week for me. My mother in law passed away on Wednesday, and life was thrown into chaos around here. Also, we are wrapping up the fall issue for Carpe Nocturne and there is a lot of last minute details to take of…including an interview with Fuchsia of Bella Lune. Soon, I will be able to breathe easily again and life will be back to somewhat normal.

So why did I post this video? I’m already looking ahead to the winter issue. The wheels are turning. I’m thinking Christmas, and I’m thinking Santa Hates You. What can be more festive than that? This incredible duo, Peter Spilles and Jinxy, never fail to entertain and deliver quality music to the dark at heart. They have been on my iPod almost nonstop the past two days. Look for a feature on them by your’s truly in the winter issue of the magazine.

Until that time, sit back, relax, and enjoy the wonderfully devilish sounds of Santa Hates You.

Isolated — Chiasm

Tonight, I am very excited. For the fall issue of Carpe Nocturne, I am writing a piece on Chiasm. On a whim, I decided to contact Emileigh Rohn for an interview. She replied almost immediately and said yes. I’m so psyched. I contacted the publisher asking for more space in the issue. He countered with the possibility of moving the interview to the winter issue and giving Emileigh the cover. It will be my first as feature editor. What more could I ask for?

Here is my favorite Chiasm song, “Isolated.” Enjoy.

Zerospace — Kidneythieves

“Zerospace” is one of my favorite songs (seems like I have a lot of those). It is also my favorite song to blast in the car. Bass needs to be turned way up. It is the song I turn to when I need to get pumped up. The song itself is so unusual. Kidneythieves use a pulsating synth to set the actual rhythm of the song. This frees up the drums to deliver a driving, but irregular beat. The guitar riffs are extremely heavy, and gives the song a metal feel. Free Dominguez is just amazing. You can hear the anger in her voice. She is ready to kick someone’s ass, and you are cheering her on. All of these sounds blend together to create a song of controlled chaos where the seemingly unrelated pieces fit perfectly together.

It’s the hooks in “Zerospace” I love the most. The song really takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion. I always have this steady anxious feeling when I listen to it, which really the synths create. The song slows down, and then kicks you in the face with the guitars repeatedly. Free’s voice blends everything together. “Zerospace” takes you on a trip from heavy to eerie. For me, it is the perfect Industrial-Metal song.

I usually don’t post lyrics, but I will post one verse from this song:

Space in your face, I’m gonna drink the fucking ocean
‘Cause I ain’t from a coast, I’m just coastin’
Said I was an afterthought you’d bring along
Well who you after now, bitch? Run, motherfucker, run.

Yep, I’m pumped.

Kidneythieves

The Kidneythieves are one of my go to bands, and a standard on all of my playlists.  They are also the band I turn to most when I want to get pumped up.  Front woman Free Dominguez is my proof to anyone who says women can’t rock.  She sings with a hard edge, but retains her femininity.  Free also has one of the best pure voices in the industry, in my opinion.

Kidneythieves began as a collaboration between Bruce Somers and Free Dominguez.  Somers had a background in industrial and metal.  Dominguez was a trip hop artist.  The unlikely combination of the styles gives us the bone jarring, fist pumping, slows down to a bluesy groove style that we now know as the Kidneythieves.  This band continually puts out great music, although their sound has slightly changed over the years.  The album Zerospace is still one of my all time favorites.  

Although I can go on and on about Kidneythieves, I’m not going to.  I feel redundant.  I just did an overview of them for the last issue of the magazine.  Instead, I’ll post a couple of videos and talk about the music.  That will be more of a challenge for me, and hopefully more entertaining for you.  If you are not familiar with the Kidneythieves’ work, get acquainted.  You can thank me later.

Chiasm

Has it really been over 2 weeks since I posted a blog?  That’s unacceptable.  Thanks to my fellow Asylum junky for giving me a nudge.  I can’t think of a better way to return than talking about Emileigh Rohn…better known as the project Chiasm.

I first came across Emileigh’s music while playing a game I became completely obsessed with called Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines.  The song “Isolated,” played in the club known as the Asylum.  Go figure.  In that club, players were introduced to their first Malkavian vampire, Jeanette.  Of course, for me, I was introduced to my first fellow Malk.  It was to nice to meet someone who thought like me.  Anyways….

The song “Isolated” has been a favorite of mine for years, but there are so many Chiasm songs that are incredible.  What I love most is probably the subtlety of Emileigh Rohn.  She uses a lot of futuristic and industrial sounds, but doesn’t bombard you with them all at once.  Although she leans towards more ethereal synths and vocals, her music is very danceable.  Emileigh is always eerie, and that I love more than anything.  I can’t wait to post her video “Someone.”  It’s one of my personal favorites.  In fact, I might stop right now so I can go do that.

FYI, I’m looking forward to doing an overview of Chiasm for the next issue of Carpe Nocturne.

Treacherous Thing — Ego Likeness

Just watched this video again for the what…thousandth time? I still love it. “Treacherous Thing” is the first track to be released from Ego Likeness’s upcoming CD. I can not wait. The song is slightly heavier than most of what they have done in the past. Again, they slightly altered their sound while still keeping true to who they are. The video…so good. Donna Lynch and Steven Archer are wonderful with imagery, using red, black, and white most often. Those are the three primary colors of my spectrum. There is just something entrancing about the combination. I could live in a world with only red, black, and white. But, enough about me.

Again Ego Likeness gives us a song that borders on evil and would make some people uncomfortable. What shocks me is right now my ten year old daughter is sitting at the kitchen table dancing to “Treacherous Thing.” She is the one who most often tells me how “weird” my music is. Hmmm…I may have to over analyze this phenomenon a little.

Aviary — Ego Likeness

Is there any question why this song and video hooked me on Ego Likeness? It is comforting horror, with strong visuals, eerie vocals, and soft dark synths and guitars. This is total mood music for me. I want to wrap myself in a blanket, turn off all of the lights, and watch this video over and over again. Hopefully it’s raining and the wind is blowing. The song is so sad, full of forlorn, and I can’t get enough of it. The concept of blood being used as art is intelligent. Donna Lynch and Steven Archer are masters of creativity. I can’t stress enough how much I enjoy everything this duo does. There is never a moment I am not in the mood to listen Ego Likeness.

I must warn if the sight of blood disturbs you, you may not want to watch this video. If that sort of thing does not bother you, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ego Likeness

Steven Archer and Donna Lynch…the duo who are Ego Likeness.  Such talent.  Their songs represents everything I love in music.  It is dark, haunting, heavy, emotional…I can listen to them for hours on end and never get tired of them.  I know exactly what to expect every time I press play…Dark Industrial Rock.  They completely know who they are as artists.  I am not saying their stuff all sounds the same, because it doesn’t by any means, but there is a predictability to their sound, and I love it.

Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing them perform live at the Dracula’s Ball in Philly and writing about it.  They were amazing!!!  Donna Lynch….I was in awe.  Of course I knew she had a great voice, but the power behind it left me breathless.  I didn’t expect that.  She sings with so much control on her CDs, but she knocked me on my keister live…while still maintaining that same control.  If I have to sum up their performance in one word, it would be “WOW”.  The second word would be “Ouch.”  My keister still hurts.

Ego Likeness is a total go to band for me.  There is never a moment when I am not in the mood to listen to them.  Their CD, “Order of the Reptile,” is one of the best complete albums I have ever heard.  The song “Aviary” is one of the best songs ever written in my opinion.  Ego Likeness is great, and I don’t use that word easily.  I can’t wait to post a few songs and talk about them.