Heady Articles

LostinSound with David Phipps of STS9

By
ranchsauce
 – September 3, 2010Posted in: Artists, Interviews, Ranchsauce

Ranchsauce (LiS): In a June 2009 Jambase article, you (David Phipps) said to Jason Turgeon, “But now the pendulum’s swinging [and] we find ourselves playing acoustic guitar and a real piano and trying to write some really beautiful progressions and melodies that are just really strong [and] timeless.” Where would you say that pendulum is positioned today?

David Phipps (Guitarist of STS9): Still swinging, more laid back and forth. We’re fully inspired to do work on these acoustic shows and anything involved for acoustic shows. We are also getting a bunch done in the studio. We do alot of work with modular synthesizers right now. Work with the small community of guys in their workshops making recreations of classic synth elements that are sold in small batches. Short local kind of stuff. It’s a great community with fun stuff going on. There is a wall of synths with patch cables coming in and out of different modules. It doesn’t sound like anything else, hugely electronic and really inspiring. I also have an upright piano at home that I practice on. Yeah it depends on the day and the hour and kind of what we are which way we are leaning right now.

Ranch: STS9 recently wrote the score for a new documentary film entitled, ReGeneration. The film discusses how the apathy found in today’s generation leads to exploration of technology, our disconnection with nature, how much we consume, our loss of history, and the economic factors holding many of us back from becoming more active participants in our communities. In what ways does your band connect with this ReGenerative concept?

Phipps: The journey is a documentary that covers many different angles and we’ve been working on this for many years now. It has grown into so much more elaborate and authoritative with what the the film’s speakers that put things more eloquently than we ever could. So fortunate to be in such good company with such prominent intellectuals (Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Talib Kweli). As far as when we first started we were really thinking. what could we talk about to inspire a teenager or 12 year old, 13 year old to just be inspired by these different acts that might be before them and what’s expected of them and what inspires them. And we just kind of started from there, you know. We’re really lucky and thankful to be an example of a group of guys that were able to kind of chart our own destiny and break from  society norms of working and that kind of stuff. We’re just very blessed to be able to do what we do and to be hope that that in itself to inspire someone to take a chance no matter how risky or scary it might seem to volunteer or take action.

STS9: DIY from Phillip Montgomery on Vimeo

ReGENERATION Trailer from Phillip Montgomery on Vimeo

Ranch: Do you have any idea when the public will be able to view the film?

Phipps: You know we’re not really sure. We’re just making the rounds with film festivals right now. The reception has been really good, and from there I don’t know if it will be shown in theaters. We’re not really sure how that works haha. But hopefully by the late fall we will be doing some showings. Even it is the kind of thing we do in conjunction with concerts or somewhere we get to show the film, maybe even just high school events. In Seattle, the film was shown at a festival and then the next morning they showed it to an auditorium full of high school kids. In the post-showing there were lines of students longer than the time allowed at the microphones to ask questions and give reactions. There was as standing ovation after the film and that was even more gauge of success than the golf clap that a film festival. We actually made it for high school kids and it is used for participation in the situation of apathy and activism.

STS9 will soon break ground on a sustainable home in the Lower 9th Ward

Ranch: Due largely to the sales of your release, “Peaceblaster : The Make it Right Remixes,” STS9 has raised $150,000 to build a new home in New Orleans’ 9th Ward for the Make it Right Foundation. What motivates your band to participate in such humanitarian efforts?

Phipps: If you came to see Sector 9 in 2009 , you donated a dollar to help. You know we give a lot of credit to the album, but the vast majority of the funds came from these shows. As far as our humanitarian efforts and activism we will always help. In the past we’ve kind of split it up into three local Santa Cruz charities, a national north American charity and an international charity. That was the mission before, it was very effective and we felt good about that. My brother is a high school teacher in South Florida and we support his high school’s solar race car team. They race in a national race each year, and they won first last year and second this year. It’s a really fun project.

When we went to New Orleans for a show and we got a tour of the 9th ward we kind of had personal experience and we decided to just funnel everything into one project a year. The ongoing charities conjoined, and we tried to consolidate into one inexplicable fund to make real change. We were invited into a FEMA trailer and we got a first hand account and it touched us. We were very moved by that and we said that we could do something about this through our motivation. Took a couple more months than a year to reach our goal and we are pretty excited and are now trying to figure out what we can do now that is even better than that to raise the bar. We’re are looking out for what the next big efforts are going to be and what can we do now.

Ranch: You describe the goal of your label, 1320 records as “bringing the music to the people in the most conscious and efficient way possible. Thus lessening the distance between artists and fans.” Can you elaborate on how this goal has become a reality?

Phipps: It all started out of almost necessity for our own band. Being somewhat of a successful touring band we had an audience and needed a place to release music. But there wasn’t really a major record label or even a smaller record label that couldn’t get on the same page as us. We had a couple of flings if you will that really didn’t work out. And then our album was ready so we started our idea of our own record label to take care of ourselves. We gradually realized the same kind of situation exists for other artists. We thought that hopefully we could be a place to keep known artists on schedule and be able to make music how they want to. To give a home base to share what we’ve learned over 13 years now with other people that are coming along the same path as us. It’s working out great. One of my favorite artists, Big Gigantic, who have been with us on tour for the last couple of weeks as after party or opening gigs. (Phipps new phone cut out for a few moments) Gotta love these new Iphones haha. Big G are an example of independent artists working themselves up in a grassroots kind of way through real music lovers. There’s not a lot of hype or marketing behind them, the music that they play or people’s reaction to it. That‘s the kind of group and musicians that we like to support, have share our markets and to get on their way to receiving the recognition that they are working really hard for. Hopefully the Sector guys and our touring experience have some advice to offer. Some opening spots, after parties, whatever we can do to get these guys a crowd of people.

Ad Explorata-STS9's Newest Studio Album

Ranch: “Heavy” was the second song of your encore last week in Boston, I had never heard it played live before. How do you incorporate tracks off of your newest album, Ad Explorata into your shows?

Phipps: Ad Explorata is taking longer to incorporate into our live show. It is an no holds barred studio project. Almost every song on Ad Explorata there are four or five keyboard parts going on. Some parts played by Hunter Brown are layers and layers of modular synthesizer stuff. It is taking us a little bit longer to break that down into something just the five of us can do and it not be a complete play along to a recording. In general, with the studio recordings we try to break them down as we render stuff out of the recordings to configure live. Leave out parts that just kind of cant be played, string it together and see how far we can go. Our favorite song off of that is “Oil and Water” and we’ve been working on that in sound check trying to get that ready for the stage. That one is coming soon.

Ranch: I have always had faith in your ability as a band to power through entire shows without interruption. In the past 12 years, you may have played more near flawless shows than any other touring band. Can you describe a successful STS9 show?

Phipps: It’s really hard because a lot of the shows we come off stage like we just lost a game or something. For some of our fans is like they are seeing tension and real human activity on stage they see it as the best show ever. And sometimes we re-vamp old songs or work on new songs to debut and we think we just killed it. But some fans are disappointed because it wasn’t the old version of the song they were expecting and they wanted an old song instead of a new song so its really hard to get that right. We are either full on high fiving or there is maybe like no so much eye contact going on between us ya know hah. But a great show to me is one where there is a connection made. We really react form the audience alot. And its different regionally just how excited different audiences get. A San Francisco crowd is a lot different from an Atlanta, Georgia crowd. All that kind of adds up to together to be like did they get it? Did we play over there heads? Generally to me its just a gift to be able to do this every night it cracks me up every night. My work day is just to get on stage and rage it, I couldn’t ask for a better job. No matter if we tank or we kill it, its a good time and there is always the next show.

Ranch: Many music fans believe that they can simply examine a show’s set lists and make a call on whether or not the show was up to par. Why do you think some fans want to believe that some shows are only as good as their setlists?

Phipps: I think it is somewhat built into our culture, the jam band culture. We try to do our best to mix it up, but i do feel like there is enough openness to our songs. Especially in this last year, we have tried to concentrate on revamping some old songs and writing new parts in the middle of songs that are ten years old or more. If you see the song title on the set list and you weren’t at that show that doesn’t mean that you know what happened. We could can play the same tracks every night and it’s not going to be the same show. I like the old stuff, I like how we grew. I like a little bit of mystery of what’s going to happen next. Writing what we feel best parts and nailing the parts that we are supposed to nail. Kind of take some pride in the musicianship and songwriting. In 99’ we had nine songs, we played all nine songs every night. The shows were three hours long and they were never the same. And parts of that are really awesome We try to find a balance of compositions and new parts to still make some magic happen and play improv. We don’t want it to get to the point of where it like a Broadway musical.

Ranch: What keeps you motivated to keep it moving both on stage and on the road?

Phipps: Hunter and I were talking about this the other day. We just don’t want to ever be a kind of band that kind of calls it their cattle work: “that’s the songs we play, and that’s Sector 9.” Twelve, thirteen years into it and we still feel like we have alot of time and a lot more to write musically. That and my growling stomach, that’s what motivates me haha. We just love making music and I guess the difference is that we don’t feel like our catalog is complete. That we can be this band that just plays “Moonsocket” for the next ten years. There is a lot more music to be had. We have a great studio in Santa Cruz, a great work space and that keeps us motivated. We are going to start working on another album this fall.

Ranch: What musicians are in your playlist right now?

Phipps: Listening to Grizzly Bear, XX, Alice Coltrane, Harmonic 313 and John Hughes-especially his new album on 1320, Reset the Warehouse.

STS9's Pre-Show Ritual

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: , , , , ,

Free Beats!… Three Clicks! (Big G. SignalPath. Archnemesis.)

By
dizzurt
 – September 1, 2010Posted in: Album Review, Artists, Audio, Dizzurt, News, Videos

September 1st is a new era for some. A day that as been engrained in our cycle since we were in Grade School. For others, long past the sanctitude of stuffy scholastic establishments, it is a day signifying something. It’s like a cycle starting over and heading along it’s course. For these 3 band’s it almost feels like these releases come at a time of culmination! Where huge strides have been made to get to this point, and with solid heads on their shoulders, they are prepared for the future and what this new music will bring to each of them! Each duo is giving us their take on “live electronica”; giving us all the bleeps, whirls, zipps, scratches, and womps we could ask for. All the while, keeping one thing in mind: The motion on the dance floor!

First up, some of our most entertaining, hard working, and cool guys in the scene right now – Big Gigantic (Dom Lalli & Jeremy Salken). If you’ve been catching many of the Big G shows that have been going down then consider yourselves lucky, because many of the tracks on this album have been played (previewed) live over the past couple of months. They keep there signature vibe going and can so easily stamp themselves into the FeelGood music market (as if there really was one).

Don’t Sleep cuz you think everybody else has it already, or you’ve already heard it   —  D/L IT NOW!!

::: Big Gigantic – A Place Behind the Moon :::

[Mixed & Mastered by: Alex B]


Intro/Teaser Video

Signal Path, the next tandem on my list of albums to give a listen to have dropped “IMAGINARY LINES”, their first release since “c l a s h”, which was a significant step in the process that is the band (now only Damon Metzner & Ryan Burnett). It pushed Signal Path, as a group, into new directions afar from old traditions. Their heavy computer and software based music allows blending any type of music they desire into jams. I caught the show last time they were around in NYC @ The Highline Ballroom. The show was energy filled and dance worthy to say the least.

Dont put it off ’till later, the revolution is NOW!

::: D/L IMAGINARY LINES :::

Promo Vid from RecTV

Duo #3 features Curt Heiny (of Telepath) & Justin Aubuchon (of MO Theory) otherwise known as Archnemesis. And strapped with a brand new website and EP Release, these guys are hitting your sensory’s hard. Through this summer I’ve heard Archnemesis‘ name pop up more times than any other upcoming electronic beat based group. Even caught some sets at The Big Up festival (as long as you don’t let Curt’s blowup ingrain into your brain) as well as SummerDance III and I liked what I heard.

To gain an understanding about who and what Archnemis is as well as their new release, “Diamonds And Glass”, here are some words from their website,

“We are very excited and proud to give you “Diamonds and Glass,” our first official release. When we decided that we wanted it to be an EP, the first question was “How do we get across the Archnemesis sound in 5 songs?”  After contemplating, we decided to give you an EP where each song was stylistically different, but with some common elements weaving their way through each one. ”Diamonds and Glass” is brought to you as a free download. All we ask in return is that you spread the music to your friends, and that we see all of you at our shows when we come to your city. We’d also like to say a huge thank you to all our friends, families and you for all your support. We hope you enjoy! It was made for you.”

::: Archnemesis - Glass and Diamonds :::

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Phish Jones Beach Day 2 “Summer Tour 2010 Comes to an End”

By
Groovin Grecs
 – August 30, 2010Posted in: Artists, Audio, Groovin Grecs, Show Reviews, Videos

There is always some kind of special aura that follows a tour closer, and on this slightly chilly, but comfortable summer night the expectations for Phish were extremely high. Now these expectations were formed long before the throw down that happened the night before on the south shore of Long Island. Just a few minutes before entering the venue, I was told to look at the absolutely stunning and beautiful orange sunset in one direction, followed by a perfectly flowing rainbow in the other. The colors seemed to be aligning for the end of the Phish summer tour 2010.

After coming to terms with the scenic surroundings, it was time to go Phishing. Just as the night before, as I enter the venue the band takes the stage with another fan favorite, and Mike Gordon slaps that bass and enters “Down with Disease”. I was thrilled to see this as an opener because this is a song the band almost always seems to nail, and opening this night was for a lack of a better word awesome. As the band flew through a really fun version they slow things down to a nice sing along jam in “Sample in a Jar”. Now I was not expecting this as a follow up to that rocking opener, but they seemed to play a very solid version of it. Following this they play a very fun version of “Guelah Papyrus.” I personally really like this song, and was thrilled to see it. I thought Trey Anastasio’s small little licks and jams were spot on, and again gave me chills thinking of the night ahead. Coming out of this nice little jam, they break out into “Poor Heart”, which really got the crowd dancing. The hoe down commencing in my section was a lot of fun and looking around it seemed to really bring the energy of the venue up a lot as a whole. After the high energy “Poor Heart”, they break out in a song off the new album called “Ocelot”. Now just as with “Sample in a Jar”,  I was a little confused by the timing as it did not really allow much flow, but I was pleasantly surprised as the band really played a great version of “Ocelot”. It is clear the band really enjoys playing and jamming to a lot of their newer tunes,  and I thought this was played really well despite the awkward timing. As soon as the “Ocelot” jam ended they picked up the pace again with a really highflying “Chalkdust Torture”.  It is in songs like this where it is easy to sense if Trey is on that night, and he delivered the energy this set was needing when busting out the line “Cant I live while I’m Young?!” This set began to take off after this song, as following a really strong jam, they go right into one of my favorites “Bathtub Gin” This “Bathtub Gin” was really tasty as the jam left me in awe of the incredible job done by Phish light man Chris Kuroda. There is absolutely no comparison to any other band with the stage set up this band has because of the work he does every single show. Following this “Bathtub Gin” the band busts out into “Tube” where Trey fumbled a little at the beginning, but came on strong at the end, always a fun song to see. Next came a song called “Destiny Unbound” which I am not really a fan of in general, so I will not pass my judgment on this song.  Next came “”Joy” which was solidly played, but all through this song it was pretty obvious that we were all about to “Run Like an Antelope” to close out this set. As soon as this song began to click the crowd started building with excitement, as this set was a little slow thus far, despite pretty solid playing by the band. As the song pushed on the collection of glow sticks through Jones Beach Amphitheatre began to become more and more obvious and as the build up began the crowd was really digging. The band was really nailing this, and the crowd was feeding off this energy as the peak came and the glow sticks flooded the air. The fans were waiting for this type of an explosion all night and it really came during this set closer, as the band really left the people in the crowd with no choice but to dance. I for one could not stand still if I tried. A great finish for a set that sounded good, but needed that energy.

Unfortunately during set break there was a man who jumped about 25 feet from the top of the amphitheatre critically injuring him and giving minor injuries to others. The reason for him jumping is not known and purely speculation at this point, but please people look out for your friends in the audience, this type of thing should not happen.

Anyway back to the music, finishing off that first set with the high energy, fast paced “Run Like an Antelope,” the hope was to keep the party going. The band takes the stage for what is there last set of the summer tour and bust out into the high-energy song “Axilla I” This is the exact kind of start I wanted for this set, and the band really hit it. With energy at a high pace, the band breaks out into “Timber.” This is another fun song, not really expected but played very well. It is blatantly obvious the difference in comfortably with each other from the Summer Tour of 09 to the Summer Tour of 2010. Coming out of “Timber” the band busts out into “Light.” This jam may have been the most exploratory, dark jam I have heard Phish play. This has quickly become my favorite song off their new album, as the 13-minute “Light” jam was crushed. The sounds, bends and noises coming from the stage were spine tingling in the best way possible. Breaking out from the weird psychedelic noises, the band busts out into a rocking version of “46 Days.” The flow of the set was really starting to form at this point and the band seemed to have found their groove for the night. Next to my pleasant surprise was “My Friend, My Friend.” This was a song I did not expect to hear that night, but coming from “Light->46 Days > My Friend, My Friend” really flowed perfectly. The transitions were hit perfectly and the band was really rocking a heavy rock and psychedelic vibe simultaneously. Carrying the fire vibe this second set was having brought on another personal favorite of mine in “Harry Hood.” The instrumentals, intro and jams during this Hood were incredible. This was one of the best versions of “Harry Hood” all summer and really in quite some time. The jams and peaks during this song once again brought the glow stick wars at Jones Beach Amphitheatre to life. How can the last show of the summer tour 2010 not have a “Tweezer” in it? Coming out like fire out of that Hood, the band busts out into a great rendition of “Tweezer.” The heavy jam continues the pace of the set and really just keeps the rage flowing. After about 25 minutes of jamming between “Harry Hood” and “Tweezer” the band kept its flow going, with really solid versions of “Horse” and “Silent in the Morning.” It was apparent the set was beginning to come to an end when these two songs were played, but nonetheless they played them to perfection. Finally to end the last set of the summer tour the band comes out and rocks a 19 minute “You Enjoy Myself” that left the crowd raging and on their feet wanting more. The band was clearly having fun jumping around the stage, and feeding off the crowds energy. One of the reasons why I love this song so much is it encompasses all of Phish in a single song, as the band jammed, took us into space, showed off their voices in a great a capella that completely blew me away and had so much fun on stage while doing it. Coming back onto the stage for their last encore of the summer, the band seemed to end the summer tour with the 2 songs that seemed to follow me around this summer. “Suzy Greenberg” > “Tweezer Reprise” seemed to describe me and my friends summer in a nutshell and having this end the tour was icing on the cake to a great run at Jones Beach. For the haters that complain about a lack of bust outs, I am sorry, these two shows were a great time to be at, and I can not wait to see you all on Fall Tour!

Set 1: Down with Disease > Sample in a Jar, Geulah Papyrus,  Poor Heart > Ocelot, Chalkdust Torture, Bathtub Gin, Tube, Destiny Unbound, Joy >Run Like an Antelope

Set 2: Axilla I >Timer (Jerry) >Light > 46 Days > My Friend, My Friend, Harry Hood > Tweezer > Horse > Silent in the Morning, You Enjoy Myself

Encore: Suzy Greenberg > Tweezer Reprise

Phish Fall Tour Dates

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: ,

Phish Jones Beach Day 1 “Fluff Came To New York”

By
Groovin Grecs
 – August 30, 2010Posted in: Artists, Groovin Grecs, Live, Show Reviews

“FLUFF CAME TO NEW YORK”

I walked into the Jones Beach parking lot around 4 PM, and immediately felt the special buzz that only follows Phish shows.  They had begun their summer tour on June 11 in Illinois and were closing out the run with a two-night stand at Jones Beach.

As the fans filed into the Jones Beach Amphitheatre a little after 8 o’clock, the buzz was tremendous. As everyone was hoping for a truly rocking and epic ending of the tour, guitarist and frontman Trey Anatasio played that opening riff to fan favorite “Fluffhead”. Trey has been on record about his love for playing at this venue, so as the song began to pick up pace, the crowd knew that tonight could be something special. As “Fluffhead” went on, Trey burst out the words “Fluff came to New York” and the crowd loved every moment of it. With the first “Fluffhead” opener of the summer, the band nailed it with a high energy psychedelic jam to kick off the night. Following this was a very solid version of one of their new songs, “Kill Devil Falls”, that kept the flow at a very high pace, and it was obvious the band and crowd were feeding off one another. Coming out of “Kill Devil Falls”, Phish went into a real fun “Cities”, and a very funky “Funky Bitch”. Then, as if the energy wasn’t at a supreme high already, the band went into one of their older but more fun songs- “Wilson”. This was a highlight for me, because this it’s an in-your-face rock out between the fans and the band. About 3 minutes in, Trey picked up a mini toy guitar and continued the shredding that ensues in this song. Looking around during this moment, it was obvious what a Phish show is all about; smiles, laughing and jumping as the energy rose to a new level. As the set seemed to fly by with such a high pace, the band busted out a real nice rendition of “Reba”, but to my disappointment there was no whistling ending which would have been a real treat. This may have been the only downside to a rocking first set, as they went straight into another one of my favorite jams in “Walk Away”, and they absolutely killed it.  Flowing perfectly from one jam into the next, “Wolfman’s Brother” picked up and Mike Gordon took it away with his heavy basslines that had the crowd moving in his grasp. It seemed that with the way the set was going, the only way to end it was with a raging jam, and as Trey started the build up for “Possum” the crowd knew they were about to dance the set away. Trey showed real improvement from earlier in the tour, and even from last summer. His poise in the “Possum” jam shined, leaving us in awe, awaiting whatever was in store in the second set.

I heard a couple fans during set break talking about how they couldn’t top a high energy first set like that, but again- showing why they are the kings of the Jam band world- they found a way. As John Fishman started the second set with a slow but nicely done version of “Lengthwise”, they transitioned perfectly into the slight drum beat that catches everyone off guard, and right into a “Maze”! I for one was completely lost in this “Maze”, as the band was hitting on all cylinders. Bringing things down a little bit, they busted out a song I have not seen played yet- “Haley’s Comet”, which was really beautiful to hear on that warm summer night at Jones Beach. From this point on, the band was jamming to lengths not often seen in this new era of Phish. Starting off with Mike Gordon absolutely crushing “Mike’s Song”, and moving flawlessly into “Simple”, the band was on fire. After the very fun 9-minute “Simple Jam”, they moved into a song I was not really a fan of until this night- “Backwards Down the Number Line”, another new song off the Joy album. After a slow start, it  became obvious the band really enjoys a bunch of these new tunes. The jam for “Backwards Down the Number Line” was absolutely incredible. Between Trey and Mike, they were willing to go off into new experimental sounds that this summer has not seen much of. Slowing things down again with a nice, but not special version of “Price Caspian”, they flowed into the Velvet Underground cover “Rock and Roll”. Now, I have seen this song numerous times, and just as I was saying during “Backwards Down the Number Line”, the band was out there. This high paced jam had the crowd dancing and raging harder then at any point in the night, and it was obvious the band had the crowd at their fingertips as they were truly on fire. The up and down roller coaster ride during this jam left me in complete awe, and it was moments like this that remind me why I love this band so much. During this set, there was no rest for the dancers as they immediately went into an insane “Weekapaug Groove”. This groove had Mike and Trey at their absolute finest, while weaving the sick guitar licks and groovy basslines through each other. Going from “Rock and Roll” into the “Weekapaug Groove” showed that this really is a super group, with the superb guitar playing of Trey Anastasio and the incredible funky basslines that were being dropped by Mike Gordon. This was the best “Weekapaug Groove” I have had the pleasure of seeing live, and it was fire! With the way I was feeling after the past few songs, it was a very fitting time for the band to bust out into the Rolling Stones cover “Loving Cup”. The line “what a beautiful buzz” had people joining together and signing at the top of their lungs. If that’s not what music is about then I don’t know what is. As this was the end of their second set, I felt it was perfectly placed. Then as they came out for the encore, they played another new Trey ballad called “Show of Life” and I thought it was really nicely done. It didn’t fit the format for the show thus far, but that is the best part of Phish- there is no real format. They brought on the rage one more time with a really fun version of “Golgi Apparatus” and night one was finished was a bang. A complete high energy first set, followed by some of the best jamming of this summer tour in set 2, left me with nothing but excitement for what was sure to be a truly epic second night.

Set 1: Fluffhead, Kill Devil Falls, Cities, Funky Bitch, Wilson, Reba, Walk Away, Wolfman’s Brother, Possum

Set 2: Lengthwise >Maze, Haley’s Comet, Mike’s Song, Simple, Backwards Down the Number Line> Prince Caspian, Rock and Roll > Weekapaug Groove, Loving Cup

Encore: Show of Life, Golgi Apparatus

Keep reading for Grec’s review of Night 2 of the run!

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: ,

Ranchin’ Around The Big Up Festival (Part 2)

By
ranchsauce
 – August 25, 2010Posted in: Big Up, Festie Life, Ranchsauce, Uncategorized, Videos

A few days before heading to the Big Up, I was introduced to Twiddle while taking a drive around Boston with my roommate. I was intrigued, but it was isn’t until hearing their live set Saturday evening that I realized their potential. This obscure Vermont band had the ability to connect to an audience of people who had never heard them play. It felt like the whole crowd, myself included, was taken aback by their surprising sound and compelling lyrics. Guitarist Mihali Savoulidis is a multi-faceted vocalist who flows with the self-proclaimed 3D nature of the band’s sound- whether it be swinging jazz, roots reggae skank or progressive rock. “Can’t stop the sky from falling down,” Savoulidis preaches. “Learn to love and let go.” Being a lyric freak, I was most impressed by the band’s lyrics, including the line in their first song that most of us can relate to: “Reality is way too dull for me.” Twiddle was definitely one of those smaller acts that ended up being the talk of the festival.

Le Special began their set with a raging Star Wars Theme cover. The Use Your Head Crew flocked to the Get Down stage like it was Mos Eisley Cantina. Multi instrumentalist Jon Grusauskas’ synth/APC stand had an encouraging Darth Vader mask attached to the front. I think the crowd really dug the band’s energy and live improv funkhop. Drummer Rory Dolan and bassist Luke Bemand killed it during the band’s instrumental Rusko remix. Towards the end of their set, the horn player from Kung Fu sat in to provide that extra umph.

Roots of Creation’s highly anticipated Saturday night set proved just how powerful this New Hampshire band has become. Bassist Chris Beam- rocking a cast on his right foot- managed to masterfully provide the deep funk groundwork for the band’s reggae-dub/rock steeze. Mike Chadinha’s drumming is heavy-hitting, and it’s obvious that he can hold the percussion section down tight. Every time I see Roots, I am reminded of how eclectic Tal Pearson’s play is on keyboards- whether it be his quick hands on the reggae organ or grinding rock progressions.

That night, though, it was singer/guitarist Brett Wilson who truly impressed me. Not only does this guy have a glorious ginger beard… he’s got a confident and strong voice to match. Whether he is singing Roots original “Rise Up”, or the Talking Head’s “Naive Melody”, he kills it in a way that reminds me of Bradley Nowell. The set included crowd favorite Rage Against the Machine “Bulls on Parade” cover, a wild version of Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong my Love is” and an epic rendition of Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How it Feels” with the Breakfast/Kung Fu’s Tim Palmieri stepping in on lead guitar. “One of the best moments of my my life”, Wilson said, as he posted up a video of the collaboration on Facebook.

RAQ at The Big Up

Considering it was my first time seeing RAQ live or listening to their music, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the psychedelic electronic jamband. I had come to hear of them during their hiatus, because of guitarist Chris Michetti’s involvement in The Disco Biscuits‘ Spring tour. Although I have a hard time getting comfortable with bands that follow that Phish sing-song jam tradition, it went surprisingly well.

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

First off, I was impressed by how much of a blast the band had playing. They couldn’t help but smile constantly and laugh often- but who wouldn’t with that circus of a crowd?! Todd Stoops’ feathered hair blew in the wind as his keys dictated the set’s mood. Between being the keyboardist for RAQ and the band Kung Fu, I am a believer in Stoops. There were points in the set when it would sound serene, bubbly, tronced and straight Rock n Roll. There was a pretty gnarly mid-set cover of Lynard Skynard’s “Simple Man”- sung by bassist Jay Burwick. They were scheduled to take a break between sets, but the Big Up was all about keeping it moving and so RAQ moved directly into their second set. “A little more music and a little less break, so if you were planning on a break, too bad!” one of the members said, as Michetti’s guitar wailed off into an absurd version of “Space.” My favorite song of the night, “Mollie Cules”, was at times creepy dark, and it felt like the crowd was being sucked down slowly into a black hole by Burwick’s enticing bassline.

Headtronics- usually comprised of Freakbass, DJ Logic and Steve Molitz- had an amazing replacement step in for Molitz at the Big Up. Being a Talking Heads freak, words could not explain how stoked I was to dance to music played by original member Bernie Worrell. One of the founders of popular synthesizer play, I had only watched Worrell in wild videos from the 80’s. Today, he still knows how to rage a crowd of some of the coolest, hip folks in the country. I watched from behind his keyboard setup as his hands moved masterfully. The guy wears half gloves with a red stripe down the side! It was my first time seeing Freakbass on stage, but as you can tell by his stunner shades, he can play some dirtyness. He rocks one of the most eccentric five-string bass guitars I’ve ever seen, with a strange arrowhead neck. The always professional and smooth DJ Logic threw down all the electronic groundwork for the two instrumentalists. The highlight of the night for me might have been Worrell’s Rhodes producing the familiar “Take Me to the River.” Consequently, my tree octopus (Sailor Jerry) was swimming around the dancefloor to the classic jam.

It’s been a long summer. Considering how much I’ve got going on in regular society and the amount of miles traveled, the incredible work that myself and the LostinSound Crew managed to do at so many festivals amazes me. One thing is for sure, The Big Up was the perfect way to wrap it all up. At The Big Up you can reflect on all the great aspects of other festivals around the country, and see those components come together at Sunnyview Farm. Big ups to the festival crew, the workhorse musicians and the one of a kind community! Even though Fall approaches, the raging has just begun. Don’t forget to Use Your Dome and rage responsibly!

The Breakfast

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Ranchin’ Around The Big Up Festival (Part 1)

By
ranchsauce
 – August 25, 2010Posted in: Big Up, Festie Life, News, Ranchsauce, Uncategorized, Videos

There aren’t too many first year festival success stories. Lets be real- music festival production is no walk in the lot. It usually takes years in the hole, and serious time spent learning from mistakes, to create a sustainable, reciprocal environment for festival goers. It seems to be becoming more and more difficult to find a safe and welcoming venue for these important gatherings of artists, musicians and the creative counterculture. I guess having thousands of folks getting rowdy, raging around the clock and bumping beats into the stratosphere isn’t for everybody. Luckily, for East Coast natives and heads from all over, The Big Up Festival held it down.

Sunnyview Farm in Ghent, NY is like Aruba for outdoor types, a Club Med for music fans, a eutopia in the Catskills. There were rage pirates, glow stick Indian shamans, tree octopi, warlocks and wizards, countless live artists and musicians of all kinds- the stuff dreams are made of. Shireworks Productions‘ previous events at Sunnyview- Let It Roll and Lost Weekend in Shangri-La- were precursors to what they had planned for The Big Up.

The air and energy of the old equestrian farm is of a kind that seemingly erases any negative thought or feeling. Much of the camping area exists in the maze of a forest while the rest lay atop rolling hills. There are paved roads and cleared trails, with shaded areas and a wide open field for the music and vending.

Stables that were used to train horses for decades were miraculously transformed into a rowdy, psychedelic late-night music stage. I’ve experienced many raging late-night tents, but there’s nothing like kicking up your heels to OTT or swaying to Emancipator inside of a solid, aged and wooden structure. The entrance to the Artistsphere building faced the entrance to the late night barn. Inside, you could watch up to five live painters create art, purchase finished works or make use of the extra space to dance. With visuals projected on all the walls, and a pull down screen with live video of the late night barn, the Artistsphere was a huge success.

I arrived at Big Up late Wednesday night as the LostinSound Dome Crew was completing construction of our Lost Tribe Dome. To the disdain of many of the supporters of the Dome’s live music capabilities, we had offered our services to the Big Up Festival merely as an art installation. Throughout the weekend, attendees would have to travel through the Dome to enter the music arena from the campgrounds. Unfortunately, such a portal must double up as a kind of festival Customs where folks are stripped of their beverages. On mid-day Friday, the Crew eventually banded together to pull over the Dome’s canvas ceiling. Patrick Boyle AKA The Chaos Practitioner tied a custom Use Your Dome pirate flag to quite possibly the biggest tree limb I’ve ever seen. We then stuck it through one of the openings at the top of the dome. A few hoodrats tried to steal it, but Big Nick did a hell of a job guarding it- rage pirates don’t get their flags pirated. Drew Suto- VJ and resident visual magician- provided the Dome with an amazing projection show above the entrance to the field.

The first set I attended was Consider the Source in the late night barn. I have been excited to see this upcoming NYC band for months. After reading a Relix article from last August describing the group as one of the “5 Artists You Should Know About”, I knew I had to give them a listen. I was intrigued by their eclectic sound, meshing tribal beats with jam play. Even now, as I listen to their track “Moisturize the Situation”, my roommates are asking me if I am listening to a new Beats Antique song. These guys have got something totally different going on.

At the Big Up, their live show was fucking NUTS, weaving from funk to metal to jam to Middle Eastern influenced sounds. As I watched Gabriel Marin owning the double-headed fretless guitar, I couldn’t help but envision him with an extra pair of arms. His instrument screams like a banshee as the rhythm section molds the music from heavy rock to deep groove. Drummer Justin Ahiyon was rocking a bandanna wrapped in neon light rope, switching from an electronic drum kit to organic skins and brass. John Ferrara’s fingers creep and crawl down his bass as he slinks slowly across the stage. This is the kind of music where really badass babies come from.

Tucci provided the untz and dance beats before Emancipator’s late-night therapy session. I had been running around non-stop since I had reached the festival and the ONLY reason I was awake at 4am that night was for Doug Appling’s music. I didn’t have the will to talk, socialize or do much other than dance and get a music massage. Great way to get me to sleep at a festival (a nearly impossible feat).

Over the years, I have seen Dopapod play multiple house parties and venues in the Allston/Brighton area. Their Friday afternoon set on the Big Up Stage would be my first time showing them love at a music festival. With their first full length album release, Radar, the Berklee alums have stepped up their game both in the studio and on stage. Due to a 2 pm time slot, there wasn’t much of a crowd when their set began. But I assure you, by mid-set the main stage field was moving like a Mason jar filled with fireflies hopped up on funky grooves. As he sits behind his Moog Prodigy and beloved Fender Rhodes, Eli Winderman knows he’s gonna light the festival up with his double jointed wrists. A smirk forms below his white Wayfarers as he sways to the nasty beat laid down by bassist Chuck Jones and new drummer Neal “Fro” Evans.

Often the biggest highlight of a Dopapod set is their choice of a cover song. I have seen them do justice to Modest Mouse, Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead, Nirvana and Daft Punk. “You know Dopapod really likes to do medleys of bands,” Winderman said, “ I think you guys will enjoy this one and be able to tell who the band is right away.” The Big Up was not ready for the unreal (7:30) Led Zeppelin medley (Kasmir>Black Dog>Good Times Bad Times>Immigrant Song>BlackDog>Stairway to Heaven>The Ocean). Rob Compa’s impeccable shredding skills are a sight to see as he scales his fretboard ambitiously. I think he does Anatasio, Santana and his other idols proud, and I have complete faith in his ability to lead or let Eli throw it down.

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

After probably the most beautiful day of weather I had experienced at a music festival, Boston’s infamous indie-jamband The Indobox played the dusk set. Due to some difficulties on the Second Stage, the Box had to begin their set early on the Main Stage. Incidentally, it was hard to figure out who was playing when they began. As the correct start time approached, their fans gathered to watch. I thought that the second half of their set was raging, and it was different than seeing them in a venue setting. I was really into the intensity of their electro jams, and feel like I am beginning to like the vocal element, despite how out of place it can sometimes sound.

Higher Organix Main Stage

Higher Organix, the musical hosts of the Big Up, were a huge part of this festival’s success. Not only did Jules Jenssen (drums), Clayton Squire (guitar) and Brian Ross (bass) play three sets of music- they also worked tirelessly for days, building, orchestrating and preparing the festival. My favorite set of the weekend was Friday night on the Main Stage.

The band was accompanied by a powerful 100% improvised horn section for the occasion (Tyler Gasek- sax, Asa Vanasse- sax, Ian Steward- trumpet). When Jules wasn’t getting other bands set up to play on stage, he was letting looping beats loose on his drum kit. His style of play reminds me of Johnny Rabb (BioDiesel). Nothing better than watching a drummer lay down some Drum n Bass, than watching as that sound remains and he plays something totally different- trippy instrumentation. Clayton Squire’s guitar effects are vibrant and eccentric, and often I am left wondering where the APC or synth is that is producing these sounds. I have to add that the shape of his dreaded ponytail in front of the stage lighting looked like a work of art. With the brim of his ballcap tilted into his face and his XL tall tee hanging off him, Brian Ross has a distinct swagger about him. His basslines are fatty, heavy panty droppers that held the band’s livetronica improvisation together. The trio uses their Trance influences to create spaced out builds, and their Hip-Hop/Dub roots to drop a resounding beat.

It was my first time catching a Sub Swara set and the Big Up’s late-night Ion Stage was the perfect place to see what the womp duo of producer-percussionists’ Dhruva and Sharmaji had to offer. Beneath the massive blacklight mandala, Brooklyn based Sub Swara brought the tribal Dubstep to the dance floor. I was most impressed by the array of electronic drum pads they had on stage. They would switch from turning knobs to making live beats with their hands or drumsticks. Unfortunately, the lack of rest and the prospect of another full day of raging caused me to dip out of the barn early, but I can’t wait to catch them again.

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Colossal Rising – the BIG UP Festival 2010

By
dizzurt
 – August 23, 2010Posted in: Artists, Dizzurt, Festie Life, Live, Photos, Videos

Reaching Ghent, NY and immediately being welcomed with helping hands, power drills, and cheery vibes on a beautiful summer day was one of my top experiences of Summer 2010 (a summer that one hippie proclaimed “was bringing it back to The Summer of Love”). The LostinSound crew was up there early to set up our Dome, so the Lost Tribe could resume it’s shenanigans once again. Shireworks Productions had already been hard at work on the festival grounds for many months and it showed. The forest was cleared for camping, a barn & horse stable were in the process of being decorated to psychedelic proportions, and woodwork (fencing, fire pits, and installments) filled the estate. Clearly, keeping intimacy and the pure homegrown feel was their top priority.

Once the Dome had been constructed, it was time for the members of The Lost Tribe (who were fortunate enough to arrive early) to explore the new surroundings that we would call home for the next 4-5 days. Beautiful and quaint is an understatement. Upstate New York is a place where you can really get in touch with yourself and your surroundings. The scenery is fantastic; family owned estates and farms with miles of rolling hills, deep woods filled with pleasant trees, and small ponds that accompanied us through our Cosmic Journey around the Sunnyview Farm & Estate. The two areas designated for all the prestidigitation were directly adjacent to the campgrounds and pathway (created by the DOME). Most of what I will be featuring occurred in the horse stables, aka the late-night arena & art sphere. The art sphere (as LiS likes to call it) was a circular building forged into a full-on visual spectacle, featuring [at least] 4 projectors, 2 live artists toying with their works in progress, and tons of finished pieces. This experience elevated this festival past many others that claim they are a dual purpose “Music & Arts” gathering.

Emancipator soothes the soul. Therefore, I already knew he was going to be a perfect match for the Shangri-La Stage on Thursday night, given the timing, location, and atmosphere. Many tracks started out with cheesy hip hop samples like “If I Ruled the World” and “No Scrubs”, which seemed corny at first, but somehow seamlessly flowed into his piece “Soon it Will be Cold Enough to Build Fires”. The crowd was really feeling his grooves, keeping their soft yet elegant rage-sway in motion the entire time. His music was peaceful yet energizing, in a way that kept the crowd dancing while they cleared their minds of all the worries in the world. A couple of times I thought he was concluding his set and saying goodnight, but then he kept the loops and samples coming. One thing I feel an Emancipator show could use more of is live guitar. If you listen to his tracks, almost every one of them has some type of guitar riff. Hopefully, that is something that will continue to grow as Emancipator starts to reach his full potential. Nonetheless, at any given point Pharaoh and his clan could be seen flapping the sides of his headdress and doing the King Tut dance throughout the crowd. What a beginning to a magical adventure.

Friday is the typical day to Keep it Mooovin’ and a full day of jam bands, funk, blue skies and cheery smiles made it that much easier. Pnuma Trio closing out the main stage didn’t hurt either. With classics like “Bufkins” and “DAB”, the setlist heavily contributed to the show. The most popular man on festival grounds these days, Dom Lalli, even came out for a song with the Trio. He played his sax to the degree we have all grown to expect from the Big Gigantour himself. However, it appeared as though the group wasn’t as into the entire performance as one might think they would be. For such a great production, keyboardist Ben Hazlegrove hardly seemed into it, and from what I hear Lane Shaw has thoughts pointed West-bound. This certifies in the minds of their fans that they might have to be okay with letting go of Pnuma (just as they potentially hit their stride). But I must say, thanks for a solid performance at The BIG UP!

Saturday night also proved nothing short of amazing. Freakbass, DJ Logic, and Bernie Worrell (of Talking Heads and P Funk fame) started the late-night off with their unique version of a no-holds-barred dance party. Headtronics busted out Talking Heads jams along with a bunch of old school Jackson 5 type disco dance beats. Worrell had the same gawky smile as usual as he slapped at the keys. Normally Molitz is on keys, but it was a pleasant surprise to witness such greatness in such an intimate setting. This is a supergroup that is starting to take things seriously, after initially kicking off with an impromptu jam at The Church of Universal Love & Music. Keep your eye out for their name to start popping up on bills all over the country.

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

Through the mist and smoke rose the tribal warrior known as Ott, whose set put me in a place I can hardly do justice describing. He went through a solid list of songs, bumping all of his classics. It got especially rowdy when out of nowhere the shaman twisted through some Drum ‘N Bass, and then later with serious wompage on a track I had only heard once before (earlier this summer at Wakarusa). I got a sick view from behind of Ott doing serious work, switching back-and-forth between his Kaossilator & Kaoss Pad. Some pretty cool shit if you consider the state that music is in today. He brought it down real slow right in the middle, which helps the crowd appreciate an Ott set. It’s all about the builds and breaks, one of the main things Mr. Ott tweaks with during his performance. Being the last night of the festival, the crowd was in top notch rage form, and I’m sure he felt the appreciation.

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

Eskmo is making Big Up type strides in a career that is ever-blossoming; recently signing with Ninja Tune, collaborating with Amon Tobin, preparing for his new album release on Oct. 4, and playing festivals all summer including Camp Bisco and The Big Up. Upon asking a co-rager his thoughts, he said “The set was tight, from what I can remember…” It was perfectly timed (in the sense of scheduling) and perfectly executed, and Eskmo is just one of those guys you can’t help but watch. Incorporating more live singing, constantly clicking all types of loops and triggers, and thick dripping heavy bass help create a unique mind melting experience every time. We were stomping so hard that the dirt became mud, and when he cut into the “My Name is Mud” Primus remix, it solidified our thoughts. It was a perfect way to lose my hearing and bring the live music for the weekend to a rest.

Raging Photos from the LiS Facebook

Pnuma Trio – “Bufkins”

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

Emancipator – Mini Medley

Get the Flash Player to see this content.

*Keep checking back for Ranch’s take, which includes reviews of every other solid performance from the weekend. Get excited, we’ve got more pictures and videos too!

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cosmosophy – Caravan To Hawaii!

By
Drift Dodgers
 – August 21, 2010Posted in: Artists, Audio, Drift Dodgers, News, Uncategorized

After years of performing, writing and recording music together in various projects, Pearce Van Der Merwe and Daniel Symons have created COSMOSOPHY, a Psychedelic/Electronica act whose debut album Organic Space Age from 2009 is a fun, trippy ride through the forests and beaches of paradise. It’s promising, to say the least. Check out this track and pay these weirdos a visit.

Who’s jumpin on this Caravan To Hawaii ?!?

More at:   Myspace.com/cosmosophy

  • Share/Bookmark
Tags: , ,
Older Entries
Theme Tweaker by Unreal