If the term ‘bliss-metal’ doesn’t make you cringe too much, then I would use it to describe Pyramids, an experimental metal/shoegaze band from Texas that follows with the heavy ambient drones of label mates Jesu. Like the work of Justin K. Broadrick, The Angelic Process and the more abstract efforts of Georgia’s Deerhunter, Pyramids play ethereal and occasionally noisy jams that are rich in buried melodies, hidden amongst layers of electronic sounds, fuzzed out guitars and blasting drum rolls. The crushing waves of sound pour out with drugged emotional intensity, as distant vocals glide across the industrial clamor like colorful ghosts.
As regular readers of this blog already know, I have been infatuated with an album called Deathconsciousness from Connecticut’s mysterious Have a Nice Life. Despite having no mainstream press coverage, no Wikipedia page or any mention on Pitchfork, this duo has generated a sizable cult following their debut double disc album which is receiving accolades all across the Internet.
For those of us wanting to know a little more about this band and their strange blend of post punk and shoegaze styles, Scene Point Blank recently interviewed the guys to learn a little more about their ambitions, their writing process and their future.
The most striking parts of the interview for me was the duo’s personal and insular approach to crafting their sound, as they wrote the record for themselves, with little attention payed to how others would receive their work.
Scene Point Blank: Was it a conscious decision to release the album yourself? If so, why?
Dan: We always knew we would release the record ourselves. Outside of those closest to us, hardly anyone was even aware that we were writing music. It’s just something we do, and have done consistently since we met. There is never a point when we aren’t writing or recording music…releasing the record was, and always has been, secondary to the act of writing it in the first place. To be honest, I’m surprised anyone likes it but us.
…
Scene Point Blank: What do you hope people take away from the whole Deathconsciousness release?
Dan: We would’ve written the exact same record if we were the last two people on Earth. It was recorded assuming that no one would ever hear it. If anyone does and they enjoy it, that’s great. I hope that happens. But that’s about as far as it goes.
I found this approach and attitude rather inspiring, as it lends to a creative process that is honest and uncompromising. Leaving the pressures of industry expectations and recognition aside allowed Have a Nice Life to truly explore their own thoughts and feelings without inhibition, leading to work of great conceptual sophistication. Its refreshing to see more bands taking up the DIY ethos, taking up self release strategies to maintain their artistic independence. Hopefully I can take some of these ideals with me when I go back to recording my own demos.
Anyways, in case you haven’t heard anything from these guys yet, I found one of their songs on YouTube.
Sometimes, the conditions are just right for the appreciation of new music. I first started exploring Have a Nice Life’s double album debut as I was leaving my house at 5:45 am last Saturday, still in a somnambulist daze, feeling the cold winter night across my face while overlooking the city lights of Toronto from the lonely hilltop leading my street to the empty road heading south. It was in those moments of dreary isolation, where it felt like the only living souls were miles away in the distance, that the early moments of Deathconsciousness began to seep in. This is record, though far from perfect, delivers an emotional wallop that seems unparalleled. A mysterious synthesis of post-punk, shoegaze, metal and post-rock, Have a Nice Life’s ghostly ruminations aren’t just careful homages to their favorite genres and influences, they instead push the boundaries of them to get to their dramatic core, presenting a perfect summation of where the underground has been and where it will be going.
Among the several recent discoveries of albums I overlooked in 2007, is this post-rock gem by France’s Alcest. Souvenirs is an ethereal, hypnotic and engaging listen that takes shoe-gaze dynamics to new and evocative heights. While formerly a black metal band, Alcest has moved away from that genre’s resigned aggressiveness to produce this work of surprising tranquility, dipping into the same shimmering, glacial pools as Sigur Ros and even Jesu.
The tracks here are layered with hazy and churning guitars that wash over you, while the serene (and indecipherable) vocals glide over the beautiful chaos, driving epic and fluid compositions toward a distant horizon. Like the album’s title suggests, Alcest’s work here is like a window to another world, one of blinding sunshine and swirling snow drifts, where battered souls can hide from their Earthly troubles. Truly an exercise in catharsis that plays to your imagination.
Here, industrial dynamos Jesu put on a powerful performance of “We all Faulter”, one of the most intense tracks from their self-titled debut album. Their more recent LP Conquerer is just as killer and it ranked #4 on my Top 50 of 2007 List. I saw these guys in New York City and my jaw hit the floor. Here’s why:
Wow. This outstanding video was made only with a webcam in the band’s RV while awaiting a gig. Creepy, vaguely threatening and Matrix-esque, this a masterpiece of mood and skillful editing. The music is terrific as well, with a dark bass driven melody reminiscent of Joy Division.
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