Art As Catharsis - Lachlan R Dale interview

Lachlan R Dale runs the label Art As Catharsis, which as everyone who reads this blog should know by now features the best underground Australian stoner, sludge, doom and drone bands.

Lachlan has kindly agreed to take time out from his frantic schedule to give this interview.

Just before we get onto Art As Catharsis, I have to talk about the bands you are involved in - 4 or 5 at my last count! The Serious Beak album "Huxwhukw" blew me away - I think it should be mentioned in the same breath as Intronaut - due to the incredible complexity of the music, how hard was it to replicate live?

Thanks for the kind words man, I really appreciate it. 

As you might guess, it's pretty difficult to actually play some of those songs or sections on"Huxwhukw", but yeah, we can definitely do it. It's been done in the past.

While we've got some good muscle memory going on for a lot of that album, the material still demands a lot of practice and rehearsal to be consistent. It's challenging stuff, and it takes a lot of time to stay on top of. There's always a constant tension for us between writing new material and rehearsing for shows. Our latest new song has been in production for over 12 months... it's pretty demanding music!

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Your psychedelic drone/doom band, Adrift For Days came out last month and I don't think that I have seen any reviews that have been less than glowing, it will certainly be in my albums of the year list - have you been surprised by the reaction?

I guess. As a musician you're not really allowed to expect or anticipate a reaction from critics, but I'm glad they like the album. I like it too! It was really fun to put together. There isn't too much I'd change if I got another go at it.

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Art As Catharsis has introduced me to so many new bands from down under - what is your criteria for collaboration with these artists?

Nothing, really, aside from that I have to like the band -- and I'd like to focus on Australian music that I feel doesn't really get the attention or praise it deserves.

Obviously they have to like what I do in terms of promotion, too. We've got to be pretty like-minded -- we're not about to start pissing gold and buying Benzo's or anything -- but maybe we can get your tunes to a few extra people.

Hydromedusa, In Trenches, Space Bong, No Anchor, Houdini are all bands I found on your compilation "Drone from the Underside of the Earth".... there is obviously a healthy underground scene in Australia, how important do you think your label and others like it are for these bands exposure - you make full use of Bandcamp, has this helped spread the music?

Well, I think all 'scenes' require support - not only from labels, but from bands, media and promoters.

The Australian stoner, doom and sludge isn't healthy because of me - that would be a ridiculous claim. It's because I'm able to build off the work of many immensely talented and dedicated individuals; bands who have worked their asses off building up their name, and all the promoters who really help that 'scene' thrive.

Nathan from 666 Entertainment has run the awesome Doomsday Festival series for many years. Skye did an awesome job with building up Devils Kitchen. Rob from Heathen Skulls is really taking the international tours to a new level. 

A 'scene' really can't thrive without all of those elements.

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Fanzines and websites have embraced what you are doing - do you think the underground scene will ever filter into the mainstream? I personally think that a bigger public awareness is not going to happen ...... I selfishly like my hidden world of music and worry that the purity and spirit of "do what the fuck you want" would somehow get diluted with major record label involvement!

I don't even care man. I like the music that I play, and that I promote. It just totally isn't the goal at all!

I'm sure it will if it becomes cool enough -- just look at how grindcore and death metal has been distilled in metalcore and all this modern weird pop metal bullshit. Who cares though?

And finally ...... how the fuck do you find time to do all this!

You know, I play in 3 bands, do this label/promoter thing, work full time, study full time and live with my long term girlfriend -- it's definitely a balancing act to a degree, but I think the big secret is that I don't watch any TV. It's amazing how much time that gives you!

And I guess I'd rather be run off my feet (and broke) than bored (and slightly less broke).

Thanks again for your time Lachlan - I have just realised that like a 

fucking idiot I have neglected to ask what future plans you have 

lined up! ........ but worry not my faithful download monkeys, 

more new releases from Art As Catharsis are bound to be on here soon.

EndAnd - Adventures of Hi-Fi In Space EP (2012)

Band request from James at Independent Music Promotions.

EndAnd are a punk/alt rock trio from Brooklyn, NY and they

are not afraid of melody or tunes. Strong vocals and good use

of dynamic song arrangements remind me of the Lemonheads

"Hate Your Friends" era. Every now and then my ears need

a break from down-tuned, howling madness and this is the

sort of band to ease you along. Excellent cover as well. 

Bio: Disarmingly human and emotionally charged noise/garage rock from the heart of Brooklyn, New York, EndAnd have been gaining feverish word-of-mouth lately thanks to the release of the uncompromising "Adventures of Fi in Space", which saw the band getting recommended by publications such as Large Hearted Boy and Those Who Dig.

Starting in early 2011, Daniel Fern and Mike Morales played for months as a rock duo. Dan's versatile playing and writing style became an instant crowd pleaser, backing powerful, gut-wrenching vocals with solid guitar work. Dan had previously played the guitar, drums and bass on his early demos; in live performance he looped parts to overdub, while Mike held the groove with his intuitive percussive navigation.

As the duo gained steam, so, too, did their reputation, garnering increasing attention and respect at their rehearsal space, and home away from home, King Killer Studios (Gowanus, Brooklyn). After a show at Williamsburg?s Public Assembly, where they serendipitously shared the stage with fellow KK band Capita Clip, Dan and Mike, sparked by the low end emanating from Capita's sound, asked bassist Bill Fitzgerald if he'd sit in at their next practice. Fitzgerald gladly obliged.

Bill jumped on board during this first rehearsal, bringing the vision of a power trio into fruition and forming EndAnd. With impressive vocal capabilities and spine-bending bass lines, Bill turned the project into a band when "Adventures of Fi in Space" was performed at the album?s release show later that week.

Everyone, past and present, from the King Killer community is represented here: Ernest D'Amaso and Willie Chen of Generator Ohm; Dan Kramer of The Stink; and Robert Allan of We Are Augustines are among the many that contributed to Adventures. The album is comprised of Adventures of Hi Fi and Adventures of Lo Fi in Space, two EP's consisting of pristine studio recordings and a collection of DIY recordings, respectively.

With real rock music being on the return and the album being buzzed about, EndAnd are already planning tour dates and a new full-length album to be released in 2012.

They have this EP + another of earlier work as pay what you want from Bandcamp

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Dopelord- Magick Rites (2012)

Band request from Poland.

Dopelord have chosen a name heavy with imagery which
conjures up what sort of music they play - classic stoner doom.

And make no mistake, they worship at the bloodstained Altar
of the Riff.

Sparing use of old film samples set the tone before the warm,
thick fuzz guitars start to go into riff overload. Reverb drenched
vocals add to the overall tone while the solos are slow and epic.

The slower pace tracks get the head nodding and my volume
button keeps getting turned up.

If you have any interest in this genre, this is an album you need.

It is well worth the token $3.00 from Bandcamp

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Joe 4 - Enola Gay EP

Band request from Croatia.

Joe 4 play post-punk with both feet firmly planted into the noise
rock ethic.

 A filthy bass sound rumbles along with a dry, discordant guitar
over which vocals are barked out. The drums have a crisp feel to
them which help propel the song arrangements along. The tracks
are played with staccato precision that do not jarr but rather reinforce
the angular attack on show. This would be an ideal listen for anyone
needing a quick fix of AmRep tunage.

Pay what you want on Bandcamp for a Digital copy or buy the
CD/7" that has been released by Whosebrain Records.

Josip from Joe 4 says that they are recording a full length album
with Steve Albini which should be coming out in Sept/Oct later
on this year.

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Bio:

Joe 4’s music owes much to the creative epoch of the 90s
underground labeled “American noise rock”. Rage, sarcasm, and
cynicism are injected into highly structured, yet compact,
arrangements and wrapped around noise- and volume-filled songs.
Like their inspirations, Joe 4 lays out rebellious, quarrelsome, and
obscene images in their efficient and workman like assaults. RIYL:
Shellac, Tar, Janitor Joe, The Jesus Lizard, Johnboy...
Songs emphasize the percussion and rhythm while guitar and bass
lines are braided within and around the lock-step drumming and
tortured/drill-sergeant vocals are sardonically delivered over the
resulting melee. Lyrically, the songs deal with the impulsive nature
of the individual and are concisely worded as repetitive haiku poetry.
Year 2011 means for Joe 4 their first official release of their
first physical product as a 10” vinyl record put out on Whosbrain
Records. If you have a certain affinity for what we could term
“big ugly monster” rock music, Enola Gay, by Croatia’s Joe 4,
fits in with that. It’s big, ugly, nasty, fucked up and in all the
right ways.
Recorded in Zagreb, mixed in San Francisco and mastered
in Chicago.
Joe 4 are drum, bass, guitar, voice.

Available formats:

10” vinyl (+ poster,
download code, plastic
wrap and sticker)
CD (digipack package)
Catalogue number:
WHB-35

The Fucking Hotlights - New songs (2012)

Thanks to Ryan from The Fucking Hotlights for sending me
info about their new release.

Their new 7 song tape has been put out by a Buffalo, NY
label called Drug Party and is available to buy (can any of you
kids remember the thrill of playing cassettes?) or free digital
download Here. While you are there, check out the other Drug
Party bands, I am just listening now and there is some mighty
fine stuff to try.

Being bowled over by last years album High Society Torture Party,
how would these songs compare?

Needless to say, I have not been let down.

Chaotic rock'n'roll, noise rock with a swagger, AmRep sounds
crossed with sweaty punk attitude, aggression with control but
always with a looseness that demands your body be moved or
twitched to the beat, this is hardcore which has the freedom to
go in any direction it wants to - just as long as it sounds pissed
off and ready to knock you over into the gutter in its rush to get
to the next track.

Fucking good stuff - Get it!

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A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters - Various (2012)

Flies Are Spies From Hell have released another excellent
compilation of bands featuring the best of the UK post-rock,
instrumental and math-rock underground.

The personal highlight for me is the track from What The
Blood Revealed but the whole album plays very well as a
complete listen - compilations sometimes tend to be a varied affair
but care has been taken with song choices and track order for
seamless playing.

With 10 bands to choose from, give this a go and discover
something new.

Pay what you want from Bandcamp

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I could not let this post go without telling you to visit the Flies Are Spies From Hell
bandcamp page, where,  among a host of releases, is their album Red Eyes
Unravelling which was responsible for opening my ears to a lot of other music.

Gladiators Eat Fire - Psychedelic Hogwash (2012)

Band request from Seattle, USA.

Gladiators Eat Fire bring a new dimension to hardcore with
elements of math and doses of heavy psychedelia mixed
together to produce an unholy, experimental noise explosion
but with big fuck-off-tunes and riffs that get heads banging.

Exploding the theory that hardcore is one dimensional, these
guys can go from a slow sludge riff thats twists and turns in
time patterns leading to a Black Flag "My War" ending with
acid drenched guitar echoing along with vocals that go from
bellowing to a whisper.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants some
heavy sounds to assault their ears with.

Bio:
Gladiators Eat Fire are an organic, psychedelic hardcore movement from the heart of Seattle, WA, on a sonic journey in the search for identity and freedom of self expression. This summer, the band will release the Psychedelic Hogwash EP, their newest and most ambitious material to date, and a culmination of half a decade of aural experimentation.

Ever since the release of their 2008 EP "Keep The Beat Alive", recorded by Chris Proff (Ravenna Woods, Strong Killings, Monogamy Party) and mastered by the late Tom Pfaeffle (Nirvana, Alice Cooper, B.B. King), Gladiators Eat Fire have been gaining attention for their intensely passionate live performances, drawing comparisons to bands such as The Mars Volta, Refused, and These Arms Are Snakes. After entering the studio with Proff again, their 2010 full length album, the aptly self-titled "Gladiators Eat Fire", was mastered by Chris Hanszek (The Melvins, Soundgarden, The Pleasureboaters) and marked a clear departure into deeper, uncharted musical territory. As the band experimented heavily with their sound, they drew praise from local press such as The Stranger for their "psychedelic guitars and eerie, echoing vocals that ring through songs like lost souls", while websites such as Punknews.org proclaimed it as "an acid-drenched dancepocalypse".

Over the years, the band has shared the stage with bands as diverse as Wild Orchid Children, Ravenna Woods, and Monogamy Party. They've toured up and down the west coast, and have performed at events such as the Seattle's Cannabis Freedom March and Chaospalooza, as well as Missoula's StaticFest, and Connell's Summer Rocks Festival. The band has also appeared live on Hollow Earth Radio, has received airplay on 90.3 FM KEXP and 99.9 FM KISW, and was chosen as Unsigned Band of the Month in High Times Magazine.

Now, having spent the past several months quietly waiting in the shadows, vocalist Mark Blazer and guitarist Brian Kim continue to carry the torch of their musical vision, aided by bass player James Erwin and drummer Joseph Braley. Recorded mostly live in their basement, the group's new Psychedelic Hogwash EP showcases four diverse songs which the Seattle Weekly boldly claims "[shred] nearly every preconception and stereotype about metal, hardcore, post-rock and math-rock". Without a doubt, Gladiators Eat Fire is ready to unleash their ferociously unique blend of hardcore and psychedelia upon the eyes and ears of the unsuspecting masses. There is no escape.
Because they are good guys, you can pay what you want from Bandcamp and have a CD and 7" coming out on August 14th.

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Mörse - S/T (2012)

Band request from France.

Not sure what they are putting in the water over there but
Mörse are another great hardcore band coming from over
the channel to assault my ears.

They play aggressive punk/hardcore with a nice trashy feel
to things and really steamroller through the songs. Excellent
production makes sure that every bellowed vocal and distorted
guitar is crystal clear. The song arrangements steer clear of basic
noise and offer some intricate riffs to latch on to.

They are touring and will appear with Birds In A Row and
Oathbreaker ........ they will have no trouble in playing to those
bands audiences on the showing of this release. Shame they only
have 3 tracks as I wanted to hear a whole album!

Because they are good guys, they have given me permission
to post a free download link Here

Bandcamp

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Raise The Red Lantern - Breathe Fire (2005)

One you might of missed.

Raise The Red Lantern play a pulverising mix of hardcore and
sludge type rock that sounds like High On fire crossed with
Coliseum.

Fat powerful slabs of sound riff away on unstoppable grooves
while the solos are cranked out with distortion and menace
but never for the sake of flashiness.

The vocals are yelled/shouted/screamed to great effect and across
the whole album, the songs just stomp along.

I was always kinda thought this would of been a Relapse/ Southern
Lord release but it came out on the always fantastic Seventh Rule
Records.

They have it on a free download Here

The United Sons Of Toil - Forces Of Production (2012)

I have to admit to approaching this collection of remixed tracks
with some trepidation.

When you have a powerful sounding band, so often the predictable
results are just to make everything sound unbearably noise filled
and heavier-than-heavy.

The United Sons Of Toil have shown admirable restraint in selecting
the tracks represented here.

Dub, electronic glitches, ambient spaces giving the songs a new dimension
and a paring down of sound makes this an excellent listen. In fact, this
goes beyond "just" a remix album and instead deserves to sit along side
other USOT releases as another side to them.

Don't take my word for it, because they are good guys, you can pay
what you want from Bandcamp

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Here is their own description of putting these tracks together:
We are inescapably immersed in a cut-and-paste culture. The oft-plagiarist world of musical inspiration has given way to digital deconstruction and reassembly. Individual tracks become raw material — merely starting points for new compositions. Five years in the making, this record documents a series of experiments in recontextualizing our music. Only one rule existed for this project: use only audio from the original recording — creativity often thrives under harsh limits.