Spiral Shades - Frustration

RidingEasy Records is pleased to announce the debut release of Hypnosis Sessions by Spiral Shades on 5th August. A uniquely assembled album four thousand miles in the making. Formed by Vennesla, Norway-native Filip Peterson and Mumbai based singer-songwriter Khushal Bhadra Spiral Shades is a heavy rock record unlike any other.
As avid fans of obscure ’70s rock, doom and proto-metal, prior to forming Spiral Shades both Peterson and Bhadra relied on YouTube to unearth lost music and showcase their individual talents as musicians. Each would upload their own cover versions of songs they had discovered online but it wasn’t until one evening in the Summer of 2012 that Khushal happened to stumble onto Filip’s video channel where he was immediately taken aback by the Norwegian’s choices and impressive guitar playing.
“We appeared to possess identical influences and a love for the ’70s,” recalls Khushal. “Later we discovered that we shared in the belief that music created in that era had a certain kind of depth and emotion. My late father got me into bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple when I was young and those bands completely changed my world. Since then I have been trying to unearth bands with similar vibes.”
Frustrated by the absence of a metal scene in Mumbai but buoyed by the discovery of a like mind, Khushal reached out in hope of exchanging ideas and recommendations. The pair soon fell into discussion about their reverence for Scott “Wino” Weinrich; compared notes about Necromandus’s Barry “Baz” Dunnery’s guitar technique and debated which John Gallo band ruled more, Orodruin or Blizaro. Forming a friendship and shared admiration for the music they played they began sowing the seeds of what would eventually become Spiral Shades’ debut album.
“I don’t really follow the music scene around where I live,” explains Filip. “I don’t think there are any doom metal bands around here that I know of and I don’t have any experience playing in a band. My original goal was always to try and find somebody to jam with. Starting a band or even creating an album was never really something I had planned. Then suddenly Khushal contacted me out of the blue and it kind of evolved from there.”
Using software to pre-programme the drums, Hypnosis Sessions is a completely virtual project where everything was recorded, shared and mixed remotely. Even though this may seem at odds in some ways with the feel of the music contained within, given that the idea was to replicate that traditional approach to 1970s production – raw recordings, free flowing exchange of experimental ideas – the album captures that spirit and conviction in every aspect.
“It did get difficult at times when English isn’t your main language,” answers Filip when asked about the duo’s serve/return method of production. “At the beginning it was quite rough understanding what we both meant at times. Finding the right words is always difficult. However now that we have worked together for a couple of years, we understand each other much better.”
As well as sharing the same influences luckily both share the exact same work ethic. Taking over a year and a half to craft and assemble the recordings that make up their impressive nine-track debut the duo became veritable master controllers of their vision. Ungoverned by time, money or needless pressures they fell naturally into an arrangement that enabled them to write and record unhindered. Honed, polished and perfected the result is the creation of Hypnosis Sessions, one of the most original doom metal albums you will likely hear in 2014.
“Metal records aren’t usually made this way but we had no choice. One has to connect with another musician to make good music even if they are not together. I couldn’t find another musician who had similar tastes so finding Filip was like an instant connection. We knew what we were getting into from the start. We expected nothing; we just wanted to make good music. The kind of music we both love.”  From: https://www.ridingeasyrecs.com/spiral-shades-interesting-band-rock-n-roll/

Nephila - Who Are You

Swedish psychedelic rock band Nephila is set to release their self-titled debut album on The Sign Records. Drawing inspiration from 60s and 70s folk and prog rock, the album includes seven experimental tracks that launch the listener into a journey through space and time. The signature mix of retro rock and heavy guitar solos with fantastic vocal harmonies from their two lead singers makes this album truly stand out. Consisting of seven masked musicians, Nephila combines progressive songwriting and visual expressions to merge mysticism, folklore, and storytelling into a theatrical journey

Q: What is your upbringing?

A: Some of us went to the same music high school a couple of years back and we then wanted to keep playing music outside of school, but some different music from what we were doing in school. //Josephine

How did you discover music?

Music has been a part of every member’s life and we all come from different kinds of musical backgrounds. //Josephine

How did you start to write music?

One of our guitarists, Jacob Hellenrud, approached us with a self-written song; we then kept on writing music together. //Josephine

You are a Swedish psychedelic rock band. How did your band form?

I’d say it all started when we got together and did a cover of Rival Sons “Pressure and time” for fun in school. From that moment we’ve continued to develop our own sound and we started to create ‘Nephila’. //Jacob

Why 2 lead singers?

We love those two singers who can make harmonies together, the sound will be much wider and fuller. You can do a lot with it live, both with the performance and sound. Also, it’s really fun singing together, we give each other energy on and off stage. //Josephine

How did you get your bands name?

Nephila comes from a spider called Nephila clavata. The spider spins a golden web. From the beginning, we were eight members. One for every leg of the spider. But we lost one leg on the road, so our logo only contains seven legs now. //Jacob

Describe your music.

Spaceships collide with space rock from the year of 1969. We love combining psychedelic rock and heavy blues with theatrical expressions, our 7-headed rock orchestra wants to bring out the best of 70’s experimental rock while adding our own touch of mysticism and visual storytelling. //Jacob

What was your first performance like?

Our first gig was at a local pub where we’ve played a lot since. A small intimate show for mainly friends. We didn’t have many songs at the time so we played some covers from bands such as Cream and Abramis Brama. //Jacob

Tell me about winning the Swedish music competition Livakarusellen in 2019?

It was an incredible feeling and absolutely rockin’. We had a blast throughout the whole competition and we grew a lot as a band. It was also a confirmation for us that people actually like and appreciate our music, which made us really happy. //Josephine

Before Livakarusellen you released the video “Growing Down” What is the back story to the video?

Some of the original members dropped out at the same time and we wanted to present the member shift through the video. The video represents a ceremony where the original members hand over the masks and the wreath to the new members. //Josephine

Tell me about the making of the Belladonna video?

The video is about telling the listeners about the environmental crisis. The actress in the video, Ida Blom, is portraying mother earth, who’s feeling helpless watching the humans fill the world with debris and emissions. But the video ends in reverse, keeping the hope up for the future. Due to covid-19 we made the video by ourselves with the help from the amazing actress Ida Blom. //Josephine

What makes a good songwriter?

For me, a good songwriter doesn’t care about trends or what people want to hear. Instead, the songwriter should set the trends before we know what we want to hear. Express yourself in music and let your instrument lead the way to places you never knew existed. To be able to make something out of nothing, that for me is a good songwriter. //Jacob

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

Our first song was called “Blåa kräldjur”, which is “Blue reptiles” in English. Sadly, we never recorded this in the studio, but we played it live a bunch of times! Maybe we’ll dust it off someday and record it. //Josephine & Jacob

What is the process of writing your music?

Often someone comes with an idea or a riff and we jam together while trying to finish the song. Everyone in the band always has something to give with their own musicality so a song could sound completely different when adding all of our own ideas to it. It’s like a big compromise of ideas and you have to know when to “kill your darlings”. //Jacob

Tell me about your single “White Bones” which was released at the beginning of the year?

“White Bones” is about the refugee crisis, where for example parents have to send their children across the ocean to risk their lives, just so they might get a better life without poverty, war and hunger. Some people won’t always make it all the way throughout the journey across the ocean, sadly some will have to witness the white bones of other travelers. Through the lyrics we want to give the listener some perspective, to picture how it would be if you switched lives. //Josephine

You debut album Nephila came out June 4th.is there a theme behind the music?

The lyrics from the album were inspired by worldwide issues, for example, “Guidance to agony” tells a story about violence against women, especially in near relationships. The song “White bones” is about the refugee crisis, where for example parents send their children across the ocean to risk their lives, so they might get a better life without war and hunger. We also have a song about the environmental crisis, “Belladonna ”, from the earth’s perspective. Stina and I often tend to write about issues around the globe, where a message can be sent through the song to the listener. //Josephine

What is your favorite track on your album?

For a bunch of us the favorite song is “Who are you”, but also “Alla galaxers centrum” and “Guidance to Agony” for some members. “Who are you” and “alla galaxers centrum” is also extremely fun to sing live. It’s like you disappear into the song. //Josephine

If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

I believe that live music has been laying on its deathbed many years before this pandemic, but covid was the nail in the coffin. But I think that live music will reincarnate and grow greater than before because of it. I hope that people are hungry for live music. At Least we are. //Jacob

Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?

Maybe for someone, but in general, no. We thought that we would be more creative or write hundreds of songs. But it has been really hard to motivate yourself through this. //Jacob

How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?

Doing what you love. Maybe it’s baking, writing music, dancing around listening to your favorite songs, or video chat with your loved ones. It’s important to priorities your health and happiness! //Josephine

Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  In October that is going to change at least on Facebook.  Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses. The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience. This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only. How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?

Everything that keeps people from playing music and expressing themselves could be bad. I get the idea that the artists and songwriters should get paid when people play their music. But shutting music down on one of the biggest platforms in a period where you can’t even go and see live music is a disaster. //Jacob

How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?

We think that it’s important to connect with people and make sure to tell them that you’re alive and conversate via text. It is hard for bands to reach a new audience in these times. But I think that it is important to keep in touch with the ones that follow and listen to your music. They are what’s important. //Jacob

Is pay to play still a thing?  Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.

We believe so. It is common to pay to support other bands. It can be a smart thing to reach a certain audience who may like your music, but that never would have listened if it wasn’t because of the headline. If it is financially worth it or not, we don’t know. But we see why it could be good for upcoming bands. //Jacob

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

I think that it could hurt the live scenes around the world. But I see why people may want to watch Dio in your living room, haha. //Jacob

In the past if a musician stops doing music, they find a new career.  For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?

Move to nowhere and become self-supported from nature. //Jacob

Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million.  In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million), Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year.  Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million.   Neil Young sold 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70, publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams.  A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985.  And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial. The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning. Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is willing to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?

I think that this can hurt smaller bands and artists that may have no other choice than to sell their music for financial reasons and for much smaller prices. I get why Dylan or Dee Snider sell their catalogue, they don’t know if their music will be popular in 10 years and they will always be the real songwriters, no matter who owns the songs. But it’s sad that it’s always about the money and not the artistry.  //Jacob

At Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on February 22, the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day.  This means people are adding new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds. The figure, announced by Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, Spotify will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time. But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists.  What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?

It is really hard to stand out when so many songs are released every single day, and that’s only on Spotify. Artists are struggling to end up on playlists which is so important to be on today. The demand is so much smaller than what is released every single day. Everyone wants to be stars, but no one wants to listen. I believe that it is important to support other artists, add them on your favourite playlists and stream them and create your own community around your music instead of relying on Spotify’s algorithm. //Jacob

From: https://www.unratedmag.com/nephila/

 

Eddie Kendricks - Keep On Truckin'

Eddie Kendricks only topped the charts once after leaving The Temptations, but when he did, it was with a doozy of a track. Tom Breihan makes the case that “Keep On Truckin’” was the first disco song to top the charts, which may well be true. He also says that it’s more of a groove than a song, which is definitely true. There’s a radio edit, but who cares? You want the full eight minute experience.
“Keep On Truckin'” was produced by funk/soul/disco auteur Frank Wilson. Eddie Kendricks had quit the Temptations in part because he didn’t like producer Norman Whitfield’s psychedelic soul approach, but Wilson’s epic disco vibe also sounds suspiciously like psychedelic soul. Leonard Caston Jr plays the devastating clavinet part. The great James Jamerson plays bass, Ed Greene plays drums, Gary Coleman plays vibes, King Errisson plays congas, Dean Parks and Greg Poree play guitar, and Jerry Peters plays piano and organ. There are also unnamed horn and string sections. The texture is dense: four layers of percussion, three keyboards, two guitars, vibes, horns, strings, and layers of Eddie Kendricks’ voice. It could easily be a mess, but Motown cats know how to stay out of each others’ way, and the mix and arrangement are exceptionally tight. It’s rare for a club banger to be a good solitary headphone listen (and vice versa), but this track works equally well in both contexts.
“Keep On Truckin'” may have disco-like production and grandiosity, but its groove is classic early 1970s funk: heavily swung sixteenth notes, hi-hats ticking away on the eighths, snares smacking the last sixteenth note in the bar to keep you paying attention, muted wah-wah guitar going chicka-chicka on the sixteenths. The tempo starts around 98 BPM, and by the end has picked up to about 104. Motown players keep excellent time, but no one could resist speeding up through a groove this exciting. Here’s a section-by-section breakdown.

Intro: mm 1-4 (0:00)
If it feels like you’ve been dropped into the middle of the song, it’s because you basically have. The intro is an instrumental version of the prechorus, and you won’t hear it in context until later on. Starting the song with a piece of musical connective tissue is harmonically disorienting. The first two chords are Db7 and Bb7. Usually the first chord in a groove is the tonic, but if that’s true, then Bb7 would be a strange followup. Or maybe Bb7 is the tonic? But then Db7 would be a strange lead-in. Anyway, Db7 and Bb7 are repeated, and the answer becomes clear: they must be the bVI7 and IV7 chords in F or F minor. Presumably, we’ll be landing on the tonic in the next section.

Chorus 1/Break 1: mm 5-10 (0:10)
Except, no, we don’t. Instead of the F or F minor you were expecting, there’s a groove on Ab major, with some embellishing Absus4 chords thrown in on the guitar. So maybe Db7 and Bb7 were actually the IV7 and II7 chords in Ab? Strange, but appealing. At measure 9, there’s a Bb7, which sounds like it might be V7/V in A-flat. But then at measure 10, there’s a break on C7sus4, which retroactively explains the Bb7 as actually being the IV7 chord in F like you were originally led to believe. At the end of the break, there are two quick hits on a gospel-like Fsus4, which further set up the expectation that you’ll get a resolution to F on the next downbeat.

Build: mm 11-12 (0:25)
There is indeed a very quick F7 chord on the downbeat, but the clav immediately starts walking up the F minor pentatonic scale. When you hear minor pentatonic over a dominant seventh chord, that’s a sure sign of blues tonality. I would label this short section as being in the key of F blues.

Main Groove 1: mm 13-20 (0:30)
The groove opens up into eight bars of the F Dorian feel that will dominate the later parts of the track.

Prechorus 1: mm 21-24 (0:49)
This is the same as the intro, but now we know what’s going on: the Db7 comes from F minor blues, and the Bb7 comes from F blues or F Dorian.

Chorus 2/Break 2: mm 25-30 (0:59)
This chorus has the same basic feel as the first one: an Ab major groove with a few Absus4 chords for ornamentation. This time, however, one of the guitarists is playing licks in the Ab blues scale. If we were supposed to hear F as being the global key center, then the F blues scale would seem to be the more obvious choice. Hearing Ab blues instead suggests that Ab is the “real” key center, at least right now.

Main Groove 4: mm 90-133 (3:38)
You’re expecting the chorus again, but no, it’s back to the main groove. It starts restrained but quickly builds in intensity. From here on out, we stay in F Dorian, and all structure comes from orchestration and groove. The strings trade blues riffs with the rest of the band, a neat arranging trick.

Breakdown 2/Outtro Groove: mm 134-202 (5:21)
There’s a dramatic break that would make a logical ending for the track, but it’s not even close to being over. The groove breaks down to just congas and tambourine. The other instruments are faintly present, but very quiet. Then they gradually re-enter. The band must have kept on grooving straight through this, and then the breakdown and re-buildup were constructed at the mixing desk in postproduction. This is really what makes the song sound like disco: major compositional choices made by the producer at the mixing stage, using the multitrack recording of a live performance as raw material rather than the finished product. The track doesn’t actually end, it fades out. Remember how it didn’t exactly have a beginning, either? You get the sense that “Keep On Truckin'” really lasts for hours or days, and you just happen to have caught eight minutes of it. Songs have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but a good groove is potentially infinite.

From: https://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2021/keep-on-truckin/

I Draw Slow - All Souls

George Orwell’s quote “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind”, is sadly, as relevant today, as when he made it, in his 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language”.  Perhaps things have always been so, then, and it is not just the chosen go-to operating style of the current crop of departing, or incumbent, holders of high office in several western democracies.
It is a quote that inspired the track ‘Copenhagen Interpretation’, which I Draw Slow chose to be the lead single from their eponymous fifth album ‘I Draw Slow’.  The song is about bringing words back down to earth and frames lead singer, Louise Holden‘s, ethereal voice over banjo musings, and a soundscape that could have graced any 70’s Laurel Canyon close harmony release.
I Draw Slow are probably better known in their native Ireland and the US, than they are here in the UK.  The rest of the band is made up of Holden’s sibling David (guitar), along with Konrad Liddy (upright bass), Colin Derham (banjo), and Adrian Hart (fiddle).  They have spent significant periods touring previous albums in the States, gaining them a strong following there.
This latest album was not born out of happiness.  Coming together after their individual experiences of pandemic-enforced isolation, the band found their influences had broadened and the music they subsequently created together had a new darker edge to it.  Their previous albums - ‘Downside’ (2008), ‘Redhills’ (2011), ‘White Wave Chapel’ (2014) and ‘Turn Your Face To The Sun’ (2017) - had more obvious traditional Irish and Appalachian influences.  In this latest 10-track collection, the band have added to that mix some fresh musical influences - New Orleans funereal jazz, 60’s pop, and cinematic soundscapes.  It all works to create a body of work that is pleasingly hard to place, both in time and in any single cultural home.  The result is music with a welcoming freshness and variety.
Stand out tracks on the album include the haunting ‘Bring Out Your Dead’, 70’s west coast road trip song ‘Crosses’ and the sung Irish language of ‘A chiud den tsaol’ which showcases Louise Holden’s affirmed vocals over a more traditional Irish music backing. A life-affirming dark, yet uplifting, sound.  It will be appreciated by lovers of the more traditional, and acoustic, styles of Americana, as well as those who enjoy west coast 70’s music.
I Draw Slow have created a sound that is very much their own, carrying you away, in equal measure, to the Appalachian woods and Dublin hills, with the odd detour on route to New Orleans or California.  What finer mix of places could there be?  Not quite George Orwell’s chosen stomping grounds of Catalonia and Wigan Pier, but you can be sure he would approve.  From: https://americana-uk.com/i-draw-slow-i-draw-slow

Chicago - Movin' In

 

In August 1969, Chicago went to work on their second album. Their debut album, The Chicago Transit Authority, released a mere four months earlier, broke much musical ground, and rock and jazz fans alike flocked to record shops to get their hands on a copy. However, the album didn't make a big dent in radio play (yet), so the band set back to the studio to record another album. The resulting album, which would not be released until January of 1970, is considered by many critics and fans alike as the band's breakthrough record, scoring the band three Top 40 hits on the Billboard Chart.
Chicago II would prove to be much different than its predecessor. Whereas Chicago Transit Authority was based on horn jams and guitar solos, Chicago II operates in a much more controlled environment. Not only are the horns tampered down, but Terry Kath's guitar playing is nearly non-existent, with the exception of a few tracks, most notably Poem for the People, In the Country, 25 or 6 to 4 and the exceptional It Better End Soon suite. However, Chicago trades improvisation for cohesiveness, as the songs on Chicago II are much more consistent and friendlier to the average listener who does not have a prog rock-trained ear. This is something that most '70s prog bands ended up doing in the '80s, but since Chicago was the first to "sell out", they are forever villainized for their mutiny. That said, Chicago II is still very much a progressive rock album, it just leans much more toward jazz fusion than its predecessor. In 1970, it was still cool for prog fans to listen to Chicago.
Side One opens up with Movin' In, the first of five consecutive standard jazz-rock songs. "Movin' In" opens with all horns blazing before settling into its groove. The song is a lyrical statement, penned by James Pankow, that the group is here to stay and make some noise. The Road is Peter Cetera's vocal entrance on the album. The horns and drums standout on this track, but the real star is Peter Cetera, as he turns in a showstopping performance, showcasing the golden pipes that would soon become an FM radio staple for decades. Poem for the People is my favorite track of the opening five tracks. The tracks opens with piano, followed by horns and then drums. The tempo changes quite a bit throughout the track, and tasteful guitar is sprinkled in by Mr. Kath. Lots of Beach Boys-style harmonies in the bridge and towards the end really make this track special as the horns take over just before the track fades. In the Country is probably the most passionate song of this set, as a prominent bass takes over, and we finally hear a good helping of guitar playing in this sweet, rollicking ode to country living. Terry Kath and Peter Cetera share vocal duties and turn in a delicious performance. The sound of these songs is very much like the songs on their first album, minus the long jams and solos. Rather, these songs are much tighter in construction, featuring excellent horn sections and tight bass and drumming. Finally, we have Wake Up Sunshine, which actually opens up Side Two, which features terrific vocals and harmonies from Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera along without standout horns and drumming.  From: https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/64538/Chicago-Chicago-II/

Pink Floyd - Animated

 Pink Floyd - Speak to Me/Breathe/On the Run - Simone Massi

 

 Pink Floyd - Time - Salvador Dali/Walt Disney

 

 

 Pink Floyd - The Great Gig In The Sky - Bruno Mazzilli

 

 Pink Floyd - Money - Kate Isobel Scott

 

 Pink Floyd - Us and Them/Any Colour You Like - Hueman Instrumentality

 

 Pink Floyd - Brain Damage/Eclipse - Lauren Edmonds

 

 Pink Floyd - One of These Days - Ian Emes

 

 Pink Floyd - The Narrow Way - Kunio Kato

 

 Pink Floyd - Welcome To The Machine - Gerald Scarfe

 

 Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond Pt. 4 - Seoro Oh

 

 Pink Floyd - Brain Damage - Nastassja Nikitina

 

 Pink Floyd - Eclipse - Yosh

 

In 1971 the English illustrator Gerald Scarfe found himself in LA creating an animated film for the BBC. He had spent the previous decade producing editorial cartoons and caricatures for British publications like Punch, the Daily Mail and The Sunday Times – and was now taking his satirical eye to the States. It was an era of drugs and cynicism, and Scarfe channelled these elements into his work. The resulting animation was Long Drawn-Out Trip, a warped visual stream of consciousness that reflected the illustrator’s take on American culture. It was trippy and hallucinogenic, mixing together everything from John Wayne and Micky Mouse to commercials and Playboy. Scarfe’s take on American society was relentlessly engaging, and it’s unique style seemed to strike a chord with viewers.
The following year it was seen by the members of Pink Floyd, and they loved it. They were eager to work with someone on visuals, and so they asked the illustrator if he might be interested. Scarfe – who admitted he was originally “no means a fan” of the band – went to see them perform The Dark Side of the Moon at Finsbury Park. When he saw their performance, his attitude completely changed. He loved the theatricality of their live act and agreed to see if they could find some projects to work on together.
After collaborating on tour programs, stage animations and a music video, Scarfe and the band finally landed on The Wall. Devised by Roger Waters, it was to be a hugely inventive album. Waters had already written three concept albums in the form of the group’s previous LPs – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975) and Animals (1977) – but this was to be his most personal and revealing album to date. It featured songs about isolation and abandonment and was an exploration of darkness and humanity. Scarfe was the perfect person to visualise these themes, and Waters wanted him involved from the very beginning.
“In the early days, Roger explained the whole of the music and lyrics of The Wall to me,” Scarfe wrote in his 2011 book. “Over the following weeks he retraced his steps, telling me which part of The Wall echoed his own life – his father’s death, his girlfriend’s infidelity etc., which was fantasy and what was fact. Gradually I built up a picture of what I felt I could contribute.”
Telling the journey of a character called Pink, Scarfe visualised his life as a twisted mix of elegance and horror. At the core of the story was the titular wall: a defensive barrier that Pink constructed to close himself off from a cruel world. Through Water's songs, we get to learn about the death of Pink’s father during World War II; we learn how his mother domineered him; how his school bullied him; the government controlled him; and how his wife betrayed him. Scarfe brought all these elements to life with an ink-spattered flick of the wrist. This grotesque cast of characters would go on to become iconic figures in the landscape of pop culture.
The Wall was released as a double album in 1979, but Waters had already envisioned it to be more than just an LP. From 1980–81, the band toured with a hugely ambitious live show. During the course of their performances, a massive thirty-five-foot wall of white cardboard bricks was constructed on stage and onto this was projected animations by Scarfe. The band also worked with the architect Mark Fisher and the mechanical engineer Jonathan Park to turn Scarfe’s original illustrations into massive inflatable puppets that represented characters from the story. These included the "Mother", the "Ex-wife" and the "Schoolmaster". Even today, The Wall Tour remains one of the most ambitious and complex theatrical events ever attempted.
One person whose attention had been caught by the show was the director Alan Parker: “It probably marked the high point of rock-and-roll theatre” he said, “I couldn’t imagine anything ever getting any bigger.” Parker had been a Pink Floyd fan since before The Wall, but the themes of this album really spoke to him. He approached EMI and asked if he could adapt it into a live-action film. Waters had himself already had the intention of turning the album into a film, and – when he heard that Parker was interested in an adaptation – he asked the director if he would consider taking the role. The process of getting it to screen was a challenge for everyone involved. Parker, Waters and Scarfe repeatedly clashed during its production, and Parker later described the ordeal as: “one of the most miserable experiences of his creative life.”
Despite the difficulties, The Wall (1982) was regarded by many critics as a success and it was praised for its unique and often horrifying depiction of self-destruction. As the film’s designer and animator, Scarfe’s distinctive illustrations came to life on screen, and these brought his work to a much wider audience. Throughout the film, Scarfe drew and animated a number of key animated sequences that featured disturbing and surreal images of violence, sex and gore. Over time the film established cult status and, alongside the album and tour, The Wall is now regarded as one of the most iconic and inventive projects in the history of rock.
Sadly, while Scarfe and Waters were collaborating on The Wall, relationships within the band were at an all-time low. The illustrator had worked with the group for six years and, during that time, he had been caught in the middle of one of rock's most bitter break-ups. The Wall would be Water’s penultimate album with the group, and many would argue that it was the band’s last great release
Despite the difficulties and challenges during Scarfe’s collaboration, what they created together was one of the most iconic and imaginative combinations of visuals and music ever undertaken. Within the history of music, it remains to be a groundbreaking work. The same can certainly be said too about its achievements within the history of illustration.  From: https://illustrationchronicles.com/how-gerald-scarfe-and-pink-floyd-built-the-wall

 

 

Żywiołak - Dens Makabreska

Interview with Robert Jaworski from the band Żywiołak

DP: On your website we read that: Żywiołak's music is the result of such musical styles as: folk, punk, rock metal, acoustic trans-techno and drum'n'bass. It also uses elements of music: dub, chillout and ambient, and is combined with the sounds of reconstructed old instruments, "inventions" of newer technology, and archaic and modern vocal techniques. I must admit that after reading this I was a bit scared and didn't know what to expect when going to your concert. Don't you think that this approach to what you do may discourage rather than interest many potential listeners?

Robert Jaworski: Excuse me? But what were you terrified of? So many trends at once? We direct this music to people who are interested not only in the impact shock (I call it the pulse). If such an approach scares away a group of people, I think that they will definitely not be the potential recipients of our music. Yes, our aim at our creation is rhythmic, but the second element is the text layer and ethnic sounds.

Dark Planet: Coming back to the previous question for a moment - could you tell the readers what instruments you use?

Robert Jaworski: Old ones: hurdy-gurdy, fiddle, flute, lute, baraban, djembe... Popular ones: viola, bass guitar, cymbals and part of a drum set, and all kinds of drums.

DP: Why do you focus on folk demonology in your work?

Robert Jaworski: Because we don't know a band in Poland yet that would take this topic seriously.

DP: Don't you think that there are already many bands (in various musical genres) that draw too much from this topic?

Robert Jaworski: From folk demonology? I don't know a single one.

DP: But aren't you afraid that the subject matter may turn out to be too trite?

Robert Jaworski: There is no official topic on this topic. This is knowledge for those interested and a bit of insight into the darkness of history and folklore.

DP: Another very interesting thing is how the band Żywiołak was created, considering that the musicians who composed it previously played / still play such different music?

Robert Jaworski: Just because they play differently doesn't mean they wouldn't want to play similar. Robert Wasilewski played in a folk band into which he tried to incorporate metal elements, but he failed in the long run. I did in mine. I was exposed to rock-metal from the previous band. Maciek Labudzki also plays rock covers in his Mistik Mahżonga. The girls had no experience with such aesthetics - at all. They needed to be educated a bit. However, somewhere there our paths crossed and Żywiołak was created.

DP: In April this year, you received the most prestigious award - the Grand Prix of the President of the Polish Radio for the 9th Folk Music Festival "New Tradition". What do you think made you win?

Robert Jaworski: Certainly the freshness of the trend. The jury had slight reservations about the workmanship, but decided not to take it very literally. Besides, the jury's verdict emphasized our spontaneity as our greatest advantage.

DP: Another question about your success is why you don't hear much about the band in the Polish media?

Robert Jaworski: This question is probably not for us. The media - not necessarily the Polish ones, are always more focused on commercial projects. We have created a quite flashy project, but still a niche one.

DP: Przemysław Trubalski from the website Wiadomości24 refers to the words of Zbigniew Hołdys, spoken after your concert in Warsaw's Pracovnia: "I saw them for the first time in my life, but I will do my best to tell people who decide about the fate of such artists that it is worth helping Żywiołak, that it's worth paying attention to this band. If someone doesn't help this band today, they will watch how the band makes its career. These are unstoppable procedures. The question is, has there actually been anyone who wants to help you open the door to a great career?

Robert Jaworski: I think that Hołdys' statement does not suggest that someone will be found, but rather that someone should be interested in us. I think this is a fundamental difference. I must admit that it would be nice if there were people in Poland professionally involved in the promotion of such non-commercial projects.

DP: Does it bother you that your work is compared to both the achievements of "troLi" and "Hedningarna"?

Robert Jaworski: The fact that our work is comparable to their troLe certainly cannot be questioned - after all, we play pieces of their troLe - and I was the main originator of the idea. As for Hedningarne…

Translated from: https://www.darkplanet.pl/Wywiad-z-Robertem-Jaworskim-z-zespolu-Zywiolak-2062.html