GETTING THINGS DONE IN HEAVY UNDERGROUND MUSIC • SPRING

MITCH HARRIS A grindcore pioneer discusses his new album, guitars and tone, and living a life on stages

Transcending Records Rebirth, reissues, and Convulse

Bandcamp Social Strategy Putting Bandcamp first

Rehearsal Spaces 5 facilities, 5 philosophies

Sonoran Doom Arizona’s desert scene

Action! PR Working for press

Dungeon Synth Dark Ambient levels up

VOL. 2, ISSUE 1, SPRING 2021 • BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

4 Bits and Pieces News and whatnot 5 The MLC New non-profit has $424 million dollars of unclaimed royalties 6 Transcending Records Candid Q&A with founder Mike Ramirez 10 Arizona’s Sonoran Doom scene Chris Beck talks to members of several local bands 15 Action! PR Veteran public relations expert Carl Schultz 18 Mitch Harris Prolific grindcore guitarist is back home in Las Vegas 26 Dungeon Synth About the cover artist Electronic music takes a dark turn Tom Denney is an esoteric American artist whose lengthy 32 Room to Breathe client list includes Cannibal Corpse, Q&A with the owner/operators of five rehearsal facilities Deadbird, Soilent Green, Kylesa, Yakuza, Black Cobra, Rwake, 36 “Cut out the noise” Cephalic Carnage, Samothrace, A Bandcamp-first social media strategy Southern Lord Records, Lesbian, Metal Blade Records, Galdr, 38 End of the Line Raise the Red Lantern, Vessel Records, Editor’s notes Indian, Skelptarsis, Black Skies, Lair of the Minotaur, The Destro, Sourvein, and gobs more.

tomdenney.com facebook.com/cyphlon

Workhorse Magazine Free print www.workhorsemag.com subscriptions [email protected] forSubscribe US musicians. online at [email protected] com WorkhorseMag. Published quarterly by (or just email us) Harvester Publishing LLC PO Box 322, Hutto TX 78634

Contributors: Sebastian Gregory, Chris Wozniak, Suzy Bravo, Chris Beck, Zac Crye Bits and pieces

The RIAA recently released their 2020 Congress passed the CARES Act at Bandsintown is offering livestreams annual report on music spending. the very end of 2020, including the through their PLUS program. Their pricing The splashy story was that vinyl sales Save Our Stages Act, which provides for fans is 25+ live shows for $9.99. It’s were up 23% and brought in $135m more roughly $15 billion in grants and assis- unclear how bands get involved, but than CD sales. CD sales continued to slide tance for music venues, theatres, zoos they have a full slate of shows on the hard (down 33%), but their revenue was and other institutions. Sen. Klobuchar calendar. https://plus.bandsintown.com only down 23%. So we bought less CDs, (D, MN) and Sen. Cornyn (R, TX) but paid more for them. Vinyl cost per spearheaded the effort with bipartisan US-friendly Canadian tape dupe house unit increased as well. “Other Physical” support. NIVA (National Independent Duplication.ca announced a new ferric sales including CD Singles, Cassettes, Venues Association) said 2.1 million tape type, Fox Type 1. They claim it’s Vinyl Singles, DVD Audio, SACD were emails were sent to US representatives in “richer in quality, with clearer audio and up 24%, but only up 3% in revenue. support of Save Our Stages. a lower noise floor.” It’s priced slightly But all these physical sales accounted above their standard normal bias tape for only 10% of total spending. Ninety Gibson bought Mesa Boogie, bringing on and well below their high-bias options. percent went to digital products, with Mesa/Boogie founder Randy Smith as They also have an unrelated note on paid streaming subscriptions up 25%. “master designer” for Mesa Boogie amps. the site about production times being All forms of streaming were up (11% delayed. “Orders will take an estimated combined), but SoundExchange royalty Gibson also brought Dave Mustaine on 4+ weeks before shipping, while orders payouts to artists only went up 4.3%. board as a “brand ambassador.” Four with pad print will take an estimated Paid downloads fell 18%. The full report guitars have been announced, including 6-10 weeks before shipping. Bulk orders can be viewed at https:/RIAA.com. two Gibson Vs, a Kramer V, and a with duplication will have shorter Gibson acoustic. turntime.” Plan accordingly. Discogs had a great 2020 with over 16 million physical items sold through Keisel Guitars has a new signature model Amon Amarth’s ex-drummer Fredrik their Marketplace, up nearly 36% over for Five Finger Death Punch guitarist and Andersson posted a lengthy “apology” 2019. Vinyl sales were up nearly 41%, all around virtuoso Andy James. to his old bandmates regarding their CDs up 37%, and cassettes up 33%. The lengthy legal dispute over earnings. discrepancy between those numbers and Bandcamp is rolling out a propriatary Band drama aside, he talks candidly the RIAA’s is likely due to Discogs trading livestreaming service, Bandcamp Live. about how they split income, how much largely in used items from owners and It will “allow artists to easily create money was coming in, and how their small sellers. https://discogs.com ticketed live streams...including a ‘virtual simple agreement fell apart because it merch table,’ an optional chat room, and didn’t account for what happens when Summer NAMM will be happening in the ability to notify fans when an artist someone leaves the band. It’s a rare person this year at the Nashville Music announces a show.” Bands can set their peek behind the curtain of a band that City Center, July 15-17th. Masks will be ticket price, of which Bandcamp keeps size, and a cautionary tale especially required, as will temperature checks at 10%. https://bandcamp.com/live for drummers. MetalInjection.com has the door. Frederik’s full statement.

SIGNINGS

 Cruz del Sur (Italy) sign Adamantis (power metal, MA)  Dave Ellefson’s EMP signs Hail Sagan (CA)  Massacre Records (Germany) sign Catalyst Crime (symphonic/death/prog, USA/international)  Metal Blade (US) sign Kardashev (CO) and Sanhedrim (trad/doom, NYC)  Napalm Records (Austria) sign Untamed Land (black metal, OH) and Wolftooth (stoner/doom, IN)  Season of Mist (Italy) sign Pessimist (death metal, FL)  Blood Bath Distribution sign digital licensing deal with Goregäng (death metal, FL)

» If your band gets signed, or your label signs someone, let us know at [email protected]

4 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 The Mechanical Licensing Collective New non-profit set up to handle songwriter royalties from digital platforms like Spotify, Apple, Google, etc. has collected $424 million in unmatched royalties.

BY JASON MUXLOW

Really understanding this is beyond the scope of a one-page article, but the short version is that thanks to the Music Modernization Act passed in 2018, there’s a new MRO (Mechanical Rights Organization) in town, and they’ve collected a big pile of unpaid songwriting royalties from Spotify, Apple, Google, iHeart, Pandora, etc. Now they’re tasked with paying it out to publishers, including self-publishing songwriters, which includes a lot of bands who release their own material on platforms.

What is the MLC? Do they have money for me? “Songwriters with publishing representa- tion should not sign up or register their From the FAQ: In 2021, a new entity called It’s hard to say, but If you have material works with the MLC.“ If you're on your The Mechanical Licensing Collective which isn’t covered by a publishing deal own to collect, the MLC requires everyone (The MLC) will begin collecting digital streaming on any of the platforms listed who wants to receive payouts to sign audio mechanical royalties from eligible below, you might have some pennies out up through their Connect to Collect streaming and download services in the there with your name on it. program on their site. Signing up is easy United States who elect to secure blanket enough, with the only slightly confusing licenses from The MLC. The MLC will strive bit being that once you create an to ensure that music publishers and How do I find out? account, you then create a Member to self-administered songwriters [emphasis represent yourself (a single MLC account mine], composers and lyricists receive Check your digital distros first. TuneCore can represent multiple Members). Once their share of the mechanical royalties states, “TuneCore Publishing will handle you’re set up as a Member, search their that The MLC collects from these services registration and collection of royalties on database of works (songs) and claim the accurately and as soon as possible. your behalf with the MLC.” CDBaby says, ones you helped write. Again, this only works if the song was written outside of a publishing deal.

The MLC Public Work Search

The MLC has also been tasked with creating a public database of Works. You can check that without signing up to see if any of your material is in there. Note that Works are songs, not albums. If it’s missing or erroneous, and you don’t have a publisher, “the MLC is working on additional ways to help you flag and report data errors to your publisher or administrator. We hope to launch those later this year.”

Learn more at www.themlc.com

How much various digital players paid in uncollected royalties to the MLC. Image taken from the MLC’s Feb 16, 2021 press release.

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 5 Mike Ramirez Transcending Records’ founder talks candidly about the label’s start, breakthrough, and increasingly focused global operations.

BY JASON MUXLOW

How did Transcending get started? and dark ambient. My hope is that the reissue, my plan was to press 1,000. In 2014, I was selling off my CD collec- folks that follow along with the label It was a number I assumed would be easy tion, as they were just collecting dust in can find things to enjoy in each end of to move, but as I talked with other label my basement. I had a lot of rare metal that spectrum. Maybe some of these people, I learned that that number was releases that I learned were rather valu- styles aren’t things they’d have otherwise kind of lofty for an underground death able. From that discovery came the idea listened to. If we’re turning some people metal album. So I lowered that to 400, that kicked off the label. In 2015 we had on to some new sounds, that’s what it’s and I’m glad I did, because here we are our first release, Asgard, To a Golden Age, all about. six years later and I’ve still got copies of which was a long out-of-print unheralded that Asgard CD. If I’d done 1,000, I’d be French death metal gem. It was actually According to Discogs, Transcending selling Asgard the rest of my life, and one of the CDs I had sold an original released more than 30 albums in its giving them away as housewarming and pressing of. first year. Christmas gifts. Good god, I hadn’t even realized it was The label that originally put that album that many. What was that year like for you? out was run by an old friend of mine, so That first year, I was anxious to establish when I realized there was some demand Did you come from another label with a the label, so I was saying yes to pretty for it I tracked her down for the rights to bunch of experience? much everything that came my way. I reissue it. From there, it’s been a rather I worked as a web developer for the past was throwing all of those releases at the arduous journey. I’ve thrown in the towel 20+ years, but prior to that I did briefly wall, and hoping something would stick. I a couple times along the way, but in early work at Pavement Records. Not that I was knew what I liked, but I wasn’t sure what 2020, we finally broke through, and have able to bring much of that experience would actually sell. There wasn’t really been on an upward trajectory since. to the table for Transcending Records. much that did. If I could go back in time, The music industry had changed way there are only a handful of those 30+ Your website describes Transcending as too much for anything that I’d previously releases that I would do today. It was a an “eclectic” label. How so? learned to be applied, and I found that year of experimentation, growing pains, I think a lot of labels focus on one genre. out in a hurry. and a lot of regret. I’m not proud of it, My music tastes are extremely diverse, but I learned from it, and I’ve gained a lot and I’ve wanted to keep the label diverse Got an example? of focus in the years since. as well. I didn’t want it to be known as I mean, in the ‘90s it was pretty much a a death metal or doom label, or even given that you were going to press 1,000 Were there any successes that year? metal. We have an eclectic mix that CDs for a release. If memory serves, that From a sales standpoint, Rotting includes many sub-genres of metal and was the minimum most manufacturers Obscene was our only real success. That beyond. We’ve done everything from would run back then. When I started CD went on to sell about 500 copies and absolute brutality to grungy shoegaze working on the details for the Asgard was the first release we felt could justify

6 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 ⬆ From L-R: Convulse, Deathstar, Tiamat, Wildhoney reissue, and Pulchra Morte, Ex Rosa Ceremonia. All Transcending Records 2020.

a vinyl pressing. The following year it was year did well. Not one. I spent a ton of That’s a pretty amazing turnaround. our first vinyl pressing. But other than money getting a crew out to MDF to vend And then just as you hit that upswing, Rotting Obscene, that first year we were and that was a complete bust. We had the pandemic hit. mostly successful at sucking. Very little some pretty lofty expectations for that. I’d just launched pre-orders for went right. It’s an expensive fest to vend at, it cost The Gathering, Mandylion the day that a lot to get us all out there, and the net everything shut down here in the Chicago What did you learn from it? result was we lost money doing it. By the area. And I was like “Well, it was fun The most important lesson was that time we did our last release that year, the while it lasted.” As a result of the chaos, I needed to be more selective. There label had a very large negative cash flow. The Gathering pre-order was not quite were too many releases, which meant what I’d expected, but a month later the we couldn’t really spend any quality I’d had enough of putting myself into numbers turned positive, and when all time promoting them individually. I also debt, and threw in the towel in fall 2018. was said and done, that release was sold learned that I needed to know who I was Over the course of 2019, I liquidated as out before it arrived from manufacturing. working with better. There were people I much of the inventory as possible to pay The reissues were definitely the driving connected with that year that took what down the loan. A subscription box busi- factor behind our success in 2020. they could, and turned on me once I no ness called The Metalhead Box bought longer could benefit them. up a lot of the remaining inventory, You had some original releases as well. which allowed me to pay off the rest of The one for me was the new Convulse. 2017 and 2018 saw about half as that business loan, and left the label It’s fantastic. How did you connect with many releases, which is still mighty with money in the bank for the first time them? impressive. Was that a reaction to the since 2017. I’d seen them post that they were looking pace you set in 2016? for a label to release Deathstar, so I I realized that I needed to look for quality Then, in late 2019, Transylvania Stud and pursued them heavily and it worked over quantity. I also wasn’t financially Despondent both had new albums ready. out. Having been a big fan of theirs able to keep the same pace. The label Transylvania Stud is a personal favorite since the 90’s, it was quite an honor to that point was badly in the red and a of the bands on our roster, so I said to be able to work together. [Convulse huge financial burden. what the hell, let’s put out White Witch guitarist/vocalist] Rami Jämsä is a great, and Red Queen on vinyl so the label can old-school kind of guy. We really hit it Things got a bit quiet in 2019. What go out with a bang. It ended up being a off. It’s been fun working with him. So happened? fairly successful release, and started a much so, we’re going to be doing a first I took out a business loan in early 2018 positive cash flow that I used to obtain ever vinyl pressing of their 1994 album to make things happen and the long the rights to Gorement’s The Ending Reflections later this year. and short of it is that absolutely nothing Quest. From there, the label hit a stride worked out. None of the releases that that has continued into 2021.

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 7 I really wish more reissues were like that. Do you have a say in which mastering gets used when you put out a reissue? That depends on the label being licensed from. Century Media have been okay with us deciding what to do with the masters. In some cases, they’ve only had the CD masters and we have to get our own vinyl mastering done. I’ve been turning to Dan Swanö for that. In the case of The Gathering, we had the Pulchra Morte, Ex Rosa Ceremonia (2020) choice between the label’s masters or The Gathering’s masters. I think if we wanted to totally remaster any of the Are you only releasing the US version starting a label. On top of that, when you reissues, they’d probably be okay with it. of Deathstar or do you have the whole just start a label, there’s sort of a need But as I said, I’m not a fan of remasters. world? to prove yourself to bands. It would be I think when people have gotten used to It’s a worldwide release. We’ve got it in difficult to lure a seasoned band to a new hearing an album a certain way it can be our EU shop, and once the vinyl finally label unless you’ve got a ton of money pretty disappointing to buy a reissue and arrives from manufacturing, it’ll go into to throw at them. A reissue presents a have it sound completely different. distribution channels. great opportunity to put out something that people know about already. And you Transcending seems to have always Any challenges working with a band on don’t have to pay for PR for something done a lot of different formats from another continent? that’s already known. release to release. Some are on Not really. It’s actually rather beneficial cassette, some are on vinyl, you’ve in that we’re not competing for sales as Do most reissues come to you, or are done all manner of CD packaging, etc. much. Perhaps our EU shop isn’t selling you actively seeking out things to bring How do you decide which format and as much Convulse as it would otherwise, back into circulation? packaging you’ll do for a release? but it’s done well in the US. There’s at I’ve actually never done a reissue that Well, all along the goal has been vinyl. times some language barriers, but I think came to me. All of the reissues have been I’m a vinyl collector myself. I don’t collect Rami and I are able to understand each releases I actively sought out. There are CDs or cassettes. In the first few years other pretty well. so many great releases that have gone I just couldn’t swing a lot of vinyl. It’s out of print and so many that came out very expensive and it takes a long time We do our manufacturing in Poland these in the 90’s that never made it to vinyl. to manufacture. So, most of the early days, so it’s easy enough for me to put I’ve been primarily looking for stuff that stuff was CDs. Some of them we did on product in the hands of European bands. either has never been on vinyl, or that cassette as a request of the bands we It was really expensive to do that when hasn’t been re-pressed on vinyl in a long were working with. And typically the we were manufacturing in the US. Which time. packaging was done as the band desired. is a large part of the reason I moved that Some prefer digipaks, some prefer jewel aspect overseas. Your reissue of Asgard’s To a Golden cases. I just prefer vinyl, so I didn’t really Age has the note, “Not remastered. have much opinion either way. The Pulcha Morte album is also really This is the original recording as it was strong. How’d you find them? intended to be heard.” Who’s decision These days it’s all about the vinyl. They contacted me early in 2020 with was that? CD sales have all but died. You’ll see one of the tracks on the album and I That was my decision. I am personally that on some of our licensed releases was blown away. I believe I signed them not a big fan of remasters. Underground we’re doing vinyl and cassettes, but not before I even heard the full album. I’m death metal in the 90’s was rough. Studio CD. There is literally more demand for a big fan of early 90’s death/doom, a la time was expensive and home studios cassettes than there is for CDs. What year Paradise Lost, and Pulchra Morte really were not what they are today. But there is this? scratches that itch. was something about that raw and rough death metal back then that’s missing How challenging is it to deal with Reissues make up a good chunk of these days. I’m not a fan of over polished the art, specifically the cover? Your Transcending’s discography, and you’ve death metal. If I wanted pop music, I’d Enchantment reissue for example is started reissuing some choice titles listen to pop music. I want something close to the original, but different. from Century Media’s back catalog. raw and in your face. So, that’s what that With some of those old releases the art Why are reissues attractive to you? was about. I wanted to make sure it was is just not available anymore. Keeping Reissues come with a built-in audience, known that we didn’t try and pretty that digital art files on hand these days is which is really nice when you’re just release up. It is what it was, and what it pretty easy: pop it in Dropbox and leave was was underground death metal!

8 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 it there, forever. But storing files in the me some good guidance over the years. about bands that are excited about their ‘90s wasn’t easy. A lot of that stuff was We did collaborate on the Monolith Cult own work. You’d be surprised how many actually retained as film. So there are and Godthrymm releases, though. And bands just want to hand off their album some releases where the best course of we’ll likely continue to collaborate on and be done with it. action is to simply recreate the art. That things like that in the future. But with the was the case for Asgard. There was no reissues we haven’t worked together on What kind of bands are you looking for original art available, and honestly the those outside of Enchantment. in 2021? original art was pretty bad. I went to a Well, in terms of genre, I’m pretty open stock photography site and bought the Given how many licenses and reissues to anything that’s unique. I do tend to print rights to a photo of some ruins that you’ve done, what do you wish more gravitate to melodic genres. I’ve had a looked similar to the original cover and bands kept in their archives? thing for shoegazeinfused metal for a did a bit of Photoshop work and that I wish more of them had some few years. 2021 is going to likely consist became the cover of the reissue. With B-sides and demo tracks at the ready. of a lot of reissues for us, though we’re Enchantment, Cosmic Key Creations [EU Enchantment had their pre-Century going to do our share of new material label] had that artwork redone, I think for Media demo available, including the as well. The reissues have very quickly the same reason. They supplied us with artwork which was really cool to see. become our bread and butter, so, we’re that new cover for the CD that we did. We did a cassette reissue of that, with an going to be forging ahead with a pretty attempt to keep it as authentic as pos- heavy reissue schedule. But from those sible. I’m working with Dan Swanö on a reissues come the funds that will help us reissue of Witherscape’s The Inheritance, actualize things for new bands. and not surprisingly for a studio guy, he’s How should bands go about introducing themselves to Transcending? We get so many submissions, and the vast majority of them are really unprofessional. I’ve had people send a stream without any message. I’ve had some submissions where there was no music, just a message asking if I’d like to hear their music. Time wasting stuff. Nine times out of ten, bands don’t send us any social links or anything we can gauge I’m a big fan of that Enchantment got a whole load of archived goodies that their current interest level on. I just don’t album. Had it back in the day, got we’re going to put on that. have enough time to go digging those up the Peaceville reissue a few years myself. If people want to work with us, ago. I love it, but it also seems like Are you more interested in a band they need to do a bit of that work for us. an incredibly obscure title to choose. coming to you with their album already We take what we do seriously and expect What made you go ahead with that? recorded, or do you like to be part of that any band that intends to work with For the same reason, I was a big fan. I that process? us does as well. So, that would mean actually got that album as a promo back I’d much rather a band have some- doing some homework and finding out when I was doing a ‘zine. The vocals were thing ready. I can only think of one what sort of bands we’re working with weird, and for some people I think they band that we signed that came to these days. And if it seems like a good fit, were off-putting. For me they’re part of me without an album ready and that send us all the appropriate information the charm of the band. They were unique. was Godthrymm. Hamish [Glencross, that would be helpful for us to make a And the music on that album is a shining Godthrymm’s guitarist and vocalist, decision. That would mean social links, example of all that was good about UK also ex-My Dying Bride] sent me a jam band bio, and a link to a stream.  doom back then. All these years later, session recording of a track and I was while it may be obscure, I would consider sold instantly. But I’m hands-off in terms it one of the best doom releases ever of the recording. It’s the band’s art, and www.transcendingrecords.com made. They’ve got a new album coming, whatever they want to do on that side of [email protected] so hopefully they can finally get the things is up to them. accolades and attention they deserve. It’s long overdue. As a label owner, what gets you excited about a band these days? Transcending and Cosmic Key Creations I get excited when I find something (Europe) have reissued some of the unique that I can really connect with. same Century Media titles recently. Do There are so many bands doing the same you collaborate with them? thing these days that that’s actually a Not on the reissues, no. But [Cosmic Key real rarity. I get excited about bands that owner] Wouter and I are friends. He’s a meld genres and do things off the beaten very knowledgeable guy, and has given path. And most importantly I get excited Arizona’s Sonoran Doom Scene BY CHRIS BECK Four years ago, I made the move from Southern Florida to Arizona, and while traveling along the I-10 highway, I wondered what would be in store at the end of the journey. As the years progressed, I created roots in the Sonoran desert. Many bands and fans have as well. I had the opportunity to ask several musicians about the Sonoran doom scene.

10 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 How would you describe the Sonoran as possible. I started meeting different What draws you to this music? doom scene? people to jam with and haven’t stopped. Kyle Eades (Old Fashion Assassin): Roger Williams (Graves At Sea, SORXE, Shawn Fitzgerald (Sonoran): We were It’s closer to home than what I used Dead Canyon): A geographic thing that lucky to get an opening slot at a SORXE to listen to growing up. My Dad would encapsulates the emotions of desert show and network among the people. turn me on to his music. One of my living. For some, it’s rain, or the woods, earliest memories was my Dad picking the ocean, etc. We have the sun and Roger Williams (Graves At Sea, SORXE, up a Blue Oyster Cult tape at a gas the desert. Dead Canyon): I am an old guy, so I have station on a road trip. He kept shoving played in bands since the late ‘90s. Thin Lizzy, The Rolling Stones, and many Michael Yay (Hovenweep): Authentic and Early 2000s, we formed Graves At Sea. others down my throat. The bands have diverse. These are the sounds of real It seemed that was the beginning of the apparent influences, yet they make it desert dwellers, and those sounds are various dooms. We got labeled blackened their own. very distinct to each group. One of the doom then. I was working at Hollywood best parts is when you catch a show, you Alley at the time that all of the early Marcus Bryant (GOYA, Spirit Adrift): won’t be seeing the same band five times originators were paying dues. Booked a I grew up in a house with tons of music, in a row. You’re likely to get a dose of lot of shows and put up a lot of bands. but metal was my first love. It was the everything from bone-crushing doom to Some are now life long friends. Now, I early music style that I heard as a kid and head-bobbing groovy stoner rock, and play in Dead Canyon, although not doom, thought, “This is my music.” It reflects a a couple of bands will even take you to per se, it’s still rooted in the “Sonoran” feeling and a truth that resonates with space with their psychedelic grooves. feel.What I love is that feeling when the listener and connects them to the There is a lot of originality in this scene, played at crushing volumes, and your artist. I have always preferred music that everyone has their own thing, and that’s body is vibrating as you enter a hypnotic is dark, angry, full of tension, etc. It feels part of what makes it great. state. Also, there is an overwhelming the most honest to me. amount of musicianship. Kyle Eades (Old Fashion Assassin): We Shawn Fitzgerald (Sonoran): I like the have a unique group of bands. There is Niko Mixas (Mosara): We were lumped camaraderie between bands, vital to any so much diversity within the talent. I look in with my previous band, Twingiant scene. forward to seeing what new bands will because we crossed paths with other emerge as the smoke clears. genre bands. It’s like one big bastard Niko Mixas (Mosara): It’s fun to play, child scene because there is nowhere and when mixing that with tonality, loud Shawn Fitzgerald (Sonoran): Simmering, else to put us. amps and gear provide simple, tasty riffs waiting for shows to open up. with power. Michael Yay (Hovenweep): It’s the Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): A growing com- only scene that will have us!! Kidding. Michael Yay (Hovenweep): How open- munity with a tight-knit group makes it We’re mostly childhood friends that ended it is. It just happened organically work. We help each other get on different have been jamming music together for for us. We are writing a natural culmina- bills and collaborate often. years. We had started Hovenweep and tion of many musical interests that go rented a spot to jam in Tempe, where way back for all of us, and the result is a How did you get involved? we met Derrick of OFA. He was wearing blend of those interests. a Mothership shirt, so we knew we were Kyle Eades (Old Fashion Assassin): It in the right place. He listened to us Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): When I was happened unintentionally. When Mike rehearse through our door and put out growing up, we had an older brother who and I decided to revive OFA, the pieces a good word for us in the scene. We’ve left behind many records we could cut just came together. One night in the been friends with those guys since and our teeth on—bands like Molly Hatchet, Rogue, we played with several bands in love to share the stage with them any Blue Oyster Cult, Led Zeppelin, and some the scene. I believe it was the first time time we can. They rip! Frank Frazetta paintings. The songs we seeing Stone Witch, and I thought, holy heard came from a darker side, not just shit, where are the other bands with this Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): The first show songs about women and screwing. The sound? When we finally tore down the we played was at The Rogue Bar. There associated artwork and imagery involved curtain, it was an open field to explore weren’t any doom bands on the bill that demons, dragons, and other worlds that the area’s bands. night. The second show we played was evoked our imaginations. with Grey Gallows and Goya. In the third Marcus Bryant (GOYA/Spirit Adrift): show, we played with Wolves of Winter, What makes the Arizona scene Metal music has always been the most and they introduced us to Old Fashion different? crucial thing in the world, so when I Assassin and Dead Canyon. It was great moved to Phoenix in 2001, I picked up a to see other bands playing a similar Marcus Bryant (GOYA, Spirit Adrift): copy of the New Times [local paper] and style, and we were excited to see that An oppressively hot environment for started going to as many metal shows there was a burgeoning scene here in a large portion of the year undoubt- the desert. edly affects the music made here. The Sonoran Desert is so vast and beau- Michael Yay (Hovenweep): Man, there are Nita’s Hideaway, Jugheads, Atomic Cafe, tiful and harsh. It’s quite the backdrop too many, and I know I’m going to forget Nile Theater, Time Out Lounge, Rips, we have in this part of the world. We have someone. I’d start with Sonoran. It’s right Cornish Pasty, Last Exit, The Tribe, so many insanely talented people here in their name! I only got to catch those among many others. making music, running venues, making guys once, and I think it was one of their artwork, and all supporting one another’s first gigs. Stone Witch, OFA, Loserfur, Niko Mixas (Mosara): Mason Jar. There endeavors. That mutual support keeps Grail, Mosara are the guys we got to gig was a seediness to it, and the owner, the scene alive and well, and we happen with most, and every single one of them Franco made the place. Franco was the to be pretty damn good at it here in AZ. is awesome in their own right. attraction. He’d always say how he was “losing his ass” when requesting to add Roger Williams (Graves At Sea, SORXE, Mike Drums (Loserfur): Thra, Lago. Lago people to the guest list. I also played Dead Canyon): The vastness of the city. and Dueno had sets on Butlerfest that at The Silver Dollar, Desperado’s and There’s Tempe, Phoenix, Peoria, Westside, were incredible! several under warehouse clubs on the East Mesa, Scottsdale... People don’t West Side like the Bunker. seem to travel well around the valley, Greg Mendez (Loserfur): You have to so they seem to have their inner scenes. mention Zac from Hudu Akil. He’s killing Michael Yay (Hovenweep): Ah shit, it with the band and his solo material! everywhere. Rebel Lounge (and the Michael Yay (Hovenweep): Because it’s Mason Jar!), Club Red, Tempe Tavern, real, what I said before about the music Mike Guitar (Loserfur): Always GOYA! Yucca Tap, Crescent Ballroom, Boston’s, is authentic, which applies to these Always waiting for new shit from them. which isn’t there anymore, some group’s members, too. We’ve met so festival spot I forget the name of... many genuine, down to earth awesome Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): Hovenweep. Joe’s backyard. Not Joe’s Grotto; Joe of people through this scene, and I think Their last record blew me away. The Goodfella’s Merch. If any bands need that’s why it’s growing and why the sound sound production and quality songs merch, tell them Hovenweep sent you, is so diverse. made for a great release. Zac from Hudu awesome stuff! Akil makes me furious at times because Will Hancock (Loserfur): The combination he’s got the twin attack of being so good Will Hancock (Loserfur): I miss house of styles and influences from where they looking and talented. He’s undeniable shows. Sandlot was around for a minute. came from creates something unique. when he is in his element! I’m also very Wall Street and all the warehouse shows. Durdy from Sounds Like Murder uses interested to see what Mosara has up throat singing, yet it sounds like doomy their sleeve for their full-length release. Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): Of course, Pantera. The dual vocals are a bonus. Yucca Tap Room. Yucca is our home base. The people and the arcade make it the Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): The main thing What venues have you been playing? place to be. The Rogue Bar is another. A that makes it different is the people lot of times, it was a mixed bill. The stage that cover the music. We’ve gotten great Kyle Eades (Old Fashion Assassin): setup was great, but the parking was exposure from outlets like Melissa Yucca [Tap Room]. OFA played some of terrible. Crescent Ballroom has the total from Stoner Witch Records and the our best shows there. We never got to package. The stage, room, and ambiance Doom Tomb Podcast. play at some of the older venues like are top-notch! The Clubhouse and Big Fish Pub, but I’ve What local bands should we check out? heard the stories. What do you see for the future of the Sonoran Doom scene? Kyle Eades (Old Fashion Assassin): The Marcus Bryant (GOYA, Spirit Adrift): first that comes to mind is Grail. They are We have so many great venues in AZ. Kyle Eades (Old Fashion Assassin): young enough to have family support and I loved playing at The Clubhouse in Man, I can only answer with what I hope. grow. Another band that I feel is making Tempe when that place was still open. I want to see the Arizona bands get out moves is Hovenweep. In more recent years, I’ve loved playing of the area and show the masses what at Yucca Tap Room, Crescent Ballroom, they’ve got! Niko Mixas (Mosara): One of them would Valley Bar, Rebel Lounge, 51 West, be Collapsian. Their latest album has Club Red, 191 Toole, and I’m excited to Marcus Bryant (GOYA, Spirit Adrift): I do taken some time, but when it drops, it check out Yucca North in Flagstaff when think that as long as people continue to will be a monster. They don’t get enough this pandemic shit clears up! create and support one another works credit. Grail are excellent musicians, that the scene will continue to live on, but I haven’t seen them with another Shawn (Sonoran): Yucca, Grandmas, and while giving back to this bad ass com- drummer. These kids have a shit ton The Rebel Lounge. munity that we have here in our portion of talent, and they have the drive of the Sonoran Desert. to succeed. One of the most enter- Roger Williams (Graves At Sea, SORXE, taining bands in Phoenix right now is Dead Canyon): Yucca Tap Room, Niko Mixas (Mosara): The future looks El Googly Diablo. Crescent Ballroom, Hollywood Alley, bright, but who knows. Some bands Rhythm Room, Rebel Lounge (Mason jar), might have morphed into something

12 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 new with different members. It’s hard to Roger Williams (Graves At Sea/SORXE/ Heavy-friendly tell. Some bands have been very quiet Dead Canyon): Make sure that your on social media. Some might have even radiator has plenty of water. Arizona venues faded away. A number of venues mentioned Niko Mixas (Twingiant,Mosara): Try to Michael Yay (Hovenweep): Once things link up with people beforehand and feel have permanently closed and a get back to normal, I think it’s going to them out. See what bands are prevalent, few couldn’t be found. According explode. We’re all dying to play, and serious about their craft and reach out to Google, these are still open. there’s going to be a ton of new music to them. out there. Because I work with musical equipment, I can tell you people have Michael Yay (Hovenweep): Make sure Flagstaff, AZ been buying guitars and gear like crazy in your van’s AC is bulletproof if you’re this downtime. I expect a lot of killer new coming through in summer! Shit is no Yucca North bands to join the ranks! joke! Also, hit up the local bands if you yuccanorth.com have any questions or need help with Will Hancock (Loserfur): I’m excited, and anything. Happy to help with the ins and we’re all waiting for things to start up outs, lug gear; some guys in these bands Phoenix, AZ again. Who knows what music will look work at the actual venues, too. We love like in the future? I do know we’ll be to support touring bands, so my advice Crescent Ballroom having fun! would be to book AZ! crescentphx.com

Mike Drums (Loserfur): I hope the COVID Will Hancock (Loserfur): Hit us up, we’ll Last Exit cloud lifts, and we can get together like play with you, and you can stay the night lastexitlive.com we once were. It’s a great time to record at my house! Also, you’ll always have a new material, something even more chance to shotgun a beer with me in the The Rebel Lounge pissed off than before. parking lot! therebellounge.com

Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): I’m not a great Mike Drums (Loserfur): There are many Rhythm Room prognosticator, but I’m hoping for more weird sex shops and strip clubs, so you’ll rhythmroom.com collaborations. I’d like to see more of get a great bang for the buck. that going forward. We had Derrick from Rips Bar Old Fashion Assassin join in at a set to Mike Guitar (Loserfur): Share the beer ripsbar.weebly.com play “Electric Funeral.” It’s out in the after the show. I’ve played after a show ether, and I’d like to see that camaraderie and have seen beer roll right past me. Valley Bar (temporarily closed) blossom and grow. Also, more festivals! valleybarphx.com Ian Colbert (Stone Witch): First is What advice would you give to an out of Filiberto’s. The dirtier, the better. As town band coming through Arizona? a rule of thumb, the worse it looks, Mesa, AZ the better the food. Check out who’s Shawn (Sonoran): Bands from out of local. We have a diverse mix that can Nile Theater town should talk to The Doom Tomb [the enhance any bill. If you get in early, go niletheater.com author’s podcast, -Ed.]. for a hike. Oh, and bring quarters for The Electric Bat Arcade connected to Yucca Tap Room! Tempe, AZ

Tempe Tavern The Sonoran doom scene is an intense melting pot. Touring bands, make it a tour date. tempetavern.com You won’t be disappointed. Big thanks to the bands that help us put this together: Time Out Lounge Facebook deadcanyon.bandcamp.com oldfashionassassin.bandcamp.com Yucca Tap Room marijuana.bandcamp.com (GOYA) spiritadrift.bandcamp.com yuccatap.com gravesatsea.bandcamp.com sonoran.bandcamp.com hovenweep.bandcamp.com sorxe.bandcamp.com Tuscon, AZ loserfur.bandcamp.com stonewitchband.bandcamp.com mosaradoom.bandcamp.com 191 Toole 191toole.com

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 13

Carl Schultz

BY SUZY BRAVO Relapse, Matthew Jacobson in 1995 at Carl Schultz, owner/operator of ACTION! PR (currently celebrating its 15 year a metal festival where Schultz handed anniversary), former Director of Publicity & Advertising for Relapse Records, him a copy of the zine. Two months and vocalist of Agoraphobic Nosebleed, horror movie enthusiast, and avid later, Jacobson offered him a job at the label. Schultz immediately relocated Philly Eagles fan is an accomplished publicity & public relations professional to Philadelphia. “[Relapse] started as a with 25 years of metal PR under his belt. His youthful enthusiasm for helping super extreme underground grindcore, bands get the recognition that they deserve while maintaining a compas- experimental, ambient, death metal sionate and professional work ethic reminds us why it is so important to find record label before it became more what it is that makes you happy and to put everything you have into it. accessible and arty.” At Relapse, Schultz received a hands-on education in the The Relapse Years director, Andy Hosner by photographing music industry, eventually becoming the and mailing Hosner the store’s poster Director of Publicity & Advertising. “It Schultz’s career in the music industry displays, reviewing promos, and turning was basically feet to the fire. Artists were began in 1990, when he landed a job at store customers on to Relapse bands. developed from ground-up.” Streetside Records in St. Louis. Working at the small, indie chain of Midwest Schultz eventually published his own Schultz’s genuine love of metal music, record stores, “was a job that everyone 100-page metal music fanzine called passion for his bands’ success, and hard wanted, but nobody ever quit, so I felt An*ti*bod*ies: Music of The Extreme, work eventually paid off for Relapse’s lucky to be there.” At Streetside, Schultz a zine that featured underground emerging breakout band, Mastodon. grew a fondness for Relapse Records, a grindcore, electronic ambient music, and Schultz’s early work developing Mastodon new underground independent metal other subgenres of the metal industry. played a huge role in the band’s eventual record label based in Upper Darby, “I interviewed underground metal bands success. “People were responding to my Pennsylvania founded in 1990. Schultz in their tour buses after shows, typed up pitches and getting in touch with me; quickly took to Relapse’s aesthetic, the interviews, and then copy and pasted MTV, Guitar World, Rolling Stone, Modern bands, and marketing and developed the fanzine together.” Schultz published Drummer… I felt such a sense of pride to a relationship with the label’s retail one issue before he met the owner of see Mastodon get so much attention, and

Carl was also a member of Agoraphobic Nosebleed during his time at Relapse, appearing on two albums

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 15 other PR companies working in metal A year later, Action! coordinated “Also, reintroducing European started contacting me for advice on how South by Southwest’s highly anticipated bands from the early to mid-2000’s to get their metal bands covered like metal showcase at The Mohawk. Action! to North American audiences Mastodon. I realized that it was time to showcased their dynamic roster of has been great! Amon Amarth, really focus on that part of my career.” heavy music clients from psych to Children of Bodom, In Flames...” doom: Mondo Drag, Naam, Bison B.C., In Flames’ album Come Clarity debuted But in 2005, “All our efforts were taken Gates of Slumber, Zoroaster, Priestess, at number 58 on the American Billboard away from us. Mastodon signed on to with future Grammy Award winners 200, sold nearly 25,000 copies in the US Warner Brothers. With them moving to High on Fire headlining. Schultz remi- in its first week, 50,000 in its first month, Warner after all our work, it was time to nisces, “It was great! It was like having a and more than 110,000 copies in the break out on my own. With the help of my big family event!” United States alone since its release. wife (Veronica Vallado, who was Manager of Tour Marketing at Roadrunner Records In 2011, Schultz helped develop and With 25 years of experience in the music in NYC at the time), we started our own promote Ghost to a new North American business and 15 years of running his own music PR company, Action! PR.” audience upon the release of their debut PR agency, Schulz garnered attention and full length album, Opus Eponymous respect from academic scholars at Texas and the 2012 Heritage Hunter Tour State University that prompted them to Action! PR with Mastodon and Opeth. Ghost won a reach out and request his participation in Grammy for Best Hard Rock Album for a Zoom panel discussion, Communicating In 2009, Schultz’s relocated Action! PR Opus Eponymous that year. In The Music Industry for TSU’s School of to Austin, TX. Upon arrival, Action!’s Journalism & Mass Communications’ 30th repertoire expanded beyond the Action! PR also worked the 2014 edition Annual Mass Comm Week #MCWEEK2020. development of bands to include the of Fun Fun Fun Fest when King Diamond Students and professors presented city’s festival circuit. Austin’s annual played a rare set, and Judas Priest head- questions for advice on success in the music and comedy festival, Fun Fun Fun lined. “Those were spectacular times. To industry. Schulz’s unique autodidactic Fest (FFFF) featured stages focused on be there, watching King Diamond and experience of honing his craft on the electronica, indie rock, punk, metal, and Priest with the Austin city skyline in the job “feet to the fire” in a technologically comedy. Action! promoted the festival’s backdrop was amazing.” fast-paced and ever-changing industry “Black Stage” — featuring Venom, NOFX, gave the students and professors Gogol Bordello, Coheed and Cambria, When asked about the highlights of realistic and extremely useful insight. He Drive Like Jehu, L7, Dag Nasty, American his career, Schultz’s love for building advised attendees, “Network, build on Nightmare, Danzig, Slayer, The Damned, relationships and helping artists succeed your contacts, and grow your database. Murder City Devils, Cannibal Corpse, and in the music industry is very transparent. Develop great writing skills and learn Boris — and coordinated meet & greets “It’s the small things that matter. This is how to grow thick skin. It takes persever- with featured bands. a very rewarding job. Although it can be ance, drive, and determination.” difficult at times — the anticipation of responses from the media after sending out pitches — you’re helping those bands ACTION! PR Clients grow. Things like getting a band on the 1476, Accept, Alcest, Amber Asylum, cover of a magazine or developing a band Arcturus, Atomic Bitchwax, Bethlehem, Brant Bjork, Children of Bodom, like Mastodon is how I’ve built my name. Church of Misery, Comet Control, To become as big as they are, and to help Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Danava, bands like The Sword on their career Darkher, Death Alley, Demon Eye, path is rewarding. The Sword went from Dool, Eagle Claw, Earthless, Eerie, opening a Relapse showcase at South by Electric Wizard, Empty Flowers, Southwest to being interviewed on MTV’s Fun Fun Fun Fest, Germ, Ghost, Graveyard, “You Hear It First” with a voice over by Harsh Toke, High on Fire, Hopewell, Kurt Loder.” [“You Hear It First” was an Hot Lunch, In Flames, Iron Mountain, on-air MTV news program from 2001 to Jello Biafra & TGSOM, Joy, Kadavar, 2007 that gave the MTV audience a first Kyuss Lives!, Lecherous Gaze, Les Discrets, look at hot emerging artists -Ed.]. Lord Mantis, Mondo Drag, Monster Magnet, Mothership, Negura Bunget, Painted Doll, Schultz continues, “It was a blast working Prophecy Productions, Ripple Music, with Sleep, Electric Wizard, Claudio Ruby The Hatchet, Sabbath Assembly, Simonetti’s Goblin, Monster Magnet, and Sacri Monti, Satan’s Satyrs, Satyricon, the Kyuss Lives! Tour... High on Fire, it’s Scorpion Child, Secrets of the Moon, been a 20-year journey with them. Sleep, Spindrift, Sunder, The Skull, Sweet Apple, The Sword, Teepee Records, Unsane, Valborg, Venomous Maximus, VÖLOUR, Wöljager, YOB, and Zoroaster.

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 16 ⬅ Scultz with Matt Pike (Sleep, High on Fire) Q&A with Carl Schultz

What is your daily office time working hard, if there’s a lot happening, Any advice regarding social media? management routine? videos are made, etc., we can extend a I don’t specialize in the social media In the morning, I spend my time 3-month campaign to 6 or 7 months, aspect of marketing, but I know that it responding to email from pitches that even a year, sometimes. We like to is important to engage your audience. I sent the day before. In the afternoon, continue that beyond the street dates. Compare your social media to a press I spend time sending out new pitches, release. Don’t put something out there and that is when new ideas start to Why do you want the band involved? just to put it out there. Do not inundate come in. The more ammo I have, the more that people. A good number of times a week, I can do for a band...and vice versa. In a post attention-grabbing content. Make it What’s a typical campaign look like? quality campaign, the more good things newsworthy.  In this day and age, it’s a little bit that happen, the more good things keep different, but a campaign runs anywhere happening. It’s a snowball effect in which from 3 months to a year. If a band is awareness keeps growing. www.action-pr.com

Album Release PR Campaign

3 months before release date • Focus on artist development • Write band bios • Photoshoots 3… • PR services to media • Send out band bio, press kit, and music stream links via email • Cast a wide net to receive as much response from media as possible and promote awareness

2 months before release date • Schulz advises, “After a few weeks from service to media and giving them 2… a chance to listen to the music, the pitching process begins. Ask questions like, ‘Did you have a chance to listen to the album? Let’s talk… Here’s what’s going on…’ The ultimate goal is placement. Keep the band’s name fresh in people’s minds on social media and in their inboxes.” • Media partners are secured for one or two online song premieres

1 month before release date • Album announcements are continually made 1… • Second or third songs are premiered online • Band starts touring

Street date of album release • Press and social media announcements are made

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 17

Mitch Harris A grindcore pioneer discusses his new album and reflects on a life spent on stage.

BY SEBASTIAN GREGORY

Mitch Harris (guitar, vocals, songwriter) has been a stalwart member of I have all these songs, and Shane has legendary grindcore band Napalm Death for thirty years and has spread all his songs, and it’s always hard to the gospel of grindcore all over the world. Mitch has been involved with squeeze everything in, so I’m going to do my own thing again where I can have many other projects: Righteous Pigs, Defecation, Meathook Seed, Menace, my lyrical vent and focus more on the and now his latest project Brave the Cold. The new album, Scarcity (2020, extreme vocals I was doing in Napalm Mission Two Entertainment) features the always stunning drum work of and Menace and add another dimension Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth, Cadaver, Soilwork, etc.). While Mitch no longer that makes it work dynamically and to tours with Napalm Death he did record the guitars on the latest release, talk about topics that I found interesting, or controversial, or cutting edge. Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism. I caught up with Mitch via Zoom at

his Las Vegas home and our conversation ranged from Brave the Cold to the That was when Dirk initially showed an origins of Meathook Seed and… well, a little bit of everything. interest in it. I was like, “You wanna play on a few songs?” It’s a lot to ask anybody, Let’s talk Brave the Cold. Scarcity with a drummer in a room. The way “Hey, you got time for a full album?” He sounds like a culmination of all your I work is quite disjointed, I suppose; it’s was excited and we got together and influences and everything that you’ve just spontaneous. But that’s the way knocked out his drums in four days and been working toward for a long time. I’ve always worked, you just record it as I worked on it at home for two or three “Hallmark of Tyranny” wrangled my ear you go and listen back to favorite bits. I weeks until it was studio ready and immediately. Even before I knew it was get these things stuck in my head and then I worked on the vocals. It was all Dirk, those drums had my attention. I’m like okay, I’ve got this part stuck in done around the same time I recorded Yeah, that’s kind of how it worked out. my head and somewhere in this mess Throes of Joy with Napalm, which was at I mean, it wasn’t intentional. It was just, of parts… and then I find it and get that point an untitled album. So yeah, I well here’s a bunch of songs, Dirk! There goosebumps. I arrange it the best I can was quite busy! I think I did forty-four were like 40 songs and he chose 12 or and bounce it off people eventually. If I songs altogether in the space of three something like that. Dirk kind of made were to go jam with a drummer, I would weeks, and then focused on getting the framework out of what was there, the have something worked out, so we’re Brave the Cold done. And the vocals songs that were more solid and well- not just sitting there for 4 hours doing were probably the most fun part, besides arranged compared to some other things exactly the same thing. working with Dirk and seeing the smile which were more like scratch paper. ear-to-ear on his face and the enthu- That’s kind of how I work. I usually just After not being in Napalm for six years siasm in his drumming and the telepathic record everything that I play. I get this as far as touring goes [Mitch moved back sort of thing where he just knows and fear that I’m going to forget it, so once to America for personal reasons and no I don’t have to explain it to him. it’s recorded, I can freestyle and go from longer tours with Napalm Death but is there. And it’s different from jamming still in the band -Ed.], it was like okay…

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 19 Brave the Cold, Scarcity (2020, Mission Two Entertainment) and Napalm Death, Throes in the Jaws of Defeatism (2020, Century Media)

he just does what he does and he does it so well. He’s inspired me a lot over the years. I got the pleasure of meeting him when he played in Vegas with [Dave] Lombardo and I asked him, ‘How do you go from the extreme vocals to the clean live to make it in key?’ Because the first note for me is always a doozy. And he was like, ‘You just feel it. It’s better if you do it live in the studio, going from the extreme to the clean.’ And I was like, okay… and how do you do that? ‘Just keep working on it!’

So, I worked on a technique with the Your vocals on Brave the Cold are kill your voice. But I knew that I didn’t chest. They say sing from your gut, really well done. Having heard Menace, want to listen to 45 minutes of this high, project from the diaphragm, but the I knew you were a very good singer, but annoying, pitchy, ear bleeding scream depth is more of a chest thing and the I didn’t know you had it in you to do [for Brave the Cold]. We would need diaphragm and how do I do that? Once three very distinct styles. something that has a dynamic that works. I’d figured it out I was like, thank god, I appreciate that, thank you. My voice Right now, I really miss Barney’s voice. It there’s something to break it up so it’s is more mid-to-high range. In Napalm, would have been so easy for him to just not just one dimensional all the time. you’ve got Barney’s voice and whenever do his part, but he’s not here! I’d do backing vocals there was no need The cleans also came in, not just for the [for another low voice]… Well, first of I’ve been a big fan of Mike Patton for sake of it, but if I hear a ringy part that all, my voice only goes as low as it’s years, ever since the early Mr. Bungle seems to have a melody to be had, then going to go and I’m not a fan of cupping demos and Faith No More, and a lot of I’m taking it. I do love melody in vocals. the microphone or doing something his offshoots. The guy has the most ver- People compare it to other bands in our outside of my range. That’s going to satile voice ever and no egos or nothing; genre but personally I think it adds an epic, eerie feeling and breaks it up.

Not shown: production credits. a bunch of guest vocals for Goatlord, Soulfly, Corrupt Moral Altar, Mitchography UCK Grind, Cordycaps, Varaha & more, and about a gazillion Napalm Death EPs, singles and whatnot.

1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 How is it doing press for this one? get something, and it was exciting. When be able to commit and personally, it I love it! I love talking to people, meeting I joined Napalm, Barney did most of the wouldn’t be the same without him. I’m people at shows. Before I joined Napalm press as a frontman does which was fine. in no rush to start from scratch at this I was in Righteous Pigs and Defecation. With Meathook Seed I did some press. point. The world is so disjointed and That wasn’t “engagement,” it wasn’t fan But with Defecation I don’t remember divided right now. We’re going to see mail, it was hand-written interviews doing any press or interviews. It wasn’t what happens. I do have very talented for every fanzine that would feature us. even a thing then. And now it’s like, a friends who are totally into it and Real time, tape-to-tape, photocopying band does a record and there’s a press would love to contribute, but it’s a lot to your demos, writing back to people who campaign. I love it! consider. It would take three to six weeks weren’t in ‘zines, direct contact. [Writing] to get a band together, and everyone’s other bands, like Cryptic Slaughter, Will you tour at all with Brave the Cold? in different cities, and it’s like come on… Wehrmacht, Kreator, Danny Lilker [we] Well, Dirk is going to be busy when the I want a band! You’ve got to work with took the time to write each other. Mick world opens up, I know that. But he was your friends. They’re here in your town, [Harris] from Napalm, with pen and like, if you have the opportunity to tour, you go to rehearsal, you jump on a plane, paper… waiting three weeks before you’d you have my blessing. But I doubt he’d you come back… So yeah, we’ll see.

1993 1994 1996 1997 1992 2000 That’s the white one, right? Yeah. I actually it bought off Jesse [PIntado of Napalm Death, Terrorizer] because I ended up using it so much. He was like, “Just buy it off me.” I used it on I can’t remember how many records, five or seven, and it was part of the Napalm tone. It had more drive than the average Gibson. It got lost on a flight on Air France and I didn’t get it back. They said if you don’t see it in three weeks, it’s gone. So I had the guy make me a new one, which didn’t sound the same. And then my friend at Century Media said, “My friend at Gibson said if you want to choose two guitars…” “Okay, I’ll take a V and this Les Paul thing.” So they sent me the Les Paul and I put in the EMG 81s I always use which are an integral part of the Napalm sound. I brought it into rehearsal, it was just me and Danny Is your favorite part of being a physically painful. Also it’s a quite miser- [Herrera, drums] that day, and plugged musician now the studio work and able, lonely lifestyle. That’s why I want to it in. I couldn’t believe the way that the writing as opposed to touring? tour with friends. That’s why Napalm was heavy parts sounded. But the ring! I think It always has been, really. I’ve always so great, we got along so well, as best the song was “Fallacy Dominion” on Time enjoyed the creative process and making as anyone could for that length of time. Waits for No Slave… there was this ringy the most of what’s there in the studio That’s it, that’s your family, you travel part with open chords. The sustain, the and production aspects and how to make and you eat shit together on a daily basis clarity of the notes… Holy shit! I started it sound different from the last record and you make the most of the shows playing all my favorite parts and I was or something unique or a new way of and move on. You get home and then life sold. It was so much heavier. working. It’s just the best. happens and then you leave four days later. It’s just a lot to juggle. I took it to the studio, and I’d got my new Touring, to me, is challenging. Of course blue Angel guitar days before, and sud- I love the shows, and thank god I got I’m happy now just recording and at denly my white Flying-V showed up and to spend so many years touring with least I have a vent. I do hope it reaches I had three guitars to choose from. We Napalm. We broke the barriers of music people and it helps pass some time and plugged it in and I was like, “Russ, check and inspired others and made other even get you through some darker times. this out.” And that Les Paul… it wasn’t so bands able to freestyle and play extreme Something you can associate with and much jaws to the floor, but what a breath heavy music and take it to the masses. build new memories, a little bit of the of fresh air, it had everything. But all the traveling, and what it takes past with the future and have it give you to survive… it’s a challenge. And to try some kind of hope after what we’ve all I plugged the blue V in and it was to maintain a life outside of music is been through the past year. thinner and brittle. I don’t know what demanding. it was, something in the wood. It was a Are you still playing Les Pauls, is that great guitar but… “Let’s plug the white I know what’d be involved if I were to your main axe? V in. Let’s do four guitar tracks with the start from scratch and say, “Brave the Yeah. I used this Flying V for years. V and four with the Les Paul, see if we Cold is my new baby and I’m going People assumed it was a Gibson, but it can blend them in.” But no. Hands down, to tour, tour, tour, tour!” Once you hit was actually Angel Guitars, it was a Royal, it was the Les Paul. fifty, or even before that, it starts to be that was the model.

2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2009 That Flying V was great for power chords, the Rectifier was like, okay, I want to play Napalm Death has an incredibly loyal death riffs, heavy muted shit, but when straight in with no pedals, no nothing, fanbase and you’ve traveled all over you tried to play something that would just direct, the cleanest and heaviest the world: Japan, Malaysia, Europe, sound beautiful on an acoustic guitar, tone you can get. South America, crisscrossed the US… it didn’t carry. Plus, I didn’t want to The first band to a lot of those places, lose [the white V] again or travel with it. What about cabs? actually. After a while, you win people It’s been through a lot, probably two If I used any amp ever, I would not use over because you never give up. thousand shows and however many any other cabinet than the Rectifier cab That’s the only advice I give to my kids: hours of recording. So that one was in stereo. You need to use a half stack Do what you love, never give up. officially retired. with the 4 ohms stereo out into the cab. If there’s any form of success, That was the tone. Ideally, we’d have it’s because you never gave up. If you look at the state of my Les Paul another speaker on the other side of the now, it looks like it’s seen better days. stage standing behind Shane so he could You guys had an incredible run That’s my workhorse. It’s not easy to play, hear me, but the amp doesn’t work like together, and I hope they keep touring, it’s not a comfortable writing guitar, but that; it decreases the gain. I could have and hopefully you can continue to if you want it to sound a certain way, it’s two amps, but fuck all that. I just want contribute to it as well. a very simple set up. It’s actually sitting to fly in with one guitar and do a simple They’re relentless and focused on a right next to me. I don’t play it very often setup. We’re DIY, stripped down, super vision, whatever it takes. Right now it’s a lately, but there comes a time and place simple… fucking passive sort of phase, we’re all in when I’m feeling frustration mode. the same boat, but I’m sure they’ll con- Even on the world’s biggest stages tinue in one form or another. Maybe at For your amps, are you still using the I played using just a half stack. I don’t some point, when the time is right, there Mesa Boogie Tremoverb? care. I don’t need a wall of freakin’ will be an interest in me to contribute There was this one Tremoverb that we guitars. You don’t need all that stage live, but we ain’t getting any younger. used to use when we’d rent gear for the volume. I don’t want to hear it too loud, European dates and that was the one. it makes me hypercritical. I just want to I love those dudes to bits, and I wish It just sounded so fucking good. I think run around crazy, have fun, scream and them all the best no matter what I had it shipped over for the Utilitarian fucking slam that shit and track with the happens, no matter what anybody record. That’s my favorite amp ever. crowd. It’s not about perfection, it’s push thinks. Listen, man: Think it forward. and pull. Fuck the past. Appreciate what you Initially it was Marshall JCM 800s, and have, and make the best of what you can then we wound up with these [JCM] 900s How do you deal with alternate voltage achieve. If we’re still alive and there’s which was the worst thing for my on international tours? something to achieve then we’ll all come picking style. I used bass heads with a It doesn’t make that much difference. If we together in the end and do something distortion pedal through a guitar cab or could bring our gear from home, and get highly memorable. Hopefully. But it’s all guitar heads through a bass cab, I tried picked up in a bus or a van, that was great. theories at this point. We’ll get by. I wish everything because I wanted the most But we’d fly in for a series of six or seven everyone the best. bass and distortion and everything you German shows and then come home for can get. two weeks. We’d fly from Birmingham to It’s been such a pleasure talking to you. Frankfurt or Birmingham to Amsterdam I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Eventually we tried the Mesa Boogie and our guy would hook me up with your output over the last thirty years. Rectifiers on Fear Emptiness and Despair whatever came. Eventually we bought our Thanks, man. It does make a difference to [Napalm Death, 1994]. When we got the own half stacks [for the US] and kept them know that it was never all for nothing. Rectifiers we plugged it into the Turbo in storage between tours. Sometimes Distortion but it just didn’t make any they’d get stolen. ‘Great, now I don’t have One day we’ll look back on the finest difference, it sounded more farty with an amp, it’s time for another $2,500 just days of our lives and be like, fuck… what the distortion. It’s your right hand with to do a tour.’ But you can’t really rent an happened? These memories will live the picking, the weight you put into it, amp for sixty dates, you might as well buy forever. Stay safe out there.  the amp breathes with the player. Using one there.

2012 2014 2015 2018 2020

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Guild of Lore, live at Northeast Dungeon Siege MMXVIII Photo by Piia Pratt, courtesy of G. M. Ingsmith

Descend into the Depths with Dungeon Synth

Behind a warped oak and iron door, steps descend into darkness...

BY SEBASTIAN GREGORY

Invention begets innovation. Innovation feeds the imagination. Imagination Inspiration is as likely to be from the thrives in diverse transformation which powers creation. In the hands of soundtrack to Castlevania IV or Ultima as creative people technological developments will yield new forms of art, and it is from the fictional worlds of fantasy or atmospheric black metal, and any that has certainly been the case with music. Give a musician something new attempt to dissect the origins of dungeon to play with and they will generate whole new genres where none existed synth prompts a spirited discussion before. Look no further than the burgeoning dungeon synth scene to see this among the adherents. in action. There is at least some agreement that the early black metal pioneers were also An arcane harmony issues forth switched on in 1902. And dungeon synth, at the forefront of what would years from a foetid crypt... it can be argued, shares a line of descent later become dungeon synth. Håvard that goes back to the roots of electronic Ellefsen’s Mortiis “Era I” releases When electrical power was harnessed in music. (1993-1999), Fenriz with the Neptune earnest, it spread from the more obvious Towers project, and Sigurd Wongraven’s industrial and commercial uses and into Today’s dungeon synth artists use a wide the creative realm. At first the develop- and diverse musical palate to create ments were modest in scope but yielded their visions, and their instruments significant results. From the amplification reflect this, from banks of analog synths of traditionally acoustic instruments to to Virtual Studio Technology (VST) to the creation of the first truly electronic traditional stringed instruments (harp, instruments that could synthesize music, hammer dulcimer, mandolin) and more. there has been a steady progression of experimentation and development tied directly to musical expression and creation. From Stockhausen to the Berlin School, Leon Theremin to Vangelis, electronic music leveled up many times since the Telharmonium was first

Mortiis’ first cassette demo, The Song of a Long Forgotten Ghost (1993), and his first LP, Født Til å Herske (1994, Malicious Records) 26 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 ambient explorations on the Wongraven “In the mid 2000’s dungeon synth was still H. P. Lovecraft references. Others go album may not have been widely appre- forming its unique sound,” said LT from further afield: Fogweaver works within ciated or even understood by fans of Dungeons Deep Records. “I would argue the framework of Ursula K. LeGuin’s their more traditional projects (Emperor, many releases at the time would better Earthsea novels and Vandalorum finds Darkthrone, and Satyricon respectively). be categorized as black ambient, a direct inspiration in historical events such as But there is little doubt that the lineage from black metal intros. There the fall of the Roman Empire. Malfet combination of ambient music with more were few acts that fully harnessed the has dipped into the mythology around fantasy oriented aesthetics and the grim medieval ambient sound we now covet.” the Arthurian legends. Philip Pullman’s soundscapes of ambient black metal His Dark Materials novels are behind planted a fertile seed that decades later It was this progression from the grim Adam Matlock’s Dust Seeker project. would evolve into something else. soundscapes that brought in Fogweaver. “I had known about Mortiis and “We draw a lot of inspiration, thematically “I will say this, just for the record,” said Wongraven, of course,” they said, “and and aesthetically, from fantasy stuff Guild Master Ingsmith of Guild of Lore. known about much of the proto dungeon like D&D and literature,” said Phranick. “I’ve got to give Mortiis credit where credit synth music, but I think the music of “Basically if you look up 1st Edition AD&D is due. You can pretty much cite that as the dungeon synth revival is what really Dungeon Master’s Guide Appendix N, that the first wave, but of course people will drew me in more than anything. I think will give you a list of my personal literary argue about this until the cows come what really made it all click for me was influences but musically I would say that home.” the fantasy aspect of it all, something we both individually, and Sombre as a that is widely debated among dungeon whole, draw our musical inspiration out “Dungeon Synth is very difficult to define,” synth fans. Some think that dungeon of everything from neo-folk and metal added Phranick from the band Sombre Arcane, “and is ever-changing right in “At this point I thought, what’s the worst that can front of us… but it’s best described as dark synth-driven music that takes its happen if I ask him to perform? He says no, and I musical and social origins from 3 main places - interludes and intros from feel a little embarrassed?” ~ Naginah black metal artists (like Bathory or Summoning), fantasy video game music synth, first and foremost, is an extension to early synth music. We really just make and the larger synth music community of dark ambient and black metal. Which what’s in front of us and what we want of the ‘70s through the ‘90s (anything it is, of course, but there is undeniably a to hear and usually very early in the from Black Aria to Tangerine Dream connection to the fantastical too: tabletop process we have some D&D adventure or Jim Kirkwood). Sprinkle a little Dark games, Tolkien, etc. I loved the idea of we went on together that the piece we’re Ambient in there, too. But also arguing imagining other worlds and building a working on reminds us of since we’ve about what is and isn’t dungeon synth musical atmosphere around that.” been playing together for about seven could be its own sport. To me it’s years and it’s how we met.” fascinating because the typical elements Torch light flickers in the musty hall… that define a genre are absent. You can’t The scene itself is incredibly supportive say something is DS because of the Even a cursory glance though the and composed of passionate, dedicated instrumentation it uses because literally offerings of dungeon synth oriented fans. Tape runs of albums regularly sell everything is game since you’re using labels on Bandcamp (Dungeons Deep, out, and most (if not all) the musicians synthesis and samples but also leaving Gondolin Records, Serpents Sword, are likewise fans themselves. “I think room for metal inspired guitars. You can’t Ancient Meadow, Moonworshiper, the strength of this scene lies in our say it’s the composition beyond lots of Pacific Threnodies, etc.) reveals a culture of love and support for each minor keys because after that one simi- strongly diverse musical output within other,” said Vandalorum. “The only thing larity, you get anything from monophonic the admittedly narrow confines of the that will ruin the scene is when people drones to full on neo-classical style genre. From the more Berlin School stop listening to the new and upcoming compositions sometimes in the same oriented work of Jenn Taiga to the artists, sharing their work and supporting piece. So without a clear and concise medieval inspirations of Sombre Arcane, them. It’s the new people with fresh compositional direction, the genre is the pastoral musing of Malfet to the ideas and weird concepts that keep this defined more based on its aesthetics and twisted mutterings of Moss Gollum, scene alive and fresh, in my opinion. social characteristics which are far more there is enough variety to appease any The old people will naturally settle into subjective to begin with.” temperament. their own sound and audience but my personal favorite thing is discovering “I will add that the current canon of As equally varied are the sources of new projects that find unique ways of Dungeon Synth goes back to the early inspiration. Guild of Lore and Fen Walker expressing themselves through this 1990s with the first Mortiis demo,” (and many others) do their own incredibly diverse genre.” added Naginah, also of Sombre Arcane. world building. As might be expected, “It continued through the ‘90s, and then there are the somewhat inescapable On Episode 11 of the Midnight Ambience was largely silent through the early 2000s.” Tolkien, Robert E. Howard (Conan), or Podcast, the artist behind the Fogweaver

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 27 Sombre Arcane, Arcane\Mvndane (2018) Malfet, Alban Arthan (2020 Dungeons Deep) Jenn Taiga, Plight (2020 Tridroid Records)

project waxed enthusiastic about the Out of the darkness, an enraged was incredible and very hard to believe dungeon synth community. “I’m blown beast attacks… for all of us. Here we are, a year after a away all the time about how supportive handful of us got together in a basement, and wonderful the community is. It’s one Phranick and Naginah have not been and we are planning a three day festival of the healthiest and most pleasant com- content for dungeon synth musicians to and one of the forefathers of the genre munities I’ve been a part of,” they said. exist in isolation. “In early 2018, Tyrannus is going to headline our festival. The invited a small group of Dungeon venue was nearly sold out for the entire Phranik agrees. “I think one of the Synth artists from the Northeast US to weekend, with audience members from reasons that the DS scene is so vibrant his Krypt for a night of live dungeon all over the world.” and welcoming is because of the many synth,” explained Naginah. “He named it different and amorphous touchstones Northeast Dungeon Siege MMXVIII and it Last year, just two weeks before the that brought people to the genre as I was a closed show. To this date only the festival, NEDS MMXX encountered the mentioned before - social microgenres artists and around fifteen people who relentless adversary COVID-19 and was like vaporwave, synthwave, chiptune, have gotten their hands on the few VHS forced to switch to Twitch, an online plat- noise music and the like really thrive tapes we made of it have seen it. The form known primarily as a source of live because everyone gets to it in their own experience was very exciting for all of us gaming streams. Born from necessity, the way and I don’t think that DS is much for several reasons. One was because Twitch stream was successful and gave different. As I mentioned above, it’s it was among all of our first times per- rise to the smaller Dungeon Skirmishes, hard to define dungeon synth from a forming these projects in a live setting. which feature four or five bands at a compositional or orchestration-based In fact, at this point, dungeon synth was time. As of January 2021 there have perspective so it’s hard to know how or not a live genre at all. It was basically been six Skirmishes, and when coupled why people are discovering the genre. unheard of. Whenever the idea was even with the built in chat room, these have You can discover this by how many brought up there was a loud response offered a great way to become familiar people passionately argue that the that it was private music that needed to with the artists and the community at way they came to the genre tends to be experienced the same way.” the same time. be what defines it for them. What that means in practice is a lot of people with But the next year, thanks to their perse- Inspired by NEDS, Ingsmith of Guild of similar interests, yet wildly different verance and hard work, they had turned Lore put together Dungeon Siege West backgrounds, get to learn and know each it into a three day festival at The Raven in Seattle in 2019. Fogweaver, one of other. DS naturally attracts folks involved in Worcester, MA. They had vendors, the performers that weekend, was very in obscura, and that means they have gaming, and twenty-five bands. Mortiis, impressed. “Dungeon Siege West was other obscura they might likely share and who was revisiting the Era I material live, an especially beautiful experience… to as those interests unfold friendships are was the headliner. see the many interpretations of how born. It’s honestly pretty incredible to dungeon synth ought to be performed,” watch and be a part of.” “I heard whispers that Mortiis might be they said. “I’ve seen all kinds of things looking to book his first reunion Era 1 US at this point and it is so exciting “Part of that is that for a lot of us there tour,” Naginah said. “At this point I thought, and inspiring. Being able to witness is no “end-game” of riches and fame,” what’s the worst that can happen if I ask performances, and to perform myself, added Lord Cervos of FVRFVR. “We are him to perform? He says no and I feel a this music which has otherwise been generating this music regardless and little embarrassed? I reached out to him a very introverted kind of experience for it to find a place where it’s welcome directly and asked him who I would talk was so amazing. People came from all makes you want to guard, grow, and with regarding any future tour plans. He over the country to perform and to be in protect it. We’re happy that people enjoy put me in touch with his people, who attendance.” the music and more importantly that we put me in touch with their people, and can enjoy others (output) as well.” eventually they accepted our offer! This ⬅ Guild of Lore, Storm Haven cassette release (2019)

regarding its black metal roots is in Performing multi-layered compositions the DIY aesthetic and everything we do live by themself or with just a few others is kind of DIY as fuck. We both come (many dungeon synth projects are solo from the punk/metal/hardcore indie or duo) is of course a challenge. While communities about 6 years apart so that some musicians strive to do as much live was a big point of interest I think we as possible, others freely acknowledge both appreciate. That’s everything from that doing so is sometimes not practical. the artwork we put together to the stage “It’s me by myself performing,” said setup we’ve got with hand-built organic Ingsmith. “When I performed in Seattle, instruments and a controller built from I had recruited four friends of mine to be an Arduino that Josh coded to power the on stage with me dressed in cloaks and ritual Big Wizard Bowls we use. Since I gave them tambourines and a sleighbell see DS as so heavily DIY, sometimes it’s rack and they jumped in on the rhythms just cool as shit for someone to come but other than that it’s me doing every- out in jeans and a metal shirt, light a few thing. I take full advantage of having a candles and set the tone then blast some very good DAW and being able to lay out epic fuckin doots. I’ve also - obviously - my backdrops. Some of my songs have loved the big and grandiose setups live 32 to 48 tracks and there’s no way I could performers have been coming up with. do everything. There are guys in the We clearly chose to lean all the way into genre like Francis Roberts and FVRFVR our aesthetic...but it’s still DIY. Those who are big analog synth guys who set The party enters a spirited melee… fucking candelabras are usually spot up two, three, four keyboards and jump welded poorly and could fall over and set from one to the other. That aspect of it is At its heart, dungeon synth maintains a the whole place on fire at any moment. a dying art form; you don’t see that many minimalist aesthetic, both in composition DIY is different now, it doesn’t have to people who are prolific in that art.” and performance. Drums or percussion look ‘bad’ and it’s really about what you sounds are used more for emphasis can do with what’s in front of you.” “I do love my Drumbrute,” said Lord than as a driving backbeat. Guitars are Cervos, the artist behind FVRFVR. rarely used but can be quite powerful During the first live streamed Dungeon “I also use an MS20 Mini for a lot of my when they are. Layered keyboard tracks Skirmish, Ingsmith from Guild of Lore soundscaping/sound FX, and I’ve been are more the norm, and when dungeon was careful to set the stage, even slowly integrating a Deepmind 12 into my synth artists play live there are two if it was in his own house. “It was a setup. I also have my old Casio from my important considerations. Depending whole other ballgame,” he said. “It was childhood which I suppose is technically on the individual artists, a performance definitely weird, but I took advantage of analog that I’ve used for some very low-fi can really be a performance, with it. It allowed me to create an atmosphere stuff. I use VST effects nowadays for con- mixed media, props, and costumes. This that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to venience since I fidget with my composi- theatrical aspect is perfectly in keeping create live. I completely redid my living tions and it’s a pain in the ass to recreate with the overall aesthetic. Jenn Taiga, room and turned it into a fantasy place pedal effects for takes days apart. I also when describing Fogweaver playing live, that I’d created in my head.” use all digital VST compressors etc. but explained: “The visual performance actu- ally contributes to the compositions and the musical experience, where the entire audio/visual experience is incorporated to tell a story.”

“In my opinion Dungeon Synth isn’t suc- cessful if it isn’t creating an immersive atmosphere with which the listener can escape reality for however long that experience is,” Naginah said. “That is, in my view, the entire point. As such I think that it is extremely helpful for the audi- ence, as well as the performer, to use every tool at your disposal to help aid in that journey. For Sombre Arcane we never shy away from letting our imagina- tions run wild.”

His partner added, “One of the the things that DS benefits the most from FVRFVR’s live set up. Photo by Sarah Cox. WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 29 all my sound sources are from hardware Ingsmith from Guild of Lore takes community but on the greater artistic and I tend not to EQ stuff too far from packaging a step further by including community as a whole. One of the most its original off-the-hardware texture. I’ve a poster of the cover art, a hand drawn important aspects of being an artist, used VST instruments for other projects map reproduced on cloth, and on his regardless of medium, is allowing for the but FVRFVR is all off hardware for the future releases, he plans on sending uninhibited spread of influences to cross sound sources. There’s some pedals candles he makes himself, the scent between other artists, which keeps art that I do go back to regularly for specific related to the release, for full immersion fresh and how artists grow. That’s how things like my Holy Grail reverb pedal into the worlds he creates. listeners and appreciators are intro- for vocal pads. For the most part though duced to new things.” I like the consistency of the VST effects This genre has yet to peak, especially in while working over long term projects.” terms of popularity, but also artistically, Fogweaver agrees. “The past year has though it has had its share of growing seen tremendous growth for the genre, Jenn Taiga is one of those who likes to pains. As with any musical or artistic which I believe is ultimately a good thing,” play everything as live as possible and movement, there is always the concern they said. “Genres grow and change. I performs with a stack of keyboards but that increased interest might somehow view the cycles of rebirth as a beautiful

One of the most important aspects of being an artist, regardless of medium, is allowing for the uninhibited spread of influences... That’s how listeners and appreciators are introduced to new things.” ~ Jenn Taiga

also keeps things as organic as possible. dilute what makes the music or the scene thing and an inevitability. The interesting “I have one voltage sequencer, an Arturia so interesting. This is a topic of much thing about the dungeon synth com- Beat Step Pro that’s hooked up to a discussion among dungeon synth artists munity is that it consists of many loyal Moog Minitaur that I use for bass lines. and fans alike. fans and many artists, and quite a lot Everything else, including melodies that are both. There is this really beautiful turn into arpeggiated things, that’s all For his part, Naginah remains hopeful. thing happening there where people done with my fingers.” “I will say that even as recent as 2017 are creating music themselves, but also you could pretty easily keep track of encouraging each other to create. I think “I tend to prefer the tactile with how I every release under the dungeon synth this is what will keep the genre alive create music,” added Fogweaver. “Just Bandcamp tag in a given month and and thriving, in some capacity, for a long my preference. I use a Yamaha PSS 570, listen to them all and remember the time.” Yamaha PSS 270, Casio CTK 3500, Casio nuances of those releases at the end of CZ5000, Microkorg, an Alesis Drum the year. Those days are gone and that While dungeon synth may be regarded Machine, and av couple different pedals.” change has soured the experience for as a niche genre that only appeals to a some. Some claim that dungeon synth is narrow fan base, there is no denying the Within the ancient chest were dead. To me, having a decade’s worth of growth and increased visibility espe- treasures untold… releases in a music genre that you can cially in the past year. There is a small name easily is not exactly ‘alive’. I think but robust international component. There is no doubt that dungeon synth it now is actually alive. A lot of what Fanzines and podcasts, those undeniable absolutely thrives on Bandcamp, which makes the genre special is coming across indicators of scene strength and fan seems particularly well suited for both something that feels like arcane secret interest, are going strong. Live shows DIY artists and specialist labels. It knowledge. I personally don’t worry — once such things are possible again — became obvious that cassette tape about the oversaturation of new projects will continue to spread the word, but in releases were extraordinarily popular, very much as finding the diamonds while the interim the streaming shows are an as most tapes are visually striking and scouring the bowels of the recent releases effective way to keep things going. quickly sell out. still gives me that sense that I uncovered something overlooked and special.” Hopefully this will serve as a good LT from Dungeons Deep said, “I think jumping off point for anyone interested cassettes have a special organic sound “I do think more people should be made in dungeon synth and this article is that lend perfectly to dungeon synth. aware of this music,” said Jenn Taiga. barely skimming the surface of what’s Sometimes the warm tape sound can “I don’t think that more people enjoying, out there. The genre as a whole is worth help break up harsh sounding MIDI appreciating, and being influenced by a deep dive, especially if you’re in the notes, the same goes for vinyl. I try to music is a bad thing. I’d go so far as mood for something that a bit outside make sure every cassette that is released to say that that is elitist, which I am what might be considered extreme on the label stands on its own visually, vehemently against. People who tout music and yet still retains that dank and I never try to follow a theme outside of that argument and try to force exclusivity distraught aesthetic we covet.  the label brand markings.” are a cancer not just on our musical

30 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 RESTLESSNERVE graphic design

RN-Ad-QtrPg-Workhouse.indd 1 7/29/20 11:58 PM

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 31 Somewhere between Mom’s garage There are a spectrum of possibilities and the never-ending quest to build for rehearsal spaces, but one common a home studio, you’ve probably thread between rehearsal spaces — at Room to found yourself looking for a practice least the quality ones — is the passion or rehearsal space. Somewhere to and resilience of the individuals who Breathe go whenever inspiration struck. own and run them. We spoke to five BY CHRIS WOZNIAK Somewhere to rehearse sporadicaly owner/operators across the country or regularly. Somewhere to make about their facilities and approach. unearthly sounds and entertain the gnarliest of company without having to file an insurance claim the next day.

Dave West, Rock Rooms Ballard Ballard > Seattle, WA Joell Hays, 35 lockout rooms from $275 to $1,300/mo Phonology John Kronenberg, 3 hourly rooms from $22.50 to $30/hr Ukrainian Village > Chicago, IL The Rock Spot rockroomsballard.com 2 hourly rooms at $24/hr South Side > Chicago, IL 1 (206) 369-7588 1 (312) 733-7529 96 lockout rooms starting at $325/mo therockspotchicago.com 1 (708) 277-5759

Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios Oakland, CA KamranV, 3 monthly rooms at ~$800/mo Bedrock.LA skylinestudios.com Echo Park > Los Angeles, CA 1 (510) 984-2484 100+ lockout rooms Hourly rooms starting at $10/hr Daily rooms all the way up to $600/day bedrock.la 32 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 1 (213) 673-1473 ⬆ L-R: Showcase room at Bedrock.LA and the large room at Skyline

Is there a certain “type” of rehearsal space that we have accomplished our goal lockout space with a brewery. They met that you’re striving to be? Cheapest? Best when I see some of the same faces for me shortly after they started. I got the sound? Most impressive client roster? over 10 years. recording side going out of one room and then met my partner Cosmo who Dave West, Rock Rooms Ballard: We have Brian Matheson, Skyline Studios: I want started the hourly rehearsals shortly a great community here, a music oasis. people who are gonna be cool. People after that. Sadly, the great recession of The rooms are sound treated, heated and who I trust, people who won’t piss in the 2008 happened and they didn’t get too we provide good rooms at a fair price. hallway, tag the bathroom door, etc. Just far. After those partners split up, one The community and vibe of the space be cool! Be part of the community. Also, (Michael) tried to hold on. Just before is great. The Substation [an attached it’s a good neighborhood that we’re in. this time we met our third partner Phil. but separate facility -Ed.] has hourly With other rehearsal spaces, if you leave Sadly, despite Michael’s incredible effort, rehearsal rooms, a recording studio anything in your car, for sure it’s gonna he couldn’t make things work. When he (audio/video), two stages for events and get broken into. This is not the case here. and the owner of the building split ties, shows, and a 450 sq ft private deck that We’re in a safe, upscale neighborhood. the owner approached Cosmo, Phil and now serves pizza, beer, wine, and spirits. We’re a hidden jewel. I to take over. That birthed what became Bedrock.LA in 2009. With the limited Kamran V, Bedrock.LA: We are here for Why did you get into this business? resources we had, we focused on the working musicians. Our studio isn’t as basics and now it’s been over a decade. well-equipped or acoustically designed DW: It sort of happened by accident. as Capitol [Capital Records’ world famous I bought a 2” tape machine and needed JH: I’ve been working for sound com- recording studio in LA -Ed.] — which we my own studio for it, so I rented the panies since I was 17 years old. We did love — but it’s a purpose-built haven, SAS building in 2006 for that purpose installs for night clubs — amplifiers, balancing quality and price. and turned the remaining space into speakers, wiring, electrical, and construc- rehearsal rooms. I found there was tion stuff. At night, I was DJ’ing in those Joell Hays, Phonology: I like to keep this demand for more rehearsal spaces same night clubs. I originally rented a small sort of family thing here. It’s and continued developing rooms as this building with the intent of having cool to hear bands develop their craft I found available space. I also have a a record-pressing plant, but within a over time. I try to keep the rates down small remodeling business, so I used my month of moving in here, I realized I was as much as possible. construction skills to help design and going to have to do something else to execute the build out of the spaces. In pay the rent. The rehearsal thing just John Kronenberg, The Rock Spot: When my youth I was one of the first tenants at seemed natural. I knew how to fix and I decided to venture into this business, the old Jam Box (1991-2011) rehearsal install all of the stuff already. Plus, my I had the desire to be the best facility at space in lower Queen Anne and I became grandfather-in-law, as it turned out, a reasonable price. When I used to rent friends with the owners (Bill and Bruce) had a background working in sound and from other facilities, they were extremely and helped build some rooms there. telco in the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s. He was expensive. The flip side was that the Adding the Substation [a venue in the a valuable resource both in terms of cheaper ones were dumps. I envisioned same building -Ed.] seemed like the next knowledge, as well as the random vintage a place that was safe, secure, clean and logical step to add to the music commu- equipment I inherited from him. Anyway, affordable. I believe we nailed it. Our nity that we have here. This whole thing the rehearsal space wound up becoming facility is maintained 7 days a week and developed organically. the main business. we take pride in having a clean, safe secure place for bands to rehearse. kV: It was an accident. Some folks flipping JK: Before opening up this facility, I had We have tenants that have been with us houses had a background in the arts been in many bands on the Chicago since the very beginning. It’s a testament and had plans to turn the building into a scene. In one facility I used to rent at,

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 33 our guitarist’s car was stolen and our at some point, too. I think the building drummer was held up at gunpoint. dates back to the 1880’s. Another place was great, but was very expensive, and had hardly any parking. JK: The history of our facility is well As my music career was winding down, documented and notable. The building I saw an opportunity to create a space was state of the art in its conception that I felt was in great need: a place and was the flagship location of one of where bands could rehearse without the biggest dog food companies of its worrying about the safety of their gear time (Rival Dog Food). We pay homage or themselves. We have a secure parking to the history of the building in the lot and a secure facility located in a safe main entryway by preserving the custom industrial area with security cameras all leather mascot emblem located on the over our facility, inside and outside. entryway floor. We also have a glass case Mostly we’re competing with being dedicated to Rival antiques which include replaced by condos or office space. BM: I’ve always been a musician, a guitar many collectibles such as the Rival clock, player and singer, first and foremost. Rival match books, Rival rulers and even JH: We got lucky in terms of being dead I’ve been lucky to have been able to build a couple Rival Buddy-L Trucks. center in the middle of the city. We get a up this studio that has sustained me ton of business from the south side that for all of these years. I really lucked out BM: This building is also the former home we wouldn’t get if we were further north. in 1993 when I came across this space of iMusicast, a club that I ran here in the that we’re in now. The core business has early 2000’s. We did live webcasts of all JK: We are not the only facility in the area. always been the recording studio, and of our shows, which was a very unique The market is competitive to a certain the rehearsal space just kind of hap- thing at the time. There were 2-5 shows extent. Every facility has their differ- pened. When it came available in 2002, per week with up to 500 kids, 4-6 bands ences. I tried to make ours the best, most I snagged 1,100 square feet across the per night, full video crew, security, con- affordable facility. We get tenants coming hallway that I was originally going to use cessions... We were tracking everything in over to us from other facilities, and I’m for expansion. I had used it on and off for ProTools...it was a massive undertaking. sure they pick up some of ours, too. overflow, and I’ve allowed some friends There are over 100 videos up on YouTube to use it as a control room over the years. of those shows. BM: I don’t need to name names for Now I have it divided up into 3 rooms. “other rehearsal space” in Oakland... One room has been occupied for several Would you say you’re in a “competitive” [There is one warehouse space in years now by a band, and the other two market? Or are you the only option in Oakland that has traditionally been the tenants have been here for about a year. the area? Does this present any unique only option in the East Bay -Ed.]. challenges? What are the most notable aspects of What do you wish bands/clients your building? Anything that makes DW: We’re the biggest fish in the Ballard understood better about rehearsal it unique, e.g. location, history, area but there are still a good amount of spaces, or more specifically your reputation? Is it haunted? rooms throughout the city. Our rooms are rehearsal space? Rent, noise… usually in high demand and we have a JH: This place was a lampshade factory waiting list. kV: Fortunately, most seem to get it. before I moved in. I believe the building Some don’t realize that we have a retail was originally owned by the Banner kV: Though our particular approach is store open 7 days a week until midnight Equipment Company, and they made unique, sadly, there aren’t many rehearsal (this was pre-COVID, of course). Also, sinks here. There’s evidence that there spaces left. We always push business from the outside, some people find it was some sort of retail store in here to our “competitor” music spaces when difficult to understand what a razor thin there is a better fit or we’re booked out. margin we have. Some think we own the

34 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 ⬅ Clockwise: Hourly room at Phonology, a lockout room at The Rock Spot, and an hourly room at Rock Rooms Ballard. building. We don’t. Some think because What’s been the biggest challenge? kV: Get back on our feet, hire everyone we are busy that we are flush with cash. back, and make Bedrock.LA feel like We aren’t. We have donated our time and kV: The whole thing is painful. Without home again. resources to different festivals and other the unemployment subsidies for our musical projects when we can. We and employees, it would have been more JH: I don’t think business is gonna come our employees make a decent living and brutal. It hurts not being able to have a back around until next year. Of course we are proud that over time we’ve been job for our employees. We hear from our everything could change in just the next able to give meaningful raises and keep customers/friends who are dying for a few weeks, so we’ll see. the family together… that is, until COVID. place to play but know it’s not safe right now. We miss everyone. BM: Stay COVID free, keep the business JH: I wish that people would ask for floating, and work remotely as much as help more often; that everyone didn’t DW: It’s tough to live in a world of no live possible. And I’m learning how to trade think they were an engineer and knew music/events, I never fathomed losing stock! everything already, ha... I literally have it for a year-plus in my lifetime. Also to stickers on my EQ’s that say, “If you touch see the mental and financial hardships Any fun stories to go out on? this, I’m going to break your fingers.” brought on by COVID. JH: There used to be a bunch of record JK: We have some great tenants. The one JH: Paying the rent. I’ve been able to pressing equipment here, but I sold it thing most people don’t understand is sustain everything else. I received some in 2015 to Quality Record Pressings just how expensive it is to build and run support from the SBA. That basically in Kansas. They’re making millions off a facility of our size. We have many bath- carried me through last year. Somebody of it now! They just ran a repressing of rooms, hallways and common areas to set up a GoFundMe for the business that Abbey Road. The back story is that it was look after. It would be great if everyone brought in almost $10k. I spend at least previously owned and operated by what did their part to keep things clean. We do a day or two a week looking for grants was essentially a bootlegging operation our best to keep prices down and it’s the and loans. The Barstool Fund has been in the ‘90s. little things that help us achieve that. helping businesses like this one, so I’m hoping they may be able to help, too. JK: Born of Osiris shot their video Regarding the pandemic and your for “Divergency” here and that was business, what’s been the biggest surprise? BM: I’ve had to adapt. For a while, I had awesome! They were really cool and laid stopped, but I had to find a way to back. We’ve also had video shoots by DW: How quickly everything shut down reopen and start doing business again. I See Stars with over 14 million views, and how long it has continued. I got a call about doing some ADR for a and local thrashers Reign. Chevelle did a blockbuster Hollywood film, but I needed photo shoot here in 2019 a few months kV: Survival. To say the least, creative to be on a union list of vendors qualified before they played Lollapalooza. business has been challenging. as following certain COVID safety require- Bedrock.LA is currently closed [due to ments. So I did my research and found kV: There are tons: Weird Al recording COVID restrictions -Ed.]. Almost all of that I need to follow very strict protocols. his Grammy award winning #1 record our employees are furloughed, but with I have all of that in place now: UVC lights, with us. Joe Walsh busting in on a the generous flexibility of our landlord, box fans with MERV filters circulating random rehearsal wanting to play. Brian employees, customers and my business the air hundreds of times over, I go over from Weezer walking by a room with a partners, Bedrock.LA is holding on. everything with alcohol wipes, everyone band rehearsing Weezer cover songs. Everyone has come together and is very masks, and after the session, everyone Phoebe Bridgers doing one of her very understanding that we are doing our best goes home. Nobody’s hanging out in the early live sessions with us. Thom York to survive. control room. We can do everything else borrowing a friend’s room upstairs to remotely, safely. practice vocals; it was just a legend until JH: The venues are closed, nobody’s I was able to confirm it with him many working. We’re getting one or two bands What’s your plan for 2021? years later... There are 10,000 more a day, which is not even 10% of what we stories. were doing before this all started. We’re DW: To rally, stay positive and look a forgotten industry. Everyone’s worried forward to the return of live music/ about the venues, but nobody’s worrying events in the summer. There are lots of Rehearsal spots are one of those aspects about the folks supporting the venues. artists that have new works completed of the creative process that we, as musi- over the lockdown, so there should be cians, probably take for granted more BM: This has been a great incubation lots of music and other things to hear & than we should. We have a lot of options period. It’s a good time to write and be see in 2021. I think live music will return for collaboration in a digitally connected creative. with vengeance, people are itching to world, but there’s really no substitute for get out and do stuff, it should be our the real thing.  equivalent to the end of prohibition.

WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 35 “Cut out the noise” A strategy for using Bandcamp as your main social platform.

Editor’s Note for context: In 2007, Facebook GUEST EDITORIAL BY ZAC CRYE introduced Pages, which allow businesses to establish a presence, attract followers, and As an artist, it’s in my best interest to cultivate a strong community broadcast messages to their feeds. Soon after around my content, which can be hard with the oversaturation of (and ever since), Facebook introduced an content in general. While planning promotional tactics for my first solo algorithm that decides who sees your posts endeavor, I decided not to take the conventional social media routes. based on how many Likes and comments it gets, and how relevant it is to the user. Sounds great, Facebook hasn’t been too cool since our moms, dads, uncles, and but if your Page isn’t very popular, or your post grandparents have joined the discussion, Twitter was all jammed up doesn’t generate significant engagement shortly with the election cycle, and TikTok can be a bit dismal for a ‘90s baby after being posted, Facebook buries it in your like myself, so these have all become secondary platforms in my mind. Followers’ feeds, or just doesn’t show it. If you The logical thing to do is to siphon people from all these social media don’t like it, Facebook will let you Boost Post, platforms into a more focused platform where the sole interest is my i.e.: “pay us to show your content to people who music and content. Cut out the noise. said they want to receive it.” In my mind, there is a hierarchy of social media: Lately, I’ve been getting more messages from artists I follow on Bandcamp via the Bandcamp Bandcamp > Instagram > Spotify > Facebook > Twitter app and email. One of the more consitent voices has been Zac Crye, guitarist and singer I decided to focus my posting on my two favorite platforms — for Arizona’s Hudu Akil. I asked him to write Bandcamp and Instagram — and share that content to my secondary a short tutorial on sending messages with platforms. Bandcamp, but he turned in a much more powerful high-level strategy that mitigates You can convert people from Facebook, Twitter, etc., to Bandcamp by Facebook’s stranglehold on your Page posts and posting links with anything from free download codes to unreleased focuses your time on building an audience of material. Once you get these fans to your Bandcamp page and on people who have given you money in the past your mailing list, you will find yourself at the helm of one of the on a platform built to let them give you more. greatest communication tools afforded to independent musicians. That’s pretty powerful. ~JM And it’s totally free. Should you decide to monetize this community, Bandcamp also offers a subscription service for that.

Once I made these connections, it was time to pull the trigger on the release for my first solo-project, All the Same. I now have about 300 email subscribers on Bandcamp with whom I am able to have a conversation. I can share photos, new audio, discount codes, and with Bandcamp Pro, I can even upload videos. It is as direct and personal as it gets.

I’ve modeled this approach based on some of the people I follow on subscription services like Patreon, and I’ve treated my Bandcamp mailing list like a Patreon subscription ever since. The difference between a subscription service and the Bandcamp mailing list is that the Bandcamp list is totally free, and by funneling people from your other social media properties, you can cultivate a real community on Bandcamp.

Check out Zac and Hudu Akil’s body of work on Bandcamp:

zaccrye.bandcamp.com huduakil.bandcamp.com

36 WORKHORSE • Spring 2021 PREFACE: Following an artist on ! Bandcamp and suscribing to their mailing list are two separate things.

Draw casual fans from secondary 1 platforms to Bandcamp with some free downloads.

When they cash in, they’ll be added to your Followers, and might add themselves to your mailing list.

You can force them to join your mailing list by ticking the “Require email address...” box where you set your album pricing:

Engage with your Bandcamp audience by messaging them with the tool on 3 your Bandcamp Dashboard. If they have the app installed on their phone, they’ll have access to them there. If they’ve allowed it send push notifications, they’ll get alerts on their home screen.

Download your mailing list from /tools and use it to email your audience directly 4 to connect with fans that don’t use or pay attention to the Bandcamp app. End of the line

hings are waking up. Vaccines are rolling out, mandates • If you have a label, check in and get a plan together are being lifted, the weather’s getting warmer, and things • If you book shows for your band, find out what venues are are turning green. The economy is starting to move again, still in business and booking future dates too.T It won’t come overnight, but there’s finally some light at the • When’s the last time you physically sang or played a full end of this incredibly long and dark tunnel. set? (muscles atrophy) Barring a vaccine-proof variant of the virus, shows will almost • How stale is that band pic? certainly start happening soon. If you’ve been letting band life • Got a rehearsal space lined up? simmer, it’s time for a band meeting because even if you don't want to play yet, a whole lot of bands are going to wake up in a few • How’s the van running? weeks, and they’re all going to want the same things. You get the idea. Props to my band's singer (Suzy Bravo) for • Get any physical music manufacturing you need ordered as generating most of that list and getting us back in gear. soon as possible (Pirate's Press vinyl production is back up to a 4-month turnaround) When shows do open up, use your head. If you're not • Count your merch, update your online stores, and restock as vaccinated — and especially if you're in a high risk group — needed: clothing, stickers, koozies, etc. indoor gigs might not be the best idea. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, or that you have to. At the very • If you need new designs, get an artist going ASAP least, wear a mask and keep the huggybears away. • If you play an instrument, clean up your gear, fix what you can, and get big repairs in to the shop Shake off the rust, stay safe, stay hungry. • If you’re recording this summer, book time now (every other Jason Muxlow, Publisher/Editor band has been writing new material, too) [email protected]