Margin of Error - Now a metal band?
By Eric | July 2, 2009
This morning while checking up on some things I keep track of online, I noticed that Margin of Error had posted a new song on their myspace page along with some new images to go with it. If you’ve been following the band, you’ll know that the visual layout of their page and even the look of the band changes with each new project, so I was looking forward to see what they’re up to.
Shock…
The new look of the band says it all… instead of the crazy blue synth dreads and the cool white layout we’ve seen for the last several months, the band now sports an edgier look, similar to the look of many bands in the hardcore metal genre. The band line-up has changed as well, with Ryan switching from his previous role as keyboardist to bass guitar, a new guitarist and talk about announcing the new drummer.
The music has changed as much as the look of the group. There’s still some keyboards in the new song, but they’re playing a much simpler role, and for all it’s worth, the band is no longer making the extreme industrial music that we’ve all come to enjoy. The new song is very well produced, but I was disappointed with the arrangement. The vocals are now all screams and growls… the melodic parts have gone away. The song itself is too long to really keep my attention during its almost five minute course. It’s not a bad sound, but it really disappointed me to find out that the elements that made Margin of Error unique are gone.
Had Travis and his crew given us the same production with more of the elements of their previous endeavours, this could have been an amazingly impressive move by the band. Instead we’re left with another metal band… a good one albiet, but another one in a sea of many more.
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Thunder of Gods Festival
By Eric | May 12, 2009
The Thunder of Gods Festival took place this last weekend, (May 7-9, 2009). The festival boasted almost 100 bands, on three stages over four, no, three days and had bands from all over the world including North America and Europe. The festival was set to be on scale with the big ones that take place in Europe every year and was to include vendors, bands, and all kinds of other cool stuff to do. All this wrapped up in a cool outdoor campground in Dripping Springs, Texas and you’ve got a pretty awesome event, right?
Well… not even close.
I’ve had the chance to play promoter for a small festival myself a few years back, and during that time I learned a lot about what you shouldn’t do if you want things to go right. We all learn from our mistakes, and I learned a lot of good lessons that go round. Our festival was much smaller and only had about 10 bands. Our headliner cancelled the night before, so even if we wanted to back out, it was too late. But we still made the best of it. The remaining bands still showed up and played, and the crowd in attendance, though smaller than anticipated, still had a good time. We ended up having to pay the bands and the venue out of our own pockets, but we did the best we could, and that’s all I would ask of a promoter if the same was happening to him.
What happened at Thunder of Gods though was unexcusable. My band arrived early on the first day to an empty field around 3:00pm. The event was supposed to kick off around 5:30 or so, but the promoter explained that they had problems with the sound company and had to do some last minute adjusting. Around 8:00 or so, the first band kicked the show off, and the second stage was in the process of being built. Shit happens sometimes, but the guy seemed to be trying his best to make the show go on anyway. Almost three hours late, my band was the first to play the second stage. Halfway through our set, we watched the PA speakers fall from the stage, and the monitors were only working about half the show, but we kept playing, as if there were 10,000 people in attendance. Of course our crowd was only about 40 - 50 people strong, and consisted mostly of those from the other bands, but we gave it hell… and played a damned fine show at the same time.
We took off that night after midnight and that’s where our personal story ends… what happened over the next few days was something I never expected.
From word of mouth and from reading the stories that other bands had posted, I learned that the second day of the show had poor attendance and went pretty rough. The bands were all behind schedule due to poor planning, and the attendance was still much lower than was expected, but they went on. Bands don’t let shit get them down in situations like this… they all played like they would any other time. They made the best of the situation and had a good time. At least until the next day.
Our promoter bailed on the festival early Saturday morning, taking all money with him. From what I understand, the man was extremely worried on Friday that he wasn’t going to be able to pay everyone, but had told the bands they would be paid by check soon afterwards. The sound company left with all the staging and sound equipment that morning and the festival was cancelled. Bands from all over were practically stranded with no pay and at least one band had to borrow money just to make it home. The Austin bands worked hard to soften the blow to everyone though… two clubs in the city booked some of the bands to help them out and many places along Austin’s 6th street allowed the bands into their clubs with no cover just to help make the best of the situation. Still, many people lost a lot of money to this promoter.
The biggest issue with this sort of thing is that this promoter, Will Pruett, took off with the bands’ money and from what I hear, even took merchandise from the bands when he bailed. He wasn’t 100% up front with people about the problems he obviously knew were taking place with the festival. He didn’t tell anyone that the presale tickets didn’t sell as well as he hoped. He must have known this in advance anyway, as the tickets came straight from him, and he would have had records of those sales well ahead of the actual show. No promotion took place in the city of Austin, 30 minutes away from the venue… nothing at the college or on 6th street to even inform the locals that something cool might be happening. The only promotion, came from the bands, and a single myspace page with the festival information on it. He knew well in advance that he wouldn’t have the money to pay everyone, short of a small miracle, but instead, he took it all, and ran.
From talking with the bands who were screwed over by this whole fiasco, I noticed some pretty cool things. Most of them would have played the show anyway, and made the best of the situation without getting paid. Even more of them would have happily taken late pay and played, and a few would have stayed home if the guy bothered to tell them that things weren’t going to plan. Thunder of Gods could have been something really cool, had it been promoted right, and even still it could have been a good time if the promoter was honest with everyone, but unfortunately, things didn’t go that way.
I have the upmost respect for all the bands who made the best out of this mess… a lot of people’s true colors really came out at this event, and it was great to see these groups look out for each other despite the circumstances. It really goes to show that when it all comes down to it, we’re all musicians, and despite musical tastes and our differences, that we really can work together for the best. It’s great to see this kind of quality shine through even in the worst of situations.
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Gravity Euphonic (dot) Net is Here!
By Eric | January 3, 2009
The new Gravity Euphonic website is finally here. The new site includes some cool photos, music and other great things about the band, so be sure to go check it out.
Topics: Gravity Euphonic, Music | Comments Off
Radio-Active-Music - Lockout
By Eric | November 22, 2008
Radio-Active-Music’s Lockout Sampler is a must have for all fans of underground industrial music fans! The free download includes music from some of the great artists on the label including XUBERX, Dharmata 101, 23RainyDays, Gravity Euphonic, Die With me Tonight and Turbulent Soundscape. The featured tracks are mostly from the groups’ albums, but it also includes a few unreleased or exclusive ones for your listening pleasure.
As Lockout is a FREE sampler from RAM, you can download it from the link below:
http://www.radio-active-music.com/lockout.html
I hope you will enjoy the music from this release as much as I have!
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XUBERX - Intelligent Demise
By Eric | October 25, 2008
When I heard some tracks from XUBERX’s first disc, Rogue State, I immediately thought that this band would be cool to see live, and with their latest album, Intelligent Demise, I’m definitely hoping they head out this way so I can get the chance to do just that! While the name of this band is obviously a made up word, it should be known that XUBERX is synonymous with high energy, which there is no lack of with these guys.
Anyway… let’s get into this disc!
The first four tracks are my probably my favorites from Intelligent Demise. Ingression and the title track, Intelligent Demise are both hard hitting tracks that I would expect to hear in a dance club. The edgy vocals of Zomboy are nicely complimented by the eerie, almost operatic vocals of Liebchen on both tracks and throughout the disc, which I think is one of the big things that makes the band stand out from the crowd. It’s a nice contrast from vocals that are only harsh, or only clear, and the female edge gives it a nice sexy sound. The World Ends Today is a cool track with a nice rock edge. A bit slower tempo but driving is the sound you get here, and it doesn’t disappoint. It would defintely be the song I’d recommend to a friend if I were to introduce them to the band.
While most of the album would fit in well at a high energy industrial dance club, there’s a nice slower tempo track hidden away in this disc called Solution. There’s a lot of nice textures in the song that give it an ambient feel and provide the much needed break from the rest of the album. (I say this because XUBERX apparently has the ability to make people drive too fast if you’re listening to their music in the car!)
Overall, I like Intelligent Demise, and I imagine a lot of other people will as well. It’s noisy, dancy and a very well produced disc. I’m definitely looking forward to catching them live!
http://www.xuberx.com
http://www.myspace.com/xuberxnoise
http://www.radio-active-music.com
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Dharmata 101 - Protest Songs for the Content
By Eric | October 25, 2008
Dharmata 101 comes to us straight from the mind of JSun Bruner, a very talented and creative songwriter and musician. His latest release, Protest Songs for the Content is nothing less of amazing, bringing the listener to world after world of unique colors and sounds.
The first track, intro / awaken (swallowed) is one of my favorites from the album. In the words of my best friend, this song has balls! Edgy, distorted keyboards, drums and vocals take the lead in this track, and its tempo keeps you on your toes at all times. Another one of my favorites from the disc is the vocoder driven radio quizotic. This song has an edge to it, (driven by the vocals and drums,) which is nicely complimented by the quirky, amost jazzy, keyboard part. It makes me think of what you might hear if you combined ohGr with Portishead…
While a lot of the disc is edgy and somewhat hard hitting, much of it is just the opposite. Outline (of my shadow) stands out from the rest of disc the most in this regard. There’s a lot of neat dynamic contrast throughout the song which to me is something that will set a good album apart from a great one. While much of the song is in a minor key, the real surprise comes later on in the track when the chord structure moves into a lively sounding, almost uplifiting major key near the end. It’s one of those great songwriting moments that you just don’t seem to hear as much these days, making it a definite must listen for the disc.
Overall, Protest Songs for the Content is a must listen! Dharmata 101 is a very unique artist, and this album definitely won’t let you down!
http://www.myspace.com/dharmata101
http://www.dharmata101.com
http://www.radio-active-music.com
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A lazy man’s review of Dharmata 101’s latest disc… whatever it’s called.
By Eric | October 24, 2008
Dharmata 101 has some cool songs… like that cool one a few tracks into the disc… with the sounds and all.
..and that’s not all!
This guy plays a lot of neat sounding keyboards. Some of them sound cooler than others and all, but I think he saved the best ones for this album… with the exception of his broken one. I think he’s waiting to use that for another disc.
and on that note, the real review for Protest Songs for the Content is coming soon… 
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Nine Inch Nails - Live August 18, 2008 - Dallas, TX
By Eric | August 19, 2008
It’s rare for me to get excited about live performances these days, especially when it comes to big name artists, but Nine Inch Nails and their Lights in the Sky tour is by far an exception. I attended the show in Dallas this year and had a great seat for one of the best live performances I’ve been able to see.
Trent Reznor, the man behind Nine Inch Nails, has really outdone himself this time. The tour not only showcases the fine music of Nine Inch Nails, but does so with some amazing musicians backing Reznor up. Trent is accompanied by drummer Josh Freese, keyboardist Alessandro Cortini, guitarist Robin Finck and Justin Meldal-Johnsen on bass. Not only do each one of these members have some great credentials; they back them up with some extrordinary talent.
The band started off the night with a few songs from their new album, The Slip as well as a handful of songs from previous ones. The light show during the earlier part of the set was reminiscent of past NIN shows with heavy fog and a lot of bright, flashing patterns. They cut from the past quickly and eventually started playing behind and in between several mesh type LCD screens which could literally make the band disappear from the crowd’s sight at any given moment, and gave them a very stimulating stage set to play with.
Then there were the different intermission like sets that the band played in the middle of the show. The first smaller set was a four piece setup at the edge of the stage that you might see a more traditional electonic / industrial band use. Each member had access to a number of instruments, control surfaces and keyboards to create all the music including the drums. In a top notch performance, the band manipulated their electronic toys with ease, creating a unique performance of which will probably be never heard again in the way it was presented: One of kind and amazing! After several songs presented in this manner, the band once again left the stage.
The next set of the show was put together in what would be best described as a pseudo-acoustic type setup. Reznor performed on a marimba for several of the songs, Meldal-Johnsen played upright bass, and the stage was arranged in a smaller, more intimate kind of way. Material from the instrumental album, Ghosts was heard, as well as one of the coolest arrangements of Piggy, which included phenomenal drum breaks from Josh Freese.
As the night progressed, the band returned back to their larger style stage setup, played several big hits including Wish, March of the Pigs and Head Like a Hole. At the shows end, a very kind Trent Reznor and crew, left the stage one by one, each waving to the crowd until only Trent remained, who finished playing, waved and left. A very classy ending to an amazing show.
All in all, this would have to rank in the very top as being one of the best, (if not the best,) live performance I’ve ever attended. With the quality of some amazing musicianship and great songs to go with it, this show was almost like experiencing Nine Inch Nails for the first time. Much attention was obviously paid to details from the lights, to the arrangements to even the quality of sound in the venue, and it made for a show that will be hard to top.
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Otto’s Daughter - A New Kind of Heroine
By Eric | June 23, 2008
Otto’s Daughter’s A New Kind of Heroine is one mean sounding disc! The female fronted band has a hard hitting metal sound, dark vocals, and just the right amount of electronic elements to keep you heavily stimulated from beginning to end.
I first listened to the album in my car while driving to work, and I got there a lot faster than normal. It’s got a great beat and a lot of drving songs like the first track, Kiss My Ass… you just can’t beat the hard hitting sound of this band. The vocals are a little bit different from a lot of other female fronted bands, but that’s part of the allure of this band. The dark nature of Jacqueline Van Bierk’s voice is really what gives this band its edge… it’s over the top!
While A New Kind of Heroine an amazingly well produced disc, I strongly feel that Otto’s Daughter probably shines most on stage. The energy is there just waiting to hit you twice as hard live, and I can imagine that it makes for an amazing live show!
If you haven’t had a chance to hear this band yet, I strongly suggest that you do so, but do it with caution… if you’re listening to them in the car, you might find yourself driving just a little bit too fast!
Check out Otto’s Daughter on Myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/ottosdaughter.
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Gravity Euphonic Dance or Die Remix!
By Gravity Euphonic | May 10, 2008
It’s finally here! You can get your hands on the complete track set here:
http://www.alternativeexplosion.com/gravityeuphonic/DanceorDieRemix.zip
It’s a pretty big file, but once you get it, extract the tracks and read the readme file for all the details. The song is 142 BPM and I’ve set it up in a bunch of 16 bit stereo wav files for your convienence.
Once you’re done with the remix, send it to us at gravityeuphonic@gmail.com and we’ll check it out. We’re going to be setting up a myspace page for the remixes that we like, so be sure to look for it in the next few days and add yourself to our friends.
We’re looking forward to hearing what you guys do with the song. I’ll be sending some of the copies to clubs in Dallas for play and if you guys have any local places that want to spin your work, let us know so we can keep track of where we’re being played!
Happy Remixing!!!
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