Sounds Of Green From Robotic Hands

3;45am my partner and I have dozed off and let YouTube auto play through it’s algorithm on the tv as we sleep into each other.

Suddenly I wake up to a man staring with his eyes wide closed… and that’s how I was introduced to Robohands’ Green.

Through correspondence I got in touch with Andy, the doctor in the high castle as lighting strikes in the background, multi-instrumentalist genus behind Robohands to question him about things.

 

Your record “Green” seemingly blew up over night! It’s in the YouTube algorithms and

bandcamp suggestions along side classic obscurities such as Ryo Fukui’s “Scenery” did you

expect this to happen?

 

It did, which still surprises me today, and people mention the project alongside some huge artists

which is really cool. I’m still learning and want to improve my playing, writing and production too

so hopefully people like the new stuff and the way the project develops in the future.

I’ve read that you worked a few part time jobs to fund this project, how did you remain so

focused at work and with your music? For some artists it seems almost impossible to find a

balance

I had a really productive period a few years ago juggling lots of different things but then got some

health issues after burning out in 2018/2019 so I wouldn’t recommend over working to anyone, its

really important to rest. I like doing logical problem solving tasks like fixing/modifying microphones

and other equipment to get out of the creative mindset. Then returning to playing music with a fresh

perspective, that way you don’t go too crazy. Although the process is always difficult and its easy to

lose confidence, sometimes just having a hard deadline forces you to be efficient and get things

finished when you’re busy. On the other hand, I think I do well when I treat music like therapy and

not as an end-product oriented job, trying to stay in the present and being creative for the sake of

enjoyment. That way the ideas just finish themselves.

 

You’ve said you like to experiment with equipment and create a bass sound/textures, what’s

the most obscure way you’ve created a Soundscape?

 

We recorded the sound of waves against the side of a boat recently, that was cool and a bit obscure.

I want to get more into using samplers at some point, recording weird sounds and then maybe also

sampling some old Robohands stuff and making it into ambient music/trip hop.

 

Where did your taste in such a broad array of music come from?

 

I’m lucky in that I grew up in an environment where the turntable was always on, so has always

been an eclectic experience. I think more people are listening to music without thinking too much

about genre these days which is cool.

 

What is your favorite record, the story behind buying it and where you were at that time in life?

 

I’ve got quite a few favourites, I’ll say ‘Promised Heights’ by Cymande, I don’t actually have a copy at the moment...

 

When digging, did you eat much fruit or vegetables?

 

I did, that vinyl and vegetables place closed and became a gastropub I think.

 

What’s your favorite sci-fi novel?

 

Has to be Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, with Brave New World close second.

What’s your favorite non-music related possessions?

 Just realized I own very few non music related possessions at this point! I like having plants in my

flat, a nice way to counteract the oppressive feeling of living in the middle of a large city.

Thanks for your time! Please checkout the music!

B A N D C A M P

I N S T A N T P H O T O

Proud to be a Larry!

 

“I’ve been into records and tapes since about 2010”

Founded in New York in 2019 by a man with the middle name of Lawrence and the logo, a memorial of his passed kitten named Cannoli, Larry records are known for putting out the best screamo in the world, or for you genre specific frothers out there "post-hardcore" as well as the niche over looked under appreciated genre of emo violence. Now I know some of you out there will cringe at the mention of “emo” as a genre and think of more contemporary acts that bare little resemblance to the original wave of emo but trust me, don’t judge this book by it’s cover.

Joining his first band in 2012, People’s Temple Project.

“we didn’t release a lot, but we toured and played with a lot of good bands”

“one of my best friends owns a grindcore label Third Eye Grind, he taught me how to dub tapes and showed me the ropes”

In a sense Larry Records works as an archivist of the genres, releasing Nayru’s The Disease Of Language and Ice Hockey’s A Brief History Of Time, both bands being defunct at the time of the releases.

The label holds true to the do it yourself aesthetic with unique packaging such as a miniature coffin for the release of a four way split tape and strange added extras such as a wisdom tooth.

 “It’s really been uphill since then. I really thought I was just gonna put out a tape here and there but it exploded, and here I am”.

The future of Larry records has more records and definitely more merch as well as a lot more "lathes" and a few tapes. 

Link you up:

Bandcamp

Discogs

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Obscurities & Eclectics 1

 Czar. 

Photo by Jerry Guzman

Czar are a mathematical styled band when I say Mathematical I mean that they fall into a category of bands and musicians that play odd time signatures, constant changing tempos, Dissonance sounds, angular riffs almost to the point of atonality. 

This band fits into the idea of mathcore in the sense that there is no fitting into mathcore as each and every band is outlandish in their own right. 

There is no one playing guitar but a keyboard player using a guitar setting while occasionally triggering samples.

Their bassist plays a style of slap I myself adapted when learning jazz bass 

It’s more of beating your bass strings like an old microwave in your backyard.

Each attack the bass amp thunders out a low rumble that distorts like the shattered glass screen on your now fucked microwave. Occasionally the use of a drum stick against the strings which is all fitting being as at Times the bassist plays to his own tempo creating his own individual rhythm forming a polyrhythmic section before exploding into another mind boggling section of incoherent screaming.

Photo by Jerry Guzman

Not just screaming however. 

The idiophone takes into account softness and loudness 

decrescendo from screaming to a talked word salad even spoken word tone 

crescendoing from spoken back to that point of high tension and screaming. 

Their drummer blasts like a man with Parkinson’s having and seizure never slipping up and coming out of time 

Always on time like a drum machine wrapped in leather wearing a wig, that can pass as a humanoid right? Or something from the film adaption if naked lunch? 

 

Breast milk

BREASTMILK who is BREASTMILK? I can confidently inform you that despite a brief dazed research I have no other information about the artist behind BREASTMILK as side from being an act signed to the intriguing label CHICAGO RESEARCH.

BREASTMILK is a solo female artist creating Erie soundscapes with reverbation of a canyon and a yellowing plastic phone with a humming slow dial tone 

Between each tone is a longer silence 

The drone, oh the drone it tumbled as if it awakens a sense of impending doom within. 

I don’t know who she is but I bet this isn’t her only kind of expression, I want more. 

https://chicagoresearch.bandcamp.com/album/last-rites

Exek

Photo by Pia Hannah

Exek are a band from Melbourne! Yeah fucking Melbourne! I’m no longer losing faith in Australias music scene now as I’ve obviously been sleeping on the resurgence of experimentalist ideas.

drawing influence largely from post-punk, Krautrock and dub sound. this band drowns their sound like a snitch tied to chair and thrown into the ocean in dub production styles, heavy on delay and reverb which creates a haunting atmosphere reminiscent of underground soviet block Brutalism.

If acid was consumed during the listening of this band grey would be the colour but not bland whatsoever but shades that make you want to dive into the feeing of grey and explore. Let the walking bass walk all over you. 

Let the delayed synth decay into the background as your brain decays 

Bit by bit sections fall off like the stages of a Saturn v rocket. 

Their guitarist plays metal neck guitars! 

Creating a more resonating high tone reminiscent of Steve Albini's tone used in the band “Shellac of North America” 

Nick Gazin Talks Cats, Kanye , Comics and The Importance of Mental Health.

Hi nick how are you today? 


I’m feeling very greasy. I just had a few flights from LA and can’t wait to get into the bathtub. There’s going to be a greasy layer of film floating on the top. 

Nick Gazin, post Maggie Simpsons' decapitation

I’m not going to be asking things that most interviews ask maybe the weirder or lesser asked questions...


How did LA Comic con go?


Wow what a crazy question! It went really well. I got to hang out with my sister and a lot of our favorite artists, designers and cartoonists. I did a painting of Miles Davis for a really cool fan who got it as a birthday present to myself named Oscar. Raw Dog who makes Real Deal and his associate presented me with a handcrafted pimp stick. My mom came by and gave me advice on my painting. It was as great. One of the artists we brought in

Painting Miles Davis

So what got you into working with Mishka clothing?


I sent them a message over Myspace and they responded to me.  


I’ve seen seen on YouTube you have a cat that you accidentally tread on at times, would you say that your feline friend is a helping hand when it comes to the creation process? 


I only stepped on him that one time and somehow it was on video. When I've been at my lowest, my love for my cat has kept me from throwing everything away. 

I find his mixture of beauty and brutality inspiring and motivating. He gives me a lot to think about. He also will bite my hands and nibble my drawings to shreds. 

If you had to pick one thing over the other what would it be and why, comics or records?


Comics. I love collecting and listening to records but records are just vehicles for the music. They're my favorite way to experience recorded music but they are not music and once you're listening to the songs you don't usually really notice what media format contains them.

Comics are a thing that engage more than just one sense when you read them. You're looking at them but you're also touching them and smelling them. Although I publish a daily online comic on the Vice site, digital images of comics lack the same spectrum of experience that a physical object can deliver. You can have a relationship to an object and when you experience art and media over a phone or computer you're having a relationship with that device. Also, backlit screens strain your eyes and are unpleasant. Paper won't blind you as fast. 

Paper is great. Books are great. Music is great. Records are great but are ultimately more of a luxury than a necessity in most cases. 

Nathan Williams' portrait by Nick Gazin (Duh)

You create a lot of artwork for musicians and bands, that’s how I came to know your work. What have been some of your favorite musicians to work/create for?


Wavves is my guy. It's a full collaboration. I think we have a lot of similar feelings and ways of working although he's a rock n' roll bad boy who is way more famous than me. I'm really psyched on the latest 7" I designed for him and Beach Fossils.

You’ve described yourself as a workaholic, what’s the longest break you’ve taken?


I don't exactly take breaks as much as I have mental breakdowns where I try to work but it feels like I'm moving in slow motion. I'll go to bed early, wake up on time, and then somehow struggle to get my first task done. It's very frustrating. 


I was curious if you had any crazy stories that happened during your first stint with vice if so, shoot!


Nope. 


What made you pick using water colors over other mediums?


Before I used watercolors I used gouache which is similar except that it's opaque. I like watercolors because of the stained glass, candy-like qualities of the medium. It's softness feels like recalling memories. They can be very faint, like figures emerging from a fog. My use of off-white, manilla lithography paper instead of watercolor paper which is usually bone white is also to help with this. 

They also dry fast and I like the immediacy. 


A lot of young people romanticize mental illness when it comes to artists, as a contemporary artist I was curious about your opinion on this matter. 


I guess I see some people romanticize mental issues. I've been depressed and thinking about suicide at varying levels of intensity for most of my life. 

I didn't go into the arts because I had a lot of options. Trying to make a dollar from creative acts was me taking the long way around because I can't do a lot of things that neuro-typicals can do. Making art is a compulsive, therapeutic, calming and meditative act for me. I don't have to draw any specific thing to feel better, just making marks on paper is satisfying to me. 

I think a lot of people have been demonizing people with mental issues or talking about them like they're just like everyone else and this has bugged me. I see a lot of squares who don't understand art or mental illness saying a lot of offensive and ignorant things. We're in an age where everyone can access everything so everyone thinks that their ignorance is as valuable as someone else's knowledge. 

For instance, when Pete Davidson was on SNL and told Kanye to just take meds and stuff. I want Kanye to be well and be okay and I like Pete Davidson but Pete is a very lucky amateur trying to give advice to a very important and ambitious artist. Stay in your fucking lane, Pete. Go give mental health advice to the interns at NBC or something. 

Kanye does and says things that are confusing or upsetting because he is nuts but he doesn't owe anyone anything because he's not a cop, a politician, a teacher, a minister, etc. People who are nuts will say and do shit that is nuts. He's been this guy for a long time and somehow people just didn't notice it. They laughed at his clownish antics because they thought they were better than him. Remember when everyone was laughing at Amanda Bynes until it became clear she had a real mental problem? People only felt bad when they heard the root cause of her actions but decided to ignore what were obvious symptoms because it was so much fucking fun to watch a young woman be destroyed by her problems I guess. I passionately hate the casual cruelty that humans are capable of. Remember the "Leave Britney alone." guy? He made a good point, he just said it like a crazy guy and then everyone decided it was fun to make fun of him for empathizing with someone in intense pain. 

Kanye's not in control. The car's moving but nobody's at the wheel. I would compare mental illness with having the spinner to the board of Twister in your hand. One day that spinner might make you want to make a great record.Another day it might make you produce overpriced dystopian servant clothing. The next day you're banging your fist on the desk of the Oval Office ranting intensely at some piece of shit politician. It upsets me when so-called liberals delight in the downfall of people who are already suffering or aren't forgiving to people who are clearly handicapped by their brain's chemistry. Unless he goes into politics, law, teaching or becomes a minister, leave Kanye alone. 

If I can speak to any other crazy or angry people right now who are reading this and relating to the things I'm saying the main message I want to spread to other fuck-ups is this: 

Never commit violent acts except in defense of yourself or others. All acts of artistic creation elevate humans above just being an animal. All acts of violence lower us. The moment you use violence to impose your will on another living creature you are invalidating yourself as someone whose opinions, thoughts and feelings have any meaning. Using language can be hard but that's why we have art. If you've committed acts of violence it's never too late to pull back and know peace. Happiness is elusive but being consistent and being able to maintain is good enough. I've personally found that marijuana, drawing, and that early reggae, jazz, ambient and prog rock have really helped me feel human again when I've been feeling like I was in a dark place.  

What’s the greatest pin ball machine and why?


Twilight Zone. After the Addams Family pinball machine became the most successful pin of all time the designer, Pat Lawlor, was allowed to design his dream machine and that was Twilight Zone. 

For the first fourteen years that I played TZ I was terrible at it and didn't get it. It's a wider pinball machine than most pins, being in the Super-Pin series which also included Indiana Jones, Judge Dredd and ST: TNG. Because of it being larger, it has a different dynamic to how you need to play it. It's more sensitive and tricky. 

It also has more cool things that can happen in it than any other pin and once you know how to unlock it's secrets it's a whole new world.  

Hitting the ball up the ramps is more satisfying than anything. The sounds and responses are great. There's a magnetized mini-playfield. 

Addams Family 

Although you can't really beat a pinball machine the way you can beat a video game, you can complete all the modes which opens what's called a wizard mode. The TZ machine's wizard mode is called LOST IN THE ZONE. The first time I got lost in the zone came after I'd been playing it for fourteen years. I was so stoned off edibles I could hardly stand up and I wasn't even keeping track of what was happening, I was just in love with every moment of the experience. All of a sudden the display went dark and I thought it had broken. Then a door, an eyeball and a pyramid all flew at me via the animated dot matrix display and I started screaming like I'd just blown up the Death Star. It was the highlight of my pinball career. When it was over I looked around and the owner of Sunshine was watching and smiling. I've gotten lost in the zone about seven times since then but that was like the pinnacle of my existence. 

Twilight Zone

From what I’ve seen of your posts on social media, some people confuse Penelope Gazin as your wife, what is most awkward thing that has happened in the terms of that situation? 

Penelope Gazin, Not Nick's wife.

One time when I was dancing with my sister at a friend's concert a guy I know pulled me aside and said "That girl in the purple is a sure thing!" I looked around to see who he meant and he was referring to Penelope. I called her over, told her what he said and then we both laughed at him as he turned red. 

Later, when I was still on Tinder, we matched and posted about it because we thought it was funny. Then everyone made incest jokes which we thought took it to a grosser place than we had intended. 

Well Nick, thank you very much for that. I hope I haven’t offended you with any of the questions and hope you have a nice day!


You too.

Time Goes By, SOS By FLXYD Feat. Mityrion

FLXYD - SOS (Feat. Mityrion)

I can't say that R&B and soul is something of my tastes exactly but I'll review any music if I'm given the patience and time.

FLXYD is a solo R&B project By Alec, out of Lexington, in the U S of A.

This track begins with a nice pan effect, vibrating left to right, as if a child is standing in the way of my stereo system and blocking the cone of one speaker with an actual cooking pan, but after a few more seconds I'm reminded of a beach vibe. As if the panning vibrato or tremolo is emulating waves of water slowly coming in and out. It's also reminiscent those trailers for Grand Theft Auto Vice City with Kool And The Gang as the accompanying music.

At 0:26 we are hit with our first vocal of FLXYD, a deep and sorrowing
"Oh no no"
This simple phrase is enough to concrete this music project in a dim, cloudy cloak of mystery as well as misery, it's as if my day of relaxing at the beach is all of a sudden been met with overcast weather and an arctic breeze cold enough to erect my nipples, abeling them to cut through glass and and feel what is left of my testicles up the back of my throat.
However it's the kind of coldness that only Rhythm And Blues can convey and in this case it has been achieved well as this music does make me feel empathy.

throughout the background of the soundscape an eastern instrument can be heard, I don't have perfect pitch at all however to my ears this sounds like a pentatonic scale being played however it also has a jazz guitar sound to it, as if the musician is so grief stricken they are just barely picking the strings.

0:52 you get hit with a small yet steady almost glitchy build up to a vocal mimicking with both FLXYD and Mityrion singing 
"Oh no no, can't let her go"
within seconds of each other, creating an almost unearthly delay that smacks the pitch up on the first feedback, never the less it is haunting and tells more of a story yet again but with more of a sentence.
then the break, a strong yet subtle vocal performance from Mityrion bring across more melancholy and angst, the kind of feelings that are very unique and individual to each person that has felt them.

Production wise; Unlike a lot of horrid Lil suck my dik soundcloud musicians this is actually worthy of a listen, the sound is clean and crisp however also very warm and personally that's where I believe the jazz like undertone comes from.

The song is nice for those long as days at work and getting home in the dark to an empty house, throw on this chill beat for the next time that happens to you and you'll find yourself walking in slow motion to the song as you take in all the sounds

Debut EP four track out on the seventh day of September.

song rating: Dark trip hop

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The Liquid Pig Extended Play Roast

12th of April something incredible happened! Liquid Pig Released an extended play to the world that will not be wiped clean off the internet, unlike previous releases. The Title of this EP? there isn't one, wow how original man! coming from a solo artist that has only played Liquid Pig live (DRUNK) once in 2016. Backed up by local multi-instrumentalist K, Harris on the percussion instrument. followed by a boring deathcore band full of sneans wearing eight string fuckwits that laughed at their Joy Divison cover, but have still failed to realize all their songs sound identical.
It features incredible cover art by a young talented artist that goes under the pen name of EWFUCC!

The contents: Five tracks of pure effects drowned saturated fuzzy noise.

The first track "Lanterns Return (Gunn)" is a groovy psychedelic punk rock jam with a line of fusion jazz that after The Simpsons sample explodes with high saturation and a booming D-beat that punches you in the face with no warning, like some lad in a nightclub that king hits people for bumping into their Nikes. The track is also quite comparable to a trip at the brain. The vocalist bangs on about being unassimilated and getting sleep, a common theme in LP's music. Could also say it sounds like Wavves with Zach Hill... Ah yes, when they played live they opened up by saying "We're a Wavves cover band" then playing two Wavves covers...
Track rating: For a year and a half worth of writing 2/5

Second track "Riddles (AnxLIV)" is as if a grindcore track just with no sign of a growling vocal.
The song starts out with a Watchmen sample of Doctor Manhatten then En Esch (ex KMFDM) yelling "Get away from me" then strums through one chord harder and faster than Sid Vicious but still as plain. Meanwhile, the vocalist starts talking in riddles with a haunting reverb effect over his vocals, like possessed devil child, or Rosemary's Baby all grown up.
While the end of the song offers more chords and a philosophy thought of mortality and fear of the unknown after death.
Track rating; Play more chords fuck ya! 1/5

Third track "Satan Of The Shower" another reverby haunting track that depicts a murder of a close one? I have no clue it sounds as if the vocalist is being waterboarded while trying to spill information to the KGB. This song Takes a darker turn in sound and lyrics and mirrors the music of Death In June, A must hear if you're a fan of Goth Rock.
Track Rating: There's blood all over that whore 3/5

Fourth track "Section I" is an industrial soundscape from hell featuring samples of Hunter S. Thompson, The Zodiac Killer, The MC5, drills, various other tools, fucked up disembodied screams, yet again more hunting rever vocals, text to speech apps and other various samples. Whatever it is that is attempting to be conveyed here I cannot comprehend but it is scaring or just wannabe edgy...
Track Rating; fuck off! 1/5

The fifth and final track "Ride Home" was previously released on the first EP "Decay Town" that was swiftly deleted with the rest of the LP catalog. It's a nice chilled out, comedown,  calming song that vibes the Bristol sound or Trip Hop/Downtempo. The song features a piano that drifts through some major chords like a stoned hip-hop SoundCloud producer. With a slowed backbeat and field recordings of a train station playing in the background of the soundscape. The haunting "will Inspector Sands please report" kicks the song off, adding a dark twist to what seems like a nice song.
Track rating; 4/5

Now I know why Carson calls his project Liquid Pig, because it's as shit as bacon, pork, and ham. Fuck Liquid Pig!

This kind of fuzzy buzzy music is perfect for fans of Sonic Youth, Einstürzende Neubauten, Wavves (duh), Joy Divison? Big Black?

Journalists note!

By Armin Q. Tamzarian

Links to the band yadayada

BandCamp

SoundCloud

JJJ Unearthed