fredag den 25. februar 2011

Look at that thing go! He haulin' ass!

Children, gather round. I have been neglecting you. And for that I apologize. It's just not as interesting to keep this blog-thing up now the record's done and out and everything. What's to tell, really? Because writing, recording and contemplating back and forth is really the fun part for me, believe it or not (not really, ok it is, no it isn't). However, I've found a new love that I suppose would be of some interest perhaps. Who the fuck cares? Well, one must assume you do since you are reading, right? Right. (Notice the Lack-reference in those two rights?) Alright, so we've been out playing. A tour. And I've become aware of the most curious thing. I was aiming for precision and minute planning in regards to the execution of the songs in the live context. But then one night at rehearsals we conjured up this totally improvisation-able acid-techno-thing and an entire new world opened up. Instead of me being the boss and hysterically dictating how the shit'd go down, my mates went into creative-mode and breached a lot of the levees I'd set up, and lo and behold, it was way more fun to do that than tagging along some already sketched out course. God damn. So, I think what we're looking to do is to work more as a team now. I've said so before, in I Am Bones, but now, older and wiser, I think I'm actually ready to let go of my stuff and not just say I am. Because, who the fuck cares anyway, right? Right. I might as well see where ever my best friends in the world's ideas take me and us. Speaking of awesome people: We're pretty much set on including Marybell-Marie on a regular basis of the live crew. She'll be taking over some of the percussion, guitar and vocal-duties, which would enable me to just sing instead of playing fucking guitar, which takes up a lot of focus for me. I really want to better myself at singing. Yeah, and regarding new material... Well, I've not had a single weekend since October for writing. I need some damn time off from work and school, but I don't think I'll be lucky enough to have that anytime soon, so, yeah. New stuff will come eventually, I'm sure. No need to rush things. However, I think I have worked out the philosophy for the next album... I be seeing you bitches soon, aight. Peace out, y'all. Boo!

fredag den 19. november 2010

Back from the dead!

Hi kids!

Long time – no see. I'm sorry. It is my fault seeing as you are unable to post blogs here I suppose. To put it mildly the headquarters has been swamped in rehearsing for the shows last month, school, work and – brace yourselves – doing a little writing and celebrating the release of the album. Speaking of the release. It was rather well received! No surprise to me of course, ahrreem! Literally, there has been zero bad reviews, which is a first for me. I remember when we released the last I Am Bones album we received a hilarious 1/6 star review from Jyske Vestkysten, and I have looked very hard on the internet to find it and post it online, but to no avail. If anybody out there knows where to find it, let me know. Alright, so how did it go with Tectonics in Denmark?

Soundvenue gave it a 5/6 review
Undertoner gave it 5½/6
Stiften gave it 5/6
Vice Magazine liked it
Gaffa, Politiken, BT and Berlingske gave it 4/6
The blogosphere: some dubbed it awesome, and someone delivered a knock-out 6/6
… and so on and so forth. Pretty friggin awesome. When the album is released across Europe later on, I'm not afraid it'll be met with rotten tomatoes :)

Then I did interviews with gaffa, politiken, some blogs and everybody seems happy, but no more than I, because I've taken a shine to a certain someone and on Monday I'm going to see The Walkmen in Copenhagen! People. I cannot stress this enough. The Lisbon-album is the best work of musical art you are likely to ever hear. It takes some getting used to, I know, but it is seriously awesome, as I've stated before.

Yo, let's just talk about the shows we played! It was an exhilarating experience to play the malpractice-songs live. Difficult, yes. But thanks to my beloved band mates and their high level of awesomeness, it all fucking worked out. Yes, there were some blemishes, yes, I sang like a donkey now and then, and yes, it was all very confusing. And yes, Marybell-Marie sang like a million bucks. And yes, our tour-mates in Among Relatives were BOTH kind and rocking, too! Anywhoo, we made it back home, and now we are ready to take on the friggin world. Next step towards world domination is in February where we'll be touring alongside the skull-fucking-ly awesome Marybell Katastrophy – and perhaps Anchorless at a couple of shows (if everything turns out the way I hope).

Now I want to write again! I don't want it to be three years between albums ever again.

God bless, and here are some goddam pictures. I think Q and Simon Christensen took them all :)












onsdag den 20. oktober 2010

Tectonics - Lyrics

Hey! My guitar-hero friend Sebastian gave me the idea to upload the lyrics for the album, while it's streaming here.

So... Here you go... sorry for any errors or layout-issues... this is an early file from when we were doing the album artwork :)

agitator

i saw a whole other future
and i cannot just block it from my view
and when you're doing the things you hate the most
to get off
i get off

just throw the noose around my warn out neck
i get off

i've built the pressure
released the pressure
abandoned circles
now a target's forming
it's moving me forward
in linear motion
in linear motion and opposition

this is the end of the old
this is the end of it all
it's a revolution of the soul
as we are howling at the moon, it wheels me in


boss stallion

it's not a rebel yell
it's not a battle cry
it's not a call to arms
it wants to make no sound
it takes a quiet life
it occupies nothing
it is the silent kill
it wants to make no sound

all it takes is just
a slightly altered view
a shift in attitude
then we can make that change
accept the modern death
your human sacrifice
the exploitation days
are coming to an end

drink it up
go break the body down
make it sick
and beat it to the ground
drink it up
don't turn an offer down
make it sick
yeah, kick it while its down

it is a simple plan
it has a simple goal:
to bring this system down
by wasting it's resource

let us all become an expense, let us all be seen as ”problems”

take pride in the collapse
and celebrate the fall

drink it up
go break the body down
make it sick
and beat it to the ground
drink it up
don't turn an offer down
make it sick
yeah, kick it while its down

be a foreign body in (put yourself to use)
the ailing system, bring it down (put yourself to use)
and we are shrapnel, travelling the veins (put yourself to use)

drink it up
go break the body down
make it sick
and beat it to the ground
drink it up
don't turn an offer down
make it sick
yeah, kick it while its down

screw, lay waste
and break each other down
make it grand
and watch it as it falls
screw, lay waste
and break each other down
make it grand
and watch it as it falls


spasm

i see you stretch and arch your back
i am not supposed to, i shouldn't be peeking
i see your pulse, i watch you exhale
i am not supposed to, i shouldn't be peeking
i watch your every move
i know you
i know what's underneath your cover
what's under your dress

i'm convulsing in a seizure
i'm abused by the distance
pressed against a brick wall
burning from the fever, yeah yeah...

i'm getting closer
i'm getting closer
i'm getting closer

the trembling hands, the fucking tension
the thought of you all postured and prone
the thought of having won you over
dissolved and panting, options exhausted
the very essence of the carnal
i know you
i know what's underneath your cover

i'm getting closer but i'm not gonna get it


pop music

is this what i'm up against?
is this what i'm up against?
someone shut their eyes
someone shut their eyes
they suck and suck
and they will suck it dry

it is coming low low low low
it creeps under the doors
it is coming low low low low
it creeps under the doors
makes everything that shines
everything that shines
tells you that it's motherfucking gold

you suck and swallow it
you fucking beg for it
i see your hands are tied
i see you're on your knees
”oh it's tv”


million dollar boy

boy becomes a man and lets it go
you haven't got forever
to make it make sense
let it go, you've proved your point
just let it go, we've seen it

boy becomes a man and gives a shit
your cynicism's turned you
turned you into stone
it's recognized, you've proved your point
now pack it in and move on

million dollar boy
you've got it all
and still you haven't figured
anything out
take my advice and let it go
and you might win it all back

million dollar boy, you'll come around
i see it in your eyes, you're fighting it i know
i see it man, i tip my hat
we know it dies with us


we, the drowned

of course we're tired
we can't keep up
surely, we are aging
or maybe we've just had enough

and here you come
a generation of idiots
you can have it all, it's yours
no, we're not gonna fight

but, please don't ask of me to join
please just leave me the fuck alone
please stop knocking on my doors
i'm not coming out to play

it's like a wave coming over me
we'll all be dead and gone
things change and they're changing so rapidly
if only it was towards something better
yeah, but the kids are in control

so, please don't ask of me to join
please just leave me the fuck alone
please stop knocking on my doors
i'm not coming out to play


specimen

milking the old
you keep
milking the new
you keep

sucking the juice
out of
everything
and then spit it back in the faces of the ones you're ripping off

means to express
reduced
to strategies
you just

suck all the juice
out of
everything
and then spit it back in the faces of the ones you're ripping off

watering down everything
blowing the horns for nothing at all
everyone is partying hard
celebrating nothing at all
it is a hell on earth and it's gonna win
i know, by dumbing down, by being smooth and deafening

oh baby, drive your fangs into it
oh baby, drain it of its essence
yeah, fuel yourself, feed on it
and vomit as a work of art

watering down everything
blowing the horns for nothing at all
everyone is partying hard
celebrating nothing at all
it is a hell on earth and it's gonna win
i know, by dumbing down, by being smooth and deafening


it's all about love

warm nights
by the sea
i think my friends
are falling in love

we walk by the sea
and i love them both
for falling in love -
and for how their contact
is awkward and on fire

how he wants her
how she makes sure that he sees her
hair come undone,
how she lets go

warm nights on the beach
we're forgetting time
i'm forgetting myself

a vortex of friends and benevolence
is bringing me home -
the way they look at each other -
they're on fire

how he wants her
how she makes sure that he sees her
hair come undone,
how she lets go

all our shit and all our cool is fading
breaking up and crumbling to pieces
it's all about love


oh the irony

baby i'm thirsty
and honey you know
that you are the ocean
that you are the ocean

drown, want to drown, fill my lungs with

you are the ocean
salty and deep
you are the ocean
and baby i'm bursting

drown, i want to drown, fill my lungs with you
to drown. i want to drown

tension mounts under my skin, oh, the irony
every cell's begging for it... fucking irony

baby i'm thirsty
and honey you know
that you are the ocean
that you are the ocean

a drop of sweat trickles down your naked
sunburned skin



fault lines

i am born to spend, to take, be ahead
win a
race i
don't care for, ah

i am born to use, to buy, to discard
win a
race i
don't care for, ah

to be a tool in the hand of a force
i can't see, i can't hear, i can't taste it
without a trace and with a crushing punch
it just brings me right down to my knees

eating away, taking bites of the core
leaving only the functional basics
without a trace and with a crushing punch
it just brings me right down to my knees

there has got to be more



the human condition

i broke my nails on
clawing my way
into pictures
of a fading you
and two dimensions will not do -
a tangible longing for a tangible you

oh, it keeps on circling
oh, it keeps on circling
that two dimensions will not do,
a tangible longing for a tangible you

this is a fever on the real
something, something's taken over me
i'm in a spiralling delirium, oh
it just carries on, nothing new, taking in that this was it...

lørdag den 16. oktober 2010

Hey, isn't it time for an update in the blogosphere? So, let me give you the run down of events since last: I've been to Wales for a family trip to see the Ryder Cup golf tournament! Living the high life of lobster feastin' and champagne sippin'. Good times! Furthermore, I've been getting back into university-groove, arr, I'm not quite there yet, my motivation is at rehearsals and money-yielding work, but it'll work out. Speaking of rehearsals, let's cut the personal chit-chat and talk about music stuff:

Rehearsals are actually coming along quite well! Some of the songs are REALLY rocking, however some of the tracks still need some polishing, especially in the vocal department, and a little in the aesthetics department, oh and a little in the proficiency department. The quieter songs are really difficult, but I insist we play them as that is what this malpratice-thing is all about. Trying out stuff you're not quite comfortable with.

Speaking of... Last night I played a show with my pal snöleoparden. I played some drone-y guitar parts. It was truely an exciting experience as I'm very curious about how he allows himself to become so enveloped in the entire experience of playing that he almost disappears. The means towards that end is to stick to rhythm and tonality beyond the point of annoyance, transcending the very music itself by repetition and harmony and subtle alternations of patterns. It was awesome, as is snöleoparden and we are planning to do it again some time.

Yeah, and we shot a video the other night as well, but more on that later.

I'll leave you with a promise of further details on the live-situation and a track I've fallen in love with the last couple of days: Marybell Katastrophy's Heavy Industry: http://www.myspace.com/marybellkatastrophy

fredag den 24. september 2010

Good lord. So I am at again. I thought I had had enough of music, but tonight I've come up with a snippet of beautiful music for the first time in months. My friend Emil made a great analogy when he was mastering the album: When women give birth, their brains release a sedative to take the pain in order for the body to want get re-pregnated. See, if the body'd remember the bullshit it has been to go through giving birth, there wouldn't be born any more children. And so the connection to album-makin' is obvious: I have already forgotten how much it sucks! Today I even received an email from Kenneth regarding the fee he's to receive for his work on the album, and he was all like, hey, let's do it again, soon! The irrational necessities of the human soul.

We've started rehearsing 4reals. It's actually going alright. We can almost play every song on the new album and even one or two from the old days. And we have got something extra up our sleeves: Our good friend, Marie of Marybell Katastrophy fame, is coming out to play with us for the three shows in october! Holy fuck! She'll be singing alongside myself! That is so cool. Her voice is a diamond in the rough, and it'll compliment my weak points, vocally. See, I'm used to screaming my head off, and I thoroughly enjoy a good yelling, however, the new songs are more melodic than brutal, and seeing as I have literally zero experience in singing-singing, Maries assistance will come in handy. And she's just totally good fun to be around. So, we're happy she wants to play along!

Hey assholes, buy the two singles here. I mean it. We totally need the cash, and we don't want the new label to think that we ain't never gon' bring home the bacon, do we? So buy a track, buy a couple for your friends too. It's not like you need the money for something else?!



Best,


Johannes

torsdag den 16. september 2010

HURRAH!


Kids, I’ll tell you about what’s going on. The thing is, I’ve been busy. Yes, the album is now done, and it is time to reminisce and reflect on the last days in the mixing-suite that is the ash-tray, our rehearsal space. Mid-august we finished the final recordings and started the mixing phase around that time. As I’ve said before Kenneth worked his ass off and towards the end of things, we spent 20 hours per day mixing. And all of a sudden I found myself zombie-walking to ET Mastering at Feedback in Aarhus with a knapsack of cigarettes and bread. It was a truly strange sensation to walk across town during the morning rush-hour, not having slept, knowing that we were going to finalize three years of work. Not the best state to be in, I know, but luckily our mastering guy Emil was sharp and ready to go. He cleaned the mixes up a bit and started mastering his butt off. It took three days in total... I think that is longest master-session in world history. Thanks to Emil for patience! The method was the so-called stem-mastering, where you take each group of instruments and lock into single files, like, all the guitars in one file, all the vocals in another and so on and so forth. This allows for last minute level corrections but more importantly it is easier to work on different areas of the sound-scape rather than to just have one file to work on, which often just squashes songs. What the hell do I know? Honestly, and hands down… It is nuclear science and physics what sound-guys do. I’m not sure I’ll ever understand what they do… I’m just in awe. I’d really like to learn one day. I’ve learnt a lot sitting besides both Kenneth and Emil so… Now my demos won’t be as shitty anymore, hehe.


Right, let’s talk facts.The album is called ‘Tectonics’. The front cover looks like this:



And it will be released October 25th on sensational Crunchy Frog Records.
The second single is out now: Listen to it here.

And here’s the final tracklist:
1. Agitator
2. Boss Stallion
3. Spasm
4. Pop Music
5. Million Dollar Boy
6. We, the Drowned
7. Specimen
8. It’s All About Love
9. Oh, the Irony
10. Fault Lines
11. The Human Condition

Personal favorites are The Human Condition, Boss Stallion, Spasm, Fault Lines… oh, hell. The entire damn thing! I’m so effing proud of this album. It’s the best music I have ever done, and it even sounds good! Holy shit! I can’t wait for people to hear it, but please, if or when you hear it, give it some time, and listen to it on proper equipment. We haven’t spent ages fine tuning this crap for you to listen to it on your god damn computer-speakers, while being on the phone, aight?! Alright, then. A little concentration is all I ask. Final remarks! The album cover will include a lyric sheet. Info on release-parties coming up. Rehearsals are going… well… alright, but I’m sure it’ll be awesome. Going to Copenhagen tomorrow for a couple of interviews and some recreational time with Q and Clauern and my friend Filip. No plans for a vinyl release of the album as of yet. Aaaaaaaand, I think this is it for now!

torsdag den 26. august 2010

The new Walkmen-album is awesome.

From the eye of the mix-storm the headquarters generously and selflessly – yes, as your Christ-and-saviour - donates a minute or two to update the throbbing, curious public on the Østjylland-turmoils. Ahem.

First of all. Tonight's poor-man's supper caused a spillage of cod-liver oil onto hands and wooden desk. This has rendered the headquaters somewhat disillusioned. I guess you could call it a straw that broke the camel's back, seeing as mixing is as equally horrific a part of the process of recording an album as singing is. I don't know jack shit about mixing, so it's all up to Kenneth. Ha! He's under a lot of pressure because of the deadlines and his power-life. Tonight he's playing a show with all-star band De Eneste To, for instance. The other day he told me that he had to leave the computer after having worked on a particularly difficult passage to remember to breathe. He literally doesn't breathe properly when he's stressed out. It's so fucked up. Sometimes when I think he's sighing because of a problem regarding the mix, he reminds me that it's just because he occasionally must take deep breaths in order stay alive. Physical ailings aside, it's turning out ok, I suppose. I'm not going to give you the regular industry-'holy shit, it's just so awesome and everything is dandy'-routine, as everything is not. It fucking sucks and I want it to be over and done with. I've spent 10% of my entire life doing this album... Seriously. No shit... Pity me. Pity everyone! Pity! Tuesday – God willing – it'll all be totally fucking over!

By the way. I have settled for the title Tectonics! It's very fitting! Release is still set for either October 11th or 18th. My awesome friend Mogens is working out the artwork as we speak. I'll upload it when it's done :)


Here's a random track order.
  • 1 Agitator
  • 2 Pop Music
  • 3 Oh, the Irony
  • 4 The Human Condition
  • 5 Vendetta
  • 6 It's All About Love
  • 7 Specimen
  • 8 Million Dollar Boy
  • 9 We, The Drowned
  • 10 Spasm
  • 11 Fault Lines
Playing time is around 37 minutes.

Well, let's talk again on mastering-tuesday. Until then... MWUAH!