Couples Retreat (Valley Scene Magazine, October 2, 2009)

Couples Retreat
By Rei Nishimoto

Finding the humorous side of relationships between people and how they work on it comes in an assortment of ways. Couples therapy is the latest wave of how couples attempt to work on improving their relationships, and the funny can often be found.

Couples Retreat looks at four couples who are all encountering problems. Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are one couple who are overly happy except they do a superb job at masking their own problems. As a way to save them from divorce, they choose to take a vacation to a tropical resort in the South Pacific designed to help couples through therapy.

They enlist their other couple friends - the child raising Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman), the loveless yet married Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis), and the newly divorced Shane (Faison Love) and his new much younger girlfriend Trudi (Kali Hawk) - Jason and Cynthia are short on cash and enlist under a group rate. They give the couples a fancy slideshow about the resort, and they are thinking they are about to go have fun. This is where they quickly learn the other couples are about to have their relationships under a microscope like Jason and Cynthia.

They are met by Schtanley (Peter Serafinowicz), the British resort manager who is overseeing their stay. His blunt yet snobbish personality quickly interacts well with the four couples, where brief conflicts over what they expected from the resort and what was about to happen in the story build up naturally.

Another key person in the film in Marcel (Jean Reno), a Zen style therapist and founder of the resort. His methods of trying to work with the couples clashes with their lifestyles and causes tension to each of the couples. His unorthodox methods, such as having the couples disrobe on the beach to swimming in shark-infested waters, is the beginning of many laughs throughout the film.

Each of the couples never dominate throughout the film and compliment each other very well. Jason and Cynthia want others to think they have the perfect marriage except they try to hide their problems from the world. Dave and Ronnie are the couple who are only looking to spend some time away from their two young boys. They also are viewed by the others to have the good life, except they cannot see that. Joey and Lucy are the couple who are too busy seeking other singles on the resort and are too blinded to realize what they have. Plus Shane is trying to impress Trudi by overdoing things.

Part of their resort stay includes sessions with a couple's therapist (played by Ken Jeong, Amy Hill, John Michael Higgins, and Karen David). Each couple has their relationships examined closely, which creates tension for most of them. Their interactions with the therapists expose each of their vulnerabilities, but also creating problems that did not exist before.

Each of them discover each other's troubles, as Shane briefly loses Trudi over a fight and runs off to the single's resort. The rest of the group attempts to help Shane by going across the waters to the resort. During that moment, Cynthia breaks down and tells them about her secret. Joey's wandering eyes leads him towards younger singles he met when they arrived, and Lucy is impressed by the attractive yet flirtatious yoga instructor Salvatore (Carlos Ponce). But throughout their wild adventure, Shane finds what he was looking for, as well as the other three couples in their own wild ways.

This movie is not quite the comedy of the year, but the story is relatable enough for viewers to enjoy and find a few laughs along the way. There is a humorous side to this entire story without getting too ridiculous and becoming distasteful. Couples Retreat is enjoyable from beginning to end, and rarely has a dull moment.

The Invention of Lying (Valley Scene Magazine, October 4, 2009)

The Invention of Lying
By Rei Nishimoto

Imagine a world where people told the truth, regardless of how blatantly true their statement was. In Ricky Gervais' latest film, The Invention of Lying, he created a story about being in an alternate world like this and what the world would be like if no one would ever lie.

The Invention of Lying is a comedic story that is both hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. While many comedies aim towards cheap jokes, this film builds around a story that is relatable to many viewers.

Gervais portrays the character Mark Bellison, a down-on-his-luck, 40s-ish, single, schlubby, and a pessimistic loser, who works as a writer at the fictional Lecture Films Motion Picture Studios. The film starts with him going on a blind date with Anna McDoogles (played by Jennifer Garner), a beautiful yet bluntly forward woman who Mark had a crush on for years, who happened to be the first cousin of his best friend Greg (played by comedian Louis CK).

The two go on their date, where her forwardness practically leads to her shooting him down for another date. This starts the string of bad luck for Mark, including his worst fear of getting fired by Lecture Films. He is openly known as their worst writer at a company who makes films about historical facts read on camera. He was stuck with the 14th Century and specially the Black Plague era. He is openly heckled by his secretary Shelley (played by Tina Fey) and his boss Anthony (played by Jeffrey Tambor), who attempts to fire him every day but is poor at confrontation.

To add insult to injury, his rival Brad Kessler (played by Rob Lowe), rubs in his firing in person. Brad is viewed as the perfect specimen, both professionally and physically, which Mark never was or would be.

While he was suffering through this, his mother (played by Fionnula Flanagan) was in a senior home and was slowly in declining health.

This leads to Mark discovering he has the ability to tell lies. Gervais' dark humored overtone fits Mark very well and especially when this point in the film arrives. His tone comes in softly and brings a comedic touch that is not so over the top.

Once Mark discovers his ability, he shares his newfound knowledge. His friend Frank, his depressive neighbor who is always on the verge of suicide, is given words of encouragement by him. Later, he takes Greg along on a trip to a casino for some gambling, where they win money in the most unorthodox of ways (i.e. cheating). Gervais and CK both interact well, building a good interaction without having to tell vulgar jokes and instead keeping the comedic flow natural.

Mark uses his new powers to gain his job back and gaining revenge against the people who spited him at the film company. He produces a new film about the Black Plague, and eventually earns more money where he buys a mansion. He manages to attract Anna, where this becomes the first twist of the story.

While Mark begins telling his lies to move up in the world, another turning point comes while he is comforting his mother in her deathbed. His words of comfort mistakenly get out to the public, and are viewed as a prophet and a visionary about the afterlife. Crowds of people await Mark to share his words and what he knows. Gervais' subtle character comes across very well in this part of the film, and he shows why his style of writing and acting has attracted a new audience within the comedy world.

The relationship between Mark and Anna becomes the final plot twist in this film, as the two figures out what they truly want from each other. The two unlikely couple brings a moral piece to the story, especially when in this world everything revolves around the truth.

While it may not be the slapstick film of the year, The Invention of Lying does have lots of laughable moments along with moments that will leave a lasting impression. Gervais is slowly showing why he should be recognized for his work besides The Office. This may be the film where he will get his moment.

Evergreen Terrace (AMPMagazine.com)

Evergreen Terrace
by: Rei Nishimoto
Posted on Sep 08, 2009 - 3:17 pm

Evergreen Terrace is one of the bands who have lived and breathed the road life and made a career out of it. For over a decade, they have played to countless fans of hardcore, punk and metal music, and have built their following through hard work and dedication. Starting in Jacksonville, Florida in 1999, they named the band after the Simpsons fictional street they live on. The band has built its sound around aggressive riffs and a strong blend of raw shouted lead vocals and melodic vocals during their choruses. Musically, they mix influences of hardcore, metal and punk that has helped them stand out amongst the scene. With the recent economic difficulties plaguing most people, the band still managed to push through. They overcame uncertainties within the band to create their latest release titled Almost Home. They parted ways with bassist Jason Southwell after their last record, and they recently lost drummer Kyle Mims due to a freak bicycle accident before their most recent tour on the Summer Slob Tour. Caleb James of Casey Jones filled in for the tour.

Guitarist Josh James spoke about the new record, touring with new members, touring, and their love for the Simpsons.

Where are you now?

Josh James: We’re on the last night of the Summer Slob Tour with The Acacia Strain, Cruel Hand and Unholy. We are in Hartford, Connecticut at the Webster Theater. We have a nice 15 hour drive home and have two days off and then we hop on a plane and head to Europe.

How’s the tour going so far?

JJ: It’s been good. There are a lot of tours going on right now and you can definitely see the effects of that. Kids don’t know what they want they want to do this summer. You have Warped Tour, 10 Bands For $10, Summer Slaughter Tour, and the Summer Slob Tour. You have a lot of things going on. The crowds have been good. It’s been a lot of fun. This tour’s definitely had a less serious vibe to it, all because of the theme of being a disgusting slob. It’s made for some interesting nights!

I heard about your drummer’s situation. How’s he doing?

JJ: He just got out of the hospital yesterday. About five days before we left for the tour, him and the guy playing bass for us, they were cruising around on beach cruisers around the neighborhood. Kyle had a brand new bike and the spokes just collapsed. He was about a block from his house and it threw him over the handle bars. It broke his clavicle in three different spots and crushed his elbow. He was rushed to the emergency room. They put a steel plate into his shoulder. Caleb [James] from Casey Jones is filling in on drums. We try to keep in touch with Kyle every day. A week and a half after his surgery, he started getting really sick and went to the emergency room. They found out he had a blood clot in his lung. So he was put in the hospital for a week under observation. He called me and said he just received the bill solely for the clavicle surgery. It was around $40,000! It’s definitely a hard time for him and hard time for the band. Things were looking good. We have a new record about to come out. We have a lot of great tours lined up for the next six months. Something unfortunate as this happens; everybody is trying to stay as positive as we can. We didn’t want to cancel any tours. We were lucky to get Caleb to play drums for us. Kyle’s going through physical therapy and will be back with us in a couple of months.

Caleb will be in long as he is needed then?

JJ: He’s going to do the European run with us right after this tour, which starts next week. After that, we’re doing five and a half weeks with Emmure. That takes us into October. The doctors told him that there is a high chance that he won’t be able to turn his hand so his palm faces up. He’s not sure how that will affect his drumming. He’s trying to stay focused and not let it get to him too much. He’s a tough guy when it comes to bringing him down on things. Hopefully that attitude will come through in a positive way.

Not to bum out the interview, but what was the biggest difference between the making of Almost Home versus past records? I read you used a producer this time around.

JJ: This recording process was completely different than anything else we have ever done. In the past we had gone to one studio. We’ve never had a producer. We were strictly working with the engineer at the studio. This time, we ended up tracking all of the music without a producer. We recorded that in a small studio called Martel Studios in Georgia. We tracked all the vocals, as well as Jason Suecof produced and engineered the record. He just did the new August Burns Red, Job For A Cowboy, Black Dahlia Murder, All That Remains, and Trivium. It was cool and weird at the same time. He didn’t do a whole lot with Craig’s [Chaney] vocals, which are the clean singing vocals. It was cool to have someone step in and looking at it with a completely different perspective. He had Craig try so many things he hadn’t thought of. Obviously we hope one day…we don’t oppose working with a producer. When we started writing the record as far as the songwriting, there was so much going on with the band. Just like any other band was felt it…the economy had a huge impact on us, the impact of the outlook of our personal future, what’s going on in the world, and what is and what is not important. Our bass player [Jason Southwell] of over ten years, he decided it was time for him to call it quits. There were a few months there where it was rocky for us. We didn’t know what the future was. We didn’t know if everybody wanted to do it or if it was worthwhile doing it. Ultimately me and Drew [Andrew Carey, vocals] and Craig and Kyle started writing the songs, everything we were experiencing emotionally and dealing with, everyone started pushing out stuff that was deeper than anything in the past. It seemed like the songs flowed better. I think when listeners hear it they will be able to understand. They will be able to understand and grasp the energy the record holds.

Does the title Almost Home tie into your dealings over the past few years?

JJ: We come up with a bunch of different titles. Then Almost Home was brought up. We tour so much that we’re constantly saying we’re almost home. We’re always thinking of taking a break. It seems like the break never comes. As soon as we come home, we start writing and record. In another sense, when we started the band, it was never the intension to release a record. It was to have some fun and never to go on tour or to make it our career. It seems like throughout those years, I don’t want to say we strayed away from having a good time and having a useful mindset. Reality does kick you in the ass sometimes. It’s hard to not get caught up in the bullshit and becoming an adult and dealing with the problems you deal with. All the things I was talking about earlier, like Jason quitting and the economy, it puts so much pressure on us. When it seemed like we came to our breaking point, where we almost split up, it was a breath of fresh air. It felt like it took us back to home ten years ago where we were. I don’t care if the record fails. I don’t care if the record sells a million copies. That would be great but nobody’s thinking about that. Within the last few records, you have labels and management and other bands and booking agents and all of this bullshit and pressure from all of these people that ‘this record can’t sell! It’s gonna be a success!’ That’s all you’re thinking about. We got to a point where it’s like ‘we don’t give a shit.’ Either it’s gonna do well or it’s not. We can’t control that. All we can do is write songs that we enjoy and other people will like them. It brought us back to the order of the band where we started off.

I noticed on past records many of your songs were inspired by pop culture such as Survivor to Fight Club, amongst others. Did those types of themes inspire the songs on Almost Home?

JJ: We’ve always taken things from pop culture and slid them into the band. There are definitely ideas for lyrics that we’ve gotten from books – tons of titles for songs and records have been from movies and books. A lot of times we’ll hear something funny in a movie and we’ll write a song and we’ll call the song whatever the funny line is in the movie or the clever line is in the book. We don’t really think of the title when we write the lyric. Somehow at the end, the lyrics match the title of the song on the record. There are definitely some pop culture references in Almost Home. There’s a song called ‘I’m A Bullet Proof Tiger’ that is a Kenny Rogers quote from the show Eastbound & Down. There’s nothing lyrically based. I think it was something on Wolfbiker. Everyone was getting into philosophy and the idea of gods and religions. I think reading a lot of those books and lyrics, you could see where we were reading or watching through those lyrics. On Almost Home, it’s heartfelt lyrics and though out lyrics. There’s nothing specifically based from a book or a movie that influenced us in the past.

What’s the deal with the bass player situation? Do you have fill ins for now?

JJ: We made a decision that me, Craig and Drew have been in the band for ten years. Kyle’s been in the band for five years. We wrote the record. Jason our old bass player didn’t really write anything musically. It’s not going to change the writing process or the sound our old bass player didn’t influence in the music. We thought it would be easier for us to instead of having a fifth official member, just having someone to play for tours…it’s one less person to deal with on the business end of things. Also it’s easier that way. We have our friend Chris [Andrews] who formerly played for this band Stretch Arm Strong. He’s playing bass for us now. He’s doing these tours with us for the rest of the year.

So you have two fill in guys for now?

JJ: It’s never happened before. Caleb the guy who’s playing drums for us, he usually does merch for us. We’re used to touring with him. We’re not used to touring with Chris. The first few shows were awkward for us because I’m looking on stage and I’m like ‘who the hell’s on stage with me?’ We’ve all gotten into the groove and I think this group of people have gotten extremely tight and have figured out how and what everybody does live.

I know you had a YouTube page with some video diaries. Are there any plans of doing more in the future?

JJ: That’s something I recently started doing last year. We toured the States so much…whenever I talk to my friends, nobody ever asks about tours from the States. They don’t care what you did in Idaho. Whenever you go to Europe or Australia or Japan, that’s when all of your friends ask ‘how was it? Was it crazy?’ I started making little documentaries whenever we go overseas, mostly to show our friends and family what it’s like over there. I try to film things here and there, and if there’s enough good or humorous footage, we’ll try to put it all together and give people something to watch. Most of them are short and entertaining.

You got the band name from the Simpsons. Now that the Simpsons hit the 20th anniversary mark themselves, does this give you any added motivation to keep the band going another decade?

JJ: The goal is to eventually convince Matt Groening to put us on the Simpsons. Once that happens, then I don’t really care what happens. We know we’ve fulfilled all that we could do. If you want to let Mister Matt know that we’re fully ready to have our episode and just to give us a call.

You’ll do a duet with Bart?

JJ: I’d like to really get down with Homer personally because my stepdad’s name is Homer, as well. He used to get really pissed off when I was a little kid. I used to call him Homer Simpson. He would get furious.

Aliens In The Attic (Valley Scene Magazine, July 24, 2009)

Summer vacation films come with a load of surprises, and especially when it comes from another plant. The surprises in 'Aliens In The Attic' keep view3ers on its feet and rarely leaving a dull moment. It appears this was never part of their family vacation plans.

The movie is an all-out battle between the Pearson family and the aliens "who came from upstairs" and will decide the fate of Planet Earth. Stuart (Kevin Nealon) and his wife Nina (Gillian Vigman) played their summer vacation with their family in a comfortable suburban house in Michigan.

Then there are the kids - the adorable seven-year old Hannah (Ashley Boettcher); the 15-year old Tom, a computer geek whose grades intentionally tanked; and the older sister Bethany (Ashley Tisdale), who is secretly dating an 'older' boyfriend Ricky Dillman (Robert Hoffman).

Stuart decides to band the family together and takes them to an old fashioned retreat in a surburban house away from the things the kids became attatched to, such as video games and computers. The PearsoNana Rose (Doris Roberts) and identical 12-year old twins Art (Henri Young) and Lee (Regan Young). This side of the family is the polar opposite of Stuart's family, as they drive in cranking loud rock music, playing video games and carryingillegal fireworks for the sheer thrill of it all.

An unexpected Ricky also works his way into an overnight visit with the Pearsons. This does not sit well with Tom, as he is the only member of his family who sees through Ricky's shallow ways.

Gradually, as night time falls, dark clouds swirl around the house and then four glowing objects shoot towards the roof. This is where the alien crew of Skip, the tough commander (voiced by J.K. Simmons); Tazer, a muscle-bound enforcer (voiced by Thomas Hayden Church); Razor, a lethal female commandert (voiced by Kari Wahlgren); and Spark, the techie four armed member, who is also the sole non-threatening one (voiced by Josh Peck).

While Tom and Ricky were supposed to be bonding on the roof while fixing their satellite dish, this is when Ricky is taken under a spell of the aliens, due to a high-tech-mind-control device and plug implanted into his brain. Dillman put on quite a performance, as Ricky having to move around at fast speeds into walls and his marionette like portrayals throughout the film. While Ricky is a slimeball as a character, his potrayal was worked in as karmic, payback way by the kids.

Much of this film is focused around the children trying to takr down the aliens. Each of the children's roles plays a key part in the interaction with the aliens. Tom is the brains and figures out how to counteract the aliens' tactics. Bethany is the love struck yet later betrayed whose moods swing throughout the film. ZJake is the crazy one who loves to play with fireworks and blow things up. The twins tinker with the controls they stole from the aliens, and later use to control Ricky, Hannah plays the sensitive one who bonds with the alien Sparks, when he is captured by the kids.

In many ways, this film showed hints of the 1985 hit Goonies, with the kids on an adventure type feel. But unlike the Goonies, Aliens in the Attic is a simplified version without the in depth adventure story that would make it exciting for viewers of all ages to enjoy.

The four aliens each portray a unique personality that comes across well as they attempt their evil ways, inside of the house. Plus their interaction with the kids, especially during the shooting scenes with the potato guns, comes across somewhat predictable but still enough to leave some of the excitement within the story.

Aliens In The Attic is the human versus alien film that the family can enjoy together. While this film does not have the rough 'em up type of story like much of the movies out today, instead it is one of the few movies that people of all ages could enjoy.

Orgy @ Roxy (VISIONS Magazine - January 22, 1999)

Orgy: Los Angeles - The Roxy (22.01.1999)
Autor: Rei Nishimoto
Erschienen in: VISIONS Nr. 74 Author: Rei Nishimoto
Published in: VISIONS No. 74
Support: Professional Murder Music, Hero
Besucher (Visitors): 500

Der Abend wird von zwei Bands eröffnet, in denen ehemalige Mitglieder der verblichenen Band Human Waste Project mitwirken.

The evening is opened by two bands, in which former members of the faded band Human Waste Project participate. At work is Sänger Aimee Echo und Drummer Scott Ellis, together with former Snot members Mike Smith (Guitars) und Jamie Miller, former Drummer, now Bassist. Hero is a lot more melody-driven than HWP and have more in common with Cure or the Beatles than with the grain. For Professional Murder Music are HWP, bassist Jeff Schartoff and ex-Tura satana guitarist Brian Harrah of the meeting. PMM go on wearing experimental Industrial enriched with DJ scratches and chilling background sounds from the synthesizer. Both Professional Murder Music and Hero have already been offers from various labels on the table - there will probably still listen. In the last six months, Orgy, the emerging heroes of the music of the 21st Century, the scene by storm. Their bizarre, some glam, some Gothic-influenced outfit, and the ubiquitous cover of New Orders "Blue Monday", the band from the state to quasi-Stars. Their first appearance in their home city of Los Angeles as the headliner is also definitely a success, well over 400 people fill the Roxy, among them some members of Coal Chamber, Downset, and Limp Bizkit, Orgy, the wish to express their support. The star of the band is clearly the mastermind and vocalist Jay Gordon: Less than two meters tall, spindly and with a hairstyle, which suggests that he deals with Manson and Coal Chamber announced the hairdresser, he immediately draws the attention. What is not surprising, because the rest of the band is not nearly as involved in the show as he delivers an excellent job but as an accompaniment. Orgy define the 80s-wave and synth-rock re-fit, but the zeitgeist of modern synth guitar effects and an extremely dark background. The highlight of the predicted performance is said "Blue Monday" in which an almost familial atmosphere emerges. Orgy optimists see as one of the bands, the hard music in the new millennium may bring. Even if something seems premature - Orgy will make their way.

Asian Dub Foundation @ Troubadour (VISIONS Magazine - March 23, 1999)

Asian Dub Foundation: Los Angeles - Troubadour (23.03.1999)
Author: Rei Nishimoto Published in: VISIONS No. 76
Visitors: 350

The British revolution of new electronic music slowly reached the American coast, and in the form of Asian Dub Foundation. The existing five-man combo, originally from India, break beats mixed with hip-hop, funk, reggae and electronic influences to create a new, fresh sound to modern, with all these styles, new country enters. Together with socially critical lyrics and the fact than Asian living in England, they have in the music world, new doors open. Since the U.S. as opener for the Beastie Boys for the first time already have, they could be an ever-growing popularity of delight. Her most recent appearance in Los Angeles again this was impressively demonstrated. Among the enthusiastic audience was also Rage Against The Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha, who probably also wanted to show his support. Resemblance to him, are not absurd, especially since ADF frontman Master D vocally the reggae version that is de la Rocha represents. Master D and guitarist Chandrasonic are often the audience to the deeper meaning of a song to convey. This is a piece not just down, but like when? crash? the audience indicated that this was the secret behind the world economy going. This is not to say that, as with most rap-metal acts, the rest of the band in the background hidden, and only one or two people in the show included. On the contrary, even Sampler DJ Pandit G and J Sun actively take part in the action and let her run free movement, especially when you agree with an imprisoned hero in a song for his recognition proves. The Asian Dub Foundation, slowly opens up new avenues for the musical future and probably will in the coming years, the leadership style of taking the time is still emerging. Take in eight.

Arkaea Interview (Valley Scene Magazine, July 10-23, 2009)

Arkaea Interview
By Rei Nishimoto


For two decades, Fear Factory became one of the most influential heavy metal bands on the heavy music scene. The LA based band released seven full length releases (including two full length releases without original guitarist Dino Cazares), in which fans recognized them for their powerful blend of hard driving guitar riffs, lightning speed drumming, and a vocal style that switched between a raw, shouted style and a clean, melodic style throughout their songs.

After the release of their 2005 release Transgression, drummer Raymond Herrrera and guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers began writing songs that were originally intended for a new Fear Factory record. But once band vocalist Burton C. Bell chose to work on his side project Ascensions of the Watchers instead, the two members shifted their energies towards something else. Their new band Arkaea was finally born in 2007.

"This was essentially supposed to be the next Fear Factory record," explained Herrera. "There were some personal differences, I guess you can say, so we decided to take the songs and do something else with them. Obviously we weren't going to do Fear Factory at the time."

So Herrera and Olde Wolbers continued to work on new songs and began shaping their sound around new members in the band. They began by recruiting vocalist Jon Howard (of the Canadian metal band Threat Signal), which they were familiar with from past touring.

"It was Christian's idea to get Jon and Pat (Kavanaugh) involved. Christian had already worked on the Threat Signal record, so he was good friends with Jon and Pat. I hadn't really met Jon before. I may have spoken to him once or twice - kinda say hi to the guys. I didn't really know them that well at the time."

"We had sent songs we had written up to that point to Jon. He heard some of the stuff and started doing vocals on it. I thought 'wow, this guy's really good.' He's doing a really good job. So it kind of snowballed from there. We kept sending him stuff and he was sending stuff back. I was starting to get ideas as an answer to what he was doing. It's a collaborative effort, even though he's in Toronto. It built from there. We wrote some of the stuff here (at the studio). We wrote some stuff at Christian's house. We kept writing like a normal record, and before you knew it, we had 12 songs."

"When Christian and I had branched off, we already had eight songs for the next Fear Factory record, which eventually became Arkaea. When Jon got all of these songs, it almost had a whole record done at that point. He had his work cut out for him."

Over the past two years, they slowly worked on their songs until they were satisfied with the results. Their debut album, Years in the Darkness (out July 14 through E1 Music) is the end result, where songs such as 'Locust' and 'Beneath the Shades of Grey' remind longtime fans of the similarities to Fear Factory, as well as new elements added along the way.

Plus with Howard joining the band, he refined their songs to fit his vocal dynamics to the music. "A lot of the better changes are in nuances where I was able to write around his vocals. He has a different rhythmic vocal style with verses, where I had to change my style just a touch to make those parts stand out more. The style of drumming is still the same. It's a different animal. He's very hard working. In a one-week period, he banged out seven songs and it was 80 percent there. It's unheard of for us. It's really good to have a guy who's really hungry and eager. He gets it that it's a good opportunity," said Herrera.

Arkaea is currently working on a summer tour, which will be announced through the band's Myspace page (www.myspace.com/arkaeamusic). There are talks about an Arkaea remix CD, as well as a XBOX video game featuring Arkaea's music to be released in the near future.

Antiproduct @ Key Club (Big Cheese Magazine)

ANTIPRODUCT
The Key Club
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
February 13th
4.5/ 5

With the recent string of UK acts like Bullet For My Valentine, Gallows, and Enter Shikari beginning to create waves on American shores, it is natural for curiosity to kick in as to what is coming next. No one would have predicted that the mad people known as ANTIPRODUCT would soon be terrorizing American shores, beginning with LA. Los Angeles has getting acquainted with the wildly-mannered folks known as Antiproduct over the past few months. A rock ‘n’ roll band pushing itself to the edge has not quite existed within Los Angeles in quite some time. Their zany frontman A Product (aka Alex Kane) is the main attraction here. His KISS-meets-Lucha
Libre outfit is quite exciting, as his interaction with the crowd hits everyone like Jim Carrey in ‘The Mask’. His outfit has many unsure of what was happening, but the crowd began to loosen up and enjoy themselves. This marked the first show with new Antiproduct members, guitarist Mixie and bassist Stitch, along with drummer Ben Graves. Despite the uncertainty of the new members and some minor technical problems, the band sounded solid and never lost its momentum. They even managed to get the normally uptight LA crowd to sing along with ‘Bungee Jumping People Die’. Guitarist Clare Product caught the crowd by surprise by handling lead vocals on the
Motorhead-ish ‘Drugs Sex Food And Booze’. Clare, along with Mixie, both traded off on vocals while Alex joined in as a third guitarist before the band closed their set with their version of the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ theme song. Standing head and shoulders apart from the generic emo/metalcore hordes, Antiproduct make one hell of an impression.

Rei Nishimoto

My Life In Ruins (Valley Scene Magazine, July 26, 2009)

My Life In Ruins
By Rei Nishimoto

The flood of summer releases has been dominated by sci-fi remakes, horror films and comedies, which have been heavily hyped to pull in audiences. My Life In Ruins is one of the few films that captures audiences with a story from the heart and a human touch.

The film features Nia Vardalos (also of 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding) playing Georgia, a Greek-American history professor who came to Athens to find her kefi (Greek for mojo). She eventually finds herself working as a professional tour guide for Pangloss Tours, as a way of finding equally eager people who shared her knowledge of Ancient Greece.

Vardalos brings warmth and sincerity to her character, playing an often uptight person who is also passionate about Greek history, which attempting to share that with others.

The film captured many breathtaking views of the ancient Greek sites. Unlike a documentary, each scene is worked in with the tour group's chaotic personality and brings a humorous touch. Director Donald Petrie managed to find a strong midpoint towards bringing both elements to the film.

Georgia finds herself with travelers who are only interested in lounging at the famous Greek beaches and shopping more than seeing the famous heritage sites she knows very well. Due to her refusal to adapt to the group, she earns unfavorable ratings. This leads to her boss (played by Brenice Stegers) to cut a deal with another tour guide, Nico (played by British comedian Alistair McGowan) to force her to quit with his obnoxious methods and backstabbing ways.

Georgia is stuck with a tour bus without working air conditioning, accommodations with the crummiest hotels Greece had to offer, and was paired with a bus driver with a heavy beard and was thought to be a mute named Procopi "Poupi" Kakas (played by Greek actor Alexis Georgoulis).

Nico is following the same route, but often unleashes sets of mean pranks such as buying the group ice cream on a hot day and dinner at the Hard Rock Café. This pushes Georgia to her breaking point, often thinking about abandoning the tour and her life in Greece.

Georgia attempts to write a letter of resignation from the hotel, which that also goes sour. Vardalos' real life husband, actor Ian Gomez, plays the hotel clerk that mails her letter, or attempts to do so.

Georgia's tour group consists of a diverse yet somewhat unruly group of loudmouthed Americans (Rachel Dratch and Harland Williams), beer drinking Australians with their odd accents (Simon Gleeson and Natalie O'Donnell), the stuffy Brits (Ian Ogilvy and Caroline Goodall) and their sullen teenage daughter (Sophie Stuckey), a couple of divorced and looking-for-action Senoritas (Maria Botto and Maria Adanez), a kleptomaniac senior citizen and her mute husband (Sheila Bernette and Ralph Nossek), a young adult looking for action (Jareb Dauplaise) and a workaholic, cell phone addicted IHOP sales rep (played by Brian Palermo).

The group member who stood out amongst the crowd was Irv (played by Richard Dreyfuss), an elderly man who loved to crack a joke or pull a gag for every occasion, especially when Georgia's lectures begin to pull the group down. But after learning Irv just lost his wife, the two characters learn more about each other and let their guards down. Dreyfuss' interaction with Vardalos throughout the film, brought out a human touch to the film. Irv represented a character that audiences could easily relate to, and was made relatable to anyone on many levels.

Each of the group members bring their own unique personalities to the film. While Georgia is battling Irv over her uptight behavior, her kind hearted nature comes across in the film, whether it is getting the rash behavior of the Americans over souvenirs, making the young British girl happy while her parents argued, or simply stealing the air conditioner from the other group's bus.

The film's heart is found with the interaction between Georgia and Poupi, as the two characters gradually discover their mutual attraction for one another. This part of the film is also interwoven as the tour group encourages her towards Poupi, as the romance gradually builds up.

This film is not the over hyped, box office breaking movie of the summer. Instead this film is for audiences that miss stories with human emotions and cinematography that captures real things left in this world. My Life In Ruins is something that will be touching audiences for a long while.

ISIS AT THE HENRY FONDA THEATER (LA Weekly June 19-25, 2009)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Isis at House of Blues

For over 12 years, L.A. (via Boston) based Isis has slowly built up their avante-garde brand of post-rock music over the past dozen years by creating a brand of metal that resists traditional structures like choruses, verses and fast riffs. Often compared to such bands as Neurosis and the Swans, the band has managed to transcend influences and keep their sound growing. On 2006’s In The Absence of Truth, the band expanded to include ambient stuff, and it easily became one of their most commercially successful releases, earning Revolver Magazine’s Golden Gods Best Underground Metal Band award. Their latest is called Wavering Radiant, and features Tool guitarist Adam Jones on the opener “Hall of the Dead.” (He plays keyboards on the title track, as well.) “Ghost Key” fills up with a ’70s-ish progressive instrumentation, with Turner’s angsty but melodic tone offering the perfect foil. (Rei Nishimoto)

CKY (Big Cheese, Issue 112, June 2009)

IT ISN'T OFTEN when you will find a band of four different individuals that pushes each other to create music that matters. For over a decade, the members of CKY are part of a dying breed of musicians that give a damn about what they do. The tension amongst the members may be the vital ingredient behind creating their long awaited CD, 'Carver City'.

The band began writing songs in 2006, at guitarist Chad I. Ginsburg’s Studio CIG in West Chester, Pennsylvania. This was around the same time they signed a new recording deal with Roadrunner Records. During that time, internal problems arose between the members, and leaving the band in limbo. Members stopped communicating with each other, creating more tension. At one point, vocalist and guitarist Deron Miller publicly announced that he was leaving the band by posting it on the band’s Myspace page. Or did he actually quit?

“I think that the dumbest thing that anybody could every do is say things out of anger when they are drunk,” said Miller: “It’s hard for me to even recall the event which caused this whole problem. I don’t know. I don’t care if I said I quit. Of course I would never quit the band, but under that circumstance I got so angry and fuelled by nonstop problems. When you don’t have anybody to talk to, it gets out of control, no matter how responsible you can be. It gets very monotonous. You learn to be well grounded and take all the fun out of the music. You’re lucky to be there. Be responsible for yourself. It’s not an uncommon story. It happens in every band.”

“Did I probably say I quit the band? Sure. I think we’ve all said it at one point. But don’t take it seriously.”

'Carver City' is the band’s first full length release since 2005’s 'An Answer Can Be Found', and they definitely stepped it up in creating a powerful record that captured the spirit of rock music that they wanted within their sound. The time they spent working on this record is definitely felt and heard.

“What happened was that we would work on the record, and stop because we would be offered tours and then do that. Then there’s the stuff with the problems within the band for a while. We were tired and flatten out for a bit. It was probably a good thing for the record,” said Miller, explaining the delayed writing and recording process.

The songs on Carver City reads like a concept record, as the ideas are based around a story about a fictional town. Miller and Ginsburg based the location around Wildwood, New Jersey, a beachside location they both spent as youths in the 1980s.

“I usually write all the lyrics. I came up with idea based on when I used to go roller skating when I was younger. I was always having a good time. That’s how my youth was. So I brought it up as an idea behind the lyrics. We agreed on it and it was working out that way. I think the problem with concept records, per say, is that they focus too much on following the concept. We didn’t come up with the title until almost after the album was done. With the record, we wanted to capture a vibe we were getting while making it.”

This format began to evolve after Miller and Ginsburg were finding ways to connect lyrics they had written together. To avoid creative roadblocks, they tried this format and discovered what they had would begin to gel together.

“It reminded us of certain times of our youths that made us look back. It wasn’t good times or bad times. It’s hard to feel nostalgia in the present. The good times in our lives, a lot of people consider that their youths. The memories are more liver than they were when they were actually happening. We were capturing a vibe. The vibe was the feeling of nostalgia and its worth. The past is clearer and better than things now. Not always because there are bad things to look back on as well.”

“The album is based off of events happening in a city. We’re trying to tell a story, like {Pink Floyd album} 'The Wall'. I wouldn’t call it a concept record. I’d call it a record that creates a story that may or may not be a concept.”

The songs on the album read as pieces of an extensive story in the making. ‘Hellions on Parade’ and ‘…And She Never Returned’ feature powerful driving riffs and familiar rock melodies reminiscent to 80s hard rock such as Journey, while ‘A#1 Roller Rager’ blends harmonies with energetic metallic riffs.

“I get what you mean," agrees Miller: 'Journey would definitely be a band that I would hear back in the day. We’re trying to capture that vibe, where music didn’t appeal to a certain crowd. A lot of music today is so formulated and it’s hard to be a band today because they’re so focused on what the youth wants. I don’t know what’s going on with music because it’s so bad nowadays. I don’t even like to talk shit about it any more.”

“We’re definitely not stuck in the past. We’re trying to create a future. We’re trying to take the elements of what people liked and give it a fresh vibe to it".

For a band that prided itself under the moniker Camp Kill Yourself (aka CKY), their message and fan base has survived for over a decade. But how has the moniker aged with them?

“It’s funny because when you asked that, it reminded me when Chuck Schuldiner of Death was asked about the band name and the meaning 15 years later. I’m proud of it.” said Miller. “I think it’s a great name. It doesn’t work to make up this whole thing to make up an acronym and not be known as Camp Kill Yourself. We’ve spent a lot of time asking our diehard fans what they think and they’re like ‘it’s alright.’ The band name is Camp Kill Yourself. We hardly hear anybody call it that. I haven’t heard that in a long time. We’re all proud of it. It’s perfect.”

Brian "Head" Welch (Big Cheese, Issue 109, February 2009)

When original guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch made the announcement in 2005 that he was leaving Korn, it shocked the world as to why he chose to depart. After being in the band for twelve years, he announced that he had chosen ‘the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end.” It's been three years and his life has taken quite the drastic turn. He has discovered religion and became a Born Again Christian, which led to him focusing on raising his daughter, Jennea instead of touring.

He also issued an autobiography called "Save Me from Myself," revealing his personal battles with drug addictions. This also turned into his debut solo album, which contained songs that he had been writing over that time. “I wrote these three years ago. I didn’t work on them the whole time. I took time off and did other things. I didn’t want to rush it. I wanted to take a break from the music industry anyways for a while. It worked out good. I would work on it for a couple of months, and then I did something else for eight months, and then I’d come back. It’s pretty free,” explained Welch. “I knew I would do music...I didn’t know exactly how, like if I’d go and jam with people or if I’d do my own thing. I didn’t know what I would do. It sounded exciting to do music other than Korn. I just want to start out everything new. I was sick of everything the same – the same touring, playing the same songs with the same guys for over a decade. I wanted to start new, no matter if it was from the bottom or not.”

The songs on 'Save Me from Myself' were reflections of Welch’s life, as well as themes and ideas he had encountered over the years. Songs like ‘Loyalty’ and ‘L.O.V.E.’ were based on themes related to his life. His first single, ‘Flush’ is a semi-autobiographical tune about his past issues with drugs and alcohol. “Yeah, totally,” he said about ‘Flush.’ “That’s why I wanted to go back. I know it well. I have a victory over it. It didn’t kill me, so I can talk about it. Addiction is nuts. It’s crazy. So many people are struggling with it. I like to think about the prisons I was in. It helps me share the experience.”

Recalling what he encountered while writing this record made Welch stronger as a person. “The drugs make my head spin. Things I used to do, I couldn’t believe. I used to have my drug dealer Fed Ex me eight balls of speed from California to Europe. In Germany one day, tracking my package, then we’d play a show and then move to Sweden or wherever, and it would arrive at my hotel. I wouldn’t know if these authorities would come in and arrest me because a dog found it. I think I did it twice and both times I got away with it. Like in Asia, they would lock you up and kill you if they found drug trafficking. It was my youth but who knows what they would have done?”

He wrote a song called ‘Die Religion Die,’ a song that challenges traditional religion. “It’s how I feel about organized religion, like some of the people that try to control you. What I’ve learned by going to churches, it ends up being like a little country club. People need to get creative and not sit in a pew every Sunday. Get creative and go out in the world and touch people.”

On this record, Welch is handling the lead vocal duties as well as guitars. He slowly taught himself how to handle vocals and worked himself into doing it. “I’m still trying to make that transition,” he said. “It’s difficult. It’s hard to sing, especially when you hear all of these good singers everywhere. Here I am trying to practice and my voice is cracking. I’m like ‘how am I going to do this live?’ It’s easy to punch in and out on a recording. I’m my worst critic. We always are. I had to struggle in the recording studio. I’m trying to develop my strength in my voice. When I started, I was trying to develop that. How do I get it to sound good? I kept trying.”

Welch assembled a unique lineup of people to play on his record, such as Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), Archie Muise Jr., and drummer Josh Freese (The Vandals, A Perfect Circle). “I knew a guy who knew Tony, and the same way with Trevor and Josh. They were into it. They liked what I was doing. They heard the music and they were excited. I think Tony’s daughter was into Korn actually. That might have helped him make the decision actually. He wasn’t used to playing this. It was crazy. I was producing Tony Levin and here I am, 'the Korn guy'. It’s kind of surreal,” he said.

While Welch was working with these people, he did admit to reaching out to his ex-band mates to guest on his record. “I tried to get the bass player Fieldy on my album. He was going to do it. It was weird because the day he was going to come down, it was raining real hard. He said he didn’t want to drive in the rain. I took that as a sign that he shouldn’t be on it.”

Welch is currently in talks about touring in 2009, with scheduling in the works. How does he feel about getting back on the road? “I’ll never say never but I’ll never drink or do drugs again, and I’ll be fine on the road. It’s a new creation. Old things have passed away and the new me is here. I’m gonna go up there and have fun. It’s not going to be perfect. Everybody’s going to have bad days. So we’ll see.”

Mahavatar (Modern Fix, Issue 50)

Interview: Mahavatar

by Rei Nishimoto

Mahavatar. A name as exotic as the founding members. Jamaican guitartist Karla Williams forged a bond with Israeli Lizza Hayson and honed their musical vision. That was 1999 with the following year seeing the release of a hundred copy run of their first single “The Time Has Come”. One more demo run that was sent out to radio stations and magazines saw an immediate response to their blend of heavy metal idealism and gothic alternative voicings. A few bumps along the way with some lineup changes (the trails of any true band) didn’t deter the core unit from raging forward and securing a record deal with Italian label Cruz del Sur. That venture produced the bands first full length “Go with the NO!”. A unique thrash power metal heaviness blended with the haunting gothic harshed out female presence on the vocals. It’s large and stomping and not what most would expect from the formula.

Guitarist Karla Williams sheds some insight into the creation known as Mahavatar.

Your bio states the band started in New York City.

Karla Williams: Mahavatar was formed in 1999 when guitarist Karla Williams joined forces with Lizza Hayson, Polish drummer Peter Lobodzinski and Frenchman Benjamin Serf on bass. We’ve had a few line-up changes since then, but as was the case in the beginning such is the case now. We all come from different cultural backgrounds and enjoy different genres of music. Personally, when listening to music, I like to travel and take different paths that all lead to that ultimate blissful feeling. So, if it moves me, I’m into it. Currently we are rehearsing with new members: Szymon Maria Rapacz (bass) from Poland, Shahar Mintz (rhythm guitar) from Israel, and Roi Star (drums) from Israel for some upcoming shows this summer. I believe there was only one previous band member who was born in the USA. All current Mahavatar members live in New York City.

Your vocalist Lizza has a unique sounding style. Where did you find her?

A mutual German friend by the name of En Esch from the band KMFDM introduced us. I was playing in another band. Lizza was looking for a guitar player. En Esch recommended me. The rest is history.

Is Lizza influenced by spirituality within her lyrics? There is quite a bit of mention of ‘open your mind’ in the lyrics.

Yes, we all have strong spiritual beliefs, which are manifested within the lyrics and our shared desire for creative freedom through sound. Here, space and time don’t exist.

There is a mention of the line “Go With The No” on your bio. Could you explain what that is about.

One night Lizza and I were sitting in some bar and the subject of naming the album came up. It was Lizza who coined the phrase, “Go with the NO!”. For us, it’s about not being afraid of the other side. We are all socialized to believe that saying, “NO!” is a negative thing. We believe it can be very positive. “Go with the NO!” from beginning to end is, our message, a call to arms, to rise up, open your eyes, the power lies within you. Look at the destruction of the past, present… where are we headed? You have a choice. We believe there is more and we are confident in this. No! We are not afraid anymore. We will not give in. Without fear, we are open now and so it begins. Confront and embrace your demons. Follow your own destiny. Then you’ll see. While tapping into the earth’s energy. The light from the darkness appears, giving birth to a new way of seeing, thinking, feeling. Into the forever. You see the lies, but don’t hide from the anger of this reality. Take this newfound energy and use it to start a revolution towards positive, progressive action. The time has come. The time is now. Go with the NO!

Um… Ok. So where do you draw inspirations for your music? I hear a lot of variations of tribal sounds and dark grooving melodies as well.

Mahavatar take inspiration from everything around us. Personally, some of the people that inspire me are… Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Journey, Kitaro, Arcturus, Philip Glass, Boston, Emperor, Beethoven, In The Woods…, Amorphis, Mozart, Cynic, At the Gates, Anathema, My Dying Bride, Primordial, Ulver, Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice, Borknagar, J. S. Bach, Opeth, Last Crack, Los Incas, Wagner, Jeff Buckley, Mary J. Blige, Paco de Lucia, Mahler, Randy Rhodes, Slash, Ritchie Blackmore, Paganini, Michael Shencker, Steve Morse, Zack Wylde, Rachmaninov, Dimmu Borgir, Chopin, Ottmar Leibert, Marty Friedman, Barber, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Crimson Glory, Helmut, Fear Factory, Queen, Savatage, Dream Theater, Rush, Tool, ABBA, Grieg, Giorgio Moroder…

You worked with Bobby Hambel, formerly of Biohazard. How did he get involved and what did he do to help develop your sound early on?

Bobby is a friend of the band. He helped us with some technical things in the studio, like getting good guitar & drum sounds, and was very supportive throughout the initial tracking stages of our first demo in 1999. The Mahavatar sound has a life of it’s own.

Being in New York, you received some exposure through radio station WSOU. How much do you think that helped with your following?

During our demo days, it was nice to hear our music being played on WSOU. For a while we were put into regular rotation (not normal for unsigned bands). It did help get our name out more, and we received a lot of positive feedback and support, which helped us increase our fan base and attendance at shows because the DJ’s would announce our gigs. We look forward to gaining more exposure through radio stations like WSOU.

You worked with Michael Barile, who previously worked with Candiria and 40 Below Summer. What did he offer to your sound, he typically doesn’t work with bands with a sound like Mahavatar.

Yes, we recorded “Go with the NO!” with Michael Barile at Purple Light Studios in Brooklyn, NY. This was the first time Mahavatar worked with an engineer who had the knowledge and experience in recording heavy music, so it was great knowing that Michael was there. It made for a more relaxing experience which made us feel less worried about things like whether or not we were going get good sounds to tape. He was very supportive, offered us a lot of freedom and shared his own creative ideas, some of which we were able to use to help uplift the music even more.

Will Mahavatar hit the road anytime soon? Are there any immediate touring plans? What is to come in the immediate future? Any updates on the band?

Our immediate plan is to play live, so we are in rehearsals in preparation for some upcoming local shows and then we hope to hook up with some festivals or tours. It has begun.

mahavatar.net

2005 “Go with the NO!” (Cruz del Sur)

Guitar Center Drumoff 1999 (Sonicnet.com)

Instrumental Version Of Jane's Addiction Relapses Again

Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Flea play several songs by defunct hard-rock band.

by Correspondent Rei Nishimoto

Dave Navarro, pictured on Jane's Addiction's 1997 Relapse tour, also was a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

LOS ANGELES — Flea, Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins reunited as a sort of instrumental Jane's Addiction at the House of Blues on Saturday to celebrate "Drum Day L.A."

"Stephen asked me to do it, and I'd do anything for him because I love him," Flea (born Michael Balzary) said. "I was in Big Sur this morning, and I drove six hours, got here and walked onstage and did it."

The trio, who joined Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell for the hard-rock band's 1997 Relapse tour, performed instrumental renditions of "Stop," "Ocean Size" (RealAudio excerpt), "Mountain Song" and other Jane's songs and combined for a triple-drum assault on "Trip Away" (RealAudio excerpt).

Drummer Perkins and guitarist Navarro were original members of the group. Navarro also played guitar for a few years in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, for whom Flea plays bass.

Navarro and Flea said it wasn't nostalgia that propelled them to participate in the event, which was sponsored by Guitar Center in celebration of "Drum Day L.A."

"The people at Guitar Center are my friends; Steve Perkins is my friend," Navarro said after the performance. "And obviously Steve's one of the greatest drummers in the world and is a pleasure to play with. So anything he wants, I'll do. I'll play anytime, anywhere."

Navarro, who has been working solo since leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers last year, said he hopes to release his debut album under the name Spread in February.

Perkins, who is scheduled to tour next year with ex-Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee's band, Methods of Mayhem, dotted the performance with several drum solos. The drummer, who also played with Farrell in Porno for Pyros, initially took the stage alone and gave several drum demonstrations, including one on an African split drum.

Saturday's event also featured a contest between seven amateur drummers judged by the likes of Marilyn Manson's Ginger Fish, Poison's Rikki Rockett and the Go-Go's' Gina Schock. Each contestant had won a regional competition. The winner was 9-year-old Carlon Deon Muccular of Richmond, Calif., an event spokesperson said.

Jazz drummer Louie Bellson was inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk at the event, and drummers Dave Weckl (Chick Corea) and Dennis Chambers (George Clinton) also performed.