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.