An Interview with SeRvo

Os SerVo estrearam-se em Portugal no inicio deste verão. Esta estreia foi proporcionada por uma excelente parceria entre o Sabotage Club e a Fuzz Club que traria várias bandas portuguesas e também internacionais ao palco do Cais do Sodré em duas noites. Uma sucessão de desaires e coisas menos boas levou a que o festival se viesse a resumir a uma noite onde actuaram os SerVo, Pretty Lightning e os portugueses 10 000 Russos. Apesar de tudo foi uma noite fantástica e a estreia dos SerVo não deixou nada ao acaso nem o crédito por mãos alheias, desde as luzes preparadas pela banda à projecção que se via quer no fundo do palco, quer outra mais pequena projectada apenas no amplificador de um dos músicos. A sua sonoridade que se pode situar nos meandros da nova vaga de post punk atinge o seu máximo potencial ao vivo, e se por agora, foi difícil encontrar alguma matéria sobre a banda, é seguro dizer que muito provavelmente daqui a um ano não será bem assim. O próximo disco já está perto de ser editado e a expectativa é alta. 

Songs to Nowhere – How did you got acquainted and began to play?

SerVo - Louis (bass) and Arthur (guitar) know each other since they’re born. They began to play music together in high school. Hugo (drums) joined the band a bit later.

STN – What does it mean SeRvo?

SerVo - It is the name of a song from the BJM. I think, at the beginning, we just liked the way the word sounds. It’s quite difficult to find an adequate band name and we thought this one was not completely bad.

STN – How would you describe the music you do?

SerVo - It's hard to tell. We sometimes say “psych / cold”, but it doesn't really mean anything. Some people call us “postpunk” or “shoegaze”. The thing is that we use a lot of reverb, delay and fuzz but still try to avoid the “psych” stereotypes.We like to describe it as ambient, mechanical and violent.

STN – Could you disclose us a bit about your song Love#2 or anyother you would like to talk about?

SerVo - It's all about love and being ready to love.

STN – Where did you all learn to play? Did you have lessons or anything like that?

SerVo - We mostly learned by ourselves. Our drummer used to learn the clarinet when he was a child, but it is not something that's really usefull for the band.

STN – Can you tell us how was your first rehearsal?

SerVo - We don't really remember the first rehearsal, but we're almost sure it sounded awfull.

STN – How was it your first tour?

SerVo - For our first tour, we were with another band called Greyfell, we went to the east of France and Switzerland. It was mostly in squats and self-managed venues. It was cold and there were as many dogs as people during the shows, but we had fun. 

STN – How the local music scene for you? Are there venues that were anyway crucial for you?

SerVo - We live in Rouen, which is not a very big city, there is not many venues but we've been supported by Le 106, a local venue where we can rehearse too, and the people who work there are really helping all the local bands. The other venue is Le 3 Pièces, which is a bar with a small scene in the cellar. We have to confess we spend a lot of time there. But there is actually a lot of bands in Rouen, and the scene starts to be really interesting. We created a collective with some friends that is called SOZA. It is meant to gather bands we like in Rouen.

STN – Which bands most influenced you?

SerVo – To name a few ones : - Black lips, A Place to Bury Strangers, Metz, Holograms, Dead Skeleton, Scrap Dealers and especially the opening song of Pokemon ..

STN – Could do us a short resume for dummies of French musical scene?

SerVo - There is a lot of bands, and some of them are actually really good. One of our favorite french band is Korto, you definitely should listen to their album.

STN – If you could time travel, were would you like to go see a show or play?

SerVo - In the future. Or maybe for dinosaurs. 

STN – “The Lair of Gods ” was out in 2016. When can we expect a new álbum?

SerVo - We already recorded the new album. We're currently working on the mix, and we'd like to release it by the end of the year.

STN – You’re playing in Portugal in the last week of June, can you disclose what’s to be expected in your shows here?

SerVo - Stroboscope.

STN – The last word is yours! 

SerVo - À bientôt!

More Info

SeRvo Spotify

SeRvo Bandcamp

SeRvo Youtube Channel

SeRvo Facebook

An interview with Pretty Lightning - Feedback Fever - A Fuzz Club Festival In Lisbon

Next weekend Sabotage Club will host a special event; Feedback Fever - A Fuzz Club Festival In Lisbon.

Two nights dedicated to six bands, unfortunately, Nonn won't be here, but we will have the Portuguese band Summer of Hate instead. 10 000 Russos and Dreamweapon are the two other portuguese bands playing, both representing Fuzz Club, as well as the italian duo Throw Down Bones and the french SerVo.

Pretty Lightning, the German duo of Christian Berghoff and Sebastian Haas will be one of the acts sealing this so very special collaboration ( my favorite club and my favorite label ), and that's the main reason for this interview. It was one of the bands I had on my "things to do list", and this was the perfect time. Listen to their music and read what they have to say about it, let yourselves go on these two perfect summer nights.

Songs to Nowhere - Could you introduce Pretty Lightning to our readers and perhaps talk about how you guys met and how the band started?

Pretty Lightning - Hi! We were small town kids/teens from the southwest of germany who were strung out on garage punkrock. Starting a band just seemed likely.

STN - Is there a story behind the name of the band? Could you share it with our readers?

Pretty Lightning - Yes, it´s the story of 80000 Volt:

As a Dragon Eye Morrison undergoes electro-shock treatment for his aggressive behavior. The levels of sheer energy absorbed by his body over the years allow him to channel and conduct electricity. Now an adult, Morrison works in the city as a reptile investigator and has learned to channel his rage through the performance of aggressive guitar-based noise. Meanwhile, Thunderbolt Buddha, a TV repair man turned vigilante, who has the same electro-conductive powers after a childhood accident, goes after crime bosses and gangsters. When both men learn of each other's existence, Thunderbolt Buddha challenges Morrison to a final showdown on the rooftops of Tokyo.

STN - Could tell us a bit more about a couple of songs? I would like to suggest Mantra de Morte.
 

Pretty Lightning - Mantra de Morte was recorded to celebrate 10 years of MeuDiaDeMorte Rec. MDDM is run by a founding member of Datashock, a collective of friends playing improvised free-folk-spook-kraut music.Both of us are also part of Datashock, it works like a base, as all (loose) members have also different bands and projects that are connected through the collective. And there are quite a few: Schrein, Flamingo Creatures, Yagow, Bunte Truppe, Phantom Horse... When MDDM and Datashock turned 10, a 10 disc lathe cut box set was released, which features most of these acts.

Feedback Fever - A Fuzz Club Festival In Lisbon June 28th and 29th

STN - How was the music scene while you were growing up? Was that something that influenced you to start a band?

Pretty Lightning - There was a little punk scene and that´s where most of the Datashock members know each other from and we´ve been all playing together in different bands ever since. So yes, it all started back then.

STN - In this time, what were the biggest challenges the band had to face?

Pretty Lightning - I don´t remember any real challenge, and it should never be. I mean, recording an album for example is always a lot of work if you do it mainly by yourself and this can be challenging. Figuring out news skills, long recording nights, exhausting rides on one side / shows that don´t get confirmed on the other side... this can all be challenging of course, but that´s also what it´s all about, somehow, isn´t it?

STN - Where did you learn to play? Did you have lessons or anything like that?

Pretty Lightning - We both had a few lessons, but that´s a long long time ago, it was before we even met.

STN - How did you buy your first gear?

Pretty Lightning - It was bought by our parents. Thanks again!

STN - Can you tell us how was your first rehearsal?

Pretty Lightning - No clue, I seriously don´t remember.

STN - And the first show?

Pretty Lightning - I remember that exactly. We were lucky because we had the chance to open for Quintron and Miss Pussycat. We were really overanxious and we could barely play our instruments. Well, not much has changed since then, but we´re getting used to it.

Pretty Lightning - This Machine is Running -  The Rythm of Ooze, 2017

STN - How did you got acquainted with Fuzz Club??

Pretty Lightning - Of course we were aware of Fuzz Club before they even knew about us. The first time we actually met was at Eindhoven Psych Lab, but we only had a brief chat. About a year later they invited us to contribute to one of their Reverb Conspiracy releases. When Fuzz Club got in touch again around a year later, we had just finished a new record, it was a good timing. And it was the first time we didn´t have to send out our stuff out to different labels, it just worked out straight away, lucky us! But even before Fuzz Club we were very lucky having the opportunity to work with amazing record labels. Fonal Rec., Cardinal Fuzz and Sound Effect Rec. were all really great, not only musicwise.

STN - What can we expect from your show at Feedback Fever - A Fuzz Club Festival In Lisbon, where you’ll be sharing stages with your label mates, Nonn, Dreamweapon, 10000 Russos, Throw Down Bones and SerVo?

Pretty Lightning - As we´ll come by plane, our gear will be a limited, so maybe it´s gonna be a bit more stripped-down, but still cool. Hopefully ;)

 Pretty Lightning - Marble Moon - ( A Magic Lane of Light and Rain, 2015 )

STN - If you could time travel, were would you like to go see a show or play?

Pretty Lightning - 2200, it would be interesting to hear what music sounds like in a few hundred years.

STN - What song or band is currently blowing your brains out?

Pretty Lightning - 75 Dollar Bill, they are about to release a new record this (or next) month and we´re both excited!

STN - The last word is yours!

Pretty Lightning - Thanks for your questions, see you soon. Looking forward!

Mais Info

https://prettylightning.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/prettylightning/

https://fuzzclub.com/portfolio/pretty-lightning/

https://www.facebook.com/events/415374599195412/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7cxUlm72bVm4fGkmWWjzkG?autoplay=true&v=A

Interview with The Vacant Lots

Jared Artaud (guitars, vocals, lyrics) and Brian MacFadyen (electronics, vocals, drums)

By Samuel Quinn

Vacant Lots are back on tour, best of all they are back in Portugal.
They are as complex as a five-piece band could be, except they're a duo with very special skills able to produce noisy, dark dancing rock, chaotic atmospheres as dual as themselves, with powerful beats and great riffs. They've worked with some amazing musicians like Sonic Boom or Anthon Newcombe, or even Alan Vega, and that is not exactly a coincidence or something that happened by chance, it's somehow the universe recognizing they're ability to create and opening up to them and by consequence to all of us. So if you like to dance to the sound of guitars and powerful drums, don't even think of missing this.

It will be next Friday evening, the 14th of June, in Lisbon, at Sabotage Club, don't miss it for all the sardines in the world, but before that take a peek at the interview with Jared and Brian, discover what else they've been up too, and specially go and discover all the great songs from The Vacant Lots. 

THE VACANT LOTS - "Suicide Note" (Vocals by Alan Vega) OFFICIAL VIDEO

Songs to Nowhere – How did the two of you knew each other and assembled Vacant Lots?

Jared - We met in Burlington, Vermont when we both used to live there.

Songs to Nowhere – Why this name, Vacant Lots?

Jared - To fill a void. And I like the duality of it.

Songs to Nowhere - “Endless Night” is a reference to New York? If so in which way do you feel influenced by New York? I ask this specifically because as I look to your artwork it makes so much sense, knowing you're from New York...it evokes the skyscrapers but at the same time all the loneliness that comes within being surrounded by strangers…

Jared - I like that but it isn't that direct.  It runs deeper than one city. There is no doubt that NYC inspires me, but Endless Night is about something more universal and infinite.

 Mad Mary Jones  - Departure - 2014

Songs to Nowhere – You’ve got some very cool participations, do you enjoy giving your own vision and sense to songs of others?  like the one in Psych-Out Christmas with “No More Christmas Blues” a Suicide cover, Why did you choose this song?

Jared - We didn't know what other song to do and we discovered the ZE Christmas LP and that Suicide song was on there, so we said let's do that one. It's a great song and we wanted to reinterpretat it and rev it up. We send that song to Alan Vega after it was released and that was how we met him. He liked our version and invited us over to his apartment to meet us. 

Songs to Nowhere - Another great version you have is She Smiled Sweetly on the compilation Stoned – Psych Versions of the Rolling Stones, Why did you choose this song to feature here?

Jared -We were asked to be on this Stones cover album and we didn't know which song to do. So I asked Sonic Boom which song and he said "You should do a Vacant Lots version of "She Smilled Sweetly". The money we got from doing this song we used to record our second album.  

No More Christmas Blues - Vacant Lots, Suicide cover for Psych-Out Christmas - 2015

Songs to Nowhere – All your artwork seems to take us into a parallel universe, do you try to  reproduce this optical illusion in your shows?

Jared - Yeah, through the music. 

Songs To Nowhere – Your EP Berlin from 2016 had a very close collaboration of Anton Newcombe, Could tell us a bit more about it? 

Jared - It came about spontaneously. A week before we left for tour I knew we had a couple days off in Berlin so I invited Anton out to dinner and he said "Fuck that, let's make a record, come ready with your ideas." So we hustled to writte some songs and ideas for that recording session. That was one of my favorite recording sessions ever. 

Songs To Nowhere – You’ve been having great collaborations since the beginning like Peter Kember (aka Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom). He mixed and mastered “Departure”  – what was it like working with him?

Jared - Educational and inspiring, Sonic's an architect of sound. We learned so much from working with him.  He continues to be a mentor to us wich we are really grateful for. I think something we share artistically is the idea of minimalism in music and making the most out of the fewest elements possible.

Verschwinden - Berlin EP - 2016

Songs To Nowhere – You are returning now to Europe after a few months away, do you notice differences between the audiences in the US and Europe, or even the rest of the world?

Jared - People dance more in Europe.

Songs to Nowhere – I read that Jared has a poetry book, Empty Space and that Brian has his own signature TVL Fuzz Pedal, can you both tell us a bit about these other parts of your creativity becoming something concrete? 

Jared - I started writting poetry before I picked up the guittar. I got into rock n'roll from the idea of combining poetry with music and things started to form from there. I have two books out "Empty Space" and "Tomorrow". I just finished writing my third book.

Brian - I got into electronics in my late teens and fell in love with analog circuitry. What began as a hobby turned into a degree and I've continued to work on new audio circuits that are informed by the past but incorporate new configurations. I plan to have a few new pedals built for the upcoming european tour.

Songs To Nowhere – Your third album is also having the magical touch of Anton Newcomb, what boundaries did you try to push this time? Ask this because I read that one of the things you enjoyed about working with Anton was that he always pushes you a bit further….

Jared -  It's not our third album, It's our second EP we made with Anton. Anton pushes you to take risks to take your music further. It's almost like he has this endless creative energy he taps into. You want to work with a producer that can bring things out of you you can't do on your own. When Brian and I work on music we are always working within the limitations of what two people can do with sound. Anton brings his own vision to the mix and it adds a new element to the Vacant Lots that only Anton can bring.

Jared Artaud 

Songs to Nowhere  - Where did you learn to play? Did you have lessons or anything like that?

Jared - I taught myself  how to play guitar. I had a couple guitar lessons were I asked to learn the chords of "I'm Waiting For the Man" by The Velvet Underground and "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones. They both share that Bo Diddley E chord that I love. I never wanted to learn music academically, I just wanted to follow my intuition and instincts. I learned the theory later on, but it's the patterns I'm after.

Brian - There was an older guy who lived across the street from me growing up who was an excellent drummer and taught me a lot. He showed me a lot of latin grooves that I really internalized. I love the power and syncopation that they are known for - qualities that would seem to work at cross purposes but in fact reinforce each other.

Songs to Nowhere  - How did you buy your first gear?

Jared - When I was 18 I sold my truck to buy a Gretsch Country Gentleman. That's when shit got real & it all started for me.

Brian - Most things I just got second hand at local shops or through friends. I started it to get into building gear because I got sick of paying for it.

Songs to Nowhere  - Can you tell us how was your first rehearsal?

Brian - It was in my parents basement, I was still in high scholl and we first played with a third musician. It took only an hour or two to determine the real connection was between the two of us. It was a duo from then on.

The Vacant Lots - Never Satisfied (Anton Newcombe Remix)

Songs to Nowhere  - How did you got acquainted with your current label?

Jared - Anton has his own label A Recordings and he releases the albuns that he produces.

Songs to Nowhere  - If you could time travel, were would you like to go see a show or play?

Jared - Detroit to see the Stooges in the late 60's or New York City to see Albert Ayler.

Songs To Nowhere – You’ve played in Portugal before, what’s your best recollection from it?

Jared - I always enjoy coming to Portugal, the cities are built to wander through and you're never far from excellent food and wine. We tend to meet a lot of inspiring people there and the shows are always special because of it. 

Bells - Exit EP

Songs to Nowhere – You have new songs, Bells was released May 6th, can we expect to listen some more of your new songs on the upcoming shows? 

Jared - Yes, it's the first song from our new Exit EP with Anton Newcombe out soon.

Brian - We will be playing a few songs from the EP, as well as a slightly reworked versions of a couple setlist standbys.

Songs to Nowhere – The last word is yours!

Jared - Obrigado!


Interview by Isabel Maria

More Info 

Vacant Lots at Sabotage Club

Vacant Lots Spotify

The VAcant Lots Facebook

The Vacant Lots Bandcamp

Northern Death Cult, Pode alguém ser quem não é?

Na noite que antecipou o regresso ao Reverence Santarém teve lugar mais uma das sessões warm up no Sabotage Club. Desta vez o cartaz tinha o seu quê de misterioso e anunciava uma banda que iria fazer a sua estreia mundial. Sabíamos que os Northern Death Cult eram um projecto paralelo de alguns dos elementos dos Janitors, banda proveniente da Suécia que iria actuar no sábado ao final da tarde no Reverence.

Qual não foi a surpresa ao vermos o palco ser tomado por 5 músicos, todos eles vagamente familiares. Mas isto apenas para quem já tinha andado a percorrer os vários trilhos desenhados para os dois dias seguintes. Ainda assim a dúvida persistia, e a ser real a anunciada estreia, a ansiedade aumentou em segundos, pois não tínhamos nada com que nos guiar, apenas a referência aos Janitors, o que por si só era já uma referência bastante forte.

Aos primeiros acordes a suspeita ou a dúvida esfumaram-se… ou agudizaram. Ou estávamos perante a melhor banda de covers de sempre ou eram mesmo os Janitors pois de imediato se reconheceu a toada poderosa de “Here They Come” do Ep de 2014, Evil Doings of an Evil Kind.

O som enche a sala, cria uma atmosfera densa e sedutora. Os cinco músicos enchem completamente o palco mas a interação entre eles é já de tal forma intrínseca e natural que todo o concerto parece coreografado ao milímetro.

Trazem-nos Trojan Ghost e Blizzard e também a épica A-Bow, música etérea com cerca de dez minutos que nos captura para uma viagem extra corpórea.

Vão buscar-nos fora do nosso corpo com Greed e Message.

No meio de todo o turbilhão de sentimentos que a música nos desperta, duas coisas importantes a reter; o autocolante na guitarra de Henric Herlenius (Noise Against Fascism), que num mundo cada vez mais fechado sobre si próprio e com cada vez menos mensagem real e atuante causa impacto e nos leva a pesquisar um pouco mais sobre a banda e as suas fontes de inspiração.

É fascinante a entrega destes cinco músicos ao que fazem e como escolhem através da música que fazem e dos seus concertos tornar-se um veiculo inspirador e instigador da tolerância.

Nas palavras deles : “Este registo é uma declaração de intenções. É uma chamada de armas ao nosso lado. É um pequeno protesto. Seja contra a fé nas falhas religiosas de falsos profetas aclamados por si mesmos ou clero intocável de alto poder, egoísmo capitalista, idiossincrasia racista ou fascismo contundente escondido na ignorância.”

Um excelente concerto com uma ou mais componentes inesperadas. Uma banda que afinal era outra e a descoberta das suas intenções na sua passagem pelo mundo.

Mas a noite iria continuar ainda com os Zanibar Aliens e o seu rock pincelado de blues que de imediato nos remete às melhores e maiores referências da década de 70 nessa área da música.

A sala encheu-se um pouco mais, percebeu-se bastante bem que muitos dos presentes estavam ali para os ver e os Zanibar Aliens fizeram questão de dar o seu melhor em cada música criando uma atmosfera divertida e cheia de groove, que continuou depois pela mão do Nuno Rabino, incrível Dj residente do Sabotage Club.

 Texto - Isabel Maria

Podem ver a reportagem original publicada na Musica em DX em Setembro de 2017 com fotografias do Luis Sousa

TAU, O deserto sul americano veio até ao Sabotage

Quando Shean Nunutzy se descalçou para iniciar o concerto enquanto o multi intrumentista Gerald Pasqualin orquestrava sinos e sintetizador, ficou logo subentendido que mais que um concerto, aquilo seria uma experiencia. Uma experiencia semelhante a guitarra de Nunutzy. Uma acustica com distorção

E foi.

Mereciam muito mais pessoas que as que estiveram na noite de sabado no Sabotage.

Mas todos os que presenciaram entregaram se completamente ao ritual.

Curto e repetitivo, uma repetição que se transforma num som redondo, que nos envolve a cada batida mais forte, até todos respirarmos ao mesmo ritmo.

Chegados a esse ponto a banda informou que:

"realmente fazemos todos parte daquele som

Ignorem as câmaras parem tudo o que estao a fazer. Facam parte disto."

Foi esse o repto lançado.

"Venedito Venedito.....Venedito....Venedito...

A experiência sagrada do sol aconteceu por volta das 00h de sábado quando os TAU subiram ao palco so Sabotage.

 Podem ver a reportagem completa aqui: 

http://www.musicaemdx.pt/2016/10/14/tau-o-deserto-sul-americano-passou-pelo-sabotage/