GOAT - HEAD MEDICINE'S 2012 Album of the Year / Song of the Year / Best new artist

GOAT 

"World Music" - 2012 Album of the Year

"Goatman" - Song of the Year

 Best New Artist




Last year at this time, virtually noone knew about the music of Goat.  they were a band hidden away in an isolated communal village in deepest Sweden called Korpilombolo, a village with a mysterious voodoo history.  music has always been a large part of their commune's way of life and Goat claims to be continuing their ancestral musical collective consciousness, still heavily influenced by the voodoo rhythms of the past and assimilating music from every corner of the globe to create a revolutionary mix of sounds, void of trends or styles or genres.  Goat's debut full length album, "World Music," has been universally acclaimed by people with taste around the world, landing on many reputable year end best-of lists. until only recently, they had never performed live outside of their commune, but they are now bringing their music to the rest of the world, putting on a handful of amazing live shows in europe and preparing to carry it over here to america for a series of dates as well in the spring.

the first sounds transmitted to the outside world by Goat was on the "Goatman" 7" single released by the psychedelic UK record label Rocket Recordings in February of 2012 (check out HEAD MEDICINE' interview with Rocket HERE, which details their discovery of the band).  the song is utterly amazing and was the easy choice for the Song of the Year



that summer, Rocket Recordings released "World Music," and it was the hands down 2012 Album of the Year (read HEAD MEDICINE'S review and listen to the music HERE).  it sounds like nothing else and yet sounds like everything that has come before it.  it is an intoxicating album and is one of the most stunningly electrifying debuts i've ever had the privilege of hearing.   The cosmic sounds of Goat... traversing space and time, conjuring sounds and rhythms that are embedded in our DNA and our collective consciousness... this is music that would impress humanities far away ancestors, ritualistically praying and dancing around a campfire as they communed with the stars, but this is also music that would have been legendary among the psychedelic 60's acid rock crowd.   this is music that will resonate with a hipster kid in New York City, an African Bushman in Mozambique, or a tribal elder in the Amazon rainforest all the same.  the music of Goat has no boundaries.  it adheres to no  rules or styles.  it is a mainline into pure creativity, that collective mind that we are all a part of, and Goat draws inspiration from all of it as if it were water.

HEAD MEDICINE wanted to learn more about this unusual and electrifying new band and we were excited to recently speak with two anonymous members of Goat. we were thrilled when the first set of answers to our questions showed up in our inbox, and was incredibly gracious when a second set of answers from another band member came in a couple of days later.  i'm sure if Goat #2 had known that Goat #1 had already taken care of the HEAD MEDICINE interview, they would much rather have jammed than spend the time typing their own answers, but we couldn't be more appreciative and excited  to have the opprotunity to peel a few more layers off of the Goat enigma from two separate viewpoints and take a peek at what's underneath.  a special thanks to these members of Goat for their time. 



The HEAD MEDICINE  Q & A with GOAT

HEAD MEDICINE:  Goat's backstory is unique, to say the least.  can you tell us a little bit about growing up in the isolation of Korpilombolo and how that tight knit commune lifestyle--it's culture, rituals, and traditions--informed the music of Goat?


GOAT #1:   Our past growing up in the village has of course affected us somehow like everyone's childhood does. We are followers of the shamanistic voodoo religion practiced there and we are always very close to the people and the way of life we live there. The collectivism is something we always practice even when we live in other places.

GOAT #2: This has been done before and in respect of people who have asked us not draw any more attention to this matter I must say no. You have our music I would say that is enough.


HM:  from interviews and your lyrics, you talk about The Goat as a spiritual deity or presence.   could you enlighten us about The Goat?


G #1:  It is a symbol for surrendering your individuality to the greater good of the group, the collective. A kind of sacrifice. It is also a person, or a being in our old mythology.

G #2:  As has been stated before The Goat is a mere symbol of things much greater and at this time I have neither the time or interest to get into specifics about my personal worldview. But I can tell you that the Goat is equal to any & all of the following: The great vastness that is the human experience & mind. That which never changes. That which remains throughout our earthly " existence " before and after. The experiencer. The one that never sleeps not even in dreams. Is there maybe more to human life than what we have learned? I say that it´s all a matter of how you choose to perceive things. Do you have the will to see reality for what it is or do you wish to persist in what others have told you about reality ? Simply, will you base your life on your own experience of it or on the experience of others? What people told you that you are. In other words, people, try to have an open attitude & question authority. it can be helpful in life. 

HM:  i've heard you say that Goat is a continuing musical consciousness that has spanned many generations in your village.  how would you describe your traditional music and what do you feel is the running thread from the original native music of the past thru today and into the future?  is it a literal musical thread or is it more of a spiritual thread?

G #1:  The rhythms are essential. The search of a transcendental state. But also the openness to music, in all forms. The constant search for new inputs and ideas of how to expand your mind thru listening and making music. It is both a spiritual and literal way of approaching sounds.  We believe that all music is the same in a way, a constant dance we all take part in from birth to death. The various expressions of music are just cosmetica. The essence of all music though is maybe the biggest secret of mankind and to explore it open minded is the biggest adventure.


G #2:  I would say both. We live in a time of great change & also a time of great unrest. You basically just have to go outside and walk around for a bit or watch the evening news to come to the conclusion that we are not living on the height of our capacity as human beings right now. With this in mind the music of the Goat throughout time was always a way to unite our tribes, to rejoice, dance and sing together. What can be a better way to celebrate life?  

HM:  there is a wide variety of musical styles blended into your work, from 60's psychedelic rock to west african blues, trancey krautrock to scuzzy detroit prepunk, among many others.  when did these styles begin to infiltrate the traditional music of your village?  was it embraced or was it considered rebellious by the village elders?


G #1:  Various music has influenced our traditional rhythms thru the years, but as I said, we don't think of music this way. What we hear comes out somehow and changes what we do. We don't analyze this process and do not even think of it. Since we believe the heart of all music is the same, our traditional music is not constant but is changing with the people making it. The elderly people are not in opposition to this. They are a part of it.

G #2:  Our forefathers were actually very into mind-expanding music since a very long time ago and if by psychedelic you refer to indulgence in substances and repetitive drums and/ or riffs and melodies as a means to achieve a "higher" consciousness, to the vast body of Goat this is certainly the case.  I kind of think that if you like music a bit more than just settling for whatever is the latest "thing" or whatever suites the way you dress best, then you will probably continue to dig deeper and deeper and the more you dig the more you´ll find and then you just naturally open up to a wider array of influences. Whether I listen to Repulsion or Harvester the outcome is the same. I have a good time. Like they probably had when they made and recorded the music as well. Music is not rocket science!   

HM:  recently i've read a bit about the long history of psychedelic mushrooms used in Sweden for shamanistic rituals.  was/is the psychedelic experience important in the creation of the music of Goat?  


G #1:  No. The important thing in the creation of our music is the transcendental state. That is the psychedelic experience. You can reach this state in many ways. I would say the most superficial way is using drugs. We don´t like to talk about the use of drugs in interviews.  We don´t preach the use of any drug to people.


G #2:  This is true and king Erik XIV was at the psychedelic forefront during his reign in Sweden. The only thing that is "important" as far as Goat´s music is concerned is that we devote our selves to the cause whenever we get together. In what way we choose to do that may differ from time to time and person to person but the result is always the same. There is the obviousness  of the ever expanding consciousness and the temple echoes with grim and thunderous sonic vibrations. 

HM:  you have said in the past that there are many members of Goat, and that the line up is very fluid, allowing  Goat to conceivably play multiple shows from various locations simultaneously.  this is a radical idea.  how many core members make up Goat, and how many flow in and out?  are they all a part of the Korpilombolo commune or is the group geographically spread out?


G #1:  I really don't know. We are some people living in Gothenburg, everyone is not from our village. The collective is loose and people move in and out. And I guess we could make various shows at the same time if we are able to organize it. When we played in Gothenburg the 21st of december, there was at the same time a mass in Korpilombolo where music was performed together in order to celebrate the end of the world.


G #2:  I would say that there is a core of about 15 - 20 people ( musicians ) more or less involved in Goat at this time. A couple of these people come from the old commune and the others are from all around Sweden basically. There are even some people involved outside of Sweden. The last show we played in Gothenburg we had a long-time spanish friend join in. So to conclude, geographically not all members are connected to Korpilombolo but spiritually everyone most certainly is. Simultaneous gatherings have already happened..


HM:  how did you hook up with Rocket Recordings?  were you apprehensive about releasing Goat recordings to the public?


G #1:  They contacted us thru some people we know here. We just said fine, we have no principles against releasing albums.

G #2:  I think someone tipped them off and they got in contact with us. Apparently they had a hard time finding us. Luckily some of us still own computers, others prefer to dwell in the dark unknown for one reason or another. Well not really, but we never expected it to take off the way it has done either. Had we known things might have been done differently.


HM:  the Goatman/The Sun the Moon 7" was your first release.  were these the first official Goat recordings?  what kind of statement did you want to make with these first transmissions to the outside world?


G #1:  There are recordings made from various incarnations of Goat but I don't think they will be released. Homemade recordings of hours of jams. We didn't really have a statement but if I try and figure out one I guess it is that we call out for a boundless world, no boundaries between people, no genres of anything, a collective mind and heart connected with the universe.

G #2:  No, there is stuff recorded long before that 7" but yes it´s the first " official " release. No statement, just to make the great gospel available for people I guess. Give people a chance to have a good time, freak out and perhaps dance morbidly through the disco.


HM:  World Music is a flawless album.  where was it recorded and how long did it take to create?   how would the compositions typically take shape?  are you surprised by the acclaim the album has received?


G #1:   It was recorded in our own studio in Gothenburg. The recordings were totally effortless. All ideas are good except the ones that do not work. Many songs are built up in the recording process thru overdubbs. Took about a year but we had long pauses between the recordings.  And yes, we are very surprised. And very grateful!

G #2:  Thank you very much. It was recorded on tape in our own studio. Some songs are re-arranged traditional songs, others are excerpts of longer jams and others still are based on a riff or drum pattern. It was recorded in a couple of sessions during the past year. I am still very surprised about all the fuzz surrounding the release, the raving reviews & all but also very, very thankful of course. We were just asked to record an album and so we did. There was simply not a whole lot of effort put into the recording of WM.


HM:  Sweden has a national philosophy called "lagom," which roughly translates to "there is virtue in moderation," where it's citizen's rarely try to gain attention to themselves individually and strive to keep their temperaments at an even keel.  how has this philosophy shaped Goat and your ambitions, as well as how the band has handled the international attention that World Music has received?  is that one of the reasons for Goat's performing with masks, to keep that anonymity? 

G #1:  Yes. We believe in this philosophy as long as it is not exaggerated into self-oppression. We hate the individualism of our time. We strive for collectivism and spiritualism. And we see Goat as ONE organism, not several.  But what you describe is not totally true. You dont have to stay moderate or stay calm all the time, you just have to realize that you are not important.  You are a part of everyone and everything and that is important. We wear masks because we have no need for self-affirmation, we like to be free spirits not recognized by anyone. The music is what you should listen to, there is no need for you to put our faces on top of that.

G #2:  For me " lagom " has more to do with just settling for average. I don´t think we have done that with World Music.  quite the opposite. Goat is a collective were all members contribute equally. There are different reasons for wearing the masks on stage both cultural and personal. The main reason being that we as individuals don´t want to take credit for making the music since it already always was, long before we molded it into " world music ". We are just tools..

HM:  Goat recently performed in public for the first time on a handful of European dates.  how would you describe those first performances?   what are your thoughts on your upcoming US dates and the Austin Psych Festival in April?

G #1:  It is all good fun. We are very grateful for the opportunity to travel and meet new people. Playing live was more fun then I expected.

G #2:  Simply Unimaginable! All the wonderful people we met ( Chris & Johnny at RR, the people in Newcastle, all the crowds ), the great venues we played. We could ask for nothing more. And actually there is no big difference in playing for our selves or for a bigger crowd apart from the numbers in those attending the event and the limitation time-wise.. And the opportunity for some of us to be able to go over and do a tour in the US is just awesome!

HM:  i have seen two different performances of Disco Fever from Supersonic and Gothenburg, where i swear you guys jam on the Stones disco classic "Hot Stuff."  was that consciously done?   are there any cover songs that Goat weaves into their performances or rehearsals?

G #1:  Ha ha! If so, it is totally unconsciously! I must hear it! I hope we jam on that! About covers, we make a cover of Diarabi, a traditional Malian song. Maybe we will make some more in the future.

G #2:   No, not intentionally at least and no not at this time apart from Diarabi.

HM:  what lies on the horizon for Goat?  any new recordings or releases planned?

G #1:  Yes, we have some stuff planned. First  is a new song to be featured on a Rocket compilation.Then some surprises..


G #2:  A new album will be recorded during the fall. We just recorded a new song for the Rocket 15 year celebration that will be available through them by the end of january i think.
It turned out quite nice. And then there are plans for some kind of a recording to be released on the eminent Cardinal Fuzz label as well.


HM:  Goat seems to come from a completely different musical perspective.  what could the world learn from the music and philosophy of Goat?

G #1:  So this is the time to speak out my truth to the world I guess... Well, People, understand that we are all one and connected.  I mean REALLY understand it.  Quit dividing people into various groups. That is old fashioned and just plain stupid. Then stop doing this with music as well. Understand your unimportance in the world. Then you can realize your part in the development of the evolution by working for your collective. Then you become important for real. Individualism is your enemy. Spiritualism is your guide. Togetherness is happiness.

G #2:  To do your own thing. To try and be of benefit, be polite & take care of each other. To listen to all albums by The Velvet Underground but especially white light / white heat.
That pretty much sums it up.



Goat recently announced a short tour through America, their first time playing here.  do yourself and your grandchildren a favor and check it out.  you'll want to brag about this one for years to come.

UPDATE:  HEAD MEDICINE recently caught up with the members of Goat for a rare face-to-face interview.  we discussed their first American tour and what the future holds for the band.  check it out HERE





April 23
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn NY


April 24
Johnny Brenda's
Philadelphia

April 25
Black Cat Backstage
Washington DC

April 26
The Southgate House Revival
Newport KY

April 28
Austin Psych Fest
Austin TX

April 29
Dan's Silverleaf
Denton TX

May 1
Old Rock House
St. Louis MO

May 2
Empty Bottle
Chicago IL

May 3
The High Watt
Nashville TN

~kojak

HIGH ON FIRE - HEAD MEDICINE'S 2012 Band of the Year/Video of the Year

HIGH ON FIRE -- 2012 BAND OF THE YEAR

"FERTILE GREEN" (Directed by Phil Mucci) -- 2012 VIDEO OF THE YEAR


2012 was a banner year for the Oakland California stoner power trio High on Fire.  over the last 12 months, HoF released their most finely honed album to date, De Vermis Mysteriis... they unleashed the video of the year for "Fertile Green"...  their heavy-as-fuck debut record, Art of Self Defense, was remastered and re-released by Southern Lord... and after singer/guitarist/badass Matt Pike's rehab stint forced the cancellation of the band's summer tour, High on Fire emerged healthier and stronger than ever with a triumphant headlining tour across the country.  This was the year when the planets aligned and all doubt was laid to waste as HoF rose up and grabbed the ring as the best metal band on the planet.

in case you didn't know, in the meatheaded, knuckledragging world of modern heavy metal, HoF is a more evolved breed.  Walking upright and having touched the Kubrickian slab of enlightenment, they roam the land, conquering all that comes before them, ruthlessly destroying anyone who challenges them, and consuming any mind altering substance that can be scoured to fuel their violent and entrancing vision quests.  High on Fire's instantly identifiable brand of brutally heavy psychedelic stoner rock quite simply decimates anyone else in music today.  there's noone even close.

Forming in the late 90's from the ashes of the legendary sludge lords Sleep, High on Fire has been constantly evolving out of the primordial ooze of their first album, The Art of Self Defense, to the towering monuments built upon 2007's Death is this Communion and culminating with their most recent release and the densest example of their full range of sounds, De Vermis Mysteriis.  Pike's legend as one of metal's greatest guitarists only grows taller throughout the record with his staggeringly heavy riffs and flesh melting solos, all with that super stoney flair that separates him from his peers.  and hidden under his crusty and oftentimes unintelligible vocals is the fact that he is an absolutely killer lyricist... celestial, biblical, and full of Lovecraftian terror... and  De Vermis Mysteriis is his masterstroke.  built upon concepts originally laid down by Robert Bloch, Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard, Pike weaves a bizarre tale of the twin of Jesus Christ who sacraficed himself to give his brother life, and is now a celestial time traveler, aided by an ancient Chinese black lotus serum, allowing him to see the past through his ancestors' eyes. it's all absolutely fucking insane, of course, andif  you find yourself a bit confused by the concept, don't worry.  you are about to get the shit kicked out of you for the next hour... you won't even notice.  not to be overshadowed by HoF's frontman, Des Kensel has built a reputation as one of the hardest drummers in the world and he only adds to his legacy on this album.  pummeling grooves continuously trample over the listener like a charging mass of armored war horses.  your skull has never felt so good being crushed into a fine white dust.  and Jeff Matz, the only non-original member, turns in a stunning performance, and stakes his claim as a powerful creative force within the band.  while still filling in the concrete-heavy bottom end, his bass cuts through like a rumbling chainsaw, literally growling at times, while also flashing several slower cliff burton-esque melodic bass solos.  As a whole, the band has never sounded better.  there is an unmatched clarity that never declaws the ferocity of the music (which is what happened on their previous album, Snakes of the Divine).  credit the production of Kurt Ballou for all of this.  where Billy Anderson, Steve Albini, Jack Endino, and Greg Fidelman fell just short, Ballou perfectly captured the fury of High on Fire and helped them craft their possibly career defining album.

De Vermis Mysteriis 

*click HERE for full album lyrics... a must to enjoy this album to the fullest*

all of the elements that make up classic High on Fire is on display with the opening track "Serums of Liao"... a punishing Kensel drum roll starts things off and then, next thing you know, yer face is blasted off. and there is nothing you can do about it.





next is the full throttle punch to the neck of "Bloody Knuckles." absolutely no subtlety here. ouch.





the video for "Fertile Green," directed by Phil Mucci, is a brainblowing Ralph Bakshi/Frank Frazetta Metal Hurlant hallucination and is easily the winner of HEAD MEDICINE'S 2012 Video of the Year.  an awesomely heavy ode to marijuana, with a war march drum intro before the full on assault begins... a searing guitar solo giving way to a devastating, downshifted, primal sex groove (which just might be the coolest thing HoF's ever jammed on), before finishing off with it's bludgeoning finale. the video is fucking spectacular from beginning to end, and it's not everyday that you get to see a  sex scene with a marijuana goddess and the time travelling twin of Jesus Christ, so just sit back, spark one up, and soak it all in.





The slo-motion molten metal being poured on "Madness of an Architect" harkens back to pike's old days in Sleep.  monolithic and terrifying, this will make your eyes roll back in your head, lost in a leaden fog





but High on Fire isn't just about the vicious head beatings they routinely deliver.  lately, they've been able to stretch out and explore more expansive terrain with exotic instrumentals like "Samsara,"  with Matz's layered melodic bass work and a mesmerizing Pike lead woven through.  HoF cannot write enough songs like this one.





"Spiritual Rites" scorches the earth as it stampedes through the countryside, setting everything aflame and sending the villagers screaming into the night.  This song is just ruthlessly heavy, as any tune about burning witches should be.





"King of Days" is as close to a ballad as HoF can get yet still densely heavy.  This dirge has Pike's most soulful vocals to date and the triumphant call-and-response solo trade-off between the guitar and bass is fucking magical.  get yer lighter up in the air, this is an album highlight for sure





the terrifying title track, summoning an ancient behemoth from the earth's core.  it sounds like pike prepared for his vocal performance by swallowing a handful of rusty nails and chasing it down with a coupla shots of battery acid.  unforgivingly brutal and fucking awesome





"Romulus and Remus"  tells the ancient tale of the infant twins,  heirs to the throne, who were left for dead and kept alive by suckling a she-wolf.  they eventually went on to found the city of Rome.  classic Pike reference material.   Matz and Ballou combine to capture the perfect chainsaw bass growl on this one




and "Warhorn" closes the album with a final thunderous battle charge.  




HERE is the bonus track, "Speak in Tongues," from the limited edition vinyl



The Art of Self Defense re-release


originally released in '00 on Frank Kozik's legendary Man's Ruin record label, "The Art of Self Defense" is an indisputable  stonerrock classic.   these are minimalistic, mystical interpretations of the sacred Iommi texts from the hallowed Temple of Sabbath.  riffs and grooves that drone on and on, gathering a heavier mass as they expand outwards into infinity.  cosmic metal at it's absolute finest!  but the album, produced by Billy Anderson, always sounded a bit murky, and maybe not necessarily on purpose.  this year, the mighty Southern Lord Records stepped in and dispatched Brad Boatright to scrape away 12 years of thick stoney resin to reveal, for the first time with startling clarity, all of the rich sounds that lay underneath.  Southern Lord even gave the package the deluxe treatment, with updated original cover art,  a 48 page booklet of classic photographs, the two bonus tracks from the 2002 Tee Pee Records re-release, "Steel Shoe" and the Celtic Frost cover "The Usuper,"as well as the three tracks from the band's original 1999 demo recording.  it's the definitive version of a must-have all-time classic.  easily the Reissue of the Year here at HEAD MEDICINE.

*note:  these are not links to the re-issue.  these are from the original release.  buy the reissue HERE*



"Baghdad"... There isn't much to say about the melted lead psychedelic riff, the warped groove, or pike's cosmic chant that the song doesn't say for itself.  a classic of the highest order.


i love the part around the 3:00 mark where the riff collapses under it's own weight and just punishes the listener for a few moments before straightening back out again.  fuck yeah







High on Fire - Live! and a short Matt Pike  Q & A


earlier this year, just after De Vermis Mysteriis was released and HoF was prepared to embark on a summer long trek of American and European music festivals, Matt Pike, who had been touring with the newly reformed Sleep, suddenly announced that he was going into rehab and the entire tour was scrapped.  Things were looking a bit grim for HoF, but Pike emerged clean and sober and was ready to get back to work.  another tour was plotted.  after several missed attempts in the past, i finally got my sorry ass to a High on Fire show in Kansas City in December and,  as expected, the performance delivered a transcendental pummeling.  i couldn't tell you what songs they played, i couldn't even have told you my name at a certain point.  the show is a hazy fog in my memory.  waves of sound were bombarding us on a molecular level, rattling each cell in our bodies.  and when we staggered out of the Riot Room's doors, it was like we were taking our first breath all over again. 

afterwards, i talked with Matt Pike for a few moments.  it was balls cold outside, and the man just played his ass off for us and i'm sure he wanted nothing more than to enjoy his smoke and get back on the tour bus, but he graciously answered a couple of brief questions for HEAD MEDICINE.  thanks matt.


HEAD MEDICINE:  This year saw the release of what may be your finest album, a deluxe reissue of your first record, a successful stint in rehab, and a victorious tour.  what are your thoughts looking back on 2012?

MATT PIKE:  It's just one day at a time, man.  just trying to, y'know, keep my bearings... keep my head straight.  y'know, there's alot more work to it now that i don't have my comfortable buzz on... there's just alot of anxiety that i have to overcome.  but i've been killin'... i've been playing very well.

HM:  your video for "fertile green" is our Video of the Year.  what's the story behind that one?

MP:  well, i came up with the story, it's a part of the story of the theme of the whole record and Phil Mucci put it to film.  i told him over the phone exactly what the song was about and he did the rest.

HM:  The Art of Self Defense definitely benefited from a facelift... are there any plans to re-master any of your other early records?

MP:  um, not as of now.  not yet.

HM:  you said you are taking things day by day... are there any plans at all for High on Fire in 2013?

MP:  yeah, there's some talk of tours, y'know, but yeah i'm just taking it slow at the moment.



~review, interview, and art by Kojak

 

Soundgarden - King Animal: HEAD MEDICINE'S 2012 Comeback of the Year

when we last heard from Soundgarden, it was on 1996's "Down on the Upside," and the fading notes of the last track, the Floydian "Boot Camp," drifted off into the ether as cornell yearned, "there must be something else/there must be something good/far away/far away from here."  those lyrics would prove to be prophetic when, after a staggeringly fruitful 13 years together, Soundgarden fractured and its members left to find their own musical identities.   Cornell left to travel down a variety of well documented musical paths, and Matt Cameron kept busy as the drummer of Pearl Jam, while Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd seemed to walk off into the musical void, rarely to be heard from again.  There never seemed to be any animosity between the band members, but a reunion always seemed unlikely tho never completely out of the question.  the seeds for an official reunion were planted when Thayil, Cameron, and Shepherd, on stage together for the first time in over a decade, performed "Hunted Down," "Nothing To Say," and "Spoonman" with  Tad Doyle at Tom Morello's  Justice Tour at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle in 2009.  Cornell, critically and commercially reeling from a disastrous collaboration with hip hop and r&b producer Timbaland, caught wind of the performance.  Soon, the planets aligned and the Soundgarden juggernaut was awakened from it's 14 year slumber, ready to reclaim it's throne.  A series of live shows cemented the relevancy of a Soundgarden reunion, and the anticipation was high for King Animal, an album of all new material.

i knew it was going to be a good album, i had no doubt about that.  but i wasn't expecting an album that would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the classic work in the band's catalog.  and i was ok with that. but it turned out that King Animal was a fucking fantastic album...  a throwback to all of those early-mid 90's rock masterpieces that were routinely being created--bold, cocky, ambitious, fearlessly creative and highly individualistic.  Soundgarden always had a singular, distinctive voice, never recycling cliches or painting themselves into a creative corner, it was the alchemy between the four members of Soundgarden that made Soundgarden sound like Soundgarden, and King Animal rose up and continued the tradition.   Amazingly, the band is still in top form: Cornell has somehow dodged Father Time, sounding better than at any point since  Soundgarden dissolved.  Cameron is still a drumming machine, well oiled from years of global Pearl Jam tours.  Thayil emerged from the shadows looking like Gandalf the Grey, still conjuring all of those odd riffs and harmonics.  And Ben Shepherd rolled in, looking like something the cat dragged in, yet ready to get down to business. 

and like all of the Soundgarden albums before it, King Animal is full of magical musical moments.. the absolutely no-fucking around, diamond-hard grooves of "Non-State Actor" and "By Crooked Steps"... the exotic Zeppelin-esque travelogue "A Thousand Days Before," with it's sitar intro, subtle horn arrangements, and Cameron's intricate, jazzy drumlines... The ominous clouds rolling in on "Blood on the Valley Floor" is prime Soundgarden and, as they have always done so well, for a brief moment the clouds open up and reveal a glimpse of a pure pop chorus before the gloomy tentacles wrap it up and drag it off never to be heard from again...  The dark beauty of "Bones of Birds" and "Taree"...  classic arena anthems "Black Saturday" and "Worse Dreams"... and "Eyelid Mouth" shows that the band is as beautifully weird as ever.

But the album's undeniably greatest moment is the closing track, "Rowing."  an odd bit of Shepherd's bass noodling sets the mood, while Cameron comes in with a "When the Levee Breaks" drum beat.  Cornell's unforgettable mantra, "Don't know where i'm going/i'll just keep on rowing/i just keep on pulling/gotta row," as the music swells like a swirling storm, just might be his finest lyrics and melody.  the song sticks on repeat in your head and it seems to sum up all that is great and perfect about this reunion... this isn't a nostalgic cash grab, this is four musical brothers picking up exactly where they left off and continuing that relentless creative drive that made their past work so enduring, to keep on moving forward at all times, never slowing down, never stopping, and never looking back.   something the band has always specialized in.  it's good to have em back.

Majeure - HEAD MEDICINE'S 2012 Solo Artist of the Year

A.E. Paterra, best known as 50% of the synth and drums-driven behemoth Zombi, has been churning out releases under his solo Majeure moniker at a dizzying rate.  2012 saw the release of, by my count, five new Majeure records, culminating with the release of Solar Maximum, the bands' 2nd full length album.  Paterra has complete mastery over the vast array of electronic instruments laid out before him... vintage keys, synths, knobs, switches, and drum machines that would make an analog electro tech geek cum.  Majeure is currently producing the finest Kubrickian sci-fi journey-to-the-edge-of-the-universe muzak out there, and the HEAD MEDICINE Dispensary cannot hand out enough prescriptions for this.  our highest recommendation

lots to listen to on the Majeure Bandcamp site:  majeure.bandcamp.com/music
and their Soundcloud page:  soundcloud.com/majeure

Standout Tracks:

"The Dresden Codex" from their 2010 debut Timespan is quintessential Majeure.  tranced-out washes over a frantic pulse, ebbing and flowing over a spellbinding 13 minutes.  i've gotten so much fucking drawing done to this song it's not even funny.  completely engrossing.   listen to an excerpt HERE

"Atlantis Purge" is Majeure's 20+ minute contribution to the split EP Brainstorm with his Zombi compatriot Steve Moore.  Elemental, haunting, and absolutely mesmerizing.  a masterpiece.  listen to an excerpt HERE

"Solar Fare" from the Synthesizer of the Gods EP.  Paterra's finest disco dance beat.  pop music crack cocaine beamed in straight from 1984 that just makes ya wanna dance, dance, dance.  listen HERE

"Starchild 3113" from the Tracer EP.  whoa.  an epic mindmelter.  chemicals are a must.  listen HERE

"Caribbean King" and "Extreme Northern Lights" from  Solar Maximum subtly feel up the sonic boundaries of Majeure.  "Caribbean King" moves at a different pace, with a languid, lazy day groove that stands out amongst the chilly cosmic void of the rest of Majeure's catalog, and "Extreme Northern Lights" has a startling beauty about it that transcends anything Paterra has done previously.  every note is perfect and when the song takes flight around the 3:45 mark, it is the soundtrack to the most beautiful memories buried in your brain. click HERE to stream the entire album


HEAD MEDICINE'S Q&A WITH A.E. PATERRA


Head Medicine:  what are your earliest musical memories?  when did you know you wanted to make music and who/what were your first artistic influences? 

A.E. Paterra:  My earliest memories are being scared shitless by the "Thriller" video, having my mom yell at my brother and I for listening to "Another One Bites The Dust" (she thought it was about suicide or something), tuning in late one night to The Song Remains The Same and catching "Moby Dick", waking up to "Freewill" on my alarm radio, watching Bladerunner in junior high, and seeing my first Phil Collins solo concert.  I'd say those were my earliest influences, and I knew I wanted to give music a shot when I hit 14 and bought a drumkit.


HM:  how does a majeure composition take shape?  where do you believe it comes from, how does the idea germinate and how is it developed?  is it spontaneous or heavily structured?  at what point do you know whether a piece is destined for majeure, zombi, or something else entirely?

A.E.P:  I usually just fire up my synths and play around until I get something solid together.  Sometimes I'll place random midi notes in a loop until I stumble across something interesting.  I believe the ideas come from everything I've ever heard before, combined with my own taste.  More often than not things are spontaneous. Zombi or Majeure?  Good question.  It just depends on whether or not Steve and I are working together at the time - if we are, I focus on ideas more in line with Zombi, and if we aren't then anything goes.


HM:  you have to be one of the most prolific artists out there having released, what, five albums in the last 12 months?  that's crazy.  how many hours a day/days a week are you able to devote purely to the creation of music?

A.E.P:  Well thanks - I always wish I could do more, and if I worked on music more often I would.  But I go through periods of major downtime.  In general I work in cycles.  I hit my studio hard for a week or so, then have a period where I don't even attempt anything at all.  Some days I work 8 or 10 hours, some 2, on average 4 or 5 when I get in there.  It just depends on what I am working on.


HM:  name 3 artists that you turn to when you are at creative low tide and need re-fueling.

A.E.P:  Hmm, I have to say I simply don't listen to anything at all!  Refueling for me is purging everything from my mind so I can start fresh.  It's been my experience that I hear influential music exactly when I need to.  It's funny how it happens - out of the blue a friend or roommate will be playing something, and it sinks right in.


HM:  how important are visuals in the creation/presentation of your music, on your albums and live?  do you have any aspirations to produce film scores?

A.E.P:  If I have the chance to work with a video artist during a live performance, I'll always jump at the chance if the venue is right.  Visuals add so much to live performance, especially with this type of music. It also takes the heat off of me being a one-man act.  I would love to produce music for films.  I've done a couple with Zombi, and a handful with a couple of filmmaker friends, Tony Balko and Olivia Ciummo.  Just this past week I took part in a Pittsburgh event called "Sync'd".  It's a collection of short films made by local filmmakers and I was given six to perform live to. 


HM:  what do you feel is the underlying connecting thread through the music of Majeure?  how is it different than zombi?

A.E.P:  Not sure, I guess it's just "me".  Whereas Zombi is "us".


HM:   along with Steve Moore, you run an independent cassette-only label called VCO.  could you tell us a bit about how that originated?  what is VCO's objective?  is this mostly for you and steve to release your solo material, or do you put out other artists' work?  what are VCO's plans for the future? 

A.E.P:   In 2003, Zombi released the Twilight Sentinel EP on CD, and we needed a label name. VCO was born years ago, and last year I had some material that I wanted to release.  I started talking to Steve, asking him about possible connections with other labels he may have, etc.  In the end we both arrived in the same spot - we hate soliciting labels.  Having an outlet for our music when needed really helps us. So I put out Synthesizer Of The Gods as VCO 002, and from there we released Steve's Primitive Neural Pathways.  At that point we discussed not wanting to be simply a vanity label, and started releasing music from other artists. This past year we've released 8 albums, and the response has been fantastic.  We have more releases planned, and at some point may try our hand at vinyl. 

HM:  what are your tentative plans for 2013?  more albums? tours? or a little R&R?

A.E.P:  Steve and I have started working on a new Zombi album, so that will be my main focus for the next few months.  I'll most likely start throwing around some new ideas when I have a chance.  VCO  takes up a lot of time, so there is that.  Most likely just work on the Zombi album, focus on Majeure during my downtime, and make trips to the post office.  No plans for touring, but I am open to do more if the right opportunity comes.


HM:  what single piece of music are you most proud of?

A.E.P:  For Majeure, "Geneva Spur" or "Extreme Northern Lights" off of Solar Maximum.  For Zombi, everything from Surface To Air, and "Spirit Warrior" from Spirit Animal.

~thanks to A.E. Paterra for taking the time to talk with HEAD MEDICINE!

 and now, some rare live clips:






review and art by
~Kojak
november 2012