That’s right it’s back, Ed Gein’s long out-of-print, self-titled EP, and this time around, it’s digital. Originally it was released through Hex Records for the low price of $3 as a physical CD, no fancy packaging, just a slip sleeve with a silver and black sticker on it. Now it’s available through Hex Records again, via all of the major digital sites (Itunes, Zune, etc.) for the low price of only $3. Making this an absolute steal.  Granted it’s only three tracks totalling about ten minutes or so, but in that time you will be amazed at what this three piece from Syracuse, NY can do.

I fell in love with this cd the first time I heard it years ago, and it never gets old.
Opening with a sample from the original Friday the 13th sets the tone as they litterally burst into the song Bathed in Orange, this track gives you the definition of what screamo and grindcore are.  This track sounds chaotic at first, but upon further listening you begin to hear the control.  The breakdowns are heavy and get you moving to the music unconsciously and not long after the band tears through the verses. Then a moment of silence as, Score One For Team Bitch, quickly fades in. Same as before, bludgeoningly heavy and insanly fast. The final track, Willie Loman, opens with another Friday the 13th sample allowing you to know the dread is coming. This one starts fast, slows a bit (well slow for them at least), then closes by melting your face.

If you’re not satisfied with the length of enjoyment on this release, just play it again and again, like I said it never gets old especially when you know what’s coming up. For this being an independent/demo release, I’m always amazed at the sound quality. All of the instruments come through perfectly, as do all three members vocals. (Yes the drummer sings his parts live too, and yes they sound exactly like that live.)

For those looking for something new or just something heavier, how can you go wrong with a band who’s motto is, “Go Fuckin Fast?” If you want some more stuff from this era of Ed Gein, check of the Mutations comp. on Robotic Empire, it has two other songs by them not found on any other release, and it’s only $4.99! A big thank you to Hex Records for the re-release. Also check out the new song they just posted on their myspace page. (Yeah they still use myspace, what of it?)

visit their MySpace.
Visit the Robot Empire Store

This is not easy listening, not everyone will listen to this music and understand the simple complexities to it. Thomas does an amazing job with this release blurring the lines between music and art. He has crafted a sound that sits somewhere between several genres of this style of music, it can fit along side of doom metal in the vein of Sunn O))), the avant garde styling of some of J.G. Thirlwell’s Manorexia project, the minimalist style of industrial sound-scape is similar different periods of Coil or Nic Endo’s Cold Metal Perfection, there are even tones reminiscent of post apocalyptic movie scores. The album in itself was done very well, the production is spot on and the sounds come through perfectly as the levels rise and drop around the other sounds. This album is very dense with sound and material; you just have to be able to peel back the layers to appreciate the heart of what Mr. Watkiss is going for.
The artwork for the cd matches the simplistic and stark style, but perfectly gives an image to the art that is the music. I would like to point out that he is making music for all the right reasons, it’s to create something meaningful to himself and not just for money. This album is in my opinion a little better than the first album in the ancestor series, but that’s a good thing as it shows he is growing and refining his craft. I can’t wait to hear the third part, which Thomas says will be out later this year. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes any of the styles or the bands I mentioned in my review, I would also recommend buying it directly from his website and spend the extra couple of dollars to get the deluxe edition. It comes with a second cd of two live sets he did at a festival show.
These are also impressive because they come with a different feel and still perfect sound quality. It’s interesting to hear some of the material from his different releases put together in that setting. For those who have seen or heard Coil’s material live, it’s similar in feeling different than the album version, yet it still hits the same point perfectly.

Score: 4/5

What does a project sound like recorded with organic instruments, when it has previously only been done in a studio by synthesizers and computers? In the right hands, absolutely breath-taking, and these are definitely those hands. Here we get selections from the first two Manorexia releases redone, reworked and with slight arrangement changes to them.

Like everything JGT does, this does not follow convention. This album falls somewhere between avant-garde, free jazz, and contemporary classical. The opening track of the album The Armadillo Stance is a hauntingly beautiful track, giving the listener a chamber music type feel, but progressively heading with a slow tension building behind it. Moving in the same manor into the next two tracks, Canaries in the Mineshaft and Toxodon Mourning. These first tracks all feel as though they are the soundtrack to a movie, building an image in your mind as to what could possibly be this dramatic and tense. Next you hear The Zithromax Jitters, this has always been one of my favorite Manorexia tracks, so it was a joy to hear it reworked. The frantic strings and piano work with the percussion flawlessly as the song goes through the movements accentuating slightly each instrument as they build a steady pace to the climax of the track, which can be described in one word, amazing. Zithromax is followed by a more melodramatic tune, Chloe Don’t Know I’m Alive. This song shows a much darker and moodier side of the album; as the slow drones take you over the dark ocean floor into an abyss. Fluorescent Radiation is another beautiful track, where the sounds marry each other in a way to create images in your mind to visualize a scene unfolding before your eyes, almost like a dance. Tubercular Bells and Tranque close out the album, they leave you with a sense of drowning and resolve to the deep.

JGT has perfectly titled this release as it feels like a journey through the ocean to the places where the sun no longer touches you, where you are with only dark and the radiant glow of the inhabitants around you. The only complaint I have is it has left me wanting so much more. Not that the album is short, it’s just when something is this good, rarely do you ever get enough the first time through. I know I’m patiently waiting for the third Manorexia installment, as well as any other JGT release to come.

I would like to thank Tzadik Records for partnering with Ectopic Ents, and making it possible to get this album almost anywhere in a physical and digital format.

Score: 5/5

Citizen-Bot did some writing for us in the past and starting with this post, he’ll be coming back for more and getting into the Adult Swim beat, among other things.  So welcome him back with this comprehensive roundup of his experience at SXSW. -Swank

Hello and welcome from Austin and the SXSW festival.  For those of you who weren’t able to come to Austin for the world’s most intense 2 week smorgasborg of film, music, and general geekdom, I thank you for not being among the industry jerks and general tourist hipsters who clog up my fine city.  So, let me give the highlights, especially since an all-access badge costs like $1500- far out of the price range of your average fan.  Luckily, Austinites can get their hands on wristbands for $150 which get you access to most stuff…as long as it isn’t full of badge-holders.

So, here are the highlights, free of charge:

Film

Among the most fun I had at this year’s SXSW was Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.  It stars Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Dollhouse, I Robot) and Tyler Labine (Reaper, Sons of Tucson) as dimwitted hillbillies looking for a lil R&R who, through a comedy of errors, become mistaken for psycho killers by a group of too-pretty college students.  Hijinks ensue.

There was a reason this won the audience award– it was the most fun I’ve had not just at a SXSW movie, but at the movies in general for a long time. Winning the audience award is sayign quite a bit, especially considering its competition: the premiere of “MacGruber,” the funniest movie adapted from Saturday Night Live in many, many years, and the critically acclaimed “The Runaways,” the rock n’ roll story of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

But Tucker and Dale deserved the win. Watch the trailer below and dare to disagree! (This gives away a lot, but not everything, so don’t watch if you don’t want some awesome spoilage)

They say that everyone borrows from each other, but the great ones outright steal.  There was too much that was more than a simple homage to classics like Evil Dead or Friday the 13th- but it lifts from these sources so effortlessly, it’s like listening to The Beatles play “Till There Was You” and forgetting it was ever part of “The Music Man.” Nipping on the heels of Zombieland and Shawn of the Dead, we have a new entry into the genre of horror comedies.

Honorable mention: The People vs. George Lucas –  a documentary about the love/hate relationship between George Lucas and his fans, the best and worst part of this doc is that it was “Crowdsourced,” meaning the filmmakers took over 6000 hours of user-submitted comments, skits, fan films, etc, and put them into one documentary.  So we get rants and puppet shows about the now cliche phrase that George Lucas “raped your childhood.” This is both its biggest strength and its weakness- honest but sometimes a bit disjointed.  It reminded me somewhat of “The Aristocrats”, another doc which just strung together dozens of comics telling the same joke.  Hopefully coming soon to a theater near you?  I hope this is something Swankmotron will enjoy, at least as much as a Tea Party activist at a Michael Moore film.

Don’t be a jerk– what about Kick Ass? Unfortunately, I couldn’t ever get into a screening of Kick Ass.  However, I did have a good time futily standing in line for these screenings in the rain… and also standing in line at a signing by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr at my local comic shop where a few lucky folks had seen it.  They had loved it, but it sounds like this may be a movie with a pretty high bar for entry.  The fanboys seemed to love it, so if you’re a big fan of the source material, that’s probably encouraging.  Everyone else? Let’s withold judgment.

Music

Hands down, the best thing at this year’s music fest was Provo, Utah’s own Neon Trees. Of course, I’m a little biased– anyone that can make Provo seem cool has got it going on.  In any case, if you’re a fan of The Killers, Muse, or just good music, you should check them out before they get too huge. Their big show here in Austin coincided with the release of their new album AND their song “Animal” being the iTunes free single of the week.  I sincerely hope you picked it up- if not, the entire album is worth the $6.99 you have to fork over to the iTunes store. Or go see them play at Velour in Provo and pick up their CD there…or wherever they’re playing these days. I’m sure they’ve move on to bigger venues in Provo by now, like the Wilkinson Center Ballroom on BYU campus.  (I kid, I kid– because I love)

In any case, the show I saw them play at Maggie Mae’s on 6th St was fantastic.  Obviously someone else was impressed by their performance, too, as they showed up on Jimmy Kimmel the night of March 22 less than half a week later.  Oh, by the way- that’s available on Hulu and you should check it out, too. Best of luck, you crazy kids.

Honorable mentions:

$     Sarah Jarosz, a musical prodigy who treads the thin line between Allison Krauss bluegrass and Sarah Mclachlan/Joni Mitchell singer-songwriter folk is absolutely fantastic. She did have the advantage of having a large fanbase show up to her show to cheer her on, as she get airplay on a couple of the Austin stations and is fairly well known, so that’s why I had to give it to Neon Trees.  She had fans at her show, Neon Trees had a room full of jaded industry executives and still managed to kick some ass. Although, I don’t know any other 18 year olds who are near as naturally talented as she is.

$    Stone Temple Pilots, also an honorable mention- didn’t actually get in to see this one (again, no badge) but according to other reports the show was great, and I think their reunion is going to be well worth it. They also had listening station set up to check out their new album, and it doesn’t disappoint.  I’m telling you, with new albums recently by Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and now STP, this is feeling more like 1996 than 2010.

Interactive

The often overlooked portion of SXSW is the Interactive portion of the festival, mostly centered around technology, the internet, etc.  The “best” thing about it is that it usually crashes the AT&T network downtown because everyone’s on their iphones all the time, which is loads of fun for me as an AT&T customer.   Actually, no big outages this year, but there were some fun goings on.

A few hundred SXSWi attendees (not me) got to test drive a Chevy Volt.  Ok, maybe you all aren’t as excited about an electric car as I am, but this thing is pretty freaking sweet.  If someone would’ve walked up to me and said “You can go see Kick Ass or drive the Volt” I would’ve chosen the car. Check out the slide show from CNET, and see if you get as jealous as me.  Aside from that, though, Chevy did provide free “recharge stations” around the fest where you could plug in your laptop or phone.  Thanks, Chevy. Next time someone says something about your crappy cars or your bankrupt business model I might stick up for you.  : )

Among the best presentations was one from Microsoft’s development team about the creation of their new search engine Bing.  The keynote was titled, “Be honest- you all thought it was going to suck, didn’t you?”  Honesty? From Microsoft?  Listening to them actually made me rethink my affinity for Google, and I must say, I have used Bing in a couple of cases since then when Google has failed me- and it worked.  Touche, Microsoft.

My new favorite development at the festival was the use of new locational social networking tools, specifically Gowalla and Foursquare.  What the hell is locational social networking?  If you have an iphone or android phone, you can download one of these programs, and create a profile.  Then, wherever you go, you can “Check In.”  So, heading to Austin Books and Comics.  Check in.  Going to Starbucks.  Check in.  Back at work.  Check in.  And it can publish this to your Twitter or Facebook, so it shows up there, too.  Ok, so that’s not all that cool, granted.

What is cool is what they did with it.  Gowalla and Fantastic Fest created a “Tour” of cinematic history around Austin.  Go see a location from Slacker, or Office Space, or Dazed and Confused, or Planet Terror/Deathproof.  This was actually a lot of fun, and showed me where all of these places are.  Next time you’re in Austin, we can actually go get coffee at “Chotchkey’s” from Office Space.

My only hope is someone from Comic Con was paying attention. The scavenger hunts for The Dark Knight a few years ago? Will be even better.  Or maybe they make a tour of great places to go in the Gaslamp District or Seaport Village.  You know they filmed the bar scene from Top Gun in that barbecue shack on G Street, right?

Anyway, those are my feelings about SXSW this year.  Won’t do it next year because I’ll be too busy with work.  But 2012? I’ll make sure to enjoy the last festival ever before the world ends.  And i hope you’ll come along.

Gorillaz, the virtual band created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have a new album slated to release on March 9th. Entitled “Plastic Beach” this album will have collaborations featuring Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, Little Dragon, and The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music. Over on NPR Music they have the full album up to listen to. Just click here to listen to the album!

I took a listen to the newest Swollen Members album, Armed to the Teeth. And since I felt like I had an opinion about it I decided to write a review.

This album has been released since October but I didn’t get around to listening to it until today. I pretty much thought it was a must have, as every other Swollen Members album has been. But sadly, I wouldn’t even write this review if that were the case. Their formula isn’t nearly the same as it was in the past.

This album reeks of Cognac, and cheap Crystal! -Slugtron

I know that all of Swollen Members albums sound different from each other, but through all the variation they’ve always sounded good and at minimum resembled themselves. When I first started to listen to Swollen Members they were an underground act, and it came through in their first album Balance. (Which I think is their best album as well.) This first album is what I would describe as “abstract hip hop” The beats were very iconic, but not overdone, the choruses were minimal. The music stood out mostly because the caliber of its lyrics. It sounded like it was made for the fans.

Sadly every album since then has slowly digressed from this winning formula. But up until Armed to the Teeth, it has been more good than bad. Although their album Heavy walked a fine line. The beats were very overdone, and their lyrics sunk a bit into the void that is Ganster rap. But it almost felt as if they were joking about it, and their followup album Black Magic actually reverted towards their underground roots, and redeemed any previous wrong doing. Although it doesn’t seem right to use the words “wrong doing” as sometimes fake gangster rap can be fun. Casual does what I consider fake gangster rap, and he is amazing. That is how I would describe Heavy.

Armed to the Teeth crossed this line and then popped a GATT in its ass. The songs are all about pimps, guns, drugs, money, expensive cars, pussy, and synthesized choruses. This album sounds like selling out. It’s as if Swollen Member’s fame were gravity, and they are a star that ran out of fuel. Which scientist safely predict turn into a black hole. In this case the black hole= crazy.

It’s still better than listening to 50 cent, but there are definitely some songs that I would be embarrassed to listen to in front of Dr.Dre. The worst part about the album is that Madchild and Prevail still exhibit talent. The whole problem is the lyrics are cheap, the beats sound like they were made on wall-street, and the new guy that sings their choruses “Tre Nyce” is a douche bag.

Some of the songs are good despite the horrible, but some have no merit whatsoever. Those songs are:

Porn Star

Bollywood Chick

Here We Come

Warrior

Flyest

Real P.I.

repeat, the songs listed above are so bad they could make you question your robo-sexuality.

These are songs only a mother could love…Well if she were on as much oxycotton as Swollen Members must have been on! -Slugtron

Listed below are the songs that were actually good. (The songs that are not listed simply shouldn’t make your ears bleed on a single play through.)

Reclaim the Throne (is just okay.)

Kyla (a little better.)

Meltdown (good)

Lonely One (After listening to it a few times it just keeps getting better and better.)

Concerto (So good. The reason I will still tell people I like Swollen Members.)

You can buy the album on Amazon here!

I rate this album 1.5/5 (Sad because every other Swollen Members album is 4/5. Except Balance and Bad Dreams which are both 5/5.)

Coalesce – Ox EP

This companion to the full length release, Ox, stands on its own quite well. The EP moves a bit slower than the full-length version to help show that they are delivering a different product all together. The EP includes more instrumental tracks (about half) which result in a laid-back, relaxing feel at time; making the transition much more noticeable when you get sucker-punched by the other half of the album. Which leads more towards heavy than technical. The track, “Absent In Death”, blends the melodic and the heavy well, while lyrically, the title of the track is repeated over and over again while the track fades out, ushering in, “Through Sparrows I Rest”, which is stylistically the most similar to what Coalesce delivers: heavy thrash blended with a lot of technical elements. Notable as well, the final track, “Ore to Death”, closes the EP opposite of the beginning. You can expect a high production and sound standards, allowing you to listen to the EP and Full-length back to back if you want to satisfy a healthy appetite of their sound. The EP leaves me wanting more, so that’s what I find myself doing.
The artwork and packaging are both simple and something more at the same time. The same design as on the full-length, but on white this time.They once again leave something hidden on the background, they use a light reflective silver ink to show the topography of the moon. Another way of thematically linking the two Ox releases. I can’t wait to hear more from Coalesce, as they rarely disappoint.

Score: 4.5/5

Favorite tracks:

• The Blind Eye
• Absent In Death
• Through Sparrows I Rest

Click Image below to preview or purchase from amazon

Coalesce is a band that has been proven volatile enough to break up and get back together more times than this robot can count, and yet, still record some of the best hardcore metal this decade. This album shows what happens when they get back to it after a few years on hiatus with a slightly modified line-up, the results are amazing. The album is as deceivingly technical as Botch, but also as straight forward as Norma Jean. From the opening drum peel that blasts straight into the heart of what the album is going to deliver, followed by a one-two punch to the face with unknown jabs coming from all directions. The joy of listening to this album was in the unpredictability.  I couldn’t really tell where the songs were going next, there was  no cookie cutter format here. This wasn’t found in just timing or riff changes, but even some of the backing vocals lent to the variety. The song, “Wild Ox Moan”, starts with them showcasing their musical abilities; sounding like a Beatles song with clean vocals sung through lots of reverb and a simple guitar, until they break back in with their proven fashion. Coalesce were even kind enough to give the listener a few moments to breathe with the melodic instrumentals,” We Have Lost Our Will” and, “Where Satires Sour”.

I was happy that the pacing of the album never falters, it’s heavy without being overbearing and melodic without losing any focus or direction. Production and engineering are done well, as everything is clear, leveled, and sits well next to each other. The die cutting of designs into the lyric book was a juxtaposition against the seemingly simplistic cover art. Which is also deceptive because it looks like it has a topography chart spot glossed on the black background behind the design. Everything about this album isn’t as simple as it seems, showing through sounds and visuals the depth Coalesce offers.

Score: 4.5/5

Favorite tracks:

• The Plot Against My Love
• The Villain We Won’t Deny
• In My Wake, For My Own

Click image below to preview or purchase from Amazon

Image in Post Caption Taken by: Philip Lethen

A man so prolific, yet he remains unknown. His name is attached to more releases than I can even imagine; be it performing, producing, mixing, re-mixing or just given thanks. You could practically play the six degrees of J.G. Thirlwell within the music industry he’s touched so many people and projects.As he gains more public notoriety with his scoring of “The Venture Bros.” on The Cartoon Network. This robot hopes that this will get some more people to pay attention to the genius output he’s been giving us for years. His various projects throughout the years have given sound varying from: ambient noise, rock ’n’ roll, big band swing, and even a full orchestra. This was one of my long time dreams to conduct an interview with J.G. himself, and he graciously took time out of his busy schedule to answer all of my questions with very thoughtful answers and even breaking exclusive information. Without further delay an all new interview with J.G. Thrilwell.

Photo By: Taylor Crothers

Juke-bot:

First off, I noticed you have set the title for your new album to be ‘Hide’, how far along is the album? And what is the sound shaping out to be like?

JGT:

I think it is very different again to what I’ve ever done… I have been working on it off and on for a few years. It’s shaping up to be perhaps the best album I’ve made. The melodies are challenging, with strange dissonance and the arrangements are quite complex. Some parts are operatic, some might be described as symphonic psychedelia. Dynamically it’s very varied and it has some swooping beautiful parts and sometimes is a little more abstract; sometimes very bombastic. It is a concept album that I began under the reign of GW Bush and some of it is imbued with a sense of dread and anticipation. I have most of it composed but I’m still working on overdubs and mixes.

I’m also working on a new Manorexia studio album, which I am mixing in both stereo and surround sound. I’ll be releasing those two albums on Ectopic Ents.

I’m also working on a new commission for Kronos Quartet which is based on the desert. I travelled to Oman in February and recorded the singing sands, a natural phenomenon where the dunes create a moaning sound when the sand grains slide down. Parts of these recordings will be embodied in the work. It premieres at Carnegie Hall on March 12 2010.

In December I will also be recording an album of Manorexia chamber arrangements, which I have been performing live over the last few years, and that will be released in 2010 on Tzadik.

Juke-bot:

From the way you describe ‘Hide’ shaping up, it sounds very interesting. Is there any chance of you playing any of those songs in a live setting? Mini-tour or a grand live show like Love was given?

JGT:

I’d actually like to present it in a theatrical setting but here are no plans for that as of yet. Its swimming round in my head. However I am hoping for a different big show in summer 2010 – details will be released when it’s confirmed.

Juke-bot:

When ‘Hide’ comes out next year it’ll mark the 30 year anniversary of you using various forms of the Foetus moniker. That’s a long time, and more impressively you seem to never run out of ideas and keep things fresh. Where do you come up with your inspirations for all of your various projects?

JGT:

I have a pretty thirsty mind, and I like to challenge what I have done before.
I suppose I am also a cultural sponge and some of what I am interested in has a way of infecting what I am working on, consciously or not. The conclusions that I reach often take very circuitous routes and they come from a subconscious place. Maybe in a few years they’ll make more sense.

Juke-Bot:

Lyrically your style and delivery has changed a bit with your recent releases, what would you account the changes to? The old style wouldn’t fit with the new music, or has your point of view shifted a bit or something else entirely?

JGT:

My lyrics have perhaps gotten more direct. Not that they weren’t personal before but that was shrouded in a lot of “wit”. I’m not writing in the same style I wrote in 1983, or 1995. I also have been experimenting with different styles of writing, from spontaneous improv to spam cut-up and different styles of singing. When someone tells me my work is moving that’s the highest compliment.

Juke-Bot:

I’m excited for the new Manorexia album; I’ve been waiting a long time, like so many other people. How would you say the new album compares to the two previous Manorexia albums? How far along is the third album, and how does it compare to the previous two recordings? Also will the live album contain any of the new tracks performed on it?

JGT:

The third Manorexia album is almost all composed but not finished and mixed. I’m doing a version in 5:1 surround sound too, so those mixes will be done after the stereo mixes. It’s different from the other two; it’s tighter and more heavily composed. Probably influenced by some of the composing I’ve been doing for other ensembles. It maybe steers closer to the contemporary classical world at times. It’s still very evocative and cinematic. But it’s a little denser than the other two and there are more discreet pieces, but also things you’ve never heard from Manorexia.

Juke-Bot:

I’m not going to lie, the thing that got me most excited out of all of the things you told me, was of your new commission for the Kronos Quartet, and that brought up a whole slew of questions. How did you get asked to commission your first piece for them?

JGT:

David Sefton at UCLA, who commissioned the Steroid Maximus big-band project, turned David Harringtron of Kronos Quartet onto Manorexia. He loved it and contacted me. We got together when he was in NYC and he came to my studio and I played him a bunch of stuff. He was excited by what he heard and asked me to do a composition for them. But that still didn’t come together for a couple more years.

Juke-Bot:

Do they have any plans to record and release either piece? About how long is your new piece for them shaping up to be?

JGT:

I don’t know if Kronos plan to record the pieces yet. The new piece looks like it will be about 12-15 minutes, Nomatophobis was about 12 minutes. We will be rehearsing it in Feb 2010 and it will premiere on March 12 at Zankel Hall, which is part of Carnegie Hall in NYC.

Photo by: Sebastian Mlynarski

Juke-Bot:

How does writing for them compare to the writing process you take for the things you release under your own monikers?

JGT:

I write with a string quartet in mind. On my own work there is no restriction on the instrumentation. But with a quartet you have a limited amount of voices. And I write within the range of the instrument. But Kronos are top notch players so you can write creatively – they are extremely expressive players.

Juke-Bot:

Moving on to another project you’re involved in, how did you get the job scoring the Venture Bros. cartoon? Has doing the score affected your other projects in any way or the other way around perhaps?

JGT:

Jackson Publick approached me after he had heard a Steroid Maximus album. They wanted me to score the pilot. I wasn’t so sure, and instead they licensed tracks from Steroid Maximus and Manorexia to score it. The Cartoon Network liked and picked up the series. At that point they came back to me and asked me again if I’d be interested in scoring the series – and I thought I would challenge my rigidity and do it. It was a challenge. It was difficult at first as I hadn’t figured out a musical vocabulary for the show and characters, or working methods, so I was a lot slower. But doing so much work in such a short period has made me a lot better. And as time has gone by, I have built up such a large library of cues that I can re-purpose, re-arrange and extend some older ones in each episode, so that I can spend more time on the new ones that I create. I’ve gotten much better at switching with the action, and Jackson keeps throwing emotional nuances at me that he wants me to illustrate – which some times happen every bar.

Juke-Bot:

Do you still pull stuff from your older releases while doing the score for the show?

JGT:

No, actually everything is done from scratch and written specifically for the show. I often re-fashion themes I’ve already written though, and they recur in different forms.
Some themes have sections that never appeared when they were originally used in the cartoon and they may pop up years later. Jackson is good at remembering cues that I’ve written and forgotten about and sometimes something from the first season might reappear thoroughly overhauled.

Juke-Bot:

I know that you’re a fan of the Simpsons (or were), what do you think of the Venture Bros.?

JGT:

I think it’s a good and often clever artful show with high aspirations. I like that it progresses, the animations have gotten better and it has a deep web of mythology. I find some of the characters grating, especially when I have to hear their voices and gags over and over as I work on it. My favorite character is Brock Samson.
I tend not to watch the finished episodes as I never feel the score is mixed loudly enough – a common gripe of soundtrack composers.

Juke-Bot:

Any plans on doing a Volume 2 soundtrack for the Venture Bros.? Or presenting any of the music in a live setting?

JGT:

I would like to do Volume 2. It depends on whether Williams Street (Cartoon Network’s label) wants to pick up the option. I have the material but I have to spend a couple of months reworking and mixing it and preparing it for release.

Juke-Bot:

There have been lots of rumors about you doing a compilation of the 7 inch’s and some of the 12 inch’s from your way back catalog; is there any truth to this? Also in an old interview you spoke of doing a Box of Excellence 2, any hope of that coming about these days, possibly to hold all of the website only releases?

JGT:

Yes it’s true it will probably emerge in 2012 along the lines of LIMB as a deluxe package with early singles, radio sessions and rarities with a DVD of raw live material. As for The Foetus of Excellence 2, I don’t remember ever planning that. But stranger things have happened.

Juke-Bot:

Is there anything new coming from your Baby Zizanie project with Jim Coleman? Or possibly releasing it state side on vinyl or CD?

JGT:

We made a new piece as a tribute to Jodorowsky which was intended to be released in a project to accompany his remastered films but it never came to fruition. Baby Zizanie may yet rear its head in some form or another one day, but no plans currently. An anthology? Possible.

Photo by: Anne Katrine Senstad

Juke-Bot:

Let’s move onto your artwork. What inspired the Foetus international series of shirts? Will the final Japanese one follow the same color scheme of red, black and white?

JGT:

I thought t-shirts would create an interesting new canvas for me. I like the idea that they are fleeting limited artworks, and using a different platform.
The Japanese one will be red and white on a black shirt, so yes, continuing that color palette.
By the way the Japanese isn’t the last one in the series. The series is in sets of three. After the Japanese shirt I’ll be making a Manorexia shirt. Then the next set of three in the International Series will be Hebrew, Chinese and Korean. I might be adding colors in the next series, but I haven’t decided, as I designed them yet.

Juke-Bot:

You do all of the artwork for your releases, sans Gash. Do you go into the creative process for the art in the same way you go into the recording process or does the music inspire your artwork? Have you ever considered selling a series of prints through the Shoppe?

JGT:

I’m not necessarily trying to mirror the music with the artwork. I don’t know where it comes from, my obsessions from the time. I usually think about it for a long time and ideas start to emerge. I’m working within certain parameters as there is a thread to the sleeves I’m working on for Foetus-the red, white black color palette. I have deviated from this palette on my non “primary” albums (e.g. remix albums etc) but now have decided to stick with red white and black for all Foetus releases as they look so much better en masse, and I like the unity of a body of work. I have thought about making lithographs. I’m interested in making a book too.

Juke-Bot:

You were once on a major label, Columbia Records, and now you have no label at all and you do most of the distribution yourself. Do you find this more rewarding or are there times you wish you could have that blanket back to where they would attempt to promote and distribute things for you?

JGT:

It’s not true that I don’t have a label. I have my own label, it is Ectopic Ents. Over the last ten years are I have licensed some Ectopic projects to other labels (e.g. Steroid Maximus to Ipacec, Foetus to Birdman, Nois-o-lution and Thirsty Ear), and others I have distributed purely by mail order. Some of those mail order items are sneaking into retail now via Carrot Top distribution.
Ectopic now has digital distribution to all the major outlets (Itunes, Amazon, EMusic, Rhapsody etc) as well as thru my own site, www.foetus.org
This is how I began, with my own label Self immolation records in 1980, but I have always worked with many different labels and distributors. Self Immolation morphed / was swallowed into Ectopic Ents in about 1995. Self immolation remains the name of my recording studio.
Promotion is difficult as everything I do seems to fall on deaf ears as far as mainstream media is concerned (e.g. Pitchfork, Spin etc), although thankfully The Wire actually pay attention to what I do. That blanket you describe is not always so cozy.

Juke-Bot:

What is your greatest accomplishment? And on the flip side what are some regrets you might have?

JGT:

You’re not supposed to have regrets because if I didn’t take the course I had, I wouldn’t be where I am today!
Apart from certain girls I wish I’d slept with, I’d say I wish I had developed Butterfly Potion into an album, that was a good sound and creative time and I wish I’d taken it further. I wish I had come out of my chemical daze earlier; there are a few wilderness years around 96-97.

Greatest accomplishments – – possible fronting the 18 piece band in Los Angeles, or having Kronos quartet play my work.

Juke-Bot:

And finally you’ve been like a permanent fixture on the music scene since you’ve made your way in, what words of advice would you offer to someone just trying to make their way in?

JGT:

“Permanent”, that’s a laugh. When you are a self employed artist nothing feels permanent, it’s always walking a financial tightrope, especially in the age of the internet, where the artist is reduced to content provider. I am a lifer in the business of sound and music. I couldn’t think about what I’d say to someone trying to make their way in. It’s very crowded! One finds one’s own path. Innovate, there enough imitators. My goal has always been to please myself, and it just so happens that along the way other people have enjoyed it. I’d say you better be passionate about what you do and don’t expect luxuries like health insurance.

For more information on any and all J.G. Thirlwell related projects and releases check Foetus.org regularly.

For this review I’m only going to review the new material because the deluxe edition is simply The Fame again with a few of the bonus tracks from the international release.

Let’s begin with a precursor I’m not a huge Lady GaGa fan, but I do appreciate good catchy music when I hear it. The eight new tracks put forth give pretty much the same thing Lady Gaga’s has stuck to stylistically. The new e.p. is pretty much an extension of her first major release.

The first single Bad Romance is a perfect example of this, it’s along the same vein as her other songs that anyone can readily identify. It’s got that extremely polished sound, almost over produced in a way. Catchy as can be though, as are most of her songs.

There is one track that stands out from the rest, Speechless, not only is it musically different, but you can plainly her Lady GaGa’s voice which is really good. From that you can tell she doesn’t need the auto-tuning that is becoming so common place to give most new pop singers that added appeal to the market. The song reminds me of Again and Again from The Fame, but more ballad like.

The song Teeth is a bit different as well, when the steady beat and jazz feel hit, I thought I was listening to Christina Aguilera. Every song on this E.P. could be a single, sadly, this keeps the music pretty stylistically locked. In so many ways it almost seems that Lady Gaga is the new Madonna. Not a clone, but a new, re-imagined, Madonna. With that being said I would like to hear a new full length album with new sounds and ideas.

Score:

3.5/5

Favorite Tracks:

Speechless
Teeth
Bad Romance

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