High-Functioning Flesh
This week on the podcast we have Susan Subtract from Physical Wash, High-Functioning Flesh, and Branes. We talked about the evolution into Physical Wash after High-Functioning Flesh went on an indefinite hiatus, the writing of Culture Cut (and the gear), and meeting Sid from Schwefelgelb for the first time.
Physical Wash has a show coming up: Cold Waves LA Kick Off Party (opening for previously featured guest Rhys Fulber) on September 26th!
This, our final Terminus episode, is with High-Functioning Flesh! Michael chatted with the guys on the final day of the Festival about how they've enjoyed the festival, how they got started, a love of 13 bit sampling, and the winding road they took to Dais Records!
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Poltergeists is a biweekly feature in which Michael and Wes share tracks that they have had on repeat over the past two weeks. This week Kathleen Chausse of Voidstar Productions shares tracks she’s excited about for Voidstar’s upcoming festival!
The first time I saw Author & Punisher live was at Halloween Industrial Festival in 2012. I was working door for the event; I was also making funny faces at the guy who was across from me at the band merch table. I went into the main room to check out the performance of who was on. The guy I was making faces turned out to be Tristan of Author & Punisher. I stood there in awe of how he became a machine. It was a fascinating transformation. I went to see him again years later in Burlington. His show evolved and included visuals beyond himself. It was still brutal. His sound was so massive it made the paintings shake. Fast forward to Cold Waves festival last year. Even in a massive venue, he owned the room and your attention. I'm excited to have him back at a Voidstar Festival and to hear new material from his latest album.
End.user is one of the acts that really stood out to me at C.O.M.A 4 festival. That festival was the first industrial festival I attended. It really opened my mind to the different genres and sounds in our thing. I remember dancing so hard to Iszoloscope and get punched in the back of the head three times and yet still dancing my hardest. I remember panting for breath after that, then End.user went on. I forced myself to keep going and dance right through. Now, it feels like it's become full circle. From the first festival to booking him for a festival! At this performance, End.User will be joined by Kurt Submerged of Ohm Resistance label as a special treat for the festival!
Voidstar booked a last minute show with High-Functioning Flesh on their first tour to the east coast. It was really great seeing that show come together and getting to experience their energetic stage presence. It confirmed our plans to book them at the festival. When we announced that they were playing festival, Jared, one of DJs, requested hearing this track on our event wall. Here's a small shout out.
The Bowles Given, Side A, 2011, Dead Voices On Air 2oth Anniversary Series
Mark Spybey was one of artists at the last Voidstar festival. I spent the weekend telling him awful puns. Somehow, he ended up finding it endearing. He was kind enough to gift me one of the 7’ singles. Edward Ka-Spel has such unique delivery in his vocals, and if it's not his vocal delivery that catches you he'll get you with the lyrics. Ka-Spel is always bringing interesting poetry to the table which compliments Mark Spybey's signature ambient soundscapes. I'm looking forward to having this artist, and seeing how long I last before making a bad pun.
Poltergeists is a biweekly feature in which Michael and Wes share tracks that they have had on repeat over the past two weeks.
I am going to lose all of the goth points here, but I had no idea who Snowy Red was before hearing this cover of “Lies in Your Eyes.” I think honesty is important to our relationship, and I just wanted to get that off my chest. Also, I stole this from Alex Kennedy of I Die You Die fame, who posted it this morning on Facebook and completely ruined what I had lined up for this article. This is the kind of goth rock that I enjoy most (or whatever you kids are calling it nowadays) - it has the perfect amount of squealing guitars, distant vocals, and electronic elements to put me into that blissful avalanche of sorrow. Really good work.
I really like this track because it brings back a lot of old school feelings for me and really encapsulates the things that I first liked about this type of music. It had the kind of cheesy synths that I liked so much while maintaining a brooding and aggressive facade. HFF were just added to this year’s Canadian summer camp (Terminus Festival: Velocity,) and I know they will just kill it there.
In “The Realest”, O. Children manages to produce a sound that mixes influences from Rome-esque neofolk with a more traditional post-punk feel. There’s an interesting melancholy to the song; at time it makes you want to feel upbeat, that there is hope in the world, but that hope is pulled from under you by not quite brooding verses. The song feels personal, in a way that a lot of music doesn’t seem to feel lately.
Somehow this song manages to not do a whole lot, but still manages to stay interesting through out. Repetition of claps, repetition of synths, repetition of vocals all work together to build a feeling of intensity that never lets up. Maybe it’s the martial feeling of the kick and clap rhythm, maybe its the not-quite-but-sort-of growling vocals, but the intensity that builds up quickly at the beginning carries through.