BLOODYMINDED 01-02-10 Photographs

Photographs courtesy of Carmelo Espanola























http://www.flickr.com/photos/bloodlustchicago/sets/72157623039748061/

A Gloomy Tradition

At the risk of prematurely letting the cat out of the bag... I just got back from a recording session at which I did vocals for Rabid Rabbit - on a version of the widely covered song "Gloomy Sunday" that they are working on. Between Andrea and I, there will be numerous takes of vocals, specifically so that it can be determined what works best for the style of duet that we conceived. For such a slow interpretation of the song, the two primary verses were really challenging to sing without totally gasping for air.

While we were working on it, we discussed "Some Velvet Morning" - originally by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra - but it came up in the context of Roland S. Howard's recent death - and his amazing duet with Lydia Lunch on their cover version.

Here are the lyrics that we focused on for our version. I also did a screaming part that used a translation of some of the more extreme and violent Hungarian lyrics:

--------------------------

Sunday is gloomy,
My hours are slumberless,
Dearest, the shadows,
I live with are numberless.
Little white flowers,
Will never awaken you.
Not where the black coach of
Sorrow has taken you.
Angels have no thought,
Of ever returning you.
Would they be angry,
If I thought of joining you?

Gloomy Sunday

Sunday is gloomy,
With shadows I spend it all.
My heart and I,
Have decided to end it all.
Soon there'll be candles,
And prayers that are said I know.
Let them not weep,
Let them know that I'm glad to go.
For death is no dream,
And in death I'm caressing you.
With the last breath of my soul,
I'll be blessing you.

Gloomy Sunday

--------------------------

So, it is with confidence that I feel like a frightfully doom-laden and darkly romantic take on the classic early 1930's suicide song will be emerging pretty soon. We may even try it live on February 15th, if we have time to work it out properly, beforehand.

For more on "Gloomy Sunday" see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloomy_Sunday

Sneak Peek of 2/15 Poster

Locrian Slips Into Brainwashed Top 100

It was nice to see the Locrian's "Drenched Lands" just make it into the Brainwashed readers poll for album of the year

99. Locrian, "Drenched Lands"

"This synth and guitar band definitely leans more on the experimental than the metal side of things, channeling electronic textures and post-rock elements along with the pained vocals and heavy guitar sludge. While this album has the added bonus of a 30 minute live track, their more recent works show an even more diverse approach to their sound." - Creaig Dunton

"Dark deep doom drone whose textural sensitivity speaks to a healthy alternative from the more demonically minded." - Henry Smith

BLOODYMINDED 01-03-10 Documentation

Our friend Jon Cates (of the pioneering Slow Electronics/Southbridge crew) posted some photographs and videos on Flickr. I will see about re-posting more of them, but in the meantime, please check them out here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joncates/sets/72157623138337212/

BLOODYMINDED 01-03-10 Recap

BLOODYMINDED
January 3, 2010
Empty Bottle
Chicago

James Moy - Synth, Mix, Vocals
Isidro Reyes - Synth, Vocals
Mark Solotroff - Vocals

01. IN THE MOOD
02. LAKE STREET
03. TROPHY
04. HEAD
05. OUTSIDE THE GATE
06. GENITAL PANIC
07. ANGEL OF DARKNESS
08. PORN LORDS
09. A SONG FOR LISANNE, A YOUNG MODEL
10. MIND THE GAP
11. VOID
12. MUSCLE
13. PRO-ANA
14. TWO DROPS OF BLOOD
15. VISITING AN EX-GIRLFRIEND IN THE HOSPITAL – AIDS WARD
16. WITHIN THE WALLS
17. CHINATOWN

Thanks to everyone who came out to support last night's show! I was bracing for a tiny crowd due to it being a freezing cold Sunday night at the end of the New Year's weekend, but it turned out pretty well. Thanks to Ms. Nicole B. for bringing her sorority sisters to the show, not to mention the extra-dark Godiva chocolate. Yes. Fucking great turnout from Milwaukee, which is much appreciated! Thanks also to those who stuck around to hear Bruce and me spin. Big thanks to the Empty Bottle for the great hospitality, as always. Thanks to Jackie for being a part of the booking and promoting. It was really cool to see/hear Maledicere play again, and powerful to witness them as a more rare four-piece. Those little lamb (?) heads were a sight, especially huddled around the space heater in the dressing room (see below). Locrian was a more-aggro-than-usual force to be reckoned with. Andre was in rare form, too. Excellent! Okay, so there was not really whale-song going on. Sun Splitter crushed through the venue's PA, as I suspected they would. Crusty, doomgazer, industrial-metal. Very satisfying. All in all, a pretty damned solid night.

I am listening to James' digital recording now, which clocks in at about 29-minutes. Fuck, I had every intention of nailing it fast and loud and under 20-minutes. Ah well. It was a pretty weird set. Sort of uncomfortable. Strange energy. Still taking it in.

It looks like our next outing is a two-day weekend:
Friday April 23, 2010 at The Mopery, Chicago - with Sightings
Saturday April 24, 2010 at Minneapolis Noise Fest

Tonight!

New City on BLOODYMINDED

From New City Chicago

Preview: Bloodyminded/Empty Bottle

Chicago Artists, Electronic/Dance, Experimental, Noise

RECOMMENDED

Edgy, nightmarish scream-noise groups have always been a mixed bag. Some work, some don’t, and it’s unusually difficult to discern precisely why. Long-running Bloodyminded, which began in New York but now calls Chicago home, was founded by Mark Solotroff, he of Intrinsic Action underground fame. Sonically the band pushes boundaries with its grating stew of loops, synthesizer, feedback and vicious screaming and, in person, the result is hypnotizing and terrifying. Bloodyminded’s avant-garde aesthetic challenges the audience with industrial indulgence, mechanical, haunting and at times brilliant. Not for everyone—hell, this is only for a small few—but those who can get into it have much to gain. This could get uncomfortable. (Tom Lynch)

Nightmares - Zero Tolerance Scan

Again, with thanks to Scott McKeating (and Calum Harvie)!


(click image to enlarge)

Tomorrow...

From The Empty Bottle website:

MALEDICERE, two fellas from Minnesota specializing in heavy, aggressive yet atmospheric Black Metal make their debut appearance at the Bottle tonight. With several tapes to their credit and an unrelenting 7" split with UNO ACTU, MALEDICERE has been praised by Wormgear Zine for their "Satanic pulse of harsh dissonance, delivering unearthly tones and cold reverberations that purify themselves against the damp basement walls in which they were recorded." Originally formed in New York (and with members scattered across the globe), BLOODYMINDED currently call Chicago home. Their relentlessly caustic live show will tear ears in half with "layers of screeching analog synthesizer, aggressively delivered vocals, and a copious amount of feedback." Electronic drone metal heads LOCRAIN return tonight and we are hoping for preview tracks from their upcoming Territories LP scheduled to hit in March 2010. Their disembodied, doomed pieces are among our favorites, and even the Chicago Reader has taken note praising their "alien beauty" and "eerily gorgeous noise." Kicking off tonight's exercise in heaviness are local purveyors of ringing ears SUN SPLITTER.