REVOLVE band Interview

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I N T E R V I E W
June 2004
REVOLVE

Band email (2) revolve@revolvemusic.com
Band web site: http://www.revolvemusic.com
Band contact number: 310-397-2350

RCN: Hello, we are here with Bernhard from REVOLVE, a local band from Los Angeles , and they're NEW , so we're going to find out a little more about what makes them tick. . .

1. RCN: What type of band are you?

Psychedelic, Electronic, Progressive Hard Rock

2. RCN: Tell us the brief history of your band.

First formed in 2001 in Los Angeles, Revolve are five musicians from four different countries (Japan, Turkey, Germany, and the U.S.) who share the same vision and love for music. Guitarist Koichi Fukuda used to play in Static-X but quit after their first album and tour (Wisconsin Death Trip) in order to follow his creative muse. He formed ,together with German drummer Bernhard Guenther and Turkish keyboardist Cihan Baris, Revolve ,which was completed with Ryan Collier on bass (after going through three bassists) and Matthew Manning on vocals later on. Starting out as an instrumental band in 2002, we started playing out as a five piece in summer 2003. We played so far at : Dragonfly, the Gig, Club Lingerie, the Joint, the Allen Theatre, the Los Angels Arts and Musical Festival, Club Sugar, El Rey Theatre...

3. RCN: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

Music: Pink Floyd, Higher Intelligence Agency, Soundgarden, Helmet, Biosphere, Kodo, Tool, Genesis, AIC, Pete Namlock, Future Sound of London, Faith No More, King Crimson, Juno Reactor, System Error and a lot more....from Metal to ambient, from Ethnic music to Techno..... Non-Musical: Alan Watts, Krishnamurti, Carl Jung, Terence McKenna, Alex Grey, the Mayan Calendar, mushrooms, DMT,...

4. RCN: What are your dreams and goals?

We'd like to Tour, record, tour, .....making a living doing it, spreading some seeds of awareness and good music with integrity and honesty.

5. RCN: Who writes the songs, what are they about?

We all five write. The songs are open to interpretation....you can say they are more universal than personal, meaning no songs about the bad guy in high school or the girlfriend who cheated, but as I said, they are open to interpretation

6. RCN: What's your opinion of George Bush?

He's part of you and me, he is you and I am him. He's part of the game and necessary for evolution, as much as Gandhi, Hitler, Martin Luther King. Jesus or Charles Manson were before. The world is based on opposites since we live in duality : Left, right- male, female- day, night- death, birth- bad and good,.... Change doesnÔt happen by trying to change the Outside and ignoring our Inside. Everyone has a dark side. The evil out there is a reflection of our own personal evil (which we try to deny) The entity called G.Bush is the manifestation of the dark side of America. Any war or conflict in the world is the result of our own projected anger, hate or greed in our daily lives, our suppressions and denials.......nothing will change unless we change ourselves, look inside and ask: Who am I?........J. Kerry is not the ÒsolutionÓ either for the same reason, in fact no leader, Religion, dogma, -ism, Institution , Authority or drugs (well some of them can point the way) are the solution......but it will take more conflict , wars and misery until we realize this. Our minds are very conditioned. Democracy is a perfect way to control people, especially if you only give them two options, control them through media and education and make then think they are free....... but the truth is coming out.....there is a plan behind all this which we are not aware of yet.......soon we will look back ,shake our heads and laugh about or own naivetŽ....kinda like we all believed the earth was a plate 500 years ago. Evolution doesn't stop. The only thing certain is constant change. We need to start thinking universally, not nationalistically.

7. RCN: How do you promote your band and shows?

Through the internet and flyers, posters.

8. RCN: Describe your show, visual and musically

It's a journey into the depths of our minds, beyond the physical. It's a shamanistic experience, a journey into worlds that seem alien, yet very familiar...it's a remembering of where we came from and how we all are connected on a deeper level...beyond appearances....it is hard, heavy, intense and then again light, ambient and calm....just like life itself. We are working on video projections and we have artist Norton Wisdom on stage with us sometimes . He's a live painter and has ÒjammedÓ in the past with Jane's Addiction, RHCP, the Grateful Dead, Styx and many others. Check out his site: http://www.nowisdom.com We like to make it a multi media event. We have a live video on-line: http://www.revolvemusic.com/ElReyLive.mov

9. RCN: What do you think about downloading music online?

Everybody's personal choice. We give away three songs for free right now and then will sell our album over the net...then we'll see what happens. The internet is a good tool to spread music and sometimes you need to give before you can receive. 10. What's your outlook on the record industry today? It's changing, it has to change, the record industry is trying to deny this, so they panic, but it will come around...

11. RCN: What's your claim to fame? (What's unique about your band)

The desire for Fame is not our driving force but if I would describe us: Integrity, Talent, honesty and not pretending being something which we are not. All that is reflected in our music and live shows.

12. RCN: Tell us a story about a day in your life.

woke up, checked my e-mail ( I love the internet), played some drums (the studio is in the garage), cooked some food, went to the beach, enjoyed the sun, did some reading and then some yoga (isn't that sooo LA?), rehearsed with the band, got high and went to bed......now that' only for the days I don't work. I am a freelance sound designer.

13. RCN: What inspires you to do what you do?

Something inside wants to help humanity and heal myself and others. Everyone in this band has his own personal inspirations to do this. After all we are from four complete different cultures, so the fact that we are creating music together is already very inspiring. Personally, if it wouldn't be for a deeper message, I wouldn't make music...I cannot play just to play, that goes for the rest of the band too, especially Matt our vocalist.....it's all abut the intention...why? I don't know....it seems something is doing it and it is not ÒusÓ. We are on the edge of a big transformation. Art and music can serve as a vehicle to guide us through it safely. It speaks directly to our higher being. (depending on the intention of the artist, obviously)

14. RCN: What advice would you give to fellow bands?

be yourself and trust yourself....I know it sounds corny but it's true.

15. RCN: What are some of your pet peeves?

Ignorance and Close Mindedness

16. RCN: How does music affect you and the world around you?

Music effects me a lot, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. It has healing attributes that go deeper than any physical medicine I know of..... music is also a reflection of our times....shitty music, shitty times.

17. RCN: What's new in the recording of your music?

Fusion of electronic and Rock music without clicks, Sequenced tracks, overdubs or playing along to a DAT. It's all live.

18. RCN: What are the biggest obstacles for bands?

Themselves

19. RCN: What's the best and worst thing about playing clubs?

Best: the fact of playing live and meeting other bands and people Worst: ten minutes setting up, 30 minutes playing and ten minutes to take the stuff off the stage. How can you possibly get into the zone when you rush like that? Look at our equipment, we are no punk band. I think LA is probably the hardest city to play. Too many bands, too much of everything. People are spoiled and desensitized.

20. RCN: Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there.

At the Troubadour on Friday, July 2nd...with OHM, Depswa and Neurobox. I think we go on first...around 8pm Why: refer to point 8. And check out our music at http://www.revolvemusic.com Thank you!

RCN: Thank you for your insight and time. We'll look forward to hearing your music and seeing your next live show . . . Later gator.

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