Queen City Sounds just gave Evil Gima a wonderful review:

One has to imagine that Evil Gima conceived of the song and video for “IT/AM” in some sort of creative tandem. The sounds themselves suggest spaciousness and texture like the snow and water droplets depicted in the video. The piano figure drifts while plinks of metallic sounds like processed windchimes or stringed instrument plucking and slowly resolving drones convey a languid atmosphere. It’s like the analog of natural processes unfolding like the accumulation of snow depicted in the video as it forms and melts into water and fills into ponds then evaporates and the cycle begins again. It’s a little like an orchestral piece Anthony Braxton might have written around the turn of the 70s if he had access to a robust electronic palette of sounds. That organic improvisational way of arranging noises in abstract, conceptual fashion that made him a rebel then and a style outside orthodox music making that ambient music and abstract free jazz aficionados appreciate now.

Pulling disparate threads of sonic traditions, Evil Gima creates a cinematic experience with the audiovisual project “IT/AM”. In the Jorge Martinez directed video for “IT/AM” the trailing melodies of Evil Gima’s forlorn piano arc across an alive sound palate of evolving drones and mechanical, almost bird-like musicbox percussion. Fans of dark ambient or deconstructed neo-classical music will find a lot in “IT/AM” and Evil Gima’s work to sink into.

(The full review)

Interview by Piper Chen.

Directed by Jorge Martinez:

---

Listen to IT\AM & Evil Gima

Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | iHeartRadio | Deezer | Napster

---

Preorder Alluvion by Evil Gima

---

Advanced Press for Alluvion

“Listening to Evil Gima’s Alluvion is a singular experience. Its implacable currents of sound pull from two worlds. The first is a place mythic and terribly old, an ancient corridor where monsters lurk with the unknowable thing inside you. The other is an echo of our own voices, captured from some unimaginable future; deranged and waiting. It’s the only music I have ever heard that conjures the cosmic terror/wonder of the world unknown.

Evil Gima and Alluvion are a genre unto themselves, a separate universe from the familiar and predictable undulations of horror than can only speak to the surface of things. Alluvion peels you open and seizes that unfathomable reality within... then sets it churning.

Rejoice, human. Music is not dead. And you are called to obliteration.”

— Kirt Bozeman

In 2021, I purchased my first Eurorack synthesizer. The obsession with the quality of analog sound took hold very quickly. This album of sketches and tests came directly from experimenting with the synthesizers on the Eurorack. I doubt I'll ever buy another digital synth plugin again...

Become a subscriber to my Bandcamp and get this album along with more than 30 others

****

Album cover is a public domain photograph of the flutist John Finn, ca 1923. The original is located here: www.loc.gov/resource/musdcmphot.a0169.0

Originally written and recorded in 2005. Dedicated to (and written for) all the servers and bartenders at the now defunct Hickory Street Bar and Grill, Austin, TX. You know who you are.

This concept of the cult of productivity has huge relevance to the world of meetings, gatherings and conferences. And it is at the expense of presence, relationship and connection. It doesn't have to be a dichotomy – an either or – but requires us to reframe that presence, relationship and connection is the work. And the more we can be centred from that concept, instead of the productivity concept, wiser action will flow.

Amanda Fenton - The Cult of Productivity

I sense the world might be more dreamlike, metaphorical, and poetic than we currently believe—but just as irrational as sympathetic magic when looked at in a typically scientific way. I wouldn't be surprised if poetry—poetry in the broadest sense, in the sense of a world filled with metaphor, rhyme, and recurring patterns, shapes, and designs—is how the world works. The world isn't logical, it's a song.

David Byrne

Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | iTunes | Amazon

Deja Vu, a film shot during the first lockdown of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, will be screened on August 12th at 6:30pm at AFS Cinema, 6406 N I-35, Suite 3100, Austin, TX.

Motivate Pictures CEO/Producer Maurice Moore (Austin, TX) and Writer/Director Alex Rios (Barcelona, Spain) risked the unknown to shoot Deja Vu.

Maurice Moore: “Alex showed up in Austin the day that the world’s borders closed. Literally, that day. He was stuck here until we didn't know when. He came over to DP a feature film that I was set to direct that was canceled literally the day he arrived in the states. Because we were in lockdown, we needed a creative outlet. I challenged Alex and myself to come up with an idea that would work in this lockdown world and Deja Vu was the brainchild of Alex.”

After Deja Vu wrapped production, the next challenge was getting Alex Rios back home. Mau- rice Moore: “Because travel was suspended, it was impossible to know when Alex could fly back to Barcelona. After several attempts to book flights over the course of six weeks, ultimately Alex was able to secure a flight back to Barcelona with an exciting and eerie film in the can.”

In the film Deja Vu, it’s not safe to go outside because an anomaly is making people disappear once they leave their homes. Erik (Maurice Moore) and Grey (Olivia Whitney) are plunged head- first into an intense series of events trying to untangle the mystery. Ultimately, Deja Vu is a touching and emotional story of familial love and devotion in the height of a scary situation.

Maurice Moore is excited to showcase Deja Vu and other works: “I’m a stronger more focused artist because COVID19 challenged me emotionally and creatively. Now I’m excited to show that creativity to the world.”

Deja Vu will be screened along with with several other exciting Motivate Pictures projects on August 12th at AFS Cinema.

---

• AFS Cinema is located at 6406 N I-35, Suite 3100, Austin, TX

• The screening starts at 6:30pm.

• Seating for the screening is extremely limited due to COVID19 safety concerns but is free to attend

• Motivate Pictures is an African-American owned film and multi-media company that prides itself on its diversity and creating engaging and dynamic stories

• For more information on Deja Vu go to HTTP://MOTIVATE.PICTURES/

---

Listen to the Soundtrack Here:

Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | iTunes | Amazon

Fetch is the story of a woman who walks into the woods to find her disappeared friend only to meet the Fae, the creatures who guard the wilderness. Fetch was written and directed by Heather Halstead in cooperation with Motivate Pictures., and stars Dana Wing Lau.

The original score for Fetch takes the perspective of a mythical adversary: The fae. It features live-recorded piano, voice, kalimba, big drums, and most notable, a cigar box guitar. Heather Halstead, the director of this film, also came into the studio to record the final melody.

Fetch is a chilling story of mythological creatures taking their anger out on a unsuspecting young woman. The result? Absolute fright and mayhem.

Grande Valley Auction Incident takes a look in the rearview mirror and asks, “Hey, what if the music that was created during ____ and ____ wasn’t actually all that bad?”

Archive Volume Two gathers all interesting instrumentals from 2001 to 2003 and brings them together into one whopping collection.

Bandcamp | iTunes | Apple Music | Amazon

iTunes | Apple Music | Bandcamp | Amazon

Archive Volume One houses 11 songs from my past, recorded somewhere around 2001-2004. I listened heavily to The Red House Painters and Godspeed You Black Emperor.

Gestures, the song in this music video, is part of Archive Volume One by Grande Valley Auction Incident. This album is available for preorder today and will have it’s full release on May 31st, 2021. Oh, and two other GVAI albums are coming on… on the same day. It’s a release bonanza!

I was searching through my old papers this morning when I found something I did nearly ten years ago: I fully transcribed the lyrics, the melodies, and the syllabic stress of Bon Iver’s masterpiece For Emma, Forever Ago.

If you want all of these transcriptions, follow me on Bandcamp. Here are the first three:

The Shikes is an American band and a brainchild of Austin, Texas based musician Dave Wirth. Wirth is known for his work as a film composer, producer and writer, in addition to his work across many different spectrums of music. Today we take a listen to The Shikes’ recently released mini-album, Aggression, as well as share our interview with the exceptional Dave Wirth!

Aggression features songs that contain tasteful use of synthesizer and plenty of pop sensibility. The album kicks off with “It’s Gone A Spring Song”, which displays some very strong noise pop in both its intro and outro; this reminds me of the kind of stuff No Age is known for. When it comes to the track’s vocal mixing, expert use of delay and perhaps a bit of distortion makes the vocals feel somewhat otherworldly, though the lyrics are certainly of this Earth, making for an interesting combination that enhances the melody and kept this song kicking around my head for a few days after initially listening.

Next up is “Sit, Think, Make, Say, Do”. This track has an exceptionally bright and airy sound quality to it, really displaying an incredible and entertaining mixture of synth and pop work that is easily enjoyable. That said, the lyrics hold darker overtones involving fear and exploitation, giving this song unique contrasting elements that, while making the song darker in nature than at first glance, give it all the more appeal once you read in between the lines.

“Trouble In The Height Of Spring” is up third, closing out Aggression. In terms of pop masterpieces, this track feels as though it was written to be one, truly capturing a dreamy use of synthesizer while also coming through like a masterclass in melody. As the track progresses, more noise pop elements come through, distorting its initially airy nature, begging the question: is this more a dream or nightmare? The lyrics manage to match the mysterious dark nature that begins to seep through as well. This dark/noise pop approach is delightful and easily found throughout Aggression in a few different forms, really encouraging you to listen close to the lyrics being sang while enjoying the synth-y ride.

Now let’s jump into the interview with Dave Wirth!

Dave Wirth, mastermind behind The Shikes and Aggression

Thank you for being with us today!

"Very happy to be here! Thank you."

I am completely unfamiliar with the word "Shike" is. Can you tell us how you got your name and what it means?

"Heh, that's funny. I haven't thought of that in years. Originally, I just liked how explosive the sound was. I thought it was super intense and it fit the music really well. After doing a bit of research, the word 'Shike' could also be short for 'Shikker,' which is a slang word used in in Australia at around 1910 or so that means drunkard. It's really anybody's guess."

Can you share some of your influences and how their sounds find their way into your music?

"I guess Belle and Sebastian was a big one for this record. I was definitely fascinated with how poppy their music can sound and how dark the lyrics were. I wondered if I could do that, so I really dug into that idea. The music ended up turning out quite a bit different of course, and that's okay."

Your music seems to have a lot of moving parts in terms of its instrumentation, weaving some complex textures. Would you mind walking us through your writing process?

"A friend of mine had this amazing Gibson hollow body guitar from the 1940's, and he graciously allowed me to take it home and write with it. Songs kinda came out of the guitar without me intending to. I often like to record something really simple and then mess it up later by replacing the simple part with something more intense. All of the songs started with the one Gibson hollow body, and from there it came together. Then it was years of me tinkering, putting the right sounds here and there, remixing it and making it sound interesting to my ears."

How has the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on your band? Do you have any upcoming plans to stream live performances or anything in the works for after the pandemic subsides?

"COVID19 hasn't been too big a deal for me. Since I don't really perform (I love being in the studio far more), it didn't cramp on my style. If anything, COVID19 gave me a chance to release this record, which btw, these songs were written in 2004, recorded in 2004 or so, mixed in 2013, and then I did the remastering of it in 2020. And, no plans for live streaming! Maybe if people really wanted to see me perform, but I'm very happy just releasing records and calling it a day."

Your new mini-album "Aggression" mixes noise pop elements with some really synthesizer, which combined reminds me of some of my favorite bands like The Postal Service, No Age and Say Hi. What were your goals when writing and recording this album? How do you feel you achieved them?

"Oh wow, I haven't checked out those bands! Now I have to! My only goal when writing, recording, anything, is to use the tools to create a song that lives on it's own. All I want to feel when it's done is that it feels mysterious, out there, and it's a bit like a beast looking back at me. I think Paul Klee once said that he knew when a painting was done by whether or not it looked back at him. If a song lives and breathes on it's own, I'm happy."

Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know?

"One thing: Support the blog owner. Donate to him. Advertise on his site. He's a good guy."

Thank you so much for your time!

After our interview with Dave Wirth, many elements of this mini-album become a bit more clear. For me, at its core, Aggression is a display of duality; its sounds are mostly innocent, bright, airy and simply an absolute delight to listen to while the lyrics come from a somewhat darker place that make you think and those moments when the music shifts are absolutely incredible. It is through this duality that we find true art in this album from a dedicated and skilled artist. Check out Aggression on Bandcamp (also embedded below), The Shikes’ website and Distrokid. You can also learn more about Dave Wirth and his many projects through his website. Thank you for reading!

I Won't Untie The Knots was influenced highly by Arcade Fire's second record Funeral and the strange but accessible melodies heard in Band Of Horses in their first two records. Lyrically, it's an expressionistic and blurry impression of modern life filled with the intimate dread of personal responsibility.

This song was originally created in a fit of passion in a random building in South Austin. Interestingly, the drums were not played to a click track. There are around 20 guitars overlaid throughout this recording. Some electric, some acoustic. Piano, and even mountain dulcimer.