Alison Wonderland knows how to get people on the dance floor, which is part of the reason her video is this week’s Flawless Friday Video. She’s been an electronic producer/DJ for quite some time. If you want to have your own dance party, check out Alison Wonderland’s video for “Forever.”
So I guess this is my first interview with The Keplerians, beings from Kepler-425b. They are exploring planet Earth and making music. The Keplerians have an album, “Spaceship Earth,” available on Earth in all of the usual places.
Please welcome The Keplerians to the blog and also to the planet.
Interview:
Where was your first concert as a fan? As a performer?
We discovered this both beautiful and magical Human creation called “music” only when we stepped foot on Earth for the first time, just a few months ago. We immediately fell in love with it and spent all our available resources to learn how to produce it. Only later did we realize that earthlings seem to have a special love to mix the experience of listening to music with social gatherings in large numbers. That was when we learned the word “concert”. So answering the question, we haven’t gone in person to a live music presentation yet, but we’ve been watching a lot of videos on your earthling internet. We did, however, play our first live music presentation (aka. Concert) directly from our spaceship. We played the 4 tracks from our first EP “Casa” to all earthlings that wanted to listen and we left it available on your online platform named “YouTube”.
Do you have a bucketlist? If so, what’s on it?
Well, as we just arrived on this planet… our bucket list is enormous! So, we’ll just name one of our bucket list items – getting in touch with Human beings from all different geographical locations, and to learn as much as we can about them. We find it fascinating how such a small planet has such an immense variety of cultures, and we believe that understanding more of each one of these cultures would bring us more kindness, tolerance and knowledge. We feel that a lot of grief could be saved if earthlings would do the same and get to deeply know more about each other. We will try to express this through the music we create, just like we did in our latest EP “Spaceship Earth” when we quoted Marshall McLuhan: “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.”
What was the last thing that you read?
“Our house is on fire” by an Earthling named Greta Thunberg, who knows that one being can make a difference. It actually inspired us during the creation of our track “Final Frontier” from our latest EP “Spaceship Earth”, in which we say “The world is on fire” in several different world languages. This planet really is on fire, and we hope we can help to spread awareness to this problem.
What are you listening to at the moment?
As outsiders to this beautiful planet, we have so much music to discover… we can’t possibly name one example only yet. And also, sometimes we just sit down in silence and appreciate the sound of this amazing planet Earth…
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
Well, we don’t know if we are actually “musicians”… we create music and we’re enjoying that process for sure. We want to explore it as much as we can for the time being. But that is just a dimension of what we are and what we do. If the question is related with activities on Earth we’d like to do if we were not exploring music at the moment, then we would probably dedicate ourselves to spread the messages that we already do using our music, such as raising awareness to the Earth’s conservation, spreading positive and hopeful messages, protect and cherish all the fauna and flora, the list goes on and on… but above all, we would be reminding Humans that they should love and take care of the beautiful planet they have. Just like our track “Beautiful Sphere” says!
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
For our next music releases, we are planning on trying to incorporate earthling musicians from different places of the globe, and to bring more cultural exchanges into the mix! We need time to search among millions of musicians in the world to give an answer for now.
What do you want people to know about your music?
From our short experience on Earth, so far we can tell that Humans seem to achieve truly extraordinary things, especially when they feel encouraged and energized. That’s why we decided to create music filled with energy and hope. We would love that people would gather together dancing to our music, while incorporating its core messages. To make earthlings dance while they strive for a better world, making a difference one small change at a time – that’s it.
I would be willing to bet that I have heard Attrition’s music while the horror channel is streaming in the middle of the night. They have done soundtracks for horror films and other movie shorts. Their music is dark industrial electronic so it’s a perfect fit for a horror movie soundtrack. Apparently, I go to sleep watching British castle documentaries and wake up with Attrition. So since we are awake, let’s learn more about Attrition. Please welcome Martin Bowes of Attrition to the blog!
Who is answering the questions? Martin Bowes
Band/Artist Name: ATTRITION
Tell us about your latest project: As part of our 40th anniversary, we have just had released a vinyl and digital collection spanning ATTRITION’s mid-period…. “A Great Desire (1986 – 2004)” features 10 tracks, many of which have never been released on vinyl before… it’s out on US label Sleepers Records in LA. Listen to it on our bandcamp page here: https://attritionuk.bandcamp.com/album/a-great-desire-1986-2004
Where was your first concert as a fan? As a performer? the first show I ever went to was The Stranglers in June 1977… Punk had changed my life.
It inspired me to create my own music but first I started a music fanzine, Alternative Sounds, which ran from 1979–81, talking about the local scene here in Coventry in the main but expanding on that later…
I finally started the band in late 1980. We played our first show on the day John Lennon was shot, December 8th, 1980. We played bottom of the bill at a new bands festival at The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.
What is the secret to writing good music? I would say don’t think about it… just do whatever comes from your heart. If you are dedicated enough the skills will come along as you work on your music. Then there is the business side to think about!
Do you have a bucketlist? If so, what’s on it? I have toured a lot of the world with ATTRITION and recorded and worked with many people over the years. There are always places I want to play and people to meet there. Travel is so important. After the crash from covid I am so pleased to be playing again. We have done a few UK shows recently and are planning tours in places like South America and Australia…a lot of these will be firsts for me, so yeah more from that bucket list!
What was the last thing that you read? Actually, it was a technical manual on using the ARP 2600, an amazing semi modular synth that I recently acquired for my studio!
What are you listening to at the moment? I work here every day in my music studio, The Cage, producing and mastering bands from all over the world. So I get to hear so much music, often independent and often very good. There is so much out there that it can be hard to keep up at times!
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing? I started out as an artist with painting and sculpture… was at art school back in the day, so I think I would go back to that.
I have used that recently as during lockdown when we couldn’t tour I decided to start making my own video. It has been an interesting ride. This is the first video I made, last year, for a single from our upcoming album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-yAqSkzybE The album will be called “The Black Maria” and will be with us by the end of this year.
What do you want people to know about your music? We have released a lot of albums over the years, including some film soundtracks (almost all of them horror films or shorts) always a mix of experimental electronics and vocals and more traditional instruments in guitar, violins, cellos, piano. We have been on an amazing journey and look forward to seeing where it takes us next. For a cross-section of our history do check out our “best of” from 2015, “In Dark Dreams.”
Ukrainian-based electronic project 6th Crowd presents a new single, “Sokolonko,” from the album Step. Dari Maksymova was working on the album when the Ukraine was invaded. Thankfully, she is currently safe in Europe.
“This is a Ukrainian song from Donbas, my dear home region, which Russia is tearing apart right now. I didn’t know if I’d have a chance to do it later. In my research, as I learned more about folk Ukrainian music, I noticed that modern culture has plenty of references to music from western and central parts of my country, but nothing from the east. Nothing from my home. Culturally it simply didn’t exist.
So I decided I wanted to change that balance and bring songs from East Ukraine back to life, to remind myself and everyone that Donbas is a historical part of Ukraine, no matter how badly Putin wants to destroy it,” says Dari Maksymova of 6th Crowd.
You can support 6TH CROWD by downloading this single, available via Bandcampand Apple Music, who will donate proceeds to Vostok SOS. Vostok SOS’s humanitarian campaign includes helping people evacuate and providing humanitarian aid and psychosocial support, with hotlines for affected people and a team on the ground in the region, coordinating aid.
Bleeding Raven, an aggrotech/dark tek project, is the next featured artist on the blog. From what I understand, aggrotech is electronic/industrial music but with a grittier and darker sound.
As we are winding down the new year interview segment, let’s hear what Bleeding Raven has to say.
I found the remote control finally. I was wondering why I was so constipated all the time. Hahahahaha Ok, I’m guessing you want a serious answer? The best thing? Well, it was a nasty ass year on many fronts so let’s just say, I am grateful I got through it and I am grateful for the many people I love starting with my parents. ☺
What are you looking forward to in 2020?
God. I don’t know. Not becoming sane so that I don’t have to experience losing it again. Hahahahaha Look, I’m a darkwave/Goth/Aggortech/Dungeon Trash artist, you don’t really expect me to come up with fluffy answers do you? Hahahahahha Ok ok. So, I hope to finally break through somehow. “Break on through to the other side…break on through to the other side…break on through to the other side –yeah…” Sorry. Had a Morrison moment. Hahahahahaha Yeah, I hope I get more exposure in the industry. I said…get expsosure…not expose myself…hahahahahahaha
0_0 Don’t look at me like that.
Where was your first concert as a fan? As a performer?
Gary Numan. I don’t do live gigs. Well…I do private gigs for the local squirrels but that’s our secret ok? 😉
hahahahahahahaha
Do you think that there’s an alternate reality? If so, what is the alternate you doing?
Eh?! Hahahahaha Um. The long and the short of it…as goofy as I am, I don’t believe there is an ‘alternate’ reality’. I mean, I am not saying there is no God, or the spiritual realm etc. because I DO believe that…but THAT is just a part of reality. Spirit, mind and body and dark chocolate. Hahahahaha That said, I am not into the whole aliens thing. Not saying there are no other forms of life on other planets…I just don’t believe there are aliens like in Star Wars etc. That stuff is only real in our imaginations. So, if the question alludes to aliens…I’m a no on that. I believe in God but I also believe in evolution and religion should never shy away from whatever science shows us. How is that?
New Year’s Resolutions. Yay or Nay?
No. I don’t partake of that tradition. I mean, every day I wake up and I say… “fuck this man…” hahahahaha… No. Every day I wake up and I face the day as best as I can. That’s it. One day at a time.
What have been the best musical holiday moments in your life?
Hunh? Is it Christmas again already? Hahahahahaha Ok, truthfully, for me, hearing the classic Christmas hymns like “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night” are very important to me. I usually hear these at a night Mass on Christmas Eve. But I do like Stevie Nick’s version of “Silent Night” and I LOVE Elvis’ “Blue Christmas”. Ok…sue me…how terrible for a darkwave musician to like that stuff. hahahahahaha
Favorite holiday song?
Silent Night. Work with me here…hahahahahaha
Least favorite holiday song?
I love Madonna. I respect Madonna. Madonna is a genius. But I HATE her “Santa Baby” song. I prefer “Justify My Love”. And actually, I remember listening to that song one year in university during the holiday season and it will always be a fond memory. (what I can remember… hahahahahahaha)
What do you want people to know about your music?
Wear a hazmat suit and take tranquilizers before listening to this dungeon trash. Hahahahahaha. Ok. Seriously…it’s just my attempt at doing art. That’s it. My art is intense, it is dark and it is weird but it’s genuine. The lyrics are the most important aspect of the music for me. If you’re looking for a love song or a sex song…I don’t serve that up. Look up Justin Bieber or KISS or Poison. My music isn’t about “conjuring up bad spirits and being as evil as possible”. You want that, look up Cradle of Filth or Mayhem or watch the news about politics. My music is about the inner struggle and much of that struggle is in relation to the big questions and yes…the experience of darkness…as in…depression…addiction…war…oppression…deception. Then there are the disco squirrels but…that’s another story… hahahahahahaha
Get excited because Elliot Moss will be releasing an album, “A Change in Diet,” on January 17, 2020. It will be released just in time for a new year, new you and all of that. There’s a month to watch the videos for “July 4” and “Barricade” while you are waiting for the album.
Moss writes and performs electronic music but not the kind that will get on your nerves. Think of it as electronic music with a heart and soul. My personal favorite songs on the album are “Barricade” and “Untroubled Mind.”
The music reminds me of some dubstep/electronic music that I have heard at music festivals. I miss going to hear music at festivals, just not a fan of the outdoor elements. However, I would weather most storms in order to hear Elliot Moss. He has the right mix of everything that is good – good vocals, good lyrics and good melodies.
Moss is from New York and still lives there. He’s going to be on tour so maybe you can catch up with him in a town near you.
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I want to listen to this album everywhere. Driving in the city. Dancing around the house. Bike rides. Hiking trails. Coffeehouses. Everywhere.