Music Pictureplane and HEALTH: The Epic Skype Interview

July 12, 2011 - 10:57 am

Pictureplane_HEALTH_Skype

Ever since he dropped his Dark Rift debut two summers ago, Travis Egedy (a.k.a. Pictureplane, that dude on the right with the devious grin) has been the poster child of an electronic art-punk movement that’s as visually stunning as it is aurally otherworldly. Tapping into mix of DIY psychedelia and classic rave fundamentals, Egedy music is headphone candy for sure, but as Pictureplane’s numerous remixes and mixtapes have proven, the boy can pack in some serious bounce. For his latest album, Egedy enlisted the help of label mate and friend Jupiter Keyes—percussionist, guitarist and general all-purpose noisemaker in LA’s HEALTH—to inject a little more juice into his lo-fi sound. Thee Physical is the fruit of their collective labor, and moving swiftly up the charts on our 2011 Best Of board on the power of sexjams like “Black Nails,” “Trancegender” and “Real Is A Feeling,” a title track to the club night he throws at his studio/home/utopia Rhinoceropolis.

We wanted to know more about how Egedy and Keyes brewed up this evil concoction, which you can stream in its entirety here, but rather than jump on a quick call or pop over for a cup of sugar and some light banter, ChinaShop jumped face first into an epic Skype three-way with Egedy and his producing partner. What transpired was a 45-minute interview— featuring questions provided by Keyes—that will most definitely not win any awards for excellence in journalism, but might make you pee in your pants a little. Check it out after the jump

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Gallery Music HEALTH: Time for your Medicine

April 28, 2011 - 9:52 am

Between Death From Above 1979, the Bloody Beetroots, Lightning Bolt and Green Velvet, you knew the forecast for Coachella Day Three was going to be mostly heavy with an 80% chance of mosh. One of the bands most responsible for that late afternoon deluge of noise was LA rockers HEALTH, who decimated the Mojave Tent with a 14+ song set that included hits like “Die Slow,” “USA Boys” and “Crimewave,” in addition to underground favorites like “Zoothorns” and a cover of Pictureplane’s “Goth Star.” If you’ve never seen HEALTH live, you’re missing out, though your hearing is probably more intact than mine. These guys thrash around on stage like deep water fish on the end of a long line of 50-pound test, and they don’t play their instruments as much as abuse them. (The photo gallery tells the story.) They’re currently writing material for a new record—the follow-up to 2009’s Get Color—so we caught up with bassist John Famiglietti after their Coachella set to find out more.

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Gallery Music COACHELLA: DAY 3 RECAP

April 20, 2011 - 1:59 pm

Friday you have boundless energy. Saturday you’re crisp from the sun and mildly hoarse, but you’ve still got your legs underneath you. Sunday, however, is when the battle is won or lost; when true heroes are made (or broken) on the grassy proving ground of the Indio desert. It’s Day Three. Do you know where you parked your car?

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Review How do You Walk the Labyrinth?

August 4, 2010 - 10:01 am

Spiritual Gardens

Traffic, work, bosses, finances, family…there are lots of things in life that you need an escape from every now and then.  Everyone has their own ingredient for recovery: yoga, a vacation, a tall glass of wine, several shots of vodka, a walk on the beach… we are all very familiar with our options here, but have you ever considered walking a labyrinth as a form of rejuvenation?

Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens is a spiritual oasis within the city limits of Los Angeles that offers a daytime retreat for people that are looking to get away from all those things you’d love to get away from.  I popped in for a tour of the gardens, which are tucked behind the gates of a historic mansion dating back to the 1900’s, acting currently as a church of the movement of spiritual awareness.  In a nutshell, the grounds are dedicated to meditation and when you walk outside, you’ll understand why.

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Music HEALTH check

November 10, 2009 - 12:39 pm

HEALTH Group Photo

Heavily-distorted Fender guitars with the obligatory amp feedback–check. A layered, piercing synth sound, drenched in layers of haunting, spectral vocals and what can only be described as variations on the sound of white noise–affirmative. Though Los Angeles’ HEALTH might bill themselves as a(nother) noise rock band, it’s a moniker that could also prove that the band is selling themselves short: instead of copy-catting today’s trends, HEALTH digs deep into the abyss of often-overlooked pioneers from the days of yore. And while they have the dexterity to harken back to the beats of D.C. pioneers Fugazi and maybe a touch of Sonic Youth, they still aren’t above embracing the dance sounds of today’s latest and greatest in dance and hip-hop, the chaotic chords of The Mars Volta, or even the 8-bit blips and beeps of your old Nintendo Entertainment System.

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