Koban

Local post-punk duo Koban are like a walk down an East Van alley: sometimes it’s too dark to see all the action and the feeling is uneasy, but after some time spent exploring you might feel right at home. The band expertly plays off Vancouver’s innate contrast of light and grey, beauty and dirt, to create a dark sound with compassion. As a band that has played around town for years, they’re looking to expand their contribution to the local dynamic with a new full-length, Null, due by April and a brand new collective jam space to call home. The new space is a joint reincarnation from the remains of Red Gates and ROYGBIV — two recent DIY casualties of city development and restrictions — and should become a hub for creative endeavours and support. They’re excited about the new experience and appreciative of the opportunity: “The collective space is essential to the development of our songs. When you are surrounded by talented people working on cool projects, it’s a reminder to push forward and try new things.”

The struggling, sometimes bleak DIY environment can also be a metaphor for the chilling sound Koban has created on Null: “We have yet to practice anywhere with windows or heat…a lot of time being annoyed, cold, and pissed off gives us more content.”

The direction of Null was cultivated over about a year, with the finished result complimented by the efforts of label the broadway to boundary, recording at Fader Mountain, and mastering at the Noise Floor. The record is Brittany Westgarth’s bass along with Sam Buss’s guitar, held together with a mechanical drum machine and ripped apart by screeching instruments and spine-tingling vocals. It’s complex but hypnotic, a balance of mood and skill with the nerve to push some buttons. “If your heart doesn’t hurt by the end then something isn’t right.”

The ten songs on Null were created organically and for the record — “we write what feels good in the moment and what is interesting to play,” they say – but evoke equal effect in a live setting. They’ve been able to exercise the live translation on a March tour down the West Coast and into Texas, joining forces with peers Lié Lié Lié and various other host bands.

Upon their return to Vancouver, expect a record release show and some new merch, along with online and local distribution of Null. They’re also hoping to play some summer festivals and eventually head out East on another tour. With this ambitious master plan, Koban might quite possibly emerge as the perfect image for East Van’s friendly fringe.
- Beatroute

Local post-punk duo Koban are like a walk down an East Van alley: sometimes it’s too dark to see all the action and the feeling is uneasy, but after some time spent exploring you might feel right at home. The band expertly plays off Vancouver’s innate contrast of light and grey, beauty and dirt, to create a dark sound with compassion. As a band that has played around town for years, they’re looking to expand their contribution to the local dynamic with a new full-length, Null, due by April and a brand new collective jam space to call home. The new space is a joint reincarnation from the remains of Red Gates and ROYGBIV — two recent DIY casualties of city development and restrictions — and should become a hub for creative endeavours and support. They’re excited about the new experience and appreciative of the opportunity: “The collective space is essential to the development of our songs. When you are surrounded by talented people working on cool projects, it’s a reminder to push forward and try new things.”

The struggling, sometimes bleak DIY environment can also be a metaphor for the chilling sound Koban has created on Null: “We have yet to practice anywhere with windows or heat…a lot of time being annoyed, cold, and pissed off gives us more content.”

The direction of Null was cultivated over about a year, with the finished result complimented by the efforts of label the broadway to boundary, recording at Fader Mountain, and mastering at the Noise Floor. The record is Brittany Westgarth’s bass along with Sam Buss’s guitar, held together with a mechanical drum machine and ripped apart by screeching instruments and spine-tingling vocals. It’s complex but hypnotic, a balance of mood and skill with the nerve to push some buttons. “If your heart doesn’t hurt by the end then something isn’t right.”

The ten songs on Null were created organically and for the record — “we write what feels good in the moment and what is interesting to play,” they say – but evoke equal effect in a live setting. They’ve been able to exercise the live translation on a March tour down the West Coast and into Texas, joining forces with peers Lié Lié Lié and various other host bands.

Upon their return to Vancouver, expect a record release show and some new merch, along with online and local distribution of Null. They’re also hoping to play some summer festivals and eventually head out East on another tour. With this ambitious master plan, Koban might quite possibly emerge as the perfect image for East Van’s friendly fringe.
- Beatroute

...By the time headliner Koban finally plugged in, it was nearing 1 in the morning, and some of the fans had already headed home. Those who stuck around had their patience rewarded, and the duo conjured up a drone of threatening feedback to accompany the spoken samples of “Absolute Minimum”, the opening cut from the recent null LP.

Next, the pair tore into a string of ferociously infectious postpunk smashers. Guitarist Sam Buss cued up mechanical beats from a laptop before hunching over double and coaxing waves of distortion from his axe, while bassist Brittany Westgarth banged her head and tossed her hair along with the nightmarish rhythms. Their dual vocals were doused in reverb, with the shouts buried beneath waves of shrieking fuzz.

Koban didn’t go about its gothic aesthetic halfheartedly, and the few lyrics that rose above the glorious din were every bit as unsettling as the punishing tunes. Take, for example, the scorching “Down in the Well”, which closed the brief set and was replete with references to bleeding and suffering. The musicians even looked the part, since Westgarth wore dark lipstick, and her denim shorts were the only non-black item of clothing between them.

Then again, the set wasn’t entirely made up of creepy vibes: Westgarth flashed a couple of wide smiles between songs, reminding us that, given the right mood, even the most chilling of sonic assaults can make for fun summer listening. - Georgia Straight

...By the time headliner Koban finally plugged in, it was nearing 1 in the morning, and some of the fans had already headed home. Those who stuck around had their patience rewarded, and the duo conjured up a drone of threatening feedback to accompany the spoken samples of “Absolute Minimum”, the opening cut from the recent null LP.

Next, the pair tore into a string of ferociously infectious postpunk smashers. Guitarist Sam Buss cued up mechanical beats from a laptop before hunching over double and coaxing waves of distortion from his axe, while bassist Brittany Westgarth banged her head and tossed her hair along with the nightmarish rhythms. Their dual vocals were doused in reverb, with the shouts buried beneath waves of shrieking fuzz.

Koban didn’t go about its gothic aesthetic halfheartedly, and the few lyrics that rose above the glorious din were every bit as unsettling as the punishing tunes. Take, for example, the scorching “Down in the Well”, which closed the brief set and was replete with references to bleeding and suffering. The musicians even looked the part, since Westgarth wore dark lipstick, and her denim shorts were the only non-black item of clothing between them.

Then again, the set wasn’t entirely made up of creepy vibes: Westgarth flashed a couple of wide smiles between songs, reminding us that, given the right mood, even the most chilling of sonic assaults can make for fun summer listening. - Georgia Straight

NULL, THE DEBUT LP by goth-laced postpunk duo Koban, is like a lonely stroll on a frostbitten, coffin-black night: slightly spine-chilling, darkly mesmerizing, and deliciously mopey. It’s a pleasant surprise, then, that bassist Brittany Westgarth makes such a chipper interviewee. The only explanation is that she and guitarist Sam Buss trade off both vocal and brooding duties in the band..."
- Georgia Straight

NULL, THE DEBUT LP by goth-laced postpunk duo Koban, is like a lonely stroll on a frostbitten, coffin-black night: slightly spine-chilling, darkly mesmerizing, and deliciously mopey. It’s a pleasant surprise, then, that bassist Brittany Westgarth makes such a chipper interviewee. The only explanation is that she and guitarist Sam Buss trade off both vocal and brooding duties in the band..."
- Georgia Straight

"Drawing inspiration from the golden years of gothic music (we’re talking 1986, not 300 CE), Koban’s drum-machine drones recall a time when bands weren’t afraid to experiment with the boundaries between art and pop music." - Sled Island

"Drawing inspiration from the golden years of gothic music (we’re talking 1986, not 300 CE), Koban’s drum-machine drones recall a time when bands weren’t afraid to experiment with the boundaries between art and pop music." - Sled Island

"A Revelation of 2013 if you like inspired Cold Post-Punk : Koban
The Debut album "Null" of this subtle noir duo from Vancouver is strongly recommended !" - Dark Divine Magazine

"A Revelation of 2013 if you like inspired Cold Post-Punk : Koban
The Debut album "Null" of this subtle noir duo from Vancouver is strongly recommended !" - Dark Divine Magazine

Top ten for:

Fred Schrunk
FUTURE VIRGINS-Western Problems-LP
CRIATURAS-Oscuridad Eterna-LP
HYSTERICS-Arm Candy-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
KOBAN-Solid Gold-EP
HYSTERESE-Hysterese-LP
CAROLEE-EP1-LP
TERRIBLE FEELINGS-Blank Heads-EP
SCEPTRES-Childsplay/Job Centre Plus-EP
LONG PIGS-Cut Off-EP

AND

Martin Sorrondeguy

CRIATURAS-LP / SPEED KILLS-Como o Fogo-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
KOBAN-Solid Gold-EP
JESUS H BOMBS-Life of a Fly-EP
WHITE CRIME-End of Change-EP
BROWN SUGAR-Tropical Disease-EP
G.A.S.H./CLEANSING WAVE-split EP
LONG PIGS-Cut Off-EP
WARNING//WARNING-There’s Nothing Left-LP
REPLICA / DISPLEASURE / PERMANENT RUIN-live - Maximum Rocknroll

Top ten for:

Fred Schrunk
FUTURE VIRGINS-Western Problems-LP
CRIATURAS-Oscuridad Eterna-LP
HYSTERICS-Arm Candy-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
KOBAN-Solid Gold-EP
HYSTERESE-Hysterese-LP
CAROLEE-EP1-LP
TERRIBLE FEELINGS-Blank Heads-EP
SCEPTRES-Childsplay/Job Centre Plus-EP
LONG PIGS-Cut Off-EP

AND

Martin Sorrondeguy

CRIATURAS-LP / SPEED KILLS-Como o Fogo-EP
MARIA T-TA Y EL EMPUJÓN BRUTAL-EP
KOBAN-Solid Gold-EP
JESUS H BOMBS-Life of a Fly-EP
WHITE CRIME-End of Change-EP
BROWN SUGAR-Tropical Disease-EP
G.A.S.H./CLEANSING WAVE-split EP
LONG PIGS-Cut Off-EP
WARNING//WARNING-There’s Nothing Left-LP
REPLICA / DISPLEASURE / PERMANENT RUIN-live - Maximum Rocknroll

By Gregory Adams
Vancouver dark-wave duo Koban formally introduced themselves with their Solid Gold EP in 2011, but the gloomy crew will hit back with a fuller attack in the form of a full-length debut titled Null. The LP is set to drop March 26 through hometown label the Broadway to Boundary.

The upcoming 10-song effort from the self-described "duo of coldest clinical hearts" was primarily engineered by Natasha Reich at Vancouver's Fader Master, though album track "Not Broken" was recorded by the band, who also served as producers for the outing. Mastering duties were left to Jordan Koop at Noise Floor Studios in Ladysmith, BC.

The album arrives in a limited-edition vinyl pressing of 500 copies, with most appearing on black wax and a small amount on "grey cinderblock." The LP will also come with a download code.

You can sample the first three tracks of Null now via Broadway to Boundary's Bandcamp page.

Koban will support the impending set with a run of U.S. dates with fellow VanCity post-punkers Lie. You can check the dates down below.

Null:

1. Absolute Minimum
2. Down in the Well
3. L'ombre
4. We March
5. Re-entry
6. Montagne
7. Caesar
8. Walk Walk Walk
9. Not Broken
10. Next Time We Speak

Tour dates:

3/5 Seattle, WA - Kati J's *
3/6 Portland, OR - The Know*
3/7 San Francisco, CA - DNA Loft*
3/8 San Jose, CA - Chromatic Coffee*
3/9 Oakland, CA - Moco Gallery*
3/11 Phoenix, AZ - Vatican City Mall*
3/12 Tucson, AZ - Topaz*
3/13 Austin, TX - Continental Club*
3/16 Austin, TX - Wardenclyff Gallery*
3/20 Sacramento, CA - Axewave Manor*
3/22 Seattle, WA - Heartland Gallery*
3/23 Bellingham, WA - The Cabin*

* with Lie - Exclaim.ca

By Gregory Adams
Vancouver dark-wave duo Koban formally introduced themselves with their Solid Gold EP in 2011, but the gloomy crew will hit back with a fuller attack in the form of a full-length debut titled Null. The LP is set to drop March 26 through hometown label the Broadway to Boundary.

The upcoming 10-song effort from the self-described "duo of coldest clinical hearts" was primarily engineered by Natasha Reich at Vancouver's Fader Master, though album track "Not Broken" was recorded by the band, who also served as producers for the outing. Mastering duties were left to Jordan Koop at Noise Floor Studios in Ladysmith, BC.

The album arrives in a limited-edition vinyl pressing of 500 copies, with most appearing on black wax and a small amount on "grey cinderblock." The LP will also come with a download code.

You can sample the first three tracks of Null now via Broadway to Boundary's Bandcamp page.

Koban will support the impending set with a run of U.S. dates with fellow VanCity post-punkers Lie. You can check the dates down below.

Null:

1. Absolute Minimum
2. Down in the Well
3. L'ombre
4. We March
5. Re-entry
6. Montagne
7. Caesar
8. Walk Walk Walk
9. Not Broken
10. Next Time We Speak

Tour dates:

3/5 Seattle, WA - Kati J's *
3/6 Portland, OR - The Know*
3/7 San Francisco, CA - DNA Loft*
3/8 San Jose, CA - Chromatic Coffee*
3/9 Oakland, CA - Moco Gallery*
3/11 Phoenix, AZ - Vatican City Mall*
3/12 Tucson, AZ - Topaz*
3/13 Austin, TX - Continental Club*
3/16 Austin, TX - Wardenclyff Gallery*
3/20 Sacramento, CA - Axewave Manor*
3/22 Seattle, WA - Heartland Gallery*
3/23 Bellingham, WA - The Cabin*

* with Lie - Exclaim.ca

Plenty of great local action to report on this week. First up is the long awaited (at least around these parts) seven inch by the two-piece Koban. The duo combine Joy Division-esque guitar lines of misery with thumping bass and super simple drum machine beats. Sam's vocals are at the right level of buried and distorted, just enough to mask them but clear enough to hear the lyrics. He usually sounds like he's singing from the back of the room, while Brittany's vocals are up front, very clear and act as an excellent counterpoint. The band have really come into their own as a live act since forming in 2008 as Manta Ray Gun and are surprisingly entertaining to watch live, which is kinda rare for a duo with their minimalist tendencies. You can catch them live twice this weekend--Friday will see them at the Lion's Den for their seven inch release party and they'll be opening up for NYC's Silk Flowers at the Anza Club on Saturday. - Pop Drones

Plenty of great local action to report on this week. First up is the long awaited (at least around these parts) seven inch by the two-piece Koban. The duo combine Joy Division-esque guitar lines of misery with thumping bass and super simple drum machine beats. Sam's vocals are at the right level of buried and distorted, just enough to mask them but clear enough to hear the lyrics. He usually sounds like he's singing from the back of the room, while Brittany's vocals are up front, very clear and act as an excellent counterpoint. The band have really come into their own as a live act since forming in 2008 as Manta Ray Gun and are surprisingly entertaining to watch live, which is kinda rare for a duo with their minimalist tendencies. You can catch them live twice this weekend--Friday will see them at the Lion's Den for their seven inch release party and they'll be opening up for NYC's Silk Flowers at the Anza Club on Saturday. - Pop Drones

KOBAN:
Solid Gold: EP
Such a great record! Four songs of post punk/goth that captivates from the first listen. It’s bass and guitar driven, with the vocals sitting just underneath the drum machine that keeps time; dark and cold with a little bit of warmth from the bass. The approach is minimal, very much like Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures (but more jagged), then there’s some contemporary references to be thrown about. Blank Dogs comes to mind. However, Koban is not a tepid knockoff band. They are certainly shaping their own style. Although, the beat of “Solid Gold” reminds me of This Mortal Coil’s “The Last Ray,” just played faster. Other than that, the guitar is screaming and ringing out, while the bass is ever so cool. The way the guitar comes out of the darkness in the opening of “Turn Him On” is fantastic. The vocals from Brittany Westgarth sends it over the edge. I play this record over and over, wishing it would never end. I’m of the opinion that if you don’t have this record you’re really missing out and making a mistake. Correct it while you can. An “absolutely must own” record. –Matt Average (The Broadway To Boundary, thebroadwaytoboundary.com) - Razorcake

KOBAN:
Solid Gold: EP
Such a great record! Four songs of post punk/goth that captivates from the first listen. It’s bass and guitar driven, with the vocals sitting just underneath the drum machine that keeps time; dark and cold with a little bit of warmth from the bass. The approach is minimal, very much like Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures (but more jagged), then there’s some contemporary references to be thrown about. Blank Dogs comes to mind. However, Koban is not a tepid knockoff band. They are certainly shaping their own style. Although, the beat of “Solid Gold” reminds me of This Mortal Coil’s “The Last Ray,” just played faster. Other than that, the guitar is screaming and ringing out, while the bass is ever so cool. The way the guitar comes out of the darkness in the opening of “Turn Him On” is fantastic. The vocals from Brittany Westgarth sends it over the edge. I play this record over and over, wishing it would never end. I’m of the opinion that if you don’t have this record you’re really missing out and making a mistake. Correct it while you can. An “absolutely must own” record. –Matt Average (The Broadway To Boundary, thebroadwaytoboundary.com) - Razorcake

I really can’t find to much info on these Koban folks out of Vancouver, but man does their sound take me back. You could lump them into that goth industrial sound that they categorize themselves in, but I hear so much Melvins, Pixies, and Sonic Youth blistering through the bleakness one moment, then another second I get some Misfits/Danzig shadows casting. Seriously it makes me want to cry…cries of joy. !!! - Pasta Primavera

I really can’t find to much info on these Koban folks out of Vancouver, but man does their sound take me back. You could lump them into that goth industrial sound that they categorize themselves in, but I hear so much Melvins, Pixies, and Sonic Youth blistering through the bleakness one moment, then another second I get some Misfits/Danzig shadows casting. Seriously it makes me want to cry…cries of joy. !!! - Pasta Primavera

Koban owe their continued existence as a band (and a fruit basket) to some conscientious bus drivers who saved bassist Brittany Westgarth from her burning home.
Late at night a fuse blew in the house that they shared with some friends, which caused a fire to break out while everyone was sleeping. Sam Buss, the other half of Koban, was at work, but Westgarth was woken at night to discover a lot of smoke and a group of worried bus drivers who had seen the fire from the street.
With only a short period of time to get out, Westgarth had one priority—to save her and Buss’ bass guitars and then wait for the fire department.
The fire department arrived quickly. Luckily when Westgarth and Buss went in to survey the damage, they found their music equipment remarkably unscathed.
“I said I was going to send [the bus drivers] a fruit basket, but I never did,” Westgarth remarked with a bit of remorse while sitting in the waiting room of their Gastown jam space. They chatted with Discorder in their home-away-from-home, while smoking a hookah filled with strawberry-flavoured shisha that was in the middle of the room and Westgarth was sipping on a vile mixture of Nos energy drink, vodka and what was possibly Tang. After one sip of it I decided to go without, which seemed to be the decision Buss also made. The fire was only the second disaster the band has survived, considering their equipment had survived a flood a few days before the fire as well.
“A higher power wanted us to start this band,” Buss said stoically between tokes on the hookah.
Koban are a two-piece backed by a drum machine. Westgarth and Buss both provide vocals showing heavy punk influences—and the two of them lay down some wailing riffs over top of the mechanical beats. The sound is unique, falling somewhere between punk, metal and No Wave. Though they don’t actively emulate their idols, you can hear bits of the bands they listen to (Joy Division, Warsaw, Big Black, Shellac, Nick Cave and Fugazi) in their music. They had originally planned to play with a real live human drummer, but circumstances never worked out and eventually their sound evolved to rely on the drum machine.
“We played with probably three or four people as drummers and they either thought we sucked or were way too busy with other bands,” Buss said.
Their music is unique in Vancouver’s scene and the duo feel a little bit out of place in the city.
If you have not yet heard of Koban this is understandable. Until December 2009 they performed as Manta Ray-Gun, a name under which they garnered some fans when they achieved semi-final status at CiTR’s battle of the bands, Shindig, in addtion to numerous shows around town.
The name Manta Ray-Gun didn’t stick with the band’s idea of themselves though. “I kinda started to hate telling people we were called Manta Ray-Gun,” said Westgarth, before stating that she thought it sounded silly. After a trip to Japan, they decided to rename the band Koban. Kobans are small boxlike buildings manned by community police detachments that provide assistance in the neighbourhood. In Buss’ and Westgarth’s case, Kobans provided a lot of directions around town.
The duo enjoyed Japan’s music scene. “Their culture embraces fringe music,” said Buss.
Westgarth and Buss have always felt that their music is a little bit on the fringe of what’s going on.
“All the people [who were into music in high school] were really into classic rock and we were into punk rock,” said Westgarth. Even now with the band’s punk influences they don’t feel like their music is punk enough to fit into Vancouver’s punk scene and too punk to fit into other scenes. (Personally, I think they fit in just fine in Vancouver’s diverse music community, but that’s just me.)
The duo met in high school when Buss, grounded, couldn’t play his first show for his high school band, Shumagorath.
“One time Sam was grounded and [his band] asked me to fill in for him and I played his first show,” said Westgarth laughing. They’ve been playing together since and they definitely work hard at it.
“We practice a lot; we record a lot,” said Westgarth. They have a busy schedule with their regular week having them meet up to practice at least four times. Though they tend to spend most of their time improvising when they jam, it’s not something they would ever do live. As a two-piece, a jam has too much potential to go bad in a live setting.
Their performance is tight and well practiced, with the drum machine giving a cold mechanical backing track they make up for it with their stage presence. If you ever see them play you’ll be able to tell right away that they are having a blast. According to Buss, they make an effort to make their live shows “more like art installation with music.” They’ve displayed visuals from the Max Headroom TV hack that happened in Chicago in 1987, and have a strong identity with that era’s aesthetic values. Buss also likes to use images from Commodore 64 games or the early works of - CITR

Koban owe their continued existence as a band (and a fruit basket) to some conscientious bus drivers who saved bassist Brittany Westgarth from her burning home.
Late at night a fuse blew in the house that they shared with some friends, which caused a fire to break out while everyone was sleeping. Sam Buss, the other half of Koban, was at work, but Westgarth was woken at night to discover a lot of smoke and a group of worried bus drivers who had seen the fire from the street.
With only a short period of time to get out, Westgarth had one priority—to save her and Buss’ bass guitars and then wait for the fire department.
The fire department arrived quickly. Luckily when Westgarth and Buss went in to survey the damage, they found their music equipment remarkably unscathed.
“I said I was going to send [the bus drivers] a fruit basket, but I never did,” Westgarth remarked with a bit of remorse while sitting in the waiting room of their Gastown jam space. They chatted with Discorder in their home-away-from-home, while smoking a hookah filled with strawberry-flavoured shisha that was in the middle of the room and Westgarth was sipping on a vile mixture of Nos energy drink, vodka and what was possibly Tang. After one sip of it I decided to go without, which seemed to be the decision Buss also made. The fire was only the second disaster the band has survived, considering their equipment had survived a flood a few days before the fire as well.
“A higher power wanted us to start this band,” Buss said stoically between tokes on the hookah.
Koban are a two-piece backed by a drum machine. Westgarth and Buss both provide vocals showing heavy punk influences—and the two of them lay down some wailing riffs over top of the mechanical beats. The sound is unique, falling somewhere between punk, metal and No Wave. Though they don’t actively emulate their idols, you can hear bits of the bands they listen to (Joy Division, Warsaw, Big Black, Shellac, Nick Cave and Fugazi) in their music. They had originally planned to play with a real live human drummer, but circumstances never worked out and eventually their sound evolved to rely on the drum machine.
“We played with probably three or four people as drummers and they either thought we sucked or were way too busy with other bands,” Buss said.
Their music is unique in Vancouver’s scene and the duo feel a little bit out of place in the city.
If you have not yet heard of Koban this is understandable. Until December 2009 they performed as Manta Ray-Gun, a name under which they garnered some fans when they achieved semi-final status at CiTR’s battle of the bands, Shindig, in addtion to numerous shows around town.
The name Manta Ray-Gun didn’t stick with the band’s idea of themselves though. “I kinda started to hate telling people we were called Manta Ray-Gun,” said Westgarth, before stating that she thought it sounded silly. After a trip to Japan, they decided to rename the band Koban. Kobans are small boxlike buildings manned by community police detachments that provide assistance in the neighbourhood. In Buss’ and Westgarth’s case, Kobans provided a lot of directions around town.
The duo enjoyed Japan’s music scene. “Their culture embraces fringe music,” said Buss.
Westgarth and Buss have always felt that their music is a little bit on the fringe of what’s going on.
“All the people [who were into music in high school] were really into classic rock and we were into punk rock,” said Westgarth. Even now with the band’s punk influences they don’t feel like their music is punk enough to fit into Vancouver’s punk scene and too punk to fit into other scenes. (Personally, I think they fit in just fine in Vancouver’s diverse music community, but that’s just me.)
The duo met in high school when Buss, grounded, couldn’t play his first show for his high school band, Shumagorath.
“One time Sam was grounded and [his band] asked me to fill in for him and I played his first show,” said Westgarth laughing. They’ve been playing together since and they definitely work hard at it.
“We practice a lot; we record a lot,” said Westgarth. They have a busy schedule with their regular week having them meet up to practice at least four times. Though they tend to spend most of their time improvising when they jam, it’s not something they would ever do live. As a two-piece, a jam has too much potential to go bad in a live setting.
Their performance is tight and well practiced, with the drum machine giving a cold mechanical backing track they make up for it with their stage presence. If you ever see them play you’ll be able to tell right away that they are having a blast. According to Buss, they make an effort to make their live shows “more like art installation with music.” They’ve displayed visuals from the Max Headroom TV hack that happened in Chicago in 1987, and have a strong identity with that era’s aesthetic values. Buss also likes to use images from Commodore 64 games or the early works of - CITR