XtortYa

The interview consists of chatting to four of the five musicians who make up the ensemble cast of XtortYa. This could have seemed a somewhat daunting task for a girl like myself, but the mood is immediately cracked by busting off a beer cap and getting down to the finer details of what makes them produce music that is relatively unfounded in a cock rock saturated culture such as ours.

Darren is the charismatic guitar player for the band, and explains to me the collaborative affect each person plays in producing their blend of Metal, Rock , Dance and Hip Hop.

“I’ll write something that’s going to be a full, heavy sounding song, then Simon will do this real phat Hip Hop beat while Aaron will do some really funky slapping bass sounds.

“Everyone’s got their own bit to play. Lee (DJ) really likes his trance and dance music, while we all like something of every genre,” Darren animatedly explains.

The result is belting from my loud speakers in the form of “I Need U.” The mix of dance samples, overlay of beats from an electronic drum kit, heavy guitar riffs and gritty vocals, have created a catchy tune that requires a quality sound system to fully appreciate its production. In other words, it has to be played loud.

Their single “I Need U” has recently been produced and mixed by one of New York’s finest engineers, Ken Lewis and the product is noteworthy. After having mixed “Boom Boom” and “Undawater” and finished production with Lewis, the band will soon be unleashing their music onto the public.

All five of the guys have been friends for a long time and have all played in bands prior to this collaboration, yet this mix has given them the eclectic sound they have been looking for.

There is nothing pretentious about them, and if anything, they work hard to succeed as a band. Some working up to three jobs at a time, but all of them teaching music on the side.
Yet they maintain a sense of humour about it, and have an infectious excitement about them that has me laughing thoughout the entire interview.

Their diverse rhythms and exuberant live performances attract all types of listeners, and being so young gives them plenty of time to develop their own sound as well as pave the way for a new musical genre, which could save us from the ever looming trend of Indie-rock culture which seems destined to filter through our airwaves for a long time to come.

-Angela Bignell
- Groove Magazine

The interview consists of chatting to four of the five musicians who make up the ensemble cast of XtortYa. This could have seemed a somewhat daunting task for a girl like myself, but the mood is immediately cracked by busting off a beer cap and getting down to the finer details of what makes them produce music that is relatively unfounded in a cock rock saturated culture such as ours.

Darren is the charismatic guitar player for the band, and explains to me the collaborative affect each person plays in producing their blend of Metal, Rock , Dance and Hip Hop.

“I’ll write something that’s going to be a full, heavy sounding song, then Simon will do this real phat Hip Hop beat while Aaron will do some really funky slapping bass sounds.

“Everyone’s got their own bit to play. Lee (DJ) really likes his trance and dance music, while we all like something of every genre,” Darren animatedly explains.

The result is belting from my loud speakers in the form of “I Need U.” The mix of dance samples, overlay of beats from an electronic drum kit, heavy guitar riffs and gritty vocals, have created a catchy tune that requires a quality sound system to fully appreciate its production. In other words, it has to be played loud.

Their single “I Need U” has recently been produced and mixed by one of New York’s finest engineers, Ken Lewis and the product is noteworthy. After having mixed “Boom Boom” and “Undawater” and finished production with Lewis, the band will soon be unleashing their music onto the public.

All five of the guys have been friends for a long time and have all played in bands prior to this collaboration, yet this mix has given them the eclectic sound they have been looking for.

There is nothing pretentious about them, and if anything, they work hard to succeed as a band. Some working up to three jobs at a time, but all of them teaching music on the side.
Yet they maintain a sense of humour about it, and have an infectious excitement about them that has me laughing thoughout the entire interview.

Their diverse rhythms and exuberant live performances attract all types of listeners, and being so young gives them plenty of time to develop their own sound as well as pave the way for a new musical genre, which could save us from the ever looming trend of Indie-rock culture which seems destined to filter through our airwaves for a long time to come.

-Angela Bignell
- Groove Magazine