Intimatchine

We celebrated last Valentine's Day with mixes from our friends, and a fun interview with the LA-based duo, Intimatchine. Members Chelsey Holland and Christopher Wormald described their early beginnings, formidable connections, how they became a couple, and a creative power to be reckoned with. Intimatchine just released their I'll Eat You Last EP from Permanent Record Los Angeles / Strange Paradise, twisting old standards with electro-acted impulses, shaking down sugar daddies, and streaming here for your delight.

The dark veils and designs of leather and lace become iron maidens and chastity belt devices of domination, submission, and sensual essences on the opener, “Do Me”. The bedroom etiquette and invitations of enticement turn into the slow orbit of “Phobos”, where bristling guitars take center stage. “Heavenly Creatures” scans an electronic earth to find that alleged celestial front door. The deceptively titled “Sea You In Hell” is a tribute to a famous number that will be recalled upon hearing, after a grandiose introduction and subsequent re-design. Your thirst for an Intimatchine long-player will begin in the closing piece, “Are You Rich?”, where Chelsey presents a tough and taunting delivery, while shedding tears and light with vulnerable honesty. The world of the streets and between the sheets is portrayed in a rough intimate sequence of inner portraits, saturated by the mechanical, the digital, and the distorted.

Intimatchine's Chelsey and Christopher wrote us the following companion piece for I'll Eat You Last:

“I'll Eat You Last is our predicament. It's a testament to being serious about making music, together. Most of these songs were lingering for three years, an autoharp, synthesizer and vocals existing solely in the bedroom to be revisited when we were in the mood. It was our secret–a project that existed between just the two of us. Once we committed to recording in 2012, a collaboration between that one-woman impulse and Chris' programming background was at the forefront. It was a union of our two different performance fields, and a chance to open up a dialogue for some earlier relationship woes. We had a hard-drive full of scattered content and a lot to get off our chests. Now that it's recorded and soon to be released, we're ready to put it to rest. We're closing this chapter on the angry teenage daughter. We have a lot of new material, instruments, and ideas that feel more 'adult' and explore a different facet of being in a relationship. It all remains personal but now is rooted in political themes much bigger than ourselves. I can give you an ear into this: we're putting into motion some video shorts, all which deal with real and imaginary dramas. So far Final Cut consists of 5 saved projects titled “Peeping Tom”, “Piano Makeout,” “Dad Erectile Dysfunction”, “Kitchen Confessions,” and “ASMR.” Musically we've been honored to collaborate with the doom metal band GLAARE on a split 7″ coming out this summer. Everything is Chemical will also be releasing an exclusive digital 7″ of some new content. Meanwhile, no vacations and no ring on my finger.”

Intimatchine's I'll Eat You Last EP is available now from Permanent Records Los Angeles / Strange Paradise. - Impose Magazine

Gearing up for their debut EP coming out next month, INTIMATCHINE's dark wave sound should enchant any stray listener. Building with layer after layer from the start, it adds emotional depth as the track dances slowly along your spine. "Do Me" doesn't blindly take any turns, but it slow burns as a journey. The dichotomy of both members' contributions to this particular song is perfect for a duo. Chelsey Rae Holland's vocals are commanding and powerful when audible, while Christopher Wormald's slithery guitar lead and atmosphere control with synths bring tons of moody excellence - a dichtomy that evokes both sides too well. A treat worth tasting a million times, "Do Me" adds plenty of promise for next month's I'll Eat You Last EP.

Read more: http://www.prefixmag.com/news/prefix-premiere-intimatchine-do-me/76694/#ixzz3A91AJtti - Prefix Mag

Intimatchine are derived from cardinal and mutable differences, formed in 2008 by a Los Angeles-based couple, Chelsey Holland and Christopher Wormald. The result is a visceral musical collaboration that brought her moody vocal narratives together with his proto-industrial soundscapes. Their March 2014 self released debut EP, I’ll Eat You Last is a reflection of these real and imaginary dramas accentuated by effects-driven guitar, droning synths, and hypnotic percussions. Click here to read the Polari Magazine interview with Intimatchine.

Polari Magazine proudly shares for the first time the video for ‘Are You Rich’. - Polari Magazine

Their music captures the uncontrollable forces in life and our emotional worlds. Intimatchine talk to Andrew Darley about how they want their music to make listeners somewhat uncomfortable, and their EP I’ll Eat You Last.

Intimatchine is an appropriate name for a band whose music captures the uncontrollable forces in life and our emotional worlds. Entering into each other’s lives, Chelsey Rae Holland and Christopher Wormald began an intended fleeting romance that grew into something serious and formed a creative relationship.

The pair began writing and producing music together and are ready to release a new EP entitled I’ll Eat You Last in March. The record contains five songs that are looming, meditative and sometimes satirical; demonstrating a strength for songwriting and production. Speaking to Polari Magazine, they discussed how they want their music to make listeners somewhat uncomfortable, pushing each other’s boundaries, an infamous Belinda Carlisle classic and the social constructs they desire to challenge.

The first and most obvious question for new bands is: how did you get together?

When I first met Chris, I was already seeing someone. We started a “study group” to mask our affair. It’s a funny thing because my lover’s best friend was in our study group too. We both figured we’d idealize and then discard one another. But the discarding never happened and I started dating the both of them. I was into the theatre and Chris was programming electronic music. We had a great sense of respect for what neither of us could imagine doing by ourselves, and so we started doing it together. Once we realized our future in each other, we became exclusive. That kind of reciprocity and admiration has been exchanged ever since.

You’ve said that you both “derive from cardinal and mutable differences”. Can you tell me more about that and how it feeds into the music?

According to astrology.com, those are the terms used to describe our horoscope compatibility. Our results were insulting, but the language of the overall reading struck close to home. Where one element is the achiever and an unstoppable force, the other transcends. Our music strives towards that contest of strength. The machine used in our music and referenced in our title is an obvious influence of power. The latter – which for us means showing affection, vulnerability and on the brink of chaos – is its own covert controlling process. Anyway, fuck horoscopes. Who needs compatibility when you have astrological forces to exploit. By the way, I’m a Pisces and Chris is a Capricorn; very sensitive.

You’ve been together since 2008, do you feel like you’ve reached a strong place now where you want to take the band further?

We’ve been together since 2008 but only started releasing our music in 2013. The past five years have been spent pushing one another’s boundaries, as lovers and as musicians. I’d like to imagine what 5 years of shared sex and emotions could do for any band. Especially these #NoOpinion garage rock bands. Five years of bliss and possession and after that you reach a safe place where your partnership is indomitable. It’s all fundamental; now we can keep experimenting and the tears of shame don’t affect us anymore.

There’s a feeling of menace to your EP title I’ll Eat You Last. How did you come up with the title?

The title is the name of a contemporary play. I read the title and literally shut off all sensory capabilities so I could avoid finding out what the origin and synopsis of the play was. I loved what it meant, just simple rhetoric and I wanted to meditate on that alone. I still don’t know what it means in the context of the play, but for Intimatchine it’s an impossible declaration of intimidation.

Would you say there’s an element of humour to your music too?

Not just humour, but humiliation. We’re not really aiming for overtly satirical themes, I think it’s simply the natural vortex that comes with being. I’m not intending to dramatize what I consider to be typical female portrayals. My songs are written to give justice to those possessive, hysterical, and whimsical moments in everyone. I truly believe that satire is good medicine and I see where it’s connected in our music. Nevertheless, I’d prefer to think that people are laughing out of nervousness.

Have you established a creative process? It sounds like an intense experience, being in a band and a relationship together.

It’s intense because we’ve merged our passions into this common ground that is now the basis of our relationship. Between the both of us we have a lot to express so we do go head-to-head on some aesthetic decisions. It feels good though. We learn a lot just from being exposed to each other’s fiery temper. Despite having different influences and backgrounds, our politics are aligned, which has allowed us to embrace our differences and feel safe about exhibiting the hyper-personal. Although we’re a duo, we strive to go beyond telling a couples’ story. We are interested in emotions and relationships that are rooted in social themes far beyond us.

Although you are both straight, there seems be an engagement with both queer and gender issues within your music and image. Would it be fair to say that you are drawn towards these themes?

Yes and it resonates with us because it’s about gender incorporation and creating similarities rather than differences. We are particularly interested in themes of androgyny, pandrogyny, and cross-gender identity as part of our creative content and process. There is an aesthetic and feeling that go with tapping into one another’s social construct.

Even the artwork for the EP plays with gender identity. How did you come up with the idea?

The two opposing images on the cover come from early artworks that are inspired by mine and Chelsey’s internet interactions. Although they have gendered characteristics, my intention was simply to underline these symbols from our past. The artwork on the reverse side is the result of a nude photo-shoot of Chelsey and I, which was intended to produce an image of me wearing Chelsey’s makeup and body parts. Instead, we performed digital surgery and searched the Internet to find the right feminine parts for my frame. The decision behind this was to obfuscate our identity while retaining the concept without putting our bodies on display.

Are there any LGBT artists that you particularly admire?

Light Asylum, Ssleaze, Peaches, Genesis P-Orridge, Diamanda Galas, Wendy Carlos, Bradford Cox of Atlas Sound.

You’ve recently shot a music video for ‘Are You Rich?’ which we are premiering on Polari Magazine (see it here). How was that experience?

Filming ‘Are You Rich?’ was such an experience. We were out in Apple Valley for most of the shoot and got everything in one take except Chris’ topless scene. He had to take off his shirt 5 times in 30-degree weather. We were on a tight deadline and an even tighter budget so we’re really lucky to have a couple friends who were down to get DIY with us, even as seasoned film pros. They really were able to deliver a visual extension to our music. Thank you Jill Fogel for make-up, CJ Brion for cinematography and direction, and my dearest Aunt Kathy for letting us shoot all night on her ranch.

Following on from that, have you put much thought or discussion into how you want to visually present the band?

We really like the idea of having a male muse. You’re going to see a lot more of Chris in the near future.

On ‘Heavenly Creatures’, there’s the line “Heaven is a place on Earth”. Is this a reference to the Belinda Carlisle classic or am I totally off the mark?

Oh, Belinda. If only we knew. It was not intentional, but now that you mention it, I like my negative interpretation of her one-hit-wonder. Poor thing.

Listening to the EP, it sounds like you pay close attention to the production and the layering of the songs?

We really focus on the textures and tones of each sound and place them into the frequency range that corresponds best with the emotion we want to portray. This includes layering multiple instruments and even multiple recordings of the same instrument. There is a lot of trial and error often leading to an accentuation of the errors and formation of new, unexpected compositions.

Are there any bands or artists in particular that you admire or have artistically achieved what you would like Intimatchine to reach?

We’ve got a lot of admiration for the artists coming out of Mannequin, Blackest Ever Black, and Sacred Bones right now. Following the release of our first EP, we really just want to hone in on a cohesive sound and aesthetic. Once we can develop that, we look forward to seeing where we fit in within this community of artists.

Have you got an album or new music in the works?

We are releasing a track on a split 7″ with our friends of GLAARE. That will be released sometime this year, along with a 2nd EP.

On a final note, who would you eat last?

I’ll be eaten before I get mine. Let’s leave it at that.

I’ll Eat You Last is out next month. For more information and news about the band check out their official Facebook page - Polari Magazine

Frescos de su show con Soft Metals y Max + Mara, el dúo de synth-goth compuesto por Chelsey Rae Holland y Christopher Steven nos comparte un extracto más de su primer EP titulado I’ll Eat You Last.

INTIMATCHINE es el nombre que la dupla decidió darle a este proyecto de Los Ángeles que desde el 2008 los ha estado manteniendo muy ocupados con sus sintetizadores, pero es hasta este año cuando finalmente pondrán a la venta su primer EP, el cual además estará llegando a nuestras vidas en medio de una gran expectativa debido a las excelentes presentaciones en vivo que han estado ofreciendo en el último año, entre las que se encuentra una que apenas dieron la semana pasada con Soft Metals.

Después de eso, nos complace poder compartir con ustedes el segundo extracto de su debut en forma de “Heavenly Creatures”, así que dejen todo lo que estaban haciendo en este momento, y simplemente denle play a este track de INTIMATCHINE en el enlace, y más abajo vean su vídeo para “Are You Rich?”. - FILTER Mexico

Chelsey Rae Holland and Christopher Steven Wormald form LA duo Intimatchine, whose new 5-track EP I'll Eat You Last starts with bulging keys, followed by Tarantino-esque guitar. Holland's voice, with only a taste of delay but consistently slow and deliberate, drapes over the sexy desolation conveyed in this archetypal song structure, the one that intersects sloppy fashion and 1950s love ballads. Their Facebook slogan, "Doing it without a crowd since 2008," captures the type of parody afoot in their sound. It plays with gender politics and apocalptic economic theory, but doesn't really drive to say something new, yet it does. But also not. No one is in the crowd to listen, but something will be said anyway.

One might as a result listen to the EP and envision two friends swaying to these sluggish beats, grinning slightly, performing in an empty Hollywood dive bar, with expressionless cowboys sitting around drinking Bud Light.

With other titles running around like "Do Me," "Heavenly Creatures," the EP title itself, and lyrics such as "Hey mister, are you rich? I don't care, I gotta man to take of me which is more than you can say about yourself, tough guy. You know what I wanna be? Your feminist. I know you don't believe me, well I don't believe you," participation in contemporary post-internet culture and all of its glorious irony is keenly communicated. Intimatchine cite the sounds and spoofs of groups like Tropic of Cancer, HTRK, and Hype Williams; yet they have something a little different and definitely unclassifible. It could be the introductory chanting in tracks like "Are You Rich?" and "Sea You in Hell," but more than likely is something radiating from the transcendence available through being unapproachably, darkly humourous. - No Fear of Pop

INTIMATCHINE leaks another track, “Sea You In Hell,” off their debut EP I’ll Eat You Last. The Glendale-based coed duo excels at being a moody intellectual enigma by making hypnotic soundscapes filled with darkwave synths, sluggish beats, and luscious vocals that evoke a Portishead-style trip-hop.

We wanted to know more about INTIMATCHINE so we hit up vocalist Chelsey Holland:

How did you two originally meet?

“During a debate in a college course that required the male students to make pro versus anti-slavery arguments. Chris defended pro while my boyfriend was anti. What kind of slavery it was I cannot remember, but there was a deep-seated understanding of divide and performance. It was a compelling delusion that committed me to the latter. I’ve been with Chris ever since.”

Where did you record your debut EP?

“This EP includes songs recorded in Echo Park at Bedrock Studios and our first tiny, shared apartment in Silver Lake. Now residing in Glendale, we have more room to exercise our extravagance. Our bedroom is equal parts dance studio, recording space, and bed.”

What was the inspiration behind its title I’ll Eat You Last?

“The title comes from a contemporary play starring Bette Midler. The context of the play bears no resemblance to what we take from its simple rhetoric: an impossible declaration of intimidation.”

Do you already have plans for your next release?

“We are in the works of recording five new songs for our next EP as well as writing scripts and soundtracks for a series of short, personal video-dramas. It’s a voyeuristic account of our relationship and a disorienting confessional of sexual altercations.”

Can you explain why you both claim to be active on dating websites? Aren’t you two married to each other?

“We’re both orientalists. Intrigued by the ‘other.'” - Free Bike Valet

How's this for threatening title: I'll Eat You Last. That's the name of the debut EP from Los Angeles duo Intimatchine, which is available to stream now ahead of its digital release on May 26.

Featuring band members Chelsey Holland and Christopher Wormald, Intimatchine bring "her moody vocal narratives together with his proto-industrial soundscapes," a press release notes. And that rings true on the EP.

The five songs that make up I'll Eat You Last consist of dark, noisy synthscapes and haunting vocals. Opener "Do Me" swells up from quiet ambience, while the other tracks are similarly murky with slow-paced beats and woozy darkness.

Hear it below. This digital release follows a prior cassette version of the EP. - Exclaim.ca

Los Angeles-based couple Chelsey Holland and Christopher Wormald put out their debut EP called I'll Eat You Last this March. And now, "Are You Rich?" has a video.

Since forming in 2008, INTIMATCHINE have generated an admirable about of unsigned hype. The Los Angeles-based duo Chelsey Holland and Christopher Wormald produce a hypnotic, proto-industrial, post-Internet sound at home with fans of the likes of Hype Williams and HTRK. Their debut EP, I’ll Eat You Last was self-released sometime this March, destined to solidify their base.

Simultaneously, the duo has released a video for one of the EP’s most smouldering tracks, a percolating, downtempo pop track rich with droning synths, delayed ‘80s percussion, and smart, conversational lyrics that are equal parts depressing and sultry, including a rather sharp allusion to the jazz-standard “I Wanna Be Loved by You” (famously sang by Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot). The video benefits from the make-up of Jill Fogel and especially the keen eye of cinematographer CJ Brion, with slow motion and lens flare matching the sluggish development of the song, and playing with ambiguous sexuality. - Pop Matters