#Jonathan Hischke

[smilesessions66]

El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez - CRYPTOMNESIA (2009)

[killthefuhkinglights]

flesh is heretic, my body is a witch, i am burning it

you agree?

[dimensionquestions]

[nuvya]

[louder-than-love]

Dot Hacker (x)

[soundsofmyuniverse]

[machinehand]

Isn't it sad how one of the most perfect albums of the century, Inhibition by Dot Hacker, slides completely unnoticed?

[serpentineandblack]

05.27.17 Amazing Vanishing Conquest - Sweethead @sweethead_theband bringing the glorious slow jams to the dead of the desert night. ° ° ° ° ° ° @theserrina @troyvanleeuwen @normito @edenknievel @dothackerband @pappyandharriets (at Pappy & Harriet’s)

[fruklingh]

New Dot Hacker album “No. 3” is coming out tomorrow Jan, 20. Are you guys excited? | Photos by @aitookthisphoto / @thevantgardner / @dothackerband on instagram. ( All rights reserved ) “@thevantgardner New Dot Hacker album, No.3, out tomorrow! A rare pic by @aitookthisphoto of the 4 of us recording together”

[characterixed]

Dot Hacker • No. 3

[noirjjong]

fall back asleep. you don’t need that much pain, you don’t deserve this wasted reality of cracked poetry and lovely destruction, of too much songs crying out loud injustice. fall back asleep and protect your heart from the thunder outside, don’t let anyone break into your shell. listen to the sea’s murmur and dive with it into your underwater dream, get lost in your own utopia, rocking you to your subconscious self.

don’t try to understand violence, it will only disappoint you; don’t try to live awake, it will only kill you.

don’t say anything. just fall back asleep.

inspired by the song cassandra, by dot hacker jan. 21st, 2017, 11:48am - a.j.c.

[cristopha-jam]

Hella: experimentación y math rock extremo

Rock progresivo y math rock llevado a su límite conocido hasta el momento. Eso es Hella, dúo californiano que irrumpió públicamente en 2002 (año de lanzamiento de su primer álbum) y que ha desconcertado a aquellos que han llegado a su música.

Spencer Seim, encargado de la guitarra eléctrica y Zach Hill, baterista. Dos músicos capaces de sacarle el máximo de provecho a sus instrumentos, donde cada uno de sus discos pareciera ser una larga sesión de ensayo, improvisaciones y jams. Temas donde el dúo brota y esparce su creatividad sin reparar en convencionalismos, zonas de confort ni lugares seguros.

Ambos músicos destacan por igual, pero vayamos por parte. Primero veamos que referencias o características definen el estilo de Spencer Seim y el estudio atento y vanguardista de su instrumento, la guitarra eléctrica. Spencer ha llevado las posibilidades de la guitarra a atmósferas sonoras pocas veces vista en el instrumento.

Cambios armónicos frenéticos, riffs agresivos, distorsionados, a ratos erráticos y convulsionados. A todo ello se le suma una amplitud en la forma de generar música desde la guitarra, ya que en ocasiones Spencer deja chillar y reverberar su guitarra solo con pedales de efectos y maromas electrónicas llevadas a una distorsión extrema.

Su aproximación a la guitarra recuerda en ciertos pasajes a lo hecho por Omar Rodríguez López en The Mars Volta, At-the Drive In y el sinfín de música hecha por él, puesto que este estilo errático y alocado en la guitarra hacen que entendamos a este instrumento desde otra vereda; de una manera mucho más amplia, más experimental y osada, alejado de las armonías y riffs a los cuales podamos estar más acostumbrados.

El primer álbum de Hella, Hold Your Horse Is (2002) es puro desenfreno. Math rock llevado a sus límites. Math rock que se nutre de elementos progresivos, experimentales, electrónicos y de subgéneros más frenéticos y punzantes como el rave, siendo el tema “Brown Metal” un buen ejemplo de aquello. Sin voces a lo largo del álbum, así como en casi toda la discografía de Hella (salvo contadas excepciones), la propuesta de este disco y banda en general se apega a aquellas sensibilidades hambrientas por nuevos sonidos y experimentaciones musicales potentes.

Pero aquel primer álbum a pesar de lo desconcertante de su sonido no sería el zenit compositivo de Hella. Aquel momento casi llega con la publicación de su segundo EP Bitches Ain’t Shit but Good People (2003). Publicación donde agregan más instrumentos a sus canciones y expanden aún más la experimentación osada desde los mismos. Sintetizadores, un bajo y cajas de ritmo se incorporan en la locura de este EP; obra aclamada por los fans de aquellos años y que no han abandonado la propuesta de Hella, atesorado a la banda hasta la actualidad.

Desde aquel punto en adelante la creatividad de este dúo no se detendría. Incluso en sus siguientes EP’s y discos de larga duración, donde llegan a jugar musicalmente con la inclusión de sonidos y ritmos en 8 bits, como si de la música de un videojuego retro se tratase.

Ahora bien, tratemos de hacerle justicia y destacar el trabajo del baterista Zach Hill. Músico que también lleva a terrenos insospechados su instrumento, dando cuenta de las horas de práctica y estudio. Es notable la cantidad de influencias que cruzan el estilo de Zach Hill. Múltiples polirritmos, técnicas de ejecución que transitan sin problemas de golpes y fills suaves y contenidos a simplemente ser un baterista agresivo y desenfrenado. Una capacidad física y mental increíble.

Una experiencia musical envuelta en la anarquía, experimentación y fuera de todo canon convencional es el extenso y surreal álbum doble Church Gone Wild/Chirpin’ Hard. Obra publicada en 2005 y cuya duración total es de una hora con cuarenta y cinco minutos, aproximadamente. Siendo Church Gone Wild creación principal de Zach Hill mientras que Chirpin’ Hard en gran parte es gracias a la sensibilidad de Spencer Seim, éste álbum doble se anota como el pináculo más experimental y extremo de Hella.

Álbum doble donde la plasticidad sonora se evidencia en la multiplicidad de efectos de guitarra, las voces colaboradoras de otros músicos amigos (Dan Elkan en guitarras, sintetizadores y voces de acompañamiento, así como la sobriedad colaborativa de Jonathan Hischke como bajista), utilización de sintetizadores, efectos y distorsiones vocales y un sinfín de figuras rítmicas intrincadas. Temas que uno tras otro nos demuestra el espíritu expresivo de estos músicos, alejados de cualquier esquema radial, de los grandes escenarios o rankings de “los más escuchados”. Sin duda una obra imperdible si alguien decide aproximarse a estos músicos.

Las últimas apariciones destacadas de Hella datan de 2011 con el álbum Tripper y la publicación de su EP Santa’s Little Hella en 2013, cuya existencia es una rareza incluso para internet al ser un single poco reproducido o compartido. Hasta su discreta calidad desde el punto de vista de la producción la hacen una curiosidad para cualquiera. Totalmente atípicos.

Hasta la fecha solo siguen las especulaciones de los fanáticos respecto de cuando Hella volverá a desconcertarnos con su música en público, ya que es más que seguro que todos estos años no han sido en vano. Es difícil de creer que este dúo no ha compuesto nada en todos estos años. Sencillamente no han querido publicar y mantener un bajo perfil artístico. Todo por supuesto en el ámbito de la especulación y sospecha que despierta la propuesta musical surrealista de esta banda.

Un dúo que rompió esquemas hace más de diez años. Experimentaron, se arriesgaron, fueron osados, los miraron raro y no los entendieron. Aun así, fueron capaces de cautivar a toda una escena de músicos y melómanos ávidos por ritmos y armonías más contemplativas. Un dúo que armó su rompecabezas musical con el rock progresivo como cimiento, pero que utilizó piezas del jazz, la electrónica, el noise rock y un largo etcétera; convirtiéndose así en una banda de culto. Una rareza que finalmente bautizamos como math rock para poder diferenciarlos o referenciarlos. Pero en realidad, Hella es un episodio atípico, curioso, potente y de mucha personalidad. La música es libre y Hella así lo demostró.

[dimensionquestions]

Dot Hacker by Simon Weller  2014

[thelowdownunder]

Listen: 'C Section' by Dot Hacker

Listen: ‘C Section’ by Dot Hacker

There’s a reason why Los Angeles is one of Aza’s most favourite places on the planet, the musical output that comes out of that thriving independent scene is absolutely stellar. Case in point are faves Dot Hacker, who are ramping up their 3rd release amiably called No 3, who’ve dropped this new slice of sonic heaven in C Section. 2017 gets out of the gate in style, yet again!

https://soundcloud.c…

[order-disorder-blog]

Let’s talk about Josh Klinghoffer!

Let’s talk about Josh Klinghoffer. You may have heard of him since he’s playing the guitar for the Red Hot Chili Peppers since 2009. But there are still people who don’t like him and don’t  appreciate his work in the band.

When I was at their concert in Cologne last year there were two guys standing next to me who were talking about the band before the show. Their chat was like:

 “Oh they have this new guitarist now, right?” “Yes, he even played in the band on their last tour”. “Oh right, he sounded like a woman, right?” “He did. But sometimes it’s quite interesting” “But his solos suck, right?” “Yes, there is something missing since John left”

Yes we got it. Some people still miss John. Yes it was shocking for fans when the news spread that John Frusciante left the band in 2008. And yes he is definitely a guitar god. But the band moved on. They didn’t want to stop doing music or quitting the band. Instead they took a break and later asked Josh Klinghoffer to join the band. And they didn’t ask a random guy here. They ask a person who was already very close to the band for years.

You know, when your girlfriend or your boyfriend left you some people might tell you “Whatever, there are plenty of other fish in the sea”. See, Josh was one of them for the Chilis.

So let’s take a look at Klinghoffer’s career so far.

At the age of 37 he achieved so much. He’s the youngest member of the Rock’n Hall of Fame. He became a member at the age of 32 and superseded Stevie Wonder! But since he don’t really like to talk about it in interviews we should move on to his musical genius....

What does Josh Klinghoffer do if he doesn’t play with the Chilis?

Well, a lot actually. Maybe he’s the busiest musician in the world. Who knows? According to musician Sophie Hunger who recorded a few songs with him for her record The Danger of Light he told her four days when he has time for recording it and she came to LA because “he would never leave LA” she said. So, such a busy guy.

Klinghoffer left school at the age of 15 to become a musician. Honestly, maybe that’ not the best idea for a teenager but he did it. He became a famous and successful musician. And he had the luck to be in the right place at the right time. He met Bob Forrest when he was still a teenager and started playing with him in the band Bicycle Thief. In 1999/2000 he toured with him as the opening act for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But it wasn’t the first time he met the Californian guys. In an interview he revealed that he met Flea and John in 1997. So maybe that was a huge luck he had. He not only became good friends with John Frusciante, he also recorded several records with him together. I mean, did you ever listen to A Sphere In The Heart Of Silence? If not, you should!

So while Josh Klinghoffer already opened for the Chili Peppers and recorded music with John Frusciante he also was a touring musician for Beck, PJ Harvey and Gnarls Barkley. In 2007 he even opened again with Gnarls Barkley for the Chilis. On the stadium tour the same year Josh played with the Chilis as their back-up guitarist. You can say he kind of worked his way up to the top because he ended up as their guitarist.

But even since then he has so many other music projects going on.

In 2008 he formed his own band Dot Hacker together with his former Gnarls Barkley members Eric Gardner and Clint Walsh. Jonathan Hischke completed the quartet. They already recorded three records (Inhibiton, How’s Your Process? and No 3) and you should really listen to it if you didn’t do it yet. It’s totally different than the music the Chili Peppers do. It’s more experimental, melancholic, electronic, and unconventional. And it proves that Josh Klinghoffer is such a good singer and song writer!

But guess what….that’s not all! He also has a band with Cate le Bon called BANANA where he also plays together with Stella Mozgawa from Warpaint. Speaking of Warpaint, Klinghoffer also played the drums and the guitar for a while in 2008/2009 in this band while John Frusciante was producing their first EP. In spring this year he recorded music together with Eric Gardner and Eric Avery and also collaborated with Anna Waronker and her band That Dog. He also played together with the band 1939 Ensemble from Portland. Oh and did you know he also had a band called Blood Flag together with Harmar Superstar where he played the drums? Look here and here.

Josh Klinghoffer is not only a guitarist, he’s a multi instrumentalist. He started as a drummer and since then learned to play the guitar, piano, bass, saxophone and many other instruments. Maybe John Frusciante played the better guitar solos and maybe the Chili Peppers changed their music since Josh joined the band. In my opinion By The Way and Stadium Arcadium will always the best Chili Peppers records but I do love I’m With You and The Getaway, too. I’m excited how their new songs will sound like in a few years. I loved their concerts that I attended last year and I loved Josh’s guitar play. I think I’ve never heard a better cover of David Bowie’s “Hereos” as this one he played in Munich. So...

....maybe we should all appreciate his work a little bit more!

[bthenoise]

The Sound Of Animals Fighting Played Their First Show In Almost Five Years And This Is What It Looked Like

All photos by Amanda Canton

The Sound Of Animals Fighting, otherwise known as the (sometimes) masked supergroup featuring Anthony Green, Matt Embree, Rich Balling, Matthew Kelly, Chris Tsagakis, Steve Choi, Jonathan Hischke and others, played their first live show last week in almost five years. Let us repeat again that for those of you who aren’t fully paying attention: Last week at Los Angeles’ historic Wiltern Theater, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST FIVE YEARS, the supergroup known as The Sound Of Animals Fighting took the stage to a sold out crowd of over 1,500 people.  

Playing a sixteen song set from their brilliantly odd three-album discography, fans were treated to a show many thought would never happen again. Joined by fellow thought-provoking alternative outcasts Planes Mistaken For Stars, the night, as you probably guessed, was a cosmic collection of chaos and flawless musicianship.         

Now betting that a handful of you were probably unable to attend the show, thankfully, Noise contributor Amanda Canton was in attendance capturing dozens of mesmerizing photos for all us to look back on and imagine what it was like to witness “Act I: Chasing Suns” and “The Ocean and the Sun” live. 

To check out the photos, be sure to look below. Afterward, make sure to grab tickets to see The Sound Of Animals Fighting out on their remaining tour dates here.