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sometimesalwaysmusic · 5 years ago

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JUNG SHADOW

We caught up with Kevin (Ex-Destroy Clocks vocalist/guitarist) to discuss his new solo electropunk project, Jung Shadow (JS). Read on about the inspiration behind the name, huge influences, and the ebbs and flows of the Ottawa music scene (Photo: 1upcloud photography).

VITALS

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/jungshadow808

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jungshadow/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/jungshadow808

BandCamp: https://jungshadow808.bandcamp.com/

Latest Release: Currently Recording debut LP

Upcoming Shows: Stay tuned!

SA: How did this project come to be? JS :When my last band came to an end back in March and I didn’t know if I wanted to start another band or sell my gear and give up on making music altogether. I was pretty upset, angry and depressed about how it all went down and I really didn’t want to start all over again. While I was trying to decide what I wanted to do, I was reading about Carl Jung and his concept of Self and Shadow where basically the Self is what you present to the world and the Shadow is all the negative traits you try and hide. That kind of inspired me to use this project as an outlet to lean into all the negative stuff I was feeling and use it as a sort of catharsis. Any time I start a new project, I like to incorporate something new I haven’t done before. I had always been interested in electronic and industrial music so I figured now was a good time to buy a drum machine, trade a couple guitars for synths and it kind of just took off from there. I recorded and put out 2 singles online back in May and started booking gigs by June.

SA: Who are your biggest influences, musically or otherwise? JS: I could go on forever with this question but like I mentioned earlier, I took my name from a Carl Jung theory that inspired me with the direction of this project, plus I kind of like how it sounds like a Soundcloud rapper. Musically there are a few people that really inspired this solo venture. Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, JK Flesh) would be a main influence on me. His ability to make layered heavy electronic fused noise was a huge jumping off point and got me into exploring some other stuff like Whtiehouse or Autechre. Ryan Patterson from Fotocrime would be another one. He came from playing in a punk band called Coliseum who I really admired. When they broke up and he started a solo drum machine goth band and that’s really where I got the inspiration to do it all myself. My favourite guitar player is Greg Ginn from Black Flag, and he also did a solo drum machine thing after they split. Seeing Youth Code a few years ago also made me realize how full and heavy your live show could still be without a more traditional guitar/drum combo. NIN was probably the first band I really got into in grade 6 so all those things made me move towards the idea of a one person project this time around.

SA: Thus far in this project, what has been your biggest success? JS: Opening for Big Business was pretty cool. I was about 3 months into doing this and got to open for a band I really love. One of the members approached me after my set and told me how much he loved a new song I played for the first time that night. It was a great reassurance that I was on the right track.

SA: On the other hand, what is the biggest challenge you've faced, and how have you dealt with it? JS: The hardest thing is finishing songs. Having no input from anyone else, if I get stuck figuring out where something should go, or how it should sound, it’s really easy to spiral out and spend 2 weeks playing with how much reverb I want to put on the kick drum or which snare sound I want to use. I’m trying to take a more Guided By Voices inspired approach where if I can’t think of anything good enough for a second verse, fuck it, the song is a single verse and a chorus and is a minute and twenty seconds. Record it and move on.

SA: How do you approach the songwriting process? JS: I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone a little with these songs. I’ve had to learn to program drums, use synths and sequencers which is all new to me, but it’s cool because it’s almost a puzzle. You might know what kind of sound you want for the drums or bass line and you have to find a way to make it with the gear you have, then find a way to be able to play it all live using loopers and sequencers. I still do the whole heavy guitar and yelling over most songs so that’s still right in my wheelhouse but I’m trying to develop a solid set of songs that don’t use a guitar, so that’s new to me and making me rethink how I write. The way electronic music is built up and written is so different than something like punk or metal so I’m trying to blend some of those elements and techniques.

SA: What are your thoughts on the Ottawa music scene? JS: I’ve been gigging pretty regularly in Ottawa for about 17 years now in various bands, and saying that made me feel old, but I’ve watched the scene swell and dwindle over the years but we are definitely in a big swell right now. We have so many amazing bands, really cool places to play and a variety of genres that are thriving here.

SA: If you had to choose, what is your favourite song you’ve written thus far and why? JS: I’ve got this new song called “Year of the Worm” that I’m pretty excited to get recorded but as for songs I’m actually finished and performing, I have one called “Ashes” that I’m really happy with. It’s got these ebbing hypnotic downtempo layers in the background, and a really cool guitar sound that doesn’t sound like a guitar at all and a really cool dance break. Probably the most pop-centric song I’ve written but it’s still really dark sounding.

SA: If you HAD to describe three artists similar to your sound for the uninitiated, which would you choose? JS: Besides the influences I named earlier, I’d say mix of End Transmission/Bright Flashes era Snapcase, Big Black and something like Bauhaus or Cold Cave.

SA: What comes next for you in 2019? All the best heading into 2020! JS: Unless something really cool comes my way, I'm taking some time off to finish recording this record and also a few songs for a split release I have in the works. Both those should be out early-mid 2020.

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