Jupiter Down

Slickster

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November 13, 2017

PROG METAL is not DEAD

South Carolina’s Jupiter Down release a strong new instrumental progressive metal album.

11/13/2017 – Any aspiring guitarist who lived through 1980’s wanted to be Joe Satriani. Don’t deny it. ‘Satch’ virtually created the entire new genre of instrumental rock guitar. I can vividly remembering the very first time that one of the upperclassmen in my usual band of idiots brought a cassette tape in with an image of Marvel’s Silver Surfer on the cover. It was Satriani’s shot heard round the round. It was ‘Surfing With The Alien‘, and my life would be forever changed.

Then this thing from Seattle happened.

What goes up must, must come down, said one famous physicist. The excess of 80’s metal, and it’s commercial success opened the door for many less talented musicians to sprint for a cash grab. The public rebelled, and soon flannel shirts and ‘grunge’ was the next best thing. Olympic sized guitar solos and chops were shunned. Metal, and instrumental rock guitar, went back underground for awhile. You can never kill it, but as MTV began airing more ‘REAL WORLD: NEW YORK‘, and less Metallica videos, it started to go away. (Yes, heavy metal videos in primetime TV was a thing.)

Well, here we are at the end of 2017 and this internet era is firmly rooted in our world. Napster won minor battles in ‘file sharing’ but lost the war. They didn’t just lose, they got Waterloo’ed. Young musicians, perhaps digging through their father’s cassette tapes and CD’s have found a different sound than Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift. They have discovered THE ROCK. It speaks truth to them and they follow. You can’t auto-tune Randy Rhodes epic guitar solo on Mr. Crowley, and despite CRAZYTRAIN becoming common place in every major sporting event now, it wasn’t always that way. You had to earn to your stripes son.

Which brings us to Jupiter Down. They proudly carry the torch of instrumental prog rock and metal boldly forth into the next generation of rockers. Fans of Vai, Satriani and Metal Blade Records will love this album. We caught up with Austin Livingston to get the low down on the new album and the music scene in his native South Carolina.

Slickster Magazine – What does the name Jupiter Down mean, and how did you (collectively) come up with the band name?

Austin Livingston – Jupiter Down came about from my fascination with space and astrology. I’m a Pisces, and Neptune is my ruling planet. Jupiter is also the old ruler of pisces. I create a list of about 20 band names. I had a dream that I should go with Jupiter Down. I woke up the next day and showed the band name list to about 20 people and they all picked Jupiter Down as their favorite off the list lol.

Jupiter Down is a trio, which gives a tremendous amount of sonic space for each member to create within. Yet, some musicians are terrified of this format. For example, when playing shows live, if there is no backing guitar or keyboard, without the meaty chords underneath the solo can sound thin and weak. Dimebag Darrell and Pantera proved once and for all this wasn’t the case. How do you approach the trio format and what are it’s strengths and limitations?

Jupiter Down actually started as my solo project. I originally had the debut record written, and planned to hire out a backing band to record and perform my music. I really valued the creativity the other musicians brought to the record that I decided to chose a band name (Jupiter Down) and make this project a full band effort. The band has grown organically over time piece by piece. We are now a 4 piece with 2 guitars, bass, and drums. We use keyboards on backing tracks to further fill out the sound and create the ambient vibes greatly needed to properly perform some of our songs.

Why has Jupiter Down opted to be an instrumental band? Are there any plans to add vocals in the future?

Ever since I began playing guitar, I wanted to have a band I could write and perform guitar heavy instrumental music. I’ve always wanted to try and follow in the mighty footsteps of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. I’m so thankful that after years of practice and growing Ive found the perfect band of pro players that want the exact same thing! There are future plans to have a special song here and there where we include a guest vocalist. For the time being though, we enjoy saying what we need to say without words 🙂

How is the live music scene in your native South Carolina? Are fans still coming out to support live music?

The live music scene in Charleston, South Carolina has a little bit of everything. There’s tons of indie and Americana artist here with rock and blues sprinkled in. Jupiter Down, to the best of my knowledge is the only progressive instrumental band in Charleston. On one hand thats really good because we stand out, but on the other hand its sometimes difficult to book shows because its hard to find similar bands to fill out a bill.

Follow up question; What are a few of your favorite venues to play live at?

Favorite local venues to play at would be The Sparrow, Music Farm, and The Windjammer.

Ok, now that we’ve gotten the typical candy-ass questions out of the way, let’s get to the hard stuff. Why, in your opinion, do women hate prog metal and will this ever change? I mean, come on, if you’ve ever been to a prog metal show and looked around it is one GIGANTIC sausage fest. Maybe one exectption would be a Dream Theater concert. You’ll see some ladies at those concerts. Girlfriends and wives who got drug along to The Astonishing by their metal men. But seriously, is instrumental prog metal by it’s design a turnoff to females and that can’t be changed… or what?

I don’t think women hate prog metal. I just think most of the female population hasn’t been exposed to it. We have several female friends who dig our music and other artist in our genre. Some of our influences like, Angel Vivaldi, Intervals, Plini, etc are currently very successful. However, if you think about it though, the genre is still underground somewhat and not quite mainstream.

Great answer! I can tell you thought about that long and hard. Poor choice of words. How can fans best support Jupiter Down?

Fans can best support us by following us on spotify and adding us to your proggy playlists lol. If you enjoy our music than please purchase our record as we are donating a portion of sales to further create awareness about anxiety and depression. You can find us on facebook, instagram, bandcamp, itunes, and itunes by typing Jupiter Down. You can also visit jupiterdown.com and sign up for our mailing list.

Thanks again for talking to Slickster Magazine. We appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to share your music on the site.

#PROGMETAL

What makes a guitar riff heavy – The Reed Effect

Slickster

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November 12, 2017

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What makes a guitar riff heavy – The Reed Effect

Canadian rockers talk shop on crafting heavy guitar riffs.

Dissecting what makes the best riffs. New album now available.

THE REED EFFECT released their EP “A Strange Curiosity”, this Friday, Nov 10th. With all the hype around the new record (Can we still say ‘record’? Fuck it. I’m sticking with record.) we were immediately drawn to the nasty, soulful guitar riffs on the record. The Toronto based trio sends your head on round-the-ring headshot like a left cross from Georges St-Pierre. This album doesn’t apologize for being a rock band. Big drums and open hi-hats. Simple vocal harmonies in just the right dose. And… lots of B.F.G’s. If you think that means ‘Big Friendly Giant’, your ear-pussy is about to get smashed.

We caught up with The Reed Effect’s drummer and resident music video director, Bryan Fontez, to penetrate deeper into the subject of BIG FUCKING GUITARS.

Slickster Magazine – What is the secret to making a guitar riff ‘HEAVY’?

Bryan Fontez (drummer) – There are different types of ‘Heavy’ riffs. There’s Heavy metal riffs, speed metal, thrash etc. For us, the heaviness comes from a bluesy groove in a riff, lots of good old fashioned tube distortion, and a kick ass, hard hitting rhythm section. We’re known for our heavy riffs and a good portion of our songs are based around a riff. When a heavy riff is done proper, the listener can’t help but move and groove to it.

Kirk Reed of The Reed Effect — *Kirk Reed, of The Reed Effect, rocking on stage.*

The first released single from your new album is ‘No Way Out of Here’. It has some great vocal harmonies over top of loud drums and raunchy guitars. What were you thinking about when you wrote the lyrics? What did you feel was trapping you? Was it something deep and metaphysical or you simply were stuck in gridlock traffic and couldn’t get the fuck out of here?

‘No way outta here’ is basically about exploring the existential dilemma of being somewhat trapped in this world. However, it’s not really a dark song. It’s about acceptance of certain things, embracing life with a sense of humor, and living an honest and genuine life with all it’s challenges.
But I can definitely relate it to gridlock traffic too as I drive a lot in the greater Toronto area and the traffic drives me completely batty.

Finish this sentence, “Canada is the new _______”
….Walmart! It’s challenging to finish this sentence. lol Canada is a beautiful country and we love it. Although It’s not without it’s challenges for a rock band like ours especially in Toronto. Pop and the dj is still king, and it’s a struggle sometimes to be in a rock band as the market is a bit over saturated with lots of bands and not a huge amount of rock fans here in Canada. Having said that, our home base is in Toronto Canada and we’re not going to change that.

Check out The Reed Effect here.

https://thereedeffect.com

Girl of the Week Ashley Lands

GIRL OF THE WEEK

Slickster

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November 12, 2017

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Girl of the Week Ashley Lands

11/12/2017, 3:05 p.m.

From www.AshleyLands.com – Ashley is a Texas native who in relocated to Florida to begin a professional career in modeling. Being trained in both film and dance, Ashley has found herself diving into almost every aspect of an entertainment career. She has been booked Internationally not only as a model, but for film and performing as well.

Her interest in modeling began with a love of all things car-related. Being no stranger to the Hot Import Night scene local to her in Texas, her modeling career continues to show a true spark for all things automotive! These days you can usually find Ashley working anywhere the cars are. Including frequent bookings state-to-state with Corsa America Rally and many other notable Affiliates.

In the area’s of film, Ashley has just begun to embark upon this journey. She said “it is the one area of my career I haven’t jumped into, and yet I know its the thing I will have the greatest love for in the end!” We look forward to seeing where Ashley goes in 2016!

Instagram

Website

MEGAHAMMER – #SYHNTHWAVE

Synthwave

Slickster

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November 11, 2017

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Finnish electronic music artist, MEGAHAMMER, talks about his music.

Featuring stellar computer programming, artwork and decidedly 80’s flair, synthwave music is becoming more mainstream. Shared through free platforms like Youtube, Bandcamp and Soundcloud, an international emerging scene is developing. For more featured interviews and news, check out our past articles on the best synthwave music.

11/11/2017 – First of all, thanks for taking the time to speak to Slickster Magazine. Is there anything you would like to say up front about your music or information online? Is there anything that people have totally gotten wrong about MEGAHAMMER?

Everything is clear; People either get the Megahammer-thing or they don’t!

One thing that we noticed about #SYNTHWAVE is that, it is truley is a multinational genre. How is the synth wave scene in your native country of Finland? Are the only person you know who is creating music like this in Finland or is there a underground scene of synthwave artists?

We have good, growing scene here in Finland. I’m certainly not the only one, there is NightStop, Flash Arnold, Ace Buchannon, Turbo Knight, etc….

Other than programming synths and DAW, do you play any other instruments? Did you study music formally at a university or high school?

Yes, I play guitar, synth, drums. I have a small knowledge on music theory, and I’ve done film music composing. Check out my recent short movie composition, titled The Defiler. Also, Megahammer plays live with guitar, synth and drums.

So many people, artists and creatives now cite John Carpenter as an influence. You also cite Mr. Carpenter as influence. Why do you think his impact has become so wide reaching, and what do you take from it?

I think that John Carpenter forms the base of what we call synthwave nowadays. I grew up watching his films, and his simple themes with badass synthsounds really is what I want to hear.

Does synthwave music appeal to girls, or when you play a show is it 100% guys in the audience!?

Both! Heavy metal guys/girls form the biggest fanbase of Megahammer. Then there are gamers, nerds, filmfreaks, bodybuilders and even normal people. From both genders however!

MEGAHAMMER uses some fantastic artwork to display the singles and albums. Who creates it for you and are active in the collaboration?

It is cool that I have friends with artistic talent. The first album art ‘Horror Workout’ was made by Sadist Stalker, from the black metal band Sadokist, and ‘Raw licks, sleazy flicks’ cover art is by The Glitchway. New EP ‘Murder Disco’ art is by Teemu Kilkki. All friends of mine. Wait till you see the next album art!

Miami Vice and the music of Jan Hammer is still influential.

I really like one of your newest tracks posted on your Soundcloud page, Sunset Mischief. It captures that South Miami feeling, but introduces a simple melodies in layers that keeps the track interesting. It is a relatively short track, coming in at just 2:36, and listener really wants to hear some more. Can you discuss how you composed this song and what you were thinking about when you recorded it?

Yeah, I was watching Miami Vice and I wanted to have that feeling in the song. It is getting colder here in Finland, so I wanted to escape to the warm nights of Miami. It is a single, and isn’t a part of something bigger, just a small tune. Who knows, maybe I extend that someday!

How can fans of MEGAHAMMER best support your music?

Buy the albums, come and enjoy the live shows! Recordshop X has a few CD’s still left.

Thanks to Megahammer and for LeveL -1 for suggesting we talk to you guys. It was super rad that you took the time to answer our questions. Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to add that we didn’t talk about? Keep in touch and let us know what projects you are working on in the future!

Thanks for having me! I am currently finishing my next full-length album which will be a banger. It features my first vocal track ever, with a full-on 80s AOR singing. Can’t reveal nothing more just yet, but stay tuned!

My side project ‘Old Sorcery’ just released it’s debut album via Garavluth records. This is old school dungeon synth, in the style of era 1 Mortiis and ambient Burzum.

Georges St-Pierre, Back to Finish What He Started

MMA
SPORTS

Staff Report

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November 9, 2017

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Georges St-Pierre, Back to Finish What He Started

UFC 217 was considered by many the best event in the company’s history.

Three titles change hands. A legend returns.

By The Fight Scholar, 11/9/2017 – The headline story of the night was, of course, the successful return of Georges St-Pierre. After having spent 4 years without competition he defied father time, potential ring rust & risked a move up in weight for the first time all on the same night. A majority of experts and fellow professionals picked Bisping due to the various circumstances St-Pierre had to overcome which emphasizes the enormity of the task St -Pierre was facing.

Before now fighters have come back from long layoffs and won world titles but not many have looked as good as they were previously.

Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing license for refusing to partake in national service in 1967, he would not return to the ring until 1970 losing crucial years of his prime between ages 25 to 28. Having been undefeated prior to being exiled, upon his return he won 2 straight before losing to “Smoking” Joe Frazier.

Ali still achieved some amazing things in his later career including avenging the loss to Frazier and winning the deciding third fight, however, it’s clear if you watch footage from before and after his time away from the sport he wasn’t the same fighter. His body looked softer, his signature floating movement wasn’t as sharp & his hands looked slower.

Mike Tyson served a prison sentence which kept him out of competition for over 4 years between 1991 and 1995, he was also coincidentally 25 years old at the time of his incarceration. Tyson’s record prior to imprisonment was 41-1, his record from release to retirement was 9-5 with two no contests. Tyson still had the power he just wasn’t the same athletic fighter we had witnessed in his prime.

The UFC is a collection of the best fighters in the world all under one roster, there’s no such thing as a warm-up fight. GSP wasn’t afforded the luxury of fighting a guy who presented a low threat, whichever weight division he came back to there was no easy option.

Observing St-Pierre’s last few fights before retirement I felt as if he looked anxious before and during competition. The criticisms aimed at him were for the most part that he couldn’t finish fights, his style was perceived as passive and therefore boring to watch.

This weekend reminded me of the early St-Pierre, being aggressive, taking chances, most of all he looked as if he was enjoying being in the octagon once again. To my surprise, he looked technically as good if not better than 4 years ago. The added weight made his movement look a little labored, it also looked as if his cardio was going to become a problem but he managed to get the finish (his first since 2009) before it could become a factor.

During his run as welterweight champion GSP frequently mentioned his desire to be “one of the greatest ever” his lack of finishes and passive style harmed his validity in that debate, now with titles in two weight divisions and a thrilling finish in a fight many didn’t expect him to win he is perhaps the first name in the argument.

Next for GSP?, Dana White is adamant that Robert Whittaker who is the current interim middleweight champion will be fighting St-Pierre for the undisputed middleweight title in 2018. I personally would imagine St-Pierre drops back down to 170lbs which is his natural weight division to challenge Tyron Woodley for the belt.

UFC 217 was the dramatic night St-Pierre needed to vindicate his legacy, the outcome was filled with doubt but he triumphed despite facing adversity. Choking Bisping unconscious after such a long hiatus is no doubt the most memorable moment of St-Pierre’s career. With a possible mega-fight against McGregor on the cards in 2018, it’s safe to say Georges St-Pierre isn’t done just yet.

Timecop 1983 Interview – #SYNTHWAVE

Synthwave

Slickster

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November 8, 2017

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Synthwave music continues to gain a following in Europe.

The Netherlands contributes Timecop 1983 to the growing fanbase.

11/8/2017 – There is something about 80’s music that just won’t die. Synthwave is a modern interpretation of the cheesy keyboards, melodies and oft dreamy impressions of the 1980’s. Some energetic tracks emote the glamorized car chases in Miami Vice. The opposite spectrum of synthwave channels the cool vibes of Southbeach Miami.

But, this isn’t all about Florida.

The genre of synthwave is spreading all across the world. Driven by Youtube channels such as New Retro Wave or The 80’s Guy, artists and fans alike are sharing their music for free. We managed to catch up one such artist, Timecop 1983.

Thanks for speaking with Slickster Magazine. What or who exactly is Timecop 1983 and how did you come up with name?

Thank you very much for having me! My real name is Jordy, i’ve been producing Synthwave since 2013, and I live in The Netherlands.

I’ve been making music since I was 12 and after experimenting with all kinds of genres (literally from classical music to gabberhouse) i fell in love with Synthwave in 2011 when I heard Kavinsky for the first time. Not because of Drive initially, but I heard his music for the first time via recommendations on Myspace while listening to music from the French Ed Banger label. But it wasn’t until I saw the movie itself in 2013 that I attempted to make Synthwave myself.

At the time I was a fanatic mountainbiker and I did a lot of cycling races for which I had to do a lot of training. That’s why I was thinking about quitting making music, because I couldn’t really finish anything, I wasn’t focusing on one genre and I just didn’t have the time. But then I finally saw Drive and everything changed.

It was just so perfect how the music in the film worked with the visuals and when the “A Real Hero” scene came on I knew this was the kind of music I wanted to make. So I started experimenting and after a while the song Childhood Memories was born. To see how people would react to it I created a Soundcloud account. But that meant I need to have a name….

I wish I gave the name some more thought, but I decided to go with Timecop1983. Timecop being a reference to Futurecop!, which I listened to a lot and 1983 being my birthyear.

Are you fan of Jean Claude-Van Damme’s movie Timecop?

Haha, to be honest I didn’t even know Timecop was a JCVD movie when I created the project. I found out about this nearly two years after I created my Soundcloud account when somebody made a comment about! Then I first wished I picked a different name.

I’m not a big fan of JCVD movie’s and I think his acting skills are mediocre (at best), but I guess I need to bite the bullet and watch it sometime soon.

Can you describe the EDM/Synthwave scene in The Netherlands?

EDM is extremely big here in The Netherlands since the 90’s. In the current DJ Mag 100 the top 15 has 8 Dutch DJ’s in it. In summer there are so many big festivals here, it’s crazy. Synthwave is really small here, compared to EDM.

But I do see a growth in the scene. The Night Arcade parties are mostly responsible for the growing scene, but I also see more and more big names (like Carpenter Brut) hitting The Netherlands when touring in Europe.

Musicianwise I’m not so familiar with the scene, but I know people like LGHTNNG, Mowelan and NVDR are doing a great job.

Many American’s associate The Netherlands with legal marijuana. Has there been a noticeable decline in ‘Marijuana Tourism’ since some states in the USA have legalized marijuana?

Hehe, I know! But we are more than just potsmoking cheese eaters that walk around in wooden shoes in our windmills….

I’m not sure if we see a decline in tourists due to some American states legalizing it. But whenever I’m in Amsterdam it is packed with tourists in all the coffeeshops. I think it’s mostly English men, but there’s definitely some Americans there too!

Funny thing is that marijuana isn’t even legal here.. Officially it’s illegal, but the government permits the sales of it in coffeeshops.

I was talking to a friend the other day who worked at a coffeeshop and he said it’s crazy how they run their businesses. They have to buy the weed illegally with some shady dealers and if they get caught doing that they will go to jail. But once they have the goods inside the shop they can sell it without problems. This is a really weird construction and since there’s no receipt they get from the dealer they can just make up their sales in their administration. That’s why it would be great if the government would legalize it.

I mean, people are going to smoke it anyway. And since it’s not lethal or addictive (officially) why not legalize it everywhere?

Your EP ‘Running In The Dark‘ was specifically created for a live performance. How did that performance go? Will there be any more live performances of Timecop 1983 in the future?

Well, it wasn’t created specifically for one live show, but more for my live shows in general. I felt like I needed some more uptempo, danceable tracks for my liveshows, so I created some songs for that. At first I wasn’t planning to release them, but after getting so many comments on them I decided to release them anyway.

I feel like I have been really lucky with all the live performances so far and i’m always interested in doing more. It’s been a crazy ride already, since I started doing live shows 1,5 years ago I’ve played in 7 European countries and there’s interest from Asia, Australia, USA, Canada and other countries.

Recently I have been in touch with a great booker in the US and we are working on a tour for 2018! It’s always been my dream to play in the US, so i’m hoping it’s going to happen….

Many of your tracks and albums are available for a ‘name your price’ price. That means some people may take your music for free. How does this business work for you? Are your fans supportive of your efforts and give donations regularly?

Everyday I’m amazed by all the support I get from my fans! And that’s why I feel I need to do something back for them by giving them the opportunity to download some of my music for free if they want. But it’s crazy to see how many people still pay even when they don’t have to! That’s what so great about the Synthwave scene, people are so supportive.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your music and answers with Slickster Magazine. Is there anything else you would like to promote or talk about that we didn’t get a chance t cover in today’s interview? #SYNTHWAVE

Thanks again for having me! It’s an honor.

I wanted to take the chance to tell people I am working on a new album. I hope to finish it this year and to release it early next year. You can expect more uptempo tracks, more guitars and a few great collaborations!

Thor: Ragnarok Review

Chris Sawin

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November 7, 2017

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Sweet Revenge Served By Some Cold Revengers

By: Chris Swain – If you’re familiar with Taika Waititi at all, then the announcement of the New Zealand born director helming the next Thor film should have intrigued and excited you greatly. Humor became an even bigger component of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) once the off-kilter comedy and absurd silliness of the Guardians of the Galaxy turned Peter Quill and his ragtag crew of offbeat bozos into one of the most successful (yet originally unlikely) superhero franchises the studio has to offer. With Waititi behind the wheel, the Thor franchise suddenly didn’t take itself so seriously and had a lighter tone.

Drawing influences from the likes of Big Trouble in Little China, 48 Hrs., Withnail & I, Planes Trains & Automobiles, and Flash Gordon, Thor: Ragnarok has a visual style that seems to be lifted directly from the 70s with a keyboard/synthesizer-infused score that is an homage to the 80s. Thor: Ragnarok shows just how talented Chris Hemsworth is when it comes to comedy. Hemsworth has never been this funny for this long in anything ever and it feels like a revelation of sorts like when everyone realized how great Channing Tatum was with comedy after 21 Jump Street. According to Waititi, 80 percent of the dialogue was improvised and the film has this incredibly natural and loose flow to it. The atmosphere of the film has the humor and light tone of an outtake but Thor: Ragnarok is able to ride that wave for an entire feature film. So yes, to summarize, Thor: Ragnarok is like a coherent two hour gag reel and that is absolutely meant as a compliment.

Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo in “Thor: Ragnarok.”

In addition to Hemsworth returning as Thor, the superhero sequel also has Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins returning as Loki, Heimdall, and Odin respectively. This is also the first time we’ve seen Mark Ruffalo return as Bruce Banner/Hulk since Avengers: Age of Ultron. New to the cast is Cate Blanchett as the main villainess, goddess of death, and Thor’s sister Hela, Jeff Goldblum as planet Sakaar’s quirky leader known as the Grandmaster, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie; former Asgardian legendary warrior turned drunken bounty hunter, and Karl Urban portrays an Asgardian warrior named Skurge who has taken over Heimdall’s position at Bifrost Bridge. Be on the lookout for the characters Korg and Miek, as well. Korg is a warrior made of rocks that Thor meets on Sakaar. He is portrayed by Waititi through motion capture and is soft-spoken yet hilarious. Miek is larva-like with cybernetic limbs and is computer generated, but has no dialogue. You end up loving the two as a duo and would be all in regarding future appearances from them down the line (something Marvel is toying with).

The opening of the film takes place on Muspelheim; land of the fire demons. Thor has been captured by a fire demon named Surtur (voiced by the incredible Clancy Brown) and is bound in chains. Throwing Thor in Muspelheim is visually like sending Thor to hell and the film kicks off with some really impressive battle sequences including a really cool perspective where it looks like the camera is riding on the handle of Mjolnir as it flies through the air and crashes through countless fire demons. Being familiar with Waititi’s previous films makes the film even more entertaining because you recognize cameos from actors Waititi often collaborates with (like Rachel House and Cohen Holloway). The Loki play has some seriously great cameos, but not knowing who plays Thor, Loki, and Odin in the play makes it even more enjoyable. Jane Foster and Kat Dennings don’t return for this film despite having prominent roles in the first two films. Thor: Ragnarok is only briefly on earth with the majority of the film being split between Asgard and Sakaar. The closest thing to a love interest Thor has is Valkyrie, but the closest they get to becoming romantically involved is breathing heavily while staring into each other’s eyes after fighting side by side.

The biggest drawing point here is the fight between Hulk and Thor and it delivers in every way imaginable. Thor is going to draw some comparisons to Raiden from Mortal Kombat (they’re both gods of thunder) after this film and the character is put through some severely traumatic events that are going to affect him physically going forward, but his fight with Hulk is a spectacular showcase of super strength and brute force. This is the first Marvel film where Lou Ferrigno hasn’t voice Hulk. Mark Ruffalo takes on all of the responsibility in this film and he spends more time as Hulk than Bruce Banner whereas it’s been split 50/50 in previous films. Thor: Ragnarok actually makes a joke about a naked Hulk regarding a certain appendage that has been something on everyone’s mind in the internet community for literally forever. It’s about time somebody addressed the elephant in the room; literally.

Asgard faces what could be absolute extinction and Hela is killing everything that opposes her. While those are serious matters that don’t exactly get swept under the rug they’re story elements that refuse to affect the overall tone and fun nature of the film; something Thor: The Dark World could have benefited from. When Thor arrives on Sakaar, he’s strapped into this chair and forced to experience this disorienting and often terrifying introductory ride for the Grandmaster. Amusingly enough, “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory plays in the background. Jeff Goldblum adds this eccentric brilliance to a madman in charge of what is essentially a garbage planet. The cool thing about the Grandmaster’s tower is that it features giant heads of all his champions and included in those heads are the Greek god Ares, the Korbinite alien and warhammer-wielding Beta Ray Bill, the supernatural swamp monster known as Man-Thing, and the two-headed android Bi-Beast. Could these be teases for characters to be introduced in future Marvel films?

The bottom line is that Thor: Ragnarok takes a ridiculous amount of pride in being outrageously silly resulting in a different kind of superhero film that alters the landscape (even if it is only a slight alteration to the MCU formula) and has a hell of a lot of fun in doing so. Screenwriters Eric Pearson (Agent Carter), Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost (creators of X-23) and director Taika Waititi have found a way to unleash the inner slapstick colossus usually buried within each and every superhero. Thor: Ragnarok is a spontaneity driven juggernaut that puts the “comic” back in “comical.”

Girl of the Week Casandra Danielle

GIRL OF THE WEEK

Slickster

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November 5, 2017

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Girl of the Week Casandra Danielle

This fun loving’ girl of IG loves taking pictures.

11/5/2017, 3:05 p.m.

LeveL -1 talks about the upcoming album

Slickster

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November 3, 2017

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Berlin based EDM duo releases teaser track from upcoming album.

Promising new twists and unexpected surprises, LeveL -1 is back with a follow up effort to their fourth EP “Human X Machine“. Featuring all the guilty pleasures of the growing 80s throwback genre, SYNTHWAVE, artists KaMui and Kazuu are excited to bring the new album to fans. We caught up with them to discuss the EDM scene in Berlin, fads in electronic music and what to expect on the new album. Here’s what they had to say.

You released a teaser track from your new album, can you tell us something about it?

Yeah, of course. It will be our albumstarter! As you can hear the song is more the typical 80s synth-sound with our mandatory allures for cinematic, score-esque atmosphere. BUT: the album will have more facettes – especially when it comes to the 80s EBM/industrial section. Be prepared. 🙂

Since the last time we talked, how has the EDM scene in Berlin been developing?

Nothing actually changed. But now there is a party called “TechNoir”. Our friends “DJ Florian Hellstryker” and “MarKüss” are doin’ a fine job – spinning some 80s italo disco/synthwave/new wave/retro wave etc.. There’re also organizing the party and had some live acts (Robert Parker, Timecop1983, Megahammer, and us 😉 )

What can your fans expect from the new album? When does it come out?

They can expect the unexpected! 😉 It should come out in the end of January/ beginning of February. We are working on some stuff and maybe this time it will be distributed by a label. We don’t know exactly ’cause we are still in negotiation.

How has YT impacted your fanbase?

Since “T.E.C.H. Corp.” was submitted by the New Retro Wave Channel (thanks again!) it gave us a big push. But all in all YT is not our primary source for a fanbase. We are more active on Soundcloud/Facebook/Bandcamp/ Twitter. A lot of fans are uploading some songs from us and doin’ own music videos for our songs. Thanks to all the support guys!

Do you think the genre of Synthwave is a short term fad or will it last for a long time?

As long as there’re 80s fans – there will be synthwave. We think it won’t be a short term fad. In addition the 80s were very important for the general musical development. So, it has its own sound and feeling which you can now combine with the nostalgia. As you can see a lot of big producers are now training to jump on that train as well. But we are quite fascinated that now even teenagers have that affinity for the music/style even in a cinematographic sense (e.g. stranger things). So, we hope it will last forever with the premise that it won’t be exploited! 🙂

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to talk to Slickster Mag about the upcoming album. Glad to have you back here on the pages talking about EDM and electronic music. Is there anything else you’d like to share or promote? Any special shoutouts to people? ANYTHING GOES!

We want to thank everybody for their support:

– Official Cyberpunk (www.facebook.com/groups/officialcyberpunk/)

– Neros77

– Jake Siano

– Alpha Boy and Superflight

– Daria Danatelli

All supporters on Facebook/Soundcloud/Twitter! YOU are the BEST! And thank you for the interview – always great!

So, we are now continue working on our new album in 9…8…7…6… 😉

KaMui and Kazuu – LeveL -1

EA Continues to Mold Gaming Landscape

Jon Lee

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November 1, 2017

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Written by Jonathan Lee, October 29, 2017, 9:00 AM. Tweet to: @Writerscube

EA Gives Visceral Games the Ax, Now the World Watches

It’s hard not to pay attention to EA after they just put an end to Visceral Games, the studio popular for the Necromorph-plagued Dead Space series. Visceral Games had been on its way in developing a new Star Wars game that was meant to have been a single player linear-adventure, not unlike that of titles like Uncharted and Tomb Raider. Unfortunately, those aspirations would never come to fruition when this month, EA shut the studio down.

Now, by this point, we’ve learned that EA is pursuing a gaming model that places heavy emphasis on player retention. Making the player return to the game a lot more than just once. One need only look to Bungie’s popular Destiny and Destiny 2 to see how money can be continually raked in when a game is made to encourage player transactions. That’s not to say it’s the only game, but from what I’ve seen so far, Bungie’s done an excellent job so far in pulling players in, and keeping them. Another good example would be any number of popular MMO games that have in-game real money transactions.

So, it makes sense that EA will want to cash in on this method. Why not? They’re in the business to make money. It’s sad, but it’s true. I remember the days when I played on my 3DO system and I used to see the Electronic Arts logo intro pop up. I remember when the company wasn’t so over-the-top ambitious for the bottom line. But times change, my friends. And EA is continuing to change with it.

Or is EA really changing?

Let me rephrase, I think EA is continuing to help change how everyone else changes. While EA didn’t begin the whole big-emphasis on in-game transactions and squeezing every dollar out of the player, EA is not a small company. It’s colossal! When a big company like that does something drastic or significant to its marketing strategy, everyone in the industry is going to take notice. Some fear that the single player experience is in danger because of an industry giant making such a move.

I don’t believe the single player experience is necessarily going to get erased. I can’t see that happening because people love stories. But it’s been happening for a while, with single player games still having some form of micro transactions built into it. Take Mass Effect 3, for example. Full single player story. But a multiplayer mode that offered you enticing bonuses… for a fee. But EA saw that it worked. And they haven’t stopped putting them into their games with popular multiplayer modes. The upcoming Star Wars Battlefront 2 will also be sporting micro transactions for loot crates, which, riding on the enthusiastic wave made by Overwatch, is bound to be a popular item that players can buy with in-game credits, or will undoubtedly buy with their real wallets.

Single Player Lovers, Don’t Lose Hope

A lot of players have embraced the way games are going. It’s not like we’ve let these micro transactions get in the way of our love for games. And we can still enjoy them so long as it doesn’t interrupt our ability to enjoy the whole story (Oh wait. That happens a lot, though, doesn’t it?)

But for those who remain adamant that the single player experience is a sacred part of what makes video games what they are: Take heart. Games solely made for the single player experience are not going to go extinct, but something tells me that there’s going to continue being a gradual shift. A lot of the big name production companies and studios are adopting micro transactions to increase their profits. Understandably, it helps them recover from the burgeoning costs of making their AAA titles. But there will always be great studios who don’t use micro transactions. There will always be studios who make games that are exciting, compelling, and (gasp) re-playable. Heck, most of the games I play and write about (not including Destiny) are done by wonderful studios and have a very fulfilling single player experience. So the sky hasn’t fallen just yet.

The best thing you can do, if you are of the heavy-single-player-experience persuasion, is to write to your favorite studios. Encourage them! Let them know how much you love their games and stories. Good feedback always helps in its various, little ways.

RIP Isaac Clarke. Interstellar Badass, Savior, Engineer.

UFC 217: Bisping vs St-Pierre Main Card Preview and Predictions

MMA
SPORTS

Staff Report

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November 1, 2017

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UFC 217: Bisping vs St-Pierre Main Card Preview and Predictions

Main Event

Michael Bisping vs Georges St-Pierre

Betting Odds, Bisping +100 or 1/1 St-Pierre -130 or 4/5

Close to 4 years ago Georges St-Pierre surprised everyone by announcing that he would be taking a leave of absence immediately after his split decision win over Johny Hendricks.

There was no timescale given on a return just a vague explanation in which he stated: “I have to go away for a little bit at least, personal things happening, I want to say thank you to the UFC from the bottom of my heart”.

A former two-time welterweight champion who made his UFC debut 13 years ago at the age of 23, he’s one of the few fighters that we’ve witnessed grow both as an athlete and a person over an extended period of time in the UFC. Widely recognized as the greatest welterweight of all time, no doubt deserves a place in the argument for the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, St-Pierre was the first champion with no obvious weaknesses.

Having retired on top after making 9 defences of his title against strong contenders you could argue there’s little left for him to prove. St-Pierre feels as though he still has something to offer, he’s returning to cement his legacy by possibly becoming one of four men to have won UFC titles in two different weight classes.

Bisping who’s been an active UFC fighter for 11 years himself recently broke the record for most wins in the UFC octagon, coincidentally the man he overtook was Georges St-Pierre which places some added significance to this fight.

Until recently Bisping’s history with UFC titles had not been as memorable as his scheduled opponent, after working his way to two middleweight title eliminators Bisping was unsuccessful on both occasions. His luck changed when At UFC 199 he replaced an injured Chris Weidman on 17 days notice & went on to stop champion Luke Rockhold inside of a round.

His first defence of the title came against Dan Henderson who previously knocked Bisping out cold back at UFC 100, still, to this day it’s one of the most replayed knockouts in MMA history.

The fight took place in Manchester, England, a short distance from Bisping’s hometown of Clitheroe. Bisping avenged his earlier loss to Henderson winning a unanimous decision despite surviving two knockdowns.

The ultimate opportunist has been presented with the ultimate opportunity, two years ago Bisping had never even held a UFC title but this Saturday he will attempt to become the only man to have beaten both Anderson Silva & Georges St-Pierre.

(For my detailed breakdown of the fight click the link below)

Michael Bisping vs Georges St-Pierre Pre-Fight Analysis

Co-Main Event

Cody Garbrandt vs T.J. Dillashaw

Betting odds, Garbrandt -150 or 4/7 Dillashaw +110 or 6/4

This is the standout fight on the main card for me, I can’t think of many title fights this year with the level of intensity that this match-up brings. Daniel Cormier vs Jon Jones aside it’s the most competitive title fight of the year.

Animosity is sometimes manufactured between fighters to peak the interest of fight fans, there is nothing manufactured about the bad blood between former teammates Cody Garbrandt & T.J. Dillashaw.

The rivalry began when Dillashaw left Team Alpha Male to join Duane Ludwig in Colorado, Ludwig was also a member of Team Alpha Male in the form of a striking coach. After a disagreement with Urijah Faber, Ludwig left the camp and the rest of the team felt betrayed when Dillashaw followed him.

Garbrandt & Dillashaw coached opposite teams on The Ultimate Fighter show this year, they were involved in many verbal confrontations which occasionally turned physical.

T.J. Dillashaw was Bantamweight Champion at the time he left Alpha Male, he went on to lose the belt to former champion Dominick Cruz who was originally stripped of the belt due to inactivity following a string of injuries. Cruz then faced Urijah Faber for the third time ending their trilogy with a convincing win. Urijah challenged Cruz to fight Cody Garbrandt in his post-fight interview, Cruz accepted the challenge.

Garbrandt shocked the MMA world by defeating Cruz despite his lack of experience at the highest level, he looked extremely comfortable even though he had never previously been past 3 rounds.

The two men have contrasting styles, Garbrandt stalks opponents reacting only when they get in range. Everything he throws is with power, the efficiency of his footwork allows him to do so without leaving himself wide open for counters.

Dillashaw focuses on movement, feints, & deception. He uses his unpredictable footwork to create space and misdirect opponents. Dillashaw has more variety than Cody when it comes to striking.

What makes this fight so intriguing to me is there are so many possibilities to how it could end. Both have the potential to finish each other & neither has shown any problems with going five rounds so a win on the cards for either man is also feasible.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Rose Namajunas

Betting Odds, Joanna -417 or 2/11 Namajunas +310 or 4/1

In Recent years Joanna has taken the benchmark for women’s MMA to the next level, Ronda was a pioneer in terms of commercial success but skill-wise she was one dimensional.

The striking mechanics of Joanna are so fluid & technically correct you’d be hard-pressed to find a fault in them. Even though she favours standing, anytime she’s been taken down she’s managed to avoid danger and get back to her feet. No amateur wrestling experience but such is her desire for greatness Joanna works tirelessly on her grappling to make sure it is not a huge disadvantage.

If Joanna beats Rose this Sunday she ties Ronda’s record for most consecutive UFC title defences by a woman.

Rose Namjunas is the biggest underdog on this card, however, she still has a genuine chance of winning. Namjunas is the most talented striker Joanna has faced to date. Young, Hungry, & improving with every fight, Rose is finally displaying the sort of confidence we saw from her in The Ultimate Fighter.

Rose is only 25 years old with a total of 9 fights on her record, such is the case her development between fights at this early stage is difficult to calculate. If Joanna is expecting the same Namujans that choked out Michelle Waterson she could be in for a rude awakening.

Predictions

Michael Bisping vs Georges St-Pierre (St-Pierre)

Cody Garbrandt vs T.J. Dillashaw (Dillashaw)

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Rose Namajunas (Joanna)

Stephen Thompson vs Jorge Masvidal (Thompson)

Johny Hendricks vs Paulo Borrachinha (Borrachinha)

Death Race 2050

Slickster

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October 29, 2017

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Fans of the original 1970’s Death Race 2000 will love this movie.

Death Race 2050 is set in a quasi-post Apocolpytic America. The United States of America has become The United Corporations of America, and the rest of the movie is Orwellian too. Malcolm McDowell sets the tone as The Chairman, and the jokes, schlock and satire rolls out non-stop from the very beginning. It’s refreshing to know that a movie in 2017 is truly self aware.

Death Race 2050 parallels the plot of the 1975 original. Teams of drivers compete in a cross county derby and attempt to murder as many men, women and children with their cars along the way. Offing senior citizens earns the driver even more points. It is ridiculous as it sounds. The drivers and their co-pilots are over the top, with names like Frankenstein and Jed Perfectus. A renegade faction of inept survivors pledges to end the most watched event in television in history. Chaos ensues.

I enjoyed this movie.

Right off the bat, Death Race 2050 draws a line in the sand. The viewer either knows what they are getting into and is immediately along for the ride. Or, you stumbled into a movie that you have no understanding of and you walk out of the theater. If campy humor, political satire, and senseless nudity isn’t your thing, you are in the later group.

Director G.J. Echternkamp and legendary producer Roger Corman don’t pull any punches. It’s a bold move to make such a non-PC movie in 2017. Overtly racist black female rappers mowing down redneck hillbillies, sexually ambiguous jocks, and sentient death dealing driverless cars all make an appearance…. and that’s just the tip of the ice berg. “Death Race is a car-racing picture with some black humor,” Corman told the LA Weekly. “But underneath all that, the movie reflects something of today’s world, which is a little bit darker than the world when I made the original.”

The newer Death Race also takes gender issues head on.

A movie of it’s times, the 1970’s movie largely portrayed women as sex objects. Drivers were rewarded with sex and pampering at the end of a long day of day of driving and killing. Writers, G.J. Echternkamp and Matt Yamashita handle the female lead role, Annie Sullivan, (Marci Miller) with deftness. In the 2017 Death Race, Sullivan is an empowered woman and plays a vital part in the plot development. And she does it all without flashing any skin… Ok, there is a fantastic shot of her ass bending over the car, but this a Death Race movie after all.

Marci Miller's ass in Death Race 2050 — Marci Miller’s ass in Death Race 2050.

Death Race 2050 is an equal opportunity offender. If you can’t take jabs at the POTUS, or high drama gay men, or women who are required to fake oragsms, or religion, or virtual reality, or just about ANYTHING, then move on. This is not the movie for you. Fans of grind house sleeze from the 1970’s will find this to be a very refreshing entry into the 2017 catalog. Social commentary is the real star of the show. To quote the Chairman; “This is all about freedom. The freedom to sit on your BIG FAT ASS and watch…”

TOP 10 FEMALE TWITCH STREAMERS

Slickster

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October 25, 2017

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As many of you know Twitch is widely used as a platform for live streaming video games. Unlike YouTube, your audience can feel so much more involved when watching a live video rather than one that could have been recorded weeks before hand. With the majority of streamers being male, you’ve got to appreciate the hard work females in the industry put in. Here are some of our favourite female Twitch streamers in no particular order.

TOP 10 FEMALE TWITCH STREAMERS

10. KittyPlays

KittyPlays or Kristen is a largely popular Canadian streamer, being in the top 50 streamers on Twitch. She’s known for playing a variety of games such as Overwatch and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. When she’s not streaming she’s cosplaying , vlogging travel experiences, racing cars or cooking.

9. LegendaryLea

Lea of LegendaryLea is Texan born and created her channel in 2012. Her following since then has grown to over 600 thousand on Twitch alone! She primarily plays Hearthstone, but throws in some World of Warcraft and Sims every so often.

8. LoserFruit

Kathleen, although known as LoserFruit on Twitch, is an Australian streamer from Melbourne who occasionally likes to dress up as fruit. She’s aiming to reach the top ranks in Overwatch so this is mainly what she plays whilst livestreaming.

7. Wildhungarian

Beata Jambrik (Wildhungarian) who started streaming in 2015 is often seen playing in partypoker tournaments, as she is an ambassador for the brand. She has also had a YouTube channel for a while, but has recently started posting lifestyle vlogs.

6. ItsHAFU

ItsHAFU, whose actual name is Rumay Wang is one of Hearthstone’s top players. She has gained a lot of followers due to her Arena streams, in which she’s gained many titles, including ‘Lord of the Arena 4 Winner’. She also has an interest in playing Diablo 3, World of Warcraft and Bloodline Champions.

5. MS_Vixen

Lanai Gara, also known as MS_Vixen is a massive fan of first person shooter games such as Battlefield 1, Call of Duty and H1Z1. In 2008-09 she was even ranked as the best Call of Duty: World at War player in the world.

4. DizzyKitten

Brandi or ‘DizzyKitten’ has been streaming since 2013, and is widely known for her fun personality, cosplaying and playing of Counter-Strike: GO and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. She has an impressive 478 thousand followers on Twitch, and this number just keeps getting bigger!

3. Miss_Rage

Austrian streamer Julia (Miss_Rage) began her streaming career playing League of Legends. The total opposite to what her name suggests, Miss_Rage is actually a really calm and outgoing in all of her videos! That’s probably why she’s so popular, even though she doesn’t have a fixed steaming schedule.

2. Becca

Becca is a Twitch streamer from Korea, mostly known for being high in the ranks for League of Legends – peaking at Diamond 2 in Season 4. She’s adored amongst her followers as she often gets to know them and loves speaking to them even when she’s not working!

1. Kaceytron

Kacey or ‘Kaceytron’ is a high level League of Legends and World of Warcraft player – regularly found streaming these games as well as other games five days a week! She can be very blunt in her videos, but this is what makes watching her streams addictively funny.

UFC Fight Night 119: Brunson vs Machida Preview and Predictions

MMA
SPORTS

Staff Report

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October 25, 2017

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UFC Fight Night 119: Brunson vs Machida Preview and Predictions

Main Event

Derek Brunson vs Lyoto Machida

Betting odds, Brunson -170 or 5/8, Machida +150 or 13/10.

Former light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida is headlining a UFC event once again after serving an 18-month suspension for violating USADA’s drug testing policy.

His karate-based style was at one time a difficult puzzle to solve, Rashad Evans fell victim to the difficulties of trying to solve this puzzle and was consequently dethroned as champion. I thought at that time Lyoto would reign as champion for years to come but Mauricio “Shogun” Rua had other ideas, knocking Machida out in their much-anticipated rematch.

Machida’s quest to reclaim the title was unsuccessful, after losing the title Machida went 3-3 including a loss to then-champion Jon Jones who went on to become the dominant champion many expected Machida to be.

The loss prompted a move down to a lighter weight class, in his first fight at middleweight, he knocked out Mark Munoz with a head kick & then bested Gegard Mousasi over five rounds leading to the third UFC title shot of Machida’s career. Chris Weidman held off Machida to retain his title.

The Dragon now finds himself in somewhat of a similar position to when he first dropped to 185lbs, having lost in his last two appearances before the lengthy suspension, his UFC middleweight record is currently 3-3. Coming off a period of inactivity & approaching 40 years of age the question is, how much does Machida have left to offer?

If Lyoto Machida represents the traditional mixed martial artist, Derek Brunson is a representative of the next generation. Traditional mixed martial artists relied heavily upon specialist skills, Brunson is one of the new breeds of fighter who use their athletic gifts to excel in multiple areas putting together a well-rounded set of skills.

Under the keen eye of head coach Greg Jackson at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy, Brunson has slowly matured into a top middleweight contender.

With a win, Brunson puts himself alongside an elite class of fighters. Up until now only Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson, Jon Jones, Phil Davis, Chris Weidman, Yoel Romero, & Luke Rockhold have been able to defeat Machida. A high profile name to propel his career is what Brunson is looking for, he came up short against Anderson Silva earlier this year but gets another crack against Lyoto Machida, albeit in hostile territory.

Demian Maia vs Colby Covington

Betting Odds, Maia +115 or 11/10, Covington -135 or 8/11

On the subject of specialists, Demian Maia is another. He is quite possibly the best BJJ practitioner in the UFC today. Maia was soundly beaten by Tyron Woodley in a championship fight at UFC 214. The campaign for a title fight had been a long one for Maia who patiently waited for his opportunity with Woodley fighting Stephen Thompson back to back in the space of 6 months.

At 39 Maia’s dreams of being a champion in the UFC are all but over, he could, however, become an effective gatekeeper for the weight division. We’ve seen veterans in other weight divisions assume this role before, serving as a test for contenders trying to scale towards to the higher ranked fighters in the division.

Colby Covington is the first man up, Maia is by far the highest profile opponent he’s been matched with to date. Covington is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler, so will Covington risk taking the fight to the mat and pit his top control against Maia’s Jiu-Jitsu? or will Covington choose to keep the fight standing and attempt to defend any takedown attempts?. If Covington has any title aspirations of his own in the near future, he needs a victory against Maia to make some noise.

Potential Fight of the Night

Francisco Trinaldo vs Jim Miller

Betting Odds, Trinaldo -170 or 5/8, Miller +150 or 13/10

Jim Miller doesn’t participate in boring fights, he welcomes a scrap with open arms. Recipient of the Fight of the Night award on six occasions, he’s built a reputation for putting on a show. Francisco Trinaldo was on a roll before losing to Kevin Lee 7 months ago, he’s not the type to back down from a challenge & will be eager to get back to winning ways.

Predictions

Derek Brunson vs Lyoto Machida (Brunson)

Demian Maia vs Colby Covington (Maia)

Pedro Munhoz vs Rob Font (Font)

Francisco Trinaldo vs Jim Miller (Trinaldo)

Thiago Santos vs Jack Hermansson (Santos)

John Lineker vs Marlon Vera (Lineker)

Glacial Movements in Brooklyn – An Interview with Mario Quintero of Spotlights

INTERVIEWS

Staff Report

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October 23, 2017

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Glacial Movements in Brooklyn – An Interview with Mario Quintero of Spotlights

Spotlights are a calving glacier in the world of music. Their second full length album, Seismic, is a blistering, post-rock, wall of noise that punches you in the gut as much as it adds layers of sonic beauty to the landscape. In truth, it’s in my top 5 for 2017 and only gets better with each listen. Fresh off a tour with The Melvins, Slickster was afforded the opportunity to speak with guitarist and lead singer, Mario Quintero to discuss the pros of being in a band with your spouse – the equally talented Sarah Quintero, the negatives of owning your own studio, and why many metal bands in the 21st century cite The Cure as a major influence.

Cheers.

First off, you guys are a married couple performing in a band together, which is rad. How did you guys form Spotlights?

Mario Quintero – “Sarah and I met through music, I was recording her band years and years ago in San Diego at a studio I owned down there and… we were friends for years, and eventually ended up dating. And we played in a band called Sleep Lady for about 4 years, which started happening right around 2009.

“Right before that happened Sarah and I had the idea to write and record some music, and we had recorded a song but then never did anything with it. We did put it on a compilation that I put out at the studio. Sleep Lady kind of took over and we put that song on the backburner to focus on Sleep Lady which was doing really well. We really liked the band.

“Eventually we decided to move to Brooklyn, New York and Sleep Lady parted ways, didn’t really breakl up, but the other couple in the band had a kid and moved back to Chicago. Sarah and I were like… eventually we’ll get back together. So we moved to Brooklyn and focused on what ended up being Spotlights.From there we started writing and recording stuff, and little by little got to where we are now.”

Does the style of music you guys play help with relationship issues?

Mario Quintero – “It’s funny… we don’t really fight much, but are definitely better as a couple when we are on tour or when we are working on music in general. We’re both doing exactly what we like to do. Especially on tour when you’re playing every night you get that excitement every night. We work really well together when it comes to music. I think its a helper in our relationship.. For sure.

“We enjoy the whole aspect of touring and we each have our strengths in different departments. Plus, we don’t have to leave one person at home. Which is what I think puts a strain on musicians and relationships.”

Where are you guys originally from, it seems like you found some footing in Brooklyn?

Mario Quintero – “I grew up in Miami and Sarah grew up in Chicago. We actually met in San Diego. I lived there for about 10 years and Sarah moved there right before we met and stayed there for about 7 years.

“We decided on moving to Brooklyn out of nowhere, we needed a change. There is only so much you can do in San Diego. I had sold my studio and didn’t have the business there anymore. We didn’t have anything holding us back, so we decided to go to New York. We’ve been in Brooklyn for about 4 years now.”

Do you ever entertain the idea of going back to owning a studio?

Mario Quintero – “Definitely working, even since then I still kept working, and I still mix records and stuff like that. Probably not owning a studio, cause you really have to put everything into that. I loved it, but it was really stressful, and just a lot of work.

“Especially working there,and then playing in a band, it’s just a little too much. But I do love recording. I still work with bands and mix records. I love mixing records. I’ve really haven’t done too much tracking other than our own stuff. The studio business can be a lot harder than being in a band I would say. You really have to hustle.”

How was the tour with the Melvins? You got to jump up on stage with them and perform the last two songs.

Mario Quintero – “We started doing that a little before halfway on tour, and we did that at least 40 times with them. Everything about the tour was great. Luckily there were no snags, no issues, but The Melvins are such a great band, and such good people and good…. I don’t know if mentors is the right word, but it’s inspiring to see how they do things and how they work. Especially tour wise. Those guys are just veterans.

“They were not only welcoming and super-nice, but seeing how they do it, and their process was awesome as well.”

Seismic is such a dense record, what was the songwriting process like for the record?

Mario Quintero – “It’s pretty planned out ahead of time. Usually I do most of the initial songwriting. And I’ll end up recording a guitar part and adding a little sequence drum part on the computer. I’ll show it to Sarah and she and i will add, take away, and arrange stuff around until we are happy with it.

Then we usually demo everything as good as we can until it sounds like what we would want it to sound like ona record. That is where we are even before we play it in a room. We like to have it said and done before sitting in a room being loud. So that way when we are in a room being loud it’s just a matter of tonal tweaks.

“That works for us because it takes away a lot of back and forth, sitting in a room, loud amplifiers. That works for some bands. I’ve been in a lot of bands where you start playing and it breeds arguments. People start butting heads, everyone wants to be heard, and have their own ideas in there. It always takes a little longer than what we’ve been able to do with this.”

When I saw you live, you obviously play with a drum machine as there was no drummer, you look like Geddy Lee playing 7 different things at one time.

“Sometimes it’s like that, we’ve played with a drummer. But even when we play with a drummer, I still trigger all the synths and the atmospheric stuff with my pedal board. I’ve gotten pretty used to it. Our drummer Chris couldn’t do the whole tour so we just decided to do the rest as a two piece.

“I basically added the recorded drums from the record and chopped them up into parts. I was triggering all that, along with the synths that I usually would trigger from my pedal board. I used Ableton to do all that. I added the drums like synthesizers along with the other parts I would be triggering normally. It ended up working out pretty well eventually.”

Spotlights released a previous record called Tidals a few years back, how do think that Seismic is different than the previous recording?

Mario Quintero – “I think it’s definitely more expansive and we were able to hit more of the aspects that we can play as Spotlights. I feel like we highlighted a little more of our influences growing up. More of a post-hardcore sound, we got to explore different tones which we really wanted to do. Tidals had a different sounds, which was good and I liked it, but we took a little more time with this one, and wrote more songs to move through it as an album.

“But also, some of the songs were written while Tidals was being written. So some of those were songs we were still working out or finding the right place for them. Little by little we started putting stuff together to see what would make a good album. And that set the theme for it and continued writing. Mostly the record feels more dynamic than Tidals did.”

What major influences drove you to make music, what did you guys grow up listening too?

Mario Quintero – “I grew up listened to a lot of progressive stuff like The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, which is one of my favorite bands where they will have a really poppy song with morbid lyrics. A contrast that I don’t think a lot of people realize is happening.

“Right alongside that stuff I was listening to a lot of hardcore like Bad Brains, Fugazi, Minor Threat and stuff like that, which developed more into bands like Helmet, Quicksand, Jawbox.

“The Melvins are actually one of Sarah’s all time favorite bands, who she has been listening to since she was a kid so that tour for her was on a whole other level. Failure, Hum, those bands are where she came from.

“The Cure are one of those bands that I think have influenced everybody even if they don’t know it. A lot of the songs that weren’t singles or hits were really dark, weird, and the songwriting is not conventional at all. They’ll have an intro that will go for 10 minutes.”

Was there a moment when you were growing up when you decided that you were going to be a full-time musician?

Mario Quintero – “As soon as I started playing guitar when I was really young – I think I started when I was 11. It was something that felt so normal. I always loved music growing up, but the idea of being up onstage and playing with other people was something that I really wanted to do.

“As soon as I started playing I immediately loved it. I remember when I was 13 or 14 and my mom was giving me shit about it, and I told her that that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to play music. It was something that I never stopped doing. It’s been the kind of thing that I just always have to do as a hobby.

“If it worked out great, if it didn’t it didn’t. We’ve been pretty lucky with Spotlights to have a little bit of success. You have to really love it, cause if you don’t than it won’t work out. People react to the genuine side of things.”

What’s next for Spotlights?

“We’re definitely touring, that is really where our focus is right now. Tour as much as possible right now. We’re going out again in December with a band called Hundredth. We have a few other things that are already in the works, but we should be on the road for the rest of this year and all of next year, hopefully.

“We also have a lot of music that we are working on which we have a tendency to have too much music to where we have to slow ourselves down. But I think we’ll end up putting something out, even if it’s an EP.”