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“There are things about Brahms’ compositions like really beautiful, extremely lush melodies
and romantic tones,” says Parks when asked if Brahms has any influence on the group’s
music. “He’s the foremost composer of romanticism. We have some admiration and things
that come through with that, but we’re not a tribute band or anything.”
A tribute band it is most definitely not, and even Brahms’ influences get a little murky. No
musical equation successfully summates the trio’s dark electropop, but some comparisons
that can be drawn are to the ever-inspiring New Order, Depeche Mode and Joy Division.
For more contemporary nods, the noise of local bands Cold Cave, Gordon Voidwell, Bear in
Heaven and Twin Shadow can be noted.
The band leverages Parks’ signature percussion expertise with the infectious multi-layered
beats forming the foundation of the songs that mirror the past yet have contemporary overtones.
There are hints of his solo material in Brahms, but the construction of the songs is
tighter and more upbeat: This is an entirely different band.
Pacing bass, strident guitar, entrancing vocal harmonies and escalating synths cement the
Brahms’ original sound, which has only been revealed in four recorded demos. But these
songs have already got people talking since the band’s inception in January. It didn’t hurt
that the trio’s first show was opening for Passion Pit at a sold-out Terminal 5 performance.
“We don’t play for 3,000 people every night,” says Robinson. “No matter who you’re playing
for or what the situation is, the most important thing is just generating something in that
moment. That’s something we strive to do.”
For live performances, the three members stand behind orange-tinted podiums with an
assortment of instruments at their disposal as all of them play multiple musical roles to
recreate their challenging dance grooves. The band doesn’t use backing tracks and manipulates
a drum machine live for their layered beats, says Parks.
“If you want to engage the audience, it’s important to have many ways that you’re sort of hitting
them – you know, appealing to multiple senses,” says Lodwick of their live show. “That’s
aesthetics – sound and all visual elements. It is definitely one element, but it’s not the element.
We want to provide many things for people to take hold of or be interested in.“
Since the band does not have a plethora of released material, new songs crop up on its set
lists and consequently on YouTube. These songs sound more hard-hitting and seductively
decadent, contributing more depth to the trio’s cavernous sound.
When asked what his favorite Brahms song is, Parks replies: “I think there’s a tendency with
anyone for anything creative to when you first are making something, I’m always like, ‘This is
amazing. This is so awesome. This is the best song. This is like, to quote Die Antwoord, “This is
like the coolest song I’ve ever heard.”’ I think [the songs] even out, but right now, I’m so excited
about so many new songs that we’ve been writing and recording, and each time we write one,
I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this is it. This is a banger,’ or ‘Oh my god, this is an ‘80s ballad.’”
Over the summer, whilst their peers were vacationing and enjoying the sweltering heat, the
band kicked off with a tour supporting Passion Pit and Tokyo Police Club and then later hunkered
down in its practice space to work on an album demo. The details of when or how the
new material will be released are up in the air and the band is hesitant to reveal too many
details concerning the new songs.
“[The new material] sounds like a band that’s been together for more than one month, which
was what we were when we recorded those demos,” explains Parks. “Those were very
undeveloped as a band, so we’ll probably readdress some of those songs in newer versions.
There’s a lot more new material that sounds more realized.”
“We more just have the mindset of creating, and we maybe feel like we have some idea of
what we’re creating, but we’re really more in the process of just doing it,” says Robinson when
pressed for more concrete specifics. “We’re a bit too submerged to really tell you objectively.”
By the end of the interview, the sun has set and the darkness of the night eclipses the whole band.
Although they had spent the entire day in their practice space, they trudge back into the brightly lit
building to work on the new set of songs that they will release to a ready and willing audience.
Artist Equipment Check!!!
Line6 DL Delay Modeler
“We use a lot the Line 6 DL4 Delay
Modeler for our delay and echo needs.”
the deli_26 fall 2010