The Deli #56 - Altopalo, NAMM 2019, Queens takes over Brooklyn

ands + Gear
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MASS GOTHIC
Noel Heroux and Jessica Zambri, active in the NYC scene
since the mid aughts, released music separately through Hooray
for Earth (Noel’s first breakout project, disbanded in 2014)
and Zambri (the electronic band Jessica still plays in with
sister Cristi Jo) and became the two creative forces behind
Mass Gothic. The two musicians share an interest for dark atmospheres
and edgy arrangements. They found themselves
involved in a romantic relationship that soon developed in an
involved artistic collaboration, which fully bloomed in Mass
Gothic’s sophomore album, entitled I’ve Tortured You Long
Enough, released earlier this year through Sub Pop records.
We asked Noel to share some thoughts about the creative
experience and the gear behind it. (PAOLO DE GREGORIO)
The new album sees Jessica join you as creative/songwriting
force, how did you develop the idea that an “equal power”
collaboration was in the cards?
Jess influenced the first Mass Gothic album via proximity, we were
always together while I was recording. Then with Sup Goth she
ended up finishing a lot of the vocals, writing and recording. Around
that point we realized we were making a band together. Natural
progression when two people spend 24/7 in each other’s company.
Overall, the new album sounds less electronic and more guitar (and
bass!) based than the debut, what influenced this sonic direction?
We toured a great deal playing these songs so when it came
Death By Audio Exit Index Prototype (housed in Apocalypse
chassis) / BOSS PS-5 / Death By Audio Echo
Dream 2 / DOD FX56
Indie Rock
time to record we played it as it is live, so you’re hearing that.
Cristi Jo (Zambri) handles a couple samplers full of sounds/
parts we recorded earlier, much of it in demos. I think most often
it’s either Josh’s (Ascalon, co-producer) MS20, ARP2600 or it’s
vocal samples of our own.
What guitar pedals were particularly inspiring while working
on the new record?
The DBA Echo Dream 2 is on, literally, all of the time. I put it in my
setup a few years ago to replace a Memory Boy, which I used to
run almost all the time. When I hooked in the Echo Dream it just
did so much work that I ended up unable to turn it off, or else my
sound would basically die. That’s what happens with hugely bold
sounding pedals. They ask to crash on your couch for a week
but before you know it, oops they’re on the lease now.
What other pedals do you use a lot?
The BOSS PS-5 has also ended up becoming a permanent fixture.
It started because my guitars are tuned too low to reach
the occasional high note, so I throw the pitch up and octave
or two with that. Jess and I like this DOD metal pedal for bass
and guitar. The footswitch is awful though, so we just record
it. Finally, I was gifted a Death By Audio prototype by Travis
Johnson. It’s housed inside an Apocalypse but it’s actually the
first prototype of Exit Index, a signal sensitive tremolo/fuzz. I’ve
started using that extensively for solo. With mega low tuning,
treated correctly it becomes quite scary.
26 the deli Winter 2019