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Bless Me Father, For I Have SinnedFeb 13 '04 (Updated Feb 15 '04) Write an essay on this topic.
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Sit down and share a Guinness with Solitary Sinners leader Jay Grinder, and you are just as likely to become involved in a conversation about Asian Cinema, as you are one on Goth and Industrial music. Asian Cinema, you see, is a subject very dear to Grinder's heart. It is a passion strong enough that he spends his spare time running a Website (chinatownkid.com) dedicated to the art. Jay Grinder is also very passionate about music, a trait he inherited early in life from his grandfather. He literally started Solitary Sinners as a solitary effort - spending numerous hours composing and perfecting dark, electronic backing tracks - then searching his inner being for personal lyrics to match. Grinder's musical passion is also evident as a fan - he isn't above chasing down Echo and the Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant in a hotel parking lot for an autograph. While still a solo act, Grinder landed the Colorado Springs-based Sinners on the bill of the first Denver Dark Arts Festival - a two-day celebration of Goth/Industrial music, fashion, and art. With now-bassist Cesar S running sequencing, Grinder played to an early, enthusiastic crowd - of which Denver area underground DJ/concert promoter DJ PharoahMoan was a member. Duly impressed, PharaohMoan contacted Grinder, offering promotional opportunities. The pairing led to steady gigging in the Colorado Springs/Denver area - including opening slots for internationally recognized acts such as Seabound, Terrorfakt, and Stromkern. Nationally touring acts such as Emergence and WICK also saw Solitary Sinners onstage before their own sets. During this time, Solitary Sinners expanded their lineup. Guitarist Rez Shapeshift signed on, as did percussionist Dylan C - meanwhile, Grinder began submitting songs to various Internet music sites. Unexpectedly, the band caught the attention of the Goth show on Boulder, CO's KVCU. Simultaneously, the song Paralyze My Mind found itself at the top of SoundClick.com's Goth chart. Statue Records took notice, and signed Solitary Sinners for a release. Ye Ban Ge Sheng features music recorded solely by Grinder, as well as by the full band. Overall, the music is very dark in nature, and the Grinder's lyrics are very introspective and personal. This is evident on Drown Me In Your Soul, Grinder's public declaration of love for his soul mate/Webmistress, Mona. The song is quite beautiful - slow, yet just fast enough for dancing (of course it helps if you dance "Goth.") A synthetic bass line with just a hint of menace runs underneath a light-yet-urgent keyboard riff. Meanwhile, what sounds to me like a kalimba sample provides a nice percussion alternative. My Shame, on the other hand, is incredibly danceable. An infectious dance beat joins with layers of swirling, hypnotic keyboards and Grinder's gloomy vocals to create a memorable dance floor experience. So much fun, one might even fail to notice the aggressive, KMFDM-style fuzz guitar sneaking in and out during the course of the song. Meanwhile, Paralyze My Mind is a trippy piece of electronic gloom that would do any darkwaver proud. Slow, reverberating percussion backs dirge-like synthesizers, while futuristic keyboards play over them. The CD's title track is a highly repetitive blend of quirky keyboards, Industrial guitar scratches, and a heartbeat-like bass drum track. Throw in a few layers of intense synthesizers and effects, and you have a tune with 20 minute potential - if Grinder were so inclined to extend it past it's 3:33 mark - a tune one could truly lose oneself inside of. Dao (The Blade) sets itself apart from the rest of the CD with a Turkish-like gypsy violin over matching Middle Eastern percussion - morphing into a dance-themed action soundtrack, complete with Fu-Manchu sound bites. The violin effectively sneaks in a couple times during the song, combining with the thumping beat for a fun listen. Black Widow is a fairly aggressive track combining a thick synthesizer bass line with energetic, muscular fuzz guitar riffs, while Grinder sounds somewhat spooky as he whisper-sings. Meanwhile, a playful keyboard is used on top to provide a bit of contrast. This is particularly effective when the guitar riffs are playing under it - very catchy. Despite the fact that Ye Ban Ge Sheng is progressively catching on within the Goth/Industrial community, both Rez Shapeshift and Dylan C have since left the group due to scheduling conflicts. Solitary Sinners now operates as a trio, with Red Church leader Reverend Reynaldo taking over guitar duties and helping out on keyboards. As of this writing, the threesome are finalizing plans for a Solitary Sinners tour with fellow Statue Records act KUBiX. Check them out if you get the chance - just make sure you bone up on your knowledge of Asian Cinema before you go! (Update 02/15/04) - For more info check out - www.solitarysinners.com  |
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