[kj] fully on topic / the isis crisis

[Darren A. Peace]

No, he is, for calling his second-born Isis.

 

Darren

Hungerford, UK

 

From: gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net] On
Behalf Of Alexander Smith
Sent: 12 May 2009 22:14
To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)
Subject: Re: [kj] fully on topic / the isis crisis

 

 

Hah, Isis. I had a bit of an Isis crisis, if you will today.

 

You fellows might enjoy today's quandary: So, you'll remember that I'm still
writing shit for The New Yorker's Goings On About Town section. Basically,
my task is to compose "pithy, funny and infomative" blurbs about upcoming
shows. Easy peasy, right? I've been doing it since 2001, and I'd honestly do
it for free. It's a walk-in-the-park.

So, today, my editor John sends me a list of upcoming bands that will be
playing in the area over the next couple of weeks. I pick out four or five
and start writing. The bands I write about usually tend to be the types of
bands that your average New Yorker reader would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS
consider going to see, but whatever.

One of the bands I pick to write about is a frowny  and (to my mind) frankly
ludicrous progressive metal band from Boston called Isis. As my friend Rob
likes to say, "they're the kinda thing you like, if you like that kinda
thing." Here's what I wrote (and submitted) to my friend/editor John:

June 2: Isis
Though their name might conjure up corny images of Egyptian mythology (or,
conversely, a tepid live-action superheroine from 70's Saturday morning
television), Isis isn't  your run-of-the-mill metal outfit. The Boston
band's sound does indeed feature de rigeur genre trappings like chugging
guitars and gruffly-barked vocals that border on the tuneless, but Isis'
music comes imbued with lengthy, ambient passages that would probably
confuse or bore less discerning headbangers. The bands latest album,
<i>Wavering Radiant</i> is equal parts raging heaviosity and contemplative,
cinematic sprawl.

Fair enough, right? Pithy and informative and blah-blah-blah.

Five minutes after I hit "send," John writes back with the below, single
line:

"Do you know that I named my second born Isis????"



...a fact which I'd totally forgotten.


I'm a tool.

 

Alex in NYC

 

 

 

On May 12, 2009, at 4:24 PM, flumedc at aol.com wrote:






Right.  I thought about that Alex interview in our time together.  If
there's an acrimonious bone in his body, it didnt show last week.  At one
point Geordie stepped out for a cigarette (imagine that) and Paul just
heaped genuine praise on Geordie's sound and technique and how often he's
copied without due credit.  We all agreed that there are loads of bands that
owe their sound to Geordie's style.  Some have adapted it and moved it
forward.  I asked him who he liked - he listed Mastadon, Isis, Ohm - and the
like.  And dub is still a big thing for him and everyone else.  

Me too.

-----Original Message-----
From: Leigh Newton <angrytomhanks at yahoo.com>
To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!) <gathering at misera.net>
Sent: Tue, 12 May 2009 4:02 pm
Subject: Re: [kj] fully on topic

In the interview Alex did with him a few years ago, you get the sense that
it was almost a 50/50 split between Big Paul and Jaz when it came to lyric
writing as well as overall themes.

 

http://www.nightruiner.com <http://www.nightruiner.com/> 
http://www.myspace.com/thesunthroughatelescope
http://www.myspace.com/lauderdale

 

 

  _____  

From: "flumedc at aol.com" <flumedc at aol.com>
To: gathering at misera.net
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:34:17 PM
Subject: Re: [kj] fully on topic

Yes.  I hadn't chatted much at all with Paul prior to this - and he's really
well spoken and thoughtful.  We discussed his sculpting work and restoration
projects, splitting time between his different places and the KJ summer tour
and how hard it is to make plans.  What sticks most in my head is him saying
"if you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound" when it comes to a new
recording venture.  As best I could gather, it spells a whole lot of time
away from home and the stresses that it brings are not taken lightly at this
point.  Turns out that his wife and mine have probably crossed paths at some
point in the past - or will in the future - (commercial
building/contruction/econ development sector).  Pretty funny considering
that my ex knew Geordie's ex too from Detroit days. Hmmm.

It's pretty clear that Paul had a bigger hand in the writing and whole
direction in early days that he's given credit for..especially lyric
writing.  But he's dead on humble about it and really genuine.




-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Barathy <bbarathy at btinternet.com>
To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!) <gathering at misera.net>
Sent: Tue, 12 May 2009 1:14 pm
Subject: Re: [kj] fully on topic

Great news - thanks for sharing. Did Paul have much to say?

 

boBToo

www.killingjoke.co.uk <http://www.killingjoke.co.uk/> 

www.teamkinetic.co.uk <http://www.teamkinetic.co.uk/> 

www.bobtoo.co.uk <http://www.bobtoo.co.uk/> 

-----Original Message-----
From: gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net
<mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net?> ]On Behalf Of flumedc at aol.com
Sent: 12 May 2009 17:56
To: gathering at misera.net
Subject: [kj] fully on topic

Sorry to all for the repeater posts on my Heaven report - guess it was a
factor in using my BBerry to send a post - not sure why that happened.

In the meantime, I'm back and thought I'd share what little info I had from
my time with Geordie and Paul (and great to meet you Matt at lunch in SoHo -
thanks for the advice on that market and pub in Southwark - we hit it!).  

Had dinner with Geordie on our last night in town; in sum - There's good
cause for optimism for new material - in rehearsals last week they have new
songs in development - more than what we heard so far (TimeWave and Fresh
Fever From the Skies) and Geordie is pushing for the recording process to
move along.  Likely to commence with pre-production in Youth's place in
Spain in late summer or fall (the heat is a factor!).  No point in
speculating any further than that but it was clear he wants another cd out.
So if that's not something to hoist a pint of Bombadier to, then I don't
know what is!

Stay tuned.

 


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