Happy New Years!!!

It’s that day, and you know what that means… another year has passed. This last year was very productive! We played shows throughout the first half of the year… and during that time Twitch put out the companion EP “b+”, and I was already in the process of writing the new upcoming EP “Instructions To Your Revolution” as well as the album that follows that. This New Year marks a very important number for Twitch. In July of 1999, Twitch put out its very first self-titled release. I only made 13 or 14 copies of that release… I recorded, first from a computer to a 4-track, did all the vocals and a friend did the guitar… then from the 4-track dubbed down to cassette, using a friend’s stereo… I took those tapes with me on an extended trip to London, UK. Handed them out to a select few people… some of them landed in label people’s hands, some of them not… and, even though some of the songs on that album came from a negative place, that first tape release and that trip were the beginnings of Twitch, and Twitch’s story. Eventually, I came back to Canada (November 1999)… cause I knew I wasn’t done here… then New Years 1999/2000 I had a revelation, and realized that I wanted to continue to do music… until I fuckin die. Fast forward to 2019 and many albums, EP’s and shows later, and yeah… that’s how long Twitch has been around… in July of 2019 Twitch turns 20 years old!!! Yep, I’m sure some of you can’t believe that… and I know some of you barely know who the fuck we are… but we will be celebrating 20 years of Twitch! What does that mean for this year? First; we release our upcoming EP “Instructions To Your Revolution” on January 11^th/2019. Second; I’m also working on a new album… I would like to release it this year preferably before July… then in July I have something special planned, I can’t reveal too much about it quite yet, but I will say it could possibly be another release in some kind of form… but you’ll have to wait and find out! There’s also a whole shitload of other Twitch and semi-Twitch related stuff as well that will hopefully be happening this year as well! I am quite excited for this year… First, thank you for coming along this adventure! And second, I hope you continue to come along on this journey with us!! Even though Twitch is 20 years old, I feel like this adventure has just started!

Cheers and Happy New Year’s fuckers!!


P.S.: I'm posting this early, as I'll be too drunk tonight, celebrating New Years to post this, lol!

Industrial Music Monday - mindfluxfuneral

It's that day... and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Chicago, Illinois. The music is in the vein of electronic, industrial metal. The band consists of two members: J. Prost (sounds/effects) and T. Smith (sounds/vocals). They are called: mindfluxfuneral!! Check them out!!

soundcloud.com/mindfluxfuneral

mindfluxfuneral.bandcamp.com

twitter.com/MindFluxFuneral

mindfluxfuneral on youtube

The Current Political Situation and The Loss of Faith in the System

(photo courtesy of John Moore/Getty Images)

Well, if it isn't evident yet, the current political situation here (Canada's, potential future administration) and the U.S. doesn't look good. I will say sometimes it's a little discouraging, but I will also say don't give up! I think the thing that pisses me off the most right now, especially with what we are seeing on social media (or what the algorithms are showing us), where has the humanity gone?! In recent news, the U.S. government has tear gassed migrants trying to get into the U.S. via the border at Tijuana... these people are seeking safety from the conditions in their own country, and they are being treated like they are less than human. The border control fired tear gas into the group (which included children) that was approaching the U.S. border... Like, who in their right mind would fucking do that?! These people are seeking safety, and you fucking fire tear gas at them... I'm sure the soldiers, or border control said to themselves "Yep, just doin our job...", and not really questioning or looking at what they are doing... it's fucking ridiculous! That has been the most prevalent thought I've had with this emboldening of white supremacists and nazi types... and the government (specifically, in the U.S.) turning a blind eye to it... like, what these pieces of shit don't realize (the government and racist types), in the end, humanity is going to be mixed anyway... there's no stopping it, it's evolution... somewhere down the line, your child, or children will realize, that all that racist shit is backwards and won't give a fuck and their children and grandchildren and following generations will be mixed with every other fucking color of skin. That's the thing I've been thinking while all this shit is going on, where is the fucking humanity... we are all human, it doesn't matter what color you are, it doesn't matter what form of spirituality you follow... when we get right down to it... we are all human! All it takes is; compassion, understanding, and acceptance that we are all different... that's it! That's all we have to do, realize. What I may believe spiritually may be different to your spirituality, but that doesn't mean we can't coexist, it just means you have a different spiritually, and as long as you can grow and change, and not hurt anyone while you practice your spirituality... that's all that matters! It astounds me that some people cannot seem to grasp that... like what is the barrier... what will it take for an individual to understand that? The blog title is "The Current Political Situation and The Loss of Faith in the System"... so I guess I should touch on the Loss of Faith in the System part... I get it, a lot of countries are dealing with shitty economies right now... here in Canada, and specifically Alberta, being that our economy was built on oil, and now that the oil industry is fucked, we've definitely seen a downturn and maybe even a recession... we've gotta figure out a new way to create jobs, and rather than solely relying on oil we've gotta find other avenues (perhaps green energy) to bring our economy back... I will say anyone that say's "oil is coming back" is a fucking idiot, it may level out, which we've seen, but in the long-run (And I may never see this in my lifetime), oil is a dying industry... oil is plant and animal matter from the prehistoric era... that shit is eventually gonna run out... we might as well move away from it... and save the fiasco we'll have when the shit really does run out (maybe oil wars, loss of transportation systems [as the current transportation system is dominated by oil dependent vehicles])... the other problem with oil is, well pollution, but there is a whole lot of other things that cause pollution as well that people tend not to look at, when they claim that oil is the main evil (coal powered plants still exist). The other problem that exists, the cost of living... we haven't seen it so much here (although I do think the cost of living here is ridiculous), but definitely in B.C., like there's people working two (or more) jobs and still can't afford a fucking shit ass apartment... I don't understand why a government would not help people in need... a side note: even the price of medication is fucking ridiculous... especially when someone actually needs a certain type of medication (perhaps insulin) and they have to go hungry, or skip/ration doses so that they can survive food wise, and still sort-of have the necessary meds... like people are fucking dying cause they can't afford insulin... and this is why I'm starting to question capitalism... does it fucking work, or is the current goings on in the world (and economy) proof that capitalism is a failed system. I get that it can sometimes help innovation by adding a dose of competition... but at what cost, people are fucking dying cause they can't fucking afford something that everyone should have easy access to... matter-of-fact I think it should be free! Just fucking ridiculous... I have to be honest, I'm not sure what the answer is... do we still press forward with what we are doing with the current economy (maybe this recession is just a fucking tight spot that we need to get through)?? OR are we starting to see it fail..? And, if so what do we need to do to change the system to a better one..? I don't know, what are your guys's thoughts on all of this?


P.S.: Don't get me wrong, I haven't lost faith in humanity, I believe humanity is generally good, but is the system we are currently living in still serving it's purpose to make life and society better?

P.P.S.: I know people who run small businesses that are doing quite well for themselves, so I'm curious on their end, what is their view on the current goings on, and capitalism... Please let me know, maybe I'm not seeing something / or considering something that you may have knowledge of!

Industrial Music Monday - Disaster Blooms

Ok, this week of Industrial Music Monday, we are featuring a band local to Calgary, Alberta, Canada who, surprisingly, I've not covered before. The music is in the vein of Avante-Guarde/Industrial/Emo-pop. This endeavor is the sole creation of Jou-ran Blooms (Moping, Screaming, Sequencing), and live they have an additional member... MEAT SUIT (Synthesizers, Bass guitar). The project is called: Disaster Blooms! Check it out!!


Here's their last album:




Here's the new single (released November 20th/2018):



facebook.com/disasterblooms/

soundcloud.com/disasterblooms

Disaster Blooms YouTube

P.S.: "How to Alienate People" is free, but "Every decision I have ever made has been the wrong one" is pay what you want... I highly suggest you support this endeavor, and throw a few bucks his way on Bandcamp!!

P.P.S: If you guy's kinda want to see them live, they'll be opening up the this show at Vern's Bar for us in early January! Show your support, join the revolution!!

Industrial Music Monday - Sabled Sun

It's that day... and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of California / Sweden (at least that's what it says on their Facebook). The music is in the vein of Industrial Ambient. This endeavor is the sole creation of Simon Heath. The project is called: Sabled Sun! Check it out!!






Sabled Sun on Bandcamp

Sabled-Sun on Facebook

Violence

Violence, unfortunately, is a necessary evil, but not in the way you think. One thing you learn in martial arts training is that when someone is being violent towards you, you defend yourself… this applies to all kinds of different situations, like; (small scale) someone who is going to physically be violent, or (large scale) a country committing violence against you, or has committed violence against you… and by going to war with the opposing country, you are defending yourself. The key word here being defending/defence… that is the only justification for any violence. I had a high school councilor who always tried to pacify students and would give the person being bullied a stern talking to cause they shouldn’t have defended themselves and should have tried to talk their way out of it instead. Pacification is not the answer. I would like to see the world in a different state where violence is rarely an answer, but unfortunately as many as you folks know and have unfortunately learnt in your youth... pacifying someone is creating a victim unable to defend themselves... The reality is, there are bullies, terrorists, people willing to hurt you to push their agenda... the only way to survive is by defending yourself... that does not necessarily mean taking someone’s life, but definitely having the ability to immobilize the other person so that they can't or won't do it again.

I do believe a country considering going to war with another country should definitely consider all the options before going into war… and should think about considering setting an example to other nations and consider peace, but sometimes that is not possible (as turning the other cheek doesn’t always work), and the only option is to defend yourself.

This has been in my thoughts for the past couple of days, not sure why… there was a period where I knew this was necessary (in my youth), then in my early 20’s I had changed my mind and thought that peace should be the only option, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that sometimes there really is no other option… you have to put your life and well-being first and defend yourself, as, if you don’t you might not live to see the next day. Don’t get me wrong, I highly dislike violence, I can’t watch horror movies, or movies with a considerable amount of violence (seeing violence on TV whether it's the news or just violent shows, makes me physically sick)… but, sometimes defending yourself is the only answer.

What are your thought's on this? I would like to know.

Note: I do think the world can't have a true peace (where there is absolutely no violence and we disarm, and there are absolutely no weapons), as we run into a problem where if we completely disarm we run the risk of not being able to defend ourselves... and, future forward thinking, if some alien race decides to invade our planet (not sure how likely that is, as we haven't officially found aliens out in the universe yet, but being that our universe is as vast as it is... the likelihood that there isn't other life out there... well, the odds are in favor of other life in the universe).

Writing with the Live Show in Mind?

Writing with the Live Show in Mind?

Industrial Music Monday - Aversion Theory

It's Monday, and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of Hershey, Pennsylvania. The music is in the vein of alternative/electronic/industrial rock.The project consists of sole member: Jamie Robb Gibson. This endeavor is called: Aversion Theory. Check it out!!!






facebook.com/aversiontheory

aversiontheory.bandcamp.com

twitter.com/aversiontheory

soundcloud.com/aversion-theory

youtube.com/aversiontheory


I think my favorite track off this album is the first song "The End Is Near". What is your favorite track off this release?

Instructions To Your Revolution

Instructions To Your Revolution


Dead Drop:

Lat: 51.046366
Long: -114.087894

This Dead Drop is volatile. Data can be erased. Data can be stolen or destroyed. Time is of the essence!

...phase two

Why I chose this Audio/MIDI interface!

...phase one

...phase one

Industrial Music Monday - PLAS

Monday is here... and that means Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of Manchester, UK. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial/rock. This endeavor is called: PLAS! Check them out!!!






plas1.bandcamp.com

plasmusic Facebook

PLAS Soundcloud

PlasMusic Twitter

plasmusic.com

PLAS youtube

P.S.: I couldn't find too much info about this project, but if you happen to know who the members are, or have any additional info, please leave them in the comments, and I'll update this post!

Twitch Storytime: Evolution of The Live Setup

Industrial Music Monday - DISPLAC3D

You know what Monday means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of Bloomington, Indiana. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial/synthwave. This endeavor consists of sole member: Heath Ison. The project is called: DISPLAC3D! Check it out!!!






displacedautonomous.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/DISPLAC3D

DISPLAC3D Youtube

soundcloud.com/displac3d

twitter.com/DP3autonomous

Twitch: Synth Upgrades: EXFLM1

Industrial Music Monday - Big Time Kill

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Boston, Massachusetts. The music is in the vein of alternative/industrial/electronic. The band consists of two members: Adam Schneider (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Synth, Programming), and Ben Caccia (Guitar, Vocals, Synths, Programming). They are called: Big Time Kill!! Check this project out!!!






facebook.com/bigtimekillmusic

bigtimekill.bandcamp.com

twitter.com/BigTimeKill

bigtimekill.com

Twitch Storytime: My First Synthesizer

Twitch Storytime: My First Synthesizer:

Industrial Music Monday - Tukt

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of Stockholm, Sweden. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial. I can't tell, but from what it sounds like, this may be a two member project... Roy (drums, machines, noise and mood swings)., not sure who the other member is... The project is called: Tukt! Check this video out!!

For some reason I can't get YouTube to link to the music video... so here is the link: Tukt - Affliction


Here's the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1BMqslncHmLk24kwVi16cA

I would keep an eye on it, as I think they are working on another video to be released soon!!

Here is Tukt's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tuktiswhatyoudeserve/

Getting Into Making Industrial Music?

Industrial Music Monday - Eye Steal

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial. This solo projects sole member is Remi Monroe. They are called: Eye Steal. Check them out!!!






eyestealngp.bandcamp.com

www.eyesteal.ca

Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records

This last Saturday, September 29th, 2018 the Calgary International Film Festival was running, and fortunately they were showing the Wax Trax! documentary "Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" directed by Julie Nash. I was hoping there would be a showing here... and alas, there was! If you don't know, Wax Trax! Records was a legendary record store and label in the 1980s-1990s in Chicago that was pretty much at the forefront of the Industrial music scene in the U.S.. Some legendary acts were signed to the label; Ministry, Front 242, KMFDM, PIG, Front Line Assembly, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Revolting Cocks, 1000 Homo DJs... etc. Wax Trax! was quite important for breaking fourth wave (mostly guitar driven) industrial music in the U.S.. The documentary takes you through the history of where Wax Trax! came from to its final days where TVT in the end ended up buying them out. There's interviews with Al Jourgensen, Trent Reznor, Paul Barker, Richard 23, Dave Grohl, and a bunch of others. At the time, when Wax Trax! was around I was too young to really appreciate the music that was coming out from that label, but I do understand and recognize the importance of that label in industrial music history... and it was great to finally see the story of how Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher opened a small record shop and then see it evolve into a legendary record label in the industrial scene. I think things like these (like this documentary) are very important to our scene, and I think it's important to know the history of our scene and where things came from, and I encourage anyone in our scene to look into our goth/industrial past and learn something about not only the scene, but yourself too! I walked away from the movie feeling inspired, and I hope you do too! If you haven't seen this documentary yet, and there is a showing in your city, definitely go and see it!!

Industrial Music Monday - Darktron

It's that day... and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of somewhere in the United States. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial/synthwave. The project is called: Darktron! Check it out!!






https://darktron.bandcamp.com


P.S.: I couldn't find too much about this project, so if you have any info, please pass it along and I'll update this blog post!!

Twitch: Studio Vlog: September 15/2018

Twitch: Studio Vlog: September 13/2018

We is in the studio tonight! What are you guys up to?

Industrial Music Monday - Menschdefekt

It's Monday, and that means Industrial!! This week we have a band out of Monchengladbach, Germany. The music is in the vein of electro-industrial. The band consists of three members: Nik aka VR-55 (music), Fredrik Croona (Vocals/lyrics), Daniel P. (Live synth). They are called: Menschdefekt! Check them out!!






facebook.com/official.menschdefekt

menschdefekt.bandcamp.com

Industrial Music Monday - Replicant

Well, it's Monday, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The project consists of two members: Doppleganga, and Michael Skye. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial/EBM. They are called: Replicant!! Check them out!!






repli-cant.bandcamp.com

Industrial Music Monday - Blackpill

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a band out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The music is in the vein of harsh/industrial/ebm. The project consists of one member: Ricin. This endeavor is called: Blackpill! Check this project out!!!






blackpillmusic.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/blackpillmusic

OHGR w/Lead Into Gold and Omniflux

This last Wednesday (Aug 22nd/2018) we had the pleasure of having Ohgr play here in Calgary! Ohgr was touring with, Omniflux and Lead Into Gold... Omniflux opened up the show, she had a really cool video display that her and Lead Into Gold were sharing. I hadn't actually heard her stuff until the show was announced, it's decent stuff... her live performance was excellent! Her sound, especially her vocals remind me a little bit of Android Lust! Here's some photos of her set:

Lead Into Gold was next, and it was amazing to finally be able to see this project! I have never seen Lead Into Gold before, but the project has a lot of history. As many of you know, Paul Barker played in Ministry for quite some time... and the Lead Into Gold project has been around since the Wax Trax days (Trent Reznor appeared in the video of the song "Faster Than Light" along with Al Jourgenson)! The set was excellent, and I hope that Paul decides to keep doing this thing... For me, it was like being able to see and experience a piece of history, that I never got to be a part of, cause I was too young at the time! It definitely wasn't nostalgia, but it was like I was experiencing something from those early days! Soo glad I got to see them!! Here's some photos:

and here's a little video:

Finally, Ohgr comes on stage... I've never seen Ohgr live or even Skinny Puppy for that matter! I am soo glad I finally got to see this legend! He came on stage wearing a hood with a mask, and he performed some Tricks 😉 ! He pretty much wore the mask for his entire set. Such an excellent set! I got to hear a couple of my favorites and some stuff off the new album! Here's some video:

Overall the evening was excellent, I am so glad I got to see these legends and I think Omniflux was such a nice addition to the tour! If this tour is coming to your city, go see them!! Such an excellent show!! You don't want to miss out on seeing these legends!

Industrial Music Monday - Ickus

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial/rock. The project consists of one member: Alana McDonald. The endeavor is called: Ickus! Check it out!!!






ickus.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/Ickus

Media, Media bias, and Current Goings On!

Something I’ve been thinking about lately, why, why, why would any media outlet spout biased/manipulated/ or fake news… don’t you want to help people build better relationships with their neighbors, don’t you want the world to be in a better place, don’t you want to educate the masses on what is going on around them in an unbiased fashion… why spout bullshit rhetoric that puts people off or unsure what your true intentions are… why spout racist bullshit, why spout anything false about what is going on around us… the idea of humanity is that we come together and make the world a better place… and when the media starts spouting false news… because they are trying to manipulate people into thinking something that really isn’t going on is… the media is how we see and hear what is going on in the world (whether online or off)… people don’t want to see violence, the want to see and feel peace… ask anybody in the world (if they truly search inside themselves) they will want peace. Granted we may never end up having a true peace, as we will still need to be able to defend ourselves, but a peace nonetheless. If these media companies are using fake news and bias to spin their stories for more viewership…  Shame on you!! You have truly lost what it means to be a news-person. You are supposed to be the trusted places we go to for our stories and current goings on! Where we can see not only the negative aspects (that need changing), but also the positive stories that go around us as well!! Like FOX news, why the fuck would you lead people into believing in such garbage and false stories… don’t you want to educate your customers/viewers and help them help themselves and maybe build a better world…just ridiculous what we are seeing these days (Something I think a lot of the news stations have missed the point on)… If you are doing it just for ratings, I’m sorry, but that is probably the most despicable thing imaginable… the news is supposed to be about educating the masses, and helping them, informing them of what is going around them in world, positive and negative. Maybe what I say here is pointless, but I will say… there will be a point where people will have had enough, and turn off the TV, or stop following your internet reporting pages… I think the shittiest thing we have right now is you turn on your TV or scroll through your news at whatever your favorite site is, and the main concern is, what has this idiot (current president of the US)… has he started a war yet… has the backwards thinking on foreign policy caused the world to become more isolationist… I am truly afraid that the world is gonna become so isolationist, that we will cease to be a world of exciting different cultures to a world that does not want to communicate with each other… a world that will lose its heart and it’s humanity! I guess what I’m trying to say here is… we are all human; Native, Black, LGBTQI+ , Spanish, or whatever… We are all Human, and if you can’t see that, I’m sorry but maybe you should take another look at yourself, a long deep look and ask yourself… am I a human or an animal… animals are violent, we humans evolved from Monkey’s, we are supposed to be more intelligent… Maybe it’s time to act more like it, that means being able to accept everyone is different, if you can’t see that… well I’m very sorry to tell you…I am not a clone, neither are my friends, neither are the people I don’t know… The world would be a very sad place without our friends/family/brothers/sisters/mothers/fathers from another mother… our world would be very sad if all there was, racist rhetoric… or isolationist rhetoric, where countries don’t want to deal with other countries anymore… And I don’t think it’s the general populace of most countries that want this bullshit, it’s the people generally in power that are spouting this bullshit, and if you don’t follow it, you will be shunned, jailed, stoned to death, lynched (yeah apparently that still happens) the one thing I would like to say to these leaders; or supposed leaders, as well as to the mass (supposedly trusted) media… where has your humanity and compassion gone… We are all human, remember?

Industrial Music Monday - Wetware

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of New York, New York. The music is in the vein of experimental/industrial. The band is the creation of Roxy Farman, and Matthew Morandi. Together they are called Wetware!!! Check them out!!






wetware-nyc.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/WETWARENYC

Industrial + Beers: Episode 4: Tekhnotron

We have another episode of "Industrial + Beers" with the band Tekhnotron! In this episode, we talk about Industrial, EBM, Terminus, and current world politics and how some of it comes into play in the industrial/goth scene!

If you like these Industrial + Beers videos, please give it a like, comment, share, and subscribe! Thank you!!

Terminus: Shockwave (2018)

Well, another year, another Terminus! This year was definitely the most well attended show (I think 95% of the tickets were sold), but I would say, probably not the strongest lineup. I do understand that this time around it was harder to get certain bands, as a lot of them were committed to other festivals. I will say though… despite that it still turned out to be a good festival!! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a lot of photos or videos, but I’ll share what I have! Here were some of the highlights and surprises this year:

Day 1 (Friday):

Street Sects:

This band was quite a surprise for me. I’ve heard their music online, and too be quite honest, I didn’t really dig it, but I loved their live set. I find for me, the live show is what really makes or breaks a band for me. If I like the live show, I tend to follow a band, and it may not even be their performance so much, as their live sound… I tend to like bands that are a little noisier in their live show… and their live set was definitely noisy! I also think the added noise adds dynamics to the songs that aren’t there in the recordings. Their stage performance was excellent… and I’ll definitely have to go back and listen to their releases!

Shiv-R:

This band is one of the bands I wanted to see this weekend. They sounded great, but I will say their performance was not as energetic as I thought it would be, but overall I still liked it.

Author & Punisher:

I saw this guy a couple of years back at another Terminus. I’m mentioning this project again, cause it is excellent, and the performance is great! The guy fucking builds his own midi triggered gear that have a bunch of hydraulics in them… and in his performances you can tell he really works for his music… literally, his performance is very physical.

Day 2 (Saturday):

Kontravoid:

I will say, I’ve always dug Kontravoid, but I’ve never had a chance to see him live. His performance was excellent, and once again, it's always the live show that always makes or breaks a band for me, whether it’s the actual performance, or just the sound… his sound was fucking amazing... I will say this again, sometimes the live sound always adds these dynamics or elements you won’t hear on albums and that was definitely the case here! This was probably the highlight for me for Day 2!

Unter Null:

I would say Unter Null’s set was pretty noisy, and from what it sounded like, Erica’s harsh vocals were done without vocal processing, which I quite liked, as well, as you don’t see that too often in the scene! The performance overall was excellent!

Day 3 (Sunday):

HIDE:

HIDE were a surprise for me, I’ve heard their various stuff online, but their set was amazing and intense! The music had a meditative element to it I would say, and Heather’s vocals and stage performance were quite excellent. I really think their live sound/performance does justice to the recorded music. The added smoke and strobes definitely set the mood for their set!

TrepaneringsRitualen:

I hadn’t heard of this project until he was announced to play Terminus. I checked it out online… and I really liked it. It’s kind of a black metal meets noise. Seeing the guy’s stage performance was amazing… on the corner of the stage he had a little set up of black candles and a bunch of incense… which, even though it seems so miniscule I thought it was really cool! With the smoke billowing off the stage, the strobes and the smell of the incense and then this harsh performance on top of it, excellent!! I didn’t see any physical product in the merch area, but I will definitely be purchasing his music!!

DSTR:

Daniel Myer once again put on an excellent performance, this time as DSTR. I’m really not too sure what to say, anything Daniel touches turns to fucking amazing, whether that’s just the compositions of his music, or his stage performance. I feel like he walked in and rocked the show!!

Android Lust:

This is the band I wanted to see this year. I’ve liked Android Lust since she put out her album "The Dividing". I’ve said this before to some people, but Shikhee is definitely the female version of Trent Reznor. The performance was amazing! I don’t normally go into shows with expectations of what a band should sound like, or what their performance should be, but for seeing them for the first time, it was perfect!

Here were some of the performances that I wasn’t necessarily into, but thought deserved a mention:

FIRES:

This band was definitely a highlight for me, they had really good energy… and it looked like they had a lot of fun on the stage. I'm not really into the synthwave stuff but still good!

iVardensphere:

Scott and company always put on excellent performances. I have seen them countless times so, don’t really need to go into the details. Excellent performance!

ACTORS:

These guys, like the last Terminus, put on excellent performances, and they are very polished. I think I mentioned them last year, so no need to mention them this year again. Excellent!

FGFC820:

I don’t mind these guys music, although, I don’t actively go out and listen to it. I will say though they did put on an excellent show!

Leaether Strip:

It’s Claus, he put on an excellent performance! I don’t normally listen to his music, but it is definitely starting to grow on me!

Even though this year wasn't the strongest year in the lineup for me, I will say probably one of the better (or most enjoyed) Terminus's I've been to! Not so much in the music department, but definitely seeing people I haven't seen since the last Terminus, and I also met a lot of new cool people too! I really didn't want it to end, and for me this year, I'm starting to feel like these people are starting to become family. I hope this festival continues to be a thing here in Calgary for many years to come! I can't wait to see what next year brings, and I can't wait to see all you folks again!! See you at Override!!

Industrial Music Monday - Thundercube

It's Monday, and that means...Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of Prince Albert, SK, Canada. The music is in the vein of electronic/industrial/dubstep. This solo endeavor is the creation of Tyler Johnson. The project is called: Thundercube!! Check it out!!!






thundercube on Bandcamp

twitter.com/ThundercubeEDM

Industrial Music Monday - DV8R

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Seattle, Washington. The music is in the vein of electro/industrial/ebm. The band consists of three members: Corey Wittenborn (Vocals, music, programming), Matt Sharifi (Music, programming, live drums), Kevin Preston (Additional production, live keys). Together they are called: DV8R! Check them out!!!






facebook.com/DV8RBAND

DV8R on Bandcamp

DV8R youtube

www.dv8r.net


P.S.: I kinda get a Icon Of Coil vibe from them, what do you think?

Review: Nine Inch Nails: Bad Witch

Excerpt from a Facebook conversation with a friend in regards to Nine Inch Nails "Bad Witch":

"Do you like it?"

"That is the burning question, isn't it? lol! To be truthful and honest, what I've heard is decent, and I get that all these EP's are more on the noisy side of things... I do like Trent's 'Bowie' voice (I know he wasn't going for that, but that is what it sounds like), I also feel these three EPs are definitely not NIN's strongest, but I will say being that NIN is now Trent and Atticus, and the dynamic is different, I'm assuming Trent isn't calling all the shots now... so we hear Atticus' influence (course, I have no idea what the writing process is like with them, as I've never been in the studio with them... and I haven't found an interview with them that goes into detail)... I will say though, even after all these years, the production is fucking amazing... I still wonder how Trent and company come up with all these sounds and shit (and the dynamics)... and when I've found (with NIN) that when something initially doesn't sound strong with me, I still end up liking it in the end... there is not one NIN album/release that I don't like... sometimes it just takes repeated listening... and I grow into it. I have a really hard time trying to pick a favorite album/release from them, cause I really do like them all." 


There you have it! If you haven't listened to Nine Inch Nails "Bad Witch" yet, I would highly suggest checking it out!!! Definitely worth the $12 I paid for it!!

P.S.: I would also suggest picking it up online through the NIN.com site (support them directly), or picking it up at your local mom & pop shop (they need your love too)!!

Industrial Music Monday(ish) - Siva Six

Well, it's that day(ish) and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project currently out of Athens, Greece. The music is in the vein of dark electro/industrial. The band consists of two members: Z (vocals), and U-RI (keyboards). They are called: Siva Six! Check them out!!!





sivasix.bandcamp.com

www.sivasix.com

facebook.com/sivasix

40th Pass Around The Sun!!

Well, here it is… my 40^th pass around the sun, and I’ve never felt better, and more energized! I don’t feel old, I feel like I’m still 23. When I look in the mirror, I still see this young man, trying to make his way in the world. I may not be as far as I want, but my attitude is still the same, I’m never gonna give up. I have had my struggles… for a period of five or six years I wasn’t doing well mentally… and out of total honesty, I realized, I don’t have time for that shit anymore… I knew this a long time ago, life is short… we only have about a hundred years to live, if we are healthy (mentally, physically, spiritually). Sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves, but after spending too much time dealing with mental bullshit, I realized I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life dealing with that shit (now things are much more manageable, and the mental part is now pretty much a non-issue [finding coping techniques {that work for you} is key!]). Now, I have a music career, I’m an artist (drawing, painting), I have big dreams/goals, I may be 40 now, but that doesn’t mean those things have to end… I think too many people get caught up in the idea that once you’ve reached 40 or 50, that’s it, life is over and you have to give up the things you wanted to do in the past… what I’ve always thought was, rather than giving into the stupid stereotype that “oh, you’re too old...", or "it’s too late to do these things now…”, that it’s never too late! If you’re fucking 80, you can still go out there and achieve your dreams, it just means you’ve less time to do it in… but it is not impossible… and yes, you still can strive for your dreams to be a rockstar at that age… I think Al Jourgeson was 35 when he went big with Ministry. Every birthday since I was 30 I’ve looked back and taken stock of what I have done, and then planned and set goals for the next year… this year is no different! I’m still setting goals with the intention to achieve them… there has been a lot of moving forward in the last 6 months… there’s a lot of shit going on, a lot of exciting shit! Stuff that I can’t go into detail right now that I’m working on behind the scenes (not directly related to my music and art, but very applicable in that sense as well also). There’s also shit that I’m working on that is directly involved in with my music and art career, if you follow my Twitch page on FaceBook and/or are connected to the Twitch Newsletter: The Twitcher… you will know I’m working on a couple of new things, the most immediate one, is a new EP… which I’m not sure about the release date, or even when we’ll play in support of it, but rest assured, you will know when it arrives!! I’m also working on another musical endeavor that takes place after the EP, but I’m not going to go into great deal on it right now, cause we are still a ways away from an actual release and shit! Also, we are hoping to do more shows here in Calgary, and more out of town shows as well (hope to bring the Twitch to some out of province places as well)! Not only do I have that shit going on, but next year (2019) will be 20 years of Twitch, and I plan on doing something special for that… not gonna tell you what it is, but things are slowly being put together. 40 is here! Can’t wait to see what the year brings, or what I bring to it! ;)

Industrial Music Monday - Alien Industry

You know what day it is... Monday, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Sofia (not sure exactly what country... looks like Bulgaria). The music is in the vein of industrial metal. The band consists of 5 members: ZDRAVKO "ZZ" MINEFF (Guitars & Programming), VLADIMIR PAVLOV (Guitars), DOBRIN FILIPOV "MALKYA" (Bass), NIKOLAY BERBEROV "BEBO" (Vocals), ALEXANDER PETKOV "SANDE" (Drums). They are called: Alien Industry! Check them out!!!





AlienIndustry Facebook

alienindustry.bandcamp.com

Industrial Music Monday - Derailment

It's Monday, and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of the UK. It is in the vein of powernoise, rhythmic noise, and industrial. The sole creator of this endeavor is Ryan Harris (DirtyK). The project is called: Derailment! Check it out!!





crunchpod.bandcamp.com/album/for-those-afraid-to-speak

Industrial Music Monday - Demise and Domination

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of Planet Exx (yes, they are not from this planet... I haven't visited their planet either, but I may make a trip soon, we'll see...). The music is in the vein of Industrial Metal/Industrial Death Metal. The bands sole songwriter is Nate Exx Gradowski (drums, guitars, keys and soundscapes, vocals, and bass). This endeavor is called: Demise and Domination! Check it out!!





demiseanddomination Facebook

demiseanddomination.bandcamp.com

soundcloud.com/nate-gradowski

P.S.: I do definitely get a Fear Factory vibe from this! Excellent stuff!!

Ten Albums That Changed My Life: Twitch Edition!

1. Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine

This was the first NIN album I ever purchased. I do believe I first purchased it in high school… still have it too… If I hadn’t purchased this, I would have never realized music was the thing I wanted to do with my life… I remember seeing the Head Like A Hole video for the first time… I remember the angsty synth lines mixed with aggressive guitar… This is what influenced me to become a musician… I realized I loved industrial (especially guitar driven), and this is the type of music I want to write/make.

2. White Zombie: La Sexorcisto

This was the album that I listened to non-stop in high school… I loved their look, the horror imagery (zombies)… I remember when I first heard the song “Thunderkiss 65”… my best friend and I were at his place, and he turned on the video, and I was hooked… I went out and purchased the tape… I listened to this thing non-stop. They were my favorite band in my high school years… even though I don’t really listen to them too often anymore, they influenced my style (yep, I bought skeleton hand gloves cause of these guys, I also purchased knee pads and decked them out with zombie-esque artwork… I wish there were photos of that shit… but alas there are none),

3. Marilyn Manson: Portrait Of An American Family

The first time I ever heard of Manson was through a movie (that we borrowed from a friend) called “S.F.W!” or “So Fucking What!”… not gonna go into details here, but the movie was basically about a group of teenagers who were taken hostage and the whole undertaking was filmed live on TV… Can’t remember exactly when Manson’s song “Get Your Gunn” was played in the movie, but I remember listening to the soundtrack afterwards, and when this song kicked in, I couldn’t stop listening to the aggressive creepy vibe and the “Shocking” (to whoever got offended by it) lyrical content… so I went out and purchased the album… At this point, I was quite into my rebellious stage of life and this album pointed out a lot of the hypocrisy of what was going on at the time…(side note: I remember showing my parents this album… and they fuckin hated it…) … I remember turning up the stereo to max volume, to fucking listen to this album…

4. Korn: Self-Titled

Now this album has had a big influence on me… I remember hearing/seeing Korn’s video for the first time… my best friend borrowed a video tape from another friend, who recorded a bunch of music videos onto it, and my best friend put it on and said “check this out!” So we watch through the video, and then Korn’s “Blind” comes on… holy fuck! The aggressive down tuned 7-string guitars…aggressive vocals, the hiphop/noise sounds that they are making with their guitars… and Jonathan Davis comes in with “Aaare You Ready!!” then just the really emotional/angry lyrics… no band has done something this heavy and emotional before… or well at least expressed it the way that they do… Can’t remember exactly when I purchased that album (I’m sure it wasn’t long after the seeing the video, like a couple of days)… After seeing this video, and listening to the album, I knew I wanted to incorporate that heavy down-tuned 7 string sound into my music… granted it wouldn’t be until I moved here (Calgary) several months later and started writing my first (Twitch) album, that I started putting that kind of stuff into the album… but those sounds are now a part of Twitch!

5. Skinny Puppy: Brap: Back & Forth: 3 + 4

I did a very long blog about this particular album… so if you want to read it you can find it here (there is also a video attached... so you can listen to that as well while you are reading the blog!!) http://twitch00.blogspot.com/2018/03/skinny-puppy-brap-back-forth-series-3-4.html, I will say (that I don’t mention in the blog) this was the first time I ever heard electro-industrial type stuff, I loved it, the horror imagery, dark, and bleak… probably angsty…and just the sheer fucked up abstract lyrics (if you really listen, they are not so abstract)… even the quality of their live performance videos… they had this dark/bleak aspect… watching Ogre’s presentation and performance aspects I always thought were excellent… granted I think the next album I purchased was either “The Process” (which I love) or their remix album “remix dystemper” (which was interesting [loved Deftones remix of “Spasmolytic”]) … and it wasn’t until a few years later that I started to actually dig into their discography, and really listen… but if I hadn’t listened to this, I probably wouldn’t have explored other electro-industrial acts/bands out there.

6. Covenant: Dreams Of A Cryotank

Covenant is a band that I got into, before I actually purchased one of their albums… a looong time ago, I was living in London, UK… and I had met someone who introduced me to their music… it was good! I think I heard tracks off the “Sequencer” album… then while I was there, I saw that there was going to be a big Halloween concert at some venue in London (I still have the ticket stub, unfortunately it doesn’t mention the venue name… but the address was at Charing Cross Road), Covenant happened to be playing that show… so they went on and their set was amazing… I was very inspired by their performance… then sometime after I came back… I went and purchased their first album “Dreams Of A Cryotank”…I remember putting it on, and “Theremin” kicking in… the heavy EBM beats… I don’t quite have a way to articulate Eskil’s singing voice for this album… but the way the album sounds, this dark, heavy… almost noisy EBM… something that wasn’t being done. Some of that has bled into my own productions.

7. Assemblage 23: Contempt

This is on the list cause I remember when I first heard Assemblage 23… I received the Gashed budget compilation “Virion Sequences” as a Christmas gift (2001)… and Assemblage 23’s remix of their own song “bi-polar (serotonin)” was on it… I liked it enough, that I found the song “Sun” by A23 on Napster (yeah I know, I probably should have just bought the album [which I did eventually ;P ])… On my first listen to “Sun” the way the lyrics are, the cadence… the way they roll out of Tom Shear’s mouth… there was something about it… I wouldn’t say hypnotic… but something along those lines “I turn my eyes up to the sun, and stare at it as if there is none. These cinders where my eyes have been, was to forget the things I have seen!”, Such excellent lyricism… and then after going out and purchasing the album, probably in 2001… and giving it a full listen… The song “Anthem” is just that… that’s what I like about Tom Shear’s lyricism… it is written and comes out in such a way that makes the lyrics even though, they are heavy topics seem so easily digestible I guess… This album influenced me to get better at writing lyrics!

8. Rob Zombie: Hellbilly Deluxe

This album is on this list cause, after it came out, in an interview Rob Zombie had said, he was tired of taking things so seriously in the music department, and he just wanted to have fun! That statement right there struck me! In the end, for me, musically it’s all about fun! If I’m not having fun, what’s the point! This album is a whole lot of fun!

9. VNV Nation: Futureperfect

Now this album, I didn’t purchase till after they played a show in Edmonton, at New City (December of 2001). I saw their set and was amazed by the amount of energy they have. They are absolutely amazing! At the time, Mark Jackson was also part of the group… and I felt like their combined stage presence they put on a great show! The music was quite inspiring too! I know some of you folks don’t like futurepop, but I thought this album was a evolution for them… It was quite inspiring musically for me as well… I ended up being so influenced by them, that I wrote an EBM/Futurepop album… Although, I didn’t pursue that direction further than the one album I wrote but, they definitely inspired me, and still continue to!

10. Ministry: The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste

Now, I don’t think anyone who is a musician into industrial metal can say that Ministry hasn’t had an effect on them at some point in time in their lives. They basically created the industrial metal genre… if it wasn’t for these guys we wouldn’t have industrial metal… and I would probably not be doing what I’m doing musically… The first album that I had purchased of theirs was “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”... granted I didn’t go in the direction Ministry did with the metal side of things (Korn gave me the direction), but if you were a goth in the 90s this was most definitely being played in the clubs and shit! At the time, it was hard to put my finger on what was going on with Ministry musically speaking… I didn’t realize Al Jourgenson was a hardcore drug addict, granted not someone you want to really follow in their footsteps, or really look up to and take notes from… but this is here cause, if it wasn’t for Ministry, I don’t think anybody would be doing industrial metal!

Industrial Music Monday - Zwaremachine

Ooooooooh Yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It's Monday, and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The music is in the vein of cyber/industrial/ebm. The band consists of three members: Mach Fox (Vocals/Programming/Visuals), Adam01 (Synthesizer), Ryan Ruckus (electronic percussion). They are called: Zwaremachine!! Check them out!!!





zwaremachine.bandcamp.com

phagetapes.miiduu.com

facebook.com/zwaremachine

twitter.com/zwaremachine

zwaremachine.band

Industrial Music Monday - We Are The Line

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project out of Paris, France. The music is in the vein of dark/electro/industrial (kinda reminds me a mix of Depeche Mode and NIN). Can't find too much info regarding the members... but they are called: We Are The Line. Check them out!!!





www.wearetheline.org/en/

We Are The Line Youtube

twitter.com/WereTheLine

facebook.com/WeAreTheLineBand