Posts Tagged ‘The Armed’

Watch: ‘Masunaga Vapors (Live)’ by The Armed from "ULTRAPOP: Live at the Masonic"

Posted: 15 July 2022 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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Iggy Pop loves The Armed. We love The Armed, too. It’s fair to say there really is no other act around quite like them. Which makes this latest video, released as a taster for the upcoming live movie, all the more exciting.

Watch ‘Masunaga Vapors (Live)’ here, and be exhilarated by the frenzied energy:

The Armed have released the soundtrack for their narrative-driven, ground-breaking concert film, ULTRAPOP: Live At The Masonic Temple, available digitally and physically via Sargent House. A running combination of score elements from the film and live performances captured in Detroit’s sprawling Masonic Temple, the soundtrack features live renditions of songs from their highly lauded LP, ULTRAPOP and cult-favourite, ONLY LOVE, and also includes their CYBERPUNK 2077 contribution “NIGHT CITY ALIENS".

The movie, which was only available to live stream for a short period of time around its 15th October 2021 debut, will come to Blu-ray and video streaming services on September 29th.

Part Lemonade, part Live at Pompeii and fully infused with a sense of Lynchian dread – the movie is a stunningly-filmed cinematic document of live performances taking place within the opulent chapels, imposing asylum rooms, full-size indoor handball courts, halls (and more) of the mysterious Masonic Temple of Detroit; a 550,000 square foot fortress in the heart of the city. Live performance and story-driven narrative melt seamlessly into one another, as the film confronts themes of identity, information warfare, the commoditisation of artistic products and the commodification of the artist.

ULTRAPOP, released in April 2021, received acclaim across the board, gaining the highly coveted Pitchfork Best New Music and praise from The New Yorker Magazine, Vulture, Stereogum, Revolver, AV Club, Fader, Bandcamp, Entertainment Weekly, Interview Magazine and so much more. Reaching the same extremities of sonic expression as the furthest depths of metal, noise and otherwise "heavy" counterculture music subgenres, it finds its foundation firmly in pop music and pop culture. A joyous, genderless, post-nihilist, anti-punk, razor-focused take on creating the most intense listening experience possible.

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Photo Credit: Trevor Naud

Watch: ‘An Iteration’ by The Armed

Posted: 1 April 2021 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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Was the whole thing really just a dream? The Armed, one of the most exciting and innovative experimental hardcore bands of the past decade say maybe it was via their new video for “AN ITERATION”. Featuring a voice-over and cameo from one of the most recognized voices in video game history, David Hayter — the legendary voice behind Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series — the video watches the band’s Dan Greene as he comes to terms with the fact that The Armed may only exist in his head. A fever dream of sorts after one too many times falling asleep playing Metal Gear. A scattered timeline of past music videos that centered around Dan Greene, “An Iteration” is full of easter eggs from the band’s history as well Metal Gear Solid. Stay tuned to the very end.

Dan Greene states “The story of Metal Gear Solid 2–which seemed like convoluted, impenetrable nonsense when we were kids–has turned out to be disturbingly prescient of society in 2021. I would argue that this video game raised more interesting artistic and philosophical questions than a lot of “higher art,” and much earlier too. We are beyond honored to see David Hayter take on the role of Dan Greene within The Armed Cinematic Universe.”

ULTRAPOP, available April 16th via Sargent House features work from Mark Lanegan and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, and is the first album co-produced by the band’s own Dan Greene in collaboration with Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe). Kurt Ballou remains at the helm as executive producer. Ultrapop is the genre of music that said album features. It reaches the same extremities of sonic expression as the furthest depths of metal, noise, and otherwise "heavy" counterculture music subgenres but finds its foundation firmly in pop music and pop culture. As is always The Armed’s mission, it seeks only to create the most intense experience possible, a magnification of all culture, beauty, and things.

Watch the video here:

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The Armed

Credit Trevor Naud

The Armed – Average Death

Posted: 3 March 2021 in Singles and EPs
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Sargent House – 2nd March 2021

Christopher Nosnibor

What to make of The Armed? The lineup is immense, comparable to Revolting Cocks, Pigface, or KMFDM, to the extent that you don’t really know who does what on which song or even who’s in the band or who just tuned up at the studio or rehearsal session. The videos for new single, ‘Average Death’ and its predecessor, ‘All Futures’ don’t help: is it even the band we’re watching? And ultimately, does it matter?

This second single release, ahead of the album’s unveiling in April demonstrates that The Armed are master of churning noise, differentiated by an uncommon accessibility. That is to say that I have no idea what to make of this. While ‘All Futures; was a raging, rampant blast of noise that called to mind Nine Inch Nails, ‘Average Death’ spirals into some heavy shoegaze. If industrial shoegaze isn’t a thing before now, it should be as of this release. It’s deeply immersive, a glorious wash of soft edges, propelled by a squalling wall of noise and frenetic drumming.

So while The Armed and their videos are all the questions, there is no question over the killer nature of their songs.

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Watch: ‘All Futures’ by The Armed

Posted: 5 February 2021 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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The Armed have announced a new album, ULTRAPOP, available April 16th via Sargent House – their first album with the label. Featuring work from Mark Lanegan and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen this is the first album co-produced by the band’s own Dan Greene in collaboration with Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe). Kurt Ballou remains at the helm as executive producer. With the announcement comes a live video for the first track, "All Futures," explicitly revealing this album’s band member lineup for the first time. The video is a live take of the studio track, which can be heard here.

Ultrapop is the genre of music that said album features. It reaches the same extremities of sonic expression as the furthest depths of metal, noise, and otherwise "heavy" counterculture music subgenres but finds its foundation firmly in pop music and pop culture. As is always The Armed’s mission, it seeks only to create the most intense experience possible, a magnification of all culture, beauty, and things.

Dan Greene goes on to explain, "crafting vital art means presenting the audience with new and intriguing tensions—sonically, visually, conceptually. Over time and through use, those tensions become less novel and effective—and they become expectations. The concept of "subgenre" becomes almost the antithesis of vitality in art—itself a fetishization of expectation. ULTRAPOP seeks, in earnest, to create a truly new listener experience. It is an open rebellion against the culture of expectation in "heavy" music. It is a joyous, genderless, post-nihilist, anti-punk, razor-focused take on creating the most intense listener experience possible. It’s the harshest, most beautiful, most hideous thing we could make. "

Watch the video for ‘All Futures’ here:

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Armed

Credit Trevor Naud