SMITTEN BY DETROIT - Thursday Feb 19th 2009

MCB's Anna Hergot provides "Smitten by Detroit"

for your reading pleasure whenever the hell she feels like it.

Enjoy!

Smitten by Detroit:

Thursday, February 19, 2009
Genders: 1.19.09

Review/Interview/upcoming show

Current mood:

ripe with luscious energy

Genders: "Openness to Experimentation"

As you may or may not be aware, the Detroit experimental, electronic band: Genders are out of hibernation and re-emerging into the surrealist spotlight, February 24th, 2009 at P.J's Lager House. 8pm.

How to describe Genders is next to nearly impossible. Jeffrey Thomas and Evan Johnson are the masterminds behind the dreamlike, trip dub, abstracted music project.

They formed out of another band, Via Employee, in 2003, where Jeffrey started a solo noise project. Evan joined soon after and the birth of Genders was established in 2004.

In 2005 I was able to see Genders first hand play at The Magic Stick, following the release of their EP-It's In The Treats and was taken aback at how loosely comfortable they were playing.

Nothing was forced.

Nothing was premeditated.

They produced songs completely intuitive as if they were telepathically communicating with each other and the music was their natural form of dialogue. Everything was celestial and raw. Using various instruments, Genders produces astronomical beats and sounds mimicking, repeating and exploding with each other. "making more with less".

It was utterly brilliant. The music resembles a mix between the last fleeting moments before a sunrise and the eeriness of a David Lynch film. Even their incongruous stage performance was unique and fascinating. I won't be a spoiler though and describe it for you in hopes there will be a equally tantalizing performance this Tuesday.

So, dear readers, go see for yourselves what Genders might arose in you.Last week, I had an opportunity to invite Jeffrey and Evan over for lunch and talk about their upcoming show, highlighting the compilation release of "13 moons" by Genders.

Below are snippets of the conversation:

Jeffrey Thomas (Genders): "The broccoli with humus was good."

Anna Hergott (MCB): "Thanks. Gender's branched out of the band via employee, tell me a bit more how you two guys met."

Evan Johnson (Genders): "Jeffrey and I met when there seemed to be a bunch of bands not going anywhere and it proved to be easier and more productive with two people rather than a full band producing music"

Evan: "Genders is an openness to experimentation, loosely organized and improvised" "There might have been a beat preconstructed but layers of instruments would be intermingled with it adding to the spontaneous creativity of the sound" "making something out of nothing"

Anna: "To me, Genders is an entity all on it's own, it's hard to pigeon hole exactly what genre you guys originate from. People like to label things. They like familiarity and seem to shun from anything new and different."

Jeffrey: "our music is always evolving."

Anna: "You've been on a hiatus from the scene for about two years. Now Genders is back with the release of 13 moons and playing on the 24th of February at Lager House."

Jeffrey: "13 Moons, is the newest Genders release. It's a compilation of thirteen cds, each a bit over a hour long with released and unreleased music from the band." "It's caught-in-the-moment, not polished, sounds that we have recorded over the years mostly on a boom box, but some on to an 8 track"

It's basically music made by the band from 2003 till 2006 and as Jeffrey states on his record label homepage, Holographic Resonance, "I picked the best material (about 13 and half hours) from a collection
of tapes (about 24 hours). Take your time listening to it, no
worries……or, don't and go on a marathon."

Anna: "Holographic Resonance, is a new record label you started Jeffrey, what other bands have jumped on the bandwagon and collaborated with you?"

Jeffrey: ".......It's a diverse grassroots label I've begun with myself, Vincent Mazzola and Julian Spradlin..beginning with this 13 Moons release, then a single for sugar coats, co releasing gardens/tyvek split, and something for aran ruth"..... a genders video collage should be avaliable at the show, hopefully. It will have two video collages that I made a while back mixed together, one from being on tour with Adult."

Anna: "Looking forward to the much anticipated Genders show at P.J's on Tuesday, thanks for stopping in and giving me a glimpse into the talented world of Jeffrey and Evan"

Genders plays 2.24.09 @ P.J's Lager House

drs. 8pm $5.00.

Release of 13 moons will be for sale.

$30.00, and worth every penny.

Holographic Resonance website

Genders website

PJ's Lager House

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"SBD IS DETROIT"