Artist Features

Gearwire's resident mondo enthusiast, J. Irving-Giles discusses recording his dishes while testing out Eventide's Timefactor. He shares some of the unorthodox methods used in this impromptu recording jam.  

At Chicago's Looptopia, the Art Institute of Chicago's Instrument Construction class showed off some strange musical creations. Chris Burkes Interactopus is an eight-limbed, interactive, light-responsive instrument made from leather pants and other components found in the trash and Cycling 74 Max.  

Gearwire's bursting at the seams with more Bob Reardon and more sE Electronics microphones. We've seen some tube mics and condensers already -- now we put their R1 Ribbon microphone to the test against Owen O'Malley's electric assault.  

Crash Romeo hail from New Jersey and play what they unapologetically call "Pop-Punk." The band's bassist, Steve Matthews, tells Gearwire what he uses and why.  

Brian Beken and Dennis Ludiker of South Austin Jug Band recorded their latest release on tape instead of using digital equipment. It's a whole different world, but ultimately, they feel it was worth it.  

To paraphrase a great poet, the Black Angels have more amp than Jamaica's got mangoes. And when it comes to mangoes, the Black Angels like theirs dark, spongy, and from the mid-to-late 60s. Boy, did that analogy die quickly.  

Trent Reznor has always been known for pushing the boundaries of expectation. Having recently released his Ghosts I-IV, we at Gearwire were surprised to hear of a new album, "The Slip" being distributed online for free. This time, however, we have options.  

Brian Beken and Dennis Ludiker of South Austin Jug Band took some time out of their day to talk with Patrick Ogle about the instruments they play. Not surprisingly, their proximity to Collings Guitars makes it a fairly easy choice.  

Dead Leaf Echo, a shoegaze act from New York, talk about recording at The Bunker  

The Black Angels' Kyle Hunt shows us his pedal board and apologizes to Voodoo Labs for painting over their purple logo. Of course, The Purple Angels is nowhere near as good of a band name, so I think Voodoo Labs might be to blame for a lack of foresight.  

Austin is an enigma of a city in that musically, it's about as significant as your pick of major cities. LUST MURDER bOX talks about how this comes in handy in studio.  

Richie Lawrence, of The Loose Acoustic Trio, talks about using his accordions live and in the studio.  

Before Dawn's Rob Houle likes to take things that are not synths and turn them into synths. I have the very same LinkSys router that emits high frequency noise, except mine doesn't even work properly as a router.  

Patrick Ogle continues his discussion with singer / songwriter Patricia Vonne. The two talk about recording in this segment as well as Patricia's preferences for capturing a recording.  

Shoegaze outfit, Dead Leaf Echo, talk about their live gear set up.  

Christian Bland shows us his Coily, an older 12-string semi-hollow. He also gives quick tips on how to fix pickups that are coming loose, and if you like sugary flavored ice, you're in for some delicious guitar repair -- just be sure to treat both pickups equally so the other one doesn't get jealous.  

Patrick Ogle journeys to the darkest, deepest trenches of Austin where only scant light reaches for very short periods of time to talk to Rob and Kate Houle of Before Dawn. Kate shows us the Zoom 506 II and one of Rob's creations -- a patch selecting footswitch he built for it.  

Ryan Maeker is a sound designer in NYC, and though he may come off as a somewhat threatening figure in this interview -- all talking about cuttin' fools, hitting people with cars and even threatening the life of yours truly -- he's actually a total teddy bear with a soft spot for Speilberg movies!  

If you had your choice between a keyboard made by an air conditioning company or a keyboard made by a reputable instrument company that had been run over with a vehicle, which would you pick? The Black Angels picked both.  

Sacramento-based Loose Acoustic Trio busk and play in Northern California. They are a sort of modern jug band and have some super-neato gear.  

With a name like LUST MURDER bOX, there's really not much respect for subtlety. Eric and Nox talk about some of the guitars they use to melt faces. It's no surprise that the Schecter guitars they use are the same guitars garnering newfound attention from the rocking masses.  

Singer / songwriter Patricia Vonne compares the way musicians are seen in Europe and North America. Her advice for any band strapped for cash is to ditch the tour van and get out your passport.  

Guitarist for Baltimore's Thrushes, Casey Harvey discusses pedals, guitars and stuff he wants.  

Kate Houle shows us her Carlo Robelli bass and Hartke Kickback 12, which she uses to lay down the groove for Before Dawn. It goes to show that you don't need a fridge to get people moving.  

Psychedelic rockers Kyle Hunt and Christian Bland show us their effects rigs, which blend some heavy hitting vintage models with some more obscure current gems. Put down whatever paraphernalia you're holding and watch this video!  

Patrick Ogle's carefully crafted plan to dethrone Will Wynn, the pun-liciously-named mayor of Austin, TX were distracted by an interview with Before Dawn. Rob and Kate Houle's highly dance-able grooves were enough to steal control of Patrick's limbs and forget his plans in lieu of busting moves.  

Chances are, your practice spot is a mess of wires, instruments and Taco Bell wrappers, and if not that, it probably is nothing compared to the spot that Austin, Texas' The Black Angels use. Guitarist Christian Bland shows us a collection of guitars and basses that help define The Black Angels' sound.  

Now that the drums and bass are all set up at Sonic Palace with Matt Mercado, it's time for some acoustic guitar. Before Matt sets up his mics, we take a look at the beautiful Breedlove Atlas acoustic and its dazzling details.  

Mahjongg's Hunter Husar weighs in on the pros and cons of the Crumar DS-2 synthesizer before talking about his band's electrical needs. Ben Franklin would be proud.  

Kanji Kinetic is a name not many may be familiar with, but with his new EP dropping just in time for summer, he will soon be a power to be reckoned with. Drawing from influences as diverse as drum and bass, old-school rave, Grime, and dubstep, Kanji conjures up unique beats crafted with the help of Apple Logic 8.