Apartment 26

Apartment 26


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Apartment 26’s major label debut Hallucinating is a whirlwind of densely multi-layered, raw edged, technologically complex but emotionally free-for-all tracks that grab you on a multitude of levels.

“At our shows” declares Biff, “there are kids moshing and head banging alongside kids who are dancing like they’re at rave. That’s the kind of culture we’re into.”

Apartment 26 was originally formed in High School by Biff and Jon Greasley, with Louis Cruden coming on board soon thereafter. “We had been in a couple of mess-around grunge bands,” recalls Biff, “but listened to bands like Nine Inch Nails and Fear Factory.”

The soon-to-be Apartment 26 added keyboards and a drum machine and left grunge behind, setting out on a more experimental course.

A.C. Huckvale soon joined the collective bringing samplers and sequencers into the growing mix of sounds. “He was mainly into bands like Prodigy and also the underground techno scene,” says Biff. A.C. was now an integral cog in helping the band develop their trademark mix of techno-sounds with metal riffs.

Eventually, Kevin Temple came on board, helping to enhance the broadness of the music with the use of live drums as an accompaniment to the principle techno beats.

The band took a rather unique approach to the writing of Hallucinating, laying down sequencer tracks first, then adding live drums to ‘enhance the feel’ during the recording. “It has this kind of groove-y sense to it, but holds on to these precise sounds,” says Jon. “It’s partly computer generated, so it should sound precise, yet it also has this loose live feel at the same time.”

Apartment 26’s explosive energy might also derive from the ensemble’s spirited approach to song writing. “Instead of being a rock band that writes rock songs or an electronic band that’s helmed by one person, it’s a case of four very individually creative people who have strong contrasting opinions,” says Biff “It’s the 50% creativity and 50% creative differences aspect of the song writing that we enjoy.”

The record was mostly conceived during an incredibly intense period following the Ozzfest tour. The band lived together for this time, complete with on-site studio equipment, and spent their days in constant writing sessions.

“We were miserable at the time,” says Biff. “It was an extremely close-quartered environment, with people mostly either shouting at each other or not talking at all. But in retrospect, I suppose it was this constant flow of contrasting views that helped the productivity work so well.”

The result is Hallucinating, a shrapnel-laden, meticulously accurate, rampaging beast of a disc whose lyrics take pride in their ambiguity. “In any one song, the verse might mean one thing and the chorus another,” says Biff.

“This ambiguity is also displayed by such things as a love song entitled ‘Death’ residing next to ‘Sliced Beats’,” a re-recording of a tune off Apartment 26’s 1999 indie debut, Within. “Now, the song is about the song, and the band growing and things happening so quickly,” explains Biff.

’Doing it Anyway’ also reflects Apartment 26’s recent experiences. “It’s a reaction to certain behaviors on the Ozzfest. There are girls who are willing to give themselves up to you because you’re in a band. Looking back, it was just lame. The song is like a wake-up call.”

A phrase that can be applied to Apartment 26 in general. “We don’t see ourselves as teenage slackers,” declares Biff, who hopes to encourage fans to develop a conscience. “We want to expand people’s minds.”

Source: http://www.apartment26.com read less

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