DC’s Caverns will be releasing their new EP next week. This record is a progression in both dynamics and layers from their previous efforts. And if you listen carefully, you’ll hear some vocoder!

Our neighbors, J. Robbins and Chris Freeland recorded it and I mastered it. This record will be the first of many EPs on the Aural Slate Recordings imprint. In a time when the record label seems more and more irrelevant, I feel like what Greg is doing with his label actually makes sense. Small, easily digestible slices of music. There you have it. The record drops next Friday ($5 CD and $4 digital download). And there’s also a Frodus cover that rips.

Enjoy these two samples. I had a great time working with these guys – band and label alike. Listen to the snare in Arctic Phantoms. It’s incredible.

Arctic Phantoms

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I. Fight. Vampires

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I first heard Trans Am in 1997. The record was Surrender To The Night. Hearing the solo to Motr brought a tear to my eye. It still does. It was the same night I heard Underworld’s Second Toughest In The Infants and Tortoise’s Millions Living Now Will Never Die the same night. It was quite an overwhelming and intense experience. I will never forget that rainy night in Joe’s dorm room. It forever changed my view of the synthesizer not to mention music.

What can be said about Trans Am? They are the David Bowie of video game music? Maybe. They are from DC but sound least likely to have come from there. It has been said that those from DC can hear and see the undertones they project. To me they epitomize the Metro. There is politics in their music aside from lyrics. They made instrumental music, but then started sometimes singing (mainly) in to vocoders. A great transition. And they keep reinventing themselves. And keep on doing it well. Bravo.

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