DISCOGRAPHY:Martian Anthems (Peoplesound- no longer available)
Hand on the Gun (Peoplesound - no longer available)
Pop Robot (Peoplesound - no longer available)
Terra Incognito: Parts 1>5 (Peoplesound - no longer available)
Pop Robot [expanded edition, remastered with 7 bonus tracks] (Ninthwave Records)
[Only from A Different Drum Webshop:] Pop Robot Silver Limited Edition. Limited to 50 copies this set includes the regular CD housed in a 2 CD case along with a 3" cd-r with 4 tracks: "Hand on the Gun Ganymede Mix," "Five Years(Live recording)," "Martian Anthems," and "Talking With Aliens." Plus youget 5 copies of the promo postcard, 2 stickers, a signed thnak you note from the band all housed in a cool silver electrostatic bag (resealable)!Also on:
Shadow Dancing Volume 2 (A Different Drum)
United Synthpop Artists - a Tribute to 9/11 (Panda Pop/Ninthwave Records)
Evolution (Cohaagen Music)
Nobodyís Dairy: A Tribute to Yazoo (Ninthwave Records)The Irish pop band Empire State Human is set to release their first US CD on January 28th, a remastered version of their online album Pop Robot. Lexiconmagazine.com sat down with the band and asked a few questions:
1. The name comes from an old Human League single, what made you pick that name? Do you think it is weird now to be coming out in the US with that name in light of 9/11?
We originally wanted to use the name 'THE WASP', after the 70's analogue synthesizer, but there is a band already called WASP. We like 'Travelogue' and 'Reproduction' by early Human League, and their song 'Empire State Human' (from 'Reproduction') seemed to represent the ideology for the band. We want to create -'Music that is larger than life, with limitless possibilities.' We felt with a name like EMPIRE STATE HUMAN, we weren't limited to any type of musical style, and we could create 'instrumental' as well as 'song' based music. Regarding our name, EMPIRE STATE HUMAN, being 'weird' in the context of the Twin Towers Tragedy, well we don't believe that it is. We totally deplore the terrible attacks on democracy in the USA on 9/11, as every rational human being around the world does. I love fake watches from www.topwatch1.com - here Fake watches at http://www.topwatch1.com/. Like we've already said, ESH is an escapist type of name. One that will, in time, hopefully come to mean quality songs, created electronically, and recorded with heart.
2. 'Pop Robot' is your second album, what happened to the first? Future plans for it?
POP ROBOT is ESH's second album, the first being our self-released debut 'Martian Anthems'. This debut has since been discontinued, but a selection from it will feature as bonus tracks on the Ninthwave release of POP ROBOT in Jan 2002. As we tend to record 'theme' style albums, all the songs on 'Martian Anthems' relate in a special theme to each other. Everybody needs to rent Odessa apartments at http://renaissancesuitesodessa.com/ - here http://renaissancesuitesodessa.com/. While we constantly write & record lots of songs, and like to be up to date and release our current music, it is possible that some time in the future, it may get released again, with the 'out take' tracks and mixes added back, in the format and track order, that it was intended to be heard in. So we will see what happens.
3. What is the song writing process like for the band? Where do songs come from and what influences you to sit down and begin a song?
As we mentioned before, we like to make each album a 'theme' album. 'Martian Anthems', for instance, mixes science fiction and futurism into a theme. By this, we mean that the songs relate, both to each other, and to the 'concept' of that particular album. The concept of 'Martian Anthems' was to create music, from a 'Martian' and 'Earthling' point of view. The opening track is 'their' anthem, and the last track is their flight from Mars to Earth. On top of this, we had tracks like 'Apollo' and 'Spacelab 1', relating to Earthís history.
'Pop Robot' is also a theme album, one that is based on the 'three minute pop song theme', and one that mixes, electro, synthpop and futurism on top of all this. Pop songs created, and played by an imaginary 'Robot' artist, the one pictured on the cover of the CD! It may all sound a little pretentious, but it gives us musical 'templates' to work with, and this seems to work well for us.4. What is the recording process like? Is it all programmed or are parts played live in the studio?
We record at the studio, ONE LAZY EAR, in Dublin, Ireland. We pre-sequence most of the songs before we reach the recording stage. Having completed basic demos' at home, to test the strength of the song. On our first and second albums, a lot was played and quantized in 'real time' into the sequencer. Now we tend to 'step' programme everything, and then play chords and strings 'live' into the computer, on top of the track.
5. What are some of the bands biggest influences?
We have many influences musically. We tend to break these down, into the following categories:
Musically: Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, Sparks, John Carpenter, Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Raymond Scott (Manhattan Research Inc, from the 1950's), BBC Radiophonic Workshop (world famous for the 'Dr Who' series music) and Louis & Bebe Barron ('Forbidden Planet' Soundtrack, the first ever fully electronic film score!).
Vocally: Elvis Presley, Russell Mael, Billy Mackenzie, David Bowie & Scott Walker.6. How often does the band play out live? How are the shows? Do you play a lot of it live or is most of it pre-programmed?
When we play 'live', the majority of the music is pre-sequenced, we like lots of swirling lights and dry ice. We usually open with this mid paced, moody, original piece of ESH music, with samples from the 'Harbinger of Death' speech from 'Planet of the Apes' over it. This blends directly into a dance/techno version of John Carpenter's 'Halloween' Main Theme.
Unfortunately, ESH only get to play live sporadically. We are going to make a bigger effort to play live from now on, say every 6 to 8 weeks. In the last 8 months we have mainly concentrated on writing and recording a new album (Urbanism), signing with Ninthwave Records, some remix and CD compilation work and basically getting ESH known in various places of interest to us.
7. Any tour plans for the EU or the US next year?
There are no plans for tours at the moment. We have built up a very good working relationship with Wave In Head in Germany, so there is the option of possibly getting an ESH/WIH gig in Germany or perhaps Ireland. Freezepop, from Boston invited us, whenever we're in their part of the world, to do a 'double-header' with them. So all doors are still very much open, at present.
8. Have you guys done any videos?
We recorded a live 5-track video last year called 'Odyssey 2000', to help us approach venues, which really worked for us. We have plans to do a video, when POP ROBOT is released for possibly MTV 2. Brian O'Malley, from ESH, happens to be one of the biggest music promo/advert Directors in Ireland. So it is only a matter of a budget, at the moment. There is work in progress on a special 'animated' video. We've been told it's a cross between 'European Manga' and 'Gorillaz', so we'll see.9. What sort of collaborations or outside projects have the band been up to lately?
ESH have remixed Wave In Head twice, as well as submitting a track 'Swinging Pendulums', on the Wave In Head MCD ëI began to hopeí. We did a remix of ëUndertowí for Count To Infinity, and we will also be working with Freezepop. Ganymede remixed 'Hand on the Gun', which will be featured on the 2-CD limited edition of ëPop Robotí, to be released by Ninthwave on January 28th along with a ëliveí version of Bowieís ëFive Yearsí. Last summer ESH composed music for a Sony PlayStation 2 advert.
We produced and wrote for an Irish pop band called OZ, which helped them sign to PEOPLESOUND.COM, and we have been asked to compose the Theme to a 'Western' short film. Another Irish band, Skintone, have also remixed ESH, with the track called 'Stare', which was included in the ëUntied Synthpop Artistsí fundraising CD. Later this year we will be recording 2 or 3 tracks under another name, these tracks will be a little different from the ESH sound. It will sort of be an audio experiment, going to the 'roots' of electronica, we can confirm one of the tracks will be called 'Sydney Carton'. Keep an eye on www.empirestatehuman.com for further info on this project. So we are very much into collaboration work. It has proven to be very satisfying and a great way to meet other artists, whom before, we would have only heard on CD. We have written and recorded 2 Christmas songs, called 'Christmas Angel' and ëYou wonít be coming home?í ëChristmas Angelí was on exclusive download from our web site during December.
10. What does ESH bring to the table that other Modern Synthpop bands have not?
It's a very difficult question to answer, as music is subjective, and what we think are strong points, could be weak ones to someone else. We see ESH, as delivering strong, well written, song and instrumental electronic music. With around 21 tracks an album, we think we are value for money also! We are still learning, and love being in the studio and writing. It's very important to listen to constructive criticism. We try to be perfectionists, but as everyone knows, there is no such thing as perfection. So our standards and goals will never be reached, only aspired to.11. What are the various members, what do they do and what are their backgrounds?
ESH are Aidan Casserly, Lar Kiernan and Brian O'Malley. We work within the Music, Architectural Technician and Film/Ad Directing business in our day jobs. The majority of the songs are written and programmed by Aidan, although on the next studio album 'Urbanism', Aidan & Lar have co-written some tracks, and Brian will also feature on the one after that. We produce as ESH, and also develop the albums 'Theme', as ESH. Brian also looks after a lot of the visuals - CD's and Image Design. We have a policy, in ESH, that if one person is unhappy with a song or mix or something else, then we discard it. So, when we finish an album or whatever, there is 100% agreement and satisfaction with it, within the band. 'Team talks' are an important factor, to why we are a very happy bunch of individuals.
12. How friendly is Ireland to electro-pop? Is there a history of Irish
synthpop? (I am thinking of Minor Detail, but I suspect they were
Scottish, which isn't really the same is it?
Sorry we've never heard of Minor Detail. Unfortunately SYNTHPOP in Ireland, as a musical style, is deemed 'Old School' or 'Passé', sort of 'past its sell by date.' Which when you look into it is ludicrous, as bands and artists like 'Les Rhythm Digital', 'Daft Punk', 'William Orbit', 'Air' and the Madonna song 'Music' all use Synthpop styles and sounds, to achieve their musical goals. Interest in 'electro-pop' in Ireland has been a mixed bag! We have had a lot of Radio airplay - ESH's 'Spacelab One' and our recording of Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes' to name a few. Music Journalist George Byrne from the Irish Independent Newspaper has always helped us, when we play gigs with valued exposure etc. But certain publications turned their backs on reviews and features. In general, the music that is most supported
by, and most popular with, the Irish music business is middle of the road, Rock, Pop, Dance and Traditional Irish music. ESH are not 'Dance orientated' enough for the majority of Dance labels in Ireland. We accept that, and this means we must work even harder to gain
more exposure for ESH. With our signing to NINTHWAVE in America, we believe that this will help us to deal on a more even footing with the media in Ireland. When ESH play live, the reaction is always impressive, the people don't know what to expect when they see the name on the posters, but when the gig is over, total strangers come up and express their opinions on songs that they hadn't even heard 90 minutes earlier! Unfortunately, there is definitely a lack of suitable venues in Dublin. Nonetheless, we consider the fact that there aren't many synthpop bands gigging in Ireland, an advantage to Empire State Human!
