POSR-Mixtape Sessions V.1
February 20, 2010 by Jake Childs
Filed under Blog, Featured, Reviews/Mixtapes
POSR-Mixtape Sessions V.1
Mixed By Jake Childs
Well i’m gonna start doing a little monthly mix of 30 min sessions to add to the site, be sure to be on the lookout for other mixes by Chris Causal, Illson and Adam Warped since we are all dj’s we def will be posting more mixes. Hers my series of mixtapes Enjoy!! and remember buy the fucking music !!
POSR interview With Designer Drugs
February 4, 2010 by POSR
Filed under Blog, Featured, Reviews/Mixtapes, Video
illson:
Cool. You’re here with illson from your favorite band, POSR, spending time with the people that you really love to listen to. Right now I’m here with Designer Drugs. Why don’t you introduce yourselves, guys?
Theo:
I’m Theo.
Michael:
What’s up; I’m Michael.
illson:
They’re here to play this giant party called Mega Buzz this Thanksgiving weekend. It’s thrown by Massive Intent; you guys should keep an eye out for whatever they’re doing. So guys, we’ve got one hot minute in here and I just have a handful of questions to ask you…
Michael:
Sure.
illson:
… the first of which is: in your interviews, I’ve seen that back in the day you’ve run into some raves and listened to some rave music. From those early days, do you remember any kind of artist that kind of like, struck you, that you guys can mention?
Theo:
Bad Company. Drum ‘n Bass.
Michael:
Yeah, yeah, Bad Company was really good. They were awesome.
Theo:
Paul Oakenfold. Always. Umm… All the big drum ‘n bass d.j.’s. We used to both be really into drum ‘n bass.
Michael:
Like Dillinja, Bad Company and …
Theo:
Techtronics. Fresh from Bad Company. Adam Meth. Dieselboy, we we’re really into him, really early on…
illson:
He’s from your side of town, right?
Theo:
Yeah, yeah, yup. Just all those guys out there, especially the U.K. guys.
illson:
Does punk really figure into your music, or is that just something easy to say?
Theo:
Not from my perspective, no. Not much of an influence on me.
Michael:
Yeah, I think I listen to it more than he does. Some of the new tracks, though, are pretty heavy. They have more of punk rock vocals and stuff.
Theo:
I think a lot of it is we like a lot of high-energy stuff, and a lot of punk is high-energy. They’re kind of like a parallel universe.
Michael:
A lot of distortion and stuff, too.
illson:
I’d like to know how your original music is developing; not your remixes, but the music you guys make yourselves, and what should the public be expecting in your upcoming releases?
Michael:
It’s coming along really good, actually. I’m really happy … I’m more happy doing the originals than the remixes, so we’re cutting back on the remixes a lot, and doing original stuff. The new originals, they’re very diverse. We have some really pretty songs, and we have some really punk rock songs – some really heavy, nasty distorted stuff, but we also have some really pretty songs with some singing, and rapping, and …
Theo:
We have some slow, uh …
Michael:
(laughing) … love songs!
Theo:
Yeah, we got some love songs! We got some poppier stuff. We got some, uh … just a little bit of everything for everybody, I think. As far as developing, our production skills are getting better, we’re buying new stuff. We’re just learning a lot from listening to other people’s music, and we’re trying to make everybody happy and still lean towards better quality product for everybody.
illson:
Always growing in technique, I’m assuming?
Theo:
Yeah. Always learning; for sure.
illson:
We’re all looking forward to those originals.
Michael:
There’s actually a lot more real instruments. We recorded drums for some songs, we recorded guitars, vocals; more analog stuff going on.
illson:
You’re playing piano again on it?
Michael:
Uh, yeah, yeah! We’re always playing piano.
Theo:
(laughing) Always playing piano.
illson:
Is there a song of yours that you two felt really good about, where you said, ‘hey, we did a really good job at this.’ Is there a song that holds a special place in your hearts, that you guys made?
Michael:
We just shot a music video for this one called ‘Through the Prism,’ which really came together really quick. I think it’s really fresh sounding and it’s a uh, I think it’s a really solid song. I like it a lot. I feel the integrity of it is pretty good. Yeah. A lot of the new stuff I feel pretty happy about.
Theo:
Yeah. Some of the stuff that nobody’s heard of yet I feel pretty happy with. If I was gonna go back, I would say I really liked ‘Drop Down’ a lot; that was a good one.
Michael:
Yeah, ‘Drop Down’ is really good.
Theo:
It was a hard one.
illson:
We’ve looked at your discography a little and we can go back all the way to 2008. Amazing, isn’t it? We saw an early track from Warner Bros. How was that for you guys, since it was so early in your career and you were dealing with a major label, and how does that compare to being in a small, boutique label now? Working with I Heart Comix, of course.
Theo:
Right.
Michael:
It was cool for us; we were excited, you know? Because we always want to do big stuff, so it was cool to work with a big label, you know?
Theo:
It was our first experience with a major label, but most of our remixes are attached with a certain label; some are bigger than others, We’ve done stuff with, I don’t know – twenty other labels, maybe? I don’t know. A lot of labels.
Michael:
Maybe ten.
Theo:
Yeah, maybe ten, something like that. A lot of labels.
Michael:
Mostly smaller ones. They’ve all been cool. Everything’s been … good working with them.
illson:
And finally: Wes Anderson or Wes Craven?
(silence)
Theo:
(laughing) Who?
Michael:
(laughing)
Theo:
Wes Anderson? (laughing) Who’s Wes Anderson?
Michael:
Is that Diplo?
illson:
Rushmore.
Michael:
I don’t know, man. Honestly, I’m not familiar with either.
illson:
Ok. Finally …
Michael:
We’re more … I don’t know … what kind of movies? Oh, I like uh … Greg Araki’s movies.
illson:
Oh, cool! Yeah, ‘Doom Generation’!
Michael:
Yeah, been watching him a lot lately, actually.
illson:
He’s a favorite of mine, too.
Michael:
I like ‘Nowhere,’ too. ‘Nowhere’ is a really good one.
Theo:
Never seen him (laughing).
Michael:
Really? I think you might have seen some …
Theo:
Really? I don’t know.
illson:
You should try ‘Doom Generation.’
Theo:
I’d love to.
illson:
It’s a hot one.
Theo:
Sounds cool.
illson:
Well kids, that’s it! That’s a hot minute with Designer Drugs. Good luck with your set tonight. Four a.m., right?
Theo:
Four to five.
Michael:
Stay up.
illson:
Always good advice. Good night!
Still a Crime: “Housed While Black”
Saw a clip of congresspeople fleeing journalists after being confronted with their Birther beliefs. To those living under rocks and inside cheap bars, a ‘birther’ is someone who doesn’t believe that Barack Obama was born in the United States – and is therefore not the President (to those who are really, REALLY hung over, only people born in the U.S. can become president).
Here’s my two cents:
What it is, tragically, is latent racism – the real issue that is being politely tiptoed around. Precisely the kind of thing that is being unearthed – and confronted – during Obama’s administration. There is a relevant article from a N.Y. Times columnist regarding the “birthers,” and Henry Louis Gates (the professor arrested in his own home):
“The problem is again the legitimacy of a black man living in a big house, especially when it’s the White House. Just as some in Durham and Cambridge couldn’t believe that Gates belonged in the neighborhood, so does a vocal minority find it hard to believe that an African-American could possibly be the real president of the United States. ”
Grab your pint glass and read the whole column here
By the way: if you’re a ‘birther,’ then go fuck yourself. The fact is that American or not, Barack Obama is a welcome change in a White House that for the past eight years has sunk beyond the Middle Ages right into the Dark Ages, gladly. I was creating a new identity, sharpening spears, learning how to make fire from ostrich dung, and getting ready to sail to New Zealand if Mcain and Palin rolled into the White House, for gosh sakes!# Now I can stay and drink on Red River! If you’re questioning the legitimacy of a slightly ( he still hasn’t rolled back the CIA rampage on civilians under the guise of a war on terror) more HUMAN president, then I’m afraid I have to take out the race card – and stuff its blackened end into your liver.
peace & love, illson
#note: said plans above are all true. does anyone want to buy a large raft? its pink and rat-proof, and can almost make it across any river. guaranteed to get you survivalist chicks.
New Shiznit, different … Dayznit?
by illson
Woke up this morning and stepped into a pile of fluff. What? Ah, River, my girlfriend’s dog, just chewed through part of the couch. I nudge her awake and she checks on him under the bed, then I hear her try to grab something away, then I hear River growl, then I hear her say ‘he’s got your wallet!’ This is when I really wake up. Somehow, my money survived. I take this as a sign that it’s going to be a good day, and with that thought I curl back up under the covers to sleep off the hangover.
Final Memories from Yesterday
They are; listening to a Peter, Bjorn and John remix on the way to taking Chris Casual home and having the song end just as we pull up in front of his east-side house. Making a playlist on my ipod at Side Bar because they let you play 20 minutes of music. My first mix was well received by the wheel-chaired host (really, he’s on a wheelchair. He’s also from detroit. that’s all i can remember). The playlist:
Song – Band
Midnight Blues – Detroit Cobras
Roberta Flack – Flying Lotus
Get Off Of My Cloud – the Rolling Stones
You Only Live Once – the Strokes
Cool It Down – the Velvet Underground
A Means to an End – Joy Division
Hang Me Up to Dry – Cold War Kids
Flight of the Knife (Part Two) – Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears
Chris Casual said, ‘You know the next song is going to be good because you picked it.’ I knew the next song was going to be good because I was on four Jack and waters.
I thought it was a good idea to grab a drink on the way to Chris’ place, and the bars on Red River are my favorite ones. Creekside, Side Bar, Beauty Bar and Plush are all clustered in staggering distance to each other, and Headhunters and Mohawk are just around the corner. These bars have the added benefit of being just a wee bit away from sixth street, so there’s a reduction of drunken coed factor – which is crucial. Drunken frat boys and coeds BAD. Drunken hipsters – passable. Being able to play your ipod at Side Bar on mondays – GOOD!
More Memories
Monday was the day Chris Casual came by the house to learn the songs. Its been a while since Jake and I have jammed, so I was pretty rusty. Good thing I kept notes. Bad thing that it was me keeping the notes; it seemed that every time I needed the tabs for the songs, they were hidden within a sheaf of social security office paperwork (what the hell was that paperwork doing in my gig bag?). Chris was SOLID. He picked up the songs quickly and he played perfectly on time. He’s going to be great. He also cuts hair, and was loving the bass playing because it was a slightly different motion than what he does all day. By god, keep that wrist in one piece, please – WE NEED YOU!!
Jake squeezed a couple of new tracks from his glitchy laptop and they sound superb. They’re fast, catchy, dancy, and in your face. Lap it up, people!
We wrapped practice after Chris got a general idea of the bass lines. Then we went upstairs and my girlfriend had him take his shirt off for some photos for her class. Maybe we’ll post them up. Maybe we’ll charge for them.
After their little photo session was when we headed off for a drink. And talked about the impending tour. And whether we would be selling t-shirts on the road to survive. Or if there was a bus with champagne on it waiting for us. Who knows? Jake gave me the contract and I promptly gave it back – which I thought was pretty rock and roll. And not very smart. Still, rock & roll. Still not smart. Which came first?
So here it is; my first blog entry for the hungry masses. I hope I get a copy of the Joy Division discography for this (which Jake mentioned he had).
Band Practice 1.0
Ahh the oh so familiar smell of cigarettes and fresh new guitar strings strings..
Well today was the first pre practice for POSR. with Chris casual on Bass and Wilson on the guitar as the frantic Jake screams on the vocal going horse within the first 15 min… the mesh of these 3 fellows worked very well as they tabbed the rhythm and riffs that they will play in front of a live studio audience.. Jaleki on drums and Lonnie on key s will be there soon soon within the week to get caught up.. things are looking might mighty fine 
your friend POSR
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- Strike A pose..
