Articles by " Smoke Don’t Smoke"
Gayze – “Done To My Love” & “East Coast Dying” (Official Video)
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Tyler T. Williams has been making some of the most well made, no budget, DIY-produced music videos and short films around for the last few years. With beautiful pieces for the likes of Youth Lagoon and Coma Cinema, among others, he’s proven himself to be among the best. PORTALS is excited to give you the first look at his most recent effort with Boise band, Gayze.
Gayze just released their debut album, Black Soul, through Bleeding Gold Records. And what was meant to be a single music video ended up being a two song music video short. Tyler was kind enough to talk to us about how the production came about, getting the resources with virtually no budget, and how it progressed into the emotionally intense story above.
How did this project come up? Did you seek Gayze out, or they you?
Dave from Gayze is a good friend here in Boise. I first got introduced to his music with his band TEENS. I just love the aesthetic and vibe that his music has. He sent me his record and basically just went from there. I originally was going to do one track and keep it pretty simple, but the project just kept growing as production began. I also had him act in my short film ‘Contact Grey‘ awhile back.
Was it that aesthetic that prompted you to make this video a period piece? What about it made you think of that 50s era?
I think it was his vocals on “Done To My Love” that made me think of that period. You know, 50′s/60′s working class and nothing seems to be smooth sailing and it eventually catches up to you. You’re hitting rock bottom and eventually that tires your psyche to a pulp yet you have to keep at it.
So was the story-line built off of that instinct you got listening to the music, or was there some stuff in there you’ve been wanting to explore for a while?
Yeah, the story was built off of that feeling I got while listening to the music. I first thought of the scene where he is laying upside down letting all of the blood rush to his head. A point where all of his past experiences, mistakes, lost ambitions boiled down to self destruction. I wanted it to be more of a character study following a man who has no clear path.
That intensity and realness definitely comes across through the video. Was it a long production? Did everything go smoothly? Any noteworthy hiccups?
The scenes were all shot in one weekend with one other scene at his house that we shot one night. Pretty easy days. The tough parts were the days leading up to the actual shoots. Securing an old car and a farm house can be tough without a budget. You don’t always get what you originally envisioned so you really have to make due with what you got. So you sort of have to improvise on set. Luckily Dave and Gabe from the band were so helpful on getting the car and house.
I’d say the roughest time was for the lead character where I had him lay upside down for minutes on end. He was sorta ill so the combination of that, him smoking, and being upside down didn’t agree with him. He just started puking a ton which I used briefly in the video. Haha, I felt terrible though. He was a trooper.
Check out some photos from the production below:
Introducing: WALL
UK artist, WALL, makes music as honest as it is mesmerizing. Her track “Magazine” will instantly draw you in, even as simple as it is, sometimes it’s the simplest of sounds that resound the loudest. With just a three track EP, and a couple of choice covers to be listened to, we had to get to know more about how WALL came to be. Thankfully Lyla was gracious enough to chat with us over a long and laborious chain of emails in and around our of holiday stupors.
How about a simple introduction? Who are you? Where are you from? All that good stuff.
Hello, I’m Lyla of WALL. I was born and raised in London, and that’s where I live now (in the cheaper part of town).
How long have you been playing music? When did WALL come into the picture?
I started teaching myself guitar at 14. I played guitar and bass in a few bands. People like having a girl on bass.
In February this year I cancelled a show at the last minute to stay in and do something different. I had this weird feeling that it was time to mix things up. I wrote “No Secrets” and a pretend press release about being from Paris, laughed to myself, and thought no more of it.
Well thanks to the internet, you can pretty much be anyone you want. You may not even be Lyla!? Not that you have anything to compare it too, but are you glad that you are making music today, and not, say, 50 years ago? Why?
I’m not very into “the industry” as it is today. Who knows if it was better or worse 50 years ago. They’ll always be great music, but what goes on behind the scenes is probably always quite dark. While I think it’s good that anyone can just put music out there it does mean there’s alot of really lazy songwriting going on. I listen to loads of new music, but I’ve only fallen in love with a handful of breaking acts over the last few months.
Having done everything so casually, were you surprised when your music started taking off?
Yeah I was surprised, but in hindsight good things normally happen when you’re least expecting. The hardest thing was taking the tracks out live and forming a band in record time.
Let alone a band that can cram into a cab and play! Your Black Cab Sessions were awesome, and now you’re the first artist to sign to their new record label. How did you get hooked up with them?
It was an internet romance. I’ve been watching Black Cab Sessions for years, so it was surreal when they got in touch with me, and weirder still when they wanted to release my music.
2013 could be a big year for WALL, can you let us in on any plans or goals you have or the new year?
’13 is going to be a good one. There’s a new EP coming out (details to drop soon), and I’m playing my favourite venue in London, Hoxton Hall. It’s this gothic theatre space with so much character. We’re also heading to Texas for SXSW in March, and playing in LA and New York too. I’m so excited about the food in Austin. I’ve heard there are massive turkey legs for sale on the street. Is this true?
Last year was a bit bizarre, in a good way. I know exactly what I want now and I’m writing like a mother. I’m just eager to put more tracks out, play more shows and meet new faces. The idea of travelling is making me really focused. I’ve always wanted a job where I can travel, it’s too good!
You can definitely find some amazing food choices in Austin, and the turkey leg myth is definitely true! Will this be your first time to the states?
I’ve been to America, but never to Texas. Or LA. I have friends on the East Coast though. Where are you from?
I’m from LA actually, but we have PORTALERS all over the place, even a couple in the UK! Definitely excited to get a chance to see you live, maybe share a turkey leg? Thank you so much for chatting with us Lyla! Do you have any final words of wisdom, or is there anything we missed?
It’s my pleasure. See you in March for a turkey leg, or 5.
Thanks Lyla!
Curated by Smoke Don’t Smoke
Teen Daze – “Surface (FISHING Set U Freemix)”
Here’s a good game. Choose five Lefse Records artists and remix their music, then release an EP of all the remixes. That’s what Sydney based producers, FISHING, have done, and here’s the first taste. They take on the beautifully full and ambient dream of Teen Daze‘s “Surface”—from his most recent release, Inner Mansions—and create a whole new aura around it. They keep the essence and add intricacies that slowly morph it into an entirely new entity.
The other four remixes will be hitting the internet in due time, so keep an eye out for them. And once they’re all out, Lefse will be giving them out for free.
Swing Delux - ‘Breezer’ EP
Swing Delux is a mysterious UK producer that first showed us what he was capable of with his debut EP back in September, triple water. There’s an emotional landscape that is being built by these sounds. Weaving vocal samples, soothing synths, and minimal beats together to emote is something not a lot of people can do well. And with his new EP, breezer, Swing Delux explores and further perfects this notion once more. Perhaps as time goes by we’ll know more about this project, but for now, I think it’s safe to let the music speak for itself.
Below is my favorite cut from the new EP. Be sure to download the whole thing here for free.
Young Pharaohs - “One With The World (Glam Shell Remix)”
Young Pharaohs have had a full year. After dropping the white hot album White Shadows back in May, they went on a pretty substantial US tour, and even relocated to Austin, TX just to top it all off. Meanwhile while all of us were enjoying White Shadows, so was Glam Shell, aka Louisville’s Drury Graham. If you’ve been around PORTALS for very long, you would have seen our admiration for Glam Shell displayed more than once. All that said, because of their mutual appreciation of one another, this amazing remix of Young Pharaohs stand out “One With The World” was born. And we are so happy to be able to give you the first listen below.
Glam Shell on the birth of this remix:
Really it all started when I got into contact with Sam Martin of Young Pharaohs about doing an official PORTALswap. We brainstormed a bit but had to put the project on hold because he was busy with moving down to Austin, TX. In the meantime I mentioned to him that I was really feeling their track “One With The World” off their latest album, ‘White Shadows’, and was interested in doing a remix. I pretty much reworked it from the ground up. Gave it a fresh amped-up pace, fast, rolling hats included. I’m excited to add that Erik Kirtley, the man responsible for the art for my track “Champagne” worked his magic and did the album art for this tune as well. As for the future, keep your eyes peeled for some more remixes, along with an eventual original from the Young Pharaohs crew and myself.
