10 Questions With...Lynnette Shelley

The Red Masque are a Philadelphia based avant/space/I'm not sure how to describe/label them progressive band. They embrace so many different styles of music, from the fragile and beautiful to the primal and aggressive...often within the same song. Each album builds from the successes of the previous, and they are always pushing their musical boundaries on each release.

I became a fan of theirs based on a single song..."Beggars and Thieves," released as a single a few years back as a teaser for their 2004 album Feathers for Flesh. That album got a huge amount of play at my place, and if I had been putting together top ten albums of the year lists back then, it would have easily earned a spot. It's been four years since that album came out, but the band has finally unveiled their latest opus, Fossil Eyes, released on adHoc/ReR USA Records.

I was pleased when vocalist Lynnette Shelley agreed to pen some replies to my questions for this blog. She's a professional designer when not working with them band, and in fact much of the band's visual style on record is the result of her art and design work (the debut EP, Feathers for Flesh and Fossil Eyes all feature her cover art). Her replies are expansive and insightful, and my hope is that they will help you, Constant Reader, get a better feel for this unique, boundary pushing band.



1) Can you give us a brief history of how The Red Masque came together?

LS: Brandon and I started The Red Masque in February 2001. Previously, we had played together in a few bands in Delaware, where we are both originally from. I moved to Philadelphia in 1999 for a job, and Brandon followed a few months later. We auditioned musicians for a while (even playing with some others in Baltimore, MD, for a while, before forming the prototype The Red Masque band lineup in 2000. Brandy of the Damned (from the George Bernard Shaw quote) featured original TRM guitarist Steven Blumberg, and keyboardist/concert harpist Nathan-Andrew Dewin, and another drummer. That drummer quit before our first gig, and we eventually replaced his spot with Kevin Kelly in February 2001. Our first gig as The Red Masque was less than two months later.


2) How would you say your recent album Fossil Eyes departs from or expands upon the previous release?

LS: Well, I think this album is the first album of ours that is true concept album. We specifically structured the album with “intercessionals” situated between the main material. These intercessionals can be considered like mood pieces or mini-soundtracks to carry over between major album pieces (“Carbon 14”, “Das Snail”, “The Spider Is The Web”, “The Anti-Man”, “Polyphemus” and “Carbon 13.”) As for the album theme, lyrically, the songs use the natural world to explore various human philosophical/moral questions. For example, “The Anti-Man” is about war, told through the point of view of the rebels. In this case, the rebels are insects warring against humans. Or, in the case of “Das Snail”, the protagonist wonders who he or she is. Do past events and current circumstances define a person or is there an innate sense of self that breaks free from these boundaries? Is a person like a snail, whose body conforms to the shape of the shell it inhabits or does he or she have his or her own unique mental structure?

From an auditory point of view, Fossil Eyes is definitely sonically denser and, in my opinion, the songs are better written. The song production also has a more organic approach.


3) Your first two releases, Death of the Red Masque and Victoria and the Haruspex, came out on CD-R. Is there any chance that they will be reissues, perhaps by ReR?

LS: I doubt it. Physical CD sales are going down across the board while downloads are going up, and many predict the death of physical cds in the next few years. From a monetary point of view, it wouldn’t be worth it to release them as physical CDS. However, we are releasing them for “pay what you want” digital downloads from theredmasque.com.

I do hope to re-record “Tidal” (from DotRM) and “Birdbrain” (from VatH) at some point though, and release them as bonus tracks on album album perhaps.


4) You've provided cover art for almost all of your album releases. How do you feel the artwork ties the package together?

LS: Well, I am a professional artist and a graphic designer so I like making artwork for the albums (though I would redo the album covers on the first two albums as they look a bit amateurish at this point. But I was an amateur designer back then, and the first two albums were very DIY projects.) It ties the package together in that I think the artwork matches the music and makes it seem a little more ‘complete’ as opposed to a collection of electronic files. I don’t like CDs for artwork as much as an actual LP cover, but with the right budget, you can make some really beautiful booklets and packaging.


5) There was a long period between the release of Feathers for Flesh and Fossil Eyes. Do you feel the majority of the difficulties that hindered the album's release are behind you?

LS: Well, yes and no. Yes in that the major problems we suffered on the last record were due to Vonorn’s health situation. We had to wait for him to get out of the hospital, and learn to walk again, let alone learn to drum again. But the band is also not a full-time gig, so we don’t get to work on it 24/7. We also have to do most things ourselves, so all of these things take time.

But, knock on wood, we will have a live CD out next year on a label, and hopefully another new album will be out in much sooner than four years. I’d ideally like to release something new every other year.


6) Who do you think have been the biggest influences on you as a musician and artist?

LS: I don’t have a biggest influence. There are bands and artists I like for various reasons and you could point out various things in our music that sound influenced by this or that band, but I’ve never sat down and thought I wanted to sound like a particular band.

I know I like the controlled chaos approach of Van Der Graaf Generator. I love the live shows of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Acid Mothers Temple. I like Diamanda Galas’ and Peter Hammill’s vocal theatrics. I love the rhythms and heavy bass of groups like Magma. I like the heavy distortion of King Crimson mixed with moments of quiet beauty. I admire the Art Bears songwriting tremendously. I love the lyrical melodies of Pentangle and Fairport Convention. And I love the mix of light and dark in Comus.

But the music of The Red Masque, for better or for worse, is its own entity.


7) The Red Masque's music is very dramatic, relying on dynamics, shifts in tone, and deep lyrical content. Would you like to see the band work in anything from a multimedia/theatrics standpoint in a live setting?

LS: This is something the band has talked over many times. In theory I would say sure. From a practical point of view, I find the simpler the shows are the better the result. Unless you have your own sound crew, lighting crew, a lot of time to soundcheck etc., all of that would overcomplicate things. We are usually lucky to get 20 minutes to do a soundcheck at most venues.

We do have a guy, David Pym, who is working on videos for us, so we hope do things with him that involve video projections and the like. The one thing I am sure of is that I don’t want the theatrical/visuals to hamper the music because I think that will make the live show worse for wear. I’ve seen bands with these huge multimedia presentations and the music usually becomes secondary at that point. I wouldn’t want that to happen to us. I like our live shows to have a very primal, intense feel.


8) What would you say has been your biggest moment musically with The Red Masque?

LS: I am still looking for that biggest moment. There are definitely great shows though. I know the last show we played at Orion was probably one of our best. Playing at the NJ Proghouse is always fun. Playing with Dave Kerman and Paul Sears was a definite trip. Meeting other bands from all over is definitely a highlight. But I don’t think we’ve reached our biggest moment yet.


9) What's next for the band?

LS: A live CD on a label in 2009 (can’t go into details just now), plus working on new song material for the next album. We will also be putting out a video of an entire concert out for free download, hopefully within the next couple of weeks. I have been talking with the band Comus about possible East Coast, USA, show(s) so we’ll see how that pans out. We are also looking to possibly add on a multi-instrumentalist. Any interested parties should email theredmasque@theredmasque.com. We are also looking for festival gigs that we could possibly hang a short tour around, so if anybody wants to book us, also email theredmasque@theredmasque.com.


10) Do you have any final thoughts for us?

LS: Thanks for the interview.


LINKS OF NOTE:
http://www.myspace.com/myredmasque
http://www.theredmasque.com/

REVIEW: Ayreon - Timeline

So, let’s talk about the new Ayreon boxed set (click the picture above to be linked to my post with the initial announcement and set contents).

It’s a 3 CD, 1 DVD set titled Timeline, covering Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s releases from 1995’s The Final Experiment through 2008’s 0101001. 33 songs were culled from his catalogue of thematically written opuses, and there’s a veritable who’s who of prog rock, metal, and European rock stars guesting throughout. I could pad out this review by listing them all…

Bruce Dickinson, James LaBrie, Devon Townsend, Russell Allen, Daniel Gildenlow, Lori Linstruth, Lenny Wolf, Fish, Sharon den Adel, Damian Wilson, Neal Morse, Devon Graves, Heather Findlay, Eric Clayton, Mikael Akerfeldt, Marcela Bovia, Mike Baker, Bob Catley, Tom Englund, Anneke van Giersbergen, Jorn Lande, Hansi Kursch, Floor Jansen…

…and that’s just the guests that appear on the tracks selected for this retrospective.

Now, Ayreon’s albums are all thematically linked, and as each album is a self contained theme album, it may seem odd to extract individual pieces from the releases for fear of losing that connection. It’s a fear that Lucassen even had, which kept him from doing such a retrospective in the past. By using the expansiveness of a multi-disc boxed set, some of these concerns are alleviated somewhat.

I don’t know what tracks I might have selected differently, but I am sure that others have their own favourites from Ayreon’s releases that they’d like to see in exchange for any of these. Having said this, the song that introduced me to the world of Ayreon (“Isis and Osiris,” from 1998’s Into the Electric Castle) is on here, as well as enough highlights from his back catalogue to really impress to the listener how consistent Lucassen has been from a writing and performing standpoint.

When I reviewed 0101001 a few months back for another website, I said this:

Several things can be taken as givens when it’s time to review a new Ayreon album:

1) It will be a massive concept album
2) The number of guests will be immense
3) The word count for song titles and album personnel will probably outnumber the word count for the whole review.

I also said this in closing:

In the final analysis, I think I can say the following two things fairly:

1) If you love Ayreon, everything you love is here on 01011001, and then some.
2) If you find Ayreon’s material to be overwrought and twee...you’ll probably continue to feel that way with 01011001.

And when you are looking at almost 4 hours of music across 3 CDs, all the same can be said several times over.

This is not a complaint; Lucassen has a signature style, and he has honed that style to near gleaming perfection. But his material is a love it or leave it proposition…I don’t think I know anyone who inhabits a middle ground with him. I might come close…I genuinely like a lot of his releases, but I’m not a devout Ayreonaut. But even with me, I can’t say I’ve walked away from an Ayreon album genuinely disliking it. There’s always been something there to make me say “Yeah, I’m gonna come back to this one for another listen.”

I’m pleased by the selections he’s made across the board…he’s picked a good mixture of heavier pieces, lighter fare, material with a more electronic sound, and so on. I think he’s taken great care to ensure that the collection draws from as many releases as possible, showcasing the vast variety of styles that make up his C.V. Everything’s been tweaked and slightly and lightly remastered to ensure a smooth transition from album to album, and the end result almost qualifies as a 3 CD concept piece in and of itself.

Additionally, Lucassen has included a newly recorded track, “Epilogue: The Memory Remains,” tying up the whole audio package with a nice bow and ribbon on top.

I wish I could be as positive about the DVD.

Oh, there’s great stuff here…extended excerpts from his Star One and Stream of Passion side projects, concept videos, and so on. Sadly, unless I am the least observant person in the world, I can’t find a simple play all feature on the DVD. I want to sit back and be engrossed by 80 or 90 minutes of Ayreon on DVD…not 10 minutes, go back to the main menu, select the next feature, and so on. It’s frustrating and detracts from what is otherwise a very good video retrospective that fills out the package nicely.

The booklet has much to offer too…along side lyrics for each song in the set, Lucassen has added newly written notes explaining the set, his thoughts on each album, and his thoughts for the future of Ayreon. So many boxed sets miss this, I think…being the product of a record company wanting to push product, many sets come off as overly clinical and cold even as they push out familiar material with a smattering of the unreleased. Timeline really comes off well in that regard…it feels more personal, more like the creator’s vision than just another slab of plastic paper and cardboard.

Now, the big questions?

Who is this boxed set for?

Are hardcore fans really going to buy this?

Neither question is easy to answer. I think people unfamiliar with Ayreon will find much to offer here, but the fact that the tracks are still parts of concept albums means that new listeners will maybe be at a loss for some of what is going on. Long time listeners, on the other hand, likely know these albums inside and out, have them all, and are looking at buying this release for the new song and portions of the DVD. I don’t know if that is enough to warrant the purchase, and it’s something that I could honestly say for a majority of boxed set purchases

The final question…what do I think of this set?

I like it. A lot. It’s nice to have a broad cross section of his work in a single package. I think the boxed set format (a small square box just larger than the disc sleeves) selected is nice…it fits on the shelf along with my other Ayreon releases. I think the new cover art is excellent, and I am hugely glad that Lucassen took the time to pen some personal thoughts for the liner notes. My quibbles are minor (except maybe for the DVD…can someone out there who has this box verify that there is in fact no play all feature), and in the end I’d offer a recommendation to check it out. It works well as a retrospective of the past 13 years of musical travels in time and space, and closes this chapter of his career nicely.

One only wonders what the next step is…

A breather...

Well now...

My other writing out of the way for another month or two, I can finally turn energies back to here. Thanks for your patience over the past few days as I worked diligently at getting other stuff out of the way :-)

I'm working on 'nagging' a few of my outstanding interviewees to get back to me. I am pleased to say most of them are busy with new projects, including live dates and recording, so it's understandable that their energies and attentions are elsewhere. But I hope to have a new spate of interviews to post for you soon. And there are several reviews in the works as well...

I will be reviewing the new Ayreon boxed set, Time Line.

I will be reviewing the new Frost* album, Experiments in Mass Appeal.

I will be reviewing the new Gamma Ray 2CD 2 DVD set Hell Yeah!

I should be reviewing the new Karmakanic release, Who's The Boss in the Factory?

All this and more. So stay tuned, wouldn't you?

echolyn and Brett Kull preorders now available

HERE.

echolyn's 2000 album release of "Cowboy Poems Free" has been totally remixed & remastered with all new artwork and a 20-page color booklet — this disc is not to be missed — echolyn's very own slice of Americana now released in the way it was supposed to sound — loud and proud!

Brett Kull's second solo release "Last of the Curlews," featuring Paul Ramsey on drums, is a mature, sonically rich album of picturesque songs and stories! Cover artwork by Tara Jane O'Neal.

Pre-Order Your Discs Today!

All orders received (via PayPal thru echolyn.com by midnight Sunday evening, December 14, 2008) OR check/money order (must be postmarked by 12/13/2008) will receive signed copies by the band! All pre-orders will be signed and shipped by Friday, December 19, 2008.

Quarkspace - Spacefolds 9 imminent

The Spacefolds series features raw, improvisational, experimental work from our studio - the best of which gets mixed for release.

Spacefolds 9 is imminent. It will be available soon from the usual host of digital services (iTunes, eMusic, etc.) and on lossless autographed CD-Rs directly from us.

This is a very psychedelic Spacefolds featuring special guests Brandon and Lynnette from The Red Masque and Carl Howard from Nomusic. Here is the track listing:

1. Is it Really? 6.59
2. red melt 7.34
3. Third Score 8.59
4. Ghost Satellite 8.42
5. Al Neri Sleeps with the Angels 7.59
6. Fake Leaping Violinists 6.30
7. six of purple 2.52
8. See How the Stars Fade 10.05

You can check out "Red Melt", one of the tracks of Spacefolds 9 at our myspace website - http://myspace.com/quarkspace

This is one of the tracks with all 3 special guests - Lynnette and Brandon from The Red Masque and Carl Howard from Nomusic. It sounds like some warped version of the Jefferson Airplane from an alternate universe.

The queue grows...

...and I swear, I'll never get to the end of it.

Especially not this week, as deadlines approach for a half dozen articles I owe someone. I shouldn't even be blogging here, instead focusing on the other writing I owe. But I'd be remiss if I didn't add to the queue list of music I have to look at for here.

Just in this weekend:

Frost* - Experiments in Mass Appeal
Gamma Ray - Hell Yeah! 2 DVD set
Ayreon - Timeline 3 CD/1 DVD boxed set
Symphony X - Paradise Lost special edition (CD/5.1 DVD with 2 videos plus the album in DD 5.1)

Hopefully, when I find an extra 2 hours to add to each 24 hour day, I will get these listened to and reviewed here!

Magma - boxed set retrospective with bonuses forthcoming

MAGMA 40TH ANNIVERSARY BOX-SET
STUDIO ZÜND

A must for MAGMA fanatics, fans and freaks everywhere. An opportunity not to be missed. For the first time ever, the full set of 9 incredible studio albums - from Kobaia to K.A - in deluxe digipack form.

Each volume has its own 32 to 48 page booklets, containing photos and previously unpublished documents re-telling the story of MAGMA in 9 detailed chapters. Also includes a bonus double CD of archive documents: the first demo recorded by the band in 1970, the original sound track from the film 24 heures seulement recorded that same year by the line-up playing on the first album, a demo version of MDK with just rhythm section and a vocal guide track , and a version of "Eliphas Levi" with drums.

Thank you for your faithfulness
The Seventh Team
http://www.seventhrecords.com
http://v2.seventhrecords.com/index.php?lang=en
http://www.seventhrecords.com?3182015052752c523edf

Wobbler news

Compiling several comments from Lars Fredrik Frøislie posted on ProgressiveEars:

...Our second album "Afterglow" is just around the corner - this time released on both cd and vinyl on our own label; Termo Records sometime early next year.
I put out two songs on myspace if you're interested.

...after all these songs were made back in 1999.

...Anyway, it'll be nice to put out this records without any hype or anything like that that (like the last one got). This is our medieval-album i guess, with lots of crum-horn and recorders and stuff (though i believe there even is some mellotron in there).

...The album will have new-recordings of both the old demos - with some changes, better sound, real instruments and so on. The old demo was only ever released on mp3, so we thought it would be nice to finally release it properly on cd and lp.

There will also be other songs on the album as well of course.

www.myspace.com/wobblermusic
www.myspace.com/inlinguamortua
www.termorecords.com

Script for a Jester's Tour part the second

Ex-Marillion drummer Mick Pointer continues his celebration of the music that brought him to public attention in the early 1980's with a second Script for a Jester's Tour, featuring, as before, Nick Barrett, Mike Varty, Ian Salmon, and the man they call Brian "Brish" Cummins.


Tickets and info at http://www.wiventertainment.com/jester/

see them here........
16/01/09 - UK London The Peel
17/01/09 - UK London The Peel
18/01/09 - UK Dudley JB's
19/01/09 - UK Manchester Academy
20/01/09 - UK York The Duchess
21/01/09 - UK Frome Cheese & Grain
23/01/09 - NED Zoetermeer De Boerderij
24/01/09 - NED Uden De Pul
25/01/09 - BEL Verviers Spirit of 66
26/01/09 - GER Aschaffenburg Colos-Saal
27/01/09 - GER Stuttgart LKA Longhorn
28/01/09 - GER Lorsch Musiktheater Rex
29/01/09 - SUI Pratteln Z 7
30/01/09 - GER Dinslaken Kulturkantine
31/01/09 -GER Cologne Live Music Hall
02/02/09 -GER Berlin Frannz Club
03/02/09 -POL Bielsko Biala Club Pomarancza
04/02/09 -POL Krakow Club Studio
05/02/09 -POL Warszawa Club Progresja
07/02/09 -ITA Milano Rolling Stone
08/02/09 -ITA Roma Staziona Birra
10/02/09 -FRA Paris Scene Bastille

Celtic Frost documentary to air this weekend

This Sunday, November 16, 2008, at 11.30pm, Swiss national TV station SF1 will premiere the first full-length documentary film shot about celebrated and controversial Swiss extreme metal group Celtic Frost.

"Celtic Frost - A Dying God" was directed by Swiss journalist and documentary filmmaker Adrian Winkler, whose team followed Celtic Frost for two years on the road during the group's final undertaking, the Monotheist Tour, in 2006 and 2007. Winkler captured Celtic Frost across Europe, Japan, and the United States, as well as at the Wacken and Hole In The Sky festivals. In addition, the documentary features dedicated interviews with the group's members.

Winkler: "The film documents Celtic Frost striving to do justice to their own legendary reputation. It is an emotional journey, capturing, among other things, the band members facing their
own, dark past."

SF1 will re-broadcast the documentary on November 23, 2008, at 5.30am.

Website of Swiss national TV station SF1 on the documentary:

http://www.sf.tv/sf1/klanghotel/index.php