INTERVIEW: KRISTINAX MARKS THE SPOT — BEWITCHING L.A. SINGER WORKING ON NEW MATERIAL

 

“I wanted to make songs that made people feel good and that they would want to dance to, but with a darker, dreamlike vibe.”

— KRISTINAX

At first glance, KristinaX is an intimidating, gothic bombshell. However, that’s only one side of the L.A. singer-songwriter. The other side, Kristina Sedito, is one of the most friendly, humble, and approachable musicians we’ve ever had the privilege of chatting with. Likewise, her music may seem glossy and pretty on the surface, but her lyrics — and the hypnotizing synths underscoring them — hint at something else going on beneath.

Darkness Calling: Volume I presented listeners with KristinaX’s “Dream,” a pulsing track that could be a nightly favorite of some cyberpunk bar in the future. We couldn’t resist the urge to feature her again; Volume II includes “My Mind,” a song that’s perhaps more poppy but equally alluring. Once you hear it, good luck getting it out of your head.

KristinaX chatted with DarknessCalling.net about her unique sound and how it’s already evolving. Read on below.

 

DARKNESS CALLING: Your music appeals to me because it's simultaneously dance-y and dark. Great combination. Can you tell me how much of that sound was influenced by you versus your producer and what your working relationship is like when developing these songs?

KRISTINAX: Dance-y and dark was definitely the sound and the vibe I was going for, so good call on that. You nailed it! I wanted to make songs that made people feel good and that they would want to dance to, but with a darker, dreamlike vibe — elements of pop and dance music, but with an edge that I wasn’t hearing that much in a lot of dance and pop music. I wanted to combine my favorite genres of music, so dance/pop with the darkness and almost futurism of darkwave/ synthwave; a lot of 80’s influences like New Order, Depeche Mode, and Human League mixed with pop and dance music like Berlin, Blondie, and Madonna.

I worked with three different producers over the past few years while recording music. My KristinaX EP was produced by Dan Physics who I met in NYC when I lived there. We were on the same page when it came to the sound of the tracks — both very into electro and industrial music. Some of the track instrumentals we collaborated on together in the studio, and I believe at least one track was his own track. “Just So Good,” for example, was a track that he had created himself. He played it for me, and I asked him if he would like me to add some lyrics and vocals to it. On the other tracks, we collaborated together in the studio.

Matt V. was a producer in L.A. We collaborated on “Dream” and “Echoes.”  “Dream” was already written by me; Matt created the music for it. For “Echoes,” we collaborated together in the studio. I had a vision for what I wanted the song to sound like. Matt helped me achieve that vision for the instruments on the track. I wrote all the lyrics and vocals.

Mitch Maanao produced the My Mind EP. Once again, we were on the same page musically. He was looking for a singer/songwriter to collaborate with on 80’s synthpop-influenced dance music. I always look for people to work with who I mesh well with stylistically. I think that is the most important thing to consider when looking for collaborators: similar vibes and influences. 

“I always look for people to work with who I mesh well with stylistically. I think that is the most important thing to consider when looking for collaborators: similar vibes and influences.”

— KRISTINAX

DC: Can you tell me anything about ¡batDOG! RECORDS and what your experience has been like working with them?

KRISTINAX: Working with ¡batDOG! RECORDS has been great. Doc Gunn discovered me in the graveyard of dreams that is Craigslist. I was looking for creative outlets since I moved to L.A. from the East Coast, and he contacted me to ask if I wanted to try out for his punk band The Mother Vines. Once I heard the cultish vibes and ghoulish sounds, I was hooked. The next thing I knew, I was performing at the World-Famous Whisky a Go-Go. ¡batDOG! also helped me to create the music video for my electronic song “Electric Slaves.” [See below.]

Since the pandemic, I have been working with them on a new KristinaX project and album that has a more 60’s/indie rock/dream-pop feel with live instruments.

 

DC: Can you tell me about your past experiences as a singer or songwriter and how those projects are different from your current incarnation as "KristinaX?"

KRISTINAX: I’ve been in so many different music projects; it would take forever to talk about all of them. In 2005, I recorded a demo with Grammy-nominated producer John Custer which paved the way for a lot of future music projects I created and was a part of. I was in an alternative rock band called Seda in 2005-2006. People used to say I kind of sounded like a mix between Mazzy Star and Evanescence. We released an album on MySpace and it’s still on there if MySpace still even exists.

In NYC, I worked on electronic music with the above-mentioned producer, Dan Physics. I was also in a rock band called Roulette, working with producer Michael Barille. Two of the guitar players in my band went on later to play in Tower, a metal band. I was also in an acoustic duo called Galaxy League when I lived in North Carolina, before I moved to L.A.

 

 

 

DC: What can you tell us about the moniker “KristinaX” and why you chose it? Any relationship to Sneaker Pimps’ Becoming X, or am I reaching?

KRISTINAX: KristinaX was my first Yahoo! e-mail account name. It just kind of stuck since no one can ever remember how to spell or even pronounce my real last name, which is Sedito. No relation to Sneaker Pimps, although I’ve always been a fan.

DC: I know you have participated in live events with groups like The Mother Vines, but have you done any live performances with your solo act? If not, are there any plans to see what that might look like?

KRISTINAX: I have done some live performances as KristinaX at the California Institute of Abnormal Arts and The Lexington. I’ve also done a lot of private parties. Since COVID-19, most live music venues have been closed in L.A., so that has made it challenging to perform. But once they open back up, I will be setting up some more live shows. I am also going to start incorporating some live instruments to my set, like some live bass and synths. I feel like shows are more dynamic when adding live instruments to the set.

DC: This has been great. Thanks again so much for participating. What can you tell us about your upcoming music or next projects?

KRISTINAX: I plan on doing another music video for one or more of my electronic songs, quite possibly “Dream” or “My Mind.” Once live music venues open up, I plan on playing more shows with live instruments. As I mentioned earlier, I am currently recording a new indie rock album in the dream-pop genre with 60’s influences. Some of the songs have been described as having “psychedelic western” vibes. Stay tuned.

INTERVIEW: FLESH OF MORNING — TWO VISIONARIES SEPARATED BY 2,000 MILES

 

“Being apart geographically, I think it gives room for a song to breathe.”

— TRAVIS BENSON, FLESH OF MORNING

When reviewing a slew of songs for the second Darkness Calling playlist (now on Spotify), we came across Flesh of Morning. We were greeted with a wave of sound that instantly lulled us in. We also found ourselves in a dilemma:

With two songs currently on Spotify — “We Are” and “Death Becomes Bitter” — how were we to choose which one to include? “We Are” is short but powerful. “Death Becomes Bitter” is sprawling and seductive. The two songs work together as a pair on Flesh of Morning’s latest release: a retro, white cassette that looks freakin’ awesome [pictured later].

Inevitably, we found ourselves breaking one of the unwritten rules of playlist curation. There was no choice but to include both of these songs on Darkness Calling: Volume II as they were intended — back to back.

When you hear these songs, we think you’ll understand why. Presented with the challenge of describing their sound (and it is a bit of a challenge), we’d say it’s vast, wall-of-noise music that could work in an arthouse film, but it’s simultaneously dance-y and accessible. Faiza Kracheni’s delicate voice lulls you in with a false sense of security, but Travis Benson’s synths tell a different story — that something sinister is waiting around the corner.

Of course, chatting with Faiza and Travis was anything but sinister. These two are cordial as can be, even if their laser-focused dedication to the craft comes across more than anything else. We were lucky enough to chat with them about the one-two punch of “We Are” and “Death Becomes Bitter,” as well as their future plans.

 

 

DARKNESS CALLING: Thanks for taking the time to chat with Darkness Calling. What can you tell us about the origins of your project? I noticed on your Instagram page that you list your locations as Austin and Boston. Do you work together remotely and — if so — have you ever met in person?

FAIZA: Travis and I know each other through punk (touring, shows, and bands). We’ve been in and out of each other’s lives for the better part of a decade and have collaborated on art in the past for old musical projects. We first met at some point in 2008 when Travis was living in Portland. We first bonded over our love of music and would make each other mixtapes of things we were into at the time and mail them to each other.

DC: What can you tell us about the name “Flesh of Morning”?

FAIZA: Our name is taken from a film with the same title by Stan Brakhage. Brakhage is a huge influence on me personally through my work with film — specifically as an experimental filmmaker. When we were discussing different names for the project, it was after we had already begun creating the music. We are both into film and abstract/experimental art, so it just worked for us.

 

DC: We truly love your sound here at Darkness Calling. Can you tell us a little bit about your process and your musical inspirations?

FAIZA: I am extremely influenced by films, visual art, and books. As a filmmaker and musician, both always go hand-in-hand with me. When I am making a film, I am thinking about sound. When I am making music, I am thinking of images. One of my biggest influences is Maya Deren. Although I realize this isn’t a musical influence, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it. Books are something else that really influence me when creating. I always look to films and books. 

TRAVIS: I think my musical influences for this project run the gamut of synth history — early pioneers like Isao Tomita, Giorgio Moroder, and Patrick Cowley combined with the ethereal wave of groups like This Mortal Coil, early Dead Can Dance, and Cocteau Twins. I also draw a lot of influences from music beyond the scope of what we play. Faiza and I both cut our teeth in the punk and hardcore scenes at an early age, and that experience permeates throughout the overall aesthetic of our project. In terms of process, it really comes down to creating a motif and bouncing the idea back and forth between each other and seeing what actually works. Being apart geographically, I think it gives room for a song to breathe. Rather than sitting together in a room and writing material together in the moment, we have the luxury of time to mull things over without feeling the pressures of settling for the sake of “getting it done."

 

 

DC: You have released a great-looking cassette for your singles “We Are” and “Death Becomes Bitter.” Did you assemble this release yourselves, or do you work with an indie label? 

TRAVIS: The cassette — and now our upcoming 7” — are both released by ourselves under the Annals Imprint name. We are using the platform to release limited-run releases from Flesh of Morning and other projects we are involved with.  

DC: Based on your Instagram posts, you have some unheard material, as well. When can we expect to hear more music? 

FAIZA: Soon! We will be releasing a special cover real soon. 

TRAVIS: We recently performed on a livestream where we played an upcoming song called “In Crisis.” Beyond that, we are currently in the process of deciding our next steps. We are hoping to put together an LP at some point in the near future.

INTERVIEW: THE SEA AT MIDNIGHT UNVEILS NEW VIDEO FOR “WE SHARE THE SAME STARS”

“In this loneliness of ours, we share the same stars.”

— THE SEA AT MIDNIGHT, "WE SHARE THE SAME STARS"

If you’re not familiar with The Sea At Midnight, now is the perfect time to jump onboard. The post-punk outfit just unleashed its first music video for the bouncy, romantic single “We Share The Same Stars.” And we mean romantic in the best way possible — in the same way that The Cure’s “Pictures of You” is simultaneously hopeful, dreamy, and painful: creating a sort of “butterflies in the stomach” feeling that can’t be resolved.

The song was recorded in LA with Chris King of Cold Showers at the helm as producer. Brandon Pierce of Glaare provided additional drum programming. Otherwise, The Sea At Midnight is the baby of Vince Grant, a singer/songwriter whose voice conveys a sense of yearning that’s hard to fake.

To learn more about “We Share The Same Stars” and its new video, DarknessCalling.net spoke with Vince Grant for this exclusive “Inter-Review.”

 

DARKNESS CALLING: What can you tell us about the production and inspiration behind “We Share The Same Stars?”

VINCE GRANT: The video was made by LA artist Paige Emery. It was entirely her concept and production. I had very little to do with it. Before Paige started the project, we briefly discussed the creative direction, and I basically told her I didn't have anything specific in mind. I suggested she check out my social media pages and the covers of the previous singles to get a feel for my vibe.

A couple of days after talking, she sent me a thirty second clip and asked if I liked the look and where it was headed. She said she didn't want to go further down that path if I wasn't feeling it, but I loved it!  I told her I trusted her instincts and to just go for it.

When she sent me the video after it was finished, I think I had two very small notes and it was done. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out, and that's all due to Paige. She's incredibly talented and has a fantastic artistic vision.

“For me, the song brought back memories of being in a long distance relationship and looking up at the sky, finding comfort and warmth in the fact that we were experiencing the same sky, even if thousands of miles apart. I incorporated many different window views of the sky in the video, not only for the literal sense of experiencing the stars from different places, but also in the metaphorical sense of windows being a gateway for dreams.”

— PAIGE EMERY, DIRECTOR

DC: What made you decide to use this particular single for the first music video, as compared to one of your earlier singles like “Medicine”?

[Editor’s note: See our playlist to hear “Medicine” — It’s the first track!]

VG: I had already released four previous singles this year without videos. Then I hired Shauna McClarnon of Shameless Promotions PR as my publicist to help with the release of the last few singles and eventual album release. I sent her the tracks that had not been released yet so she could decide what should be the possible singles. "We Share The Same Stars" was one of the songs she thought would make a good candidate, and we decided to go with that one for the first [major] single. She also strongly recommended that whatever singles I released prior to the album should have accompanying videos, so that was how "We Share The Same Stars" ended up as the first song with a video. 

 

DC: Do you have any other videos planned as we move closer to your album release? And do you anticipate having a performance element in any of your future videos, or is that something you’d like to keep separate from the visual element of your work?

VG: Yes, there will be at least one other video before the album release. As a matter of fact, Paige is currently creating one for another single that's currently slated for release in September. With the single set for a September release, she had to start working on it well over a month ago while we were still in the midst of quarantine. Due to COVID, you can't assemble a film crew to shoot any type of performance video, so this one will be another artistic interpretation of the song via Paige's vision and without any performance aspect. I've seen the video in various stages, and I'm really excited. It looks amazing.

DC: Is there a definitive release date yet for your first full-length album?

VG: The album will definitely be out in the fall. We're honing in on an actual release date and should have a more definitive date picked out soon.

INTERVIEW: THE STAVE CHURCH AND “THIS DARK PLACE”

“You have to choose one thing or the other. What’s more important: you or your own fucking brother?”

— THE STAVE CHURCH, "THIS DARK PLACE"

The Stave Church’s This Dark Place EP was released last December, but that doesn’t stop its titular track from being one of the standout selections on our Darkness Calling playlist.

The drums are powerful and maniacal, and their occasional absence only makes the piano refrain feel more haunting. This is a frantic-yet-controlled tornado of a song, filled with muffled shouts, hushed whispers, and rhythmic chants of, “Hey! Hey! Hey!”

It sounds bizarre — and it is — but that’s part of its charm.

Equally charming is Bruce Courtney, the lone soundman behind The Stave Church. DarknessCalling.net was lucky enough to speak with him about this biting track for the blog’s first-ever “Inter-Review.” 

 

DARKNESS CALLING: For those who are new to your project, can you tell us about its origins and its membership? 

BRUCE COURTNEY: Music has always been my outlet. I started playing drums at thirteen and have been hooked since. With recent technology making it easier to actually do something on a budget, I started The Stave Church as a solo project in 2018 with an initial entry “Not Quite Right.” So far, I’ve done all instrumentation and vocals with the exception of “Shattered,” when I roped my wife (billed as K//Riot) into doing vocals. She also helped me out on the Gothic Pogo Livestream. She’s a much better player than I am! I’ve been talking to others about collaborations, which I’m totally into. 

DC: I had a feeling The Stave Church might be a project like NIN, with you being the “Trent Reznor” behind it all. Can you shed some light on the project’s name? 

BC: I went to Norway in 1982 to visit my dad who took me to the Fantoft Stave Church outside of Bergen. It is the most beautiful man-made structure I’ve ever seen: black and made totally of wood. That resonated with me, and when I was thinking of a solo project name, I kept coming back to “The Stave Church.” That actual church was a victim of arson ten years later, most likely committed by Varg of Burzum, although he was found not guilty on that count. It was rebuilt in 1997, though I have not seen it.

 

DC: Can you tell us about the writing process for “This Dark Place" in particular? Your experience as a drummer [for Nothing of Merit] makes the track even more interesting. I hadn’t considered how drum-driven the song was until you mentioned that you began as a drummer. I also want to tell you how much I enjoyed the creepy piano and the tribal chants in your song. Such a crazy combination.

BC: I wanted to write a song about all of the gun violence that was going on last year and prior years. This brought about two main emotions: sadness and anger. So I expressed those with the piano part — and the yelling. I thought I was going to get a visit from the police when home recording the yelling bit, as it took a lot of takes, and I was yelling my ass off! The chanting, “Hey!” was a cry for attention: can someone fucking do something about this?! I really enjoyed doing the drum parts, though I need to “up” my recording technology a bit.

“I’m tired of seeing these people fall. I’m tired of seeing no action at all. Blame it on human; blame it on gun. To be complete, one needs the other one.”

— THE STAVE CHURCH, "THIS DARK PLACE"

DC: Thanks for sharing that. I didn’t realize the song was about gun violence, but it completely makes sense now that I’m reading the lyrics. Being a Texan with these views probably contributes to a feeling of being out of place, I’d imagine?

BC: [Laughs] Right? I’m not making any friends!