Giving music back to the musicians.
FULCRUM
(Rock)
(Rock)
DAYFALL
(Rock)
(Rock)
Atlas Shrugged
(Rock)
(Rock)
Zumanity
(Rock)
(Rock)
Portobello
(Rock)
(Rock)
Hey Vampires
(Alternative)
(Alternative)
Friday Nov 21, 2008
Black Patterns | Interview
The musical duo Black Patterns is a Southern California-based Indie rock group whose unique sound likens the alternative rock style “shoegazing.” The band formed in 2006 and released their first album in January of 2007, entitled “Satire on Satan?” Their first hit “Zero” offers an ambiguous sound, as a haunting guitar foundation rivals the up-beat percussion. The band refers to its own music as “experimental,” as their modern style provides occurring hints of nostalgia. Band mates Nani and Koba admit that their sound “has a lot of influences,” ranging from modern bands like Velvet Underground and Suicide, to the timeless sounds of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
Black Patterns is comprised of two musicians, Nani and Koba, who share the musical responsibilities. While both men split the vocals and synth, Nani’s talents include guitar and bass, and Koba’s include the drums and any additional instruments that may be required. While the members of Black Patterns claim they feel more “relevant” as a two-man group, they have toyed with the idea of welcoming a third musician into the band. However, this consideration was soon-after rejected. “We found the direction of the band wasn’t actually changing or getting enhanced when we would try out a 3rd member,” Nani states.
The band delights in their time spent writing, which is often a lengthy, well-considered procedure. “The recording process is really a lot of fun, and is where we spend the most time on the band,” Nani shares. “The writing process for each song doesn’t completely stop even when we record… We create a rough take of each song and from there we will refine at least once.” While Black Patterns has obviously found its own unique sound and style, Nani and Koba do not feel confined to any sort of mould; they are on a continuous “search for added dynamics” and “enjoy the process of revising ideas and ideally finding new paths for each song.” For Black Patterns, the most important aspect of writing music is “being able to express the music on a personal level.” While many rock artists strive to play for sold-out arenas and thousands of screaming fans, Nani and Koba maintain that smaller venues provide them with greater fulfillment. “We prefer smaller sized venues to sustain the energy you hear on the recordings,” states Koba. “And yes the smaller the venue (as for a lot of artists’s) the better the sound.” Refreshingly, their first priority is the integrity of the music.
The band is currently working on their new, full-length album entitled “From Saturn.” The album will not be finished until next year, but in the meantime the band welcomes their fans to listen to their new song “Realigned Convictions” on their MySpace page. The band also hopes to have a few new videos available on YouTube by late fall. And what does the distant future hold for Black Patterns? “We hope to release at least a few more albums (after the release of “From Saturn”) within the next 5 years,” Nani claims. “There really isn’t more to that!”
Alison Holditch
Associate Editor
Aralie.com