00:11, 17/07/2008

My bands #1: Deathline (2006 - ?)

Deathline
↑ Deathline photographed by Stew Ruffles, Oct 2007

Deathline is my current band. We're playing gigs pretty regularly in and around London. Come and say hello.

Glance over to the right sidebar for various links to Deathline related stuff scattered round the web.

From Deathline's last.fm wiki page:

Deathline is a duo from London, UK. Members Jennie (bass guitar, vocals) and Kaoru (guitar, vocals and programming) formed the group after quitting garage / post-punk band Electric Shocks.

Deathline play a lo-fi blend of electronic backing and harsh, garage rock style overdriven instrumentation, that was labelled "rock noir" by their supporters due to its dark and atmospheric nature with elements of disco and old school rap and electro backing entering the mix, especially noticeable in their use of samples from classic Roland drum machines in their backing tracks.

Swedish-born Jennie's vocal style has been likened to "a punk rock Nico", while the group's mixture of electronic textures and beats, harsh guitar sounds, feedback and repetitive lyrics have drawn comparisons with the likes of The Fall, The Jesus and Mary Chain, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Raveonettes.

Deathline first played live in late October 2006 and have been seen regularly in the London independent venue and club circuit since then, as well as making a brief tour of the East Coast and Midwestern USA in Summer 2007, which coincided with the limited edition release of their EP "Rock Noir" (now available as a free download).

They released their first full-length collection "SixtyNine", in autumn 2008 and embarked on a short Autumn 2008 tour of Scandinavia and Germany as the first stage in its promotion. Subsequent dates in the UK since have included a high profile support with Electric Six at Barfly Camden. (buy SixtyNine on Bandcamp)

Deathline are known for their dark, glamorous and androgynous image, which Kaoru perhaps draws on from his time as lead guitarist with notorious late 90's drag queen punks, Six Inch Killaz.

The band took a break from touring after summer 2009 to write, rehearse and record their second collection, which they will begin to showcase live in December 2009. The material promises to be darker and heavier than that heard on SixtyNine. They continue to tour through 2010, with new releases planned soon.

Official MySpace: www.myspace.com/thedeathline

Press and reviews

Dave Taylor reviews SixtyNine for Artrocker.com

"You should definitely check out Deathline's brilliant debut album SixtyNine.

Let's try and describe the Deathline sound... Imagine a generic gothic castle, on a jagged hill. It's the kind of castle you see in old Dracula movies. Lightning is flashing in the night sky, it's raining. The Raveonettes and The Jesus and Mary Chain are touring together. They're on their way to a gig at Transylvannia's foremost nightclub, but their van breaks down. Somewhat apprehensively, they wind their way up the castle drive and knock on the door.

It's opened by a malprogrammed robot with the brain of Suicide's Alan Vega wired into it. He kidnaps them and locks them in a dungeon full of musical equipment, knackered fuzz boxes and crates of champagne. Part of the wall slides away, revealing sound proof glass and The Vegatron at the controls of a mixing desk.

"Drink all of the champagne and record me an album or I will kill you" he buzzes, in a Stephen Hawkings kind of voice.

SixtyNine sounds like that album."

The Letter - on SixtyNine

"The combination of Jennie's singing style, which they say sounds a bit like "a punk rock Nico", and I can add that there's also a bit of Nicola Kuperus from Adult. in there too, the catchy garage-rock riffs and the various electronic elements (drums, background noises, squelchy bits) at once gives their sound the retro aspect while remaining firmly in 2009. A winning combo that leaves you feeling dirty, liberated and wholly satisfied. Sixtynine is an uncompromising debut, choc-full of melody, energy and promise."

The Devil Has The Best Tuna

"Deathline are a female lead duo with a fine line in post artrock rumble that purrs like a new born kitten and shreds your skin like a tiger on speed. Kinda like a 21st century Sonny & Cher having lunch with The Raveonettes served by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' at Joy Division's greasy spoon cafe."

On and Offstage

"Seriously unworldly electronica new wave, this is glamour at it's darkest."

Artrocker - Paul Cox"

It was a sad day when London lost original 100mph piked artrockers The Electric Shocks. Kaoru and Jennie pulled together their guitar and bass duties and drafted in a ferocious drum machine to complete the rock'n'roll economy of a power duo. Kaoru's distinctive fuzz-tone guitars now complemented by Jennie's dead-pan noir vocal deliver a garage-punk pop with shades of Jesus and MaryChain, Ravonettes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Abrasive energy and tunes, a winning combination."

Lee Puddefoot (Artrocker mag / Spoon of Music)

"Noir Rock with grinding drums that spit out short sharp burst of venom and a broody as hell bass give this duo a minimal Jesus and Marychain like vibe. The sultry and cool as you like vocals from front woman Jennie come across like a punk-rock Nico. An amazing combination."

London Particular

"Female fronted two piece... Yeah Yeah Yeahs territory but darker... Blondie's in there too... simple riffing tunes but with a lot of A1 attitude... some Sonic Youth buzzing artschlock about proceedings too."

Dan Scratch, Camden New Journal

"Imagine Leonard Cohen singing a Billy Corgan ballad while J Mascis turns up the distortion."

Nemesis to Go, issue 9

"There's a certain noir-ish punker-glamour about this two-piece. Deathline deal in fuzz-o-rama guitar slapped unceremoniously over splat-and-blatter drum machinery, like Metal Urbain remade for twenty-first century London.

Out of those fragments they've conjured up their own grubby, glammy, bump 'n' grind. 'Tesko Disko' is a gonzoid tekno-rocker with a splendidly dirty bass and an equally splendid offhand vocal, but it's on '17' that Deathline crank up the real punk rock disco. This one actually has syndrums, for that 1979 Donna Summer feel. 'Region Hack' is a large and fearsome slo-mo distortion fest - Deathline do like to keep their gears low and their speed down. Only 'C'mon C'mon' and '7/1 Regime' pick up the pace a bit. Deathline are cruisers, not racers, piloting their jalopy at sinister speed round the rock 'n' roll ring road, giving passers-by hard stares from behind darkened windows to a soundtrack of rasping exhaust and clattering tappets. It's a noisy old ride, but I like it."

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