The Funeral and the Twilight - Lust (2013)

The funeral and the twilight used to be a band in a gothic rock / post punk vein with some theatrical singing, sounding a bit like Slug guts (without saxophone) or early Bad seeds. it was a good band but with the evolution of their sound they are becoming something more special and exiting, injecting life and a dangerous vibe in the no-wave rock formula. it started a bit with their previous release, Sullen life, blighted death but is becoming really evident with their new tape called lust.  it's a bit like they started where Lydia Lunch and her Teenage Jesus and the Jerks left..but with the addition some crust / grind drumming! yes no-wave with blast beat, cool isn't it? a brilliant way to add some more radicality to an already quite sharp and acid take on the darkest noisiest side of punk rock. that's what you'll find in the first side of the tape, less that one minutes grinding no-wave angry songs. the other side being a long song in a more classic gothic rock style. more classic but good as well.
 a really interesting evolution for a band and a really enjoyable and recommended release. one of my favourite for 2013 yet.

check their Bandcamp.  


and read this interview we did by mail :

-can you present The funeral and the twilight, how did the band formed and what was the project at the start?


NOAH: Ben is the founder of the band, and can give the complete history; I joined around December 2011, having known the band for a few years already.

BEN: I started tfatt with some close friends back home in California in 2003. It has always been focused on the darker/negative sides of life, but musically was more pop goth/post punk then. It even evolved into a six person noise group with two drummers before a few of us moved to Colorado. That was where I met Brandon. He joined when we moved to Minneapolis in late 2007. 

-do you play or have played in other bands?
NOAH:  I was in several bands in North Dakota, including Toxic Shock Syndrome, Fine Young Knives, Solar Systems, and War On God.  I currently have a solo project called Lazarus Long.

BEN: I play guitar in a band called Submission. Brandon plays drums in a band called Bloat. They are really great.

-on the first half of your new release, for the first time (or nearly) the drumming is really agressive and the songs really short and fast, a bit like if you played grindcore / crust cover of your "usual" songs. what happened?

NOAH: After playing a few shows with our friends Brain Tumors around TotalFest in 2012, either Ben or Brandon suggested we do a 'grindtape'; being a long time fan of grindcore, crust, and power-violence, I responded with a resounding 'FUCK YEAH!' Despite the rather flip manner in which we decided to do this, I feel we ended up with a rather interesting look at the more aggressive facets of our sound.

BEN: I really liked the idea and thought it would be rad to sing and play guitar like I "normally" do while Noah and Brandon just totally destroy.


 
-is the "other" song, cambion asmodeus, a way to make a tape with one side angry and another side more quiet. so people can choose that one that suits their mood of the moment the most? or is it a way to "reassure" people and show that you've not turned metal completely?

NOAH: I'm very interested in quiet/loud dynamics. Loud and fast doesn't mean anything with out some contrast.  I don't think we're at all interested in "reassuring" our audience, in fact I'd say being unsettling is a big part of what TFATT is about.

BEN: We wanted to do a long noise track for the b side, but ended up with a more off putting instrumental. The song was mostly us just feeding off each other.


-are the noisy ambient interludes in the first part a way to let people breathe between to raging blast, or just something you recorded and wanted to use?

NOAH: Feedback is something we play with a lot live, and those interludes are something of an extension of that. They were recorded especially for this recording, done at the same time we did the vocals.  Everything else was recorded live, mostly in one take. 

Ben: Yeah, I really wanted this tape to be a grind/noise/ambient experiment for us.


-I'd say what you play is around gothic rock and noisy post-punk stuff or no-wave, around Birthday party and Lydia Lunch & Teenage Jesus and the jerks. is it scenes that influenced you?

NOAH: Genre labels are always a little nebulous, but all the things you mentioned are pretty relevant.  I can't speak for the others, but I feel there is a connection to underground extreme music, as well as hints of psychedelia and country.  Ultimately, it's more a feeling than a "sound" that defines us.

Ben: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are my favorite band. Most of the records I own are goth, post punk, and death rock. I am also very influenced by 80's country music and pop music from the 50's and 60's.

-I think your music could really fit as a soundtrack to some occult film noir or some romantic / fin de siècle poetry. other idea? what would you pick to go with your music?

NOAH: Once again your observations are pretty accurate.  I tend to visualize natural forces, like storm clouds, or high winds.  But really any dark, perverse, and/or powerful imagery can fit.

Ben: I see death, decay, departures, doom, and gloom. Something creepy or disturbing.

-have you started writing new songs, how will be the next record?

NOAH: We have been playing a number of new songs for a while now, and hope to be recording before the end of the year.  The next full length will be a pretty natural progression for the band.

Ben: Yeah, the new songs are something a little different but easily recognizable as our sound. Brandon's drumming on the new songs are the best he has ever done, very remarkable and creative.

-which bands from your area (or from anywhere else) would you recommend?
NOAH: We're very fortunate to be in a great music city like Minneapolis.  It seems like every band we know in the Cities is incredible.  CLAPS, Burger Thirst, Serenghetto, Crimes, Hollow Boys, Prostate, With A Gun For a Face, Kitten Forever, Much Worse... The list just goes on and on.

Ben: Yes, also Oaks, Thunderbolt Pagoda, Shakin' Babies, False, Brain Tumors, and many more. Great bands from elsewhere I would recommend are: Mr. Dad (Minot), Populations (Chicago), Loto Ball Show (LA), DEAD (Aus), Smoker (Knoxville),  Species (OLY), Singing Knives (PDX), and Pink Lightning (Detroit).


-which evolution would you like to see for the underground music in the future?
NOAH:  Part of what I love about music is the unpredictable nature of trends, so I wouldn't deign to dictate it's course; that said, I'd like to see support for music by communities increased to include the less mainstream corners of the music scenes.  Important work is being done all the time in spite of a lack of resources and/or exposure.  A bit more emphasis on art and less on profit would be a welcome change.

-a final "full of wisdom" sentence to end the interview?


NOAH: Do cool stuff, meet cool people.

Ben: Death is the end