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15 July 2013 ~ Comments Off on New song from Perspectives & Objectives: Work Horses vs Show Ponies

New song from Perspectives & Objectives: Work Horses vs Show Ponies

With a new album come new streams! On August 23 we will release our new album “Perspectives & Objectives”. Until that date we will stream new songs from the album every Monday.

Our guest writer this week is no other than our ex bass player, mister Tim Vantol. Being quite the work horse himself, he wrote a few lines about the subject of this song.

Everyone seems to understand how it works, but do they really? Antillectual is one of those few bands here in Europe that seem to understand it. Never give up, it won’t be easy, you will give a lot, get less back, you will lose almost everything you had, but you will get a few things back that are worth more than all you’ve lost.

For those who think it’s luck: well, the only luck we might have is that we know better than calling this luck. It has got nothing to do with luck, it’s just all about keeping on going, even when bass player nr.20 is gonna leave the band after a couple of months (sorry for that guys) .

If you still think it’s luck, this is what you should try for at least the next 2 years:
-burn your bed, go sleep on the floor.
-eat cold pasta 6 days a week.
-share the thing you love to do the most with 6 people who might be interested, 4 super drunks, 20 becoming-drunks, 2 bands that don’t even want to see other bands (and don’t understand it) and a bar-owner that will try to rip you off.
-go and sit in your car (without air conditioning / heating) for 6 hours a day.

Would you still call it luck?

Maybe we are lucky as we understand that we have to work hard to do what we love to do.

For the upcoming touring musicians: you will probably never become rich (money-wise), but you will become rich (knowledge and story-wise).

Tim Vantol

Pre-order “Perspectives & Objectives”, or a package including it and receive a stream right after.

 

Work Horses vs Show Ponies

Feel free to parade on the dog and pony show
We’ll carry our load in the meantime
Don’t call it just luck, what happens off stage you don’t know
It’s simply a choice, make up your mind

Alright stop, collaborate and listen
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

Who told you that this was going to be easy?
Nobody told you that you would surely prevail
What holds you back from doing as you please?
Those who never try will never fail

But who knows, all placed bets might turn out wrong
I’ll stick with this horse for as long as it’s on the run
I’ve looked it up, I’ve tracked it down in the brochure
But couldn’t find “give up” or “slow down”

Liner notes:

The only road to good shows is bad ones. Just go start having a bad time, and if you don’t give up, you will get better.  

– Louis C.K.

Being in this band is our main passion, giving it our all. I’m sure we told you before. But as with anything else in life, if you love (doing) something, it will take a lot of time and energy to make it work and get ahead. There’s no luck and less talent than you think involved. In the end it’s only one decision: Start a band.

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08 July 2013 ~ 1 Comment

New song from Perspectives & Objectives: With Gaga on Our Side

With a new album come new streams! On August 23 we will release our new album “Perspectives & Objectives”. Until that date we will stream new songs from the album every Monday.

Last week we posted a song about immigration. This week we have another hot topic: homophobia, gay marriage and LGBT rights. It’s good to see gay marriage has been implemented in France and in more US states lately. The resistance against it and the 2-steps-forward-1-step-back progress show that it’s a slow, hard process. And yes, another borrowed song title. Guest introduction by our studio engineer Nico van Montfort from XPZ Sound about the process and ins and outs of the recordings of the album, below the video, just like the lyrics and liner notes.

Pre-order “Perspectives & Objectives”, or a package including it and receive a stream right after.

 

I won’t bore you with my views on the subject of this song, instead I’ll bore you with nerdy stuff about the recording and mixing of the record and this song in particular.
 
The recordings for Objectives & Perspectives were the fifth recording session I did with Antillectual. Antillectual is one of those bands that thinks a lot about the direction they want to take with a record and choose a different approach for almost every record.
The biggest difference in sound when you compare Objectives & Perspectives to previous Antillectual releases would probably be that there is more contrast between the instruments and more dynamics within the songs themselves.
The most obvious difference is that the bass is heavier than before and the guitars more open than before, therefore leaving more room for the bass to actually be heavy.
Guitar wise the songs are less layered than before, using no more than 2, sometimes 3 tracks per song. This left more space to create some interesting layers with other instruments and creating a dynamic album.
 
Similar to the previous recordings I’ve done with Antillectual we lined up quite an arsenal of guitar amps and cabs for the guitar sound. Most of the times we ended up using a lot of different amps in various combinations for a lot of different songs. This time we actually ended up just using 1 cab (Marshall cab with greenback speakers) and 3 heads, all which were Marshalls too. To be more specific: Toms'(yes, the ex bass player) JCM800 2210, my JMP 2203 and Erik’s JCM800 2203.
Willem and Glenn tracked the guitars at Willems’ place so they could take all the time they needed to get the right takes and we booked 3 days at the studio to reamp all the DI tracks.
We ended up doing double reamping on most tracks. For guitars usually one “juicy” sound of each track and one “open / ringy” sound of the same track.
For the bass we had quite a similar approach. We had one main bass tone that is used throughout most of the record, which is an Ampeg SVT2 driven by a Tech21 SansAmp into an Aguilar DB810. We miced both the speaker and the bass port on the rear of the cab so we could make a blend between articulation an pressure in the mix. Some songs had just one reamp but some called for a more “being ran over by a tank” kind of tone. For the more overdriven sounds we used a modified Boss SD1, which I use quite a lot, in front of the same stack and set it quite extreme so we could blend in some more aggression into the bass tone whenever we felt it needed that.
Gaga is one of those songs that has quite a lot of the more aggressive bass sound. Listen to when the bass kicks in at 1:13 and you can’t miss it:)
 
For drums we used 4 busses in the mix: 1 would be a Glyn Johns method (3 mics set up around the drum kit in an equal triangle from the snare drum), 2 would be a pair of room mics, 3 would be all the close mics, 4 would be a parallel bus of the close mics, smashed with compression.
For different sounds we automated the balance between these busses. Take a listen to the first verse and you will hear the room mics up and the close mics down for instance.
 
Also for the drums we made a DIY subkick (Thanks Erik!) which added quite a lot of nice punchy low end to the kick drum. The chorus of Gaga seemed like a perfect place to raise that in the mix to give it some more pulse in the bottom end.
 
The trained listener would probably also have heard that this album has a lot more percussion and acoustic guitars going on than previous Antillectual recordings. We tried to create some more dynamics in the songs and the album as a whole by using beatring, shakers and strumming acoustics mainly in choruses. A lot of times we chose to accent the 16th notes in the percussion, as you can hear in the chorus of Gaga.
Also, notice the organ in the second verse? Yes, an organ. It blends in with the feedback of the guitar so you might not even notice it at first but when it kicks in in the second chorus you can’t miss it.
 
Vocal wise this was an interesting session. During the tracking of the drums we made a live setup in the studio to get the right feel for the songs before laying down the drum takes. For this setup I put up an AKG D5 because I know it has very good bleed rejection when placed side facing to the drums. Willems voice sounded surprisingly good in those scratch tracks so before tracking the vocals we decided to set up 5 different mics and doing a take with each one of them, then blindly pick put the one we liked most.
We ended up liking the D5 the most despite the fact it was the cheapest mic we set up.
For all backing vocals and harmonies we used an SM7B. Since this mic is voiced quite warm it automatically sets a good contrast with the lead vocals being more present and the backing vocals being less present from the start of the tracking.
We recorded all vocals at my place, which is my mixing room + vocal booth in my house in Nijmegen. Since Willem lives in Nijmegen too we could plan the sessions very freely. On days Willem’s voice didn’t feel great we could work on other stuff, like percussion, acoustic guitars or mixing. That way we could be efficient and critical at the same time.
 
The intro is something that Willem and Riekus had been playing around with for quite some time. During mixing and mastering I occasionally solo the subs, to check if they’re clean enough and there’s not too much rubbish going on in the bottom end. Willem and Riekus would always get siked when I did this and immediately came up with the name “party at the neighbors” for this effect. Every record we did they where contemplating to use it as an effect somewhere. Well, here it finally is! (Unfortunately you’ll have to check the album version for this intro, as it is not included in this video.)

 

With Gaga on our side

I can’t get used to that you can’t get used to this
That they walk hand in hand or publicly kiss
Retarded reactionaries won’t let them get married
Ironic mustaches unite, Gaga is on our side

I just can’t get used to it, in the safety of our own house
I thought we got this over with, closets closed, please come out
But they won’t toss the bouquet nor the salad or their fiance
You let them toss and turn all night with Gaga by their side

Why are you so fucking scared of those you call so fucking weak?
Why are you so fucking scared? Ask, tell and raise some hell

Always defending family values, you speak of moral poverty
If you defined it less obtuse I maybe would agree
Be welcome at the NFL, no more “don’t ask, don’t tell”
It’s the players’ and the soldiers’ right to have Gaga on their side

We adopt you as our own, we see you as one of us
But don’t think you’re not alone, you’re an outlaw nonetheless
We enjoy your idiosyncrasy, we love our mascot to be a drag
But don’t touch or approach me personally, don’t come to close, step back

Liner notes:

The Netherlands have always been considered a very gay-positive place; Amsterdam was the gay capital of the world for a long time. But a study of The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) showed that “even” in the Netherlands gay emancipation still isn’t what it should be. Members of the Dutch lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community still don’t feel 100% accepted, especially in the public space. The process hasn’t been completed yet.
Even though the French and US government seem to embrace same-sex marriages more and more recently, the harsh protests against it shows LGBT rights are far from obvious and natural, which they should be.
Hopefully the LGBT community will find more and more support throughout all layers of the worlds’ societies. Lady Gaga can’t change the world on her own after all.

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01 July 2013 ~ 1 Comment

New song from Perspectives & Objectives: Welcome to Le Jungle

With a new album come new streams! On August 23 we will release our new album “Perspectives & Objectives”. Until that date we will stream new songs from the album every Monday.

No, it’s not a cover, not completely. The second song is a faster, more “classic” Antillectual song, if we may say so. And even though this song is one of the first songs we finished for this album, the topic is still hot. And looking at worldwide developments it will only become even hotter. The issue of immigration, refugees and the unequal spreading of wealth will only become more apparent with increasing worldwide communication and mobility of people.
Lyrics and liners notes below the video. Jelle and Marcel from the Dutch Council for Refugees (Vluchtelingenwerk) wrote an introduction:

“At least put on some work gloves” I told Mohammed, while he was mounting pieces of rock wool against a wooden wall bare-chested. The isolation of a newly created room in a squat progressed steadily, but every second I saw him working with that material unprotected, which gave me an itchy feeling just by looking at it, was a second too many. He threw the rock wool at me laughing “Did I ever tell you how I got to the Netherlands?” Ducking for rock wool I shook my head.

 “A friend of mine who worked at the port, could help me aboard a ship that would sail to Europe. In the middle of the night he brought me on board. The only thing that I took were two boxes of biscuits and plenty of bottled water to keep me alive during those two weeks”. The first few seconds Mohammed thought it would be an easy trip, the entire room was filled with nice soft material. However, after a few minutes the heat came and his body started to itch like it had never done before. “I never found out whether the ship simply carried rock wool, or that I was just unlucky staying in an overly insulated space.” Ten days later the ship docks and during the night Mohammed takes the chance to get ashore. By that time his complete body is covered by an irritating rash. “I was sick for a good few days” he laughs, “but the overdose rock wool made me immune to it eventually”.

After his arrival in what appeared to be the Netherlands, he unsuccessfully underwent some immigration procedures. The IND didn’t believe his story and therefore did not even consider his asylum request. Without a receipt for the boat trip your story goes in the trash.

The other day I heard he’s still here, still undocumented. And perhaps that is the most effective form of protest: you refuse to accept a system of exclusion and deportation and simply stay here. You don’t go away but try to build up a life of your own, despite all obstacles weighing you down. Because it shouldn’t be up to the IND to determine if people should or should not be allowed to stay, it should be up to those people themselves. Migration is not the problem, but the very solution to the real problem that is wealth inequality.

Pre-order “Perspectives & Objectives”, or a package including it and receive a stream right after.

WELCOME TO LE JUNGLE

Welcome to le jungle, we got fun ‘n’ games
We got everything you want, you only have your dreams
Welcome to paradise, you’re here to keep it clean
We only tolerate you, working our machines as slaves

“They only care about their own share”
Where do you think they got their inspiration?
We only care about our own share
How dare you blame them pursuing a better life

Some doors, once opened, will never shut again
The golden cage is cracked, come in, a chance for all to win
Les sans-papiers, les sans-culottes, laissez faire
Everyone is a fortune hunter, now deal with it

Liner notes:

There are some misunderstandings I can’t get around. A number of people think that the process of globalization is a process that can be “undone”. They think it is possible to return to a world where the focus lies on our own lives, without the need for a broader perspective. I’m sorry to break the news to them: the genie is out of the bottle.

And why is it normal for western people to try to get the most out of their lives but why are people that don’t live in a western country being called fortune hunters or economic refugees for doing exactly the same? What is the difference between personal ambitions and opportunism in this case?

In the Netherlands a refugee committed suicide in a Dutch detention centre in January 2013. This tragic occasion has finally lead to discussion about the huge flaws in the Dutch immigration system and whether or not being an “illegal immigrant” should be criminalized. The degrading situation in Dutch detention centres has resulted in hunger striking immigrants and public dissent.

Le Jungle is the name of a refugee hideout close to Calais, France. A lot of refugees wait there for the ferries going to the UK hoping to hop on one of them, hunting for a better life.

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24 June 2013 ~ 1 Comment

New song from Perspectives & Objectives: Soundtrack

With a new album come new streams! On August 23 we will release our new album “Perspectives & Objectives”. Until that date we will stream new songs from the album every Monday.

Ivo van Aart shot a music video for the first song: “Soundtrack”. Lyrics and liners notes below the video. Bart from our Dutch label Suburban Records wrote an introduction:

I’ve been following Antillectual for quite some time now. Always with deep respect on how much a Dutch Punkrock band can achieve on its own. Working hard to get the next tour in line, to release the new album worldwide, to keep on pushing the limits of what you can do with music. That is the work ethic which resonates in what we love at Suburban and what we aspire to achieve with all that we do. Everything that Antillectual has done so far had meaning, had content. You don’t see that much anymore in music. I take pride that I’m part of this new chapter in the bands career.

It also helps that it is a killer punkrock album! Work hard & love music.

– Bart Wismans, Suburban Records

Pre-order “Perspectives & Objectives”, or a package including it and receive a stream right after.

Soundtrack

How do you sleep at night? Wake up and smell the apathy
Why don’t we hit the streets? Live life a little less carefree
Less “no”, more “YEAH!”, it seems we’re stuck at “maybe”
Not just a piece of the pie, we want the whole fucking bakery
Fuck fact-free politics ‘mockracy, I can’t believe the state we’re in
Our state ruled by hypocracy, we’re preaching water, drinking wine

Less “no”, more “YEAH!”

Let this be the soundtrack of how you change your life, no-one will do it for you
Let this be the soundtrack of how we change our world, there’s only “us”
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
We’ll only regret things we didn’t do

How can you care so little about the world we live in?
Just because you don’t care doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter
I love these songs and books edging our minds like pencil sharpeners
There are no pros and cons to giving a shit when you’re in it for the message

From Russian Pussy Riot, re-educated Indo-punks, to stoned emos in Irak
We got freedom of speech but nothing to say while spring is spreading everywhere
What kind of message do we send the opposition of the willing if we don’t even seem to care
Tough shit, everything is political, there’s no escape, a-political is just impossible
Too bad, songs won’t change a thing at all, needless to say, revolts need to be audible

Liner Notes:

“Music with a message, what has it ever done to change the world?”

Always a great argument when talking about socially engaged music. Maybe music never directly started a revolution or accomplished change on its own, it sure has played an important role as soundtrack to social (r)evolutions. The spirit of the slaves in the 19th century wouldn’t have been as strong without its “black music”. Without Bob Dylan’s songs the civil rights movement in the 1960s wouldn’t have been as widespread. The recession in the 1980s wouldn’t have been as dark and heartfelt without the sound of punk.

In today’s day and age it is impossible to exclude yourself from what is going on around you. We are more informed about the world around us than ever before, and it is consequently harder to look away and not care about it. Today’s music is a part of that world, accompanying us and current events.

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18 June 2013 ~ Comments Off on A-F Records to release “Perspectives & Objectives” in North America

A-F Records to release “Perspectives & Objectives” in North America

The orders for CDs and LPs of the new album were placed yesterday. Today we are incredibly excited to announce that A-F Records is releasing our new album in North America. Founded by the members of Anti-Flag to expose more political music to a broader audience, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, releasing music by Anti-Flag, New Mexican Disaster Squad, Worship This!, The Unseen, Justin Sane, Inquisition and many more. A-F Records will offer our new album as LP and download to North America, at a much better shipping rate than we can ever do from Europe. We are very happy to become a member of their family, or have them as a new member of ours!

With this last addition we have a great group of labels releasing our album worldwide. Please check them out and support them:

A-F Records (North America)
Suburban Records
 (Benelux)
Destiny Records (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
No Reason Records (Italy)
Angry Chuck Records (Russia)
Undermusic Records (South America)
Destroy It Yourself (Portugal)
Effervescence Records (France)
Lockjaw Records
 (United Kingdom)
5FeetUnder Records (Scandinavia)

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