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For this set, Chad actually borrows the cordless phone from the venue he just played at, and ducks into the darkened entryway of a closed cafe to play for us. Cars and pedestrians go by, sodium lights flicker inaudibly. Maybe the perfect setting for Chad's surreal, dystopian vignettes about urban planning and decay, technology and isolation, mass transit, and architecture. I don't know how he does it, but every Emperor X song, no matter the topic, wrings out so many emotions without ever being maudlin or obtuse. Dude's a first class emotional mechanic for sure. One of my favorites.
Stick with this one. Though still rough, the sound quality improves markedly after the first song, the saturated crunch of the phone's audio only adding to the depth of Chad's tunes.
Use Your Hands
Addision Acceh
Everyone In Jacksonville
Shut Shut Up
Emperor X
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Itinerant wanderer Chad Matheny phones it in from Richmond, VA. It's hard to think of a more fitting artist for Phoning It In; in fact, Chad unwittingly planted the seed for the whole idea. Years ago on BSR- after taking the four-hour bus from New York City to Providence and back, just to perform a two-hour radio set- Chad then dialed up his compatriot Max (aka Applied Communications) and the two dueted on a cover of the Jay-Z/Linkin Park mashup.
For this set, Chad actually borrows the cordless phone from the venue he just played at, and ducks into the darkened entryway of a closed cafe to play for us. Cars and pedestrians go by, sodium lights flicker inaudibly. Maybe the perfect setting for Chad's surreal, dystopian vignettes about urban planning and decay, technology and isolation, mass transit, and architecture. I don't know how he does it, but every Emperor X song, no matter the topic, wrings out so many emotions without ever being maudlin or obtuse. Dude's a first class emotional mechanic for sure. One of my favorites.
Stick with this one. Though still rough, the sound quality improves markedly after the first song, the saturated crunch of the phone's audio only adding to the depth of Chad's tunes.
Nadav Carmel, KDVS 06/15/2009
Songs
A Violent Translation Of The Concordia HeadscarpUse Your Hands
Addision Acceh
Everyone In Jacksonville
Shut Shut Up