“Outlier”, EKEN IS DEAD's latest EP release which features five brand new songs and a bonus re-imagining of their anthem, “At Any Cost”. The EP was recorded at Fletcher Dragge’s Screaming Leopard Studios, Hermosa Beach CA, engineered and mixed by Prick Reuben (like the sandwich) aka Gagg Green and mastered by Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering, Burbank CA. This is EID's third release on Blacksound Records, preceded by 2008's "Amendment" and 2011's "What Lies In The Mirror". The boys are gearing up right now to support the EP with tours across the Western United States now.
1. Outlier
2. Embrace
3. Fractured
4. Trained to Hate
5. As Soon As Tomorrow
6. At Any Cost (Acoustic)
Eken's first official review. A lot has happened in the year and a half since I was first introduced to Vic, Chris, Gagg, and Jake, and in that time I have seen Eken a handful of times. Each time more impressed than the next. Like a ball of pure electricity Chris bounces around the stage, this sets the mood for a truly epic show.
Having listened to this EP several times over now, I can see and feel the energy pulse through my head phones. As I write this I am enjoying the acoustic version of 'At Any Cost'. Tomorrow night, May 16th, 2014 Eken will come together in an EPIC night mixed with friends, music and celebration of Outlier.
Highly impressed by the lyrics, vocals and clarity of the sound, this EP is definitely worth the time. EID has always had a unique sound, with lyrics and a sound so pure it tugs at your soul. Gagg mastering the 6 string bass, you can feel each note as it pumps through your veins, the sound of Vic's guitar serenading and hypnotizing you, you suddenly feel as though you were the only one in a dark room as Chris mesmerizes you with his voice.
Eken is Dead is not just a band, it's an experience.
Its always an honor to be a part of something bigger than my every day life, and this was the finalization that will make me an EID fan for life.
My favorite tracks:
As Soon As Tomorrow
Embrace
Fractured
Join us tomorrow as we celebrate this most amazing EP, enjoy the presence of EID on stage and make sure you let go and enjoy the experience.
Not many people can say that they've had the chance to hang with Jason DeVore and his wonderful family. I am lucky enough to be a part of this whole family. Today, March 19th, 2013 at 2 pm I sat down with Jason and talked about life, motivation, and how his songs make him feel.
I have been able to to see JDV a handful of times, and each time it's a new experience, nothing in the world could compare to each show. No matter how many times you hear his songs, sprinkled with some A0 songs and some Bollox songs, JDV brings a certain vibe to the room. With his followers young and old, we all sit and watch in utter amazement as he belts out song after song, hardly taking breaks. Where does he get the strength? Where does this powerful amazing voice come from? This is all a secret I suppose, but where ever it comes from it has emotion, soul. It has a vibrato all its own and makes you want to be on stage with him.
A few devoted JDV fans (you shall remain nameless chris ;-) DAMN! ) like to hop up on tables, show their love and dedication to this amazing story teller, this bard of sorts.
With Tipping Point soon to be released on April 2nd, the East European tour that he leaves for on April 4th Jason took the time to sit with me and my nervousness and answer some questions about life, his music and his wife. I was joined by his best friend of 19 years, Saddy Combs owner of LaDep Custom Cruisers and probably one of Authority Zero and JDV's biggest fans.
Growing up he was inspired by his mom, she knew all the words to the songs on the radio, and he was in awe at how she could do this. Coming from a musical family, J would travel to Mesa, AZ to visit his dad during the summer, and eventually one thing led to the other and they were playing the Nile Basement in MTAZ. This is the wonderful start to Authority Zero. Arizona's original punk band. While many other bands had come before A0, little did these skater punk kids know that they would make something out of virtually nothing.
JDV wanted to be a professional Skater/Snowboarder and along with that career comes the music. We all know that good tunes on the street or slopes motivates us to shred that triple black diamond or master that rail slide.
He writes the songs that relate to us, he sings the songs we want to hear and he loves his fans and family. At one of the very first JDV shows I met a young man, who explained that One More Minute was what kept his head in the game in Afghanistan. Deployed as a naval Corpsman and stationed in the middle east, this was the song that reminded him of coming home safe. When I am at a JDV show, I watch people; I watch their reaction to how J sings, moves and the how he pumps the crowd up. To be a witness to the A0 mosh pit is exciting, invigorating.
Talking to J today, I was able to see a different side of him. I was able to see the gleam in his eye, the passion in his voice and his nervousness as he preps for another tour. I can see that he is mentally prepping himself for whatever may come and you can see that, while a seasoned musician he gets on stage every night and plays as though its his first show. This is not a bout of nervousness, this is the feeling of adrenaline, the amped feeling you get when your faced with such an overwhelming task, but you complete it and at the end of the show, the end of the day your shaking, because it was one helluva ride.
I can't wait to see what JDV and Authority Zero have in store. All I know is that after almost 16 years of being a fan and hearing their music I will always and forever remain a loyal and faithful A0 fan.
Wanna hear the interview? Check it out here!
https://soundcloud.com/ladepcustomcruisers/jason-devore
http://youtu.be/3aqi23-BBLA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tonovKKYyxY&feature=share&list=AL94UKMTqg-9BEjg7PGgsk59GIZdxERswI
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorityZero?fref=ts
I had the chance to talk with Chris from EKEN IS DEAD. And I am definitely impressed with the band, the music and how humble and dedicated they are to their fans and their music.
Let me start by saying that I had never listened to EKEN before Tuesday, I had the chance, but I decided I would let the music speak for itself. And on my ride down to the LaDep house, I did just that. I listened to what the music had to tell me. And I never would have expected it to tell me the story it did.
I usually like to compare bands to each other, its the easier way to identify their sounds, their behaviors, their personas and their vibe. I also like to hear the bands live before I interview them or even think about writing a review. So I'm sitting here listening to their reverb nation account listening to them. I think one of the reasons I am writing the review without listening them to live is because of how last night's phone convo went with Saddy, Chris and myself.
If you like Sepultura, Soulfly, Megadeath, White chapel or H20 you will enjoy EKEN.
Me: Where did the name EKEN IS DEAD come from?
Chris: haha That is the million dollar question. EKEN IS DEAD....Vic was in a band, Called EKEN and he is actually the sole survivor of that band, hence EKEN is semi dead...so that's what is stood for at the time. But was we toured and grew with our music, EKEN IS DEAD became what you think is dead, or what has moved on. Its about overcoming hardships, your beliefs and values. EKEN IS DEAD can be personal.
Me: Who has influenced you personally?
Chris: Nirvana, and a lot of the 90’s style rock bands, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, punk is where my roots are. Sound wise, I would say Tool, Deftones and Rage Against the Machine. Vocally, I would say more like Rise Against and Pantera. Its not just a scream, its something more.
Me:What are you long term goals?
Chris: Bigger tours. Touring with Authority Zero has been amazing. The entire band is amazing. Extremely down to earth and definitely a great experience. We really want to continue to tour and definitely continue to work with Authority Zero and LaDep. We want to go all the way. As far as we can possibly go. We practice 3 times a week, perform at 60-70 shows, dedicate ourselves and our lives and put up with angry girlfriends while we are on the road. Taking turns driving 5 hour legs from Vancouver to get to a show in Cali the next night. That's dedication to our band to our fans.
I didn't ask him directly what the inspiration for the lyrics were, we kind of stepped into it haphazardly, but I could tell that the words and lyrics to each of their original songs was personal. It came from experiences, life, and personalities. One of the biggest things with EKEN IS DEAD is that there isn't just one person who writes the songs, the entire band has input and collectively they write the songs as one.
Saddy: Do you have any advice for bands looking to make it?
Chris: Show up. Dedicate yourself to the band, but more so to the fans. Always find a way to not cancel. Show commitment and dedication.
Saddy: What drives you the most to keep going from one show to the next?
Chris: Finding out what you're made of. Pushing your limits, knowing your boundaries. We drove in 5 hour shifts on a Friday night after a show in Vancouver to make a show in Cali. It took us 16 hours to get home, but we kept going. We refused to cancel. I think in 5 years we have cancelled once. That says a lot, not only about our dedication, but our love for the music and our fans.
I have to say it was an honor to talk with him and while I regret that I didn't get the entire interview recorded, I will have the honor of talking to the entire band on Friday. Something about EKEN moves me. So until I see you in the mosh pit Friday, keep it real.
If you want to hear more from EKEN IS DEAD you can check out their Reverb nation page at
www.revernation.com/ekenisdead
Their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ekenisdead?fref=ts
and you can watch some of their videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/ekenisdead
Tune in Friday from 6-7 while we interview EKEN IS DEAD at KUKQ.com you can also download the app to your phone (available for iPhone and Droid) if you have something you want to ask the band email Alle at undergroundalle@gmail.com
Thanks for reading and stay posted for more events and band interviews and reviews!
