Published: May 6, 2009 11:45 AM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight May 2009 Edition
Images of IO
Images of IO
Founding members of Images of IO, David Bochkay and Kel Pilshaw, have created something magical with this band. What makes the band stand above the rest is their ambient synth driven style of music. This combination creates a refreshing flow of melodious tunes and haunting vocals. In this recent spotlight with Images of IO, founding members speak with our Webzine about their music.
Isaac: How do you sum up 2008 for you as an artist?
Images of IO: 2008 was a great year for us artistically... We experienced tremendous growth as a band and the original material we wrote is easily the best of our collective careers. Our studio was filled with everything from a 4 piece string quartet to cranked guitar amps and old telephones... It was also a year spent, literally, working in a "bunker". When we all agreed that doing our own version of Pink Floyd's classic album "Wish You Were Here" was something, we were crazy enough to actually try, we knew it would be a massive undertaking to dump their performance into a computer (note for note, including preserving the fluctuations in tempo). We also knew it was going to be even more difficult a task to start tweaking it to somehow make it our own. Images of Io was treading on "Holy Ground" so to speak, and we were very careful about how we approached the music.
Isaac: What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment for 2008?
Images of IO: Writing and recording our next single "Red White Black and Blue". We are very proud of this track and we can't wait to release it.
Isaac: Describe the music scene in your area.
Images of IO: Our scene is New York City, so there's always great stuff going on. I think the best way to describe it from a "band's" point of view is by saying it's like being a needle in a huge stack of needles.... Finding a home and getting noticed in a scene like that means that we have to be the longest, sharpest needle in the bunch. It is a very competitive place where an artist is often compelled to look at themselves and say, "Am I hip enough, am I doing the "right" thing?" It can be hard to "stay the course" so to speak...
From a music lovers perspective, someone looking to spend some time and cash, checking out original music you are faced with an unending supply of bands. It can be a daunting task for a band to connect with their audience and vice versa. Every time I see a person walk into a club that so clearly loves to discover bands and support independent music (you can spot them from a mile away), I thank them because their "job" in this musical relationship isn't easy either.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?
Images of IO: I would have to say that the work of Brian Eno has been very inspirational to the band as a whole. His approach in the studio and his creative process has always been fascinating to read about. He seems to really bring out the best in the people he works with.
Individually, each member of Images of Io has a nearly endless list of influences, everything from ambient to punk. The "short list" would include, Dead Can Dance, NIN, Lamb, TV on the Radio, GoldFrapp, Depeche Mode, etc...
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
Images of IO: Interesting question... I think I had completely forgotten that there even is a music industry.
Many years ago it was a question of how a band could get attention from "the industry"... I know everything my previous band did was somehow related to getting some A&R guy to come down to see a show, so we could get signed, so we could sell millions of cd's... Does A&R even exist anymore? Who knows??? We are talking about an industry whose product (music) is rapidly being devalued. Bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are either giving music away or asking the fans to pay what they "feel" is right. How is Images of Io supposed to compete with Radiohead and NIN giving away their music? These are two of the most artistically vital bands out there, with massive amounts of resources and that is where they have set the bar. All we can hope to do on our level is be the most interesting, compelling, purest thing out there. The people that appreciate and listen to our music come first... We work very hard to make our music and shows worth their money and effort. We strive for the highest quality result in everything we do. We want to be the sound track to these people's lives. We work for them. I have no desire to really bring anything to the music industry.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?
Images of IO: I think Nadia would say she would like to work with Trent Reznor. She gets an emotional charge out of NIN. I think Kel, Lars and myself would throw Brian Eno into the mix.
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
Images of IO: I would describe it as female fronted atmospheric electronica with guitars. Electronic-Alternative might work as well. We are heavily influenced by the bands I mentioned before. So if you like that kind of vibe, chances are that you will enjoy us as well.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from your music from fans?
Images of IO: So far it's been great. They really appreciate what we are trying to do. They are the best...
Images of IO: We have some things lined up. Certainly expect "Red White Black and Blue", and some other new material, plus we have in the works a video shoot. Larry is a Grammy nominated engineer so I have been bugging him about doing some video blogs on recording techniques and how we achieve our "sound" so to speak. We also expect to be playing live as much as our schedules will allow. 2009 is going to be a busy year for us, and 2010 will be even busier.
Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans?
Images of IO: Always a heart felt thank you!
Isaac: Final words…
Images of IO: We really appreciate publications that take the time to reach out and talk to up and coming acts. Press is absolutely critical to the success of any band. You provide a valuable conduit for us to directly tell people that we are out here trying to make great music and put on a show where people can go and have a great night out. We thank you for giving us the privilege to appear in your magazine.
