Live, Chicago's Russian Circles are getting a reputation as being a hard act to follow. The instrumental trio's math rock has its highs and lows; quiet noodling turns into bursts of metallic thunder, only to simmer and slow down into a controlled burn. Just off a tour with Minus the Bear, Russian Circles are now rocking houses with Pelican and Japanese metallurgists Mono. Here Colin DeKuiper offers his monomanias:
5. The "live band": The big payoff for us is touring and playing shows. Being considered a good live band is more than a lot of groups can say. Of course, I'd like to make albums people dig just as much.
4. Sound: There's a little bit of everything. We all listen to a lot of metal and grind-core, so there is a lot of influence from those types of bands. We've also gotten more into Yes and jazz. All of that is so nicely arranged, it's nice to apply that to our loud shit.
3. Label games: Jade Tree came with an offer, but they gave us a contract that looked like a phone book. Creative control? We couldn't even find that clause. Flameshovel's definitely better.
2. Minus the Bear: Seeing them do their thing, being that great live and touring constantly, it was an eye-opener, and nice to see how a band like that operates
1. Future: We're looking forward to playing with different types of bands in front of different types of crowds. Pitchfork says we lack direction, but at least appealing to different types of people (even Pitchfork people) expands our audience.
Monday, June 12, at St. Andrew's Hall, 431 E. Congress, Detroit; 313-961-8137, with Pelican and Mono.
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