Since Rasc, Gun, and Krischan formed Rotersand in 2002, they have become a very well respected and highly popular band, known for their catchy melodies, great basslines, and intelligent vocals. With the release of their new album Random Is Resistance, Rotersand prove they can and will continue to make albums that can dominate the clubs and alternative charts but also remain true to their unique sound and artistic vision.
How does a Rotersand album come into existence? How long did Random Is Resistance take to create, where did you work on it, and how did it vary, if at all, in process from past albums?
It starts with a first sketch of a bassline or a vocal line or an inspiring chord progression, or sometimes just a slogan or one word. And from there we shape it step by step, note by note, beat by beat, as long as it still gives us that kind of unmistakable Rotersand feeling we need to keep going. All three of us have some sort of personal studio equipment to record guitars or vocals and do some programming with. For the final production we mostly meet in Krischan´s Studio 600.
You have stated before that Rotersand draws off many different styles of music. And each band member has a different background in electronic music. What styles in particular did you draw from for Random Is Resistance?
In a German review somebody described our new album, Random Is Resistance, as a kind of time travel through different music styles of the last decade, and we can definitely relate to that. That is owed a great deal to the fact that all three of us draw from different musical backgrounds. In collaborating as a band, we are privileged to be able to combine ideas and influences from a large pool of rather diverse personal taste and know how. It is that combination of musical personalities that shapes our sound; much more than certain styles we could be trying to implement. It goes from Pink Floyd and Queen to contemporary techno music (mainly Detroit provenience), has audible roots in EBM and a bit of euro-trance, but than again also in 70s glamrock and classical and pop music. That’s us.
The Cavalry spats are a brand new item from Plastik Wrap this week! Auxiliary Magazine had the first exclusive on this new design, they were featured in the Winter Manor editorial in the December 09 issue. In the Winter Manor coat editorial the Cavalry spats were paired with Plastik Wrap’s Historitek jacket that both shared a matching black brocade detailing.
The Cavalry spat design is very versatile and can be worn over a plain mid calf boot, granny boot, or even an ankle boot. The adjustable straps on the back of the spat are a nice feature for those that have smaller calves or can be left open to accommodate a fuller leg. My favorite part about this design is the lovely black brocade fabric that can be worn with many different types of outfit combinations. Mixing and matching is essential! For a bit bolder statement they are also available in red brocade.
Plastik Wrap is really starting to take on elements of those by-gone eras and incorporating them into their new designs. The new Cavalry spats will most definitely catch the hearts of all Plastik Wrap fans as well as start to get noticed by others that love some old timey flavor in their wardrobes.
Don’t let the small size of the packaging fool you, these 8mm tubes of foundation pack a punch and a little goes a long way. About the size of a tube of lip gloss, Yaby’s liquid foundation, available in 18 shades, provides smooth and light coverage that is exceptionally layerable to provide just the right amount of coverage for your purposes. Rather than piling on the gummy and paint like foundations that some other companies push these days, this product is about subtlety rather than overkill, and delivers a much better result in the end. Yaby’s new line of foundations mimic the sheen of natural skin, for a very wearable look thats not too shiny or too flat and matte as to be unrealistic, and because of this natural look it requires very little in the way of touchups on set or for daily wear. These foundations blend extremely well, so if you find yourself between shades it should be simple to create your own custom tint to match your skin tone perfectly. When we met Liz Yu, the creator of Yaby at IMATS in Toronto a few weeks ago she was extremely enthusiastic about this new product line, and I can see why, she has truly created a wonderful and versatile product with a variety of useful applications.
Print copies of the December 09 Issue of Auxiliary Magazine are now available for purchase online! They are available through MagCloud at www.magcloud.com and regularly priced at $15. But MagCloud is currently having a holiday sale, 25% off all magazines until January 1st! So that means the new December issue is only $9.60 and all the back issues of Auxiliary are on sale as well. As always Auxiliary Magazine is available online for free, but you can’t really give something free (or something you can’t really wrap) to your friends for the holidays. You can however take advantage of MagCloud’s holiday sale and give them a copy of Auxiliary Magazine (or give it to yourself and treat yourself this holiday)!
Depending on where you live, the cold season is upon us! It’s time to reach into the back of the closet and pull out those jackets and other cold weather attire. Why not treat yourself to a new fancy jacket that won’t have you needing to break open your piggy bank. Besides, all that holiday shopping must leave you wanting to treat yourself after having to battle crazed shoppers at the mall!
Check out Retroscope Fashions’ sale section and prepare to be in awe that the black Victorian Corset Back Jacket is only $25! Say what?! Yes, $25 gets you this cute and versatile jacket that would look adorable for all those holiday gatherings paired with black skinny jeans or an a-line skirt. Of course feel free to pair this jacket with all those clubby bustle skirts, bloomers, or even the occasional pinstripe garment!
This is the sound test that goes along with my article, WAV, AIFF, MP3, FLAC… WTF? The original audio file I used was is a song name “How I Learned to Love the Bomb” from one of my favorite Buffalo punk bands, To Be Announced, off of their Posthumous album.
The first thing I would like to compare is the difference between MP3 and AAC. To keep things fair I used LameXP, which has the best MP3 converter, for the MP3s and iTunes for the AACs. Both programs have the most recent updates. At the higher bit rates both programs seem to have about the same audio quality, if there is a difference it must be subtle because I don’t hear it. As you move down to the lower bit rates, the AAC files have a brighter cleaner sound and the MP3s have a dullness to them. Even though AAC files have a better quality about them, MP3s are the industry norm, so if you want your files to play on everything stick with them.
Industrial/EBM musicians Gary Dassing and Dwayne Dassing better known as Mentello & the Fixer are offering up parts of their back catalog for free. Along with their side projects Mainesthai and Benestrophe. Their website says that more are to come… let’s hope so.
Mainesthai – Out to Lunch – 1994
Mainesthai – Mentallo & The Fixer Meets Mainesthai – 1994
Mentallo & The Fixer – Revelations 23 – 1993
Mentallo & The Fixer – Where Angels Fear to Tread – 1994
Benestrophe – Sensory Deprivation – 1994
Benestrophe – Auric Fires – 1997
The December issue is the seventh issue and one-year anniversary issue of Auxiliary, a magazine dedicated to alternative fashion, music, and lifestyle. This issue we have an interview with Rotersand and a music decade retrospective with DJ Jet the mastermind behind Vampire Freaks and many others selecting their top albums of the decade. There are many fashion features, including a beauty editorial for the cold and wet season, a women’s outwear fashion editorial, a designer feature on Spragwerks, and a holiday guide to making three DIY gifts. It also features Jeffree Star as this issue’s PinUp, a guest music review by darkNES of The Gothsicles, and fashion by Plastik Wrap, Shrine, Trash and Vaudeville, Sweet Ruin, Plastique, Sew Moe Designs, and much much more. You can download it HERE for free. Print copies will be available in about a week. Enjoy!
In the continued mission to craft DIY that doesn’t look “homemade”, we present a few holiday projects designed to be as easy as they are attractive, complete with some custom-designed graphics to suit an alternative ilk. Here you can download the custom-designed graphics for the DIY projects found in the December 09 issue of Auxiliary. Download the issue for full instructions on how to make the Tentacle Tie, Down the Rabbit Hole Pillow, and Savage Rose Corsage.
