Javier Reyes - Animals As Leaders (19/12/2013)
It’s been almost a year now since DC math-metal giants Animals as Leaders last saw Australian shores, though with the recent announcement of an Australian tour in January 2014, it seems they’re making quite an effort to make their way down.
When The 59th Sound caught up with guitarist Javier Reyes, the first question was an obvious choice; that of why his band was so determined to make their heavy tracks in our home: “Well, we’ve had a massive response online from Australia. It’s definitely a country were touring is a growing thing, especially with those devoted to the scene.”
Animal’s tour mates, Djent icons Periphery, are no strangers, working on the production and writing of Animal’s first album. Javier reveals that their follow-up to 2011’s Weightless will again feel Periphery’s personal touch. "We’re close buddies with everyone in the band and Misha (Mansoor) has been involved with the band since the beginning. I mean, he produced and co-wrote the first album, he’s produced some of the songs on the current album. We’ve actually been working with Nolly, the bass player of Periphery, for help producing. Actually, we just picked him up from the airport."
Javier continues on how recording is going, and what we should expect in the record. Namely, actual drums. “We start tracking drums for it tomorrow. The first album was just Misha and Tosin, while Weightless was collaboration between Navene, Tosin, and myself, so now with this third album we’ve got all sorts of production wizardry if you will. Misha was involved, Diego Farias of Volumes has been in, he produced and co-wrote some of the guitars as well, so it’s going to be quite different. We’re going to have real drums as well, that’s something we haven’t done in the past, considering we have a ridiculously amazing drummer we thought it’d be great to capture him on tape.”
It’s the first time the bands will be playing together in a live setting down under, which Javier believes fans will be a fantastic experience for listeners of either bands. "We’re very excited to tour with them. We get along really well, we share the same fans, so if you are a fan it’d be a cool package to go see. We just did SummerSlaughter here in the US and they were playing before us, which I think was awesome. It was definitely a good time and a good show, so we’re excited to join them."
Despite all the talk of Animals as Leaders, it is far from Javier’s only musical outlet. Just last year the band Mestis, which Javier fronts as guitarist and bassist, released their first actual recorded material. Javier gave some thoughts on the future of his band. “Mestis was definitely cool, I’ll definitely continue writing music for that. It’s a fun sort of project on the side, and I hope to have the full-length out by next year.”
While attending the SxSW festival with Animals as Leaders over in the states, Javier and Tosin were joined onstage by Suicidal Tendancies drummer Eric Moore and Mars Volta wind instrumentalist Adrián Terrazas-González to form the jam band T.R.A.M. for a single set. Javier spoke of the experience of playing such a set and whether any future collaborations are planned.
“It’s a little difficult considering we get a lot of offers to do tours in which we can’t not do, so the time it would take to build T.R.A.M. would be far too great and would really take away from what we are doing with Animals as Leaders. But it was an awesome project and I’m glad we did it. The music was really pretty and getting up there with Adrian and Eric Moore was awesome.”
Ben Spencer
FRIDAY 31 JANUARY
BRISBANE, THE HI-FI – 18+
www.thehifi.com.au
SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY
SYDNEY, THE METRO – Licensed All Ages
www.ticketek.com.au
SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY
MELBOURNE, BILLBOARD – 18+
www.oztix.com.au | www.ticketek.com.au | www.moshtix.com.au
When The 59th Sound caught up with guitarist Javier Reyes, the first question was an obvious choice; that of why his band was so determined to make their heavy tracks in our home: “Well, we’ve had a massive response online from Australia. It’s definitely a country were touring is a growing thing, especially with those devoted to the scene.”
Animal’s tour mates, Djent icons Periphery, are no strangers, working on the production and writing of Animal’s first album. Javier reveals that their follow-up to 2011’s Weightless will again feel Periphery’s personal touch. "We’re close buddies with everyone in the band and Misha (Mansoor) has been involved with the band since the beginning. I mean, he produced and co-wrote the first album, he’s produced some of the songs on the current album. We’ve actually been working with Nolly, the bass player of Periphery, for help producing. Actually, we just picked him up from the airport."
Javier continues on how recording is going, and what we should expect in the record. Namely, actual drums. “We start tracking drums for it tomorrow. The first album was just Misha and Tosin, while Weightless was collaboration between Navene, Tosin, and myself, so now with this third album we’ve got all sorts of production wizardry if you will. Misha was involved, Diego Farias of Volumes has been in, he produced and co-wrote some of the guitars as well, so it’s going to be quite different. We’re going to have real drums as well, that’s something we haven’t done in the past, considering we have a ridiculously amazing drummer we thought it’d be great to capture him on tape.”
It’s the first time the bands will be playing together in a live setting down under, which Javier believes fans will be a fantastic experience for listeners of either bands. "We’re very excited to tour with them. We get along really well, we share the same fans, so if you are a fan it’d be a cool package to go see. We just did SummerSlaughter here in the US and they were playing before us, which I think was awesome. It was definitely a good time and a good show, so we’re excited to join them."
Despite all the talk of Animals as Leaders, it is far from Javier’s only musical outlet. Just last year the band Mestis, which Javier fronts as guitarist and bassist, released their first actual recorded material. Javier gave some thoughts on the future of his band. “Mestis was definitely cool, I’ll definitely continue writing music for that. It’s a fun sort of project on the side, and I hope to have the full-length out by next year.”
While attending the SxSW festival with Animals as Leaders over in the states, Javier and Tosin were joined onstage by Suicidal Tendancies drummer Eric Moore and Mars Volta wind instrumentalist Adrián Terrazas-González to form the jam band T.R.A.M. for a single set. Javier spoke of the experience of playing such a set and whether any future collaborations are planned.
“It’s a little difficult considering we get a lot of offers to do tours in which we can’t not do, so the time it would take to build T.R.A.M. would be far too great and would really take away from what we are doing with Animals as Leaders. But it was an awesome project and I’m glad we did it. The music was really pretty and getting up there with Adrian and Eric Moore was awesome.”
Ben Spencer
FRIDAY 31 JANUARY
BRISBANE, THE HI-FI – 18+
www.thehifi.com.au
SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY
SYDNEY, THE METRO – Licensed All Ages
www.ticketek.com.au
SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY
MELBOURNE, BILLBOARD – 18+
www.oztix.com.au | www.ticketek.com.au | www.moshtix.com.au