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Boogie down production - Boogie Matrix Mechanism

By Ryan A. Bunch

Boogie down production Boogie Matrix Mechanism unveils its debut effort by Ryan A. Bunch Recording and releasing a new CD is exciting for any band, and so it is for Boogie Matrix Mechanism, who will unveil its first effort, a year in the making, at Vamps on Saturday, October 28. "Things couldn’t be better," said Brian Bell — band founder/singer. More than anything, however, he’s surprised at how far the project has come. Begun nearly two years ago as Glass Candy, a Bowling Green acoustic duo, the band was composed of just Bell and friend Bob Maltby hopping around town playing covers. After adding to the roster, Bell (lead vocals), Maltby (guitars) and fellow mates Jim Kahmann (keys), Johnny K (lead guitar), Ben Durham (bass), Eric Lowden (drums) and Aaron Armstrong (percussion) decided the moniker wasn’t quite right and Boogie Matrix Mechanism was born. "Going from a two piece to a seven piece was enough in itself. I never saw an album coming, or the name change. You can still catch us doing a Talking Heads cover now and again, but mostly the music is all original," says Bell. "We’ve made it through a lot, especially having seven people involved. Getting seven people to do anything is difficult and everyone in the band has made changes in their lifestyle and sacrificed something to get this far." In memory of the former band, BMM named the CD "Glass Candy." "It’s still there, it’s still a part of who we are," he says. The band has covered a lot of ground in a short time, playing constant live shows, including two highlight shows, the Indiana Jam Bash and Ribs on the River. "The Jam Bash was cool because we were supposed to play first, at noon. But the two bands following us never showed, so we played for three hours and everyone coming in got to hear us. It was great exposure. Then, after the show, when (Ekoostik) Hookah finished up, we went back out and played again. And we played Ribs on the River, that was really cool too. It went really well." While the guys are excited about the new disc and live shows, it is, of course, the music that comes first, though, it can be hard to pin down, which is a good thing. "We’re covering a bunch of different genres, there’s something for everybody," says Bell. "Rock, reggae, blues, hip-hop, funk – its something different than what people hear and see everywhere else." He also says that while there is an essence of "jam" style to the group, they are not quite a "jam band." "A lot of our music is improvisation. Instead of just finishing a song we’ll go into an improv jam that leads into the next song. There aren’t a lot of bands that do that, and that’s what gives us the jam band feel, even though we really don’t have any other jam qualities. Basically, you’re not going to hear the same five minute song from the CD. Live, it’ll be 15 minutes before we take a break." But, Bell says, it’s not just about jamming either, it’s ultimately about energy. "We try to make it live. It’s a visual show too, lot’s of crowd participation. Sometimes we’ll have a word of the night, I’ll jump off stage and dance with everyone. We want the crowd to know that we’re having fun just like they are." For the CD release show especially, Bell says the show is going to be fun. "We’ll have some theatrics, smoke, bells and whistles, and a costume contest at midnight! We’ve got a cash prize for best male and best female costume, and we’re gonna have door prizes and stuff. It’ll be a party." Another aspect of BMM’s uniqueness is its love for the guest player. "It’s something else that separates us, I think," says Bell, "we like to have other musicians from other bands or whatever, come join us on stage." For the CD release show it’ll be trumpet player Joe Zimmet formally from La Revancha. So, now that they have the disc, what’s next for the band? "Getting our music out there. We want to grow beyond Toledo. We’d like to get where we’re playing every night and doing this for a living," says Bell, though he admits, "it’s a slow process. Would it be great to just get snapped up and signed? Sure. But there’s a certain satisfaction to doing all ourselves," he says. Boogie Matrix Mechanism plays its CD release show at Vamps, 911 Phillips Ave. on Saturday, October 28 at 8 p.m. Burning Bush will open. $5 cover for 21+, $7 for under 21. www.vampsupallnight.com. Learn more about BMM at www.myspace.com/boogiematrix. - Toledo City Paper

Boogie Matrix Mechanism are a band that mixes up rock, funk, jazz, blues, and even a bit of hip-hop to create something for the jamband crowd. I know it's a comparison that might be too easy, but these guys, whose influences range from Grateful Dead to Santana, and you hear this throughout their CD, Glass Candy (self-released). I was very impressed by the guitar work of John Kuntz, and if The Allman Brothers Band ever needed another guitarist, this guy would fit in well. The band's vibe is fun and rockin' good times. There is a slight "newness" to their sound that may be due to the limitations of the recording studio. They seem like the kind of band who would blow away any festival they played on. They also have the kind of funk groove fans of Primus and Brad might appreciate, and fortunately they are not mutually exclusive to one style so that they become boring at any given time. The band are all about the boogie, the new boogie, or the old boogie mutated into the new way of living, and it will be interesting to hear how they will mature in the coming years. - John Book

-By Ryan A. Bunch
Toledo’s festive heroes have been doin’ the thing for nearly four years now, which is
plenty of time for lots of Toledo bands to form, break up, become seven or eight other
bands, move away, move back home, get back together, and ... well, you get the point. You
have to give BMM solid credit, from a two-piece acoustic act that expanded into a six-piece
band then known as Glass Candy, playing the local circuit in Bowling Green and Toledo,
this septet has seen some changes over its tenure. With an eclectic musical palate, and funloving
live show, BMM has earned fans not just around Toledo, but on coveted stages such
as Hookahville, Grateful Fest, Rhythm Fest (where they opened for George Clinton and
Parliament Funkadelic), and the legendary Nelsons Ledges, not to mention, touring most of
the region, including dates across Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Earlier this year, the gang
released its second LP, “Animated Reality,” and enjoyed much fan support, something that
guitarist Johnny K says the band doesn’t take for granted. “I can’t express how much all of
our fans and family have done for us — except we prefer to call our fans family — they are
the ones that keep Boogie Matrix going!,” he said. And with that, the Boogie Matrix wants
to thank you, the adoring fans, for your love and support at this very special post-X-mas
extravaganza. This is your show, intended to give your holiday season a little extra kick in
the ass. Enjoy your accolades from these funky hippie hipsters, and dance the night away.
Green trees and merry vibes welcome. ... www.myspace.com/toledocentrestage. — RAB - Toledo City Paper

This article was written a few months before a name change from Glass Candy to Boogie Matrix Mechanism. .

"It’s an oxymoron that relates to the music," says Brian Bell of the band’s name. "It’s about something positive and fun, but that might bite you at the same time." The schism between reality and fun-loving is what Glass Candy has been exploring since it began as a duo more than a year ago. Now, with a full line up, the band is ready for the next level.
For this jam-style/indefinable septet, their musical message matters most. The all-Toledo area band, composed of founders/songsmiths Bell (lead vocals, Toledo), and Bob Maltby (rhythm guitars, Bowling Green), as well as Ben Durham (bass, Sylvania), Eric Lowden (drummer, Sylvania), Jim Kahmann (keys, Toledo), John Kuntz (lead guitar) and newcomer Aaron Armstrong (percussion, Sylvania) say they have a clear mission — Positivity.
"More that anything, we’re trying to create a scene," says Bell, "not just music, but kids coming out and having a good time. The show is about throwing off all the stress and relaxing. We’re trying to do something a lot of bands aren’t doing, which is bring energy to the stage. There is a lot of talent in some great bands, but they just stand there and give you music. With us, every show is different, we bring a variety."
Bell also says part of that variety is input from the sizable band. "Everyone has something to say — at practice, after gigs — which is good. We bring a little more into the band with every individual’s personality. Bob and I have seen the whole thing evolve and change. We began as a duo, playing places like the Easy Street in Bowling Green. You can’t help but take new direction with a new lineup."
That attitude is slowly separating Candy from other groups in town. Newest member of the band, Armstrong, the Santana-influenced percussionist, emphasizes the importance of their mission. "It’s fun, it’s positive. We’re trying to create an atmosphere for people to come and get down to."
While the band plays an assortment of original tunes, which they are in the process of recording for an upcoming CD, Armstrong says you might very well catch them doing a cover. But not to worry, it’ll be a cool one.
"We try to cover stuff that not everyone does. We do some off-beat Talking Heads, Grateful Dead, Sublime." The Dead, says Bell, is an essential part of the band. "The Grateful Dead is a big influence on everybody in the band. We all have our personal likes, but that’s the common one."
These days, when jam rock is struggling to become a genre with an undefined quota, Bell says the band is jam-oriented, but not what you might think. "It’s jam, but it’s a little hip-hop, too." "Brian has a vocal delivery a little bit like Bradley Nowell of Sublime," says Armstrong, "He sings, but he’s got this great, spoken word/rap kind of thing, too." This mix is what makes the music hard to label, "We’ve toyed with a couple labels, from the psychedelic blues to hippie-hop jam rock — that’s one I’ve been digging lately (laughs)."
As far as the future of the band, Bell just says they’re eager to have fun. "We like to party," he says, "We like to see people come out and dance. We’ve had a steadily growing attendance. This can go somewhere. We know people will dig it if they just get a chance to come out and listen."
Glass Candy plays Thursday, Feb. 9 at Checker’s Pub (809 S. Main, BG. 419-353-3431), and Saturday, Feb. 11 at Mickey Finn’s Pub (602 Lagrange, at Huron, Toledo. 419-346-3466). Check the Metro Music calendar at www.toledocitypaper.com for info and details.

- Toledo City Paper

Toledo, OH septet’s full-length CD offers a number of lively, classic, jammy rock tunes, a feel-good smorgasbord that they pull off with some panache. “Greener Grass” features flights of guitar fancy a la Santana. “Ssippi Soul” exudes an Allmans flavor with lots of Dickey Betts-ish fretwork. Lyrically, the Boogies get heavy and cosmic at times, but the overall musical vibe of this ensemble recalls the sunny soul-pop of the Doobie Brothers. This band probably gets folks up and moving in a live setting.

- Music Connection Magazine