Adai
Denver, Colorado, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
"Adai does a pretty slick job blending the later output of Isis with a few of Jupiter-era Cave In's more expansive moments. And for a band with a single guitarist, this release sure has a thick sound that isn't hindered in the least by the lack of a bassist... Adai's stripped down approach to a genre typically saturated with frivolous musical touches should raise more than a few eyebrows. '... I carry.' is a great start for a young band. Pay attention to these guys in the future." - Lambgoat
"Adai defies any preconceived notion of a two-piece anything: hellishly loud, terrifically slow, strikingly abrasive, yet wholly and implacably melodic." - The Onion A.V. Club
"Adai's songs are deliberate and expansive... Mournful melodies abound... build[ing] to heart-pounding peaks. Kurt Ballou's meaty production and Seldon Hunt's eye-popping artwork round out the package.” - Decibel Magazine
Discography
"Felo De Se" - Cavity Records
rel. June, 2010
"Graves" single - Cavity Records
rel. Jan., 2010
"...I Carry" - Radar Recordings
rel. Sept., 2008
Photos
Bio
"The band was originally a four piece: two guitars, bass, and a drummer. One of our guitarists and our bassist decided to leave," drummer Justin Trujillo explains. "At the time we had some of our biggest shows lined up and [guitarist/vocalist Devin and I] decided not to cancel them and instead see if we could make the two piece thing work. We got a tremendous amount of positive feedback and decided to just stick with it."
That relentless attitude is this Denver duo's M.O. For their debut EP, " ... I Carry.", surely they could have found a suitable studio in their native Colorado. But no, Trujillo and Mendoza weren't going to settle for anything less than perfect, so they toured all the way to Massachusetts to record with one of metal's most in-demand producers, Kurt Ballou (Converge, Cave In, Torche).
Since recording and self-releasing "... I Carry." in 2006-7, Adai has been hitting the road hard, touring with (future) labelmates Caspian, Junius, and Constants, among others. During that time, the band developed a relationship with Radar Recordings, who released "... I Carry." in September of 2008. "We love everyone involved with [Radar] and they're easily some of the hardest working people we've met in this industry," Trujillo says.
One gets the sense that Trujillo and Mendoza are perfectionists. From working with Kurt Ballou to tracking down Seldon Hunt (Isis, Pelican, Neurosis) to design the sleeve for "... I Carry", to choosing to continue as a duo—on their own terms—when bands with lesser mettle would have thrown in the towel prematurely. Trujillo and Mendoza clearly love what they do.
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