Art Decade

Art Decades guitarist/vocalist/arranger Ben Talmi grew up on a strict diet of the finest classical music there is, and it shows. The groups Western Sunrise album is filled with some of the most breathtaking string arrangements youll ever hear on a popular music album. The bands other half is Binod Singh, its lone Canadian and more of a Motown and soul guy, on bass. The outfit describes its music as neo indie classical, symphonic post-pop and rock, but it actually fits all these categorizations and more. You dont have to listen long, for instance, to pick up on a progressive electric guitar part here, and a club dance beat there. Were you to limit it mentally to only, say, the classical/symphonic label, however, you may well miss out on also recognizing the groups more aggressive rock instincts, which are very much on overt display.

Talmi studied at Berklee School of Music, which is one of most respected musical education institutions, if not the greatest school of musical higher learning. However, Talmi came out of this advanced school with his head on straight and his love for music still intact.

A strong musical education can do many things to a musician, oftentimes people become jaded with their acquired musical knowledge, becoming frustrated with the state of popular music and its general lack of musical depth, explains Talmi. Others are unable to escape the education and end up producing very indulgent and selfish music. I truly hope to take what I have learned and apply it in a very mature way. Indeed, Art Decades music is as entertaining, as it its thought-provoking.

Not surprisingly, Talmis talent caught producer Dan Hannons ear almost immediately. Hannon quickly put Talmi to work arranging strings for many tracks on Manchester Orchestras third album, Simple Math, including its title track. After hearing the home recordings that Ben self-produced, says Hannon, I was convinced that he and the band had tremendous potential, and decided to help develop the project. The work Talmi did with Manchester Orchestra gives that band a kind of Smashing Pumpkins grandeur they never seemed to quite achieve with past efforts, and now Hannon has helped Art Decade create its own expansive sonic.

A song like Steam Punk Sicker War attempts and succeeds at incorporating much of what this unique act does so well. There are stacked vocals, as well as some thumping bass worthy of Muse. And although this track is not as punk as its title may suggest, there are still some gruff electric guitar parts. Ultimately, its the whole fantastic package.

Punk rock many times thrives on spontaneity. However, such a spontaneous spirit probably does not drive Art Decade. Instead, Talmi describes his bands music as very organized and clean. The albums are like architecture, he continues, every piece has a reason.

Art Decade also sets its goals extremely high. Talmi says he hopes to make albums that perfectly represent our artistic vision without any compromise. In a world were compromise is sometimes the name of the game, it takes a strong-willed individual like Talmi to turn his lofty dreams into reality. However, this man that grew up on the classics and by classics, we dont mean Led Zeppelin; instead, we mean Mozart, Beethoven and Bach -- wants his music to remembered the same special way as his classical heroes. I want to make modern music that is played in halls hundreds of years later, like classical music is today.

Therefore, Art Decade has no intentions of merely remaining a remnant of our current decade. Rather, this group is shooting to be remembered for decades and decades to come.