Chant

Grant V. Ziegler
Issue date: 4/27/09

The audience at the Granada Theater in Dallas May 11 was treated to a delightfully evil evening courtesy of My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult (TKK). They weren't alone, however, as they brought some friends by the name of Chant and the Razorblade Dolls.

The one-man band out of Austin called Chant started the festivities and got the blood pumping and the pulse of the venue beating immediately after taking the stage. Bradley of Chant is a sensational drummer. If Nine Inch Nails and Nitzer Ebb had a love child who grew up to be a drummer, Chant would be their kid. He has three drum sets in front of him and utilizes them all quite well.

He does as much work as all three members of the Blue Man Group combined. With tribal beats and soul-pounding intensity this one-man army pounds his way into your brain and will stay there. Trust me, I hate instrumental sets most of the time. Chant's set is not just instrumental noise though. It does have some background sound engineering, and he does enough singing on a few of the songs to keep him out of the instrumental category. Chant takes drumming and turns it into art. This is one drummer who won't be groupie-less backstage at shows.

Chant's new CD, That Which Divides, is available now. Two songs that stand out to me are "Crash Me" and "Things You Know." I met Chant after the show, and he was too talented to be as nice as he was. He cares about his fans and enjoys their company. - Dallas/North Lake College News-Register

The only thing missing from CHANT Friday February 25th at Elysium was the kitchen sink! Austin's own Bradley Bills took over the dance floor with style and grace that only a true musician can make look easy. Mastering a plethora of drum kits with multiple kicks, snares, symbols, metal cans, and a satellite dish... he proved to the audience that a drummer should never be taken for granted!

Liz Walton - Austin Rank and Review

July 04 - Christopher Gray

Storm A-Brewing: Chant is the brainchild of Brewtality, INC. (SXSW participants) Bradley Bills, who whips live percussion and preprogrammed tracks into a whirling dervish of sonic mayhem. "Beginnings" throbs and pounds with a half-electronic, half tribal pulse that lands somewhere between Nine Inch Nails, Crash Worship, and the drum circle at Eeyore's birthday! - Austin Chronicle

San Antonio

Nothing prepared us for the power that rolled off the stage as Bradley took the stage and the room erupted into a maelstrom of hard drum beats. The music composed by creator Bradley Bills slipped easily from Tribal to Industrial to an almost Synth Pop sound. Moving swiftly, purposefully, almost primal in intensity, Bradley kept the audience completely entranced by his dynamic performance. The Energy of a CHANT show is aggressive, emotional, and moving!

Rhianna Frater - Texas Edge Magazine

"(Watching CHANT) is like lifting weights all day or good, long marathon sex, it's lots of fun, but tires you out!"

"I guess the secret to good music is to put your heart and soul into it."

"If Dave Grohl ever did a solo project, this is what he'd steal from... he may sell more records, but it would never be as real!"

Mr. Joe Lifto - Jim Rose Circus
Austin Rank and Review - Austin Rank and Review

Rounding out my evening at THe Caucus Club was CHANT. I don't know how the hell he does it! The crowd was enthralled by this set, as more people gathered to watch this performance than any other. Even people walking down the street had to stop to see what was going on.

- Bryan Spearry
10.15.05 - Austin Rank and Review

Shadows Production's own Fire Wiccid Art's Interview with Bradley this past Spring:

(Edited by CHANTproject.com for continuity)

SP: What’s the origin of your bands name? Have you changed the band’s name
before?

Bradley: Well, CHANT was an experimental project based solely around drums - mainly trance and tribal rhythms - mixed with INdustrial noise. As it took shape - I named the project CHANT, really because of the connotation to meditation with chanting and drumming. Over time, it's become much more electronic and industrial - but I like CHANT and still think it fits, because its all about reaching forward.


SP: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

Bradley: I'd say Tribal-infused Industrial ROCK...

On the tribal-rock-drumming side - early bands like The Creatures, Crash Worship, and Dead Can Dance shaped what I wanted to do... with Tool and NIN being obvious huge influences. Above all, I continue to be a massive fan of Peter Gabriel - an absolutely innovative artist and songwriter!


SP: Are you a member of any music organizations?

Bradley: Not really - although in Austin we started an underground music scene called ATXU and some close friends of mine put out a compilation -- anyone digging Industrial and Electronic music should check it out: http://www.myspace.com/atxunderbelly


SP: What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e., What made you choose the instruments you have now?

Bradley: I've kept every drum I've ever had since I began playing at age 14. One of the main drums I use today is from that set. It's a Rogers 70's floor tom and sounds LOW and bad-ass... I just love drums too much to get rid of them. Live, I have a metal drum set made of trash-cans, paint-cans, and a satellite dish... sounds INDUSTRIAL - haha - good times!


SP: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues?
Do you have any upcoming shows?

Bradley: Some great moments so far have been performing with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult @ Numbers in Houston, with Combichrist @ The Meridian --- and being a part of the New Orleans Voodoo Music Festival that NIN played this year... Playing at The Elysium in Austin is always great - it's my home and they really take care of me.


SP: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?

Bradley: I'm still young to songwriting - I put out a CD/DVD demo in 2005 - just stabs at songs really - For my first record, released last year: That Which Divides - many of the songs deal with boundries - between each other, within relationships, between enemies, between everyone in the world --- separation. Most songs I write have a literal meaning, with a hidden one underneath. "Crash Me" is about a very underground fetish that a very few people have regarding car crashes - the fear of the crash is a turn on - but one the surface, the song is also about people who are addicted to bad relationships - it hurts - but they keep doing it. Overall, I like to say it's aggressive, emotional content, but with a hint of hope hidden away.


SP: Do you think these topics will change over time?

Bradley: I think they have to - otherwise I'm not growing and won't be creating from the heart.

SP: How has your music evolved since you first began?
What has been your biggest challenge (as Chant)? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Bradley: Being one guy. There's no bass player to go put up flyers, so I do everything and it's tough - I'm really starting to get serious about getting a street team together and seeking managment - I think it's time. But for band challenges - Every band I've been in, the biggest challenge was finding people who wanted to carve a career out of our work as much as I did. No one was ever as commited... and the years kept going by. So, eventually, I did it myself and have accomplished more on my own. You know - that couldn't have happened 20 yrs ago -- but now with acts like The Dresden Dolls - The White Stripes - Ghostland Observatory - people are seeing that 2 act bands can make it - my view is if a DJ like DJ Shadow or DJ Tiesto can fill a stadium spinning records - then so can one guy bashing drums to industrial music!

SP: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

Bradley: Do the best you can to get to the bottom of the real reason why each member wants to be in the band. If one person wants to be a rock star and the other one just wants to get drunk and get laid - its not going to work (well, for one of them anyway). Hey, if you just want to be big in your home town for a few years while you're going to college and then go on with your life - that's OK - I mean it - but make sure you're not dogging the others who really want to do something. Make sure someone's not draggin you down.


SP: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?

Bradley: WORD - here it is:

www.chantproject.com - official site
www.myspace.com/chant - official myspace
www.myspace.com/chantprojections - official fan page and street team
www.youtube.com/chantprojections - official Youtube page

On those sites - there's links to my CDs - Beginnings (CD/DVD demo) and full album That Which Divides -

I'm on itunes and Rhapsody too --- buy a CD or download and tune and see you at the SHOW!!!


SP: Any last words?

Bradley: Choose... or someone will choose for you.
- Shadows Productions Press: Oklahoma

Chant has been known on the local Texas scene since a few years as he's been giving a lot of live shows and got into collaborations with famous but also professional musicians. A list of bands he has performed with so far is long but includes such names like: My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, White Rabbit, DAX, Genitortures, Mortiis, VAST, The Last Dance, Attrition, Pigface, Cesium::137, Mentallo and The Fixer or The Hunger. Impressive, isn't it? Moreover all the shows had happened between 2004/2006 but of course more to come.
This is the first full album of Chant but there were 2 other releases put out in 2004 as a CD and DVD called Beginnings.

I was sweetening over Texas rock music many times but it's a good moment to recall that because Chant has been based in Austin, TX. The album varies from radio/dancefloor sort of songs (Point and Click, Crash Me, Wake Up, The Line) to even suitable for video games or movies soundtracks (Waking Up with an ambient background enriched with exotic vibe probably influenced by Dead Can Dance band music) and kind of murky and instrumental Going Home. My favourite track begins at the end of the album and it's called The Same Change, with a very interesing song structure and a changeable rhythm. Pay attention also to Reaching for Something New (this title could be the CD title very easy!) which has this bass line hidden somewhere in the background but remarkable enough to make your ears interested. Going Home mentioned above is a great song, very simple but also with a very mysterious vibe. I really enjoyed listening to that!

The album was recorded (with additional drum parts) by Martin Atkins (Pigface, Invisible Records), and was produced by Mark DuFour, en ex-member of two excellent Texas based industrial metal bands of the 90's- Skrew and The Skatenigs. Mark cooperated last year with another memorable Texas band - Snow Black, featuring Phildo Owen from Revolting Cocks.
The CD was released in a professional digipack. Check out Chant's online shop, website and Myspace profile for more informations. (NINa) - IndustrialRock.net

While percussion has always been a central characteristic of industrial music, it is rarely infused with the tribal energies that are so inherent in percussive music. Bradley Bills, the man behind the skins in Chant, stands as an exception, blending screwdriver guitars and gyrating electronic textures with his powerful drumming style.

Ilker Yücel - ReGen Mag

"A Techno Industrial Madman!"

(Interview Excerpts)

MAGX: In a world influenced by the same cookie cutter crap that's on the radio, what is it that keeps you going against the grain?

CHANT: Well, I want to stay honest and admit that if what I do is going against the grain, much of it is what I do naturally and a stroke of luck. I do listen to and like mainstream music to some degree. I think staying open to all kinds of music and pouring every influence I can into CHANT probably helps though.

MAGX: Is there a concept behind CHANT?

CHANT: Not by intent. The name CHANT was chosen because of the meditation aspect of trance/tribal drumming and chanting. The term 'Reaching for Something New' continues to pop up in my mind and appears in some of the things I create.
- Magxonline.com