Eightfourseven

In The Now Magazine: Tell us about the history of the band. More specifically, when was the band formed, how did you meet, and have there been any particular highlights or low points in your career, any crucial events that have taken you where you are today?

Anthony Sarti: Eightfourseven was formed between 1999-2000. Lance and I met in High School and we played in a few bands together. As we entered college, we parted ways with our other band mates leaving us without a guitarist and drummer. In between classes we'd hang out with new and reconnected friends from junior high. That's when I met Ben and Sean and soon realized that they had an amazing secret, they just so happened to be a guitarist and drummer combo. The next step was a no-brainer. We met up to jam and I knew something special was happening. We all had common interests in music and we were into playing as loud and heavy as sonically possible. One constant in our music style is that we hit hard with power and we're into creating unpredictable dynamics. As our influences shift and change, our core sound is always present. One of my favorite highlights of the band was the recording process during Lossless. We had the privilege to work with some amazing producers and mastering engineers. Although listening to Lossless is a great payoff, it was the journey that I'll always hold as a highlight in our band's career.

Sean Bivins: I think one of the more important events that's happened with eightfourseven over the years was when, Chino (the Deftones) posted our song, "phantom limb" on a playlist online. This opened the gates for a whole new group of people to hear us. With all of the online resources now, people can hear bands from over the world that they never would have been able to 10 years ago. We have sold records all over the world, without ever setting foot on their soil. Thank you internet, thank you Chino, thank you bloggers and thank you to music enthusiast.

In The Now Magazine: Do you remember how the idea of forming the band first came up?

Anthony Sarti: We all shared a joint interest in being professional musicians, so once we played together a few times, making the band official was an obvious choice.

Lance Jackman: Yea, Tony and i had been playing music together for years and Sean and I reconected in college after not seeing each other since Jr High. Sean brought along his good friend Ben who just happened to be a terrific drummer.

In The Now Magazine: How long after you formed was it until you played your first live show?

Lance Jackman: We practiced for about a year, writing and really getting to know each other before we played a show.

Sean Bivins: I think we spent almost a year trying to figure out how to write and perform our first batch of songs. Technology wasn't were we needed it to be at the time for what we wanted to do. So there were some strange fixes that we had to do to play our samples and figuring out the timing of how the samples and the live performances were going to match up. We have since figured all of that out.

In The Now Magazine: What are your memories of the performance?

Lance Jackman: Well it was at an all girl catholic high school, so to have four 19 year old guys wandering around campus it really doesnt matter how you sound. we wanted them to all just have fun but the teachers kept making them sit down.

Anthony Sarti: I remember seeing the faces of an Eightfourseven crowd for the first time. Although they were forced to watch us as a school activity, I could tell that they were interested and engaged in our music. Playing in front of an all-girl school is definitely a confidence booster, let's just say that our first 21 and older bar show wasn't as easy on the eyes.

Sean Bivins: I remember starting, because that's the hardest part to do. And then I remember ending. Everything else in between is usually a blur.

In The Now Magazine: Tell us about the band's name?

Anthony Sarti: We chose Eightfourseven as a band name so the music could later define the meaning. We didn't want people to have a predisposition on the band just by hearing the name. Let's say you read a flyer and the headliner was "Yesterday My Life is Yours as Puppies Cry" one could probably predict that it's a metal band... and not a very good one at that. Get it?

In The Now Magazine: What is your latest album and why should people buy it?

Lance Jackman: It's called "Lossless" and really out of all of our records i think it is the most focused and the fullest sounding, a lot of hard work and long nights exsist within that record and i'm quite proud of it.

Sean Bivins: Our latest album is titled, "Lossless". And people should buy our record for the same reason they should buy any record, because it makes a connection with who they are.

Ben Conger: Lossless, its good.

In The Now Magazine: How would you categorize the style of the band? And did you ever consider or try playing other styles of music than the one you are playing now?

Anthony Sarti: Post-Harcore / Electronica

Lance Jackman: How about "Dark Space Rock" Really i feel that the type of music chose us rather than us choosing it. We all have our different back grounds musically and from our first practice we could tell that it all worked itself out pretty well.

Sean Bivins: I would say it's alternative. And by that, i mean that it doesn't fit squarely in any one style of music. And I'm proud of that. As far as playing other styles of music, our bands sound is formed from the four individuals different backgrounds and tastes in music. So songs might come to the table in one form but always end up leaving sounding like eightfourseven.

Ben Conger: We are hard to categorize, easiest would be electronic rock. I think we are always considering other styles of music when we try to be creative.

In The Now Magazine: Can you share with us one or two of your favorite moments with the band?

Lance Jackman: probably just last fall, our first show with the deftones out in texas and seeing 4000 people in front of us, and hearing some of them singing along. that felt good. Really though my favorite is just being out on the road in the van with my friends, sometimes i think we have more fun in-between shows, driving.

Sean Bivins: One of my favorite memories is our first tour. It was a short tour up and down the west coast. But it was the first time that we were all together for a long period of time. And during that time we: learned to fit lots of people into cramped hotel rooms / onto peoples floors, enjoyed hotel pools, played living rooms / parking lots, had fun playing on the side of the freeway while our trailer was being fixed, offered gear security by a crackhead, emotional breakdowns, lots of In & Out / Denny's, Lance getting in a bank robbery, new friendships and that sense of adventure.

Ben Conger: Anytime we are on the road, and the endless amounts of jokes.

In The Now Magazine: Does the entire band contribute to the writing process?

Anthony Sarti: We all bring a unique style to our individual parts. The writing process usually begins with a riff or melody and then we add and subtract elements until we're all happy.

Lance Jackman: Yea we really do, sometimes one will contribute more than someone else and it will flip flop between all of us. We all have our floods and we all have our droughts.

Sean Bivins: We all have a say in how the songs are written and arranged. And it's not just a say in our own part, but others' as well. We write in a much more stepped back approach than we used to. It's all about what's good for the song, not just the individual parts.

Ben Conger: Yes, normally someone has an idea and we all build a song around that.

In The Now Magazine: How important do you rate the lyrical side of your albums?

Anthony Sarti: I think the lyrical elements in our albums are really special and diverse. Each vocal pattern, word and arrangement is selected for a purpose. Sometimes the vocals depict a message or concept from the band as a whole and sometimes the lyrics are more personal to Lance's experiences and thoughts. Either way, our lyrical content is just as important as the instrumentation.

Lance Jackman: This is where i am supposed to say it is the most important thing ever but really i dont think it is. I see it as suttle way to convey a mood or an image. Look at Lithium by Nirvana, that was a HUGE hit and the chorus consists of one word.

In The Now Magazine: What are your current tour plans, if any?

Lance Jackman: Hopefully, getting back out on the road in the fall. A lot of people have been wanting us to get back to Texas.

Sean Bivins: Looking to set up a winter tour that takes us across the US.

In The Now Magazine: Describe your live performance?

Anthony Sarti: On a personal note, I manage playing bass and keyboards/samples at the same time during our live performances. That aspect makes each show exciting and difficult to complete. The risk for mistakes and imperfections is very high, but that element is what makes an Eightfourseven show fun to watch and hear. Improvising is a must in live performances.

Lance Jackman: Complete disregard for our own well-being. I'm just kidding, we do tend to have quite a bit of energy though.

Sean Bivins: If I had to describe our performances in a couple of words, I'd have to say, dynamic and energetic. Live music is like theatre. We are play our roles on stage, we are the entertainers.

Ben Conger: Controlled chaos

In The Now Magazine: What one Album should everyone have in their collection?

Anthony Sarti: Prodigy, "The Fat of the Land "is a revolutionary record for the electronic / rock genre. It's fun to listen to and in my opinion, "fun" is really the core of what music should be.

Lance Jackman: Geez there are so many, we have been known to buy albums that we already own just to give to someone down the road. Its either Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, or LRon by Barkmarket

Sean Bivins: I would say "Lossless", but i think that's obvious. So I'll say, DJ Shadow "Entroducing"

Ben Conger: L Ron Barkmarket

In The Now Magazine: Tell us about your local music scene?

Anthony Sarti: Over the past 15 years Sacramento's music scene has slowly decayed. With devastating music sales in the national industry, local shows seem to take the hardest blow. When national bands don't tour or limit touring, they avoid smaller markets like Sacramento with limited venue options. Therefore, local bands can't showcase on larger shows to gain local audiences. There are also booking politics and egos that stand in the way of many opportunities. The local music in Sacramento is now completely divided into super small segments that attract many eclectic styles of music in smaller club venues. Maybe that's a good thing, but I've never seen Sacramento be so unfocused as a music scene. With that said, there are individuals in our scene that are trying to make a change for the better and for that fact I'm hopeful for the future.

Lance Jackman: Hmmm. Well our scene was firing on all cylinders 15 or so years ago. Actually the bands in Sacramento are tremendous, we just need places to play.

Sean Bivins: The Sacramento music scene is having its' own recession. I feel like it has the ability to thrive again but there's some issues as far as venues and ability to get people out to shows. The actual recession hasn't helped either.

In The Now Magazine: Why do you think people are into your music?

Anthony Sarti: I've heard from listener's before that our music is refreshing. I hope that is true because we consciously strive to create an original sound landscape.

Lance Jackman: I dont know, but im glad they are. heh

Sean Bivins: I think our music shares some characteristics that are common with other Sacramento favorites and therefore it's easy for people to connect with what we're doing. And our music is honest.

In The Now Magazine: If we were to look at your Ipod, what would we find in your music collection?

Anthony Sarti: Extremely new music. I love finding the newest artists and music to dive into. It's the discovery stage of music that I love the most. A permanent standby on my iPod is the "Mortal Kombat" remix collection. I just get pumped up! FINISH HIM!

Lance Jackman: Wow, anything from Norweigian Black Metal to Showtunes

Sean Bivins: Anything from jazz to blues, rock to rap, folk to techno. I love music. Lately, I've been listening to Warpaint, Cult of Luna, Other Lives, Veto, and Bjork. But I like to change out what's on my ipod every week or so, so that I don't get bored with what's on there.

In The Now Magazine: Would there be any one band or musician that would surprise us that you are listening to them?

Anthony Sarti: Arty Shaw, Clarinet extraordinaire.

Lance Jackman: Michael McDonald?

Sean Bivins: I have a thing for Janet Jackson's "Janet" record. But C'mon, who doesn't like that record? Damn good.

In The Now Magazine: Where can our readers find your band on the internet?

Lance Jackman: eightfourseven.com and Playgirl Magazine.

In The Now Magazine: How has Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) impacted your band?

Anthony Sarti: Now, we can communicate directly with our fans in real-time. When we tour, we record our photos on instagram, facebook and twitter. Facebook is unique because we can send updates to specific users in targeted regions. In return, our fans are getting relevant news and show dates that are correlated with their location. That's a powerful feature.

Lance Jackman: It's great, the only problem is, once we hit a milestone as far as number of friends/likes, people switch to the next one

Sean Bivins: Social Networking seems to be the main use of the internet now a days. It's the fastest way to find out information and express your opinion on that information. For bands its vital to the knowledge that your band even exists. As it says, it's social networking. And for a band to survive, they need to constantly be networking, finding new listeners and supporters. Our band is lucky to be around today. We can spread news and get in contact with thousands of people with a simple keystroke.

In The Now Magazine: Thanks for answering these questions. Do you have any last comments or words of advice for the readers of In The Now Magazine?

Anthony Sarti: Make your voice and opinions heard with actions. If you like a band support them and make them yours. Bands need their listeners more than ever now. Thank you TNM for this interview and opportunity to share our music.

Sean Bivins: Listen to everything. Make mixtapes, pass them out, support and spread the word. - In the Now Magazine

Upon donning my headphones and listening to about 45 seconds of “Phantom Limb” the opening track on EightFourSevens album “Lossless” I first thought to myself, “I’ve made a mistake…this should have been on our top 10 list this year.” To many that thought may seem a bit hasty, but the song really is that good. As the first few radiant notes crawl into your ear drums you are immediately alerted that this isn’t going to be an ordinary ride. The singular guitar phrasing haunts you as electronically produced rythyms are fired off bouncing from speaker to speaker. Despite the ghostly guitar textures, and artificial sounds, natural drums accompany the piece along with the milieu of the vocals. Finally when the chorus kicks in the music seems to be heavy, yet some how still hollow (in a good way), with front man Lance Jackman’s eerie voice creating an unforgettable melody in your head.

As the next track begins to spin in my player I begin to realize that my original assessment was indeed premature. I have a hard time saying “Vital vs. Viral” as the next “song” on the album, because really it’s two minutes and 51 seconds, of computer produced nonsense. Bands rarely sit down to think about the interludes they put on their albums. What does it add to the album? Is this something a listener would want to hear? For me the answer is most often, “no.” However I understand that a lot of people feel the need to fulfil their self-loving musical eccentricities…but did they really have to make it the 2nd track on the album? Fortunately the next song “Chibana” returns to more listenable music, but unfortunately by that point the flow of the album is already really disrupted.

There are definitely hints of that classic Sacramento, CA sound here, which comes as no surprise as EFS collaborated with producer Eric Stenman (Deftones, Far), but just when you might think that they are another Team Sleep wannabe, the band sidelines you with full-tilt screams, which are mixed in so well they don’t come across as intimidating or over powering. Someone that may be prone to avoid heavier music would still find this done tastefully and might not even notice.

Lossless is an album of compressed landscapes, mixing traditional instruments with electronic production. There is a good mix of the two which could add appeal to fans coming from either end of the spectrum. There is a lot of great music on this album, the only problem is it’s mixed in between a lot of his and lows with tracks 2 and 8 being electronic-like bridges, and the 10th track being an electronic remix of “Phantom Limb” Lossless only has an EP’s worth of music.

I will say the band has a huge amount of potential, I just hope they continue to pursue their own sound, as opposed to following to closely in the footsteps of their peers. They’ve already been produced by the same guy as their CA bretheren, and are currently also on tour with the Deftones. It’s great to have influences, but it’s a slippery slope.

For Fans of: Deftones, Team Sleep, Far

Stand Out Tracks: Phantom Limb, Chibana, Youth Erratic,

Overall Rating: 6.75 out of 10 - InRevu.com

A psychedelic revival is underway in the post-hardcore scene, and Sacramento quartet Eightfourseven is on the cutting edge of the trend. Lossless, the bands latest release, is an alternately hard driving and free floating fusion of heavy riffs and spacey textures. The disc's power lies in this precise sense of balance. “Chibana” is the best example of this, with its hypnotic blend of futuristic beats and sledgehammer breakdowns. Meanwhile, the standout title track begins with cascading ambient guitars and builds into a triumphant and noisy coda. Vocalist/guitarist Lance Jackman, who is a dead ringer for Minus the Bear’s Jake Snider, is Eightfourseven’s most powerful weapon. His shimmering pipes slice right through the dense atmospherics and launch songs such as the haunting “Sleeping Dragons” into orbit. The production is seamless, with each song drifting into the next. As a result, the album plays out like a single epic suite. At times, though, the fussed out gray hue that swathes Lossless can make it difficult to distinguish between some of the songs, especially in the slightly muddy midsection. The only low point comes in the album closer “Mirror Box”, when Jackman cues up a Linkin Park-esque style rap verse. It’s a bizarre, out of place moment in a otherwise cohesive effort. - Outburn

HardRockChick Interviews EightFourSeven @ Stubb's - Austin TX 10/19/2010 - HardRockChick.com

...Back at the rail, I took in the atmospheric qualities of EightFourSeven‘s set, listening to the electronic elements combine with the rock elements, reminiscent of two bands I have seen countless times: NIN and The Faint.

As I filmed the first three songs, I remembered how one of my first dream jobs was to make music videos. I guess it’s probably a good thing I didn’t pursue that.
EightFourSeven took the stage to a packed house. Their sound complimented the headliner while embodying a different realm; I think they won over some new fans with their set. Lead singer Lance has quite the voice, and the band plays dynamically. I was impressed. Their music is dramatic and has a certain melancholy feel to it.

We stayed after the interview to watch EightFourSeven’s soundcheck. Only when Stubb’s is empty do I realize how it’s such a small, weird venue. I mean, there really isn’t anything quite like it: there’s a tree, uneven dirt ground, the umbrella looking canopy encasing the stage, and, of course, the smell of BBQ.

We decided that a small area backstage would be the best spot for the interview. Soundchecks were running late, and we were worried that the Deftones’ soundcheck would start during the interview, and, of course, it did. Not only that, but Chino walked up on our interview and started talking in the middle of it, unbeknownst to my friend who was filming (she thought it was a roadie standing behind her).

Anthony, bassist/programmer for EightFourSeven, meets us at the front and hands us our passes, and we walk into an empty Stubb’s. We find the rest of the guys and start looking for a quiet place to film our interview.

“The doors are at 7, right?” a guy asks us on the street. “Yes” we say. “Then what are all of those people doing in line?” he says. “Waiting to get in, to be up front” we reply, with a silent ‘Duh’ on the end. He looks at us as if he doesn’t get it, and we look at him like we don’t understand how he can’t understand this. It’s 5:30pm. You’re asking two girls who have waited in lines for over 24 hours to be in the front to see their favorite bands. - HardRockChick.com

Sacramento-based ethereal-rockers Eight-Four-Seven have been doing it with style and verve since 2002, when their debut EP, Everlasting came out. Well, eight years later and they’re still going strong, with their new CD, Lossless. This is a hard to define work. It’s definitely not “pop”, not “metal”. “Alternative” is a vague enough term to define it though. The title track is a 5 ½ minute masterpiece of space-jam, pill-popping on a sunny day-mellowness. “Quaalude” is one of the more edgier, harder pieces here, not unlike Nine Inch Nails, say. It starts out with a big scream and an overall metal tinge to it – maybe they should’ve called it “Benzedrine”. But it’s good in that it helps to mix things up a bit. It’s a pretty diverse CD – one hears a little NIN here and there, a bit of Tool, even a touch of Radiohead. Still, besides the title track, “Monsters of Metropolis” is another stand-out tune. A little mellower, maybe even too close to “emo” for comfort, but there you are; it is, like some of the other tracks, reflective and it’s about the closest they come to “pop” – but, like I said, it’s all part of an overall diverse sound. Then there’s Automaton, another edgy, but not metal song – think: Filter, Jane’s Addiction(?) Eight-Four-Seven: they’re not bad, but, of course, the ultimate test is playing live, so wake me when they come to town! -Kent Manthie - Reviewer Magazine

EightFourSeven is a Sacramento-based four piece and they just came out with their new full length album "Lossless" after a debut EP in 2002, a self-released full-length in 2004 and another EP in 2006.
"Lossless" is a powerful blend of rock and electronica. Be warned reader, there is more of the former than the latter, but if you have an open mind and you like some of the West Coast sounding more adventurous bands I would give this a spin. The sound is powerful and the sonic impact is grand. They reminded me of The Dreaming (Stabbing Westward's lead singer's project) and in a way they might remind a bit of Linkin Park, but they will also remind you of a bunch of other bands with this new rock sound...
For "Lossless" EightFourSeven decided to break out the big guns. They enlisted the help of producer Eric Stenman (M.I.A., Senses Fail, Thrice) and local heroes Far's guitar player Shaun Lopez and took the whole show down to the big Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica. It took them four years of work but the results paid off qualitatively speaking and hopefully it will be same in terms of exposure and feedback.
Review by: Marc Urselli
Rated: (3.5 stars out of 5)
Industrial Music / Industrial Metal / Aggro Industrial / Electro Metal - Chain D.L.K.

Follow link for interview:
http://issuu.com/numerous/docs/ymm78/33 - Your Music Magazine

With Lossless, Eightfourseven follows in the Deftones’ footsteps, experimenting with an electronic-rock sound that runs the gamut of the nu-metal genre but stops short of crossing into the rap-rock territory championed by brainless bros in backward baseball caps. Raw emotion seeps through each distorted-guitar track on the band’s fourth release.

Frontman Lance Jackman’s vocals are diverse and commanding. On the opener, “Phantom Limb,” he is high-pitched and ear-piercing, including a chorus that never seems to end—and then gets stuck in your head all day. And his screams on “Chibana” convey the gruesome and physical pain of a man bleeding from every orifice.

Although the title track showcases some of the band’s best guitar and drum work at five-and-a-half minutes, it borders on self-indulgent. The more melodic and a minute shorter “Recover in Circles” stands out as the tune deserving of a chance on local alternative-rock radio, if such a thing still existed in Sacramento.
By Laura Winn - Sacramento News & Review

Eightfourseven proves the past four years wasn’t lost time with new release Lossless
Words by James Barone | Photo by Jay Ingram
Some of Sacramento’s favorite sons have returned with new music recently. Deftones battled back from bass player Chi Cheng’s coma to release a new album and Far rose from the dead to release their first new album in over a decade. Local electronica-laden post-hardcore band Eightfourseven hasn’t been on the shelf for quite as long as the latter, but in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of music, four years can be an eternity.
Regardless of time off, Eightfourseven is looking to be back in a big way. Their upcoming album, Lossless, was recorded at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica, Calif., and mastered by “Big Bass” Brian Gardner, whose work has enhanced albums by heavy hitters, ranging from Alice Cooper to Dr. Dre. According to bass player/programmer Anthony Sarti and guitarist Sean Bivins, the experience of working with such a seasoned pro wasn’t lost on them.
“Being in his studio with Platinum plaques from Gwen Stefani, No Doubt and stuff like that, we kind of, for the first time, shut up and just listened,” Sarti says. “We never had a problem before, but in the past, we’d put our two cents in.”
“We were all sitting in the back quiet,” Bivins added with a laugh.
Eightfourseven didn’t necessarily want Lossless to be a four-year project; the band just wanted to do the album their way. In the time between this release and their most recent, Silent Raid, the band had a few opportunities with management companies who wanted the band to rush into the studio to record, but Eightfourseven preferred to take its time, though Sarti says these differences in vision were a minor roadblock that delayed the completion of Lossless. Scheduling time at Red Bull Studios, and traveling from the Los Angeles area to Sacramento also played a big factor.
“Our last CD, we put out ourselves,” Sarti elaborates. “Now we’re on Minus Head Records—as of September. They were cool to let us baby this project and make it the way we wanted to.” Sarti says that though the songs written are two years old, they’re still fresh for the members of the band. “The songs are a couple years old to us, but I think that holds true why it’s still good. I still like the songs. I’m still excited to play them.”
Obstacles cleared, Lossless is ready for prime time, and may very well be a harbinger of things to come for the group. In the band’s most recent bio, singer/guitarist Lance Jackman said of Lossless in comparison to Silent Raid, “While Silent Raid was a little more traditional, Lossless is less of a regular rock album. It takes more chances, and it’s just a sonic wall.” Listening to the album, Jackman’s words ring true. Hard-hitting guitars and vocals are pulled through a digital wonderland of sounds, rushed along by big rhythms and shifting time signatures. In a recent interview, Sarti and Bivins discussed the new album as well as some of the band’s history.

You’ve been around since 2002; has the lineup been intact since then?
Sean Bivins: Yeah, it’s always been the four of us.
Lots of bands will have changes in that time. How have you kept it together?
SB: It’s kind of like a marriage. Obviously we have problems, but the ultimate goal of the band is what the four of us do together. If any of us changed out, it would be different. Change out our drummer, change out the singer, change out the bass player, the whole mix changes. It’s not Eightfourseven anymore. The ultimate goal is always to do the music that the four of us like and agree upon. That’s why we haven’t changed anyone out.
Anthony Sarti: Like Smashing Pumpkins, ever since it hasn’t been the full lineup, it hasn’t been the same. I saw them on television a month ago, I said to myself, “I want to change the channel. I’m not even interested,” but if I saw James Iha [ex-Smashing Pumpkin guitarist] up there, I would’ve been all into it.
Sean, you play guitar, and Anthony plays bass and does a lot of the electronics. Does it start with the guitar and then do the electronics come after?
SB: Most of the songs start with some basic guitar rhythm—basically a sketch of what the song is going to be. Then it just keeps getting layered upon, so it’s like if we were practicing something at our practice spot, just something new, and if Anthony hits something cool with a bass line or on the keyboards, things will change. Things are constantly changing, even while they’re being recorded.
AS: Most of our songs start with a riff that Sean did, and then we put them into a song formation, but there are a couple of straight electronic songs that were in that vein from the beginning, but most of our popular full-band songs start from the ground up.
Listening to the upcoming album, it sounds like everything meshes together really well, and there’s a lot going on. Nothing sounds like it’s competing. Is there a lot of push and pull involved to keep the original intent of the song, or is that even a bad thing if the original riff gets a bit lost and something else comes out of it?
AS: I think that’s what happens. Things change so many times, and everyone has a strong voice in what happens and what doesn’t happen. If there’s something that’s put in the wrong direction, we normally fix it. There are a couple of songs where the original riff is so buried in it, it’s like “OK” [laughs]. But the way it’s mixed, you can still pick that out and just focus on the guitar.
SB: There are obviously compromises made for the better. Say if I write a riff, and I have the intention that it’s going to sound like this, in this direction, and everyone else comes in and plays their parts. The three of them add to it, change it, move it in a different direction, then it’s me going, “Do I like the way it’s going? Does it sound better?” It’s hard to tell from your own one perspective.
AS: As far as how the electronics mix in, I always try to work back and forth with Ben [Conger, drummer], so that where the acoustic drums leave off, the electronic part will pick, so the beats complement each other, not overpower each other.
Now that the record stands to be released, have the songs changed a lot between when they were first written two years ago and now?
SB: They’ve changed a little bit as far as the extra layers that get put over it. The whole basic sketch for the song, the bone structure, is still there. Things got moved around a little bit, some vocals got changed, and it was nice to have the time to actually do it and have the time to think about it.
AS: And that’s why we called the CD Lossless, because we took that time off to perfect the product that we were going to put out, instead of just rushing it out. The songs changed, but it was so spread out that we learned all the changes, and I can’t even remember what the originals sounded like.
SB: They’re like 3-year-old children now. They’re a little grown up.
It’s a neat time in Sacramento now. Deftones just came out with a new record and Far is back together with a new record, so it seems like there’s a lot of good stuff happening in the scene. How do you guys think you fit in with what’s going on in the Sacramento scene right now?
SB: As a band, it’s not your job to make a CD or an album for what’s going on now. We’re just trying to make an album that shows all the stuff that we loved growing up. If people like it, which I hope they do… If one more person likes our CD and comes to our show, that’s one more person that likes to go see live music. That helps the scene out.
AS: When Far stopped playing back in the day, I remember the end of it. We were always wondering what it would be like if they came back, so now it’s sort of like a weird dream. Next, Refused will get back together.
Refused is one of the bands I thought you shared some musical similarities with.
SB: That’s one of those bands that just made a classic record [The Shape of Punk to Come]. Anyone who hasn’t heard it should, because it’s just amazing.

Check out Eightfourseven as they celebrate their CD release with a show at Harlow’s on May 28. Also on hand will be By Sunlight, DJ Whores, Dusty Brown and DJ Blackheart. Lossless will be available at the show and also online at the band’s official Web site, www.eightfourseven.com. Digital copies of the album will be on sale June 22 on iTunes. - SubMerge

This local band – Lance Jackman on vocals and guitar, Sean Bivins on guitar, Anthony Sarti on bass and sampling and Ben Conger on drums – formed in the summer of 2000. The Harlow's show, marking the band's first decade of writing and performing original music, also celebrates the release of the CD "Lossless." The eightfourseven sound mixes swirling electronica, thick rhythms with ambient sounds, aggressive chord changes and melodic vocals.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/28/2779429/three-to-see-non-jazz-bands-in.html#ixzz0plpgUeYj - Sacramento Bee

Sacramento rock band Eightfourseven has just released their first full length album entitled Lossless, an alternative rock album with traces of progressive rock and electronic music. Seeing a full-time member fo the band was credited with not only bass but also programming, I knew from the get-go that this album would be full of modern touches. I was right.
The production quality is on point. Working with “Big Bass” Brian Gardner (who has worked with Dr. Dre, Gwen Stefani, and Alice Cooper), Eric Stenman (Senses Fail, Thrice), and Shaun Lopez (guitarist for Far) couldn’t have hurt. Doing work in Santa Monica’s Red Bull Studios with the aforementioned artists helped them achieve a sound on this album that at times simply radiates with force.
The style of the album is hard to describe. Drawing from the styles of Linkin Park and Nine Inch Nails, songs like “8 Armed Baby” and “Mirror Box” are more electronic than rock and roll. To me, it’s sort of confusing. It’s clear the band wants to showcase a variety of styles, but it’s not clear why. If I had to change one thing, it would be the style of vocals. Call me old fashioned, but I found it really hard to understand what the singer was saying.
- Your Music Magazine

Rating: 4.5 stars! (out of 6)

Sounding like Kill Hannah meets Stabbing Westward meets She Wants Revenge, Eight Four Seven are a different sorta rock band that's heavy on electronic sounding stuff, there's random rap styled beats, & my personal favorite off this disc is track #6, "Claire" which is by far the heaviest number on this disc.

Mixing dance beats with dark elements, keeping the aggression to a limit of what works while trying to maintain a distinctive edge, Eight Four Seven are a flavor you need to absorb before you can ingest it...what I mean is, the music on this cd is NOT stuck in any one genre; it's more upbeat in most parts & less rock than what some of my readers might expect, but for the true music lovers, this is a disc worth checking out if you like varied tastes in music ranging from rock to alternative electro-pop. - Angel Fire.com

Sacramento’s Eightfourseven has the most forgettable name I’ve encountered in a decade-plus of album reviews. Fortunately, the band’s sophomore (but first for Minus Head) effort is a “sticky” spin, effortlessly blending electronica with arena-ready rock in attractive, even original, ways. Sure, the paranoid android-esque melancholy of “Chibana” pays homage to alt-rock titans such as Radiohead, but there’s a deeper commitment to the hardcore-punk aesthetic happening here. Singer Lance Jackman, for instance, goes from melodic blast to throat-shredding shriek in nanoseconds flat, while programmer Anthony Sarti and drummer Ben Conger provide the mountaintop-lopping rhythmic foundation necessary to keep massively melodic and crushing tracks such as “Youth Erratic” from spinning off into either pure pop pablum or metal mockery. “Recover in Circles” is the standout, though, full of textured guitar sounds and dance-floor fury, and signifying electronic music’s return to “live” dynamics. Definitely a sleeper disc that’ll grow on you into summer’s end. ????? - Vegas Seven

Look at the alternative rock scene and glaring back at you would be a body of music colored with diversity and unusual sound. Eightfourseven’s latest album Lossless is no exception. Releasing on June 22nd, Lossless is a good example of the progress the band has made since their arrival onto the Sacramento scene in 2002. In 2002 Eightfourseven released their first work, an EP by the name of Everlasting, which had a strong alternative vibe accompanied by a less pronounced electronic feel. The Allegiance was the bands first LP, released in 2004. Although progress had been made in the two years between releases, the most striking similarity between the two albums was how segmented the electronic aspects of each album were from the rest of their music.

This all changed with the subsequent release of Silent Raid in 2006, the band’s third release and second EP. During the production of this album Eightfourseven worked with Eric Stenman, a producer and mixer who has worked with other bands such as Senses Fail, Thrice and Tinfed. The band credits Stenman with helping them find a balance between the rock and the electronic aspects of their songs. Stenman’s influence on the blending of electronic elements into Eightfourseven’s music is evident in Silent Raid and consequently gave the album a fuller more collected sound. Thankfully this fullness transferred over to the band’s latest work, Lossless.

Eightfourseven’s current mixture of electronic synth, alternating smooth to rough guitar riffs, and melodic drums can be downright powerful on certain tracks. The atmosphere created in many songs can envelop the listener into an almost hypnotic trance, only to be shattered moments later by authoritative drums and coarse guitar. Described as alternative rock mixed with electronic elements, in many songs the band could be classified as a form of New Rave. Although their unique sound puts them on the cusp of a few different genres, it still seems somehow unpolished. This could be due, in part, to the noncommittal feel that the vocals occasionally project. A feeling that, when present, is fleeting. Apart from of their occasionally hollow vocals, the bands blended musical style is effective in wrapping the listener in a pleasantly harmonious cadence of ambient synth sound and silky guitar riffs.

As a whole the band seems to still be a work in progress. A work which, despite their modest discography, has developed in leaps and bounds over the past few years. Regardless of the small inadequacies their music may have at times, they have an interesting and emotionally evoking sound that suggests greater things in their future. This may be a band to look out for in the next few years.
~Peter Grapentien

Score: 3/5

Track Listing:
1. Phantom Limb
2. Vital vs Viral (Private Los Angeles)
3. Chibana
4. Youth Erratic
5. 8 Armed Baby
6. Claire
7. Recover In Circles
8. Sleeping Dragons
9. Lossless
10. Mirror Box - Bring on the Mixed Reviews

WHAT’S WHAT: Lossless was in the process for several years before it was even recorded and released. Originally meant to be a companion piece to Silent Raid, the project ended up becoming so much more for EIGHTFOURSEVEN. The band is currently writing and planning for news shows this year. “Although we’ve been a band for quite sometime, I feel this year we’re starting fresh beginning with our detailed new album, label support and building fan base,” Anthony Sarti told us. “2010 will definitely be a year to remember as we move forward. You might see a few side projects spawn from EIGHTFOURSEVEN this year but our primary focus is hitting new cities and meeting new people to share our sound.
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LOCATION: Sacramento, CA
CURRENT RELEASE: Lossless (Minus Head Records)
ROCKS LIKE: BLAQK AUDIO, WILLIAM CONTROL, DEFTONES
- AMP Magazine