illFX

The Effect of Hard Work: The Hard Work of illFX
By: Adrian Quintanar

There are times when some bands find themselves one member short of headlining; a majority of those times those bands are searching for the perfect front-man to lead them to greatness. Band mates Chris “C-Rod” Rodriguez, Endo, B. Cook, Triggz, and K.Spliff found their selves in this very situation sometime two years ago. By luck or perhaps by mere chance they aligned themselves with vocalists Mark “Rebellion” Vasquez, but we’ll call it fate given the fact that Mark and C-Rod are cousins.


The Big Bad iLLFX
After Chris introduced Mark to the rest of the guys, it all took shape from there. After plenty of jam sessions and name changes illFX has definitely blossomed into something definite and lasting. While conducting the interview it was quite difficult not to make note of the chumminess between these guys.

For lead singer Mark Vasquez, the band has brought him a bit out of his normal element—the acoustic element. Mark admits that the whole process is different, and as he puts, “acoustic is more like black and white, you know? But when we play together it’s a lot more colorful.”

The guys admit being a six-piece band is difficult when being broke and some with mouths to feed. It is that difficulty that drives them to succeed, and quite frankly they are doing an excellent job of converting that difficulty into continued success.

As Mark shared, “Nick (Triggz) our drummer, he has mouths to feed at home…and that stuff alone gives us…initiative to go above and beyond to make sure everything is going to be okay. I think that’s what gives us the drive and what gives us the motivation. You know we have people on the line that are supporting us and helping us.”

Nick (Triggz) himself had this to say about being a family man and being in a blossoming band, “It’s a very, very busy life. It’s tough. I mean it gets tough sometimes with the schedule and everything but I think it works out good.”

The imperative for all musicians and great creators is the energy and support from admirers and fans. Guitarist Alex “Endo” Endonino reveals that the bands biggest fan base is surprisingly not in the Los Angeles or Inland Empire area but rather Luxemburg. Well the band hasn’t quite ventured that way yet but as Endo stated, “Luxemburg, that seems to get a lot of hits on the website. Luxemburg brings the most hits and that’s a true fact.”

Well with the given ability of these six talented men, Luxemburg would not be so far—hell, a world tour is not too far out of reach for illFX. Their music continues to expand parameters, and that is saying quite a bit given that they tend to experiment with their sound some. Mark brings a very soulful source of energy with his vocals to go along with Chris’ methodical rhyming approach that is the perfect marriage of reggae and hip hop. Brian Cook, the keyboardist is perhaps the glue behind all the sounds with his beguiling riffs on the keys, most notably their single “Foundation.” Nonetheless, the chemistry between the band is pure and apparent in their casual and musical conduct.

illFX has only one way to go and that of course is UP! Their album Foundation is a great listen for most if not all occasions, especially when looking for a good time. The collective effort of illFX can only continue to propel them further into greater things. As they go on to win battle of the band contests and win over the hearts and support of many listeners, I would not be surprised to see these Inland Empire representatives headlining a tour in the near future. It is wise to keep a watchful eye on the progression of this tremendously dedicated and diligent group of awesome guys. Be sure to check them out on facebook, where you can find a few of their tracks for free (but be sure to purchase the album.)

With all said, it is time for your glaring eyes to witness the happening of a musical phenomenon, something your ears and eyes need complete energy to accomplish
- ISV