Loko Phylum

by Stefanie Crawford

Loko Phylum, the sextet band from Imperial, PA, won third place during a recent Guitar Center Rock Off in Downtown, Oakland’s trendy Club Laga. Out of 150 contestants to enter, only 15 of the area’s hottest and brightest talent were chosen.
Waiting for their set and sitting through the 14 other bands was, perhaps, the biggest challenge. Loko finally took the stage to play the last show of the night. Well received by the crowd, they played all original material that can be described as funky, heavy and energetic. The winning decision was based respectively on talent, crowd reaction and stage presence, and rightfully earned them a spot as third among a bevy of talented musicians. They were awarded a $100 gift certificate for Guitar Center and a highly anticipated, opening spot for a national act for Joker Productions.
The band is currently in New York on a promotional tour, and was recently invited to play in a 3-day festival and To read the entire interview with Loko Phylum go to www.communityoutlook.com and click Loko Phylum Interview.
You can also call 105.9 The X between 8p.m. and midnight to request F.U.P.A., one of their original songs available on their self titled demo, Loko Phylum.
- The Community Outlook

A year ago, most of them spent their days in West Allegheny High School classrooms, daydreaming about freedom from teachers and homework.
Now, the six members of local hard rock/funk group Loko Phylum have several club appearances, publicity trips to New York, Chicago and Ocean City, Md., a single on a national CD release and some radio play on 105.9 FM’s local music show, Pittsburgh X-Files, under their collective belts.
After more than two years of playing together - two shows per week in venues like the Airport Ice Arena, Club Laga, the Belgium Club and Indiana University of Pennsylvania - band members succeeded last month in achieving what may be their greatest accomplishment yet.
The group beat out 47 other local bands in a three-month long battle of the bands held at Murrysville’s American Music Café. First place was $1000.
“It was real cool. I was surprised to win that at all. The place was so far out there, so it was hard to get our fans out there,” says singer Skip Douglas.
Part of the judging for the competition was on ballots cast by audience members. Bands who brought the biggest entourages were all but assured a high placement in the competition.
The rest of the judging was based on five criteria, said Linda Palmer, co-owner of AMC: stage presence; audience response, tightness, originality; and vocals.
“They have really great stage presence. They’re really tight and they have the originality of having (turntables and sampling). The audience went nuts,”said Palmer.
Palmer and her husband began sponsoring the AMC Battle of the Bands four years ago, when they expanded their music store into a live venue.
Drummer Frank Bachurski agrees that the band’s fusion of rock and hip-hop gave them a distinct edge.
“The Pittsburgh thing is mostly all punk bands, and a lot of them wound the same. The reason I think we are making a bit of an impact is that we are a little different, more diverse.”
Their winnings went into the Loko Phylum band fund to help pay for their first full-length compact disc release. Once it’s finished, they will sell the CD at shows and on their web site (www.lokophylum.com).

By: Jamie McLeod - Moon Record Star

Those smoke-happy Kottonmouth Kings will perform Saturday at Metropol in Pittsburgh with Zebrahead, Anybody Killa and North Fayette Township’s own Loko Phylum.
The all-ages show starts at 7p.m., with tickets costing $20 in advance; $22 at the door.
- The Times

Local rockers Loko Phylum are gearing up for their concert at the Hard Rock Café this Friday, Jan. 21.
Hot off the completion of their first full-length CD, the band has big plans.
Their “street team” is a new activity that their fans can partake in, posting flyers and handling other promotional activities in return for merchandise and other perks, possibly even free tickets to a show.
Additionally, according to drummer Frank Bachurski, they’re looking for a way to get out of town.
“We’re looking to set up a self-tour...[to] at least tour the East Coast,” Bachurski says.
Although such a task is financially staggering, Bachurski remains confident that the band can find the money. “As we need it, it seems to come along some how.”
The band probably wouldn’t have survived since its start in 2000 without their marketing and promotional savvy.
Now, the band can boast favorite venues like the Hard Rock and Nick’s Fat City, among others.
Their particular brand of rock- your-socks-off has been favorably compared to Incubus, Rage Against the Machine, and the Deftones, among others.
With their longevity, all six members have defined a distinct and enjoyable sound.
Vocals with harmonies, guitars, drums and samples set each other off without drowning each other out.
Additionally, they can duplicate this sound when they play live, via the use of synthesizer instruments.
Guitarist and back up singer Aaron “Ricochet” Hreczkosiej adds synthesized sounds via pedals, and Bachurski has a synth-drum set nestled in amongst his acoustic(“real”) drums.
These modern toys ensure that “DJ” Mike Betzler’s masterful samples don’t stick out from the band’s overall sound.
Diversity is a word often used to describe bands with fast and slow songs, but it applies especially well to Loko Phylum.
Their influences can be heard clearly in their songs without sounding like cops or rip-offs.
From James Brown to Jimi Hendrix to Outkast, says “Ricochet”, as long as it’s got soul to it, we’re pretty much down with it.”
But they don’t let the radio push them to sound any certain way. “The radio fuels us to be different,” says Bachurski.
The band also manages to produce slow songs without losing their edgy modern sound, never leaving anyone in doubt that this is a rock band. Loko Phylum’s outstanding success hasn’t come without its price. In June of 2003, the bass player left the band.
He was an original member and longtime friend of Bachurski.
“Our drummer and the bass player grew up together,” Ricochet said. Bachurski adds, with venom, “He left for a girl.”
When the band found the new bass player Nick Prezioso, says singer Skip Douglas, “it was like a breath of fresh air.” The band found the much-needed shot of energy to keep them alive and kicking butt.
When asked about their current ambition, Bitsura says that their “goal is to get this CD into as many people’s hands as possible.” Bachurski adds, “we would like to be able to make this a lifestyle, make a living off of our music.”
With a show this Friday at The Hard Rock Café and one next Thursday at the 31st Street Pub, those goals are being achieved, step by calculated step.

by Matthew Bouton - Allegheny Times

The Pittsburgh area’s newest talent has scored an opening slot for national recording act the Kottonmouth Kings.
Loko Phylum, based in Imperial, is Pittsburgh’s newest big thing to hit the scene.
The band received this honor after winning a rock challenge several months ago.
The group has been an a battle-winning streak recently finishing 1st out of 45 other local acts.
Combining a metal/hip-hop style with a dark aggressive groove forms the energetic and synergetic sound of Loko Phylum.
Currently in the studio recording their first full-length disk, the guys plan a small promotional tour to follow.
The performance is on Saturday May 17, at Metropol in Pittsburgh’s strip district. For more information about Loko Phylum, use the web: http://Lokophylum.com - Moon Record Star

Imperial’s homegrown rockers, Loko Phylum, are ready to hit the road.
On Thursday, March 10, the band will open the Taste of Chaos tour in Cleveland.
Loko Phylum beat out more than 50 bands for the spot, and their competition came from as far away as Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas for a chance to open this date.
It’s no surprise that bands competed so fiercely over the Cleveland opening.
The Used, My Chemical Romance, and Senses Fail are among the tour’s headline acts.
Loko Phylum will go a long way toward spreading their popularity outside of Pennsylvania with the show, especially with their newly pressed CD’s now available for sale.
The members of Loko Phylum are no strangers to the road. They’ve played shows in Baltimore and Ocean City, Md., as well as in New York City and Rochester, N.Y.
They are hoping their infectious sound will find a foothold in their newest frontier, Ohio.
Phylum’s members chomp at the bit whenever the show is mentioned.
“We’ve been held in a box (to record) for so long...it’s a great way to get out and play again,” said lead vocalist Skip Douglas.
Drummer Frank Bachurski is also more than ready to go.
“We’re going to bring the good times,” he confidently asserts.
They’d better be ready to bring it, as bands like Killswitch Engage and Static Lullaby will doubtless draw rabid fans who won’t be so easily swayed by an opening act from Pittsburgh.
Although the CSU Convocation Center has offered to provide certain equipment, Phylum will be hauling along all of their own equipment.
The band will also use this experience to whet their appetite for travel, as their upcoming plans include an all-summer tour of the Northeastern U.S.
Fortunately, the band didn’t have to cancel any of their upcoming local shows for the spot they’ve earned.
For more information on Loko Phylum and their upcoming shows, visit their Web site at www.myspace.com/lokophylum.

by Matthew Bouton
- Allegheny West

When Wapred Tour organizer Kevin Lyman launched the harder-hitting Taste of Chaos tour this year, a Pittsburgh based band Loko Phylum was chosen to share a Cleveland bill in March with My Chemical Romance, The Used, Killswitch Engage, A Static Lullaby and Senses Fail, after winning an online competition.
As drummer Frank Bachurski notes, "That was the biggest show we've ever played. So that was a really good opportunity for us. We played in front of hundreds of people for that one."
But they'll face an even bigger crowd this weekend at Mr. Smalls Theatre, where they're set to release their full-length CD, "sex sells:sex kills," a heavy-hitting blend of hard rock, hardcore, rap-rock, screamo and a more melodic side recalling the headier moments of the Deftones' majestic "White Pony."
"This is our first full-length," Bachurski says, "so there are songs on there that were written a couple of years ago, even. But we've collected all of our favorite songs over the past four years -- some of them written right before we cut the record. some written two or three years ago. So there's a lot of diversity as far as songwriting goes, from song to song."
When people ask what kind of band they are, Bachurski says, "We just tell them it's in the rock genre and it's very diverse, because, for instance, we have a song on there called 'For Myself' that's just straight rock, maybe even a rock ballad. It's very sing-y and slow. And on the same note, there are songs on there like '27 Kisses' and 'Step into My World' that are either heavy or very wordy and rappy.
"But lately, the songs we've been writing aren't hip-hop-oriented. I wouldn't say that we've moved on from it. That element's still gonna be there, especially in the next album, because we don't want to lose that. But I guess what I'm saying is that the past couple songs we've written have been more melodic, more singing mixed with heavier riffs as opposed to rapping and groovier riffs."
Having played together in various combinations as far back as middle school, Bachurski and his friends launched Loko Phylum in 2000. The current lineup -- Bachurski, lead singer Skip Douglas, guitar-playing vocalist Aaron Hreczkosiej, guitarist Chris Fuze, bassist Nick Prezioso and keyboardist/DJ Mike Betzler -- will be self-releasing "sex sells:sex kills" at the show this weekend.
But Bachurski says it won't be self-released for long.
"Right now," he says, "things are moving real fast. We're making connections. Through the Taste of Chaos, we've met muliple booking agents, and we're in the process of booking a tour. This fall, we want to tour out toward the Southwest, and when we tour, we get a very, very positive response from our live show because we're not a studio band. What you hear on the CD is definitely what you get at the live show, probably times 10. It's very energetic."

By: Ed Masley - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

They've persevered for five years, a noteworthy feat for any local band.
But endurance isn't the be-all and end-all for Loko Phylum, a rock band that aspires to leave an indelible mark on music, if not society in general.
"This collaboration of talent carves its own path into a world in dire need of something fresh and exhilarating," Loko Phylum declares on its Web site.
The Findlay Township band slaps down a hefty slab of enraged rock on "Sex Sells, Sex Kills," a lyrically ambitious, musically expansive CD sold at smartpunk.com, Dave's Music Mine on Pittsburgh's South Side, and five Exchange record stores, including one at Robinson Towne Centre.
Buzzing guitars, thick bass, earnest lyrics and secondary vocals that scream away pain give Loko Phylum a Linkin Park-ish or Incubus edge. On a few songs, like CD opener "Beautiful Addiction," lead vocalist Skip Douglas sounds like Rage Against the Machine's Zach de la Rocha.
While poetic anger bubbles below the surface, there remains a controlled chaos to Loko Phylum songs, which on "Sex Sells, Sex Kills" achieve hooks that some nu-metal bands would sacrifice their Black Sabbath albums to duplicate.
Yet, this is a band that doesn't want to be easily categorized.
Hence, "Sex Sells, Sex Kills" includes a pure rap-metal tune "F.U.P.A.", a caustic acoustic number, "Jezebel," and a pensive rocker "Step Into Our World," which begins memorably with a haunting new twist on Blondie's "Rapture."
Loko Phylum lyrics abound with abandonment issues.
Even a song with a sweet-sounding title like "27 Kisses" quickly turns bitter, with verses like "Once again the floor falls in/The world's going to hell just dive right in/Once again face to face with sin/The battle commences, guardian angels grin."
Clearly, such emotions strike a chord with listeners, as Loko Phylum's Myspace.com community includes 11,000 members and counting.
The Loko lineup: Skip Douglas, vocals; Frank Bachurski, drums and sampling; Aaron Hreczkosiej, guitars and vocals; Chris Fuze, guitar; Nick Prezioso, bass; and Mike Betzler, sampling, turntables and keyboards.
The group has gigged throughout the East Coast, and warmed up crowds for national acts My Chemical Romance, the Used, Killswitch Engage and Kottonmouth Kings.
Loko Phylum delivered an energetic set at last year's Rockin' the Suburbs festival in Bridgewater.
The sextet hits Sin City on Oct. 29 for a show at the Cheyenne Saloon in Las Vegas.
First comes the obligatory CD release party this Saturday at Mr. Small's Funhouse in Millvale.
Realizing some younger fans might not have a ride to the show, the band will provide a bus departing at 5 p.m. Saturday from the Mall at Robinson. Tickets cost $15, which includes access to the show.

LOKO PHYLUM

Sounds like: Hard-rock infused with rap elements.

See them: Saturday at Mr. Small's Funhouse, Millvale. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

By: Scott Tady - Beaver County Times

"Did Zack da la Rocha join Linkin Park?" may enter your mind as soon as the first song, "Beautiful Addiction," hits your speakers. The similarities between Skip Douglas's vocals and those of former Rage Against The Machine front man are unmistakable. Nevertheless, the combination of those two bands' styles is melded to perfection in the form of Loko Phylum.
Together since 2000, they've honed their sound through five years of performances before entering the studio to record 'Sex Sells:Sex Kills'. The album is amazing, with each song showing maturity and skill beyond their years. "Once again the floor falls in/The worlds going to hell just dive right in" are the distraught screams on "27 Kisses." "trutHATEnvy" mixes ambient verses with hard-hitting choruses' and a bit of funk from outa nowhere. "Jezebel" has some great melodies. It's so damn hard to believe that this is only their debut album. Check it out!

- Music : Underground