Mindy Misty

Mindy Misty - Generic Communion (CD, Handmade, Pop)
The third full-length release from Oslo, Norway's Mindy Misty. If you (like us) loved all the cool underground guitar-driven American rock bands in the mid to late 1990s...there's a good chance you will go totally apeshit over Generic Communion. These guys play loud hard rock with an intense emphasis on loud overdriven guitars. There's little regard for any kind of commercial appeal here as these musicians allow for plenty of spontaneity in their music. Some of the tracks are more moody and peculiar in nature...while others pack a mighty hard punch. We loved the press release that accompanied this disc...making references to the band's "...crude encounters with Chinese Military Police and German autobahn sheriffs." This 37+ minute album features a wealth of cool credible cuts including "Volcano Sea," "Freak Power," "Smog," and "Fountain of Eureka." Top pick.
- babysue/LMNOP

Interview with Mindy Misty in Metal Eagle (Greece) by Kostakis Xatzigeorgiou.


Interview with Mindy Misty by Kostakis Xatzigeorgiou for the music zine Metal Eagle (Greece).

Link to the interview in Greek
http://www.metaleagle.com/el/synenteykseis/mindy-misty-temporary-flawless

English version
(C) 2009 Metaleagle.com

........................................

1) Ok first of all, many readers might not know the band. Introduce Mindy Misty and give us a short bio too.....

A1) Mindy Misty originated as a one piece in 2001. At that time the sole purpose was to contribute some tracks to Handmade Records first compilation Encephalopathia. One of the tracks called “Chicken Kitty” was an instrumental noise piece which would later inspire the name of the project.
While recording the track at Roy and Kenneth’s childhood residence in Nittedal, a schizophrenic cat called Mindy Misty who lived next door was lurking outside the window. Like frequently before it decided to call on potential mates through a rather impressive
operatic cacophony of demonic proportion. The whole rant was recorded on a Dictaphone,
and it was used as the main vocal of the piece. Inevitably the contribution to
Encephalopathia was released under the name Mindy Misty.

Two years later Kenneth, Roy and Trond’s then main bands Candy Coated and Tokyo Noise Revolution had split, so we decided to make a band of Mindy Misty and through a sound engineering school in Oslo we met and teamed up with metal drummer Sigve and recorded our debut 7” three weeks later.

2) When i first
listened to Mindy Misty i was going through one of the ''nothing good comes out
in music today'' phases. I was shocked by the amount of obscure influences i
traced in your music. What shocked me the most though, was that you were from Norway. a country which i've never thought it could produce a band sounding like this. First of all, how did you pick this kind of music over there and secondly, is there a vibrant scene we should know about?....

A2) Three of us grew up together in Nittedal at the outskirts of Oslo and we
used to travel into the city every weekend and buy records at the local record
stores. Mostly at Tiger and Big Dipper which still is our favorite Record stores here today. It was the early and mid 90ies and we’d hamster all the K stuff, T&G, Sub Pop, Domino, Matador, SST, KRS etc. It was an all you can afford buffe I guess. So availability was never
a problem, if it ever was we’d just order through mail orders and wait patiently.
Sigve lived in Bergen and was heavily into the black metal scene then and in retrospect we all had quite a few crossover influences despite our different upbringing
These days we all draw inspiration from a wide variety of genres and undoubtedly also from the vibrant scene here in Oslo, All of us play in different projects as well – Trond in Laconic Zero and Next Life, Roy in Star Bug and Kenneth in Izakaya Heartbeat and also in Star Bug. We would definitively recommend bands like Europ Europ, Far From Tellus, Le Corbeau,
Arabrot, Meadows and IO, Donjon doxy, Magnus Moriarty, Now We’ve got Members,
the whole Metronomicon crew, Fysisk Format, Synesthetic Recordings, and also a lot of visual and conceptual artists like Monica Fosser, Christian Blandhoel, Linda Baardsen, OEP and many more. ....

If you browse through our friends pages on myspace you’ll find links to loads of great Norwegian bands.

3) Another great thing was Protoplasma's guitars! They 're perfectly recorded, sounding
unmistakable, and the feeling i get is that the interraction between the guitarists is ideal. I'm not gonna ask you if it was a bummer recording them, instead, i'll ask you if there are any guitarists that were kind of influential in your playing.....

A3) We recorded Protoplasma live in the studio with no essential overdubs other than the vocals and didn’t cut n’ paste like in many contemporary recordings, so yeah It was a hassle to some degree to get the right takes but you could argue that’s exactly why the different instruments intertwine naturally to. We like to record that way to keep the dynamics in
context with how we sound as a band as opposed to individual instrumentalists. There’s a bunch of guitarists we’ve been inspired by but mainly we try to make the most of the potential idea and differentiate the guitar parts rather than echoing each others riffs. Sometimes we’ll curse the intricacy of our own creation, (or ability rather) but we like to keep it as a challenge without basing anything on pure technicality.

4) I really liked
the promotional video of Smirk. How did you get in touch with the guys who made
it and are there any cool trivias behind these cool superhero stuff?....

A4) We’ve known the director Dag Sølvberg for many years and some of us even acted in his first film Oak Trees, a 90ies indiependent film of his with music by Lee Ranaldo’s East Jesus. Dag has since founded HEX film wh - Metal Eagle/Kostakis Xatzigeorgiou

Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ
Hadmade Records/Etch Wear
In
this European project Norwegian indie-rock band Mindy Misty join forces
with German (Köln/Cologne) noisy neo-poppers Europ Europ, creating a
dark-wave album, the monstrous Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ. The
record is mastered by Kramer (Shimmy Disc, Shockabilly, Bongwater,
B.A.L.L., ++), at his Noise Miami Studio, which could give you an idea
of this being something off the main track.
So, what is Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ?
I'll go for my own tag 'clown-rock', as this is the sounds and visions
of the absurd, hysteria, controlled rage, and a spinning mixture of
happiness/sadness. Melodic punch and wildness, topped with screamadelic
vocals. It's working quite well, and the output is rather cool
altogether. At their best Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ are quite good.
Some parts are weaker links, but all in all Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ is fascinating stuff for ears and mind. Noise pop for the more advanced.
Among
the 10 tracks there is a 'cover', "Girls on Earth" -- a mixture of
"Girls on Film" and "Planet Earth", by Duran Duran. Maybe not the band
you expected to find as a reference on an album like this. Strange
brew, they say. Strange brew it is, well worth having a taste of.
Copyright © 2009 Håvard Oppøyen
.. - Luna Kafe

Your Imaginary Friend
Reviewed 2009-04-09
Noisey weirdo rock, with desperate mostly screamed and yelled male/female layered vocs, lots of messed up distortion, but then more “normal” tracks. Super hip, for fans of Foot Village, Moldy Peaches, Ruins, Sonic Youth. Great stuff.

1) mid paced but dark, fuzzed desperate vocals and distorto melody sets tone
2) more percussion based, weird
3) heavy, almost doomy
4) thrashy in an out of control sort of way
5) “normal” feel with slow phrased vocs over dark pondering rock that grows intense toward end
6) violin/viola melody, slow and dark with cool synth noises
7) rocking and all over
8) dark and pensive, very Sonic Youth with layers of guitar
9) beautiful near noise piece
10) dark minimal dark sad somber.... Ballad, yes a ballad, sorta - KZSU Stanford Radio zookeeper blog

French review of Mindy Misty vs Europ Europ in W-Fenec by David Vanuxem
Rock > Mindy Misty, Europ Europ > Chronique Split / Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ
Mindy Misty, Europ Europ
LP : Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ
Label : Handmade records
Handmaderecords.net
Date de sortie : 03/2009
Dead talk
Drama king
Girls on earth
Stolen producer
No-one
Leaving home
Stabbed by a woman
Force feed
Transport fluid factory
Last sonf for you
Comme son nom l'indique, Mindy Misty vs Europ Europ est un album split/collaboration entre deux formations norvégiennes natives de Oslo. A ma droite, les Mindy Misty : un groupe d'indie rock tout à fait fréquentable. A ma gauche, Europ europ qui évolue dans une forme d'electronica que l'on pourrait assimiler à un Autechre avec des influences indus et bruitistes. Bien évidemment, c'est le processus de confrontation de ces deux entités et le résultat de cette rencontre qui est ici au centre de toutes les attentions. Avant le passage de Europ europ, Mindy Misty est un groupe influencé par des références diverses et respectables telles que Sonic Youth, Jesus Lizard, The Melvins, Beck : la liste est titanesque, le résultat plutôt très attrayant. Après la contribution d'Europ europ, le groupe se mute en une bestiole noise protéiforme avec pour résultat un disque rock expérimental lorgnant vers ce qu'il y a de plus cinglé en matière d'ambiances haute-perchées. "Dead talk", la première étape escarpée viendra donner le ton de cet album : bidouilles éléctro envahissantes et chants hallucinés sur une musique prenant des allures de bouillons de guitares et de laves "noise-éabondes". Durant 40 minutes, les Mindy Misty et Europ europ nous en font voir de toutes les couleurs et le périple prend parfois des allures de voyages/bande son dans des territoires désolés à la manière de "Girls on earth" qui sonne comme la possible réunion entre un Jesus Lizard et un Earth : des riffs et des lignes de chants aux accents noisy se baladant dans un univers sonore ou la lenteur sous-entendrait un espace aride et des oasis particulièrement rares ("Leaving home", "Last song for you"). A la manière d'un radar, Mindy Misty vs. Europ Europ questionne nos repères et la seule réponse qui s'impose à nous, c'est de se laisser porter par le flot de décibels et attendre que la tempête aille s'installer dans d'autres tympans.
Un disque toujours à contre-courant et éprouvant pour les neurones, ils se retrouveront à de multiples reprises complètement largué dans un environnement inhospitalier, mais propice à la transe jouissive. Mention excellent !
Cactus
Juin 2009


Link to site
http://www.w-fenec.org/rock/mindy-misty,5331,mindy-misty-vs-europ-europ.html - W-Fenec by David Vanuxem

''That's pretty crazy! Norwegians that play the best American-like indie rock globally at the moment. I mean, are we talking about the same North Europeans? The ones with the Fjords and Vikings as their ancestors? I honestly can't understand that...

Having received their debut full length (AT LAST) i don't give a damn either. Ok, to sum it all up, Mindy Misty grab the whole U.S. indie scene, and create a record, that even though it's quite new, looks straght in the eye and rivals all previous masterpieces (daydream nation, you're living all over me, let it be, vs, slanted and enchanted, jamboree, sebadoh III, atomizer, repeater, locust abortion technician, spiderland to name a few). Without any actual competition from the rest of the -tired from useless experimentations & shiny covers- scene, they add their own spice to the genre doing something extraordinary. Yes people, this is a true masterpiece.

I first took notice of Handmade records two years ago, when i realized they had released a solo album from Eric Gaffney (Sebadoh). I was stunned by their eclectic taste but also... by their expensive prices (that's a common phenomenon in Norway btw). Years had to pass (plus a failed sending of promotional material -damn you postal services!!!-), to see their work, as well as other handmade's bands such as star bug, being sold at cdbaby for approximately ten euros! (Note that prices are low at the label's store as well now)

I've read somewhere that this album is perfect for fans of Superchunk, Silkworm, dinosaur jr and generally bands with a 100% guitar-centred approach. I would broaden this conclusion saying that this is a must buy for everyone that claims to have a taste in music. It even works perfectly for someone who wants to learn more about the scene since somebody can find 25 years of history in 38 minutes of music! Ok, i could even broadcast the whole album now, Do you want me to? Let's start!

Nothing like a spree starts with a powerfull and almost mathematic riff to make it's way into a perfect early Dinosaur-ish(jr is not missing by mistake) refrain! Dead End will remind you of the great Built to Spill with vocals that sound a lot like Doug Martsch. The last minute of the song is really a magical extention! Smirk being the perfect single, combines past and present and its melancolic atmosphere is great, being followed by this Sonic Youth-like attack! But wait because Wasteland's next! Even though it starts softly it's finalle is mind blowing! It tears down half of Matador's back catalogue for christ's sake! Next, is the instrumental track of the album. Moist odyssey has got an artsy feeling to it, without any predictable post-rock structures and bearing in mind Polvo's first 7'' (Vibracobra). Oh, the guitars are perfectly tuned, just in case you think i imply something else. Phonic Perversion and post-hardcore! A lost Arcwelder's gem? Indefatigable brings a strange fusion of Sebadoh and Tsunami to mind and the follow up, Green Wood, is -at last- a kind of a ''happy'' song in comparison with the gloomy tendencies the rest of the album has. But that's up till 1:50, because afterwards the song could make Sonic Youth realize that their best period was the agressive and noisy one! And when you're just about to assume that things are becoming kind of more cheerful now ''Concrete Strip'' blasts as a bomb, being the saddest song on the whole album. Pure melancholy but not in a conventional whining way! And finally, Guinea pig, a (succesful) noise rock experiment that bears influences from obscure acts of the past!

Ok, have you read the final paragraph now? Ignore it! After having listened to the album, over and over again in an almost sadistic kind of way, i reach the safe conclusion that after a GREAT record such as this (we'll just have to see if they can produce a strong follow up to assume more), Mindy Misty sound like everything and nothing you have listened to in the past. With a personal sound and songs that reveal their true potentials in way that an enigmatic painting will demand your full attention to realize it's hidden meaning, Protoplasma is a real treat and holds a lot of promises for the future!'' - By Kostakis xatzigeorgiou

Rating 9 /10 By Joe Hartlaub

Mindy Misty is from Oslo, Norway which means they speak English better than your average 17 year old from Akron. Their debut full length, PROTOPLASMA, is better than a lot of the crap you're listening to right now, too, like Arca…well, never mind, but this is a great CD, one where the band actually employs a sense of dynamics and uses it to great effect.

That having been said, the opening track, “Nothing Like A Spree,” almost gave me pause within the first 30 seconds or so, but gradually began to right itself. Similarly, “Moist Odyssey” (gee, I wonder what that might be about?) starts off a bit oddly then seems to merge into a bridge built upon the coda to Love’s “7 and 7 Is.” In fact, you really have to listen to PROTOPLASMA, rather than skipping through the first 30 seconds of each track before you make up your mind about whether you're going to lay down the goods for it (those of you who still lay down the good for your music, that is). Some of the tracks on PROTOPLASMA sound like they're going to be instrumentals and then vocals come in, and others sound like they're going to be straight-ahead guitar drum and vocal tracks and they're instrumental (the aforementioned “Moist Odyssey” (gee, I love that title…hehhehheh…he said “moist”). “Phonic Perversion” sounds like an instrumental where Mindy Misty thought of some vocals at the last minute and started shouting them out. It’s great. The thing has kind of a feel to it like Television without the heroin. “Indefatigable” (I've been mispronouncing this word for a long time, no wonder people keep picking fights with me!) is just that, a great, great track that sounds like a few different songs rolled into one, and “Green Wood” is maybe the closest thing to a pop song on the entire disc, and it sounds like GIVE ‘EM ENOUGH ROPE - era Clash. Wow.

Every time I walk into a campus record store, I don't care what city I'm in, there is something like PROTOPLASMA playing on the sound system, really loud and really good, and it’s always by some band I've never heard of that it turns out has six or seven CDs out so that the clerk has to educate the old guy. This time I know who it is. It’s Mindy Misty and the CD is PROTOPLASMA. And now you know, too.
- Music Reviewer New York

Protoplasma is the first full-length record from Norwegian post-rockers Mindy Misty, and it exhibits just the kind of complex, labyrinthine sonic disturbance that we�ve come to expect from Scandinavian indie artists.

Produced by Mark Kramer (renowned for his production work with Ween, Lou Reed and many others), the album is a ten-track odyssey, traveling through psychedelia, lo-fi pop, and early 90�s shoegaze reminiscent of Pavement or Sonic Youth. Tracks like Smirk and Indefatigable are a good starting point, easing the listener into Mindy Misty�s dark soundscape while maintaining a certain brand of accessible pop-rock. From there, you are drawn to the darker, twisting sound exhibited in tracks like Wasteland and Guinea Pig, which utilise one repeated sonic motif and elaborate on it, in the style of post-rock pioneers such as Slint. The vocal style is not too acrobatic, and sticks to the more subdued end of the spectrum, with lyrics that flirt with the surreal.

If your most disturbing dreams were woven into a soundtrack, it may just end up sounding a little like Protoplasma. - Rockus Australia by Alexis Cured

Rating 5/7

Noisy intercourse

Successful collaboration results in vital dirty rock from Oslo's darker sides.


By Bjørn Hammer Haug

Mindy Misty and Europ Europ are both bands from the underground, albeit with some
different starting points, but with the same view to the stars.
I know best of Mindy Mistys young stoned, melody-friendly pop
(cited by Kenneth Amundsen who also runs the fine, small record company
Handmade). Europ Europ, I have no particular knowledge of them, they have their
background from Köln, have a more avant approach to music
and referred to by Handmade as "noise-draped neopop". Both
the melodic aims and the more outrages sides, will be
expressed here, boiled together to a proper scruffy, clamorous, and far out
affair spread over 10 tracks.

The collaboration record Mindy Misty vs.Europ Europ covers much of the
greats from American underground rock, be it Buttholes manic
madness, or Sonic Youth dissonante turn-around ( in Force Feed it sounds like
Kim Gordon is floating in the background). This gives the opinion that the "fox" Kramer
has had the final touches on the sound, his background in greats like Bong Water,
B.A.L.L. and precisely Butthole Surfers provides the basis for a good understanding of
Mindy Misty and Europ Europs plan. They are still not completely
incestious, and sources will be more noticeable in the form of inspiration than pure
copy need. Trim, hardly bearing vocals (a hint of Residents,
or?), angry guitars and lurched rhythms. At times it is not
so far away from Årabrot , but with more hints of psychedelic
thoughts in both the one and the other way. I would particularly recommend the seven
minutes bitter man and tenacious as tar,No-One, as a highlight.
Also the insult "ballad" Last Song for You, a nervous duet with
screamy metal sounds in the background. On the other hand,
blind
paths like Fluid Transport Factory and Girls on Earth. The latter is
credited to Duran Duran, maybe a mishmash of Girls on film and
Planet Earth?


Not the entire disc show teeth, but I stretch it to 5 out of 7 here. I like this disc a great deal, it has in a bizarre
way attached itself to my mind and will not let go.. Proper scruffy, proper
coarse and always far out - or as the publisher says:
"Outrages noise roleplay with danceable pop-aesthetics."


References: U.S. Maple, Butthole Surfers, Sonic Youth, Trumans Water - Groove.no by Bjørn Hammershaug

Just to grab hold of this little gem gives me a good feeling, a massive slab of black vinyl that must clock in at 100 grams, around the double of an ordinary vinyl single. Combine that with a thick cover in delicate black and red, and I'm almost sold even before the needle hits the fan. When it does it's back to the early 90ties time, post grunge fuzzpop that crawls in the darker corner of the mind. Makes me for some reason want to bring out my Girls vs Boys or Arcwelder singles again. It's been a long time since last time... Anyone remember Cell? With perfect singles like Stratosphere or Cross the River, but still largely forgotten today. Maybe Mindy Misty can bring about a renewed interest for those bands, and even make their own mark on this legacy.

And to sum up this four song EP: The first track on each side are powerful and melodic songs, where the band obviously feels at home. The second song on the first side - "Strike n' retreat" is a short instrumental where I kind of lost interest after the fifth change in tempo, probably nice enough if thats your thing. The last song an the EP must be an internal joke that I didn't get. Maybe just do an ordinary single next time, that way you can keep it on 45 rpm and get the dynamics this kind of music needs.

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