Primal Static
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Primal Static

Austin, Texas, United States

Austin, Texas, United States
Band Rock Alternative

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""Curtain of Many Faces" CD review"

“Primal Static’s second release, The Curtain Of Many Faces, is post punk with a blues edge. These songs rip it up without beating you over the head. A couple of tracks slow down and the blues edge comes through. There’s even a bit of electro rock mixed in. The duo behind Primal Static, Greg Thuman and HouFei Yang, blend these genres perfectly into an original sound while retaining a familiar feel. Very Good.” - WRUV


""Curtain of Many Faces" CD review"

“Primal Static’s second release, The Curtain Of Many Faces, is post punk with a blues edge. These songs rip it up without beating you over the head. A couple of tracks slow down and the blues edge comes through. There’s even a bit of electro rock mixed in. The duo behind Primal Static, Greg Thuman and HouFei Yang, blend these genres perfectly into an original sound while retaining a familiar feel. Very Good.” - WRUV


"KFTE"

“It’s great when a rock’n’roll band gets back to basics…these guys can play their instruments, and they know how to write a song. I’d love to see them live! They rock.” - Dave Hubbell @ KFTE (Modern Rock) Lafayette, LA


"KFTE"

“It’s great when a rock’n’roll band gets back to basics…these guys can play their instruments, and they know how to write a song. I’d love to see them live! They rock.” - Dave Hubbell @ KFTE (Modern Rock) Lafayette, LA


"Primal Static's "The Curtain of Many Faces""

“Primal Static are a duo and proud, and by removing what you expect to hear, you focus on what is there. What is there is a nice group that show equal love for pop craftsmanship, punk rock, and an independent spirit that can be heard in the freedom expressed through the two. “Wailer” could be a really twisted blues if Billy Corgan was on ludes, while “Waking Shadows” could be the anthem for the next end-of-the-world event. What I also found unique was that the two members (Greg Thuman is white, Houfei Yang is Chinese) bring in various culture references, or at least allow Yang to include hers to where she’s not just “the alterna- trendly female bassist, and oh, I’m Chinese too”, she brings in elements of who makes her who she is and makes it rock, maybe something that wouldn’t be possible in her homeland (at least not just yet). This is made clear in songs like “Love Drone”, which is a song filled with distorted guitar and bass drones, only interrupted by drums and an agonizing vocal from Thuman that sounds brutal because the stoner metal-pace of the song makes it feel more painful.

Obvious White Stripes comparisons will come up but are completely unnecessary, for this is Primal Static making Primal Static music with their own level of intensity and brilliance. With luck, 2010 will be their year to be even more brillianter. Yes, I realize there isn’t such a word, but I made it up just for them. Thanks.” ~This Is Book’s Music - This is Book's music review


"Primal Static's "The Curtain of Many Faces""

“Primal Static are a duo and proud, and by removing what you expect to hear, you focus on what is there. What is there is a nice group that show equal love for pop craftsmanship, punk rock, and an independent spirit that can be heard in the freedom expressed through the two. “Wailer” could be a really twisted blues if Billy Corgan was on ludes, while “Waking Shadows” could be the anthem for the next end-of-the-world event. What I also found unique was that the two members (Greg Thuman is white, Houfei Yang is Chinese) bring in various culture references, or at least allow Yang to include hers to where she’s not just “the alterna- trendly female bassist, and oh, I’m Chinese too”, she brings in elements of who makes her who she is and makes it rock, maybe something that wouldn’t be possible in her homeland (at least not just yet). This is made clear in songs like “Love Drone”, which is a song filled with distorted guitar and bass drones, only interrupted by drums and an agonizing vocal from Thuman that sounds brutal because the stoner metal-pace of the song makes it feel more painful.

Obvious White Stripes comparisons will come up but are completely unnecessary, for this is Primal Static making Primal Static music with their own level of intensity and brilliance. With luck, 2010 will be their year to be even more brillianter. Yes, I realize there isn’t such a word, but I made it up just for them. Thanks.” ~This Is Book’s Music - This is Book's music review


"The Curtain of Many Faces"

You hear a lot of bands talk about how they are trying to break the mold of the music industry and are providing listeners with music that is really something unique and different. But how many of them are actually doing what they say? Listening to Primal Static’s The Curtain Of Many Faces, the duo of Greg Thuman and HouFei Yang create songs that combine blues-rock and trance dance beats and give you something completely different with each track on the album. It’s blues guitar-meets-Fruit Loops, and if you were on the hunt for something new, look no further than Primal Static.

“Love Drone” gives you a taste of the blues, yet the very next track, “Dream Arabic,” really shows off what Thuman does with his sound manipulation talents. It is like an electro-jam where the guitar provides an infectious melody, and the beats hold the song down and your interest as well. Songs like “Shelter” provide blues vocals over guitar swells, a mandolin solo and sweet beats really showing off what Primal Static is about. It’s a trippy combination any band has yet to make, which is what makes Thuman and Yang true innovators in the music world.

Thuman leads Primal Static with his raw vocals, blues guitar and love of dance beats, while Yang accompanies him on keyboard and bass. Yang, who lived in China until she came to the U.S. at age 18, is a classically trained pianist who shows off her skills on “Enimia,” where the piano creates the bass line for the song. Thuman and Yang stick to anything but a classical approach to things. They have a novel method of creating new music with their combination of sounds that makes them stand out from any other band in the music scene today. Each track on The Curtain Of Many Faces stands out for the sheer fact each one is different from the next making the album one that should stand out in the indie music world.

In A Word: Innovative - The Aquarian Weekly


"The Curtain of Many Faces"

You hear a lot of bands talk about how they are trying to break the mold of the music industry and are providing listeners with music that is really something unique and different. But how many of them are actually doing what they say? Listening to Primal Static’s The Curtain Of Many Faces, the duo of Greg Thuman and HouFei Yang create songs that combine blues-rock and trance dance beats and give you something completely different with each track on the album. It’s blues guitar-meets-Fruit Loops, and if you were on the hunt for something new, look no further than Primal Static.

“Love Drone” gives you a taste of the blues, yet the very next track, “Dream Arabic,” really shows off what Thuman does with his sound manipulation talents. It is like an electro-jam where the guitar provides an infectious melody, and the beats hold the song down and your interest as well. Songs like “Shelter” provide blues vocals over guitar swells, a mandolin solo and sweet beats really showing off what Primal Static is about. It’s a trippy combination any band has yet to make, which is what makes Thuman and Yang true innovators in the music world.

Thuman leads Primal Static with his raw vocals, blues guitar and love of dance beats, while Yang accompanies him on keyboard and bass. Yang, who lived in China until she came to the U.S. at age 18, is a classically trained pianist who shows off her skills on “Enimia,” where the piano creates the bass line for the song. Thuman and Yang stick to anything but a classical approach to things. They have a novel method of creating new music with their combination of sounds that makes them stand out from any other band in the music scene today. Each track on The Curtain Of Many Faces stands out for the sheer fact each one is different from the next making the album one that should stand out in the indie music world.

In A Word: Innovative - The Aquarian Weekly


"Rising in the Bud"

Genre: Alternative Blues/Psychedelic Soul
Sounds Like: Awesome Color Kings of Leon, The Stooges, Jimmy Hendrix
Personal Picks: Track 3, 2, 4, 1 General: “Rising in the Bud” promotes a classic rock bluesy guitar sound and bass rhythm that is reinvented with an experimental flare of ambient rock through electronic drumbeats and synth-keyboard rifts and special effects. The lead singer Greg Thuman channels the weathered vocals of The Walkman’s Hamilton Leithauser with some Dylan stylized articulations of words and phrases. This album has a wide-variety of moody tunes to choose from as tracks range from chill trippy rock to heavy distorted guitar ballads. Most tracks have guitar solos that showcase Greg Thuman’s musical talent. - KZSU Stanford


"Rising in the Bud"

Genre: Alternative Blues/Psychedelic Soul
Sounds Like: Awesome Color Kings of Leon, The Stooges, Jimmy Hendrix
Personal Picks: Track 3, 2, 4, 1 General: “Rising in the Bud” promotes a classic rock bluesy guitar sound and bass rhythm that is reinvented with an experimental flare of ambient rock through electronic drumbeats and synth-keyboard rifts and special effects. The lead singer Greg Thuman channels the weathered vocals of The Walkman’s Hamilton Leithauser with some Dylan stylized articulations of words and phrases. This album has a wide-variety of moody tunes to choose from as tracks range from chill trippy rock to heavy distorted guitar ballads. Most tracks have guitar solos that showcase Greg Thuman’s musical talent. - KZSU Stanford


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

Primal Static is a two piece electro/blues/rock act. Their music seduces with the soulful essence of blues, and fearlessly rocks with trance rhythms and beats; in this way, "old" traditions are welded together into a new entirety. Song writer/singer/guitartist Greg Thuman of Primal Static sings and plays without reservation, dripping with raw emotion. His exquisitely thought provoking lyrics are second to none. Keyboardist/bassist Houfei Yang brings up the rhythm section with her elastic soulful bass and wonderful classically trained keyboard playing. The band uses innovative trance beats to round out their incredibly unique sound sculpture. Primal Static is the definitive live band, with expert musicianship and charismatic presence.

Greg and HouFei are life-long musicians, uniting two very different cultures. Greg Thuman (pronounced Too-man) has been steadily working on the creation of a new band. With a strong personality and music to match, his modern, exciting songs and guitar work are winning Primal Static fans worldwide. Greg became impassioned as a child by Rock and Blues and picked up the guitar which allowed his songwriting to soar. He draws his inspiration from many great musicians from primal blues to modern electronic trance. The passion and edge in his musicianship reflects the various worlds he inhabits, from traveling troubadour to isolated composer. HouFei once said: “when I met Greg, he was like a furious wild fire that lit up life and music for me as I had never known before. I called Greg a couple of days after we met, and got his answering machine. A heart wrenching guitar solo greeted me. Time stood still. I couldn’t even speak when the beep sounded. That was my introduction of Greg Thuman the musician.”

HouFei Yang, born and raised in China, started playing piano at 4. HouFei’s route to Primal Static started when she came to the U.S. at 18 on full scholarship after being heard by an American piano professor giving master classes in Shanghai. Since arriving in the states, she has competed in international piano competitions and won numerous prizes. HouFei has just finished her doctoral degree at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD. Posssessing a profound adoration of the music, HouFei has found her true home in Primal Static. The electric energy and freedom reflected in the songs completes her. She now uses her vast knowledge of the keybaord for the music she was made for.