REDREDRED

REDREDRED
Pattern Completion
[Function Operate]
In the late '70s and early '80s, San Francisco groups like Tuxedomoon and the Residents created futuristic music with analog synthesizers and drum machines. Their damaged swathes of electronics felt like some impending technocratic dystopia, where machines rule over hopelessly indoctrinated human beings. Under the moniker RedRedRed, local artist Michael Wood uses the now-vintage gear of first-wave industrial music to startlingly similar effect on his debut EP, Pattern Completion.
Wood appreciates that addition and subtraction of sound are essential tools for the synth soloist. His setup doesn't allow pop conventions like stringing together totally dissimilar parts, nor the intuitive nuances of an ensemble. Instead, Wood propels his songs by demanding a pulse from the machines, layering sounds, and then peeling them back "Contract/Dream" stacks treated rhythm box patterns and quivering synth until distorted percussion lurches to the fore, but Wood halts the marching machinery just in time for vocals.
He utters sharp commands, as if mimicking the treated drum machine patterns or communicating to machines in their own language. That's the paradox of industrial: to warn of a futuristic nightmare where we're senseless automatons, artists creatively mimic how humans might sound while oppressed under technocratic rule. Maybe industrial music in 2013 should be created with apps.
Despite the surface artificiality of electronics, Wood's nebulous meshwork of damaged sound doses these tracks with a somewhat organic feel. The synths on "Enforcer" are like broken sirens. Murky effects on "Ego Manifest" sound like a factory uprooted and tossed into the ocean -- cogs slogged by seaweed and scrunching to a halt underwater. Pattern Completion is an impeccably produced recording, but Wood coaxes out the imperfections of analog gear. It gives RedRedRed a human element -- as if implying that human unpredictability and error will deter the onslaught of technological regimentation.

REDREDRED performs Monday, Sept. 23, at the Knockout, with Azar Swan, Delphic Oracle, Opulence, and DJ Sir Hether Fortune.

-- @Lefebvre_Sam
- Sf Weekly

Formed by Elyssa Dianne and Tyler J, Roladex use analog gear and guitars just to write catchy electronic tune which are influenced by synthpop, italian disco, new wave, NDW, and shoe-gaze. They recently released a two song single titled "Love Surgery" for Beko. The main track is a mid tempo with many catchy melodic lines. It doesn't recall me anything in particular as it has many 80s influences but without a specific one. "Scan Lines" is more synthpop oriented a la early Depeche Mode and it has nice dark moments here and there. This could be a good 7" but being a MCDr, we can find also some remixes of the main track: TSTI turned it into an electro dancey song, RedRedRed changed it a lot and turned it into an obsessive minimal electro tune with early electronic industrial 80s influences, Video Look changed the melodic lines and turned it into an early 80s dark pop song, Some Ember are the last ones and their remix sound obsessive, hypnotic and minimal. This is a good release and you can have it digitally only for 1 Euro here http://beko.bandcamp.com/album/beko-208 Watch out for Roladex, they are working on their first album! - Chain DLK

In more Bay Area related news, RedRedRed also wrote to us saying they would love for us to have a listen to the first track released from their debut. We did, and we liked it. Contact/Dream is a cold and minimal track in the borderlands between old school industrial and proto-EBM. We can easily see ourselves striking jerky angular poses to this analog jam and we are looking forward to hearing the full EP, released on Function Operate on August 20. - Unreal Life Magazine

In more Bay Area related news, RedRedRed also wrote to us saying they would love for us to have a listen to the first track released from their debut. We did, and we liked it. Contact/Dream is a cold and minimal track in the borderlands between old school industrial and proto-EBM. We can easily see ourselves striking jerky angular poses to this analog jam and we are looking forward to hearing the full EP, released on Function Operate on August 20. - Unreal Life Magazine

Sometimes the description tags fail. Sure, there is you go-to 'post-whatever' button that you push like a B.F. Skinner box-joy-buzzer, but no matter what I tell you, I will never be able to contain the infrared square pushing-industrious aura of Michael Wood's RedRedRed. When the Pattern Completion EP from Function Operate dropped on our scanners, the daily mechanical routine became interrupted by the factory-assembly line attitudes of a blistering electronic sounds of drone-worker rebellion. From the beginning of "Contact/Dream", Michael brings a teeth rattling electric hum like a ground wire caught in a generator's hub of energy manufacturing ambiance of evil. But nothing ends quite so easy there, or ever could as that generator springs to life, spurning the mechanical drums to drill like buzzards dropping a plethora of unidentifiable sourced bass patterns that are rooted as deep into the Bay's earth as they could have been smuggled from behind the Iron Curtain of East Berlin's enigmatic days of being part of the Eastern Bloc.



Michael Wood discusses the continuing progress of the chapters of RedRedRed that carry on the electronic projects brought forward to tomorrow from his previous project of Primary Colors, and the examination of the "relationship between the creative subconscious and the functional tangible reality...".

How did RedRedRed begin for you?

I started performing as RedRedRed during the Fall of '12. This project is a continuation of ideas and concepts that originated from my former work in Primary Colors. In lieu of live industrial percussion, I now utilize blown out drum machines, synthesizers, and tape decks.

The first RRR set was for Oakland Art Murmur. The performance manifested in a temporary art space off of Broadway and 24th. I believe all the power was haphazardly run from next door via extension cables. Acts from the night included; Waxy Tombs, Joshua Kit Clayton, Tooth, Lana Voronina, and a handful of outstanding performance artists. The reaction I received from this show pulled me out from year long hibernation.

On the synth mover "Contact/Dream", what is the contact, what is the dream, and is this a kind of connection to the dream state of consciousness through digital and electronic transmissions?

'Contract/Dream' examines the causal relationship between the creative subconscious and the functional tangible reality. The song directs it's attention to how one is dictated by objects of the past and unintentionally promotes them to the future.

Tell us about the composed and completed patterns and textures of the Pattern Completion EP.

The Pattern Completion EP is comprised of four tracks that are pieced together tapes from live performances and analog sequences. Each performance aims for simplicity by embellishing a focal bass line and drum track. The songs are connected through layered repeating natural and analog drones. The additional drones and textures initially began as an afterthought. After tracking, I noticed a bleed through of noise on most of the vocals takes. Apparently, my basement studio at Bay Area 51 acted as a resonate chamber for the sounds of the local machinery. Instead of covering up industrial buzz, I decided to exaggerate it with discordant and drifting drones from the Pro One synth. A lot spacial effects were created using a stereo reel to reel delay system that suffered from rusted over motors and bearings. I suppose the inspiration for the work could also be credited to the constant battle against failing gear and water damage.



Thoughts on the Bay's strong indie electro currents?

The current scene is representative of countless years of experimentation and the engrained passion from a number of Bay Area artists. I'm elated that so many of my peers are finally gaining recognition for their hard work. This past weekend I had to honor of playing with Dark Entries label mate Bézier. The night before, shared the Lab with flooring performances from Vice Device and Time Release. I'm excited for the SF electro future... - Impose Magazine

Sometimes the description tags fail. Sure, there is you go-to 'post-whatever' button that you push like a B.F. Skinner box-joy-buzzer, but no matter what I tell you, I will never be able to contain the infrared square pushing-industrious aura of Michael Wood's RedRedRed. When the Pattern Completion EP from Function Operate dropped on our scanners, the daily mechanical routine became interrupted by the factory-assembly line attitudes of a blistering electronic sounds of drone-worker rebellion. From the beginning of "Contact/Dream", Michael brings a teeth rattling electric hum like a ground wire caught in a generator's hub of energy manufacturing ambiance of evil. But nothing ends quite so easy there, or ever could as that generator springs to life, spurning the mechanical drums to drill like buzzards dropping a plethora of unidentifiable sourced bass patterns that are rooted as deep into the Bay's earth as they could have been smuggled from behind the Iron Curtain of East Berlin's enigmatic days of being part of the Eastern Bloc.



Michael Wood discusses the continuing progress of the chapters of RedRedRed that carry on the electronic projects brought forward to tomorrow from his previous project of Primary Colors, and the examination of the "relationship between the creative subconscious and the functional tangible reality...".

How did RedRedRed begin for you?

I started performing as RedRedRed during the Fall of '12. This project is a continuation of ideas and concepts that originated from my former work in Primary Colors. In lieu of live industrial percussion, I now utilize blown out drum machines, synthesizers, and tape decks.

The first RRR set was for Oakland Art Murmur. The performance manifested in a temporary art space off of Broadway and 24th. I believe all the power was haphazardly run from next door via extension cables. Acts from the night included; Waxy Tombs, Joshua Kit Clayton, Tooth, Lana Voronina, and a handful of outstanding performance artists. The reaction I received from this show pulled me out from year long hibernation.

On the synth mover "Contact/Dream", what is the contact, what is the dream, and is this a kind of connection to the dream state of consciousness through digital and electronic transmissions?

'Contract/Dream' examines the causal relationship between the creative subconscious and the functional tangible reality. The song directs it's attention to how one is dictated by objects of the past and unintentionally promotes them to the future.

Tell us about the composed and completed patterns and textures of the Pattern Completion EP.

The Pattern Completion EP is comprised of four tracks that are pieced together tapes from live performances and analog sequences. Each performance aims for simplicity by embellishing a focal bass line and drum track. The songs are connected through layered repeating natural and analog drones. The additional drones and textures initially began as an afterthought. After tracking, I noticed a bleed through of noise on most of the vocals takes. Apparently, my basement studio at Bay Area 51 acted as a resonate chamber for the sounds of the local machinery. Instead of covering up industrial buzz, I decided to exaggerate it with discordant and drifting drones from the Pro One synth. A lot spacial effects were created using a stereo reel to reel delay system that suffered from rusted over motors and bearings. I suppose the inspiration for the work could also be credited to the constant battle against failing gear and water damage.



Thoughts on the Bay's strong indie electro currents?

The current scene is representative of countless years of experimentation and the engrained passion from a number of Bay Area artists. I'm elated that so many of my peers are finally gaining recognition for their hard work. This past weekend I had to honor of playing with Dark Entries label mate Bézier. The night before, shared the Lab with flooring performances from Vice Device and Time Release. I'm excited for the SF electro future... - Impose Magazine

2. Red Red Red: just saw this guy play at a warehouse in Oakland...live house music made with actual hardware! - San Francisco Guardian

2. Red Red Red: just saw this guy play at a warehouse in Oakland...live house music made with actual hardware! - San Francisco Guardian