repetition lever
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Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | SELF

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | SELF
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"repetition lever review"

Former Take My Face frontman Dan Type's latest band takes his prog inclinations in divergent directions. Free-floating, electro-acoustic arrangements imbued with reverb and existential anguish connect the dots between Thom Yorke, shoegazer post-punk, the artier end of emo and post-rock. The hooks may often be buried under the sound, but exploration can yield rewards. Americana-cellist-about-town melaniejane adds to the serious proceedings on occasion. Clocking in at less than 34 minutes, this feels like a teaser of grander things to come—and it's a fair bet to say they're capable of it. - expressmilwaukee.com


"repetition lever"



Milwaukee musician Dan Type has been a local fixture for more than 15 years, and his old band, Take My Face, was a favorite at Shank Hall, the Miramar Theater, and the long-defunct Thai Joe’s. After assembling a group of other Milwaukee music vets, Type created Repetition Lever, a band that does well by the Bends-era Radiohead template. The group played its first show in 2009, and has been amassing more and more songs ever since. Repetition Lever’s long-in-the-works, self-titled debut is newly released. Lead single “Superman” is a nicely layered sonic outing, and is highlighted by Type’s soaring vocals.

Updated 05/24/2011 - The onion /A.V. club


"dan type makes a musical switch with repetition lever"


By JC Poppe
Special to OnMilwaukee.com

E-mail author
More articles by JC Poppe
Published Sept. 18, 2011 at 9:08 a.m.

Once a local musician has established him or herself as being a standard on the scene, it can be difficult to grow beyond the foundation that has already been laid. Fans can come along for the ride but ultimately, the new projects the artists undertake are seen as an extension of the old rather than the beginning of something new.

In the mind of the most dedicated followers comparisons will be drawn to former bands, similar to how old At The Drive In fans critique every project that comes from those who established new bands after ATDI broke up.

Though you'll probably be hard pressed to find a person that enjoys Sparta's discography more than they enjoy The Mars Volta, both bands set themselves up to have individual identities and eventually grew far enough away from At The Drive In that they could be their own bands, in the fans' minds.

Local musician Dan Type may be best known for his band Take My Face and his solo works, but it's his new band Repetition Lever that has him very excited about his musical future.

Repetition Lever is a band that floats in and out of indie rock and art rock, creating music that sounds large in scope at times yet revealing at other times.

Type's voice soars along with the tracks, giving the music the necessary vocal power needed to compliment the instrumentation.

I discussed Repetition Lever with Type and how the writing process played out for their debut project.

OnMilwaukee.com: I know that your voice has been compared to Thom Yorke of Radiohead, but at times I hear Geddy Lee or Paul Banks of Interpol. Are any of those bands or singers influential on your style? Probably more important than that, who are your influences?

Dan Type: There are many influences (conscious or subconscious), sometimes hard to remember or credit all of them. I would say my early influences were Pink Floyd, U2, The Police, King Crimson, The Violent Femmes, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Talking Heads and REM. Then they shifted into The Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, Afghan Whigs, Mudhoney, Radiohead, Jawbox, Superchunk, Nirvana, Fishbone, Love Battery, Pond, Shiner, along with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and a lot of the Bebop era. More recently a few are Built to Spill, Autolux, Blonde Redhead, The Life and Times, The Strokes and also anything interesting that catches my ear.

I have a tendency to gravitate just out of the mainstream, although never look to duplicate anyone or any "sound." There is so much great music out there it almost seems like happenstance or destiny that you actually find something you really dig.

OMC: The music on the disc is slightly experimental in scope and often seems to fly high. Did you set out to make big sounding music during the writing process?

DT: As far as writing "big"-sounding music, I usually try to tap into the dynamic and emotional aspects (for sure) on any tune. I would say I strive more for interesting than big, but big is great too. There are a multitude of choices and directions when you are recording that one can take. I feel the journey is the reward (most of the time) and there may not be a big "pay off" in the end. Just be as creative as you can, enjoy yourself and let everything else fall where it may.

OMC: What was the writing process for the album like?

DT: The writing process so far has been me cultivating the main form, lyrics and an idea of a beat or groove. I would then take it to each musician individually, give them some time with it and let them interject their creative "say" without trying to suppress any ideas. If anyone asked for direction I would help nurture their part or help grind out something new.

Most of the parts were recorded in many different places and were pieced together over time. Each band member has their own studio. We also recorded at Mike Hoffmann's studio (who by the way is an incredible producer, engineer and creative mind), the Miramar Theatre and a few remote sites. We slowly put together mixes and with everyone's input, came to our current place.

OMC: What's the story behind the name of the band?

DT: I make a living as a piano tuner / technician. The "repetition lever" is a part of a piano action. It is an escapement mechanism that allows for the hammer to hit the string over and over without the hammer blocking against the string. That being said, the phrase could also have multiple meanings and ultimately that is why we gravitated toward it.

OMC: You have a strong legacy in the Milwaukee music scene. How does this new project and band fit into your legacy? Is it something that fans who've been with you for a while will naturally gravitate toward or is it more for a newer audience base?

DT: All the musicians in this band have a solid legacy in Milwaukee already, which I hope grows over the coming years. This town has a pretty tight and talented music community. We all have been fortunate to work with (or know) quite a few successful local talents. As far as this band's legacy, we shall see. I feel this band has more potential than any I have worked with. Hopefully we can capitalize on it.

It seems most of our previous fans have gravitated towards this new direction. The previous direction was far more eclectic, so in many ways the new stuff is more accessible. We welcome expanding our audience by all means though too. - onmilwaukee.com


Discography

Repetition Lever debut self- titled CD is out and available online at CDbaby.com, I-tunes, Amazon, Last FM, Google Music Store, Deezer, MediaNet, Tradebit, Zune, Spotify, I Heart Radio, Simfy and is also available at Rush-Mor records, and The Exclusive Co.

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Bio

Composer Dan Type with a backlog of songs and a defunct band started to approach local musicians he always respected and wanted to work with.

After recording the first song "Superman" it was clear there was something special about this project and the band chemistry was undeniable. As the next series of recordings kept coming it was clear that a release was inevitable. The band played their first show in Chicago in June of 2009. Repetition Lever's self titled debut CD was released on June 4th 2011. The band has continued to write and record new music and is looking forward to getting out and supporting their current works with more live shows.

You will be hearing much more from us, STAY TUNED!