New Artist Profile – Eddie Eisinger

With a world obsessed with pop stars and the latest X-Factor winners, it’s often easy to forget about those musicians who work hard to create songs that won’t be listened to by thousands of people on YouTube. Despite being seen as a ‘bedroom producer’, Eddie Eisinger doesn’t create tacky club remixes: his musical style is extremely versatile and includes (but is not limited to) rock, ambient and even soundtracks for video games.

So who is Eddie? He’s a twenty-year-old student at Southampton Solent University, studying Sound for Film, Television and Games. His musical background started when he was very young: he started playing the harmonica aged six, started singing lessons aged twelve and started playing guitar since he was fifteen. He is also able to play piano and violin, enabling him to experiment widely with the music that he can create. Inspired by great artists such as Robert Plant, Paul McCartney and Tony Iommi, his specialism lies within the classic rock genre.

Previously Eddie has been in three bands: an unnamed pop-punk band, a metal/rock band called Acedia and a rock cover band called Marmotta. When asked about why he left all three of his previous bands, Eddie had this to say: “Too much drama. I can honestly say I have never been in a band where there haven’t been arguments between the rhythm section (bass and drums) and the lead section (vocals and guitar), because they are always at it. I have never been in a band that never had those two sides arguing, and I probably never will. I don’t like working in an unfriendly atmosphere.”

With such negative experiences in bands, it’s no wonder that Eddie has since decided to focus more on the production side of music. Using many different editing programmes he is able to compose and create music for all purposes.  He was inspired by learning about how to create music on his own: “I thought ‘what do I need a band for?’ I do miss being on stage, but I enjoy creating a song from nothing then hearing the final product.”

Now specialising in creating music for films and games, Eddie hopes that one day people who require music for a project will instantly think of him. When asked about how he would cope with fortune and fame, his response was that he will ‘dance around like an old western prospector that has just found gold. Then possibly die of a massive overdose at 27.’

Check out Eddie's SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/eddie-eisinger 

2013: A Year In Music

When you think of the musical fads from this year, one particular incident may stick out in your mind: twerking. After Miley Cyrus’ awful performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, the word has now even been put in the online Oxford Dictionary. If that isn’t enough to make you want to weep for humanity, it gets even worse…

‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke has been one of the most popular songs this year, managing to achieve number one in the charts in fourteen countries. Despite the controversy surrounding the song, Thicke has stated in an interview that it’s a feminist movement (because “I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two,” really empowers women…) ‘Blurred Lines’ has been banned by over twenty student unions across the UK due to fears that it promotes rape.

Original Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr died of Multiple Sclerosis complications, founding member of Slayer Jeff Hanneman died of liver failure and Deftones bassist Chi Cheng died of a cardiac arrest after being in a coma for four years. The only good thing to come from the deaths of these legendary artists was that it brought the metal community even closer together.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Canadian progressive metal band Protest The Hero were able to hit back at money-stealing record companies by creating a crowd-funded album. Using website ‘IndieGoGo’, Protest The Hero were able to allow fans to donate money to create their album ‘Volition’ without needing to involve a record company. Needless to say, they reached their $125,000 goal in thirty hours and the total amount raised was almost triple this. By giving their fans exclusive perks too they were able to make them feel involved in the bands’ creative process.

Festival attendance also boomed this year: fans realised that rather than paying £50 to see a couple of bands, they could pay under £200 and see hundreds of bands across a few days. Reading Festival even managed to sell out of tickets months before the actual event. If that isn't enough to make you keep a glimmer of hope for the music industry, then internet trolls actually getting extreme metal band Dying Fetus announced for Download Festival 2014 might. Organiser Andy Copping managed to add the band to next years’ line up after a flurry of ‘why not Dying Fetus’ comments stormed social networking websites.

Who knows what state the music industry will be in next year, but one thing is for sure: the internet has the ability to both ruin and help music around the world. 

Manic Street Preachers Artist Biography

With eleven albums over twenty four years, Manic Street Preachers are one of the most prominent bands ever to emerge from the alternative rock genre. Forming in Blackwood, a small town in South Wales in 1989, their impact both musically and culturally has been huge: inspiring a generation to engage themselves into the political and social scene around them, as well as rebelling against society’s expectations. Manic Street Preachers arrival into the music scene was at a time where grunge and house music was dominating the airwaves, but their unique and overwhelming presence enabled them to be successful and gain an almost cult-like following.

Described by music journalist John Doran as "antagonising nearly everyone they came across with their fiercely anti-fashion stance", it’s no secret that the Manic Street Preachers aren't the most approachable band in the world. However, their truthful and blunt lyrics have reached out to generations of music fans. The lyrical context of one of their most popular songs, ‘If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next’, is about the Spanish Civil War; hardly something that you’d expect to become number one in 1998. Their unpredictability and raw passion are some of Manic Street Preacher’s most unique factors and due to this it would be almost impossible to compare them to another band.

Wherever rock music is concerned there’s always controversy: something that the Manic Street Preachers aren’t shy of. The angst-filled Welsh rockers have no problem addressing their strong and sometimes almost offensive opinions on anything from pop music to world politics. Described by NME as ‘generation terrorists’, Manic Street Preachers were able to cause uproar for the BBC in 1994 by getting a staggering 26,435 complaints about lead singer James wearing an IRA-style balaclava on Top of the Pops, which was also repeated at Glastonbury the same year. It also goes without saying that Richey Edward’s disappearance in 1995 is something which to this day still mystifies both fans and music lovers around the world.

Despite the controversial issues surrounding them, Manic Street Preachers have a loyal and dedicated fan base, so much so that they have just announced an eleven date UK tour for 2014. Even though they aren't gaining the media coverage that they used to in the nineties, Manic Street Preachers will continue to sell-out arenas and headline festivals until they disband and their contribution to the rock music scene will never be forgotten.

Sky Ferreira ‘Night Time, My Time’ Album Review

If the saying ‘there’s no such thing as bad press’ is true, then Sky Ferreira could easily write a book about her life filled with scandals, despite only being twenty-one. Forming only part of that history is her recent run-in with the law alongside her boyfriend for drug possession. So does synth-pop’s new wild-child actually have any time to record music alongside her rock-and-roll lifestyle? The answer is yes, which has resulted in ‘Night Time, My Time’.

Opening with a track that sounds reminiscent of something a scene-kid would have as their Myspace song, ‘Boys’ gives you a clear insight into what Sky Ferreira is all about: heavy synth-based songs fused with ambient vocals. The sickly-sweet vibe of the album is enough to make any metal-head gag, but what can you expect from someone who has been referred to as ‘Britney-meets-teen Lolita’?

Sky’s music could be seen as self-reflective: “I blame myself for my reputation,” proves that she knows exactly what she’s doing to gain media attention: good or bad.

When translated into English, ‘Omanko’ means vagina. Yes, she has sang a song about Japan and vaginas. The less said about that, the better.

Final track ‘Night Time, My Time’ demonstrates the album’s slow descent into insanity; there is no happy-go-lucky vibe here, just overwhelming and intensifying noises full of disparity.

Whether she’s just a young blonde girl desperately seeking fame or an artistic mastermind for our generation, one thing is for sure: Sky Ferreira isn't one to keep quiet about what’s running through her mind.