“…prog-metal compositions that fans of Tool, A Perfect Circle, or any other Maynard James Keenan-associated project should sink their claws into immediately.” – Revolver Magazine
Revolver Magazine is currently hosting the exclusive premiere for a stunning video for “M.E.6” by Phoenix, Arizona psychedelic/alternative rock trio MEDIA. The song can be found on the band’s debut EP, Influence.
From the heart of the Sonoran Desert arises MEDIA. Their debut EP Influence is the first of a three-part meditation on the brutality and beauty of being. It is about the inner and outer connect and disconnect on the earthly plane, culminating with a tune about the Sixth Mass Extinction event being brought on by the uncontrollable spread of an “idea pathogen.” Sonically, Influence is a heavy but groovy psychedelic whirlwind. With big, sweeping, tom-heavy grooves and lush synthesizers, layered over nasty Rickenbacker bass tones and guitars alternately grimy and soaring, the sound is massive. It harkens a lot of things familiar but adds something new and fresh to the mix.
MEDIA was founded by Billy Tegethoff (The Oxford Coma) and Richard Wnuk who performed this first piece of the triptych, with Tegethoff handling guitar, bass, and vocals, Wnuk playing drums, and both contributing various synthesizers and electronics throughout the release. Wnuk had a very clear picture of how he wanted the record to sound, so he wore the producer hat throughout a very meticulous mixing process. Jalipaz helmed the recording and the mixing at Audioconfusion Studios in Mesa, after which the tracks were mastered at Marcussen Mastering by Stephen Marcussen. Since the recording of the first EP, the band has welcomed bassist CJ Sholtis to the lineup.
The new “M.E.6” video was filmed on location in northern New Mexico utilizing drones and more, offering breathtaking views of the vast wilderness, as well as at 3500 Kelvin Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. The band offers, “Our world may or may not be going through the beginning stages of its Sixth Mass Extinction caused by divisive idea pathogens, so we decided to film our music video and watch the sun set from another planet. It was nice to get away for a while.”
Revolver writes, “MEDIA‘s band name may be deceptively simple, but their music isn’t,” noting how the Influence EP, “is comprised of four wiggy prog-metal compositions that fans of Tool, A Perfect Circle, or any other Maynard James Keenan-associated project should sink their claws into immediately. Today, we’re stoked to be premiering the bizarrely captivating music video for ‘M.E.6,’ the closing track on Influence that does a great job summing up MEDIA‘s uniquely heady, pleasantly tongue-in-cheek appeal. In it, the three band members, donning Kraftwerk-ian suits and sunglasses, perform in the desert while extra-terrestrial imagery surrounds them. It’s a fittingly oblique complement to the angular, unpredictable, yet strangely hooky song, and we’re all for it.”
Watch MEDIA’s incredible “M.E.6” video first at Revolver Magazine RIGHT HERE.
Influence is now streaming at all digital points including Bandcamp HERE, Spotify HERE, and Apple HERE. Also watch MEDIA’s video for “Kimono” – for which MetalSucks wrote “the song could very easily be mistaken for a Tool B-side” – at THIS LOCATION.
MEDIA is currently recording the second and third installments in the ongoing story arc. The band is also plotting new live dates for the months ahead. Stand by for updates to post shortly.
There are many Easter Eggs planted throughout MEDIA’s three-release arc, but one factor that will be consistent is that all instruments were tuned to a reference pitch of A 444hz. When you tune to that reference pitch, C will be at 528hz. This frequency is used in both traditional and modern sound-healing practices. It has been purported to have the ability to repair DNA. MEDIA has no comment there, but certain sounds and rhythms have been shown to facilitate non-ordinary states of consciousness. This frequency has popped up as the tuning for traditional instruments like singing bowls and has a space in modern sound healing. It is also one of the Solfeggio frequencies–a scale associated with Gregorian chants and used in a wide array of meditation music. It made a solid candidate for a mind-altering tone, so it seemed like a cool idea to balance out some of the heaviness (both in subject matter and aggressive sounds) with a frequency that has a lovely association with healing.
Sound design enthusiasts and audiophiles can find some gems buried in this mix as well. There are production details best experienced on a good pair of headphones. But it holds its own as a car cranker too.
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