It is time for you ShockYa readers to stop battling the hard driven beats of techno music. You must embrace the heart palpitations because if anything these past few years of chart topping tracks have shown you, it’s that electronic music defies the boring and repetitive characteristics heard in other genres, like country. Sorry, Blake Shelton, but hearing a verse with cowboy in it more than once deems a song to be vapid.
Electronic tracks have enough life in them to resurrect the dying Shelton sounds. More specifically, Dynasty Electric has enough verve to do exactly that entirely on its own. With beat maker and lyricist, Seth Misterka, and sultry vocalist, Jenny Electrik, Dynasty Electric’s sound has the ideal blend of psychedelic and electronic attributes, which are fairly dispersed throughout a track. In Spring of 2011, the duo released “Golden Arrows”, which Ski Beatz produced. Of that same season and year, Dynasty Electric signed with New York label No Shame. The band’s new single and music video for “Electric Love” has just dropped along with three remixes of the tune. With no plans of dialing down the music, Dynasty Electric has also announced plans for a fourth studio album in 2012.
So, it is best for you to jump on the Dynasty Electric craze because come next year, there will already be new tunes to shadow those of “Golden Arrows”. Check out the interview below with Misterka and Electric, as they discuss “Golden Arrows”, their label, No Shame, “Electric Love” and lastly, their 2012 album.
“Golden Arrows” is such an eclectic mix of beats. Can you tell me how you guys varied the electro beats from one track to the next?
Jenny: Thank you! We are so happy you like it! “Golden Arrows” is a collaboration between Seth and Ski Beatz, who is an amazing hip hop producer. We’re bringing in Ski to work our new record as well.
Seth: “Golden Arrows” is a collaborative work. Ski Beatz is an amazing drum programmer from the world of hip-hop, and I come from the electro-rock side of things. It was really fun to mix up those worlds and I think it keeps things fresh. We also worked with Navegante, a great New York Latin artist, for the beat on “Reality Check”.
Would you guys classify yourselves in the electronica genre?
J: We have been calling our music, Electrik Wave.
S: Originally the project was doing avant-garde jazz and alternative rock. After we went electric, we’ve synthesized elements of hip-hop, house, dub, pop, electronica, etc. Electronic music is limitless in possibility, and that’s what drew me in as an artist. With computers, synths, and theremins, there is an infinite spectrum of sound at our fingertips.
“Bird Song” is one of my favorite tracks off of “Golden Arrows”. What was it like making this track, instrumentally and lyrically?
J: It was super magical. Ski, Seth, and I were alone in a big house surrounded by trees and mountains in Woodstock, NY. The energy of that time was innocent and carefree.
How did you guys first hook up with No Shame?
J: Andrew Linde from No Shame saw us perform at the Millennium Music Conference. The rest of No Shame crew came to our “Golden Arrows” release party at the Canal Room, NYC.
How was it making “Electric Love” in the recording studio as a single and a remix track?
S: The original version of “Electric Love” was actually recorded all around the world. First I started it in Melbourne, Australia, then we added live drums in Brooklyn, NY, and then we did the vocal in Westport, Massachusetts. Then we passed on the track to a couple DJ friends, and all of a sudden all these great remixes popped up. We signed with No Shame and gave it to them and they helped make this great video.
How was it making the video?
S: That was a really fun video to make. It was just like a party. The director, Casey Randerson, did it very organically.
Have a particular electronica artist that you are “loving” right now?
S: I recently watched a bunch of live Kap Bambino videos and was blown away.
What are some artists that fans would be most shocked to know have influenced your sound?
S: I love jazz, and originally started off in music as a saxophonist. Among the artists that influenced me are Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Anthony Braxton, Herbie Hancock, and many others. I’ve been heavily influenced by punk music as well, like Fugazi, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, The Meat Puppets, Dynamite Club. I also love classic rock like Steve Miller, The Doors, Cream, Hendrix, Black Sabbath. Hip-hop is big for me too, like RUN DMC, The Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Outkast.
How has it been working with No Shame on your fourth studio album? Much different than making “Golden Arrows”?
S: It’s been great. The album is being made both at our studio in Westport, Massacusetts, which is in the country and similar to the environment in which we made “Golden Arrows”, and at the No Shame studio in Manhattan.
J: There are a lot more tools for us to utilize. There’s a greater level attention given to details and more collaborators.
Any news you could tell me about the new album?
S: I just can’t wait to finish this new record up and get it out to the world. I think we’ve raised the bar with each album we’ve made, and the new album is looking like our best one yet. It’s has a mainstream pop sound, but with the electric edge still intact. Like “Golden Arrows”, it is a super diverse album. Electro-Rock-Dubstep-Pop-Hip-Hop. We’re looking to wrap up production by the end of the year and unleash it Spring of 2012.
by Lonnie Nemiroff
