The Witzard

Super Basic by Walter Gross "I don't want to go into too much detail with this release, except for the idea that it was made in the spirit of a beat tape, even [though] it's not traditionally a "beat tape." Meaning, it's a hodge-podge of random stuff that is sequenced and edited to be able to enjoy as a little journey. And it is also an excuse to use these [CHILDREN'S TALKING BIBLE] cassettes I had and make some art. The term "SUPER BASIC" is a bit of commentary on the state of our world right now; this super-mechanical, very stagnant status of things," Berlin -based beat-maker and multi-media artist Walter Gross told The Witzard within a recent email. SUPER BASIC is a companion piece, of sorts to Gross' March 2017 Black Box Tapes -released cassette, VESTIGE and he'll be the first to tell you why it was released so soon after its predecessor: "Rent. I need rent money!" SUPER BASIC was made in true 1980's Golde...

Max Eisenberg from Brooklyn, NY moonlights as genre-blending Noise-Rap singer DJ Dog Dick ; a former member of Dog Leather , Nautical Almanac, Dog Synth , etc. Eisenberg is finally gearing up to release his long-rumored HOSS Records debut, THE LIFE STAINS lp (out November 19th). DJ Dog Dick hails from the same original Baltimore -based music-art scene that birthed Dan Deacon , Weekends, Dope Body , Pictureplane, and Surfer Blood . The proper follow-up to last year's Identity EP , LIFE STAINS has been slowly leaked online over the past few months in the form of "Dried Old Leaves," "Rot Is Hot," and Pitchfork -premiered "Grease That I Got." Their track review essentially likens "Grease That I Got" as a "straight-up Pop tune, built around a bass line that could've been stolen from an R.E.M. out-take... or a helium-injected Butthole Surfers ." The Artist Formally Known as DJ DOG DICK (@ALLEYPISS) on Twitter further ...

Fresh on the heels of his recent un-characteristically chill Matmos sing-song feature, DJ DOG DICK unleashed Identity EP out of nowhere mid-Wednesday afternoon [Feb. 5th] to the wide-spread surprise of The Internet(s). @NoiseyMusic not-so-ironically managed to describe the 4-track EP as, "sludge-caked Pop nuggets from the weed-chocked outskirts of Rap & Noise " in just 140 characters or less. DJ DOG DICK (Max Eisenberg) was 1/2 of Baltimore Noise-Pop ensemble, Dog Leather and currently performs art installations/live shows along with Pictureplane , who're often simply billed as "DICKPIC." Eisenberg supposedly recorded the bulk of Identity EP in Far Rockaway [Queens] while dealing with the Earth-shattering aftermath of Hurricane Sandy . It's really a disjointed precursor to The Life Stains LP , which HOSS Records finally has plans to release this upcoming May. DJ DOG DICK somehow harnesses a wide-spanning, unique soundscape on Identity ...

Baltimore, Maryland is a metropolitan city chock-full of creative, artistically-inclined young people. On the Indie Rock side of things, WEEKENDS , Dog Leather, Dope Body , Beach House , and Dan Deacon are a few of it's BIGGER, attention-drawing bands. Townsman Brett Yale runs a cassette-pressing record label, Friends Records and a companion Baltimore -centric music blog, B-more Musically Informed . He really seems eager to help sign, promote, and assist local bands in getting their music heard on a much larger scale. Recently spotted a short write-up about "DJ Dog Dick" (Max Eisenberg) from Dog Leather 's new Jazz -inspired track. Pictureplane once said that Dog Leather "[weren't] trying to be rappers, they are just being themselves" ... with that said, "Lights Down Low" definitely has an underlying Hip-Hop feel to it. Richmond 's very own Lil Ugly Mane is featured rapping alongside DJ Dog Dick on the Shawn Kemp -produced t...

(1) Do you dig much Hip-Hop? If so, what were a few of your favourite new artists/albums of 2011? I really like that new-ish Young Jeezy [-feat. André 3000 & Jay-Z] track, "I Do" and lately that has kept me waiting for it to come on the radio again. I also like that new song by Cash Out called, "Cashin' Out." I wasn't too excited about any new Hip-Hop artists this past year, much less could I tell you about an entire album from 2011. For the record, Lil' Wayne is the rapper that I am most impressed by currently (he is insanely prolific) and I do have all of the Baltimore Hip-Hop stations saved as presets in my ride. 92Q is what's up. (2) How would you describe the overall sound of the new Dope Body record, Natural History? Cause "Lazy Slave" is pretty Hardcore, dude! It's a little difficult to try to describe an overall sound of Natural History because of it's wide range of moods and styles. Some songs are more Sunburst...

Essentially a backyard "super-group" formed by 2 über-creative Baltimore solo artists: Griffin Pyn Sewn Leather and Max Eisenberg DJ Dog Dick ... Dog Leather somehow manage(s) to seamlessly blend the all too familiar sounds of Hip-Hop, Punk , and Grunge . Sampled genre elements are then chopped, mashed, and melded against the [long-forgotten] D.I.Y. audio traits of Noise-Pop , Horrorcore, and so on. I think that the 2 tracks presented here, effectively show both ends of the spectrum - This concerning Dog Leather 's overall sound. To call their debut album for Ehse Records (Greezy Man and Stinky Man Meets Smutty Ranks on Tarantula Hill) an "experience," would be dangerously mis-guided and thereby not recommended. "Do Gleat Her," an airy Pop -filled [loose] love ballad is about as close to "mainstream" as Dog Leather will ever get; While "TROLL SPRAY" is another sort of un-hinged, Noisy animal entirely! Greezy Man and Stin...