“…the music itself is an intersection of styles… while bizarre and bewildering, isn’t a big pileup of mangled and smoking wreckage.” – No Clean Singing
As Virginia-based electronic/industrial project DIGITAL NEGATIVE prepares to deliver its third EP, Intersect, No Clean Singing is hosting a premiere of the outfit’s new video for “The Blanks.”
DIGITAL NEGATIVE’s output is the work of Richard Johnson (Drugs Of Faith, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Enemy Soil) and Daniel Euphrat (Person918x, Timmy Sells His Soul, Bodied). The band’s eponymous debut EP was created remotely during the 2020 COVID lockdowns when the project was spawned, which quickly inspired the creation of the band’s simply named second recording, EP 2, released early in 2023. With the members working in-person on the second release, the material naturally became more aggressive and cohesive; rhythmic sound collages constructed of guitars, electronic drums, samples, and vocals. DIGITAL NEGATIVE also made their live debut during the second EP phase as well, performing several shows across the Northern Virginia/Washington DC area.
The progression of DIGITAL NEGATIVE’s exploration continues, as proven on their impending third EP, Intersect. As with both prior EPs, Intersect delivers five new songs, which see the band digging further into their electronic and industrial influences while continuing to focus on socio-political and dystopian themes. The vocals and field samples for Intersect were performed and recorded by Johnson with the guitars, electronics, and samples were performed/recorded by Euphrat who mixed the record, after which it was mastered by Angel Marcloid at Angel Hair Studio. Fans of Godflesh, Skinny Puppy, Pitch Shifter, Front Line Assembly, Revolting Cocks, Pigface, Throbbing Gristle, and Einstürzende Neubauten should add DIGITAL NEGATIVE to their rotation immediately.
With the release of “The Blanks,” Euphrat reveals, “‘The Blanks’ was based on repurposing a noise rock riff we had jammed on and ended up with Ministry and Mille Plateaux influences on top of DIGITAL NEGATIVE‘s usual dub undercurrents.”
Johnson adds, “This track is an example of me trying to place the lyrics on the song in a different way than I did on the other two DIGITAL NEGATIVE EPs. Daniel pushed me out of my comfort zone on creating the video and I think it paid off.”
Within their detailed dissection of the song and video, No Clean Singing writes in part, “Where their musical explorations have now led them in the case of Intersect is further down a path of indulging electronic and industrial influences while continuing to focus on socio-political and dystopian themes. As you’ll discover from the video premiere for ‘The Blanks’ that we’re hosting today, the new EP’s name is apt. It’s apt because the music itself is an intersection of styles — an intersection with no stop signs or stop lights to regulate the flow of traffic, and yet the result, while bizarre and bewildering, isn’t a big pileup of mangled and smoking wreckage. Or, to change the metaphor, the figure in the video with fingers flying has seen something in the screen of shapeless static, and the song reflects a kind of discovery as well.”
Watch DIGITAL NEGATIVE video for “The Blanks” first at No Clean Singing RIGHT HERE.
Intersect will be released on July 11th. Preorders can be placed HERE, and the “Extensions” video is playing HERE.
https://digitalnegative.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/@DigitalNegativeBand