5IVE
Coma in E
By: Carl Schultz
Boston's 5IVE are a very unique band making very interesting sounds. Combining an artistic viewpoint(s) with a psychedelic, yet heavy, vision, the band produces music that is forward-thinking and modern, while incorporating sounds that reference shoe gazer giants of days past (IE: Pink Floyd, Kyuss and Hawkwind). RESOUND dove head-on into the swirling vortex that is 5IVE to see what propels this beautiful machine...
For those who may not yet be familiar with 5IVE and what it is that you guys do, please give readers a brief rundown.
5ive melts space, time and mass into sound. This describes us well...(from digitalmetal.com interview)
1: Mix one large Stoli-brand orange vodka with soda water and ice. Crack four beers if you're a drummer (they usually sweat it out).
2: Smoke a cigarette or three.
3: Smoke some other sorts of things.
3.5: Form a tight circle of amps and drums.
4: Turn on Orange stack; Sunn cab, and bass rig, Marshall head, V-4 B... let tubes warm.
5. Plug guitar into all amps (very important).
6. Don't wear earplugs.
7. Turn on X-mas lights.
8. Make another drink.
9. Turn amps off of standby...
10. Start off slowly and gradually build.
11. Don't put the earplugs in!
12. Repeat.
13. Try to remember what the fuck happened the next time you practice. Seriously. This is 5ive
How important is the 5IVE sound to the overall process? The tone(s) are amazing...
The sound is 80% of what we do. 5ive shapes tones and experiments with analog waveforms. Our sound has always been described as an Organic sound, it has a natural truth to it and though it is not always a happy or uplifting message you cannot deny it. If you can let it in it will stay with you. Charlie [drums] has an absolutely huge vintage slingerland kit with a 28" bass drum to speak of, I [B Carr] use primarily 70's Orange amplification, vintage Marshall, and Sunn gear as well as a few pedals... oh and my Les Paul Standard.
Do you find that being a 2-piece has any distinct advantages?
Um... yes and no. On the one hand we have a distinct advantage over many bands in that the communication factor is limited to only 2 people. This means the music can remain more fluid and transitions can happen quickly at any moment with out the confusion that can be added by extra people. We can easily express and exhibit what we are feeling at any given moment with out having to be concerned with staying within a set structure which is how most bands operate [the structure that is]. This makes for an interesting show at worst, and when the "magic" happens it's like nothing you'll really ever experience. We mostly work this way when we record as well. We track everything live and then embellish and layer where needed. The downside is that I have to serve double duty serving as both rhythm and lead at the same time. That's why I need big amps. Except when Jeff Caxide (ISIS) plays bass [see upcoming new EP's.]
Describe the band's unique take on "setting up" at gigs.
We used to set up exclusively on the floor at clubs forming the amps around us in a triangle with me at the center facing Charlie. This gives people a more intimate experience; they could walk around us or check it out from different angles. Sometimes we would set up on the floor and run through the house mains as well so the sound was coming form 2 locations totally fucking you out of your mind. People would hear us and run downstairs only to find the stage empty! Then they would look around and see a crowd in the corner. Now as the shows get larger we find ourselves on the stage more, still in the triangle formation but we still pull the floor move whenever we can.
When did the integration of vocals come into play and how do the vocals add to what the two of you are doing musically?
The vocals were like a one shot deal for the first 2 songs on our second album (Telestic Disfracture [Tortuga Recordings]). Longtime friend Jonah Jenkins, vocals for Only Living Witness, and now Milligram, asked if he could do something for the record so we had him come in and just read and sing some stuff out of some of his old journals that he wrote on various tours in Europe. It came out really well so we kept it.
5IVE has recently taken part in a few regional tours as well as performing at a few big(ger) festivals. How have these performances gone over?
Actually pretty well. The first time is always the toughest for the new listener, as they have to absorb this new unexpected thing. Like when we played Metalfest (thanks to Relapse by the way) they're were people in corpse paint like total death metal guys (and fat chicks), and here we are coming out with full on space fuzz sludge and no vocals no black outfits no Kramer or Mesa triple rectifier shit and people we really cool with it, like what the fuck is this? I've never heard this before!
Who are some of the band's influences musically or otherwise?
Anything real. Anything in which the artist can convey to me the message that they are trying to convey. I know its open to interpretation but you get the picture.
What / where would the perfect 5IVE show consist of?
Pink Floyd (the ‘68 Ummagumma time period)
Kyuss
Godspeed you Black Emperor
Cannibal Ox
Mogwai
PortisHead (Old)
You have a split CD with Australia's HALO slated for release soon. I find it interesting that both acts consist of 2 members. How did this EP idea come about?
Mr. Matt Jacobson's beard came to me, Charlie, Skyy and Robert (of HALO) in a vivid fever dream and commanded us to record this split EP. The beard was right.
What are your future goals for the band both in the short and long term(s)?
We're just going to roll with it keep putting out ass kicking records and see what happens...
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