Introducing: Negative Earth

I've always had a huge respect for industrial performers. It's fascinating to me how solitary and contemplative the genre is, how one person can take a melody running through their head and turn it into a dark, gritty symphony. I like the traditional guitar-bass-drums setup as much as anyone, but I think industrial and electronic music is a way to push emotion even further.

I recently interviewed Trev Kill, the singer/guitarist and mastermind behind the industrial/electronic project Negative Earth. The Calgary, Alberta musician calls his sound "electronic gravity rock" and has this to say about its formation: "When I discovered dark and heavy sound, I fell in love with it. So my music was always of that style that resonated from within. I could relate. So with having that already inside, the electronic influence came from giving myself access to different electronic tools. Recording my ideas could then be supported by new, interesting sounds. That combination birthed electronic gravity rock."

Kill recorded his self-titled EP with producer Myron Wegner. It was then that he recruited keyboardist/vocalist Esther Widmann and guitarist David Blitt to play live sets. The band is still trying to round out its lineup by trying out drummers and bassists. "I met Esther first," Kill says. "[We] began working on music acoustically immediately. I then met a drummer who introduced me to David Blitt. From there we all rehearsed twice a week to get into the groove."

And what a hell of a groove that is. @bored_gazm tweeted: "Negative Earth is one of the hottest new bands...Sexy, dark, enthralling, and absolutely spectacular." I agree wholeheartedly. At times crawling, seductive, howling, and mysterious, Negative Earth  is an edge-of-your-seat ride through a psyche.

Kill, who lists his main musical influences as Tool, Meshuggah, American Head Charge, Opeth, A Perfect Circle, and Alice in Chains, says he doesn't have a set-in-stone songwriting process. "[It] varies with where I am and what I have with me. If I am at my tracking station, the song is usually conceived by a groove, either sampled or created. It is always random with what I use next - whatever sounds best to push out what I am hearing in my head."

My favorite of the album's tracks was "Cut Implant Stitch." Besides being a great title for a song, it is ruthless and haunting, basic and yet almost symphonic in its scope. Kill said of his inspiration for the song: "That song was inspired by the forced, unwanted feeling of confusion - one that drives your mind insane with questions where you eventually act into some sort of sick behavior. The opposite sex is a very powerful creation."

What astounded me about this EP was that literally every song was fresh and resounding, from the rapping on "Eye For Dumb" to the booming thunder in the background of "Slither." The music is all about creation and experimentation, rather than writing formulated chart-toppers. It really makes for brutal, brilliant songs ("Slither" and "Proof" being two of my other favorites).

Bottom line: This is a band that you should get into NOW. Because it's going to be extremely successful in a few years, mark my words. Negative Earth recently won Indie365's radio play contest going away, and it's only up from there.

Official website
Follow on Twitter: @negativeearth @killtrev
Facebook: Negative Earth
YouTube: NegativeEarthTV
Negative Earth on SoundCloud
Negative Earth on ReverbNation