Gary Thomas: The Sovereign Crusade

Gary Thomas speaks in his own divergent musical diction, wailing through visceral fissures and flaunting sentient labyrinthine technique. Having established a cavalier relationship with his guitar, the affair can be arduous. Gary ranges from gentle dulcet seduction, before manic percussive cacophony disjoints your repose. The recondite Wooden Boxes and Thought Hunting was released at the start of Gary’s solo career after parting ways with the highly regarded Cape deuce Cabins in the Forest. This new direction in 2009 saw over 30 South African cities on the tour schedule, features at all major local Music Festivals, highly acclaimed reviews and much more. Having just finalised the recording of his next solo album, Gary shared some insight with Calibreed.

Effigies of Blitz: Mike Bell Photography

Those of you who are not acquainted with the name, face or work of Mike Bell have obviously not spent any significant time in the front row of Johannesburg pits. Mikes obvious passion for the scene he documents is evident in every shot he takes, the intimacy laced with sweat and seared with the howls and thumps of the pit that Mr Bell has made his niche and creative focus, turning the snarling mass into an art. If this is the first time you’re hearing the name, prepare to get introduced to a rising star in the SA underground.

HORSE the Band (USA) (December 2009)

“FUCK IT” – The mantra of The Pioneer. With these resonating words, HORSE the Band, latched on to legacy with their very own hands and set the precedent for every band claiming the avant-garde title. Here are the facts: At the moment of inevitable disillusionment for the artist, a defining juncture for any band, HTB rose to the challenge where many before had fallen. Announcing brazen plans, the band was met with rancor and jest, a response the vanguard is familiar with – a 40-country tour of earth, booked, funded, planned and survived by the band? The misanthropes jeered, the flouters doubted, while HORSE the Band played 73 gigs in three months over 45 countries worldwide and persevered to tell the tale.

And tell the tale they have, echoes of the story soaked in ether and pinned down on their latest and most arduous release; Desperate Living.

Read more, including the exclusive interview with Lord Gold from HORSE the Band below.

Devil Sold His Soul (UK) (June 2009)

The name Devil Sold His Soul seems to imply a double entendre in its description… The observant tannies in the Krugersdorp massive would initially cringe back at the abhorred mention of the beast, but after giving it some thought one could decide that if it’s the Devil selling his soul there’s only one fella up top who’d be buying. However, therein lays the potential of the entendre…

Read more, including the interview, below.

Bocho – Calibreed Speaks to Dimitar

Aiming our sights outside of South African borders again, and braving the language boundaries, Calibreed brings you news of a young Bulgarian graphic artist making a name for himself. We are pleased to introduce you to the work of Dimitar Bochukov, otherwise known as ‘Bocho’. With a strong influence from the ‘lowbrow’ art movement, Bocho manages to capture an illustrative style that is enigmatic and conspicuous, and perfectly suited as the backdrop for any macabre soundscape, and it’s with this in mind that Bocho has stepped into the SA underground scene with the Enmity release ‘Murderabilia’. Expect to see more of his work soon, and read the interview below for a little more insight into this exciting European artist.

Feedback from the Past – A look into the history of the South African Underground (April 2009)

It’s hard to argue that the SA underground isn’t only alive and healthy at the moment, but kicking as hard as any fervent baby trapped in the womb would. However today’s average gig caller has often lost touch with the roots of this complex local underground, that constantly shifts and cycles through different faces. Admitting my ignorance on the subject and taking on the perilous journey of research into this obscure and antiqued behemoth, I began to unearth something uniquely distinguishing. As you scratch on the surface of this dusty subject, you realize how intricate, essential and sometimes hysterical the history of the SA underground turns out to be.

Enmity by Max Barashenkov (June 2009)

Strange sounds echo from the Cape Town Forensic Pathology building. Guttural vocals, rock n roll guitars, lush keyboard arrangements – a new kind of symphony for the dead. Perhaps the undertakers working here are not the perfect audience for Enmity’s new record, Murderabilia, but somehow it feels appropriate to let them hear it first. They scratch their heads and wonder why anyone would make music seemingly devoted to the art of serial killing. Each day they are surrounded by specters of Albert Fish, Charlie Manson, Gacy and see the physical evidence of their legacy on the metal tables in front of them. I hoped they would be outraged, professionally offended, but they are just puzzled and the only real comment comes from an elderly lady who specializes in teenage post-mortems…

“That girl, she sings pretty,” is all she says.

Yes Sir! Mister Machine (April 2009)

It’s like being in a pit and getting hit in the face by a cast on a freshly broken arm. Just before it smashes into your nose and shatters your cartilage in a fountain of blood, someone else’s life flashes before your eyes, rainbows of hearts and sentiments on a plaster cast shell. And it hurts. Both of you. Cause under that messy, doodled exterior; you know there are bones of their own, still trying to mend. A few seconds later as your own memories rush back in, while your nose leaks out, you realise you want some more. Your mother warned you about this kind of kink. But you can’t help yourself. Turns out the lads from Yes Sir! Mister Machine have punches to spare.