Dirty Knobs – Hallow
Released: October 4, 2012
Happy Halloween. Play it loud.
Everything by Zac Bentz.
REVIEWS:
“Ah, a new album for Halloween by Dirty Knobs, sounding, as ever, like it was recorded in Hell’s deepest skull-silo” — Warren Ellis
twitter.com/warrenellis/statuses/254199642907095040
The Electric Witch – NEScapism
Released: September 4, 2012
NEScapism is a love-letter to the video games I grew up with. The games whose music meant just as much to me, if not more, as the escapism they provided my isolated imagination. These are the songs that I would let play over and over, ignoring whatever might have been happening on-screen. Letting them loop and spiral outward. I’ve tried to capture that feeling on this album, adding my own inner echos.
Full album download comes with 3 variant album covers.
The Electric Witch is Zac Bentz.
Synth: Animoog, Sunrizer (iOS)
Drums: DM1 (iOS)
Illustration of The Electric Witch by Tubbypaws. Design by Zac and Steph Bentz.
REVIEWS/PRESS:
“wonderful” —Kotaku
kotaku.com/5954014/
“…a drifting, space-age journey through the mind and soul.” —Destructoid
www.destructoid.com/belated-alert-buy-zac-bentz-s-nescapism-synthpop-album-237169.phtml
“NEScapism becomes a best-selling album on Bandcamp with remade NES game themes” —Polygon
www.polygon.com/2012/10/26/3560580/nescapism-becomes-a-best-selling-album-on-bandcamp-with-remade-nes
GoNintendo:
gonintendo.com?mode=viewstory&id=184783
IGN Denmark:
dk.ign.com/news/186/NEScapism-er-retroguf-for-%C3%B8regangene
“…the music is genuinely ace.” —Nintendo Gamer
www.nintendo-gamer.net/2012/10/23/electric-ambient-nes-tribute-is-all-floaty-and-lovely/
“…a highly recommended download for anyone with a fondness for the music of the NES era.” —Nintendo Life
www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/10/take_an_ambient_musical_trip_through_8_bit_history_with_nescapism
“…beautifully calming soundtracks” —Nintendo Fans Online
www.nintendofansonline.co.uk/2012/10/news-escape-to-nes-era-with-nescapism.html
“‘NEScapism’ succeeds gorgeously in borrowing the looped themes from the games of our collective childhoods, and create something amazing.” —Complex
www.complex.com/video-games/2012/10/nescapism-is-a-synth-pop-journey-through-your-childhood
“…the purpose of NEScapism was to capture the memories he had listening to the classic tunes, and I think he’s done an excellent job doing so…” —Zelda Dungeon:
www.zeldadungeon.net/2012/09/synthpop-tribute-to-the-legend-of-zelda/
“That Final Fantasy track made the hairs on my back tingle!” —comment on Wii’s World
www.wiisworld.com/news/nescapism-music-album.html
“Escape with The Electric Witch into a world where NES games are always playing, and their music breezes across your ears like a soft wind.” —Game Music 4 All
gamemusic4all.com/wordpress/2012/09/the-electric-witch-nescapism-album-release/
Synthtopia:
www.synthtopia.com/content/2012/09/07/free-music-from-the-electric-witch/
“…a mesmerizing rendition of my 8 bit favorites!” —Infendo
www.infendo.com/nescapism-captures-the-sound-of-8-bit-music-and-gives-it-life/
“Mejor escuchen!” —Wii4Everybody
www.wii4everybody.com/2012/10/nescapism-por-electric-witch.html
“…a slick little album” —Treon’s Realm
treonsrealm.blogspot.com/2012/10/treat-your-ears-to-some-nescapism.html
“beautiful” —Alea Iacta Est
portal.aie-guild.org/2012/10/24/nescapism-the-electric-witch/
The Electric Witch – Assassin
Released: September 4, 2012
The Electric Witch is:
Zac Bentz: Synth, Vocoder, Bass Guitar, Programing, Vocals
Marcus Matthews: Vocals
All music written, performed and recorded by Zac Bentz (ASCAP).
All lyrics written, performed and recorded by Marcus Matthews (ASCAP),
except “Back to You,” written, performed and recorded by Zac Bentz.
Synth: Animoog (iOS)
Drums: DM1 (iOS)
Vocoder: MicroKorg
Photography and design by Zac Bentz. Logo by Steph Bentz.
Full album download includes lyrics, liner notes and art.
REVIEWS/PRESS:
“Pounding the synth noir electro button for all its worth till the vocoder effect rips through your throat…Robotic non stop and exquisite.” —Fokkawolfe
fokkawolfe.blogspot.com/2012/11/assassin-by-electric-witch.html
Synthtopia:
www.synthtopia.com/content/2012/09/07/free-music-from-the-electric-witch/
Released: May 1, 2012
Where do ghosts live when they’re not living with us?
Ghost Geometry is the follow-up to 2011’s acclaimed eight hour odyssey Field Recordings from the Edge of Hell. Ghost Geometry is four unbroken hours of sub-harmonic oppression and walls of melodic haze. Using techniques both new and old, Ghost Geometry is a cloud of expansive architecture exploding into our physical world.
Full album download includes alternate album art and wallpapers.
Everything by Zac Bentz
©2012 Xero Music
REVIEWS:
“This is beautiful epic drone-scapes on a gigantic scale”
-fokkawolfe
fokkawolfe.blogspot.com/2012/05/where-do-ghosts-live-when-theyre-not.html
“Imagine long, sustained notes building up, layered on top of each other, flowing across the floor, slowly lapping up against the walls and flowing back straight at you. Imagine this blocking out everything, deadening all other sounds until you can hear nothing but Ghost Geometry. If you could see sound this would be like watching a viscous liquid slowly filling a space as the sound increased and changed.” -Blood1000
blood1000.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/dirty-knobs-ghost-geometry/
“Dirty Knobs has this achieved this vicious attack on conformity and complacency by fueling into the experimental electronic sphere over 4 hours of the most sound shifting proportions.”
—Sound Colour Vibration
soundcolourvibration.com/2012/05/31/dirty-knobs-ghost-geometry/
“You all want this experience; you just don’t know it yet. ”
-Styrofoam Boots
godsshoeshine.blogspot.com/2012/05/dirty-knobs-ghost-geometry.html
The Surfactants – Our Dead Bodies
Released: October 31, 2011
©2011 Xero Music
xmcd017
All music written by Zac Bentz (ASCAP) and all lyrics written by Marcus Matthews (ASCAP) except “Pentagram,” words and music by Greg Cougar Conley and “Hawaii,” words and music by Haley Bonar / Spit Comet Music (BMI).
The original version of “The One, The Wayward” appears on the album Diminishing Returns.
Recorded by The Surfactants. Edited, mixed and mastered by Zac Bentz.
The Surfactants are:
Eric Anderson – Bass
Zac Bentz – Programming, Drums
Greg Cougar Conley – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Vocals on “Pentagram”
Marcus Matthews – Vocals
Brett Molitor – Guitar
Also featuring Steph Bentz – Live Keyboards
Photography and design by Steph and Zac Bentz.
PRESS:
“BRAIN DOES NOT COMPUTE. Still, I really dug their hard-driving songs and would recommend checking them out.” —Andrea Swensson/The Current
blog.thecurrent.org/post/2012/05/duluth-homegrown-2012-highlights-14th-annual-twin-ports-festival
“Five Local Bands to Watch in 2012”
—Duluth Superior Magazine
“…one of the most exceptional albums to come out of the area,”
—Reader Weekly
“…a really unique sound and the energy is just crazy.”
—SoundOut
Dirty Knobs – Dream with Portals
Released: July 14, 2011
This is a Portal 2 remix project. The original source material can be downloaded for free (legitimately) at:
www.thinkwithportals.com/music.php
Obsessively edited, filtered, remixed, recorded, layered and extreme sound stretched by Zac Bentz.
REVIEWS:
“Awesome”
—Destructoid
www.destructoid.com/-dream-with-portals-a-portal-2-remix-project-206610.phtml
“…outstanding…dreamy haunting landscapes you can’t help but get lost in…a complete eargasm.”
—GayGamer
gaygamer.net/2011/11/audio_file_friday_dirty_knobs.html
“If you’re a fan of dark-ambient music or Brian Eno-esque soundscapes, this is a must-listen.”
—Dual Shockers
www.dualshockers.com/2011/07/24/zac-bentz-remixes-the-portal-2-soundtrack-in-dream-with-portals/
“Con este remix, en cambio, disfrutamos de una visión distinta de esas melodías que nos acompañaron sala tras sala, portal tras portal. Dadle una oportunidad, merece la pena.”
—Vida Extra
www.vidaextra.com/musica/dream-with-portals-relajante-remezcla-de-la-bso-de-portal-2
“…I decided to listen to the CD one night, and lo and behold, I was able to not think about my ex and fall asleep fast.”
— gamessavedmylife.tumblr.com/post/9596226765/dream-with-portals
“You need this.”
— www.brennanletkeman.com/blog/
“Superb stuff.”
— aheartfullofhornets.tumblr.com/post/7943957557/portal-2-soundtrack-remixed-by-zac-bentz
“…sure-to-be-rising talent”
— Styrofoam Boots
godsshoeshine.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-music-from-zac-bentz.html
“Allvarligt talat, jag älskar drone!”
— twitter.com#!/ineffablyyours/status/103137753952305153
Zoe Keating – “Escape Artist” (Dirty Knobs Remix)
Released: May 24, 2011
Dirty Knobs remix of the Zoë Keating song “Escape Artist” from her album Into the Trees.
Original music by Zoe Keating.
Remix and additional whrrs by Dirty Knobs, aka Zac Bentz.
You can find more from Zoë Keating at: music.zoekeating.com.
REVIEWS:
“I can’t think of two artists that would go together better than Zoe Keating and Zac Bentz.”
— godsshoeshine.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-music-from-zac-bentz.html
Dirty Knobs – Field Recordings from the Edge of Hell
Release: February 1, 2011
Every effort was made to preserve the original quality of this recording. The shifting, actively oppressive nature of the environment had an irreversible effect on both the equipment and personnel. As a result, some damage was permanent.
REVIEWS:
“…I have little more to add…I swear I can hear organs playing from inside a pit…Wonderful.”
—Warren Ellis, writer of Transmetropolitan and Gun Machine
www.warrenellis.com?p=11908
“…something quite extraordinary…haunting at points and shimmeringly beautiful at others. It sort of makes me want to listen to it forever.”
—Andrea Swensson, City Pages/Gimme Noise
blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2011/04/dirty_knobs_rel.php
“This is the music of R’lyeh. The songs sung by choirs of fallen angels, the inverse music of the spheres. Qlippothic music…Damn, this stuff EVOKES.”
—MG Farrelly, librarian
www.mgfarrelly.com?p=3341
“[9/10] Dall’altro lato, è un segno forte dell’epoca storica in cui viviamo: così che uno dei più straordinari casi nell’odierna musica ambient (in senso ampio) nasce dalla “banale” manipolazione di un software. Si trattasse anche solo di esperienza sonora una tantum, essenzialmente “epidermica” e destinata all’oblio, il suo valore va ben oltre quello dell’oggetto curioso. Se rifiutandovi di accettarla come opera autonoma aveste l’ardire di chiamarla Truffa, sappiate che io ne ho altrettanto per chiamarlo Miracolo.”
—Michele Palozzo \ ondarock.it
ondarock.it/recensioni/2011_dirtyknobs.htm
“Thick, brooding and unforgiving…an interactive sonic canvas experiment, custom colored by the listener’s current emotional state.”
—Greg Swan, Perfect Porridge
perfectporridge.com/2011/04/27/stream-this-8-hour-ambient-album-from-duluth-based-dirty-knobs/
“…without a doubt, worth all of that hard drive space.”
—GayGamer
gaygamer.net/2011/11/audio_file_friday_dirty_knobs.html
“…what is so remarkable is also just how ‘musical’ it sounds, unlike a lot of dark ambient, both widely praised and obscure, it’s not just a bunch of background sound effects, there’s a real sophistication, elegance, and well, just “composed” feel to these compositions that you can grasp and play over in your head to haunt you long after it’s all ended.”
—EarLobeGrease
rateyourmusic.com/collection/EarLobeGrease/reviews
“4.5/5—Nearly perfect / Uncommon beauty”
“7.5/8—Special record / Truly beautiful”
“4/5—Masterful”
—RateYourMusic
rateyourmusic.com/release/album/dirty_knobs/field_recordings_from_the_edge_of_hell/
“…Sunn O))) meets Arnold Schonberg meets My Bloody Valentine meets Skinny Puppy meets Nurse With Wound in an instrumental wall of sound that’s as psychedelic and horrifying as it is beautiful.”
—Styrofoam Boots
godsshoeshine.blogspot.com/2011/04/bandcamp-roundup-cheapfree-doom-metal.html
“Der Preis für das wahnsinnigste Album des Monats geht aber zweifelsohne…”
— Beat magazine, Germany
“…conjured up all sorts of images from some eternal nether world like a Beksinski painting, or the space and solitude of Dante or Milton’s depictions of Hell, or real life wastelands like an Antarctic plain…”
—email
“…not office music. I realize this now. Sitting at my desk looking around nervously. Not sure who or what to trust.”
—@BenBurton, paranoid office worker
“Spent 9-10 hours with the curtains drawn, lights off and the volume waaaaaaaaaaaaay up and started feeling like I was having an out of body experience. F–king glorious.”
—the_shotgun_rhetoric
boards.adultswim.com/t5/General-Music-Discussion/Xero-Music/m-p/59968178/message-uid/59968178
“I’m not quite sure if I’d qualify that as hipster music. Unless the hipster was also a lich or something.”
—comment
tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=12916537000A37233500&page=2#47
“…feels more like a soundtrack to…well anything dreary…It’s hard to pick a favorite…”
—Daily CD Discoveries
dailycddiscoveries.blogspot.com/2011/02/dirty-knobs-field-recordings-from-edge.html
“Amazing dark ambient, very long. Great stuff.”
—Badger Blog
badger.livejournal.com/1859069.html
“I Think We May Have Just Received Tr00′s Album Of The Year In Our Email”
—Number of the Blog
thenumberoftheblog.com/2011/02/05/i-think-we-may-have-just-recieved-tr00s-album-of-the-year-in-our-email/
“…something amazing…I get all sorts of ideas for really weird games.”
—Krystian Majewski
gamedesignreviews.com/scrapbook/field-recordings-from-the-edge-of-hell/
“La mia camera ora è una grotta e mi preparo un fuoco contro i dinosauri fluorescenti che mi attendono all’uscita.”
—Vice Magazine
www.viceland.com/it/a7n3/htdocs/records-it-746.php
“…ponad 480 minut drone/ambient/noisu tylko dla twardzieli.”
—Neiz nas tego
nieznasztego.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/presspack-29/
Twitter:
“@theQuietus: Listening to eight hour long noise album called ‘Field Recordings From The Edge Of Hell’. That’s livin’ alright.”
“I can see this driving me crazy after a while. Well, crazier.” @aspeed
“…one of the best atmospheric albums I’ve ever heard.” @Greydius
“I bought this…over two months ago and I’ve gotten so much listening of it / I dare you to listen to this whole album in one sitting” @syphoon
“What a bargain: one dollar for eight hours of beautiful noise…” @_allroy
“Best background music for concentrating on work so far” @davidjbarton
“Hämmentävää kamaa.” @mandrl
“AWESUM DRONE DOOM” @agpublic
Email:
“It’s sort of put me in this state where everything else in my playlists sounds annoyingly short.”
“…conjured up all sorts of images from some eternal nether world like a Beksinski painting, or the space and solitude of Dante or Milton’s depictions of Hell, or real life wastelands like an Antarctic plain…”
“The fire horns is amazing.”
“Keep me informed of further episodes of insanity.”
“Big.”
Interviews:
fun.areavoices.com/2011/02/19/zac-bentz-and-his-8-hour-tour/
godsshoeshine.blogspot.com/2011/06/token-of-my-extreme-and-now-for.html
The Surfactants – Diminishing Returns
Released: March 10, 2008
The Surfactants are:
Eric Anderson: Bass
Zac Bentz: Drums, Programming
Marcus Matthews: Vocals
Brett Molitor: Guitar
All songs written by Zac Bentz (ASCAP),
except 07 written by Byung-woo Lee and 13 written by Steve Harris
All lyrics written by Marcus Matthews (ASCAP)
except 13 written by Steve Harris
Recorded by The Surfactants
Mixed by Bentz
Design by Bentz
Copyright 2008 Xero Music
xmcd013
Press:
“One of the most satisfying electro-hybrid albums we’ve ever heard – ever.”-Perfect Porridge
“Their first album is perfect.” -Adam Lazlo/Analog Electric
“The album seems to progressively mature as each track plays and by the time the time track ‘Us Against All’ played I was completely floored at how good it was.” -Stereotoid
“…well-produced, expertly executed…All those traits are represented in equal measures on The Surfactants…a very smart, successful experiment in computer-driven genre mashing.” -Chris Godsey/MNArtists
“The current album is amazing.” -High Plains Drifter
“These guys mix electronics with standard rock sounds, which ends up sounding pretty good.” -Rift Magazine
“If the songs on the band’s MySpace site are any indication of what’s to come, Duluth is a few months away from being kicked in the teeth.” …and the heroine screams help!