Deciphering which band to catch between the multitudes of acts performing at this weekend's inaugural Block x Blog festival is one a tall order. With three stages and a tally of 30 odd bands on the bill, you could really use a personal assistant to help maximize the experience.
County Grind is here to help though, if you are a fan of the hook-heavy synth pop sounds of bands like Depeche Mode and the Junior Boys, circle one band on the list that you must see: Krisp.
Based out of Miami's artistic hub, Wynwood, this four-piece's glimmering electronic indie rock has garnered a sizable following in the Magic City.
Although currently residing in Miami-Dade County, most of the quartet is familiar with gigging in Broward. Previously, three of the four that make up Krisp played in a Pompano Beach group, under the moniker Prospect Road.
According to Krisp bassist Alex Lopez, Prospect Road was more of a
straightforward rock troupe and the transformation into the breathy
synthesizer-propelled sounds that make up Krisp was completely
unintentional.
Lopez
New Times: Your Facebook states you make music good vibes for Mr. T please explain?
Lopez: Who doesn't like Mr. T? I'm talking about the original Mr. T, not the UFC guy. That guy is fucking badass.
What are your feelings on the Block x Blog festival?
Dude, we couldn't be more psyched. We love Holy Ghost, and think a lot of the other acts are really awesome. And then there's the Jacuzzi Boys, I've never seen them live, so I'm stoked.
What do you guys make of the scene in Broward County? Do you notice a difference in the crowd?
We have played Green Room twice, but never played the Revolution stage. I can't say I notice a difference in the crowd. The only real difference is people in Miami seem to know us more than up in Broward. So we get a better crowd in Miami. But don't get me wrong, when we played the Green Room we had tons of friends come out and support us. I used to live in Deerfield Beach so I have lots of friends there.
So you have Broward roots?
We used to practice in a warehouse space in Pompano Beach. Charlie, Jason, and I all lived in Broward a few years back, and played in a group called Prospect Road. Krisp kind of came out of that.
How did you guys become Krisp then?
Well back then, Charlie Woods was our singer, he left, but came back to perform every now and then as our keyboard player. He added a really cool synth part to one of our Prospect Road songs called "Purple." Sure enough, we dug the vibe and little by little began going more in that direction. Charlie and I always liked bands like the Chemical Brothers and MGMT. We never thought we'd end up making music of the same sort.
What did Prospect Road sound like then?
It was a much more straight-up rock and roll project, with a tinge of indie. Think of the Strokes, only a bit darker.
What plans does the band have for the future?
No more shows for six months. We plan to devote all our energy to recording our full-length album, and that's that.
What direction are you going with album?
So far, it's all been a super organic process. We jam and everyone feeds off that idea, and then record. So there is no real preconceived notion of what the album will turn out like.
So your recording process is kind of improvisational?
In a way, yeah. When we get warmed up, we come up with our best stuff just jamming. We go off that. We always try to record in the moment. Right when we are doing with a badass jam, we record it right away.
Creativity comes when you least expect it, eh?
Absolutely. Sometimes when you least expect it, it can just flow. Our newest track for instance, "Outnumbered," came from me trying to remember the bassline for Joy Division's "No Love Lost." I played something that resembled it in practice, the rest of the group loved the way it sounded. We recorded it with an iPhone and shortly thereafter "Outnumbered," was created.
So what is Krisp going to do after the album is waxed?
We are hoping someone picks it up. First we are going to shop the album around and then we are thinking about touring. We've never really had a proper album to tour on. Now that we are focused on recording this album, we are going to try and make that happen.
Block x Blog. With Ex Norwegian, Holy Ghost!, Afrobeta, Jacuzzi Boys, MillionYoung, and others. 8 p.m., Saturday, April 20, at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Visit subculture.us or jointherevolution.net for tickets.
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