FEN Debut New Video for First Single, "A Long Line," from the Album that Power of Metal.com Gave a Perfect 10/10

Strutter 'Zine has called it "Stunning."  The Power of Metal gave it a perfect "10/10."  Hard n Heavy Webzine hailed it "Spectacular."

Of Losing Interest is tearing through the charts and leaving the critics and fans alike with slack-jawed amazement.

Now, Vancouver's alternative prog-meisters, FEN, have partnered up with The Ripple Effect for an World Premiere exclusive preview of the bands new video, "A Long Line."

 Following up on 2010’s breakout album, Trails Out of Gloom, the band return to their heavier roots with the brand new album, Of Losing Interest. Once again recorded at Creativ Studios with longtime producer, Mike Southworth at the helm, the band have crafted themselves an album that perfectly balances the technical virtuosity of heavy metal with the more down to earth tones of the early 90’s alternative rock movement. Of Losing Interest is available through Nail Distribution in North America, Code 7 in the UK, Clearspot International in Europe, at the Ripple Music Bandcamp for digital and here at the Ripple Store for physical.
Tune in here!: Heavy Planet


Fen will be hitting the road to begin support Of Losing Interest in September:

Sept 21st: Kamloops, BC - The Dirty Jersey
Sept 22nd: Salmon Arm, BC - Hideaway Pub
Sept 25th: Calgary, AB - Vern's Bar
Sept 28th: Prince George, BC - Riley's Pub
Sept 29th: Dawson Creek, BC - Rockwell's

Here’s what the press has to say:

“Fen combine more traditional prog  passages with heavy riffs creating a unique sound. The band certainly know the way around their respective instruments  and have the talent to pull off the complex passages.”  --  Get Ready To Rock!

“Certainly, Of Losing Interestis different than its predecessor, but not entirely unexpected from Fen. Being heavier rock, even metal, the album still offers the listener their darker side. Recommended. 4 / 5”  --  Dangerdog

“Now they are back with a stunning new album titled ‘Of losing interest’, which musically goes into a very high quality Progressive Rock/Metal direction. It is especially thanks to the superb vocalwork of singer DOUG HARRISON that FEN’s music is lifted way above other bands in this extensive genre called Prog. 8.6/10 ”  --  Strutter ‘zine

www.fenmusic.ca

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE


Now, here's the World Premiere Video "A Long Line"

Fen - Of Losing Interest

Was gonna go a totally different direction with this.

I was going to tell you all about how Fen's mind-blowing music helped shape a small part of my life for the past year or so.  I wanted to explain how their last stunning album, Trails Out Of Gloom, took me straight to the doors of Ripple Music.  How those doors opened up a line of communication with the president of the upstart label, which eventually landed me here at The Ripple Effect.

The point is that my Ripple relationship started with Fen.  If you're not familiar with them, then you definitely need to be.  Progressive and heavy, modern and melodic, with strikingly powerful and passionate vocals akin to Tool and Chevelle, Fen is among my favorite underground bands.  I feel like I owe the Canadian rock group because this past year has been such an enjoyable ride for me.

But this isn't supposed to be about me.  Let's talk Of Losing Interest, the latest breathtaking album due for worldwide release on August 14.

Well...maybe a little about more about me, too.  Don't sigh.

In one word: amazing.  No, not me, silly.  The album.  Amazing is exactly what I said in my buzzing head.  I think it's even more remarkable than Trails Out Of Gloom.  Of Losing Interest seems much more forceful and energetic to me.  Less mellow - even more electric - with tons of timely tempo shifts and smooth transitions which Fen have perfected over their years together.

"It's heavy on guitar and bass and rock riffage in general.  There's a lot of solos too," the band says collectively.

I think that's putting it mildly.

I could tell from the first machine-gun riffage on "Riddled", that Fen entered ultra-heavy mode on this album.  A pleasant surprise.  There are more explosive riffs by Doug Harrison (vocals, guitar) and Sam Levin (guitar) in the first half of the new the album than all of their previous effort, as far as I'm concerned.   Solos?  Yeah, lots of solos throughout.  Sometimes 2 or maybe more in a song.  And there are rumbling spots on the album, such as during the title track, when all you hear are the heavy bass lines by Jeff Caron.  The drumming from Nando Polesel is f-in phenomenal.  And they didn't even mention the vocals.  Harrison hits notes on this record that I don't think he tried on the first Ripple release.

It was exactly 4 minutes into "A Long Line" when IT happened.  You know.  I'd already been rocking the hell out when, amidst a stomping beat and upper-body-convulsing riffage, Fen take it to another level.  Yet another solo kicks off and I start to feel every hair on my arms start rising.  The feeling works its way up my arms to my neck.   It's the chills people.  After 40 seconds of ripping solos, the song ends suddenly and I'm literally breathless.  It's like a shot of pure adrenaline straight into the veins.  Wanna know the best part?  I get that feeling every time I listen.

"Light Up The End", affects me much differently, like an emotional roller coaster.  I suppose it's the lyrics - presented along with light acoustic guitars in the beginning - that make me reflect on my own past and look forward to what future I may or may not have left.  It also leaves me asking a few questions.  Why does music do this to me?  Am I the only one who gets such strong feelings?  I know I'm a freak, but surely I can't be the only one who gets so overwhelmed.  At least, I hope not.

Sure, I could describe each song and tell you how I feel, talk about all the interesting lyrics, and go on about how much I enjoy the new album but I think you get the hint.  I don't think I can do it justice with my middle-school writing skills anyway.

Something I don't like?  The title.  I don't want anyone to lose interest at all - I want the opposite.  A lot more people need to know about the tunes by this band.

I think Fen are the gigantic waves at Ripple Music.  If there's one group on the label who I'd love to see sweep across the globe - and who I think has the talent to do that - it's this one.  I might get some flack for saying it out loud, yet I don't care.  I'll grin and take it.  I owe those four guys for the great time I've had so far at The Ripple Effect.

Maybe Of Losing Interest could touch your life in some way.  You can get the cd today, before it hits the shelves, straight from the Ripple Store.

--Heddbuzz

Fen Head Back to the Studio to Record the Follow-up to their Massively Successful Ripple Debut, "Trails Out of Gloom"

 
Heavy Planet hailed "Trails Out of Gloom" as one of the "best albums of 2010."  Infernal Masquerade proclaimed "Trails" to be one of the "Top 10 Albums of the Year!"  Imagine Echoes and Prognaut both raved that "Trails" was on their "Best of" year's end list, and Progressions Magazine gave "Trails" a perfect 16 out of 16 score, gushing that "Trails was "consistently enchanting from start to finish" and called it "Fantastic in every way" as they proceeded to give it their "highest possible rating!"

So what does a band do for an encore after accolades like that? For Fen, the answer will be given soon as the band has just announced that they're honing a new batch of songs for a trip back to the recording studio in December. Tour dates are sure to follow.

While no one knows what to expect from the fertile minds of the Fen maestros, one thing we do know is to expect the unexpected.  Doug Harrison has said that the next album will be darker and heavier than "Trails," not simply a retreading of old sounds. Fen are eager to expand. Explore. The anticipation builds.

In other Fen news, plans are underway for a deluxe vinyl edition of "Trails Out of Gloom," intended to be released coinciding with the band's summer tour dates.  As a special bonus, songs from Fen's previous, self-released album "Congenital Fixation" is being prepared for inclusion as a special bonus digital download with the album.  Two great Fen albums for the price of one!

In the meantime, the "Trails Out of Gloom" CD is still available in limited quantities from the Ripple Music store  Be sure to get yours before supplies run out.

And if you missed the video for Fen’s latest single, “Miracle”, check it out:




"Consistently enchanting from start to finish, Trails out of Gloom is one of the more rapturous releases you're likely to encounter in quite some time.  It is fantastic in every way.  Highest possible rating, 16/16." -- Progressions Magazine

"Trails Out of the Gloom is reminiscent of 70s progressive rock with a modern prog rock kick. Trails Out of the Gloom isn't as "spacey" as Pink Floyd sometimes get. But, like Gilmour's work, the solos simply soar and the guitars are truly beautiful and epic. It's heavy, in the way that a lot of progressive rock is heavy (like Porcupine Tree) but that has more to do with atmosphere than with amplifiers. Most of this CD is acoustic guitar and lighter rock'n'roll ... and yet the CD often sounds dark. It's a fascinating combination."  -- Rough Edge

“This CD will impact you immediately, but the true brilliance of Trails Out of Gloom comes from further absorption. This is a stellar release. "-- Sea of Tranquility
RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

Also available at CDBaby, Amazon.com, Ebay, and All That Is Heavy.com

www.ripple-music.com

Fantastic Fen Inteview from This is Rock Magazine

Hi Doug, this is Francisco from This Is Rock Magazine Spain. First of all, I must congratulate you for Trails Out Of Gloom. Given that the album was released some months ago, do you already have a perspective of what has it meant to your career?

Thanks, Francisco. Trails Out Of Gloom is Fen's fourth album, but it's our first to get much critical attention. For many listeners it's the first they've heard of us, and they think we must be a new band, when actually we've been around for well over a decade. In that way, Trails Out Of Gloom is a new beginning for us. The album title could be significant in the sense that we have spent many years milling about in dark obscurity, and now we have finally come into the light of the media's narrow gaze. Ah, the wonder of marketing!

- Given that this is your first interview to our magazine, it would be great if you could tell us about Fen's origins. How did you and Sam Levin meet, and what did you want to achieve?

Sam and I met back in 1998, in a little pot-smoking mountain town called Nelson. We were teenagers at the time, and we started Fen after a single jam, where we droned a riff in 5/4 for about 45 minutes. We both played guitar, we both worshiped Tool and GnR, and we were driven to create our own dark and complex sound. The union came without hesitation.

- How would you describe Fen's sound?

The current sound is plaintive and brooding. Heavy and light. Subject to change.

- 'Trails Out Of Gloom'... the thing is that, although definitively dark sounding, the new album has many acoustic passages that, somehow, enlightens the compositions, taking them out of the gloom that surrounds your previous works... Has this acoustic side of the album been in the composition from the beginning of the writing sessions?

Most of the songs on Trails Out Of Gloom began on classical guitar, and the original plan was to make an acoustic album. During moments of weakness though, I strayed from that initial plan and experimented with bits of distortion here and there, and once I'd heard those distorted layers, I couldn't do without them. My roots are in heavy music, and that primal pull was too strong to resist. The final recording ended up being an amalgamation of the two textures, heavy and light. I always loved those classical-sounding Metallica intro's, but I wanted them to carry on for longer, and I wanted them to develop more slowly, rather than cutting straight to the thrashing. In a way, Trails Out Of Gloom helps bridge that transition for me.
 
- Fen's lineup has gone through several changes throughout these years, though yourself and Sam have always been the band's core...Do you think that these changes brought new elements into the band's sound?

Everyone we've played with have been exceptional musicians who can't help but bring something new to the sound. At the same time, our approach to songwriting has changed with each recording. This combination of variables has resulted in a big gap between the chaos of our first album, Surgical Transfusion of Molting Sensory Reflections, and the measured progressions of Trails.


- Given the band's sound evolution... Have you got an idea of how will Fen sound in a couple of albums time?

We've been working on new material, and from a guitar perspective, it's heavier and proggier than Trails. Sam's been writing high energy rock/metal-type riffage. Also, for the first time since our 2003 album, Heron Leg, we're bringing bass and drums into the writing process much earlier. For anyone who's only heard Trails, the next album may be a shock.

- 'Trails Out Of Gloom' is an album that requires several listenings to be fully appreciated, and is a perfect example of what a "grower" is.  Does the good music always need an extra effort in order to get into it?

It's a fine balance in songwriting, offering enough yum-yums in the first few listens to keep people coming back, but reserving the more exquisite treats for subsequent listens. I can't say that I know how it's done. The music for Trails took a long time to write - about three years. Perhaps that slow evolution into being can account for its "grower" status.

- For 'Trails Out Of Gloom' you have signed with Ripple Music. How was this contract forged? Do you plan to re-release your former albums with Ripple, so they could reach a wider audience?

I had contacted The Ripple Effect Blog a couple years ago, asking them to review our latest album at the time, Congenital Fixation. They came back with a killer review, then they requested an interview, and eventually they told us they were starting a label and wanted us to sign on. Their hard work and enthusiasm has helped us reach a lot of new listeners. And yes, we'll be re-releasing Congenital Fixation under the Ripple flag later this year.

- Remembering the fast and energetic entrance of 'Cockroach Eyelids' from the previous 'Congenital Fixation', I can do nothing else but wonder how you have taken that energy and embellished it with layers of emotional playing. Even the guitar parts seems to be more melodic. Is 'Trails Out Of Gloom' Fen's more intimate work?

With Congenital Fixation, Sam wrote the guitar parts and I wrote the vocals and the songs came together collaboratively. But with Trails, Sam was occupied with school and health issues, so I took up the guitar end as well. There's no doubt that he's a superior  player, and I did everything I could to keep the standard high with my more limited skills, which included layering and different textures and a lot of attention to arrangement. As you've mentioned, the result was pretty different. I guess the intimacy of Trails can be attributed in part to the acoustic root of the songs, but also to the fact that I was working on it alone.


- Your voice has been truly improved all along these years, and it feels like you feel much more confident with your singing style... Do you agree with that?

Thanks for your kind words, Francisco. I'm always trying to improve my skills as a vocalist. That's what keeps me going - the thought that the best is yet to come. But as much as my skills might have improved, I think it might be that I've come closer to finding a musical landscape that allows my voice to explore its full range. If I was suddenly thrown into any number of bands that go strictly with power chords and driving beats, half my lines would disappear. I'd be a vocal cripple.


- It has been recorded a video for 'Miracle'... Why did you choose that song? What can you tell us about this video?
 
The guys at our label thought 'Miracle' was the strongest tune on the album, and when making a video on a tight budget, shorter is better, so it was an easy choice. The video features two marionettes in a miniature landscape constructed of rocks and sticks and brambles and whatever else we could grab from nearby parks and beaches. In this set, arranged on a 4ft by 6ft plywood board, the two puppets play out a story of decayed love. We made the video with the help of Mind of a Snail Puppet Co and a handful of friends. You can watch it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4zO07MF3I

- Given the fact that 'Trails Out Of Gloom' was published more than half a year ago... Do you think that this is time to think about Fen's future plans?

Our biggest goal right now is getting our live sound up to snuff. To do that, we plan on making some short tours through western Canada over the next year, and expanding the periphery of our local shows. That, plus writing and recording a new album should keep us busy.

- Can you tell us something about the gigs that you played for 'Trails Out Of Gloom'? How would you describe a Fen gig?

We're still getting comfortable in the live setting. I don't think we've found what we are yet, live. Right now we're slowly adding new elements to the show to see how we can create a more Fen environment while we're up there. We've got a show tonight and we're going to try out some sound effects between songs. We've been wanting to incorporate some kind of visuals as well, but haven't found a way to begin yet. For us, the music comes first, and the entertainment aspect is a faraway second, so it will develop more slowly.


- Well, I Think it's all by now, Doug. Thanks a lot for your time, and wish you all the best. Have you got anything to say to your Spanish fans?

Gracias! We're honoured to have you as listeners. To stay in touch with Fen, join our email list at www.fenmusic.ca or "like" us at www.facebook.com/fenmusic. We have many more albums ahead of us.

Fen to Open for Steven Wilson and Blackfield as They Launch Their North American Tour

 Blackfield are starting their North American tour today in support of their new album, Welcome To My DNA and the Ripple will be there.  Ripple artist, Fen, has been chosen to open for Blackfield for their Vancouver date.  Come to the show and look up Pope and Racer and have some Ripple fun.


  
North American Tour Starts Today
Get Free Music Plus A Special Foursquare Deal On The New Album  

Blackfield, the acclaimed collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Israeli artist Aviv Geffen, launch their North American tour today in Washington, DC.  The three week trek sees the band hit the US, Canada and Mexico with special guests Anathema on the first nine dates.

Their 3rd studio album, Welcome To My DNA, was released in April on Kscope and has garnered amazing accolades around the world where magazines such as Rocksound called it "Blackfield's finest hour" and Dave DiMartino at Yahoo Music says "Arty, melodic, adventurous, and significantly catchy throughout, Welcome To My DNA is a nifty and sophisticated rock album"

To celebrate the start of the tour, the music television network Fuse.tv is giving away a free download of "Glass House" at http://fuse.tv/music/free-music.html?artist_id=532. 

Another special promotion starting today is via Foursquare.  When fans arrive at each date of the tour and check in on Foursquare, they'll get a discount code for the album from The Omega Order. Fans can find the code redemption instructions under the "tips" section of the venue called "Blackfield with special guests Anathema".

BLACKFIELD
"Welcome To My DNA"
Kscope

MAY

18th Washington, DC  

19th Philadelphia, PA, Theater of the Living Arts  

20th New York, NY, Irving Plaza  

21st Boston, MA, Royale Boston  

23rd Montreal, QC, Le National  

24th The Opera House Toronto 

25th Cleveland, OH, House of Blues  

26th Detroit, MA, St Andrew's Hall  

27th Chicago, IL, Park West  

30th Vancouver, BC, Rickshaw Theatre   

31st Seattle, WA, Studio Seven  

JUNE

1st Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater  

3rd San Francisco, CA, Slim's  

4th Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theatre  

6th Mexico City, MEX, Metropolitan Theater  

Fen - Trails Out Of Gloom

WOW!! Every now and then you roll across a CD that just affects your soul in a way that is both disturbing and pleasing. You find yourself listening to it over and over and with every repeat listening, a deep trance like feeling washes over you. Songs seem to flow, as you find yourself adrift in a collection of Progressive Rock filled aggressively dark, brooding and hauntingly majestic material that you will find difficult to put down. This is what Vancouver, B.C. band, Fen will do to you. The brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Doug Harrison and guitarist Sam Levin, Fen, have released their 4th album, Trails Out of Gloom (Ripple Music), a scrapbook of 9 eerily memorable lullabies, sagas and stirring ballads, which engages the audience onto a trip of almost mythical proportions. Filled with dark lyrics and delivered by painstaking personal vocals, Fen offers a CD that feels like a beautifully, anguish filled dream, with songs that stories with both voice and instrument. Haunting, deliberate and chilling.

Blending elements of Progressive Rock with the aggressiveness of Metal and the melodic sensibilities of modern Alternative Rock, Fen have created a complex artistic expression that from the first acoustic, lamenting notes of CD opener, "Trails Out of Gloom", simply captivates the imagination. With the ability of being able to grasp the listener and dive in and out of various musical forms, fans of Porcupine Tree, Tool, and the elegant side of Opeth, will easily call Fen their own. Doug Harrison delivers vocal performances that are stellar and soothing with beautiful and soaring melodies, all the while being quite quirky. Imagine if you can, a blend of the passionate vocals of a Brent Smith of Shinedown and the obscure, often falsetto'ed, idiosyncratic styling's of The Mars Volta's, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and you are on the right path. Harrison somehow makes this delicate combination work and leaves you wanting more.

Gloomy dynamics of early '90's Seattle-themed Hard Rock, filters through the excellent production on this opus and hi-jacks you through a myriad of moods of almost psychedelic proportions that showcase the overflowing talent of both Harrison and Levin. Heavier moments on Trails Out of Gloom are counterbalanced with acoustic guitar passages that just co-habitat so perfectly in a grandiose fashion, much in that brilliant Opeth/Porcupine Tree way. Enormous and intense are just two of the magnificent words that come to mind to describe the utter brilliance contained within. Standout track, "The World is Young", while heavy and herculean, this song intersects with a delicate cascading beauty with glorious vocals.

 Fen delivers a different type of "heavy" with Trails Out of Gloom, one that is dank and opaque, with plenty of texture and substance that requires complete digestion for your optimum pleasure. This is very much like a classic '70's Prog Rock record that contains immensely crafted songs with excellently well written lyrics that also allows for the musical interludes to not be self indulgent, but rather an integral piece of the pie. There are no 12 minute overkill pieces here, but rather 6 minute voyages into remarkableness. And remarkable this CD is. This CD will impact you immediately, but the true brilliance of Trails Out of Gloom comes from further absorption. This is a stellar release.

--Butch Jones via Sea of Tranquility

Buy here: Trails out of Gloom

A Sunday Conversation with Fen

In recent months, Fen have achieved the closest thing to the induction into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame that we have to offer here at The Ripple Effect. The bands 2006 release, entitled Congenital Fixation, has found permanent residence within the hallowed confines of the Pope's Mobile and we could think of no other band that we'd rather spend this particular Sunday morning with. Join us as we delve into the inner workings of the madcap mindset of the music world's most intriguing listen!

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, and Simon & Garfunkle, the first time I ever hear Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.What have been your musical epiphany moments?

Three years of listening to Tool - Undertow began to change my internal chemistry. When their album Aenima came out, the transformation was complete. I was a different person. I held myself to different standards, and I held other musicians to those same standards. If when I'm 90, and Aenima is still my favourite album, I won't be surprised, just a little disappointed that no one else managed to top it for me. NWA's Straight Outta Compton is a distant second.


Your last album, Congenital Fixation, is a well blended collection of left of center songs that still have an air of accessibility to them. How did you go about creating this epic listen? What do you have in store for us with the next album?

Sam usually brings in a riff to jam on. That is typically the left of center aspect of the song. I try to come up with melodies that detract from this left of centerness and offer an overall flow. This tension has served us well over the years. And in the beginning, the left of centerness dominated. Around that time, a bookie told us our music was "abhorrent to the masses". That was fine back then. But we've struggled hard over the last couple of albums to wrench that left of centerness a little closer to the middle. With the upcoming album, Trails out of Gloom, I suspect we're closer to the middle than ever. If we keep heading in this direction, who knows, down the road you might see our name on a bill with Rhianna and JT.

It would be easy to simply rehash works from you past, so where do you look for continuing inspiration to keep things fresh? New ideas, new motivation?

Four albums in, we haven't reached the point yet where we've begun to go in circles. We like to keep trying to get better at making recordings, and if it's not just a figment of our imaginations and we are actually improving, then we have no reason to go back and sniff at the crusty poop of our first album for ideas. That said, there's always one guy at our shows that shouts out the name of a song from that CD. I used to pretend he was just a heckler and meant us to call us out for not being able to play every song from our discography right there on the spot. But I've spoken to him now on several occasions, and he insists that that particular song, Cum & Snowflakes, is the best thing we've ever done. I don't know. I think he's kind of fixated on the title. And I’m a little worried about what he might do once the song begins.

When you write a piece of music, do you consciously write from the mind set of being different than what's out there now?

We definitely try to avoid ripping off our influences. Certain notes get avoided. Certain rhythms get flipped inside out. But more importantly, we try to make music that keeps us healthy. If something's not right in a song, one of us feels it, and it makes him sick, so we do what we can to remedy whatever it is. It's not always obvious how to make that sickness go away. Sometimes it takes exploratory surgery. This can last for months, even years, and it makes all of us a little queasy. But when all the staples have been taken out and the scars have begun to pale, we know we’ve got something uniquely our own.

What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?

Technically speaking, our musical intention is to expand both ends of our creative range, the progressive end and the good ol' catchy song end. As for showing feelings…feelings of an almost human nature I suspect that individually we seek to extricate from ourselves the things we no longer want to feel alone.

For you, what makes a great song?

It takes you through, beginning to end, without having to think about the music. You try to pay attention and be a good listener, but the song sucks you in and before you can struggle to get your bearings, it's over. It's had its way with you. And it will again, and again.

The business of music is a brutal place. Changes in technology have made it easier than ever for bands to get their music out, but harder than ever to make a living? What are your plans to move the band forward? How do you stay motivated in this brutal business?

We make music because we have no other choice. It is the only way to feel good. For a long time, the biz didn't exist for us, and we riffed along on our merry way, happily oblivious. As we slowly discovered it though, we found that, yes, the biz is ugly, but also that it is a means for connecting with people all over the world who we might have something in common with. Tapping into even a dribble of this kind of power is hugely inspiring. A kid from Uzbekistan purchasing a CD from http://www.fenmusic.ca/ is all it takes to erase months of biz brutality.

Describe to us the ideal (realistic) record label and how you'd work with them, and they with you.

The label would take our music home and study it down to its emotional essence, then run the findings through their database to find out which listeners are in need of such a concoction. The label would print out a list of emails and phone numbers, then start letting people know that the music they've been waiting for is here, and available under the name Fen. The people would be grateful because that specific need of theirs would now be satisfied. Everyone would win. We would all be happy.

We’ve noticed that certain regions of the world produce certain varieties of music, and without a doubt, Canada has produced some of the most forward thinking bands in my record collection with the likes of Rush, Voivod, Braintoy, and now, Fen. What do you think this regional uber-creativity can be attributed to?

Having time seems to be the most important factor. So the location has to provide that. If we lived in a place where we had to walk two miles to get clean water or work 16 hours a day hoeing a field, then the likelihood of releasing a professional recording would be considerably less.

BTW, I would add The Smalls to your list of Canadian bands, especially their album Waste & Tragedy.

Suggestion noted and filed away in the 'Things to get done' folder. Thanks for the lead!

Anyone who’s spent more than ten minutes in the music business has had to have had a Spinal Tap moment or two. What were some of your more colorful experiences?

When we were looking for artwork for our first album, Surgical Transfusion of Molting Sensory Reflections, we got the idea to Frankenstein together a creature from the products available at our local Chinese market. We got a cow’s tongue, chicken feet, a couple handfuls of pig uteri, and other things we weren’t too sure about. We froze them over night and in the morning began driving to Fruitvale, a little hippy town where we knew someone with a farm. It was blazing hot that day, and about an hour after we left, the car broke down and the closest mechanic said he couldn’t get the parts to fix it until the following week. We grabbed our backpacks out of the trunk as well as the cardboard box of animal parts and started hitchhiking. From Vancouver, the drive to Fruitvale is almost ten hours, and our luck getting rides was about what you would expect for two sweaty guys with a cardboard box that was beginning to get soggy in the corners. We ended up in a mountain town called Revelstoke at about eleven at night. My crotch was soaked with meat juice from holding the box on my lap for so many hours. The idea of sleeping on the side of the road and having a bear come by and eat my gonads was discouraging. We got the cheapest motel room we could find, poured the thawed and reeking contents of the box into the bathtub, made several trips to the ice machine and back, then crashed in our clothes. If the owners had sensed anything suspicious and sent the cops to our room, who would then have discovered the dismembered animal parts, I have a feeling they might not have believed our true intentions.

Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?

No preference. I try not to get attached to the specifics of technology.

We, at The Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. When we come to your town, what's the best record store to visit?

If you like metal, it's Scrape Records. If you like used CD’s, it's Zulu Records.

Finally, any words of wisdom that you’d like to pass on to the Waveriders reading this?

The search for dark musical goodness never ends. If any one knows of any, please email us through the website.