Very cool animated video for Operate!
reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Mike
6/15/15 10:56PM
Full Album Stream + another interview
6/9/15 6:47PM
General Public Preorder
Also a new lyric video for "Retaliate" a track like basically every song on The Demon Joke, has only grown better with time. Rather catchy and quirky.
http://altprogcore.blogspot.com/2015/06/intervista-con-mike-vennart-italian.html
(both in Italian and English).
Also it's probably worth passing along Altprogcore.blogspot.com was lucky to get to interview Mike and revealed some very good details about The Demon Joke, Oceansize and British Theatre, even mentioning that a BT album is in the works and very likely will differ even from the 2 EPs they released a few years ago.
You are also involved with Gambler (Richard Ingram) in the British Theatre project. After two EPs, are you thinking to creare a full length album? And, in your own opinion, what are the main differences between Oceanszie, British Theatre and Vennart?
It’s easy to diffrentiate between my album and what British Theatre’s forthcoming album, but then I’d have to start revealing what British Theatre is going to sound like, and I kinda want it to be a surprise. Suffice to say, it’s gonna be very different…Very different even to the previous EPs... With regard to how it compares to Oceansize - the basis difference is that I’m calling the shots here, and I don’t need to crowbar 100 different ideas into one song just to appease everyone. I’m proud of what Oceansize did, but sometimes it was just a little too showy, too clever for the sake of it.
6/1/15 10:45AM
5/31/15 1:45PM
Superball Music link (rel 6/22/15)
1 255 3:15
2 Doubt 4:13
3 Infatuate 5:10
4 Rebirthmark 3:46
5 Duke Fame 4:17
6 Don't Forget the Joker 3:54
7 Retaliate 3:56
8 A Weight In the Hollow 5:39
9 Operate 4:45
10 Amends 3:33
42 min 28 seconds
early/brief (hopefully) video review in the progress..
5/27/15 2:18PM
loving a lot of this record. "Doubt" maybe being my favorite. 4-stars easily.
Here's a new live video:
5/21/15 7:57AM
Link/Story about new track "Don't Forget the Joker" new ballad.
A little simpler tune, but the emphasis on the lyrics makes sense. "Centre Piece" of the album lyrically, etc.
5/7/15 12:02PM
Stream the new and improved version of"Operate"
Some stuff in that article mentions the retail release date of The Demon Joke being on June 22nd per Superball Music.
I actually agree with Mike's understandably biased comments about Operate, as it is heavy and catchy. Will it reach a wide/wider audience than Oceansize's most accessible tracks? Maybe if it received the right amount of promotion, but of course to expect that would be silly.
Yep, 89.3, The Needle Drop, Consequence of Sound, Pitchfork, Sound Opinions, All Songs Considered, etc and their trend-rock consumers could and very well would go for Operate and the rest of this record, but I might suspect I'd have a better chance inventing my own kind of ginger beer than that actually happening.
Regardless, Operate might very well be the catchiest most melodic song Mike's ever written and it certainly only adds to the optimism for this record coming to the pledgemusic backers in only a few weeks.
3/24/15 4:59PM
"So. That’s why the album is called ‘The Demon Joke.'"
edit: a lot of details about the album and the title, and the background of the recording of the record, for those who pledged.
Album Art link
3/14/15 4:01PM
Not a ton of news, but per Mike's Twitter, the "Target" (or Goal?) was met within 5 hours I guess, lol.
edit: 5 HOURS, not days,
Also a new official Facebook Page was set up.
https://www.facebook.com/vennartvennart
3/6/15 4:48PM
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/11279
Just pledged and received immediate download of the track "Infatuate"
pretty nice.
Looks like the CD comes on May 25th and Vinyl June 15th.
Title? "Divert Crisis" or something else? S/T?.kinda doubt it.
Also unclear about the actual "Goal" percentage as they typically show on Pledgemusic Campaigns. Maybe there is none? it just says 80 days left.
1/11/14 9:24AM
Full length debut record coming soon. If you follow his his twitter page he's been talking about it for awhile. It looks like this record will be released on Vinyl too.
http://mikevennart.tumblr.com/
Divert Crisis
Having spent nearly 5 years keeping myself occupied - and having a little too much fun - playing guitar for the beautiful Biffy Clyro, I’ve spent an awful lot of time working out exactly what kind of music I want to make. I’m happy to report that my first ‘solo’ record is on the way.
Those inverted commas are important - an old friend has been of invaluable help in pushing these songs up the hill. Countless sketches were made in posh hotel rooms in every corner of the globe, and some were then given focus and cohesion in the form of vocal melodies written by my former Oceansize cohort, Steve Durose. We’re kind of like a weird-rock Elton and Bernie.
The record also features keyboards from none other than Gambler, former Oceansize guy and my partner in British Theatre. Drums were beat with exceptional vigour by Dean ‘Denzel’ Pearson. His playing is so good it’s actually kind of hilarious.
Upon the release of this full length album, I’ll be taking these songs - with these very men - on tour.
Expect announcements of shows as and when we’re allowed to reveal them.
It’s been a long journey, dreaming up even the impetus for much of this material. I’m glad i arrived at a point where i’m once again making music that i want to hear.
The record itself? It is a beautiful, noisy, fuzzy, epic, heavy, stupid, annoying, confrontational journey. It is fucking ace.
I can’t wait to get it out there.
MJV
x
2/7/14 10:29AM
New song/single from ex-Oceansize frontman Mike Vennart. I have no idea if this is his focus now, more than British Theatre, or if this will be like Josh Benash from Vuvuzela, where Mike will still be active doing British Theatre music and work on his own solo music. Granted, we haven't heard much if anything from British Theatre for over a year, which is puzzling and might suggest this solo work of his will be more of his focus, along with playing guitar with Biffy Clyro live in Europe.
The song itself is okay. Not blowing me away, but it's not bad, and may grow a bit.
edit: I'm digging this song a little more now. It reminds me a little of the music from Self Preserved..