Toxic Web: “I” EP – Darkwave & Dark Ambient Debut (2013)

October 4, 2013

Toxic Web: The Debut EP “I”

Overlook Hotel Records presents the debut EP from the electronic project Toxic Web, released October 4, 2013.

Overlook Hotel Records is proud to announce the release of catalog item R237-007: Toxic Web – “I”. This 4-track collection explores the darker side of electronic music, categorized as a blend of Darkwave and Dark Ambient soundscapes.

The project features the “fiendish and beautiful” vocal work of Deanna Quijada, supported by the synth wizardry of Jason Whitcomb and the rhythm section of Kevin Hartnell. The sound is often described as a mix of Darkwave and Dark Ambient, with vocals that channel the spirits of Kate Bush, Yma Sumac, and Nina Hagen.

Stream the EP

The EP is available for streaming or download.

Interview: Deanna Quijada

“Where do you get your ideas from?”

Where do you get your ideas?
Deanna Quijada
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Interview
https://overlookhotelrecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Toxic-Web-Interviews-Deanna-Quijada.mp3

“Sometimes I know what a song means to me personally, and sometimes I just have a feeling about it. And where the stuff comes from, I don’t know. Well, I will say that sometimes I have an image of my muse as being a beautiful woman who’s leading me by the hand down a very dangerous looking back alley in some weird, twisted city.

And I like to think I’m brave enough to just follow her anywhere. And most of the time I feel I am, and I’ll just go for it, because it’s nice to give yourself that freedom and not judge things too harshly while you’re creating them.

I’d say that most of it is an emotional exploration of some mental state and it can take different forms and it can take different stories and it doesn’t have to be autobiographical. It is, but I’m just walking down that weird alley, checking it out, going, wow, this is different.”

Tracklist & Credits

Tracklist:

Toxic Web (04:24)
Sunfalls (04:06)
My Hands Are Blue (03:05)
Cold Grey Eyes (03:26)

Album Credits:

Deanna Quijada: Vocals
Jason Whitcomb: Vocals, Synths, Drum Programming
Kevin Hartnell: Drums, Bass, Guitars, Synths, Drum Programming
Ty Whitcomb: Guitar on “Sunfalls”

Produced by Kevin Hartnell & Toxic Web. Mixed by Kevin Hartnell and mastered by Hector the Rat at the Overlook Hotel. Cover Art Centerpiece by Guill Quijada.

Lyrics

1. Toxic Web

Pretty eyes / By the fire light / In a veil of smoke / They won’t tell me lies
Bite your lip / Bite your tongue / Find a spine if you know one

In the toxic web / Where’s your head / Where’s the truth
All the words you have spoken
Like a fire burnin’ / They fall around on the floor
Where you stumble upon them / I stumble upon them

I act like a fool around you / So I gave up / And look at you without me
Close enough / In my own mind / I make impulsive love
Come get it / Or turn away this time / In the end it’s all fine

Black laced eyes / Filled with tears can’t control them
Bite your lip / Bite your tongue / Find a spine if you know one
In the toxic web / Where’s your head / Where’s the truth
All the words you have spoken
Burnin’ in my head / They fall around on the floor
Where you stumble upon them / I stumble upon them
Hot coals I walk on
Once again friend / Once again fire / Once again / Again / Again

2. Sunfalls

Sounds that hang above me / You’re sharing them with me
The things that you’re saying / Couldn’t mean much more to me
The absence surrounds me / I’ve nothing more to say
So come here and adore me / I wouldn’t have it any other way

Out here where the sun falls / And the sky drips endlessly down
I’ll take you before me / And make it heaven
(Repeat Chorus)

Every day with masses / I feel you in my life
With all this disaster / I’m glad that it’s all mine
I reach for your acceptance / I’m begging you to say
The things you said before me / In a special kind of way

Out here where the sun falls / And the sky drips endlessly down
I’ll take you before me / And make it heaven
(Repeat Chorus)

3. My Hands Are Blue

My hands are blue / My hands are blue

Angels are falling down / Battered and bruised
And when doors open in / Say “My God, look at you”
Look at you

Don’t tell me a lie / I won’t be alright
My hands are blue / As cold as you

4. Cold Grey Eyes

(Instrumental)

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Before After Again wallpaper - baby doll

Before After Again: New Darkwave / Post-Punk Project Announced

July 27, 2013

Before After Again: A New Music Project

Overlook Hotel Records is excited to announce a new collaborative project featuring Kevin Hartnell and Jason Whitcomb.

Before After Again is a new music project I am working on with Jason Whitcomb. Some may recognize Jason as one of the “Bile Brothers” from our Cambium project.

Drawing influence from the darker side of music, Before After Again explores a sonic landscape built on Darkwave, Coldwave, Synthpop, and Post-Punk textures.

From Cambium to BAA

Jason and I started working on music together a couple of years ago. Since then, we have accumulated quite a few songs in our catalog. Some of our songs ended up on the Cambium album released by Overlook Hotel Records, while others found a home as part of The Replicon Project.

While we currently do not have a release date set, I have a feeling that there is already more than enough material for a full-length album of Before After Again songs. The writing process has been incredibly productive, allowing us to experiment with guitars and denser synth atmospheres.

Listen: “Allison’s Gone”

To give you an idea of what the project sounds like, have a listen to “Allison’s Gone” first. It represents the darker side of the band’s sound.

Listen: “Akron”

In contrast to the atmospheric vibe of “Allison’s Gone,” the track “Akron” reveals our heavier side that incorporates guitars into the mix.

<a href="https://beforeafteragain.bandcamp.com/album/before-after-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Before After Again by Before After Again</a>

I will post an update as things move forward. We have really enjoyed working on all of this new material and hope you like the new songs!

Thanks for listening,
Kevin Hartnell
Overlook Hotel Records

Full Album

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Cambium: “Let’s Send A Signal” – Debut Album Review & Stream

April 22, 2013

Cambium: “Let’s Send A Signal”

Overlook Hotel Records presents the debut album from Cambium, a 14-track journey through “future retro” rock.

Overlook Hotel Records is proud to announce catalog item R237-006: Cambium – “Let’s Send A Signal”. Available now for free download, this album represents a massive collaborative effort created in our secret laboratory.

Vic Bonat, Jason Whitcomb, Mike Chambers, Mat Williams, and I spent a year writing, recording, mixing, and “throwing hammers around” in a grand effort to bring you something special.

What Does It Sound Like?

Do you like your rock with synths? Perhaps you prefer your synths with guitars. Maybe you are like me and enjoy a very diverse array of musical styles, sometimes across the same album, or even throughout the course of the same song.

I’ve heard the term “future retro” thrown out there to describe the sound, but I have no idea what that means! Press the play button below and decide for yourself.

Stream the Album

The album is available for streaming or download via Spotify and Bandcamp.

Tracklist

Tracklist:

Let’s Send A Signal (03:47)
Forward Eyes (04:53)
Biloquist (02:58)
Escape Pod 9 (05:42)
Nothing Else (04:06)
Someday Soon (05:37)
Recycle (03:18)
Distant (05:14)
Flinch (04:03)
Static (04:49)
Aphid (04:55)
Salton (03:52)
Where The Oxygen Gets Thin (04:10)
Salton (long version) (06:18)

Album Credits

All lyrics by Jason Whitcomb. All music by Cambium.

Jason Whitcomb: Vocals, Synths, Bass, Guitars, Drum Programming
Mike Chambers: Bass, Guitars, Synths, Drum Programming
Mat Williams: Guitars, Leads
Vic Bonat: Guitars, Bass, Synths
Kevin Hartnell: Drums, Bass, Guitars, Synths, Vocals, Drum Programming
Deanna Quijada: Backing vocals on “Flinch”

Produced by Kevin Hartnell & Cambium. Mixed by Kevin Hartnell and mastered by Hector Rat at the Overlook Hotel. Artwork and design by Hector the Rat for Overlook Hotel Records.

Lyrics: “Let’s Send A Signal”

Chains on our arms / Masks on our faces
We cover it up / For nothing at all

Let’s send a signal out there / One that they can’t ignore
Let’s find some trouble worth making / We’ll hang our heads when it’s done

When nobody’s watching / You think you’re alone
Confide in yourself / But watch what you say
These words are like poison / As you feed us like rats
And watch as we die

(Chorus)

No second chance / A life in the balance
You’ve been here before / No stranger to you
Hopelessly lost / Just hang on so tightly
I won’t let you go / Until I’m done with your soul

(Chorus)

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Kevin Hartnell: “Umbra” – Dark Ambient Album (1999/2013 Re-issue)

April 16, 2013

Kevin Hartnell: “Umbra” (Dark Ambient)

Overlook Hotel Records presents the re-issue of the 1999 Dark Ambient classic “Umbra,” originally released on MP3.com.

I have just re-issued my Umbra project from Overlook Hotel Records. This collection of ambient and dark ambient compositions was born back in the late 90’s and was greatly inspired by my love of horror and science fiction film scores.

Unlike my rock projects, there are no drums on this release. Some of the music may make you feel calm and relaxed, while other tracks, like “The Pear in the Garden” or “Rue Lake,” may simply give you the creeps.

Chart Success on MP3.com

Long before modern streaming, this project found a massive audience on the original MP3.com platform.

On December 22, 2000, the opening track “Charon’s Journey” hit #1 on the MP3.com Dark Ambient / Noise Charts, topping a list of global independent artists. It remains one of my most widely distributed tracks, having been licensed for film and appearing in strange places all over the web.

Stream the Album

The album is available for free streaming or download. I have also released The Dusk Single, which features two popular ambient tracks that include rare percussion elements.

Tracklist

Tracklist:

Charon’s Journey (06:26)
Dementia (part 1) (05:41)
The Pear In The Garden (05:04)
Imprecation (05:17)
Lucid Coma (02:53)
Libidinous Orison (04:19)
Dementia (part 2) (07:04)
Rue Lake (05:41)
Aurora (05:15)

Credits & License

Originally released in 1999 on Overlook Hotel Records (R237-003).
Artwork and design by Hector the Rat for Overlook Hotel Records.

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