Compared to the Doors, Joy Division, and Primal Scream.

11 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, ROCK: Rock & Roll



Details:
KURSK: Spectrum released July, 2007!! The long awaited return of KURSK finds the band in excellent form with 11 amazing new songs, including: âBandit & Heartbreakerâ, âWhiskey Insaneâ, âNight of the Hunterâ, and âGnossienneâ. Recorded in Los Angeles, California in January 2007, it showcases the increasing songwriting and performance talents of MAY CHAMBERS MANSY and is destined to be a fan favorite. Built around cinematic lyrics, searing guitars, pulsating rhythms, and macabre live performance; Spectrum pays homage to the Coldwave era of the band while completely updating it for a new group of fans to enjoy. Admirers of Interpol, The Doors, and Joy Division have found a new favorite.

Spectrum marks a renaissance for KURSK and heralds the release of significant amounts of new & vintage KURSK material, a tour of the UK, and Production work on European Pop & Rock projects. Currently in production are: 1. KURSK: Vortex CD & Vinyl Re-Master/Re-Release 2. KURSK: Eclipse CD & Vinyl Release 3. KURSK: The Island Girl CD & Vinyl Release 4. EVILSUPERSTARS: Chicago â75 EP, CD & 12 inch Release 5. ENEMY OF LOVE BAND: I (UK) Produced by MAY CHAMBERS MANSY 6. THE FATAL SHORE: Free Fall (DE) Produced by MAY CHAMBERS MANSY 7. DEVUSHKA: Moscow Girls (RU) Produced by MAY CHAMBERS MANSY HISTORY OF KURSK: âKURSKâ was formed in 1995 by Wall Street stock broker Daniel May to record tracks for his film, âThe Art of the Swindleâ. A 19th century former Church in Kentucky (outside Cincinnati) was purchased as a recording studio and worked commenced. Re-Christened âBilskirnirâ after the God of Thunderâs ancestral home, it was soon full of classic musical instruments, vintage recording technology and extensive film gear. The studio was impressively renovated and with 40 foot ceilings, allowed a live band to play at full volume during recording sessions day or night. Most visitors were simply awed by the ambience and more than 1 remarked that it had the intensity of Berlin 1945. The future is now.

KURSK Mark I: The original, ad-hoc lineup included members of legendary British Psychobilly band, âThe Phantom Rockersâ; Nelson Slater, former RCA Records recording artist whose 1976 debut album had been produced by Lou Reed; a talented group of heroin addict Kentucky hillbillies; and Mayâs Armani clad business comrades on the sidelines. It was an exciting, disturbing time filled with sonic experimentation which culminated in the infamous 1995 Halloween Party at the Church. A live/studio CD, âMADGODSLIVEâ was recorded and distributed to friends of the band and visitors to the studio. May contributed original acoustic songs and played various instruments on all of the tracks despite having limited technical skills but displayed a flare for songwriting and a much stronger voice than anticipated. A collection of bizarre and strange compositions, it bore little resemblance to anything that had been envisioned in the conference room. It was never formally released but exists as an ultra rare collectorâs item. Following the disintegration of the film project, May and his gang of lawyers had tasted blood and committed to carry forward with the high tech sound and vision equipment that had been acquired for the film. The internet was just getting started and it was decided that a production company, âQuality Fur Recordsâ, would be established and a band created around the moniker âKURSKâ with a revolving musical lineup such as King Crimson had successfully done in the 60s & 70s. After numerous attempts to recruit a magnetic lead singer, including Larry Grimenstein of infamous satanic jug band, âHogscraperâ (www.hogscraper.com), it was decided May would lead the group and recruit professional studio musicians, or so was the plan⦠Dave Miller, graphic artist extraordinaire, friend of Patrick Keeler (drummer for the Raconteurs), and Mayâs good friend and favorite designer, had a reputation for throwing wild parties. At one such event in late 1996, May was introduced to a well known Cincinnati based musician and was soon to discover that his new drinking friend was the guitar virtuoso, J. Chambers. A veteran of various influential 80s rock, pop, new wave, funk and electronic bands, Chambers was just the character May had been seeking as band leader for KURSK. After an abusive raid on the Dave Miller party stage and a few commandeered instruments, the guys launched into an improvisational version of âCold lips and Red Wineâ, a May original. Following this auspicious moment, a meeting was set at the Bilskirnir Studios and the recruitment of beganâ¦. Chambers was not interested. He had only recently emerged from months in his studio, recording beautiful soundscape film music and was in no way inclined in leading the type of band May was pitching. His previous groups had mostly ended poorly both financially and creatively and the last thing he was thinking about was joining a renegade stock broker in some insane reworking of a 1970s rock band. After months of negotiations, Chambers relented and joined the group under 2 conditions: âhe was the band leaderâ & âthe only rule was there were no rulesâ. May unceremoniously fired the remnants of KURSK Mark I.

KURSK Mark II: As strange as it may sound, having a Wall Street broker as your lead singer makes a lot of sense. He can drink with the hard core, no conscience, and money to pay for the groupies. Entrenched in the now infamous Bilskirnir Studios, Chambers began his assault on the KURSK sound. Previous stream of conscious rants with Low-FI guitars were replaced by riff/lead heavy vintage Fender Telecasters and Orange Amps. Acoustic blues compositions about satanic rituals, dying on the eastern front and screwing hookers would be reworked as MC5 and Stooge style blitzkriegs. Enter, the Band: Greg Day, a Ludwig drum playing former drug baron recently released from prison on an attempted Murder conviction, he was the closest thing to Bonham money couldnât buy; Randy Fugate, ex-Prophets bass player and extreme IT designer, he and Greg supplied the 32 horsepower engine of KURSK Mark II; Jeff Powell, rhythm guitar, folk rock party animal with ties to the Iron Horsemen, combined love of pussy seducing songs with cocaine fueled excess; Chambers, lead guitar, band leader, instigator of the new juggernaut sound; and finally, Daniel May, lead vocalist/lyricist and Jim Morrison sound-alike with a vengeance, this would be the group that started the show rolling. From the initial rehearsal, it was obvious this band was out to intimidate and destroy. âCali Cartelâ, âMC5â, âLas Vegasâ, and âThe Pactâ stormed out of the sessions with barely a word spoken between the band. Everybody knew their parts and delivered. Immediate comparisons were made to Chris Gossâ outfit, Masters of Reality. The band started hosting live concerts at the Church and the crowds started to gather both inside and out. 3am rehearsal sessions were often interrupted by Kentuckyâs Finest only to be told the cops were fans and wouldnât be making their rounds again for a few hours soâ¦.Keep Rolling!!! Soon after, the band was invited to play on the Cincinnati Riverfront for the WEBN fireworks, a huge event with over 500,000 people in attendance. The mixed crowd of children, drunken rednecks, suburbanites and older folks didnât have any clue as to what or who these guys were, but the show was a great success. 15 amazing tracks were recorded for the CD. It was never releasedâ¦. After the KURSK Mark II recording sessions, the MAY CHAMBERS writing & production partnership metamorphosed into a very different, exotic direction. Creatively energized after the exhausting and musically challenging sessions of KURSK Mark II, the band started engaging the new high quality digital recording technology that was being introduced in 1997. Banks of modern Fostex, E-MU, and Roland machines were supplemented with vintage synthesizers, pedal steels and even an old Korg drum machine once owned by Bootsy Collins, his name hand written on the back! It was here they discovered, âThe one beat theoryâ. There are no new ideas...

KURSK Mark III: VORTEX, recorded and released in 1998, was a mesmerizing collection of post 60s doors of perception and evil carnival music was far removed from the KURSK Mark II Live band: âGolden Bargeâ, âSecret Agentâ, âForbidden Carnevaleâ and âTeenage Angstâ bled out of the monitor speakers with a weird ambience. There werenât many comparisons. Most branded it Coldwave, after the sound of 1980 era Killing Joke, Peter Gabriel and Joy Division. The lawyers were confused, âWhere is the heavy commercial stuff???â The fans were perplexed, âIt doesnât sound like your voiceâ, and the labels asked, âWill it sell? MAY CHAMBERS had agreed on 1 mantra, âThere are no rulesâ and now that was being put to the test. It is interesting where studio experimentation ends and a new sound begins, but the guys felt that they were onto something. After recording and releasing VORTEX; MAY CHAMBERS found themselves the sole remaining members of KURSK and set about rebuilding the band. Enter Nico Mansy. Recently relocated from Berlin to the USA after marrying American photographer Lisa Sharkey, Belgian born Mansy was the ideal musician to join the group. Classically trained on piano, Mansy was an outstanding multi-instrumentalist and songwriter/arranger whose credits included work with: Brian James, Hugo Race The True Spirit, Jimmy Miller and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Mansy was eager to combine evil carnival music with the new advanced computers and recording systems like Pro Tools. He understood exactly where KURSK was headed and with Mansy operating the machines; it was possible to perform live what had been considered only studio recordings. Auditions and Rehearsals began immediately and the debut gig for KURSK Mark III was scheduled for Halloween Night, 1998. Despite the listed credits on VORTEX, most of the rhythms are actually live drums played, sampled and layered by MAY CHAMBERS and a young studio drummer named Ryan Stephenson. It was decided that Stephenson would play a Roland electronic drum kit live and use advanced triggers to control the various loops and soundscapes. John Van Eaton, electronic tech for Trent Reznorâs NIN and in between recordings with newly infamous Marilyn Manson, provided technology consultation and additional programming. As the show date neared, it was decided to add a live Bass guitar player. John Proffitt was the prototype for hard drinking, brilliant hillbilly musicians the world over and was predictably asked to join the band although his intoxication made for hilarious rehearsal sessions! As Proffitt was a guitar player and sonic experimentalist, Chambers embarked on a marathon session of instruction on the bass guitar. The Halloween 1998 show is hailed by most guests as one of the greatest KURSK shows ever performed and perfectly introduced old and new fans to the Coldwave sound the band had developed in the studio. The original pressing of 5000 CDs was sold out and the band felt confident they had found the KURSK âsoundâ. Life is never as dangerous as on the ascendancy. VORTEX is currently being re-mixed and re-mastered for a 2007 release on CD and Vinyl. KURSK Mark IV â Evilsuperstars: Following the critical and commercial success of VORTEX and the Halloween 1998 show, the band decided to begin work on various studio projects simultaneously with the ultimate aim of launching an American tour. VORTEX continued to sell in respectable numbers for a band that played live sparingly and would provide a steady revenue stream due to licensing rights in film and television, especially overseas markets, far in excess of copies sold. Stemming from a combination of over ambition and access to unlimited studio time, this was to be one of the most prolific yet disturbing periods for KURSK and its members. Not everyone would survive with their lives and freedom. Over the next 5 years, the band would record 2 full length CDs; release 1 ambitious but ultimately flawed Hip Hop/Funk collaboration with âTop of Da Southâ; produce a stunning CD for Berlin based cowboys, âThe Fatal Shore â Free Fallâ (4 Star MOJO); record 100s of Demos and ultimately revert back to the core of MAY CHAMBERS MANSY when everything was at its darkest point.

Circa 2000, the band was engaged on 4 projects: 1. KURSK â Eclipse: Conceptualized as an updating of the Chris Goss / Masters of Reality style sound played by KURSK Mark II, it proved a massive project which stretched the band to the limits. A Testament to hatred, ultra-violence and technology, it was ultimately abandoned at the final mix stage due to the exhaustion of the band. It contains some of the most ruthless music and lyrics ever recorded and is described by many as a âthinking manâs descent into hellâ. Performed live over a dozen times, it featured some of the strongest band lineups, including single and double drummer performances featuring Greg Day, Deron Reed, Ryan Stephenson and John Chambers. Scheduled for a 2008 release, it is currently being ported over into state of the art recording systems and will be completely re-mixed and re-mastered for both CD and Vinyl release. Containing some of Kurskâs finest and innovative songs, including âThe Blue Filmâ, âBought Your Loveâ, âQuality Furâ and âRoyal Hunt for the Sunâ, it will thrill and horrify all fans of the band. Not for the faint of heart. Dave Miller was tapped for the graphics and his terrifying images perfectly match the sound and concept of the recordings. 2. KURSK â The Island Girl: Envisioned as the spiritual, âPart IIâ of VORTEX, it contains the bandâs most beautiful and haunted recordings. Based around the concept of âLost Soulsâ, the music and words evoke cinematic landscapes of deserts, raging storms, forgotten civilizations, and forbidden knowledge. Recorded both during and long after the VORTEX sessions, âThe Island Girlâ was ultimately determined to be unavailable for release in 2002 due to the varied recording standards employed. Slated for a complete re-recording in London 2007 with top UK studio musicians, including Nick Shankland and Kitty La Roar from ENEMY OF LOVE BAND joining MAY CHAMBERS MANSY, this CD is destined to be ranked alongside Portishead and Massive Attack for its intensity and breathtakingly unique qualities. 3. FATAL SHORE - Free Fall: After spending a good deal of time in Europe in the 90s, May had become increasingly interested in relocating full time to the newly united capital of Germany. Hooking up with Mansyâs old friends in Berlin, May decided that it was time to stretch the KURSK gang into full scale Producer duties and gauge the results. In 2000, the recording sessions were going well and it was felt this added project would help the band as it experimented with the new machines. After flying the 2 Australians (Adams, Hughes) and Englishman (Shoenfelt) over to the Church, it became apparent how far the members of KURSK had fallen into their own demonic vision during the Eclipse sessions. Removed from the outside world and with a steady stream of money and intoxicants, the atmosphere was tense and threatening. All day recording sessions would culminate in visits to white power biker bars and all black gang nightclubs. The boys from Berlin thought it a little over the edge, which was a real indictment! Despite the fractious environment and protracted 18 month final mixing session, âFree Fallâ was an outstanding CD and received a 4 STAR rating with influential UK Magazine MOJO. It is considered by many to be the bandâs best. FATAL SHOREâs website describes the scene in eerie details, www.fatal-shore.de 4. EVILSUPERSTARS â KURSK Top of Da South: Formed following the initial recording sessions were completed for the Eclipse CD, this marked a dramatic shift in strategy for the members of the band but contains some outstanding compositions, including: âEvilsuperstars (Disco Ball)â, âThe Gore Gore Girlsâ, âBirth of a Nationâ and âSammyâs Deadâ. Primarily comprised of music rejected for the Eclipse CD (based on style), it was decided that a group of outside vocalists would be recruited to sing the pre-existing lyrics and assist in giving the CD a more Trip Hop/Funk feel. Enter


Members
Daniel May: Lead Vocals,
Greg Day: Drums,
J. Chambers: Lead Guitar,
Nico Mansy: Keyboards,
John Proffitt: Bass

Artist URL
http://www.garageband.com/artist/kursk
http://www.kursk.fm