MP3 Harms - ELECTRONIC: Electronica
Electronic grooves coupled with intelligent rock songs, with layers of guitars, vocals, and keyboard sounds both classic and modern.
7 MP3 Songs
ELECTRONIC: Electronica, ROCK: Modern Rock
Details:
Harms was formed by musicians Michael Kozitka and Jay Botka. Both seasoned recording engineers, they met while working in a Chicago area studio. Kozitka quickly noticed that Botka’s talents extended well beyond the engineer’s side of the studio glass. He asked Botka to add keyboards to a slow song which until then consisted only of Kozitka’s vocals and acoustic guitar strumming. That song grew to become the Byzantine soundscape of the closing track, “This Year.”
Harms’ music consists of poignant songs propelled by inventive, driving and danceable electronic drum programming. Rather than simplistic, repetitive beats, there are layered rhythms punctuated with cymbal-bashing fills and snare rolls that show a strong rock influence. Combine this rhythmic collage with the abundant live guitars, keyboards and vocals and the lines between musical genres continue to blur. Kozitka and Botka change instruments frequently, resulting in a swirling mass of acoustic and electric guitars, a vast palette of keyboard tones and various ethereal, otherworldly sounds. The vocals fit well in this complex environment and serve an integral part of each song’s structure. These verses consist of thoughtful, memorable yet subtle lyrics and uniquely haunting melodies.
A recording engineer who heard Harms described one track as sounding, “like Pink Floyd with beats.” While Kozitka and Botka cite a vast and eclectic list of musical influences, Pink Floyd is certainly among them. They share the Floyd’s view of the recording studio as simply another instrument to be used creatively. It is this attitude coupled with the band’s combined recording and musical experience that makes Harms a self-contained creative entity and production team.
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