The Basement Paintings work with Aaron Harris of ISIS on new EP: Interview

Saskatoon group to release Time Lapse City at Amigos on March 7

The Basement Paintings, a Saskatoon instrumental group that combines prog, metal and ambient textures, are about to release their latest EP, Time Lapse City.

Performing along with Mehta and Black Tremor at Amigos for the release show this Friday, March 7, the group have also been added to the most recent MoSoFest line-up announcement.

But the news doesn’t end there. On Time Lapse City, the group turned to Aaron Harris to provide album mixes. Harris was the drummer for the now-defunct California-based post-metal band ISIS. He is currently in Palms, which features Deftones’ vocalist Chino Moreno.

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Ominocity recently caught up with guitarist Justin Thompson for a chat on the new EP, working with Harris and gift cards for a free Rod Stewart iTunes download.

Ominocity: Tell us about your upcoming EP – was there a different sound you were going for this time around?

Justin Thompson: The new EP is called Time Lapse City, which is also the name of the new single that we recorded for it. There are also two older songs on the EP with fresh drums and remixed tracks. The new single is definitely another notch upwards in refining what we’ve been trying to achieve with our sound. It blends quite nicely from more atmospheric, weaving guitar and rhythm parts into a few pretty heavy sections that should get people riled up. Thematically, it seemed to have a modern, fast growing city vibe to it; hence the name.

We recorded the tune here at the Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon with our friend Kellan Thackeray, then sent it off to LA to be mixed by Aaron Harris and mastered by Chris Common at Sargent House.

OM: What was it like working with Aaron from ISIS?

JT: It was really great to have Aaron involved. Compositionally and aesthetically, ISIS has been quite inspiring to us. The production style of ISIS is something we have certainly been influenced by as well, so he seemed like a great collaborator. We were really happy that he was able to help us bring the very polished, but still gritty, lush and organic style that we aim for to this recording. We are definitely hoping to continue working with him in the future.

OM: Any upcoming shows or tours to announce?

JT: We will be performing with Mehta and Black Tremor at Amigos for the EP release show but before that we’ll be talking on CFCR 90.5 and sending our new song out on the airwaves for the first time. We will also be giving away a gift card for a free Rod Stewart iTunes download to one lucky radio listener, so I would strongly advise that people tune in.

After this event, we have some cool stuff brewing up for a trip out west within the next few months to coincide with the release of the EP to radio out there. Then, in June, we are very excited to be playing at MoSoFest in Saskatoon. We are feeling pretty pumped and are probably going to party both musically and socially at all of these occasions.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Pg7gaL9MU&w=600]