Zeistencroix

Los Angeles-based Zeistencroix recently dropped an EP, called Gemini. Zeistencroix is made up of Orlando Draven on vocals, guitars and programming; and Santi Rivillas, who sits in the pocket.

Concerning title of the EP, Draven says, “Gemini, as its name states, is a dual state, a combination of 2 sides of the same coin; life and death, black and white, good an evil. In this album I’m showcasing two very opposite styles from the same band. It’s a combination of two entities living under the same organism and somehow coexisting without one surpassing the other but complementing the other.”

Zeistencroix’s sound blends industrial rock with electronica, punctuated by unorthodox syncopated drums and Draven’s unique ability to produce vocal sound vibrations via throat singing.

Gemini comprises five tracks. “I Need You Tonight” rides an industrial-flavored electronic melody not unlike goosed up electronic dance music. Dark synths pump out streams of opaque sonic colors as the rhythm travels on the bassline and tight drums. There’s an urgent, trenchant energy to the tune that’s hypnotic.

“Valley of Death” delivers a crunching groove. The industrialized melody surges with murky radiance from the synths. Resonant guitars add jangling sparkling accents. When the harmonics come together, the music swells with a glowing wall of sound.

“Saturated” begins with thick heavy guitar riffs of pummeling power. The stuttering drums rumble and chew with the intensity of a ravenous dinosaur. Draven’s throat singing injects the lyrics with an eerie quivering warble. The beefy guitars provide an overwhelming sense of brute force. “Dantes” amalgamates rampaging industrial rock with thrash metal. The music discharges pure, unadulterated primal energy.

“Rage” begins with staggering drums followed by frenetically throbbing guitars exuding compact waves of sound. The melody blends elements of industrial rock and gut-wrenching heavy metal. “Rage” is reminiscent of Rob Zombie, only darker and more extravagantly formidable, thrumming with pulsating dynamism.

“I Need You Tonight” and “Valley of Death” are my favorite tunes on the EP, followed closely by “Saturated.” This trio of songs exhibits a sophisticated innovative sensibility missing from the final two songs, “Dantes” and “Rage,” which rely on raw monstrous weight that rolls over listeners without mercy. The first three tunes contain a filament of delicate edginess, giving them an abstract contagious spirit.

Gemini is darn good. The industrial melodies ooze complex sonic hues, while the pulsating rhythms discharge nuclear groundswells of momentum. If you’re into dominating industrial rock, you definitely need to listen to Gemini. - Huffpost

LA-Based Industrial Metal Act, Zeistencroix, goes through the wringer and journeys through crepuscular darkness throughout their latest EP release, ‘Gemini’.

Kicking off with the first track, “I Need You Tonight”, Zeistencroix emits the trance that he is experiencing in mind due to being aggressively drawn to an individual that adds meaning into his life and draws him deeper into the abyss of dark and heavy love. The second track, “Valley of Death”, leads listeners down a blackened path of contemplation as Zeistencroix attempts to trace his footsteps that have led him to such an oracular place that has left him suffering to find meaning within their every-changing world.



“Saturated” is the third track which is a chilling vocal experience over dark synths and moody guitar work that sparks the flame of misery and distress. The fourth track, “Dantes”, mimics the style of Ministry back in their ‘Dark Side Of The Spoon’ days as Gothic and Industrial instrumentals enhance the maliciously pitch-black lyrical content that wishes another nothing short of the absolute worst. Closing out with “Rage”, Zeinstencroix meets the intention behind the title of the track with a balls-to-the-wall blast of agony as he nurtures his black heart by spewing his rapid thoughts strapped to misery all over the place with zero remorse.

Zeistencroix is the perfect artist to send concertgoers down a tunnel of darkness and technical musical bliss both overseas and throughout the states, as his style serves to impress metal maniacs worldwide. Whether you’re experiencing strife within your personal life or simply craving a dose of musical wickedness, ‘Gemini’ is the EP for you to immerse yourself within and release your darkest thoughts. If you’re a fan of fellow Industrial Metal acts such as Nine Inch Nails, Orgy, Marilyn Manson and Ministry, then check out what Zeistencroix has to offer on SoundCloud. - Tattoo.com

Orlando Draven, mastermind behind the raw, undisguised, powerful Alternative Industrial sensation, "Zeistencroix", has recently unleashed an effervescent, and contagiously addicting EP entitled, "Gemini". Along with drummer Santi Rivillas, "Zeistencroix", paints a colorful temptation, uniquely incorporating the best part of Industrial, raging punk, doom metal, ska, and a trace of glam, all into one melodious sound.

As the title of the EP, "Gemini" signifies, a dual entity exists in the depth of Draven's music. Two opposing sides, both being actually the same, as in life and death, black and white, good and evil, prevails as the artist explains: "I'm showcasing two very opposite styles from the same band. It's a combination of two entities living under the same organism and somehow co-existing without one surpassing the other but complementing the other". The bands influences include, "Depeche Mode", "Marilyn Manson", "Nine Inch Nails", combined with "Rammstein".

Now California based, Draven grew up in Venezuela, where political unrest, hunger, and poverty loomed over the country. He grew up singing in a church choir, however his music and song writing evolved into a salaciously explosive, genre bending anomaly. His video, "I Need You Tonight", is already creating havoc in the best possible way. "Gemini" was recorded with British producer Tim Palmer who worked with artists including: U2, Robert Plant, Ozzie Osborne, Pearl Jam, and David Bowie's Tin Machine. Also on the team was American producer Bill Metoyer, (known for working with Slayer, Six Feet Under and WASP).

I spoke to Orlando and found him to be creatively magic and really smart. His authentic nature shined through our conversation. He and his music are going to become an essential force in the music industry so buckle up and get ready for the musical ride of your life.....

What made you decide to become part of the music industry? How old were you when you started?

Right now I'm 28, but I started to play, not professionally, when I was six. It was because my mom taught me how to play a folklore instrument in my country and it's called "Four". It's like a guitar but it has four strings. It's like a ukulele. It's more similar to a ukulele than a guitar. So I started to play that when I was six, and then I was in the church choir for my first communion, you know the Catholic things that you do? So all of a sudden I had to do a solo in the church in front of 500 people. That was actually my first gig. They received it so well and that became my path of what I was going to be.

So you decided right then and there in the choir that you wanted to be a singer?

Yeah. Well, that's already picked up for me. Look at me now!

A little bit I think. As a small boy in Venezuela who did you listen to on the radio, who influenced you?

The first band that I listened to was "Queen". Then "Guns & Roses", then it was "Metallica". Then later it was “Marilyn Manson", then it was "Nine Inch Nails". I discovered Industrial music with "Nine Inch Nails", and that was "it". That's what I wanted to do.

Do you consider your music as Industrial?

Industrial, yeah. I wasn't a metal-head even though I liked "Iron Maiden", it wasn't exactly what I was called for. When I started to listen to " Nine Inch Nails", I knew that was the path. Around the same time I discovered "Rammstein", and then it was the perfect land between the two, and then that was "it" for me again.

Do you write all of your music?

Yeah.

When you write a song what do you think about?

Usually it starts with a blind stare, and then I feel like it comes to me naturally. It's not like I have to sit and think. It's just that I'm doing whatever I'm doing and then something starts sounding inside my head. Then I get a melody and I need to get it out. It usually starts with a beat. With the melody that I already have inside my head, the way I construct the foundations of a song is to always find the beat that goes with the melody. Then I can blend it together, and I think that I have a song. More like an idea of a song. That's the beginning of everything. I find the melody, then I get the beat, then I blend it together.

If you obtain your ultimate stage fantasy what would you need to happen?

My fantasy to play would be under my own terms or my own circumstances, I mean that I could do all that I wanted to do. I would have not only a big stage but a stage big enough to do all of the production that I have inside my head. Usually right now we play with videos. So we have the video synced to the music, and every time let's say the drummer is playing the bass drum, the video just reacts to the bass drum. I would like to have a big production, Broadway kind of like so I can make a performance, a show and the music and everything blend together. Because I'm a big fan of "Rammstein" I would love to have fire, video, rain....everything. Everything I can imagine.

Do you plan to tour in support of your EP?

The main idea is to start playing festivals. Right now we're in a toss up to see if we can get into them, and then we are going to start building something and start to tour. The thing is with the tour and this album and everything that we've done so far is organic. We don't have any press agent, we don't have a manager, or booking agent or anything. So we're doing everything ourselves. It's always harder because we need a validation, somebody to vouch for you.....someone that can take you under their wing, or open a path for you. That's the way it goes. But in our case, we don't have that so we need to do everything ourselves. It's kind of hard.

I think you should consider touring in the U.K., they would love your music there. I say that because I originally thought that you were a UK band. You have that British sound.

I lived in Spain for five months and we had a chance to get reviews and they said that we were really European or sound European like. A big, big part of our influence is British like Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Gary Numan and so forth. Everything on our Industrial side is more British than American. "Rammstein" and waves of British bands that I listen to have a big effect and influence on my music.

If you could say anything to your fans and fans-to-be, what would you want them to know?

We have an EP out, it's called "Gemini". That was the result of a lot of thought and effort that I don't see happening anywhere else. We are trying to blend the heavy music and the melodic and let's say groovy music that I have in " I Need You Tonight" and "Valley of Death", and prove that that can actually coexist in a band. With heavier sounds like "Dantes" or "Rage" or "Saturated", we are able to create both without any problem. We can conform those two sounds without a problem. You know that close minded mentality that if you make heavy music that you can't make slow music. If you do slow, melodic music, you're not able to do heavy music. That's what in this case I'm trying to gather. So we are able to do both and hopefully from my point of view, it can be successful. That's why it's called “Gemini " because you can have the both sides in one person, in one band in this case.

What does "Zeistencroix" mean? How do you pronounce it?

I really don't have any pronunciation, the word is not a language. It's a combination of three languages, a little bit of Latin, some German, and then the France in there. My point in choosing this name, I really liked the idea of having something that was our own. In this internet world right now you need something that identifies you, and that unique. So if you tag that name in google it's the only thing that's going to show up. Then you have an easy brand that you can actually brand. - The Indie Source

When you have a band with an original name, chances are you'll be noticed. Some may break their tongues trying to pronounce Zeistencroix (seemingly referring to German, Dutch or French). However, it's great to be visible in the world of the Internet ruled by search engines where algorithms decide about a brand's 'to be or not to be'.

Zeistencroix is an American band founded by singer and guitar player Orlando Draven along with a guitarist Jack Akopan in Los Angeles, CA in 2011. Basically speaking, the duo combine their skills into a mixture of tunes full of catchy electronica and soft guitar riffs.
Without a shadow of doubt, "Stranger" has major potential for an everlasting hit. If you're looking for an awesome single for your radio, podcast or TV channel, don't look any further. "Stranger" is a winner thanks to smooth arrangements, memorable and danceable melodies, a Depeche Mode-like romantic softness and an electro-darkwave feel. It's mostly an electronic song, but there's also a swift guitar riff taking the melody even higher and touching both the ears and souls of the listeners. The riff - a truly uplifting tear-jerker - appears in the most desired spot of the composition.

The song's length is ideal for radio-play. Less than 4 minutes of enchanting rhythms makes you want to play it over and over again. Of course, anything repeated too often will become less interesting. Until then, you'll probably spin the song a few more times as well as share the news about the band with your friends.

On the technical level, the song mixing, mastering and overall production are very well done. What's usually very important in any composition - the volume of the vocals - sounds just perfect; the drum beats don't sound too pushy and background synths don't steal the melody, either. All arrangements are brilliantly put in the right places and every instrument as well as each hook can be clearly heard.

Aside from powerful music, "Stranger" delivers a message of desire. The lyrics speak about a casual romance, a night spent with a stranger in an apartment. The narrator's sex is not specified, though. There's such a genre as 'sex music', and you can easily fit "Stranger" into that group thanks to lines such as: "Come now let's burn the flame, feel the desire, lose yourself, release the fire of your skin, unleash your lust consume the sin" which are skillfully aligned with the track's sensual atmosphere. In addition, lyrical rhymes match the song's rhythm very well.

So, are you interested? You need to know more? The latest news is that Zeistencroix have been working on an album called Stranger during the last few weeks. You can track their updates about its progress on both the band's Facebook profile and their official website.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, September 8th, 2013. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewonski) - http://industrialrock.net

When you have a band with an original name, chances are you'll be noticed. Some may break their tongues trying to pronounce Zeistencroix (seemingly referring to German, Dutch or French). However, it's great to be visible in the world of the Internet ruled by search engines where algorithms decide about a brand's 'to be or not to be'.

Zeistencroix is an American band founded by singer and guitar player Orlando Draven along with a guitarist Jack Akopan in Los Angeles, CA in 2011. Basically speaking, the duo combine their skills into a mixture of tunes full of catchy electronica and soft guitar riffs.
Without a shadow of doubt, "Stranger" has major potential for an everlasting hit. If you're looking for an awesome single for your radio, podcast or TV channel, don't look any further. "Stranger" is a winner thanks to smooth arrangements, memorable and danceable melodies, a Depeche Mode-like romantic softness and an electro-darkwave feel. It's mostly an electronic song, but there's also a swift guitar riff taking the melody even higher and touching both the ears and souls of the listeners. The riff - a truly uplifting tear-jerker - appears in the most desired spot of the composition.

The song's length is ideal for radio-play. Less than 4 minutes of enchanting rhythms makes you want to play it over and over again. Of course, anything repeated too often will become less interesting. Until then, you'll probably spin the song a few more times as well as share the news about the band with your friends.

On the technical level, the song mixing, mastering and overall production are very well done. What's usually very important in any composition - the volume of the vocals - sounds just perfect; the drum beats don't sound too pushy and background synths don't steal the melody, either. All arrangements are brilliantly put in the right places and every instrument as well as each hook can be clearly heard.

Aside from powerful music, "Stranger" delivers a message of desire. The lyrics speak about a casual romance, a night spent with a stranger in an apartment. The narrator's sex is not specified, though. There's such a genre as 'sex music', and you can easily fit "Stranger" into that group thanks to lines such as: "Come now let's burn the flame, feel the desire, lose yourself, release the fire of your skin, unleash your lust consume the sin" which are skillfully aligned with the track's sensual atmosphere. In addition, lyrical rhymes match the song's rhythm very well.

So, are you interested? You need to know more? The latest news is that Zeistencroix have been working on an album called Stranger during the last few weeks. You can track their updates about its progress on both the band's Facebook profile and their official website.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, September 8th, 2013. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewonski) - http://industrialrock.net