Sitting at just over 7 minutes in length, SAAVIK‘s new EP opener “He’s Dead Jim” will put you in a trance with doomy and stoner riffs to nod along to as you pass a joint or your favorite “drug” around. And even with the slow burn of the track, not a second of it feels safe. Even when it’s slowed down, it’s really just getting ready to attack again, and that’s exactly what happens in the second part of the song. Doom vibes are substituted with post punk infused, pumpin’ stoner metal mantra that might sit conformably on your favorite records from the 90s era of the genre. Today, we’re giving you the band’s new music video for that song and sincerely urge you to dive into the full EP below!
Birthed from the Miami Underground Scene, SAAVIK is a punk/metal/industrial “supergroup” of sorts. Its members are or have been involved in influential groups including Holly Hunt, Bleeth, Laboratory, Haochi, Beings, Cavity, and Floor. Heavily distorted bass, massive, effects-laden guitar tones, space opera-sounding synths, relentless, tom-heavy drumming, and haunting vocals draw you into an otherworldly space.
SAAVIK’s eponymous first transmission tells the familiar story of a leader who’s lost their way. With heavy nods to the fantasy universes of Roddenberry and Lovecraft, this four-part narrative explores existential themes of abandonment, betrayal, assimilation, metamorphosis, and rebirth. While lyrically sparse, further implications of the story are conveyed sonically, relying heavily on rhythm, drone, and texture to set pacing and moods.
Recorded and mixed in Miami by Ryan Haft. Released on Other Electricities. SAAVIK is : Beatriz Monteavaro – Drums, Didi Aragon – Bass, Gavin Perry – Guitar, Ryan Rivas – Synth, Vocals.
When SAAVIK approached Other Electricities about helping release their debut EP I was beyond excited. After seeing their first gig at the VIDIUM MIAMI Sustain//Decay fest in October 2019 I knew they were creating something special. Beyond the sounds being something that moved me immediately, knowing they were being made by folks whose audio/visual aesthetics I’ve always held in high regards further compounded how solid this project was to me. And so plans were made and dates were set, and as with such things, other THINGS came up. But this time, one other THING was very different. The release show would have been a massive, live, IN PERSON celebration of the sonic architecture of some of Miami’s most-celebrated experimental musicians. There would have been a physical manifestation (maybe some day there still will be), drunken hugs would have abounded, sci-fi nerd jokes would have been cracked, and earplugs would have been coveted. But despite it not launching with the joyful scene celebration we planned, the music is still here for you, at SAAVIK’s urging that this NEEDED to be heard, NOW. It’s intended as a story, so please consider an uninterrupted listen at least once.” – Emile Milgrim, May 2020
10 things that inspired the EP:
1. “All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.” – Roy Batty, Blade Runner
2. Star Trek
3. Dystopias
4. The Terminator
5. Authoritarianism
6. Planet of the Apes
7. Apocalypses
8. Altered States
9. Friendship and telepathy
10. Gary Numan
10 artists worth a check:
1. Axetone
2. EDKH
3. Dog Heat
4. Las Nubes
5. Devalued
6. Obsidian
7. I Am Bones
8. Ghost Flower
10. Antifaces
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