Chicago Glampires Plasmata Team Up Again With Deathrock Legend William Faith
From the underbelly of Chicago, Illinois, USA, Plasmata return with a series of three new remixes from last year’s Portraits of Pain EP (self-released, June 2021). The latest remix sequence kicks off with the ‘Leviathaneurysm Remix’ of ‘Leviathan’, by deathrock / goth legend William Faith, of The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith & The Muse, Mephisto Walz, and Shadow Project / Rozz Williams / Christian Death fame.
Led by project founder and mainstay Trent Jeffries (above), Plasmata’s Portraits of Pain EP and its popular singles ‘Leviathan’ and ‘Ten Bells’ showcased a dramatic and electrifying fusion of hard-hitting alternative rock and dark electronica: part classic Chicago Wax Trax-era industrial rock and electro-industrial goth dancefloor fodder – part Hollywood glam metal and L.A. deathrock – all of it wrapped up in Plasmata’s distinctive theatrical “Glampire” aesthetic. The new ‘Leviathaneurysm Remix’ of the EP’s lead single, ‘Leviathan’, from original Portraits of Pain producer William Faith (below), retains the industrial-rock jackhammer rhythms of the original track, but swirls and swoons with Faith’s trademark deathrock-meets-ethereal goth guitar treatments and atmospheres.
The original incarnation of Plasmata formed in Chicago back in 2005, releasing their debut single ‘Lifeblood’ the same year, followed by the Wails from the Crypt EP in 2007. Assembling a talented band of multinational musicians, Plasmata soon had well received live shows, international compilation appearances, college radio airplay, specialist club DJ rotation, and a coveted place in UK music journalist and goth historian Mick Mercer’s book Music to Die For (2009) all under their belt. By 2011, a full album had been recorded, and the band was shopping for a label: all involved were understandably excited. “That is until January 2012,” Trent Jeffries recalls, “when I was felled by a ruptured brain aneurysm.”
Trent continues:
“A lengthy recovery ensued, and the project disbanded over that time period. I was left with partial memory loss, diminished motor skills, neural deficiency and marked decrease in hand/eye coordination. Persistence and a near decade of physical and emotional struggle brought me to the point where I felt I was finally able to express myself effectively once again. And I felt I had some demons to exorcise.”
A near decade on from Trent’s debilitating aneurysm, the band’s 2021 EP, Portraits of Pain, deals with that process – highlighted by William Faith’s new ‘Leviathaneurysm Remix’ of lead track ‘Leviathan’. The EP was recorded during the lockdown of fall and winter 2020, and was mixed and produced in Chicago by William Faith at 13 Studio. William says:
“When Trent first reached out to me about producing this EP for him, he sent over a demo of ‘The Vanishing’, and upon hearing it, I recognised all of his references. His musical vocabulary was readily accessible, and I could hear where he was trying to go. I knew I could get him the rest of the way, and it all followed on from that. My favourite part of the process is always the same: the look on someone’s face when what they’re hearing through the monitors meets or exceeds their original vision for the song. That’s what I shoot for every time.”
William Faith’s ‘Leviathaneurysm Remix’ of ‘Leviathan’ by Plasmata is available now from Bandcamp, Spotify, and all major streaming platforms – with two more new Plasmata remixes from very special guests to follow. William Faith and The Bellwether Syndicate are meanwhile midway through their Dystopian US Tour.
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