For the first time in four years, emo staples The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die are prepping a new record. Illusory Walls is as dense as anything the band has released to date, but with an even deeper layer of intense lyrics that revel in the dullness of life in a modern capitalistic hellscape. With two tracks clocking in at 15+ minutes, Illusory Walls is a sprawling, emo infused, post-rock masterpiece, one that will take some time to sink in.
To celebrate the new album, producer/guitarist Chris Teti sat down to talk Paramore, layered production, and an epic chest tattoo in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Dense, Atmospheric, Ridiculous, Eclectic
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
A unique band that carved it’s own sound and drew influence from a wide range of artists. Just friends collaborating on music together however we see fit for the given album or song.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
Basically anywhere in Brazil or Germany.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
For me personally it would be Ken Andrews from Failure. I loved that he produced his band’s album Fantastic Planet and that was a huge influence on me wanting to do the same with our albums. I love all the weird layers and production on that record and it really changed how I viewed music.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Sesame Vegan Chicken at China Pan in CT. RIP China Pan
What album do you know every word to?
Carry On – A Life Less Plagued. A close second would be The Red Chord – Clients (Deluxe Edition). Specifically the Deluxe Edition where they cover “We Did It Again” by Metallica, Ja Rule, and Swizz Beatz.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Ok I have a few: Genghis Tron, Baroness, The Red Chord, Converge at the Palladium Upstairs in Worcester, MA 2008. Bear Hands at a Wesleyan College frat house in 2008. Merauder, Snapcase, Sick of It All in NYC 2011
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
A black Comfort Colors bootleg shirt from Paradise of Flowers with black jeans and black vans. My favorite colors are black and camo.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
Ice-T.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
For me it would be a mix of No Doubt and Paramore until my phone runs out of data by day 2 and then David had endless awesome playlists.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“Minuments band” because I mis spelled the word “Monuments.” I was curious about their lineup after seeing an Olly Steele playthrough.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Destroy The Machines by Earth Crisis.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Punk squat in France. Actually I don’t know if I would say “punk” it was just a squat. 100% the most terrifying and shocking place I’ve ever been in my life. It seemed like an abandoned laboratory. The wifi password was actually around 100 characters long and all the doors slide open automatically. I felt like I was in a movie.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
My chest piece is a combination of Failure’s Fantastic Planet, Cave In, and Mars Attacks. It is basically an outer space war with the Cave In satellite, astronauts + spaceship from the Fantastic Planet cover, and Mars Attack aliens.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Honestly I don’t listen to the radio, but if we’re talking radio via streaming it would maybe be…. Paramore, Ceschi, Rage Against The Machine, Body Count, Neurosis, anything Mike Patton or Walter Schriefels, Tera Melos, L7, Fugazi, Gouge Away, Deftones, These Arms Are Snakes, Karnivool, Mewithoutyou…
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Greg Thomas of END took me on as a studio intern in 2010, and definitely didn’t need to haha.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
I guess it would be my 19-year-old self, but I would tell myself- Paper + Plastik will flake on pressing your band’s (My Heart To Joy) 7 inch, so don’t count on them. Even though it feels like the end of the world you’ll do way cooler things.
What’s the last show you went to?
Knocked Loose in Harford, CT. Shout out to their new guitarist Nicko Calderon. His band Church Tongue is awesome and their recent EP (The Hubris of Gods Departed) is one of my favorites. It was produced by my studi Partner Greg Thomas.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
Total Recall.
What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?
I would start off with wine glasses filled with Monster “Ultra Paradise.” and an appetizer of Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Meal would be vegan pizza from Nice Slice in Providence, RI. Fake chicken pizza with bbq and buffalo sauce swirled together on it. I would then talk to him at length about the self-titled Paramore LP for dessert.
Illusory Walls is out October 8. Pre-order it here.