"Erik Mathes is the single biggest thing to hit South Florida since [Hurricane] Wilma, man. That kid can really play. In fact, I'd say he fucking rocks, man."
-said by Erik Mathes, 11/30/06, after hearing "Toxic Kiss," by Erik Mathes via MySpace.com
Yes, folks, it's true. People all over the world have been coming to the same conclusion as the young lad who made the above statement. Erik Mathes, a native Queens New Yorker, does, in fact, "fucking rock." This rocking all started way back when he was an awkward, lanky punk growing up in Queens, but didn't truly manifest itself until after he finished his stint in college at Tulane University in New Orleans. Shaped by the musical influences of his angst-ridden, mid-to-late-90's gen-Y adolescence mixed with the bluesy jazz staples of the Southern Mississippi Delta, Erik developed a style uniquely his. Stuck living in musically-weak Fort Lauderdale after college and rocked by a series of heartbreaking events in his life, our young hero got the spark he needed to set the tone for writing the album that would eventually set him apart as one of the most important and influential new artists of his generation. Fueled by a rhinoceros-sized lust for life and a big, fat desire to succeed above and beyond the above-average human being, Erik Mathes is definitely an up-and-coming star. Let's just hope some other ill musicians or a MAJOR OR INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL can save him from poverty before he loses his mind to the grind.
Some notes on the available listening tracks:
All were recorded with Sony AcidPro 5.0 and the shittiest-of-shitty standard, skinny computer microphones in Mathes Studios, AKA my bedroom.
The "Toxic Kiss" you're hearing was recorded back in October and is pretty raw. It has a bitchin' solo toward the end of it. It has some backup vox finally, but I'm sure it could use a little more. At least you get the idea.
The song "Daydreaming" was written in regards to my old office job for Northwestern Mutual. Every single day I would sit in front of my computer daydreaming about going home and getting stoned, drunk, and/or laid. Eventually, my frustration for having to stay in the office all day manifested itself in the form of a song...this song. My vocals are super-raw, but that's the point. Don't we all need a little edginess once in awhile? (YES, YES WE DO).
"HERON" was recorded throughout October and has a whole shitload of tracks. The guitar was actually recorded as clean from my amp, but it somehow achieved this really raw, clangy sound. There are plenty of vocal tracks on this one to give it that in-your-motherfucking-face feel, and the bassline I do with my geet really glues it all together. ROCKIN'!
The song "Corner Office" was written out of frustration while I was training to be a stockbroker. My company was opening up a brand new office in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale and they had me (Mr. Sorry-Ass Trainee) wait there all day for a delivery that ended up never showing up. Needless to say, I was pissed. I had finished reading the only book I brought with me ("Breakfast of Champions" by Vonnegut, may he rest in peace) and I literally had to just sit there doing nothing except count cars out the thirteenth floor window of the corner office. After nearly having a freakout/breakdown, I started to come up with the groundwork for this song. The very next day, when I had to go back there and do the same thing, I made sure I wouldn't be bored. I brought my guitar and amp and took up a nice comfy spot in the corner office (again). I set my amp up on one of the leather "guest" seats, plugged in, kicked off my leather shoes, and jumped up on the lavish mahogany desk that would eventually belong to my dickweed boss and began to rock the fuck out at quarter to eight in the morning in the SunTrust building on Las Olas. I got a lot of dirty looks that day from the lawyers who shared the floor with us whenever I went down the hall to the bathroom, but it was a pretty unique experience to say the least.
Anyway, I want to make sure you know that these songs are still works in progress, but they will eventually become the sound masterpieces they deserve to be. I promise I will keep on working hard to please my ever-growing fanbase and more songs will be posted soon. Thanks for visiting my page!
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when's your big west coast tour again? you know i have to keep giving you shit until you get your ass out to the land where the grass rocks as hard as you. maybe even harder. but not as hard as I WILL ROCK YOU!!!
I'm at work, and I can't turn the sound up, so I grabbed my headphones, and snuck off to listen to these new songs. I can't get enough man, JAPAN 07 tour in a must!
sweet tracks.... they really evoke this sort of... well what one might call a rhinoceros-size lust for life in the artist. and u know what comes with rhinoceros-size lust is rhinoceros-size balls.. how do u even manage to walk?
yo alfacado, the music is great, thats good you're put yourself out there. your doing the right thing. but dont let the big record companies fuck you. I decided to move for into the pokka scene myself. Yoo, the other night i went to a brazilian country music concert...shit was really funny. They played a bunch of billy ray cyruss in portugues...which honestly was an improvement. Best of luck, i hope shit in Fort Lauderdiggles is great. prime your rqball for our day of reckoning
Weren't you coming to NY??? Why have I been ditched???!!! and why am I not on your top 80,000 people?? i'm gonna put you on my top 16, that way you have to reciprocate!!!
