Modulator is a five-member band from Houston, Texas that combines American guitar rock with European synth-pop. By mining influences such as 60s lounge, 70s progressive and punk rock, 80s new wave and 90s indie rock, the band performs an energetic musical mix that manages to be both familiar and fresh at the same time.
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When experienced hands are allowed to mold an untouched talent they can do wondrous, unforeseen things. Ex-Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Ed Buller should know this as well as anyone. Having spent the latter part of his career producing acts such as Suede, Pulp and Stabbing Westward, he has developed a knack for pulling the rug out from underneath artists and forcing them to scratch out the most organic, genuine versions possible of their songs.
He did exactly that with young Houston synth-pop band Modulator this past fall. Holing up in a studio in Los Angeles, he took them in and helped to shape the songs of lead singer/keyboardist Julie Zamora, into singular, flexible compositions that expounded on the already solid material on which the band had been working. Collectively, they had put together a group of songs that, in their melodic use of analog synthesizers, echoed of the finer points of sixties pop, while at the same time giving a nod to the deep trenches of synth abuse we all remember from the late seventies. Buller helped the band take those elements and streamline them into a more focused, cohesive marriage of the two sounds and the three-song EP Don t Hold Out on Me was created.
Zamora s songs are those of ambiguous longing, some of them even going so far as to employ computers and technology as metaphors for human relationships. Nevertheless, her potent stories of love and heartbreak always manage to etch their way through the cryptic words. The vocals are spoken more than they are sung the sentences so very carefully plotted out that it only adds to the robotic feel of the songs which the guitar and drums so fervently fight against. Modulator is a vehicle for several opposing forces somehow coming together to hammer out something that works and considering the time they ve spent perfecting it, they ll likely make it work for years to come.
- LANCE WALKER
Stopping by to enjoy your profile again and sending you positive vibrations for your upcoming week! I hope your Chinese New Year is off to a fantastic start and that everything is going your way! Stay in touch! Peace-Michael
Just stopping by to say hi and to be sure to stop by and check out updates, news and the other cool bands and folks on our page. Here is our next show we would love to have you out.
This will also be the last show with 2 of our members so come out and help say good bye!
A friend (Matt Parker) convinced me to come see you guys at a recent show of yours at the Houston Press music awards. I was impressed. Nice Xanadu cover by the way. ;)
