Inspired by the sounds and visions of forgotten b-movie film scores, classic fantasy games and lurid arcade imagery, the duo of Aaron David Ross and Matthew Arkell have created their own morbidly compelling discotheque, a vividly detailed flight of fancy in which the conventions of techno, Chicago house, italo-disco and industrial are transfigured into a singular phantasmagoric adventure populated by hushed screams, Gregorian dungeon chants and cinematic washes of mammoth sound. read more…
Inspired by the sounds and visions of forgotten b-movie film scores, classic fantasy games and lurid arcade imagery, the duo of Aaron David Ross and Matthew Arkell have created their own morbidly compelling discotheque, a vividly detailed flight of fancy in which the conventions of techno, Chicago house, italo-disco and industrial are transfigured into a singular phantasmagoric adventure populated by hushed screams, Gregorian dungeon chants and cinematic washes of mammoth sound.
It is easy to understand why the bands early outings were sometimes dubbed “slasher-disco”. Meeting in Chicago in 2005 while studying in art-school, Ross and and Arkell began experimenting with different musical projects, but it was when they stumbled upon a YouTube video of electronic music pioneer Mark Shreeve covering John Carpenter that Gatekeeper discovered its’ true calling and inspiration – bringing the intensity and power of visual imagination to evocative, distinctly danceable musical realization. Early tracks caught the ears of new Kompakt imprint ‘Fright’ , releasing the limited “Optimus Maximus” 12” EP last October, which was received with enthusiastic intrigue. The band also became noted for their unique live appearances, playing special installation-type locations while utilizing custom-made special effects light shows from the talented Thunderhorse team.
Named after the historic Egyptian city known for its ancient monuments, their newest EP ‘Giza’ indeed finds the band advancing into more exotic, outlandish territory. It also sees them fusing their earlier disco leanings with a faster-paced, more club-oriented approach, as exemplified in the arcade biker theme of ‘Chains’, the haunted melody swirls of ‘Storm Column’ and ‘Serpent’, or the feverish, nightmare-ridden after-hours club romp of ‘Mirage’. Released December 6th on the ever progressive Merok Records, the label responsible for unearthing such cutting-edge talent as Crystal Castles, Salem, Titus Andronicus, Active Child and Teengirl Fantasy, ‘Giza’ provides a compelling showcase of Gatekeepers’ wonderfully fey imaginary world. Simultaneously celebratory and macabre, paranoid and darkly seductive, studied and deranged, it is one that will alternately make you want to move as well as cling to the edge of your seat.
What press are saying:
“Even though thick smoke was choking the room, everything felt bright,
erotic, alive.” – The New York Times
“[Gatekeeper’s] work combines camp theatricality with skeletal
simplicity; soundtracking the eternity of the desert as poignantly as
it might John Carpenter’s New York, silhouetted by a full moon.” – Altered Zones
