XPosed 4Heads
Under their reassuringly merry sounding ‘80s nostalgic veneer, XPosed 4Heads deliver jabs at the knuckleheaded herd mentality of contemporary society—and also visions of better days ahead. They originated in the New Wave era, went dormant for decades, regrouped for 2012’s “Lest We Forget” festival of Milwaukee punk and post-punk and have continued to record prolifically ever since.
They share their latest release, a seven-inch single, with a Milwaukee outfit of more recent origins, Quilz. 4Heads’ “Ultra Cloud” is indebted to Devo with its synth-powered urgency with its message of building a better future. With its doleful yet darkly romantic synthesized production and sultry vocals by Becky Heck, Quilz’s “Are You Still Out Tonight” could have filled the floor at any ‘80s dance club.
The 4Heads and Quilz shared the bill at 2019’s Milwaukee New Wave Fest and had scheduled another New Wave night together when a previously unknown virus upended everyone’s plans. 4Heads’ Mark G.E. calls the two groups kindred souls. “We see ourselves as in the same music scene and want to support each other,” he explains. “The Quilz create music that comes from an otherworldly place. I like music that evokes a sense of place, that creates a world or experience. When Xposed 4Heads play we are sharing a world view that is positive, fun and stands up for the people. Our live shows are about elevating everyone in the room to that place where we all connect. The Quilz also like to create an experience and transport the audience, though their world may be more from a surreal David Lynch perspective.”
Photo credit: Larry Schwarm
Becky Heck and Sage Schwarm perform as The Quilz
The Quilz’s Sage Schwarm adds, “We’re both all about putting on a visually fun performance. The 4Heads come in costume with party favors and The Star Girls. The Quilz bring a visually elaborate light show—complete with lasers and robotic lights to every show, big or small.”
|
The split single originated from Schwarm’s suggestion that the two groups remix each other’s songs. “I think the remixes turned out great,” G.E. says. “The Quilz pushed our song more toward the dance floor and we nudged The Quilz song a bit more toward a driving pop radio sound.”
This year would have seen the third New Wave Fest organized by G.E. He pushed the Shank Hall date back for a couple of months when COVID hit but finally postponed the event to 2021. Does he think live music will be safe anytime soon?
“I tend to be a pretty hopeful guy and when all the other festivals cancelled, I held on thinking that maybe we could still pull it off,” G.E. says. “We want to throw a party and we want to support our host venue. We are all feeling our way through this. A couple hundred people come to this event. But it become clear that even if we could limit the attendance and set up safety precautions, that we might be inviting people to potentially not be safe. As one of our fans said when we cancelled, ‘Thanks for not making us choose between seeing you and being safe.’”
Schwarm quips, “Was live music ever safe?”
G.E. continues: “Right now, we are being challenged to come up with new ways to interact together. I’ve seen a number of bands on social media who are playing for their audience, interacting and still building community. Platforms like Zoom, Facebook Live, Periscope and Twitch are helping bands stay connected to their audience. We have been making videos from our homes. But we all miss dancing and sweating together. There is nothing like that point in a live set where everyone in the room is lifted up together and we all become one. At some point, I think we will figure out how to be with one another in a safe way.”
What explains the renewed interest during the past few years in ‘80s music?
G.E. explains it this way: “The ‘80s were a fun, hopeful time… at least as compared to today. Eighties’ music speaks to those who have hope in a brighter future. If you read my lyrics, there is a lot of smart-ass punk social critique, but in the end, I am always hopeful and yearning for a better tomorrow that we can build together.”
“I have many theories,” Schwarm begins, “but mainly I think the ‘80s represented the sweet spot between technology and actual songwriting skill. New musical tools were popping up everywhere that made new sonic possibilities possible for everyone. Now we have more toys than we know what to do with, combined with a whole generation of musicians who’ve never taken a lesson in their lives. That craftsmanship combined with the weirdness of the new plastic age made for some great music.
“Whether people know it or not, they connect with music from the ‘80s because it was modern, but actually well-written and human. Even groups like Kraftwerk, who made music about computers and robots still sounded like humans trying to sound like machines. Now it’s machines trying to sound like humans, and it comes off as disingenuous and cold.”
Although unwilling to risk exposure through rehearsals, Xposed 4Heads are using the off time to record new songs. “Everyone in the band has their own home studio. Our recordings have always been built track by track with everyone adding their part individually. So, for us, nothing has changed,” G.E. says.
“The Quilz are lucky enough to be sequestered together in the same house,” Schwarm says. “We’ve been able to stream live shows from our practice space and have one coming up on June 13 promoting the upcoming LP The Quilz—Beneath the Covers. Here’s the Facebook event page.
The XPosed 4Heads/Quilz’s single will be released on June 12.