N8NoFace has been a cyberpunk pioneer since he first appeared on the scene in Tucson, Arizona with the Crimekillz duo.
“That band planted the seed for what I’m doing now,” N8NoFace says from his L.A. home. “I did punk with Gameboy sound effects with my friend, Scumbag Tony. He was the producer and knew how to modify the Gameboys, but I didn’t. When we broke up, I learned how to produce. I got a synthesizer and drum machines and continued on.
“The storytelling was the same: memories about growing up along the Mexican border, my addictions, and getting sober. I learned to play a bit of everything—synthesizer, piano, a broken bass with two strings. I sampled beats and chopped ‘em up to make ‘em my own. People said, ‘That’s dope.’ I always had people digging what I was trying to do, along with those who were, like, ‘What is this?’”
Since going solo, N8NoFace has been prolific. He’s released 11 albums and EPs, leading up to his latest record, Homicide, out now on Blackhouse Records.
“Homicide was my way of saying, ‘I’m getting ready to kill it.’ I’m clean and sober, and I’m ready to fight for my music with a new energy and a new mind set. It’s a thank you to everybody that supported me and stuck with me through the dark times.”
The 17 tracks on Homicide are bristling with energy. N8NoFace prides himself on demolishing musical boundaries and moves effortlessly between punk, rap, metal, funk, EDM, and spoken word. Many songs clock in at less than a minute, eruptions of socially conscious observations married to wild bursts of rhythm and unforgettable hooks.
“A distorted jab of synth punk introduces “A Joy In Death” a tribute to the commitment of a partner willing to stick out a life of poverty and hardship. “Hate Me When I’m High” is an apology for the harm caused while stoned or drunk, with a hint of Ramones in its delivery. The bright synth line and funky drum loop of “On My Side” is pure pop, a pledge of fidelity to a devoted lover.
Many of the songs were composed, mixed, and produced during various stages of the pandemic.
“I didn’t write specifically about COVID. I was just capturing the general sense of anger and frustration of me and other people I know. I made all the music in my closet, with only enough room for one guy to sit down in a chair. I recorded on a desktop computer with one mic, a couple of synthesizers and a drum machine. I suck at engineering, so I just mix it and whatever comes out, comes out. Then it gets sent out to mastering to get pressed up. I’m not opposed to a big studio, it’s just the way I can do it with my budget.
“I quit my day job while I was working on the album and started doing virtual shows that got me noticed. I haven’t played any of the new songs live yet, but I love performing. I go up there with my mic, drum machine, and synthesizer. My songs are all short, so sometimes I have to play a lot of them to fill a set. I can say all I have to say in 16 bars, but now, I’m starting to write longer songs. I’m all about song structure—three verses, two hooks, and a bridge … but I’m also anti-rules.”
Watch the video for “A JOY IN DEATH” here:
For more from N8NoFace, find him on Instagram, Spotify, and Bandcamp.
Photo courtesy of N8NoFace and Valerie J. Bower
