It's been said that everything that could be done in music has been done already; new artists are inherently boring, with nothing that is original or creative to offer. But those people hadn't heard The Slants (yet), a band who has everyone screaming for some "Chinatown Dance Rock."
It was early 2006, when Simon Young decided to leave his group, The Stivs, to start a synth-pop outfit. In essence, he wanted to create synthesizer-driven rock n’ roll but with an Asian twist. Enter Gaijin, who answered one of Young's numerous calls for Asian musicians. Though he wasn't Asian himself, the two found a common love for The Faint, Depeche Mode, New Order, Joy Division, and of course, sushi. After some shuffling with the line up, The Slants were formed and began playing in mid-2007.
Within three months of their first show, The Slants have already found themselves with international press (print, radio, and internet), requests to perform in four different continents, and have even played for a gathering of 3,000 fans. Also, within this time, they released their first record: Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts.
Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts has everything that a perfect record should have: shattering hooks and anthemic choruses, powerful guitar and keyboard lines, and just the right mix of rock with darker, dance themes - all with an Asian twist. The self-recorded, self-produced, and self-released record quickly caught media attention, with press from Asian Week (the world's largest English printed Asian newspaper worldwide), the Asian Reporter, Willamette Week, Shojo Beat (an international teen girl's magazine), and more. It seems like everyone can’t but help dance to the beat being played in The Slants' army!
On the album, Aron's voice powers through songs reflecting of love and loss, as well as thoughtful prose about struggling with an Asian identity in American Society. Jen Cho leads the way with danceable synth leads, as well as adds sultry back-up vocals in tracks like "Kokoro (I Fall to Pieces)" and "I Want Everything." Throughout the album, AC's pulsating drums keep the dance flavor alive. Audiences everywhere have fallen in love with the band after watching them as well. At the first show after the album was released, over 200 copies were sold. Furthermore, The Slants spent nearly six hours autographing copies of the cd, posters, and other merchandise picked up by their fans. “It’s been very exciting for us,” says lead singer Aron, “we’re able to give these kids an Asian hero now.”
PDX-Pole calls The Slants “controversial but well loved.” It’s true, the name has stirred some controversy, bringing the band even more attention. Bassist and founder Simon Young explains, “Most of the people that find our name racist aren’t even Asian! We’re saying to the world ‘We’re proud of who we are, we aren’t going to hide it.’ In fact, our biggest support has been from the Asian community itself!”
Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts reflects some of the same themes. Aron explains “We have a song called Sakura, Sakura where we take hateful rhymes about Asians and we turn them into a song about unity and being proud of our heritage.” But the band is more than just sharing similar ethnic heritages: Jen Cho explains that “everyone pays attention to our name. We might be met with a lot of skepticism at first. Once they see us play, they realize that we’re serious musicians and not just a kitschy music project.”
Indeed, the culmination of all of the band members’ experience totals to over 2,500 live performances, several cross-country tours, hundreds of hours in the studio, and working with some of the biggest names in the business. However, The Slants are now poised to take on the world with their own music and presence, their own name. Like the power of the rising sun, The Slants are bold, majestic, and filled with unlimited potential to light the dark ignorance of society...all while melting people’s faces off with “Chinatown Dance Rock!”
Anrgy Asian Man: "Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts kicks some serious ass. They've got this throbbing synth-pop/dance-rock sound with a badass Asian twist. Their vibe recalls bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, Joy Division...and more recently, The Killers...This band knows what it's doing"
The Stranger: "They've been described as "Chinatown dance rock," but the Slants are far from a novelty act. The band's infectious, urgent electro-pop has won fans of all stripes and colors, from anime aficionados to comic collectors to musos and beyond, and their rollicking live show is not to be missed. "
Oregon Public Broadcasting: "It's tempting to peg the Slants in some existing Asian genre: Canto-pop, J-Metal, Viet Core....but they're not quite that simple."
Power & Politics: "The Slants rock really hard. For me, their pan-AAP identity is actually a very far second to their sound - I'd be proudly rocking this noise out of my stereos if The Slants were green and purple as opposed to yellow and white."
Fender Music Inst. Corp: "Powerful guitar and keyboard lines, combined with the darker but danceable tradition of their aforementioned musical heroes, immediately earned the group international press and a busy performance schedule."
JRock Events USA: "The Slants is a powerful and brilliant band with a bold sound that will melt your face clean off"
LivePDX.com: "Asian dance rockers The Slants are carving out quite the niche in the vibrant Portland music community. Melodic niceties meld with edgy retro-futuristic resonance to create a familiar yet one-of-a-kind sound."
The Willamette Week: "Itís a great story: All-Asian synthcore troupe lands anime festival, achieves instantaneous notoriety from overpacked fireball-laden maelstrom, inspires John Woo and Dragon Ball Z fans toward aggro electro andójust months after its first practiceóbooks gigs across the globe. As shadow-warriory as the Slantsí rise has been, itís still all about the tunes, and the bandís debutófloor-filling synth pop bristling with all the menace and grandeur of its oft name-checked cultural iconsóis propulsive, cinematic and impossible to ignore."
Seattle Noise: "The band's smooth harmonies, infectious melodies and anthemic choruses have attracted young listeners -- dubbed "the Slants army" -- who love anime, video games and manga..."
AsiaXpress:"While most new bands require a grace period before being able to produce a cohesive sound, The Slants ñ who formulated their lineup in early 2007 ñ sound like they've been playing together for years. Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts is a rich collection of head-nodding, feet-stomping dance tracks that will attract old and new synthpop fans alike."
Slant Eye for the Round Eye: "The Slants don't just play and produce great music - they press the flesh and do whatever it takes to make sure their Chinatown dance rock gets heard."
Portland Mercury: "Kill Bill + Rock N' Roll = The Slants"
Some Awards:
Hardest Working Indie Band 2007 (SEFTRE)
Best Local Albums 2007 (Willamette Week)
Best Asian-American Album 2007 (AsiaXpress)
Top 10 Stories of 2007 (AsiaXpress)
Hot List of December 2007 (Shojo Beat)
Song of the Weekend, 11/21-11/23/07 (94.7FM KNRK)
Band of the Week, 12/20-12/27/07 (Portland Mercury)
1st Place in every round of Bodog Music Battle of the Bands
Thank you for the add! ^__^ I would really enjoy seeing you guys perform live! I'm in southern New Mexico. I'm thinking good places to perform would be Las Cruces,NM, Albuquerque,NM or El Passo,TX.
I would really love to see y'all in concert again if possible y'all should have one in Houston, Texas or College Station, Texas just anywhere in Texas just so I can come to another one of y'alls concerts because I don't have enough money to travel out of state to see y'all again
